Busy busy but so pissed off by Jamie Oliver!

Yes am busy. Still moving to Italia. Stuff to do. Inspired by the little oik that is Jamie Oliver and his criticisms of the poor.


What is it with poor bashing at the moment? Middle classes 'feeling the pinch' and cannot afford their  new tat for their new build houses, or to exchange the 4x4,  look to blame the poor for their sacrifice!!!. They are all scroungers, benefits cheats etc. (Pah If we all paid our taxes more efficiently the up their own arse middle classes may just find that there would be greater savings made rather than by poor bashing/welfare bashing.) What a vote winner! Moral panic created over benefit recipients to hide what ever else is going on.  Little fiddles, big fiddles, mahoosive tax dodges cost as much as benefits fraud/welfare. Now its moved further than targeting those fraudulently claiming benefit who are just as wrong as the tax dodger whether he be big or small.  If you are poor then you are irresponsible, insolent and  indolent! Deserving and undeserving categories abound. It's the fault of the poor that the are poor. No one elses. Not unemployment, 0 hours contracts... what if their ceiling is low?? No its their selfish, misguided, terrible life choices and why should I forgo my 4x4 upgrade so they can sit and watch their mahoosive telly's and eat chips.


(Lets get something clear if you vote Tory fuck off right now. This blog is not for you. Not sure who I would vote for but Tory it will never be. So if you have true blue leanings take yourself somewhere else. Simple. I think you are an arse! Now fuck off before you get annoyed, feel your god given moral right to respond, I will call you a c*nt to insult you and you will leave disgusted anway. Save time don't bother. Go now.)

ST JAMIE D'OLIVER jumps on the austerity bandwagon. Massive fucking tellys and styrofoam containers for chips- yes this is poverty.

What a poxy comparision! Has the little mockney privileged Essex boy son of a business man albeit a small one,  ever considered the value in a telly for which you make weekly payments or even pay by view? ( and yes- pay silly interest- longer term for payment but lower weekly actual payments with  higher interest. Needs must when you have very little. It happens get over it. You pay for your car on HP don't get hypocritical)

As a poor person I have two flat screen tv's. I shall not qualify how I came to possess these items. No need and I should not be judged on this. So??? I cannot afford 10 mangetout in comparison to a bag of frozen peas. The value isn't there.

I really do hate the point made about Massive Fucking Telly's. It's great to have money for aspirations.  Money makes many things possible including aspirations, If you have no money and very little prospect of making a reasonable amount lots of things are just not possible. Outwith our cultural and financial frame of reference. If things are impossible eg mortagage deposit, new reliable car what ever, you focus on what you can afford and what is good value. Massive fucking telly's if that is your main source of entertainment are good value. They last for several years normally, unlike a holiday, and can benefit everyone in the household. I know of families who upgrade their TV before it breaks so they can get some cash back and can put it towards a new one- maybe bigger and better.

Like the frozen peas its better value than the mange tout. A holiday??? Over in an instant and incomparision to the telly that you spend alot of time in front of, keeps the whole family amused,  not as good value for money.

We all have a TV or  entertainment source be it internet or what ever for watching iplayer. Get real Jamie. And chips- well we all indulge in chips every so often. Eaten best from the packaging. Nigella does it albeit with houmous.  Us poor folk do this as well from time to time. It's a treat maybe even a weekly one. I bet St Jamie d'Oliver et famille gets regular weekly treats and they cost more than styrofoam chips.

He explained poverty and poor nutrition in one sentence laying the blame on people who are poor making poor choices. Poor folk are selfish and buy telly's over good food. Simple. They value tv!!! Shoot them!!! Hell fire their skank poor arses! How dare they not aspire to painting holidays in France! The little prick knows nothing of living on a budget and how it effects ever aspect of our life.


I don't mean choosing to live frugally. This is a choice. A very good one on all accounts- environmentally, financially, morally. Being poor is not typically a choice. ( yadda yaddda lazy folk and fraud)

Poverty can come with other features such as a lack of information and awareness, ignorance if you like about how to budget, cook, discipline your kids, clean your house, health, education, whatever it is. Levels of ignorance and being just unaware are lower and more common than you think. Don't assume a level of awareness.

If the offspring  of the 'monied' middles classes when in their twenties, can ask questions such as '' Was it Hitler who was responsible for the Holocaust?, Whats apartheid? or other similar cultural idiocy then yes there are poorer people who are unable to budget, cannot work out how much their supermarket  shopping will come to, are clueless as to how to bake bread or even know what a bastard mange tout is? ( Quote from only fools and horses maybe??)

