Slashing the grocery bill

Hello me hearties. It's a bright sunny morning, makes me want to go out. Makes me think of all those lovely walks I am going to do this year. I've got a spring in my step. 

My yellow sticker dash last night proved very fruitful, I got £24.82's worth of food for £6.20. Howzat for money saving. This little lot will last me a couple of weeks, along with other bits and bobs I bought, till receipt at the bottom. Quite a bit spent was for the cats, mainly Bugsy and his treats. 

There's diced onions, broccoli, cauliflower, spring onions, carrots, potatoes, rice noodles, egg noodles,  houmous, salad leaves, potato salad, watercress, mushroom pasta, brussels sprouts, pancakes, and a 30p cake. Gotta have a treat. 75% off most things. Of course a lot of it won't need cooking so a saving on gas will be made as well.

Everything here is all out of date as from midnight last night. I shall inspect my fridge 2 or 3 times a day, and will eat what will go off the quickest, first. After all the salady stuff, if I think I might not be able to eat the rest in time, I will cook the veg up into stews and freeze in margarine tubs. These are my ready meals.  

Yes, there's a bottle of plonk there, I am not doing dry January, my alcohol intake is very low, one bottle every 3 - 4 weeks, so why should I deprive myself of that. This weekend is Wine Weekend, the bottle will last four days. The meaty items and tuna, along with the cat food are treats for Bugsy.

This yellow sticker dash seems to be turning into a monthly ritual. In between times I sometimes pick up a bit from Aldi if I am in town, and buy a few items from the Discount stores, B & M, Home Bargains, and Poundstretcher. Occasionally I will call into the small Asda which is within walking distance, if I have 20 minutes to spare, and I will pick up a few oddments from the Cash and Carry as I drive past there on my way to town. Keeping my food bill low is really easy, I have it all organized, I know where to shop within my budget.

The places I don't go are Sainsburys, and Marks and Sparks,  far too expensive. Morrisons is at the other end of town so is the big Asda, I have no need to drive that far. I have looked in Farmfoods, the mainly freezer place, they don't have much that I would actually eat. We get a leaflet through the door every so often, there was only frozen veg and Quorn that I would actually eat, all the rest is processed, ready meals, full of sugar, junk. No thanks.

Anyway, I'm sure you have your favourite foods and places to shop, which will be different from mine, according to how many you shop for and what the rest of your family eat. I must say, shopping for one is very easy.

I'm off out now. Too nice to be in. Thanks for popping in, have a nice weekend.
Toodle pip

Spend less, save more

Hello. While we are on the subject of money and budgeting, I'll continue along these lines. A question from one of our readers on yesterdays post.......

Sorry if this question is being nosey but I will be going into retirement with just the basic state pension and I was wondering how you have managed to build up savings to replace large items such as your car. I would like to have some savings as back up in case anything major needs replacing.

Hi, not nosey at all, it's a question everyone will be asking at some point in their lives. What happens when the wages stop and the pension starts? How will I manage? What I can't do is to advise on pensions. I happen to have a small private pension because the company I worked for at the time, around the mid 1980's, advised us all to pay into the company pension. I did so along with everyone else. I worked there for five years, and promptly forgot about it after I left, until about twenty odd years later. Luckily It was a large national transport company which was still in business, albeit under a different name. I must say, it was a nice surprise to find that out. 

It's inevitable that a persons income will be reduced on retirement, except for the very rich of course, but I am talking about ordinary working folk here. I don't know how far off your retirement is, but something you can do is to find out exactly how much pension you are likely to receive, and use that figure as a base line, and start living on that amount before you retire. Anything left over can be put away into a separate account to start your emergency fund. This will give you a head start and be a good challenge to prepare yourself for any changes you need to make. 

It would be a good idea to go through all your wants and needs, and to weed out anything that is in the wrong category. As I said before, wants and needs are subjective and exclusive to you. It stands to reason that you might have to modify your needs and shift some of them over to wants, because you will not be getting as much money coming into your bank account. 

Some of the things you have been used to buying might have to be dropped. Your lifestyle expectations, may have to be modified, you might have to lower your sights. Getting into a routine where you unconsciously open your purse, or click on an item that you want to buy from a web site, will be a hard habit to break. What you can do is delay buying something that you want, for 24 hours, then think again, and ask yourself do I really need it. 

I have collected a lot of stuff throughout my life, and I now find I don't need any more. What I already have will hopefully last me. There may be an instant where something packs up and will need replacing, but if it only looks a bit dated and it aint broke, I don't need a new one. 

Anyone who is coming up to retirement age needs to take stock of their lives. There will have to be some tightening of the belt, some deliberation on what they can do without. It's a bit like de cluttering, sorting out a cupboard or drawer. 

My goodness it sounds like a lot of doom and gloom, doesn't it. Can't afford this, can't afford that, have to stop going to dancing or gym, have to give up the weekly meal out, no more shopping trips to town. If you are in the mindset that you get pleasure out of spending money, you will struggle. You will be miserable, you will sit at home and feel sorry for yourself, skint, no money to spend. 

When you retire you will have less money, but you will be gaining a lot more time. Time is more precious, more valuable than money. Time lost will never be replaced. Look at this new chapter in your life as the time you start living, and a good life is not about how much money you have. You will have to modify your lifestyle choices, but you will have more time to enjoy life. 

Ooops, going away from the question here. How have I managed to build up savings to replace large items like a car? I keep a car for about 3 - 4 years. I will need to have around  £6,000 saved to buy the car I want. Over 3 - 4 years, that's doable. 

My thrifty and frugal living ensures that money builds up in the bank, because I don't spend it. Simple as that, I DON'T SPEND IT. I work out what I absolutely must pay for, then I work out if I can afford some treats, and what is left only gets spent when something needs replacing. I don't call it savings, it's an emergency fund. I don't have any long term savings. A year ago I needed a fridge freezer, I had the cash to pay for it. Coming up I have my car road tax and insurance to pay, the money is there waiting. 

