dunroving

No, no, no - get into composting!

It's so much fun and a lot easier than in the US (my US compost used to "bake" in the heat unless I watered it regularly, which really avoids the whole green aspect of it). In the UK, I just open the compost bin lids on a rainy day. Each year I get some lovely loamy, spongy food for my plants, at no cost. I don't think I've "disposed" of a piece of vegetable waste in the 6 years I've been back.

Most councils give huge discounts on compost bins, so it isn't even expensive to get started - delivered to your door for minimal cost. These are the ones I use:

[Can't find it - will post later]

Also, see Directgov link here

Really, try it, you'll love it, it's so fulfilling - and good for your health!

chris955

Something we agree on

dunroving

Oh God, I've come over all faint, I think I need a lie down.

jemima55

For me, at the moment, it`s two things! The weather, strangely grim and rainy, and closets!
We were in the USA, in a house with a million closets. Now we are trying to fit everything back into our UK house (no closets) and despite what seems like constant downsizing, I am stumped for places to put things. I`m also unpacking stuff and saying "Why did we bring this?".
I`m forming a special relationship with the guys at the dump!
I realise this is a problem of excess, and not really a problem at all!

Mummy in the foothills

The Bin men where my boys are living collect the food waste separately and the council compost it. But we will be having our own compost bin as we'll have a small garden. I'd like to bring back my step fathers old vegetable patch and get the green house running again. But all in time. What is niggling me, and I'm not there yet is the bloody time difference. I need to get up in the middle of the night to catch the boys in the early moring on the phone.

curleytops

I'm with you on the closet thing! Our biggest problem has been some places have them and some don't. Where we live at the moment there are none so we bought wardrobes. The rooms are huge and it was lovely shopping for furniture without even having to take a tape measure with us. I (what has now turned out to be very wisely) resisted the urge to go nuts and fill these lovely big rooms but even with what we've got now it's going to be a tight space in the new place. And what's with these "all-in-one night table come headboard come wardrobe come overhead cupboard" arrangements. Talk about restricting your options for placing your furniture. Oh well. Rant over. And I'd STILL do it all over again

dunroving

But why is it you that has to get up - let them get up in the middle of the night!

Yes, our local council also pick up food waste (including meat) and compost it.

There's something so satisfying though, about composting it yourself.

J.JsOH

+1. We compost all vegetable waste. It is rotting down quite nicely and without any stench. It will go in the garden to feed next years runner beans and tomatoes. I've had a good crop this year.
The little amount of waste meat scraps such as fat or bones currently go in our weekly refuse, although the Council will move that to 2 week collection next year to reduce costs. They will then introduce weekly collection of food scraps.
On principal I would not now waste water or overload the sewer system unnecessarily with a waste disposal in the sink.

chris955

We are considering chopping down some of the apple trees in the orchard and planting loads of veggies, there are only so many apples a person can eat. I reckon a big composting bin is just what we need.

J.JsOH

Societal behaviour is a negative for me.
Compared to where I lived in USA and to my recollect from here before I became expat, I have found a greater proportion of people here to be more rude and intrusive.
Specifically;
I have had people cuss at me for not being quick enough to let them pass on the pavement.
Only this week while I was standing still at bus stop a youth (with a Slavic accent) pushed his front bike wheel between my knees and told me to get out the way because he had every right to ride on the pavement. When I told him where to put his bike other people came by to say thanks for standing up to him, they suffered this too.
In general; I find the teeming masses to be oppressive to my nature.

No, not everyone in UK is rude, there are plenty of nice people but the rude unsocial element is pervasive in some places.

Along with many others on BE, my favourite parts of UK are those open moorlands / mountains / countryside where the 63+ million other people on this island are not in evidence.

J.JsOH

Many people make cider. Consider advertising your excess apples, there may be a demand.
One home-owner I know puts his excess apples in a container outside his house for neighbours to take for free.
Just a thought.......

chris955

As cider lovers we have considered this, we have cider farms all around us and part of our house used to be a cider house in the 1700's. We have been giving apples away to the neighbours. The thing is we have about a dozen big apple trees which take up loads of space. I do hate the thought of cutting down old trees though.

britwhore

Home phones. Why oh why do they still charge per phone call? And god forbid you try calling a mobile phone from a landline.......

I remember when I first moved to the US they used to charge per call but then they changed it. We end up paying an extra £8 a month for unlimited landline calls but it doesn't cover mobiles.

And don't get me started on the love of 0870 and 0845 over here!!!!

dunroving

You forgot to add .... followed by the compulsory 30 minute "We are currently experiencing a high call demand. Please wait while we put you on hold and rake in some more of your hard-earned cash"!

chris955

We pay £4.95 and have unlimited calls.