Jamie is arrogant and also highly ignorant. For the pursuit of ££££ he has jumped on the bandwagon of moralising and  poor bashing.

St Jamie d'Oliver you are just another bully.  Whining oh so hard done by middle classes you too.

Meh!!!

and more meh!!!

Some support staff are full of their own soddding self importance!!!  Had a grump with an additional learning support worker.  I hot desk when at one of our campuses. I am only there once a fortnight and typically have a PC I can use. Today I needed to use the Additional Learning support office PC. It is no ones PC. There are two typically for use by anyone. Well technically ALS staff. One whiny Zelda decided she needed to 'ask her superior' to get me to move. She is a mouthy old tart. She could have done it herself. I said yep will just finish this and go,  no bother. She was waiting for me to finish- mid email answering. I told her I was off at lunchtime anyway and she could have asked me to go earlier if she needed the computer and did she really need to get her line manager who is the same grade as me to ask me to move? She was a bit taken a back ha ha. She got all pouty and said that she would now have to work through her lunch. Told her she should have asked earlier then and that it would have been no problem. She hummed and ha haa and tried to say I wouldn't move. I said no I said I would finish the email I was writing. ''Well whats wrong with me getting my superior to'' .. I had to stiffle a giggle... There is a back story. She is a whine bag. She wanted her under grad psych student daughter to do some work shadowing in my team. I was fine with it but HR was not. She thinks its me. Ha she won't want her daughter anywhere near now!  I popped into see ''her superior''- I am same grade so she must be my equal if that sort of crap floats ya boat. Stoopid support worker pops her head around the door five mins into lunch time and is in the middle of eating her lunch. Did nt see me but I heard the conversation about her having her lunch. Desperate and going to work through her lunch hour eh??? Last time I used their office was before the easter holidays for all of an hour and move whenever asked. Normally have an office from 11am so I use the their office only in desperate times.

Anyway Zelda - as she reminds me of Zelda from The Terrahawks is all huffy with me now. Shame. Ahhh I don't use rank or any of that type stuff. I manage a small team but like to think alot of what I do is leading by example, It seems to work and we have very few problems or issues. I expect nothing of my team that I would not expect of myself.

Ahhhhh Half of the support staff sit on their lazy keisters in lessons and do jack shit. Good ALS staff are fantastic but half of ours are pish lazy buggers.  If the kid you are supporting is ok - spread yourself around a bit. But no- they zone in and if the kid is ok they sit back and text, read, pick their nose etc etc They all want lesson plans. Not getting mine. Doubt they could follow it anyway. And they don't get my resources. Sorry- they take direction or support the student as I request they do.
I do group work around topical issues for young people -sex drugs and rock n roll basically with some other elements chucked in. Lessons are active, involve participation rather than being sat at a desk writing and lesson address all learning styles in one way or another. The ALS can participate in my book. Sessions as a rule cater to all learning styles and are accessible pretty much and involve discussion rather than being lectured. I never plan for ALS to be involved in lessons as half the time they up and feck off anyway esp if its not an academic session.

The job would bore me stoopid. Failing being lazy  they take it oh so seriously. One who has some sort of counselling qualification tries to counsel her students in the classroom. Err wrong time and place love. Focus on getting them through their work. Send them to see the employed cousellor.

If you don't like being the monkey get a job as the organ grinder. Sorry- harsh but true!!!

Other than that I now make ace potatoe au gratin and home made coleslaw!!!


Lurvelly!!


Cheers for the rant!!!!

My mouse is playing up so apols for the spelling. Cannot be arsed to correct it. A super chore with a wobbly mouse.

 

Whoo hoo £30

Yep got the email to say you will have £30 in your account. Thank you Money Supermarket.

And Thank You Bloggers re how to go about claiming. Esp Scarlet - many thanks for the explanation. I would be £30 down, it will go towards Small girls Christmas.


After a great weekend we are looking at a dull one! Biggles is off to America with work so he will be away next weekend. Small girl is off to the Y chromosome. Spose she has too eh!

leaves me on my todd. However I have a fun filled not at all fun filled weekend.

I will accomplish those terribly dull jobs one needs peace and quiet for,

1. Course work for the end of my PTTLS course. nearly finished and all gone well so far.
2. tax return for my mother
3. Cleaning - house Boo
4. Gardening - have a few bags for life I want filled with spuds and carrots and some ferns conifer things in pots that need replanting.
5. Ebay a few bits

May also drink wine and watch crap TV/films and stay away from the plethora of charity shops in Alnwick. I don't need anything!


