living on a budget


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What exactly are you saveing the bomb for, Colly? If you have no use for it I willl gladly take it off your hands - there are a few surplus wind turbines up here.... :)

You could have my bomb anytime Compo, I'll help you blow a windmill up. :) (If anyone from the Police read this I'm only joking, I'm not really going to bomb a windmill, I don't want to go to jail, I don't really like porridge.)

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She`ll go bleddy bonkers when she get home from work, recipe said put the casserole in 180 degrees, now its all over the bottom of the oven.

There was no real problem with obesity when I was a kid. My mum baked nearly every day - cakes, bread - the lot. By todays standards we should have been as fat as little pigs. But no. We cycled or

Yes but haven't you noticed although a certain faction of the "bad off" can't afford decent food etc they can afford fags, booze and sky tv on 60" 3D top of the range screens while their badly shod br

Free housing plus all the benefits going = much much more than what you get for working 40 hours a week!

Wish I got free housing! Although, there was a period when I first moved out, my partner/daughters father didn't live with me right away, we weren't ready and i was much better off! He works Mon - fri and we get no help, unless you think £2 off the rent and 0.4% off council tax is a help, to us it's abit of a slap in the face. You work and you struggle, you refuse to work and you have everything you could possibly want!

Wouldnt say we're 'bad off' I'd love a new tv, and the £18 per roll wall paper iv fallen in love with, but things like that get saved for (and for quite a while too)

Why would I wabt to waste loads of money on food, when there is so many cheap alternatives to meals, much more fun too! Less money spent on food means more money to treat ourselfs, our daughter and for days out! :)

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Good on yer Pixie lass! I wish more people had your attitude to life - the world would be a much better place for it.

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Pixie,

Good for you Pixie, money does make life easier, but not necessarily happier. When we first married we lived in a friends house, and two children came along quickly, we had nothing to start with, no money, no real home, the council couldn't help us even back in the 1960s there were waiting lists for houses even then. But we expected nothing from anyone, we made our life with what we had and like you pixie, we were happy. You have your lovely little daughter to bring you happiness. Keep happy, Pixie because things can get easier, they did for us. :Kiss:

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It does get stressful, we have good week's fir money and we have the bad week's. But I'm 22, I dont think it's right for me to let it become stressful, we don't really 'need' for anything, we allways have food in, even if it's just cheap things or limits on what snacks we have in. We have all the bathroom stuff, and we buy toilet roll, kitchen roll & animal food in bulk so it keeps us going for a while.

We've saved up to take little en to the Yorkshire wildlife park at the weekend. I bet she's going to love it!

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Pixie, like you we had to learn the hard way. We both worked hard until kids came and my wife opted to be a stay at home mum. We bought a tenement flat in Glasgow for £350 in 1970 - £8 a month with an interest and management fee bill twice a year. We had no furniture and old sheets up at the windows. My dad gave us camp beds but we couldn't get them up so we slept on the floor. We made do with what we could, gradually getting stuff together on my bus conductor's wages of £15 a week (in old dosh). We bought a bed and a wardrobe and then a cheap 3 piece suite. We were fortunate enough to have a coal fire in one room and electric in the other. But we were happy. It was our own home and we loved it.

Carnie, like you we could never get a council house. When we came back to live in Nottingham we lived in a housing association flat and had to build up from there.

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Pixie,

As you see from Bilbraborn's post above and mine, that quite a few of us didn't have much to start out with, it was just the way it was and we just got on with it, some good days..... (pay day).... and some broke days. In 1969 my father in law set us on the route upwards by putting £50 deposit down on a £2,400 terrace house, similar to Netherfield houses, we struggled with the mortgage even then. We used to buy a sack of potatoes and a dozen eggs so we always had some food in the home.I learned how to be very versatile with spuds. These aren't complaints Pixie, i am trying to let you see you are not alone, we do understand your worries. :) xxx

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I enjoy hearing about how it was in the 'older days' as all I hear from friends is how theyv just bought this and that.

We have all the furniture sorted, I did a pay monthly plan for most. There's nothing we wabt for, we have food, warmth, were clean etc. Iv just learnt to budget on things that don't really need a lot spending on like food for example. Shops own brands on some things are just as nice as more expensive brands. Iv learnt to buy in bulk. And while sometimes me and the other half don't have a proper dinner, little one does every day.