Someone asked a question once on MSE, what do you do with any spare money? The answer is, no money is spare, it is all earmarked for something. 

I am disciplined enough to NOT SPEND any money left over. Another way of doing it would be to put aside money for emergencies as soon as it has been paid into your account. Squirrel it away somewhere, it is not for spending, save it for emergencies. 

I hope that has given you food for thought. Thanks for asking. Don't worry, you will manage. 

Thanks for popping in. We'll catch up soon.
Toodle pip

A plan for 2017

Hello. Does anyone remember this book, for a while it was my bible, I studied it often, trying to absorb as much information as I could. It came out in 1982, I had been trucking for six years and I did have it all.   

Picture source Amazon 

Love, success, sex, yes, but money, not so sure. Yes, I had enough money, but not loads of it. I had enough to get on the housing ladder, but it was a struggle in the beginning when every penny I had went into the house. I thought I was the bees knees, the dream job, own house and car, plenty of opportunity to meet boyfriends, oh yes, life was good. 

It was quite early on that I realized that there was a difference between what I needed and what I wanted. I needed to have a roof over my head, but it didn't need to be modern and fashionable. I needed a car to get to work, but it didn't need to be flashy or new, anything with four wheels and an engine was ok. I needed clothes, some of them were new, but I made them last a long time, I didn't need to replace them until they wore out. I needed food to keep me alive and to nourish my body. I didn't need to buy expensive food, my mum taught me how to cook the basics. And so it went on, I was categorizing everything that came into my life, putting things into boxes, do I need it or want it? 

I have noticed from reading forums and suchlike that everyone's needs and wants are different. All well and good if you have the money to pay for it all. But if you have to make your money last from one pay check to the next, then it would be beneficial to constantly review your needs and wants list, because it changes over time. 

Some of my needs and wants are still the same, I still need a car because I value the freedom it gives me. So, for peace of mind I prefer not to drive an old banger which might break down. My car is now changed every so often and I save up for it. I still don't need a fancy house, new clothes and expensive food, so I decorate my house with second hand, and shop in charity shops and bargain hunt my food. 

I definitely have everything I need, and I seem to have pretty much what I want, or do I? Well, it's nice to have dreams isn't it. We can all aspire to a better lifestyle, to bigger treats, and a few luxuries. But what if we don't have the money to pay for it? This is where the needs and the wants come into play, not losing track and getting carried away by all the nice things around us which we see and want. 

For instance, I would like a campervan, wouldn't that be great, take off anywhere with my bed just behind the seat. The adventures I could have, wouldn't it be marvelous. But hang on a minute, have you seen how much they cost? Mega amounts of money which I haven't got. Spose I could save up for it, but it's going to take a long time. Spose I could sell my house and buy one, have thought about it, but what happens next. Time is getting on and I don't want to spend the rest of my life in a campervan, and once I have sold my house I will never get on the housing ladder again, it will have to be renting, and have you seen how much rents are these days? I did live in a small caravan for about a year and it wasn't very nice in the winter. No, my campervan will have to stay in the wants for now, and may never be bought.  

So, it is the end of the year, the point of this post is to encourage you to sort out your needs and wants for 2017. Make a list, you will find over time that your priorities will change. If you have money to spare each month you might find that you can afford some of those wants, but if money is tight, you might only be able to buy the needs. If you are always skint you should look at your lists and move things around. The wants will have to stay where they are for the time being until your financial position improves. If there are needs which you can't afford they will have to be parked in the wants for the time being. 

If you are living beyond your means you need to stop buying wants, you can't afford them, unless you do something to increase your income, take on extra work or change your job. Of course if you can write a book like Helen Gurley Brown, then you will be quids in. 

That's it folks, the end of the year. 2016 has been pretty good for me, I have no regrets. Let's all try and make 2017 the year we take control of our lives. Tomorrow we start afresh, what's gone is gone. We start  walking, we start looking after our bodies, we start prioritizing, we start enjoying the rest of our lives. This isn't a rehearsal, this is it. 

My very best wishes to you. Happy New Year.

No need to go mad just because it's Christmas

Hello and Good Morning. I've just had a good laugh. There is an article about me and how to save money at Christmas, in iNews, a budget daily newspaper. The journalist Katie Grant rang me yesterday for a chat. I usually get requests at this time of year asking for my money saving Christmas tips, but when I reply, I don't do Christmas, they usually give up and look elsewhere for their story. Katie stuck with it.

Click on this link and see the story yourself.  Britains stingiest woman offers her advice.

Anyway, let's press on. I did my Christmas shopping last night at Tesco. The yellow stickers cost me £6.21, and it's all good food. The total shop was £40.78, and with a voucher for £8 off this brought it down to £32.78.

There were only two of us waiting for the final reductions so we got the pick of the crop. Tons of veg as usual, broccoli and spinach my favourite. I will be cooking some of this up later today and putting portions of stew in the freezer. I might not have to go shopping again until after Christmas. In fact I could stretch what I have in my freezer and cupboards until the New Year.

I had it in mind to write something here about Christmas spending, or not spending, but Katie beat me to it, so I will add a few more thoughts on what she has already written.

Utility bills go up in winter, heating and cooking cost more, to budget for that savings have to be made elsewhere. Budgeting is an all the year round activity, there will be peaks and troughs throughout the seasons. Think about what you NEED, what you WANT, and what you will NEVER spend your money on. Compile your own lists on what is important to you, and what you can do without.

I can do without Christmas, not important, but I like a nice car, need to pay for my pets, and I like to go away on holidays and day trips. What I don't need is to shop at Sainsbury's Waitrose, and Marks and Sparks. I don't need a television set, don't need a licence. Don't need to eat out, don't need takeaways. I could list whole rafts of things I don't need, and my do need list will be very short.

If you have a partner, you should sit down together and do this exercise, you need to be singing from the same song sheet. No point in one person frugally saving pennies everywhere, when the other is squandering  it all away. That will only cause conflict.