The summer clothes may get an outing and into the wardrobe properly.

Have plenty grub this week and probably no need for shopping or only fresh stuff like milk and fruit.






 

Micro managing and a lack of initiative.

Just a grump really!

I have a small team of four people to manage as well as other agencies that come into where I work.
Anyway got held up this morning as I had to travel to one campus then get back to the other campus. Activities going on had not even been set up- not as if people did not know what to do. They were briefed but if I am not there to herd in the right direction no one uses initiative.

Bags put out but not opened. grrrr so annoying.  It doesn't take a lot and its not as if I havent got a well educated well qualified team. Just sometimes they mooch around in a bubble.


Oh well if I go it Italy someone elses problem.

And its bloody freezing in work - the heating was turned off and not put back on again in time for it not to be an icebox.  Shut over the weekend so it gets cold.


 

Hints and tips for College based beauty and hairdressing bargains!

I partake of the developing skills of students training to be beauty therapists or hairdressers.

There are however a few things to bare in mind if you also choose to use college students.

At the beginning of the academic year ask for a level 3 student. A bit more expensive normally but still dirt cheap. They are quicker and a level 2 hair dressing qual is experienced enough and can be relied on for most simple cuts and colour. You can still go for level 2 students however they will take much much longer, Don't think you will be finished in a hour for a cut and blow dry.

Generally a college hair cut will take longer as the students will be methodical and go through all the steps. They will also have client record books to keep and will need to get their tutor to check progress at certain points.

By March - you level student is more than capable and will be a lot quicker at cutting your hair. At level 2 they are cheaper as well.

I pay £5 for level 3 and £3 for level 2 - If the level 2 does a grand job  towards the end of the year I normally just give them a fiver anyway. Much cheaper than £20 odd quid.

They will stick to lengths. If you say 1.5 inches that's what you will get. They want to pass and not make a cock up.

Tutors check with you directly as to what you want exactly and also check instructions/requests written in the students client book.


Its pretty much the same for L3/L2 beauty therapy students. Some treatments will only be carried out by a L3 and others by L2. They are more capable towards the end of the academic year.

Remember colleges do not operate over school holidays and typically will start summer at the end of June not the end of July. Also not open Saturdays.


For all cut and blow drys or trims I am off to college.  I dye my own hair from the comfort of my own home for £1 so am fine on that point.

Eye brow shaping,  leg wax, massage, etc all good and for a minuscule price at a beauty therapy spa at a college.


Typically - Students start at level 1= 1yr, then go onto level 2 = 1 yr and then level 3 = 1yr
Sometimes they may combine beauty and hair at level 3 which takes 2 yrS.

Recently featured on Super Scrimpers!

Enjoy.

 

Frugal things this week.....

Yellow stickers for stewing steak enough for me and small girl for small tea this week - 55p

College Hairdressing Salon haircut - £3.00

National trust free day at Cragside with small girl and two other children. Great day- we took packet lunches and picnics. We were there from 10-5pm. We then popped to Rothbury for an ice cream and a drink. I don't mind supporting rural tea rooms every so often. Only fair as they rely on tourist trade. Independent of course- not a Costa or other type- just won't do it.


Extra meals- cooked extra noodles on Friday. and flavoured them by using the last remnants of veg, some soy sauce and wiping round the wok! Got the last bits of goodness and flavour. Now frozen for lunches for next week.


Sundays Chicken roast dinner - we now buy bags of chicken legs and bags of chicken breasts. One large chicken breast and one leg will feed the three off us easily. Biggles still gets some chicken skin and feels like it s a proper roast. A chicken a week would leave me with a lot of left over chicken - even the small ones!  Cats would be fat and my freezer bursting! We eat a lot of chicken breast in stir frys, curries etc etc so this works for us.


Healthy scrambled egg - made three eggs stretch to three of us for breakfast - goodly portions of scrambled egg and three slices of eggy bread for Small girl.  Defrosted my saved egg whites and added them to three eggs. Egg whites were saved from recipes using egg yolk only! Seemed a waste to drop all that protein down the sink plug hole!


Grated some cheese near its best before date and froze it working really well!
Will def do this with cheese in the future- excellent for putting on pizzas, defrosts in no time at all.