We don't complain though, I am greatful for everything I have, even when we're having a bad week and having to scrape things together. My father was homeless, I got his bank statement the other day, he had not a penny to his name, so whatever we have, was more than what he had, and apparently he never uttered a single complaint.

These people who have everything paid for, and a ton of money left over for their brand new tvs and gadgets and designer clothes, one thing they won't have is appreciation. They won't and more than likely don't appreciate the smaller things in life, which I find to be a shame....

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I agree with Catfan. When my kids were little I used to make the mistake of buying a can of drink each, and then throwing two half cans away. we soon learnt to take a couple of plastic cups and buy one between two. If they were still thirsty then we would get another one. I know it sounds tight, but when you're struggling every penny counts.

I would never look down my nose at anyone who is poor and struggling. I respect people in that position. I've been there and been looked down on.

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I'm quite tight when it comes to drinks etc while out. I buy a few bottles before hand and take them when me, they usually cost about a £1 cheaper than what the actual place charges. We won't have a choice with a cuppa, me and the other half are the type of people that where ever we go... We must have a cup of tea, my daughter has become quite tea fan too!

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I am allergic to milk and my wife and I both drink coffee. Her white and me black. Trouble is, I only like instant coffee. I don't like the trendy stuff. So we are choosy where we go to have a drink. Small family type cafes suit us better. Last November we had a day out in London. As a retired railwayman it's free on the train for us. We sat on the grass near Buck House eating sarnies. Then we had a stroll up Portabello Market looking for bargains.

I am lucky in some ways. I now work for a catering agency and often come home with slightly out of date sandwiches or cakes.

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Been there, with 4 kids we couldn't afford to stop at cafe's on days out, packed sandwiches, flask and large bottle of pop.

When we went away, the day before we bought our selves a thermal mug each for £1.20 from the range, it holds roughly two mugs worth. It served us well with a nice cuppa tea on the way down to Cornwall (for the first hoour or so, then we stopped at the services, he didn't think I'd be able to get my mug filled again, I did, I win!) So now whenever we take a trip out anywhere we make ourselves a nice cuppa for the journey.

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Been there, with 4 kids we couldn't afford to stop at cafe's on days out, packed sandwiches, flask and large bottle of pop.

Reminds me of a time an awfully long time ago. Dad worked on the railways so we used to get free tickets for our holidays, which were always a day at the seaside. On this occasion there were six kids, two parents plus a couple of Uncles and Aunts going along. Both my Mum and Dad were into baking, pastry particularly. So one trip to Skeggy on the train we took along a large suitcase packed solid with food.

We had vegie and meat pasties for main courses, then choices of jam, lemon tarts and mince pies, and coconut pasties. There were some date and fig biscuits as well. Everything was made at home and individually wrapped in greaseproof paper. The coconut pasties were filled with dessicated coconut and brown sugar. They were my favourites. Dad used to make the pastry, and my Mum would fill the various types, and put them in the oven. Going by the amount they made they must have spent a whole day baking. Reckon all we bought for a whole day at Skeggy would have been cups of tea, some pop, and beer for the grown ups.

When you think about it, we left very early before breakfast, and arrived back quite late in the evening. so we took along food for twelve people for three meals each. That was a lot of food. Especially with six permanently hungry kids in tow.

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Ah well, in the days when I lived in deepest rural Gosberton Risegate, a travelling companion who lived amongst the Cosmopolitan fleshpots of Grantham, reckoned that our street light (note the singular) was switched off (or blown out) at 7 pm, because everyone had gone to bed by then anyway. To him "the Forty Foot" was the limit of civilisation - and we lived the wrong side of it.

Stephen, my mother in law came from Gosberton, i sent you a PM.

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Alison, I think at one time it was unheard of not to take a huge picnic with us on days out. We all had to share the burden of carrying it all.

If it was sunny we had to fight off the wasps and at Skeggy keep the seagulls away. I have reels of cine film of my family on holidays in the fifties and sixties that my dad shot. On all the family shots we seem to be all munching sandwiches. I wish I could afford to have the films converted to DVDs.

At home, my mum used look after all the food & money management. If there were special offers she played dirty. I remember the co-op on Bracebridge drive having a special offer on tins of Campbells condensed soup. Five tins in a net bag for a shilling. A bargain even then. BUT! Only one bag per family. Well my mum arranged it with military precision. We stood in line round the corner. Dad first, then my brother, then me, then her. That was Saturday morning. Then later on that day when the checkout had changed she tried again. I can't remember if there was any left. There would have been others with the same idea. My mum didn't miss a trick God rest her soul.