If Christmas is important to you all well and good, go ahead, but do not go into DEBT for it. It is an annual event and there will be another one on the same date next year. It won't hurt to cut back on the spending for one year, or if you are like me, you might decide you can do away with it altogether.

I find it very liberating that I have chosen not to join in. My brain is not cluttered with the worry of getting the right presents, buying the right food, sending cards, and generally running around like a headless chicken trying to keep up. I can sit back and relax and watch everyone else getting their knickers in a twist. You will not see a furrowed brow on my face, you will see a wide grin from cheek to cheek.

No more lectures, do what you like, but don't come crying to me when the credit card bill lands on the door mat. I will just say, I told you so.

I had a lovely email from Amy of Hard up and Happy. She had difficulty commenting on my blog, so I will copy and paste it here.

 Hi Ilona,

I just want to say a huge thank you for your support and kind words on your blog - which is ace by the way. 

It means a lot when people are nice, as it's my philosophy to be as kind to others as I can, unfortunately this isn't always returned.

I won't concentrate on the negative Nellies though, as the positive comments are amazing. If I can help a few families be happy with what they have then that makes it worthwhile. I would have loved to have responded to each comment on your blog and my website, I'm afraid for some reason I can't? The comments plug in on mine is playing up. Anyway enough rambling I wanted to seek you out and say a great big thank you. You have made me very happy. From one thrfiter to another Merry Christmas!

Kind regards 

Amy 

Thank you Amy, lovely to hear from you. 

I'm beginning ramble now, it's lunch time, and I have things to do. An idea for another textile picture is creeping into my head, want to have a play with some fabric. Thanks for popping in, we'll catch up soon. 

Toodle pip. 

Give Amy a boost.

Hello, I've just been reading a story in the Daily Wail, you know the one I mean, the Daily Fail. A thrifty mum is feeding her family on a small budget, and getting a lot of sarcastic, and nasty comments from the sad keyboard warriors who have nothing else to do all day. The same thing happened to me. Show the world that you are doing just fine and jealousy rears it's ugly head.

Thrifty mother of three. Read here. 

Amy has a blog, Hard up and Happy, and it's quite good, nice ideas for thrifty food. She is a happy mum with happy kids. Let's support another thrifty blogger and give Amy a boost, and post a comment on there. It will make her smile and show her that we are on her side. Stuff the nasty people.
Thanks a lot.

Thanks for popping in, and your nice comments on Bugsy. He has eaten a little and is now sleeping.
We'll catch up soon.
Toodle pip

Shopping haul and a job to do.

Hello. It's looking like it might be a busy day, so I'll fire this one off super quick. Last minute decision last night, go for the yellow stickers at Tesco. A good haul, all with 75% off. The man with the ticket machine said not so many people come for them now, it used to be 90% off. This saving is fine by me. Other foodstuffs were bought as well. No need to go again for another couple or three weeks. 

My friends in the next street are downsizing, moving up north, and they need to get the house cleared. There are four single bed bases to get rid of, no one wants them, not even charity shops. The council will take weeks to come and pick them up and they don't want them lying around in the front garden. The plan is that I  dismantle them and salvage any timber that might be useful for other projects and take the debris to the tip.

Must get on with the job. Thanks for popping in, we'll catch up soon.
Toodle pip

Money matters

Hello. My Saturday musings. It's very easy to get into bad habits. Lapses of concentration, following the crowd, taking your eye off the ball, daydreaming, and drifting along in a robotic way can cause you lose track of the many alternative ways of doing things. There is a thin line between going on automatic pilot, and becoming obsessed. with sticking to how you have always done it.

My money saving efforts have become routine over the years, they are embedded in my personality. Being mindful of how much I spend and what I spend it on comes naturally. It takes no effort at all to take care of my needs first, and if there is anything left over, I have money for a few wants. This is how I have always done it.

I have a few food items on my needs list, and thankfully they are also good for me, like coffee, eggs, bananas,  vegetables, and cheese. Everything else is what I would like to eat, but could manage without it. My eating habits are generally very good, steering clear of anything that might do me harm. My self control while out and about near shops is very strong, I ignore all advertising and don't do impulse shopping.

So, my money management skills have held me in good stead, I am at the point where I can relax a little. I can afford to move a few of the wants into the needs category. But this is where I'm struggling. This line down the middle is not moving. My good habits of spending frugally are blocking my way, and are in danger of becoming bad habits.

An example. I have been putting the heating on for an hour or so, just to take the chill off. But, I still sit here with a dressing gown on over my clothes. Then I get hot and instead of taking the dressing gown off I  turn the heating off. I have it in my head that I don't need to spend money to keep warm.

Another example, I still save my bath water for flushing the toilet. I don't need to because I can afford to pay my water bill. But it doesn't seem right to pull the plug out and let it all go down the drain when it could be put to better use. And it doesn't seem right to flush fresh water down the loo when there is an abundance of grey water available.

Another example. I could afford to eat out, but I can't see the point in paying over the odds to sit in a noisy place and eat god knows what with other people, when I have delicious healthy food at home.

So you can see that my good habits are becoming a little bit restrictive in a way, and are in danger of becoming bad habits. Maybe I ought to be working towards becoming more flexible.

Last month I had a letter from my small private pension provider. Basically they would like to get rid of me out of their system. They offered me a lump sum, quite a sizable lump sum, to pay me off. I have been receiving a bit from them for the last ten years and it has been a nice little top up. Before I retired it was what kept me going, along with a couple of small jobs. I have had a word with my financial adviser, aka my best friend Carol, and I have come to the conclusion that as I hope to be alive in twenty years time, I would be losing out if I was to take the money and run. Hmmmm, I could splash out on some luxuries, or one big luxury, but I can't think of anything I need. I could probably spend it on the house, but that has never been a priority with me. It's still standing, is weatherproof, and it doesn't have to look like a show house. So, for now I will carry on as I have been doing and in ten years I will be the winner as I carry on receiving the pension.

