Simplifying Life

Greenshieldstamp_2

Hello there,

I'm back again. Glad to hear everyone is getting on well. (Still enjoying the blog Ceridwen, and am lurking on Weezl's new challenge but very much in the background). To Simplify Life I am just going to stay on this thread, as I enjoy it, and get so much from it.

Aril - you are so right about the lateral thinking. I think I am one step behind you, though. I am not yet at the lateral thinking stage, but definitely stop to just think more often before I do; buy; or say something. It doesn't work everytime but it is interesting trying it out.

For example: I am now thinking of my freezer as a virtual extra mouth to feed. When I cook a meal I see if it is something I can "feed" to the freezer as well.
(Shaz - by the look of all your cooking and baking on Weezl's thread you are way ahead of me and I am really impressed with all your storing and cooking, but I am starting with small steps).

My home-grown cut and come again lettuce is lovely and tastes great, and we transplanted some flower plants today. Need to plant some new veg seeds so the new batch start growing, as the old ones finish. Trying to find out varieties of different cut and come again veggies to try next.

Hi Mary43, how are you?

Have a good evening everyone.

Best wishes
Greenshield

mary43

Hello Greenshield - I'm fine. Today I just might try and cover one of the shoe boxes that are stacking up..........got the paper, need to check I have enough glue..........never organised enough thats my trouble.
Young lad will be home at 1pm - poor soul...............only been here a week and looks at me like I've lost the plot when I'm fiddling about making cards and stuff -though did get him to make a card for him Mum's birthday. He donated one of the shoe boxes to me with a puzzled look on his face........dread to think what he'll make of what I intend to do with it............lol
Everything in the garden is coming up well...........we keep checking potatos and veg for the dreaded blight but nothing so far (fingers crossed) and the climbing rose OH bought for my birthday two years ago is flowering like a good 'un. Ex foster girls sister reeled off a list of herbs she's got for us plus 4 chilli plants so OH is happy...........something ate the ones he planted.
So, all in all, everything is going reasonable well...........trouble is, when things are ticking away nicely I keep waiting for something to be lurking round the corner to shatter my illusions that, just for a while, life will be hiccup free.
Cut right back on spending...........I'l a sucker for charity shops etc. and easily tempted so the easiest answer is simply to not go into town unless I really have to and then stick rigidly to the shops I 'need' to go to as opposed to 'want' to.
Been following Weezls thread with amazement ! Lot to be learned from that.
Mind you we did have a dinner last night that was a bout 55p per portion courtesy of reduced chicken pie, frozen brussels (worked out a lot cheaper than buying a cabbage !) and some potatos ............I know its not exactly OS buying the ready made but at the moment price still pays a great part and to be honest the whole meal was very tasty.
So, with the price being right plus the flavour.........well that gets the right box ticked from me.

shaz_mum_of__2

Greenshieldstamp wrote: »

For example: I am now thinking of my freezer as a virtual extra mouth to feed. When I cook a meal I see if it is something I can "feed" to the freezer as well.
(Shaz - by the look of all your cooking and baking on Weezl's thread you are way ahead of me and I am really impressed with all your storing and cooking, but I am starting with small steps).

Hiya all

I started small too a few tins and packets here and there bogof's etc the toiletries were easy its food that i struggle with (amounts needed)

I like baking and am at home off sick at the mo(trapped nerve in spine )so have time on my hands i think its always time vs money when trying to save. i have switched to monthly main shop delivery from Mr T and top up with fresh stuff from local shops, lots of farm gate type stalls round here

And today i ordered a side of beef for £80 from a farm shop that sells direct and a 1/4 pig for £30 this plus some lamb will last us a year i hope

I want to get even more organised as i am starting at Uni in September (mature student) and will be at home less


Shaz

Garden is just starting to produce courgettes ,spinach,potatoes, mixed lettuce and radishes

mary43

shaz - I sympathise with the trapped nerve having done similar myself last year. Very painful.
Well, OH is in charge of shopping and very good at it he is too........always one for a bargain and getting stuff while its cheap to store away -like a little squirrel he is - and just as get really thrilled to get a bargain in the form of someone giving me an old box and me decorating it up so I've got a gift box for nothing..........he comes in with a big grin to show off his food 'bargains'.
I start to wonder what he'll come home with every day and my first thought is 'how much?' as we're trying desparatly hard to curb spending (not helped by bank charges just incurred -but that another story!).

