Charlottechicken Posted February 19, 2013 Author Share Posted February 19, 2013 Oh, the hot crossed buns were just out of date, but my friend has an OCD hubby so couldn't take them home as he would've thrown them straight out. They lasted over a week in the fridge and were lovely toasted Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlottechicken Posted February 28, 2013 Author Share Posted February 28, 2013 Feeling smug as I have recycled all of my glass jar collection, and the last of my surplus plastic bottles were disposed of today too (in the council recycling collection). Space in the loft now! I've got a few items of clothing on Ebay, with watchers, hope they buy Funnily enough, some of the (many) items of clothing I had stored have taken my fancy again, so I now have some new clothes for no spend Got the woodburner on today, so not buying so much gas off Mr Eon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saronne Posted February 28, 2013 Share Posted February 28, 2013 Oh, I am so with you on that one! Have used little central heating gas all winter - just an hour in the morning and an hour in the evening - wood burner going most evenings and weekends from wombled wood (and bought wood). That, plus the loft insulation and cavity wall insulation means that Mr. Eon owes ME money! They've reduced my duel fuel bill from £130 per month to £75 per month Yipee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlottechicken Posted March 10, 2013 Author Share Posted March 10, 2013 I've got the woodburner on and the heating off, again! Listed more stuff on ebay last night as it's another free listing weekend, and just taken pics of more items to go on tonight. Hopefully I will sell enough to pay for the trouser shoes and clogs I just had to buy from Cotton Traders Actually, I did need to buy them as I have nothing to wear with jeans except trainers or boots, and OH has just gone all smart on me, with proper shoes and nice check shirts, so I had to keep up! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted March 10, 2013 Share Posted March 10, 2013 Got a large Belfast sink from the recycling shop at the tip today... cost me a fiver! That will look nice in the garden Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlottechicken Posted March 10, 2013 Author Share Posted March 10, 2013 Well done Clare, what a find! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickencam Posted March 11, 2013 Share Posted March 11, 2013 Got a large Belfast sink from the recycling shop at the tip today... cost me a fiver! That will look nice in the garden Your tip has a recycling shop I wish that ours did, we are always saying what a good idea it would be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted March 11, 2013 Share Posted March 11, 2013 Well, it's odd because some around here do and some don't. the nearest tip (in Oxon) was really against it, but they've recently started a trial one for 6 months. I always drop into one if I'm nearby and Phil does a tour on his way up here - he's done well on ebay with his finds and he has a good eye. That sink was blooming heavy and bigger than my other ones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlottechicken Posted March 11, 2013 Author Share Posted March 11, 2013 I've just had a mooch through my jeans as I really want a pair of denim shorts. OH thinks we are going to get a summer so I thought a nice new pair of shorts was in order I've identified two pairs of jeans I can chop off. The one pair are an excellent fit (Cotton Traders and cost a pound) and I think I would prefer a pair of those shorter trousers, though I'm not sure they will look right on my "little Ern" legs The other pair (George at ASDA and £3) I think will become shorts. I'm just wrestling with length at the mo, anyone got any ideas about what is the most flattering length for shorts and those new ankle skimming trousers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted March 11, 2013 Share Posted March 11, 2013 I usually make my cut-offs fall just below that *erm* 'fuller bit' at the top of the thigh, that looks good on my muscly footballers legs If you want ragged edges then run a line of zigzag stitch just above the cutting point with your machine; this will stop them from unravelling. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlottechicken Posted March 11, 2013 Author Share Posted March 11, 2013 Ahh, thanks Clare, so an inside leg of about 6 to 8 inches probably? I'll go and measure up, thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlottechicken Posted March 14, 2013 Author Share Posted March 14, 2013 Cut my jeans off at 7" inside leg, seemed about right, they look good. I bought a lovely crocheted white jumper from the charity shop on Saturday for £3.50 (went over my usual £1 budget!) and a great H&M short sleeved check fitted shirt for a pound. Summer wardrobe on the cheap coming up Just need some good weather now Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SylvisMum Posted March 17, 2013 Share Posted March 17, 2013 Hi, I have joined your quest to spend less money. We are moving into another rented property (still no room for chickens, sob) but it has room indoors for husband to bring his office back home. That will save £400 per month. Realised, to my horror, that he is currently spending £300 plus on storage as he needs to store his copy of people's accounts paperwork and is running a large unit and a small one! Needs some more space temporarily to store eldest daughter's items before she moves later on in the year. Hopefully when we are settled in the new house we will be able to juggle that and save some of that money I made a mistake last October. I signed up for a "free" delivery pass on Ocado which would give us unlimited deliveries for £6.99. Thought I was just doing it for a couple of months to get us over Christmas but then realised that I had signed up for a whole year! of £6.99 per month! However, I can have two deliveries a week if I like and have done, a couple of times. Waitrose/Ocado stuff is usually very good, and I can hunt for the budget range, but I will not continue after October. We also do my mum in law's shopping and she likes some things you can't get on Ocado like jam mini rolls and some biscuits. So we usually end up visiting Sainsbury's for something anyway. When we have moved I am going to try to visit the market more for fruit and veg. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kazaddress Posted March 21, 2013 Share Posted March 21, 2013 I mentioned this in the shopping thread above. but we are saving a fortune on shopping. A few local mums and i grouped together and formed a food coop. basically we have an on line spreadsheet of what we all want, and then buy in bulk and split the costs. eg. I have always bought 5ltr refillable bottles of things like shampoo/laundry liquid etc... I normally paid around £45 for 5ltrs of my shampoo... from Suma its costing me around £13. My bread flour is a massive savings too, i normally pay £29 for 25kg of Doves farm bread flour.. but its only £19 from Suma. I spent £380, and most will last between 6-12 months We worked out we are saving around on our shopping bill . I now just pay river ford £34 a week for our veg and dairy. sumawholesale.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted March 22, 2013 Share Posted March 22, 2013 My neighbour has been dealing in Suma groceries for years now. Quite a few families in the street buy through them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Couperwife Posted March 23, 2013 Share Posted March 23, 2013 I am stepping this up again Ive got a confession... I nearly ran out of money so now im going to get control again have any of you heard of living below the line? I heard about it on the radio the other day and I thought that I needed to do something about me, and also think about doing something about poverty. so im going to try this for one week and see how I get on... then im going to purchase fairtrade stuff where I can. I know its more expensive, but its fair!! (one very embarrassed and nearly poor ) cathy x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blueandwhite Posted March 30, 2013 Share Posted March 30, 2013 Hi I've really enjoyed reading this thread and all your ideas. I funded my purchase of eglu and two chickens 3 years ago by selling stuff on ebay - mostly my own but a few things from car boots and auctions. It took me 12 months and was quite hard work at times - all that wrapping and posting! That is why one of my girls is called Ebay. On another note my son has just started full time work and after much haggling about how much housekeeping he should pay - him starting at not wanting to pay anything we decided that he would pay for his own food. So I go shopping and anything that is purchased just for him eg meat (as I'm a veggie) I go through the receipt and add it up. Also he now pays for his own toiletries which must save me at least £10 a month - this caused the biggest argument! As a result he has actually become careful in his own spending. He now takes his leftover tea to work and has that for his dinner; or if I do baked potatoes I put a couple of extra ones in and we both take them to work. So overall I'm saving about £110 a month and he doesn't have to buy lunch. Yay! Also got a 4 minute shower timer free from Severn Trent - sure that will reduce water bill as I'm on a meter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlottechicken Posted April 5, 2013 Author Share Posted April 5, 2013 Managed to sell enough stuff on ebay to buy a new vacuum cleaner I'm using an old Swan one I borrowed off mum years ago, when the only vacuum cleaner I did buy, blew up I have a fab Hoover Telios. It is a powerful machine and I can vac the whole house quickly and efficiently at last! It even picks up hair too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlottechicken Posted July 18, 2013 Author Share Posted July 18, 2013 Did anyone see the Great British Budget Menu last night? Interesting viewing, but I was surprised that the people taking part were so poor at managing their meagre budgets. So few veggies and carbs on show. Also, not much use of batch cooking and the freezer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angie Posted September 6, 2013 Share Posted September 6, 2013 I have started to shop every 2/3 days and it is cutting down the food bill and no waste. But the big move for me is from Sainsburys' to Aldis'. I go to my big shop for the things I can't get or can't do without from Aldi but I am really surprised at how much I am saving. I shopped for 4 days with toiletries and loo roll and spent £26. My daughter got me to go with her and we are def saving money . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlottechicken Posted December 15, 2013 Author Share Posted December 15, 2013 Was given access to an industrial wood skip this afternoon (legally!) and now have an awful lot of wood in the back yard, waiting to be cut up for the woodburner. Didn't think I still had it in me to climb into a skip, but I did, it was one of those container sized ones and I had to climb up the side! I've offered to go through it on a regular basis, if I take the wood then the company doesn't have to pay to dump it. Some of it isn't suitable for burning but most is. Free wood = free heat. Yay! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted December 15, 2013 Share Posted December 15, 2013 Great news Claire! I think you must be Top Wombler this year I am scrounging wood offcuts at work; there are two tonne bags full, and I just take in sacks so one of the men can load it up for me. The patio is now the 'winter woodpile' as the regular one is full. The oak chunks burn really fiercely and hot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saronne Posted December 17, 2013 Share Posted December 17, 2013 Wood Womblers anonymous: I scrounged an untreated pallet near a skip at work last week and got some funny looks as I dragged to my car.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted December 17, 2013 Share Posted December 17, 2013 welcome to the club... there's nowt to be ashamed of when recycling wood. My Berlingo is a godsend; I just screech to a halt and bung stuff in - my teenager is embarrassed by my skip surfing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted December 17, 2013 Share Posted December 17, 2013 I have no shame about pulling things out of skips! I'm doing well for wood this year, thanks to the generosity of a friend who has been cutting up a 30' oak tree with his chainsaw - it came down in the high winds a few weeks ago, in one of the gardens where he works. It'll need seasoning of course, but it's filling my 'next year' stack nicely. I find a good mix of pallet wood/softwood offcuts in with the chunky stuff is best, my woodburner is small and needs to get quite hot before the larger logs will burn. Besides, as Charlottechicken says, you're usually doing the skip owner a favour by removing stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