It's 'orrible outside, raining. I will do my three miles later but it's not worth going anywhere else. So on with the sewing. Thanks for popping in, enjoy your Saturday. We'll catch up soon.
Toodle pip

Do not despair, make it a challenge.

Hello. We wake up this morning to more doom and gloom in the press, inflation is rising and we are all going to have to pay more for the things we need to give us the life that we aspire to. But wait a minute, not everyone will suffer, those of us who understand the difference between a need and a want, will still be able to adjust our finances to get the best possible deals. We know it's all down to juggling, and from the comments I get from my readers, most of us have got it about right, so this post is not aimed at you. 

What do you do when you can't afford to buy new clothes from a High Street shop? Answer, you go to a charity shop, a car boot sale, a rummage sale, a garage sale, accept hand me downs, swap clothes with friends, look on ebay and the free sites. 

What do you do when you can't afford expensive brand name foods? Answer, you try the shop's own brand, you buy the Value and Basics labels, you shop around in different places, you get to know the prices of everything you buy on a regular basis, you look for reductions, offers, and out of date reductions. 

What do you do when you can't afford your utilities? Answer, you check how many kw's you are using per annum and go on the comparison sites and look for a better deal. You contact your present provider and ask them for a cheaper tariff. You use less gas, electricity, and water by not switching things on until it is absolutely necessary. Flick a switch, turn a tap on, it will cost you.

Petrol is going up, how can you spend less? By driving correctly, not rushing about, no harsh braking or fast acceleration. Plan your driving by what you can see ahead of you. There's been many times when I have seen a bend or a junction up ahead and have slowed down by just taking my foot off the gas, when the car in front has approached it at speed, then slammed their brakes on. Remove all the clutter from your car, more weight uses more petrol. 

Shop around for literally everything. Think about what you need, then look in different places to get the best price. Give yourself time before you sign a cheque, open your purse, or put your card in a machine. Be very aware of what you are spending your money on. Absolutely no impulse spending, go home and think about it. 

Put a little money aside every week or month, into a savings account. Doesn't have to be much. One day you will need a new washer or fridge. Your car will eventually conk out, if you have planned and saved it won't be so painful when you come to change it. I've had my car almost two years, I started saving as soon as I got it, there will be enough in the pot when I come to change it. 

If you enjoy a few extras at Christmas, start saving on January the 1st. If you like a summer holiday, have a pot for that. Write a plan on a piece of paper, you don't need fancy electronic gadgets to keep track of your money, a notebook does the same job. The miles I do for my walking challenge are recorded on a calendar, I don't need a gadget for that. Pen and paper is all you need. Keep a spending diary, record every penny you spend, look back on it often. 

All this is common sense, and a lot of you who are a similar age to myself will know what I am talking about. It's the younger people who are struggling, those that don't get the benefit of savvy parents to teach them, which I feel for. 

Right, so what do you do when you are really struggling to make ends meet? All of the above, but what you don't do is BORROW. Loan companies know people will be struggling once inflation rises and gets a grip,  they will be increasing their advertising to reel in all those who don't know which way to turn next. The sharks are waiting for the kill.

Do not fall for it. MSE is full of posts from people who are in such a mess with their finances. They know they have been living beyond their means, and know they will never have a life if they don't try and do something about it. Borrowing is too easy. Spending someone else's money is too easy. If people can't afford to pay for something, how are they going to afford the repayments? Look at the figures below, found on a random web site. Borrow £3,000 to buy a car. It takes three years to pay it back. You will have paid £5,143 to this company if you borrow from them, and you will be left with a scrap heap of a car worth nothing.   

What did I do when I started driving? I bought a battered old Bedford van for cash saved. Changed it for another slightly better van, then worked my way up with more old vehicles. I went to car maintenance classes at the college to learn how to do the basics. And at long last after years of driving around in a vehicle which I could never be sure of it getting me there, I now have a decent car. 

So, don't despair if the cost of living is going up, try and keep one step ahead. Appreciate what you already have. Find ways of staying in control, make it a challenge, don't let the buggers beat you. There is Life after Money. 

Thanks for popping in, we'll catch up soon.

Toodle pip

That was a whoppa, no worries.

Hello. I've had a massive credit card bill this month, money spent on what I needed, vet, food, and petrol. The days of impulse spending have long gone, everything I buy is what I need, with some cash left over for wants and treats. My emergency fund easily covered the bill, and as always, the balance is cleared every month. 

Keeping a tight hold on my food spending is ongoing, as is eating healthily. I find I am eating less tinned food,  some rice/pasta, very few veggie burgers/Quorn products, and no convenience ready crap. Most of my meals are fresh or frozen veg, sometimes eggs and cheese added. I don't eat much bread, when I do it's always wholemeal or seeded, but I can take it or leave it, some days I eat no bread at all. 

I prefer to spend little time in the kitchen, it's not my favourite room in the house. If I can knock something up in ten minutes that will do nicely. Shorter cooking times saves on gas. 

I got some yellow stickers the other day. Soys beans from £1.50 to 38p. Ready chopped onions from £1 to 25p. Spinach £1.50 to 38p. Mushrooms from 90p to 24p. Stir fry some of these in a pan and scramble an egg into it when it's almost done. One cheap and healthy meal. 

No cooking is even better. Yellow sticker pasta and char grilled mushrooms, £2.15 to 54p. I love this and would never pay full price for it. Add it to salad and it makes a lovely light lunch.

I've only got four bean plants but they are producing quite a lot of runner beans. Some I am eating, and the rest are bagged up in portions for the freezer. I don't bother blanching, just break them into three pieces and into the bag.

My fridge is looking quite full. I have some prepared veg which I will cook up, make soup, and freeze it today. I do a regular fridge inspection checking on quality and dates, to make sure I eat things before they go off. I have some peaches and strawberries which will need eating over the weekend.

All these little money savers means I don't have to worry about out of the ordinary large bills. Planning ahead and being mindful of the cost of day to day living has become a habit for me. It means I can sleep peacefully in my bed at night.