Charis

mary43 wrote: »

Well I've got my bus pass............the OAP one.............though as I said using it on National Express from where I live to Peterborough would be chancy due to the return journey and chances of the bus being full up from London and me being stuck as its the only one coming back.

The Pensioner's bus pass doesn't cover National Express, Mary, just local bus services, which you can join up to go as far as you want. National Express gives half price fares to over sixties, you don't have to pay for your pass as with Railcard, just order it before you get your tickets. You can also book your seats before you set out, you just have to be sure to catch the bus you booked on.
We only get a 5% discount on the Railcard here, £21 instead of £24. You would need to use the the £24 Railcard to pay for £72 worth of fares in a year to break even.

mary43

charis - when I last booked my national express ticket I was told I could travel free with my bus pass as I don't travel the whole way to London. I get off at Peterborough so they consider that to be local. I'd have no problem getting a seat on the outward journey but I'd have to chance it coming back. Wouldn't like to do that as normally by the time the coach comes back to Peterborough its nearly full. For what I'd save by just booking a single to come back it isn't really worth it. It's the only national express coach that goes through our town.........one going out, one coming in ............if I didn't book it I could risk getting stuck at Peterborough and to be honest £6.50 return isn't bad. When I change at Peterborough for a local Northants service its free travel with my bus pass.

Trouble with the National Express is it only goes the one route from here.

Its a shame the railways don't operate a similar concession for OAP's without having to buy a rail card. I wouldn't use it enough to make it pay.

Charis

mary43 wrote: »

charis - when I last booked my national express ticket I was told I could travel free with my bus pass as I don't travel the whole way to London. I get off at Peterborough so they consider that to be local.

That's interesting. I wonder if they do the same on the one NE coach that passes through here. Might be able to go to Malvern as it's only in the next county. The coach goes to Bradford or Aberdare, depending which way you are going.

mary43

charis - worth checking it out. I only found out because I happened to mention that it was a shame my bus pass didn't cover the National Express service and was told as I was only going as far as Peterborough it did........it was just taking a chance on there being seats available that was the worry.

Well, what a wet miserable day its turned out to be.........on the positive side OH said at least he doesn't have to water the veg in pots !
He's that thrilled...........I sent off for some tickets for a cricket match (from the Freebie board) and they arrived today.Just need to find a couple of days for him now. They're for the Trent Bridge ground so he won't have that far to go.
Been to see my disabled friend for the day........she's worried how she's going to manage with the rises in fuel prices, cost of food and keeping warm when winter comes. Had an e mail from a relative in America today and they're suffering badly where she lives.
OH did the shopping today and got it down to £46 !! But thats without buying a few extras to store away. We've got some stuff stashed away but I think next week we'll need to top up a bit more. I think if we do a sort of 'stock check' mid-week we'll at least know exactly where we are, at least with food.

ceridwen

Well - my bit for the last few days has been that I've had a waterbutt installed. Right - thats me no longer having to buy metered water to water my plants and am now planning to go off and see exactly how much water/electric/gas I use for each individual "activity" in my home and work out what it costs me. Am now wondering what other water usage in my home could come from my waterbutt - instead of that metered water. Thinks....carrying a bucket of it upstairs to flush the loo instead of metered water/could I use it for handwashing purposes/etc? Cant see me going for allover cold washes from it - instead of my nice hot showers - somehow (that 64 year old woman that has recently been in the Press for living in a very "green"/cheap way or no) - but am thinking on as to just how useful it might be:cool:

Charis

On the really simple ideas thread someone suggested having a water butt near the back door into which you can empty the water you run off when running the tap for hot water. You can also put your washing up water in there as long as it isn't greasy.

I am seriously considering turning off the water heater as we have an electric shower which doesn't use the water from the tank. It seems mad to keep a cylinder of water hot 24/7 just so we can use a little to wash our hands and wash up a few odd dishes. Washing up and face washing could be done using a kettle (I have the advantage of living on one level). When I was a child we actually used the kitchen sink for our morning wash, cos the rest of the house was freezing. Ours was the first generation to have the luxury of heating a whole house in the winter. My ex husband's Canadian cousins couldn't believe we didn't have central heating. I wonder how on earth the Canadians will cope with their winters and the rising fuel costs?

Our new A-rated washing machine is cold fill only. Most of the new ones are, because apparently they use so little water now that all they fill up with is the cold water in the pipes, which means more cold goes into your hot tank to be heated. Dishwasher is cold fill too.

Has everyone else seen this new thread:
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=1021587