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An interesting thought - Does living on a budget keep you healthier?

Just heard that a couple I used to know have both been in hospital recently with heart attacks. They were always either eating out or having take-aways delivered. When I think of their diets of saturated fats, high salt and sugar loaded desserts I shouldn't be surprised. I personally prepare at least 90% of my own food from raw ingredients, and in doing so I know exactly what goes into it.

Monday I played golf with a girl half my age, and in chatting discovered she is on the same heart medication that I have just started on. So at 35 her heart is in a similar condition to mine at 70. My GP just "thought" it might be a good idea if I started on something for my pump, don't believe that it was 100% necessary though. Note: I still walk the course, none of this driving around in a cart like some. That's a 10km walk.

One member of the golf club I used to play for early this year was 86 and she still walked the course. She also told me she had played hockey for Australia at the 1948 London Olympics. She recounted the fun and games they had on the six week sea voyage there and then again coming back. They were away for over three months.

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There is a lot in that. When I think of all the jobs I have had, only one involved sitting down. All the others have been physically active. Bus Conductor (they were the days), Milkman, railway. I am still walking about 5 miles a day around the kitchens I work in. My diet isn't all it should be but I must burn it all off pretty quickly. My wife and I are both in our 60s but we are very active.

But to be fair, I think some conditions can be genetic which is probably one of the reasons why people have heart trouble and other such things at an early age.

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http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Kewmode-Cine-to-DVD-converter-/290982899020?pt=UK_Photography_VintagePhotography_VintagePhotoAccessories&hash=item43bfeead4c

Hi bilbraborn

I understand my dad converts his old Cine 8 to DVD, I've just looked on EBay for you and found this not sure if its any good but if its cheap enough it may be of some use

Paul

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An interesting thought - Does living on a budget keep you healthier?

Just heard that a couple I used to know have both been in hospital recently with heart attacks. They were always either eating out or having take-aways delivered. When I think of their diets of saturated fats, high salt and sugar loaded desserts I shouldn't be surprised. I personally prepare at least 90% of my own food from raw ingredients, and in doing so I know exactly what goes into it.

Monday I played golf with a girl half my age, and in chatting discovered she is on the same heart medication that I have just started on. So at 35 her heart is in a similar condition to mine at 70. My GP just "thought" it might be a good idea if I started on something for my pump, don't believe that it was 100% necessary though. Note: I still walk the course, none of this driving around in a cart like some. That's a 10km walk.

One member of the golf club I used to play for early this year was 86 and she still walked the course. She also told me she had played hockey for Australia at the 1948 London Olympics. She recounted the fun and games they had on the six week sea voyage there and then again coming back. They were away for over three months.

You could look at it in both ways, sometimes cheaper to eat rubbish food you just bang in the oven and jobs a gooden, or if you shop wisely you could make it all from scratch.

My daughter loves chicken nuggets and I don't mind her having the birds eye ones, I think moderation is key. But Iwas in Asda the other day and they were reducing chicken breasts down to £1.28 for a pack of 3 I think. I snapped them up, chopped, cooked and coated in bread crumbs with herbs mixed in, then froze. I made quite a few. Burgers are quite cheap, but even cheaper to buy 2quid pack of mince that will make double the amount.

I like to make foods from scratch, tastes a lot nicer and you can feel satisfied knowing you made that yourself.

Although we do have one take away a week, when the other half takes the little one to his parents, I stay at home and he will get us a pasta dish from up the road or when his parents come here they bring us chippy tea. & we have the occasional Chinese at a weekend but not very often.

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Bilbraborn: There is also this company on eBay that will do the job for you at £3.99 per film for five or more films:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/PROJECTOR-8mm-SUPER-8-CINE-FILM-TRANSFER-TO-DVD/171133589567?rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.m1851&_trkparms=aid%3D222002%26algo%3DSIC.FIT%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D17233%26meid%3D1558152328102466709%26pid%3D100005%26prg%3D8045%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D4%26sd%3D290982899020%26

I'd love to see the films if you ever get them on DVD - 50s and 60s is a particular favourite of mine.

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After seeing how chicken nuggets are made and what they are made from, I'll NEVER even look at a chicken nugget again as long as I live...I'd post the video made at the factory where they make them, but I fear you'd be sick for a week. It's absolutely disgusting, and they call it food...

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