It's the weekend, enjoy. Thanks for popping in. We'll catch up soon.
Toodle pip

PS. Just remembered. If anyone is wondering what I am doing about the new rule that says you have to have a TV licence to watch BBC iplayer catch up, I have stopped watching it and switched to Channel 4od, and yooootoooob. Plenty on there to entertain me while I sit and eat a meal or do some hand sewing. I don't sit glued to programmes when I have other things to do. BBC ain't getting any money out of me.

A bit late tonight.....

Hello. I'm a bit late tonight, don't know where the day has gone. Crafty Club this morning, then gardening, hedge trimming and bagging up the rubbish. This afternoon I went to the tip with another load, then onto the vets to pick up medication for the kids. Popped into the small Tesco on the way back and found a six pack of kiwi fruit for 11p. Round the corner at the Co op I bought an eight pack of Actimel for 69p instead of £2.89, and a four pack at 39p instead of £1.69. I don't normally buy this because it's far too expensive, but at that price it's ok. I will put it on my breakfast cereals. 

Yesterdays lunch was using up some yellow stickers, a bit of a mishmash but it tasted nice. Ready chopped onions, ready sliced mushrooms, baby sweetcorn, and steamed potatoes and carrots left over from the day before. Served on a bread roll. 

Look what someone gave me today, surplus to requirements. Two single bed duvet's one with a cover. I don't need them and as I am not sure of their history and most people won't accept second hand bedding, I will turn them into pet beds.

My dinner tonight, I couldn't be bothered to cook so I took a ready meal out of the freezer and zapped it in the microwave. Sweet potato, butternut squash, and spinach stew. I added a lump of Danish Blue cheese which gave it a scrummy taste.

Last week I bought two packs of Rye bread. I quite like this toasted. I cut up a plastic bag from the bran flakes and used it to separate the slices. 

Oh dear, I'm falling asleep here, I'd better go. Thanks for popping in, we'll catch up soon.
Toodle pip

Much work to do in the garden

Hello. I loaded these pictures last night but then I was too tired to add the words. I am up around six every morning then get a bit knackered after a full day of doing stuff. Yesterday I was sewing in the morning, chopping down hedges in the afternoon, plus the walk, and I did a late Tesco shop in the evening. 

Today I need to do some more garden clearing, up the side of the garage. My neighbour is putting in a wooden fence in a couple of weeks time, so I need to clear the weeds out of my side of the boundary to give him room to work. I think a trip to the council tip will be on the cards for later on. 

This is how the latest picture is going, it's slow progress. The base is covered with the red mesh bags, next is adding the green foliage for the flowers I am planning to put on later.  

The back shows how much stitching I have done so far. I am going to add a large piece of sturdy fabric to the back of this now before I start the next lot of stitching, to make it more solid.

The shopping last night. Not many people in the store and some yellow stickers for me. Spent £33. It's almost three weeks since I last went to Tesco, I did a top up shop at Aldi in between. Fridge now full again.

Here's a little reminder, it's Shed of the Year tonight, Chanel 4 at 8pm. As usual, I shall be watching it later. Here is George posing with some of the sheddies who dressed up for the occasion.

Thank you all for your useful tips on staying safe in your house. Please read all the comments and make some notes of things you want to remember. Time moves on quickly on this blog and posts soon get buried. Topics do get repeated on occasions, but I like to keep things fresh and move on, it's up to you to make notes. You can always open a folder on your computer to store links, or copy and paste, topics you want to refer back to later.

Here is a little bit of fun to finish off with. The giant benches that make adults feel like children. Very amusing. On the BBC website.

Right, the kids want their breakfast, and I have plenty to do. We'll catch up soon, have a nice day.
Toodle pip

It's just criminal

Hello. I don't think the Love Food Hate Waste message is getting through to people. Hugh Fearnley has a long way to go to convince everyone not to chuck things away that might have a useful life elsewhere. He has been instrumental in convincing supermarkets to sell wonky veg, and hopefully that will become more acceptable as more people join the war on waste. 

Take a look at my little haul yesterday, this food cost me no money at all, it was free. I happened to be walking through the market late afternoon just as they were starting to close down and pack away. A chance of some reduced strawberries possibly I thought. After finding some at 50p something caught my eye on the adjacent stall, a young assistant was sorting through the stock and putting some items in the wheelie bin. I had to notice that didn't I, that's what I do, notice things, ha ha. 

I said, 'you're not throwing them away are you?'  He said yes. 'But there's nothing wrong with them', I protested. He said they wont last till Monday. My hand was in there when he said I could take them. Never mind the embarrassment of scavenging in bins, free food hits the spot with me. especially when they have only been in the bin for less than a minute. I am sure they will taste a lot better than bought ones. The spuds needed a wash and they are fine. 

Hugh would be proud of me. I think I'm going to make a habit of going to town late on a Saturday and walking through the market to the car park at the back. It's not that I can't afford to buy these things, but I just can't stand seeing food being thrown away. It's criminal when so many people haven't got enough. Hugh needs to start targeting markets.

It's a sunny day outside. Grass needs mowing. Enjoy your Sunday. We'll catch up soon.
Toodle pip

PS. Just remembered, it's the end of the month. Walking Group members please send in your mileage, let us know how you are doing. The target for 7 months is 583 miles for those doing three miles a day like me. I am off out now, which will take me to 584 yipeeeee. Do not worry if you are taking things at a more gentle pace, any walking is better than no walking. It has been proven time and time again, that there are many health benefits to regular walking. There are no negatives at all unless you push yourself too hard and risk injury, so don't do that. Just do your best.

How many washes from a bottle of shampoo?

Hello. When writing about a money saving frugal lifestyle, questions often crop up about numbers. People want to know exactly how much a meal costs to make, how much certain foods cost per 100 grms, or per kilo. How much is electricity and gas per kilowatt hour. How much can be saved by changing energy supplier. How many washes can you get out of a box of soap powder. How many drinks can you make out of one bottle of  dilute juice and how much will it cost per drink. How many cups of coffee can you make with a jar of instant coffee. And so on, and so on. 

