Organize your bits and pieces

Hello. I try and keep things tidy so I know where to find things. There are plastic storage boxes you can buy, of varying sizes, to store small items in. I don't spend money if I can find a cheaper or free alternative. My bead collection is stored in various tins and boxes. These two plastic trays once contained posh cakes from M & S, I nabbed them after a party as they were about to be thrown out. The trays fit exactly inside an old chocolate tin, one on top of the other. 

In this tin I have a couple of ice cube trays, and small individual pots made by cutting the top off some supplement containers. I collect all kinds of plastics and have had these for a long time, when I used to take extra vitamins. Yes, I fell into the trap of thinking I needed them, but having not taken any for several years, I now know they did not make any difference to my general health and well being.

Another tin, this one has those small yogurty type drinks bottles in it, with the tops cut off. I buy these if they are on a yellow sticker, would never pay full price for them. They make handy little containers for bits and pieces.

Those Ferrero Rocher plastic boxes make good storage boxes as well. You can see at a glance what you have without taking the lid off. 

Has anyone else got their own unique storage system made with re purposed tins, boxes, jars, and plastic bottles? Share your tips so we can save money by not buying new from a shop.

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

Keeping track of where the money goes

Hello and good morning. It's Friday, and as Ready Steady Go used to say at the beginning of their Friday night music programme, the weekend starts here. Thank you all so much for your comments on the previous post, your words made very useful and enlightening contributions. It's great to get the views of others, adds meat to the bare bones if you like. It's a subject that needs to be aired on occasions, to highlight the good work of Women's Refuge, and to show that if anyone is suffering in silence there are places to get help. 

So, what's on the agenda today? My winter fuel bills, as expected were quite high, so this has prompted me to sort out my utility bill files, put them in order, and work out the figures for the past year. 

Most people prefer to pay monthly by direct debit which comes straight out of their bank account. I am a bit old fashioned, I like to use the utilities first, gas, electric, and water, then pay for them on a quarterly or half yearly bill. The direct debit system works ok for those who have multiple financial commitments and find it difficult to keep track. Not a good idea to miss paying essential bills, they need to be paid. My financial commitments are simple and I find it easy to budget on a monthly and yearly basis.

So what's the situation at Tightwad Towers. I have some figures in front of me.
Four gas bills from April 15 to April 16
£5.30  April to July. Cooking and baths.
£5.84  July to Sept. Cooking and baths.
£32.64  Sept to Dec. Also, bit chilly, some heating.
£98.13  Dec to April. Also, cold bit more heating.
Total £141.91 for the year. Average £11.82 per month.

Four electricity bills from April 15 to April 16.
£26.55  April to July. Longer days, spend time outside.
£38.41  July to Sept  Don't go out much in school holidays.
£23.40 Sept to Nov  Cutting down in readiness for winter.
£71.99  Nov to April  Lights on, staying in. Computer on.
Total £160.35. Average £13.36 per month.

I have two water bills a year from two companies. Water into the house and waste water out  from Anglian. I am on a meter. Surface water removal by Severn Trent.
Anglian
£35.67 Dec 14 to June 15
£32.55 June 15 to Dec 15
Total £68.22.
Severn Trent
£28.49 Oct 15
£28.49 April 16
Total £56.98
Total water charges for the year. £125.20.  Average £10.43 per month.

The other regular bill coming in is taken by direct debit, my broadband and land line is paid monthly. When I changed supplier this was the only option offered. I get an email every month from EE, which I don't bother reading because I know more or less what is in it. I can confirm the amounts when I get my bank statement. It is usually around £35 a month. I could probably get it cheaper if I shopped around, but I don't want to be tied into any contracts, and then after the one or two year period have to look for another deal. I count my computer as my hobby and entertainment. I don't go out hardly at all in the evenings, don't pay a TV licence, don't go to the pub, don't eat out. My unlimited broadband is as important to me as my gas and electric.

I won't go into detail on my other expenses, I have house insurance but not contents insurance. I have all the costs involved in running a nice car, road tax, insurance, MOT, recovery, and depreciation. For any new people who have started reading, I don't have a mortgage or pay rent.