30 ways to save a pound

Well I might not get to 30 but here goes and I am not claiming the £30 lol

Just for fun!

1. Make up your own cleaning spray using an old spray bottle. Dilute cleaner, bleach etc with some washing up liquid and bobs your uncle!

2. Use the pound shop hair dye - it costs a £1 and is just as good as the expensive ones 1

3. Double curtain and use draft excluders- save on heat

4. I cook extra pasta or rice just enough for a lunch portion when making Curry's or pasta sauces. The extra pasta gets chucked in the pan with the dregs of the sauce and maybe some frozen veg, heated through then frozen for quick lunches to take to work

5. Freecycle! If you wait long enough it shall come to thee and there is hardly anything I am desperate for!

6. Who needs pyjamas- I recycle old T shirts a bit past their best as night wear

7. Old clothes can be cut up into cleaning cloths. Dead easy to sew round the edges if you have a sewing machine. T shirts or polo shirts work well I find!

8. Buy a foot measure for kids feet and then buy your Clark's shoes from Ebay! Saves loads! I never pay anymore than £20 for good quality kids shoes that fit just as well as the ones bought from the stores.

9. Check your super market prices and buy certain items at different shops. You can get phone apps to check prices, Phone apps are free! Only works on smart phones or iphones of course

10. Make your own Christmas cards- you can do this on line using publisher and customise them with festive pics of the family . Email them to people and its up to them if they want to print them off or not!

11. Turn beach detritus into works of art, pebbles, drift wood, shells cost nothing! If you have kids this is cheap and fun.

12. Keep an eye on national trust website for free weekends. If like me you live somewhere so pretty that you can't justify joining then you still get to go but save loads.

13. Bulk out food - stews etc with a grated carrot, oats etc etc Grated carrot is cheap and easily disguised especially in mince dishes!

14. Mini oven - god send and beats utilities prices. Heat up a much smaller space. Can be bought very cheaply or acquired via freecycle

15. Freecycle your stuff instead of going to the tip. Save money on petrol.

16. Cinema trips - most will have a cheap day! Check out when online! Tuesdays are half price. Great if you have kids and you can still go but save a fortune!

17. Cinema again - popcorn is great but make your own at home and take it with you.

18. Packed lunches- instead of using cling film to wrap sandwiches use a sandwich box- spend a little so save alot over time. Same with drinks- squash in a drinks bottle is cheaper than cartons. Alot of day care places do not like fizzy drinks as they make a right mess.

19. Make your own cakes and biscuits for packed lunches for kids or if you are buying value take the wrapper off. No one will know the difference.

20. If a recipe calls for yolk but not whites save the whites by freezing them. Defrost to make merangues or add to a full egg to bulk out when making healthy omelette's or scrambled egg

21. Buy yellow stickered bread and freeze. Toasters do not care and toast tastes the same. If you are toasting use the cheap bread. Sandwiches are different I think and taste better fresher.

22. Sell bundles of clothes on Ebay if they won't sell individually.

23. Check petrol prices and fill up where its cheap. Living in the country sometimes it works out cheaper to travel and fill your tank than pay £1.59 per litre for diesel, get your shopping at the same time at a large supermarket. Forward planning saves money.

24. Halloween - save the string bags you get fruit in - tack  them together to make spider webs

24. Collect green bits and bobs - evergreen of course from wasteland to make your Christmas wreath. Rustic and free and highly original

25. Make Christmas tree decorations from old Christmas cards or make gift tags. A pair of crimping shears works wonders as does a bit of glitter. Keeps kids busy as well  and quiet....

26. If you do Christmas in a big way buy your wrapping paper and cards for the next Christmas in January and put them with your decorations. mark on your calendar that you have bought them in case you forget, This serves as a reminder.

27. Drive steadily. Saves on petrol and wear and tear on your car.

28. Party invites are available on line for nothing - saves money and time writing them out.  Use a colour printer if you want to be flash or if b/w make an invite that little kids can colour in.


29. Save paper for drawing and scribbling only.  Most kids love to draw. Save letters that are blank on one side and flatten between books.

30. Recycle envelopes. Easy to do if you have stickers or sellotape. Especially big ones that you use infrequently

31. Save margarine tubs and ice cream tubs for freezing left overs.

32. Freeze. So much stuff can be frozen especially if it will end up in a stew or a fruit pie. Brambles, apples, rhubarb,carrots, broccoli stalks taste just fine in a veg soup.



Bargain basement- got two extra!