It's easy to be lazy when using products and services, and not worry about things running out, because new supplies can be bought. The idea of monitoring every penny spent can be a big turn off for some people, but if the aim is to pay off debts, pay off your mortgage, live within your means and build up some savings, then the only way to reach your goals is to watch every penny that leaves your bank account and purse. 

Even the smallest everyday spends can be monitored. That well know saying, 'look after the pennies and the pounds will look after themselves', is so true.  

I use my toiletries and cleaning products as as cost effective as I can, sometimes diluting to get more from the bottle, sometimes using a dribble rather than a whopping big squirt. You won't see mounds of froth in my washing up bowl, nor a mouthful of white foam escaping from my lips. There's no excess suds in my washing machine, nor tons of moisturizer giving my face the look of a greasy frying pan. I use everything very sparingly to make it last longer.

I'm going to conduct an experiment, I bought this 400 ml bottle of shampoo for 35p the other day and I'm curious about how long it will last me. How many washes will I get out of it, how much per wash will that be. Hairdressers cost a fortune, they have overheads to pay for, staff and buildings, The only cost to me to wash my hair is boiling two kettles of water if I wash my hair in the sink, or wash it over the bath before I get into it.

Starting from today I am going to use only this shampoo, marking on the side each time with a permanent marker pen. Let's see how long it lasts. I reckon about four months. I will not dilute it but use it neat, dispensing a little at a time into my hand. I usually wash my hair once a week, maybe less if I am going out somewhere.

Anyone going to join me on this? Do you get through far too much shampoo or bath foam, can you cut it down to save some pennies? I'll post some updates along the way so you can see how I am doing.

Thanks to the kind reader who sent me a parcel of goodies, it arrived today. I did not answer the door when the post man came at lunch time because I didn't hear him knock, instead I found a card on the mat, 'Parcel in shed'. It was indeed in the Summer House, ha ha.

Thanks for popping in. we'll catch up soon.
Toodle pip

Not just supermarkets

Good morning. For those who are wanting to cut their spending on their every day living expenses, especially food, here's a little tip. Get into the habit of checking out the chiller cabinet in every food shop, discount store, supermarket, and corner shop, for stickers like these. At some point all food will go out of date. It will be sold off cheap or dumped, and with the publicity surrounding 'Love food, hate waste',  more and more shops are eager to get at least a few pennies for their products before writing them off at a loss. 

Think of your eyes as a scanning machine. Don't walk around the shops bleary eyed, with your mind elsewhere, concentrate on what you are doing. Make it a game, a challenge to pick up at least one item that has a reduced sticker on it. It might seem too time consuming, too much of a hassle to do this, but a few pennies saved here and there, and you will be quids in at the end of the year. 

Check out the chiller cabinets for dairy, salad, veg, and meat. A quick glance is enough, you don't need to spend time searching. Eventually these stickers will jump out at you because you are ignoring everything else around them. 

I go in Wilko to see if they have any offers on pet food, I walk past the chiller. This is what jumped out at me on Saturday. Now I wouldn't normally buy fresh milk, and definitely not semi skimmed, but at this price it would be daft to leave it on the shelf.  

I walk through the car park in search of cat food at Poundstretcher, and I know they have a couple of baskets of reduced near the tills. Most of it sugary sweets but worth a look. Weight Watchers choccy drink. I don't watch my weight, but I can still buy their products, 25p for five sachets, that's 5p a drink. Would be daft not to buy it.

I do this scanning in every shop. I get to know the layout of the shop and make a beeline for where I might spot a bargain. It doesn't take hours of trawling to do this, it's just a controlled way of shopping and can be done quickly. Now this is a contradiction of my usual advice of not impulse shopping, only buy what you set out to buy. Budgeting your finances is not only about controlling spending urges, but also taking advantage of big reductions in price, which would be beneficial in longer term planning.

The key to savvy spending is only buy what you can realistically use before it becomes inedible, or you become bored with it. Looking for reduced stickers can become an obsession, no need to take it to extremes. Yes, I get a buzz when I empty my bags out in the kitchen, and I feel like I am beating the system, but I would not be saving money if half of the food had to be thrown away. I buy what I need, what I can eat in the time scale, and no more. By the way, I am still eating strawberries, but I also gave some away.

Make savvy shopping your new hobby if you need to cut your food bill. Aim to beat the supermarkets by shopping around, by spotting these reduced stickers in all the shops. If you can't find any ask an assistant to direct you to the right section. Don't be embarrassed to ask for bargains, it's your money, you decide what you want to spend it on.

It's going to be a hot one today, so I am just off to do my walk now, before it gets too hot. I have started taking a bottle of watery juice with me to keep me hydrated.

Thanks for popping in, we'll catch up soon.
Toodle pip.

The time is right to go shopping

Hello. Not a lot left in my fridge so time to make a meal from a few bits and bobs. Three mushrooms, two onions, one Quorn fillet and frozen veg, on a bed of  cheap noodles. Curry and garlic flavour. That will do nicely.   

I was putting off going shopping, sometimes it is so boring. You buy food, you eat it, you go shopping again. Yesterday I had beans on toast twice. Once for breakfast and again for dinner. The second time I chucked a few chick peas into it to bulk it up, and added some grated cheese.

Oh dear things are getting desperate.

Never mind, I can stretch it to another day with this frozen soup, wonder what flavour it is, I will soon find out. Now I'm going to have to get off me bum and go. 

Last night it wasn't very busy, I had a £4 off voucher so I took my time to select the things I really needed. Found a good buy in the freezer, these packets of 8 veggie sausages were £1 each. Best to buy them while they are cheap. I sometimes grill these, but quite often I will zap one in the microwave to make it soft, then cut it into chunks to add to a stir fry.

Struck lucky in the fruit and veg department, 75% off. I've already cooked some of this up in a big pan and made stew for the freezer. Lots of strawberries to scoff, they normally sell for £2. They were knocking them out for 50p a punnet. Had to have some.

Portion control? Bugger that, I will eat as much of this green stuff as I can pile on my plate. Just chomped my way through this like a rabbit, a whole bag of salad leaves, ha ha.

It has been three weeks since my last yellow sticker dash. In between my Tesco visits I pick up a few things from Aldi when I am in town. I spent £30 last night, cat food and a bottle of wine included, I have enough to last me a couple of weeks maybe longer.

Well I hope you are having a nice weekend. Thanks very much for all the comments on yesterdays post, it's good to get your perspective on health care where you are. Have a nice Sunday. We'll catch up soon.
Toodle pip.

It happens automatically.

Hello. Whenever I am asked to do an interview, the question that pops up most often is, 'What are your best money saving tips?' I am finding it harder and harder to answer that. It's not that I have given up on saving money, it's because my tips are so embedded into my life that I consider everything I do to be normal, and I don't need to constantly think about it.

Saving money has become a habit that I do automatically without thinking. People want the shock horror, oh my God, you don't do that do you, kind of tips. Like, why is wearing boys pants seen as weird when they last a lot longer than women's knickers? I think that's normal because it makes sense to me. I don't need to buy replacement underwear for years, pants can be washed thousands of times before they need to be chucked.

Why is it strange to dilute wash up liquid, shampoo, and orange juice to make it last longer? Water is very very cheap, I can double the volume of liquids for a penny or two, making them last much longer. Seems daft not to do it.

What's wrong with having a bath once a week and washing in the sink at other times? We did this when we were kids, and look, I am clean, I am still alive, and it didn't kill me. Using the bath water to flush the toilet and other cleaning jobs saves me money. It's normal to me to reuse bath water, not such a big deal when I am used to it.

Isn't it normal to cut up old sheets and towels to make dishcloths, floor cloths, dusters and cleaning cloths? I haven't bought these items from a shop in years, no need to I reuse what I already have.

It is normal for me to take food with me from home if I am away from the house for a few hours. I make a sandwich, I reuse a plastic bottle and take a juice drink with me. Yes, it saves me money, but better still, I know what I am eating. Why would I want to buy a coffee out when I have just had one at home before I left. I can't understand this walking about with a cardboard cup of coffee. Taking pack ups is what I do, I don't have to think about it.

It takes no effort at all for me to walk in a shop, can't find what I want at the right price, and walk out again. I am not tempted by the in your face chocolate and sweeties at the till, I have cast iron will power. That's normal for me, it's no big deal.

If I need clothes or shoes I will look for them in a charity shop or a car boot sale. Over the course of a year this saves me a lot of money. Why would I go to a shop and pay full price if I can get it cheaper second hand. This is my normal way of shopping.

Cooking a meal in one pan, isn't that the best way to cook? Cuts down on washing up, saves money on the gas, and less faffing around in the kitchen. This simple approach to cooking is normal for me, I do it without thinking.

All my money saving tips are how I live my life, I don't have to think about them, I do things automatically. Sometimes they might only save a few pennies here and there but they all mount up and it means more money stays in my purse and in my bank account, without me even making a conscious effort to save. I am constantly amazed how my emergency fund builds up all by itself. Every month I get a surprise when the statement comes and it looks good, and I haven't had to make any sacrifices, not gone short on anything, not worried about any bills that are due, and all because my money saving happens automatically without me giving it a second thought.

Thanks for popping in. we'll catch up soon.
Toodle pip

Call in when passing.

Good morning. A quick one before I go off to the Bowls Club for a coffee morning. If the grass is not too wet they will allow visitors to have a go at bowls. I love ten pin bowling but have never tried bowls on a green before. 

Last night was a big success, the ladies loved my talk, lots of laughs, and they were very interested in my arts and crafts made from recycled materials. I suspect one or two of them might be having a go at knitting plastic yarn made from carrier bags, or fusing the plastic inners of cereal boxes to create shopping bags. After the singing of Jerusalem (this tradition has almost fizzled out now), and the notices read, it was my turn. Pay attention ladies. 

 The journey home took me past Asda, and you know my mantra, 'Pop in when passing, worth a look.' Look what I found, I spent 8p on bananas, pears, and prepared veg (cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, leeks, carrots). It needs closer inspection but a lot of it is edible, had to throw away half a banana which was blacker than black. Four and a half bananas at 2p is an incredible bargain. I will trim up the veg and cook it today.

Got to dash, I want to walk to the bowls club as it's on my walking route so I can do two jobs in one. Thanks for popping in. We'll catch up soon.
Toodle pip

Shopping needed, almost out of food.

Hello. Well, we wake up to major eruptions in the political world, I didn't expect that result, a surprise indeed. Listening to Burnsy on local radio there is a mixture of doom and gloom from the remain camp, and enthusiastic optimism from the leave camp who are looking forward to a new start. I shall be interested to see how all this pans out. 

If you have been reading my blog you will know that my personality dictates that I move on through the different chapters of my life. I am able to embrace change, will move on from a situation if it is not working for me, and constantly look for new ways to make my life better. I will organize my life around what income I have, I make do and mend, and I live with an attitude of gratitude. 

Burnsy is playing Carry on Regardless, and that is what we all will do. Nothing terrible is going to happen, the world won't come to a halt, we are not going to self combust or be blasted into smithereens.  

This was my meal yesterday, running low on food, scrambled eggs on a wrap from the freezer, with cheese. No eggs or cheese left. 

Shopping at Tesco last night at 7.30pm, I haven't been for a while, and managed to pick up some reductions. No 90% off any more, but 75% off is still good. Fridge now full with food.

Spinach needs eating quickly or freezing. Maybe a smoothie or two.

Large pack of prepared fruit, this will be smoothied and frozen in the next hour.

Other shopping was cat and dog food, frozen vegetables (broad beans, green beans, casserole veg), bananas, tomatoes, baby potatoes, yogurt, veggie burgers, tinned peaches and baked beans, soft cheese, broccoli, lemon curd, quiche, eggs, and a treat of a bottle of chardonnay. All stocked up for a couple of weeks.

I have received a super gift through the post, so thank you very much. I know who it is from, very kind indeed. A book on bag making, 36 projects to make bags of style. There are some good ideas in there, I have plenty of fabric to make some.

Must get on, thanks for popping in, we'll catch up soon.
Toodle pip.

A family day out

Hello. I think you might have guessed why I wasn't around yesterday, a trip down the motorway to Burton on Trent. I must say, that the four lane stretch on the M1 is now running smoothly and the journey was done without any hold ups. It's about time it was finished, it has been under construction for what seems like years, and it was getting very tedious to pootle along at 50mph through the roadworks. The traffic in Burton has not improved though, the town seems to be ever sprawling outwards from the centre, new builds bringing more vehicles clogging up the roads. I have no desire to move back there. 

Rocky came with me, and after a cup of coffee and a chat to Auntie Pat, I left him with her while I went to the library to meet Uncle Stan. He was happy in his bed. They have a new rescue cat which was very curious to see a dog in the house. 

Stan likes to chat, think that's where I have got it from, I found him installed at a table near the exhibition, ready to talk to anyone who wanted the meet the artist. 

It was difficult to take good photo's because of the sunlight beaming in through the vast windows, and the reflections bouncing off the pictures with glass on them. Some I have seen before, but he has some older and newer ones that I haven't seen. He uses a variety of medium, pastel, acrylics, and oils. Some forty pictures are for sale, all the proceeds are going to the Air Ambulance.

The detail in this one is amazing.

A few abstracts.

Shame about the reflections on this one, he has got the skin tone perfectly.

This is what Stan does best, talk. He has been a gents hairdresser for most of his life, at one point having a string of shops. In his later years he scaled the business down to one shop, finishing up with a few of his regular customers coming to his house when the last shop was sold. He didn't need to work, he carried on because his customers were his friends, and the money was donated to Air Ambulance. It wasn't until he was in his late eighties that he finally did the last haircut. 

The exhibition is on in Burton Library until Saturday the 23rd of April.

I am very impressed with the library, it was a hive of activity. Spread over two floors, there are meeting rooms for hire, and the food in the cafe is excellent and reasonably priced, I am told.

Back to the house for a late lunch. Pat had made a lovely vegetable curry, far better than anything I can rustle up. Stan was whacked, so I left them to their afternoon nap, while I went to visit sister. A couple of hours there for a catchup. Sister was whacked as well after spending all morning getting the caravan ready for their forthcoming trip.

A quick dash up the motorway brought me to Tesco at about 8pm, had to pop in to see if there were any yellow stickers as my fridge is almost empty. Lucky me, there was some fruit and veg. I spent £11, which will see me through next week.

Bits and bobs to do today, need to walk because I missed yesterday. Need to tidy crafty room.

Thanks for popping in. We'll catch up soon.
Toodle pip

Don't just cough up.

Hello. When I first joined the RAC a long time ago, it was very easy to sign up. You get this, this, and this, and pay your money. The choices were very simple, they come to you if you break down, they repair if they can, or they tow you to a garage. 

I pay annually on a direct debit, and every year they send me a letter telling me how much they are going to take out of my bank account. I always check back to the previous year to see what the price difference is, and yes, it always goes up, never goes down. You would think that as a gesture of goodwill for a long standing customer, they would offer a little discount. Well yes they do actually, last year it was £6.93, this year it is £5.61. Not a lot to shout about, eh! The thing is these figures are meaningless, as every year they jiggle about with their prices, so what looks like a discount, isn't. 

The price difference is up £13 from last year, £83 to £96, and this increase is not acceptable to me. I had a conversation with my insurance broker a couple of months ago about recovery. She asked me how much I was paying, and a few other questions. It turned out that she had a cheaper policy with BD Assistance, and the breakdown service is provided by the RAC. Strange that isn't it, you book direct and it costs you more than going through a third party. She also told me that there is a policy which insures the car rather than the driver, and it is a lot cheaper. This is something that the RAC neglected to offer me when I signed up, and every year since. They make it sound very attractive when they say you are covered no mater what car you are travelling in, even as a passenger, you will still get recovered. I thought that sounded pretty good, so I went along with it, now I'm not sure I need it. I hardly ever travel in someone else's car.

Anyone signing up now for a breakdown service is presented with a menu of benefits, a bit like a menu at a restaurant. You want extras? You pay for them. It's not simple any more, there are lots of items to choose from. Battery rescue £1.67 a month. Onward travel if you car can't be fixed, replacement car or accommodation £3.09 a month. Courtesy car £2.09 a month. Tyre rescue £5 a month. Key replace £1 a month. Garage parts and labour £6.67 a month. Mis-fuel rescue £2.09 a month. European rescue £108 a year. Legal care 75p a month. You add all those up over a year, and you can see where they get their high prices from, and that's how they calculate a piddling discount.

Anyway, I got on to the phone to the RAC yesterday. Armed with the literature that my insurance broker had sent me. They got it right down to £46.50 which obviously had a lot of limitations. It was the car which was insured, not me. The next step up policy was the same as I have with the RAC now, and at £68, it was cheaper than £96. I was ready to do battle.

After going through the menu the price offered was £72, for an almost identical policy to last year, with me being insured. I went with it, to save me the bother of cancelling the direct debit and applying to the new company, for the sake of saving £4.

So the moral of this story is whenever any annual memberships come up for renewal, always do some research and look for a better deal. Keep your eye on any direct debits. Don't just cough up if you feel you are being ripped off. I'll admit, I am not very good at comparison sites, but I will do some checking then ring the company and threaten to leave.

It's raining and I am going to get my dinner. I will have a bowl of my lovely home made soup first, then see what I fancy after that. Thanks for popping in. We'll catch up soon.
Toodle pip.