So there you are. Financial review all done and dusted. Have you looked at your bills lately? Do you keep them in a file? Or are they all computerized? Maybe you do a spread sheet on the computer, I don't. Maybe you do internet banking, I don't. Do what's best for you.

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

Keeping on track, a review

Good morning. I will zap off this post early being as I missed yesterday. From time to time I review my money saving activities, to ascertain if they are still relevant today as they were when I first started on my frugal living journey. You might have noticed there is a list of money saving tips on a separate page, link at the top, I have been checking through them to see if they still apply now.

Almost every aspect of  living expenses can be tweaked and pruned by making choices. Make a wrong choice and you will find you pay more than you need to. Saying that, everyone's aspirations for a better life are different, so there is no, 'one size fits all'. The areas I save money in may not be the same as yours. So why am I so tight when it comes to spending? Easy answer, because I like to be in control. I will not hand over any money willynilly, every purchase is carefully thought out.

The first question I ask myself is, 'do I need it?' If yes, then where is the cheapest place I can get it. If no, how much do I want it, and do I have enough money to pay for it without skinting myself. At this point treats come into it. Nothing wrong in treating yourself now and again, but a treat to me is something I allow myself occasionally. My treats might be a small bar of chocolate, a bottle of wine, a can of cider, a bag of crisps, or  a magnum ice cream. I spread my treats out over several weeks or months. One bottle of wine a month spread over four days. One magnum when I am on a day out or holiday. One small choc bar if I really fancy it, but my self discipline always kick in when I am in a shop and I will not pick one up as an afterthought to add to my other purchases.

So, basically, I save money in some areas to channel that cash into other areas which are important to me. I like a nice car so I save up for one. I have pets so I need money for that. These might seem like fixed costs that I can't cut down on, but as I said, all aspects of living expenses can be tweaked and pruned. I could buy a cheaper car which costs less to run, but I can afford the one I have. I could have just one cat. I am at my maximum of pets cost wise at the moment, and would not take on any more. I have a budget for them and I am at my limit. Utilities are flexible costs, I can choose when to flick switches, when to turn things on and off. I can monitor usage through my meter readings.

So let's have a look at the money saving list. I will pick out a few to review.

Before I wash my clothes I inspect them to see if they are dirty or smell. Yes, I still do that. It's a waste of water, electricity, and soap powder to wash clean clothes. Will they last one more wearing before they need a wash. I wash everything on a 30 degree, 30 minute wash, using two dessertspoons of powder for each load, and dry everything outside. If the weather prevents me from drying outside, I have enough clothes to delay a wash until a good drying day comes along, windy or sunny.

Cut down on tea and coffee, heat a mug of  water in the microwave and add a dash of fruit juice. Yes, I still do that. I very rarely use my electric kettle because it needs two mugs of water to cover the element. I know you can put some in a flask for later, but I only have one hot drink in the morning, the rest of the time I have cold drinks, and they are very watered down juice drinks.

Check bank statements and credit card statements for any direct debits that are not needed any more. I keep my direct debits to an absolute minimum, preferring to pay bills by cheque into the bank My mobile phone is topped up at the local shop, £10 every two months. I have an annual DD for my Youth Hostel membership, and car recovery service. £4 goes to googlie for posting unlimited photo's on my blog, and a monthly DD goes out for house insurance, and landline/broadband. That's all, makes it easy for me to monitor.

Buy children's tooth brushes, they are cheaper than adult brushes. Yes, I still do that. A three minute scrub with a small brush gives the same results as a bigger one. My dentist always asks if I use an electric brush, my answer is no. Why do I want to spend money on a gadget that will need charging up, and new brushes to purchase every so often, when I can do the same thing using wrist power. And while on the subject of teeth, I only use toothpaste in the morning. I like to start the day with a fresh clean mouth. All other times I brush with water only. It's the time spent brushing that counts, and using the correct technique, plus flossing, which gets rid of the food trapped between them. I must be doing it right because I've had five years of all clear check ups.

Use wash cloths instead of paper towels. Yes, I cut up old cotton sheets, old towels, and use them as dishcloths. When they are past their useful life in the kitchen they get relegated to floor cloths, shoe polishing cloths, window cleaning cloths, and dusters, when I can be bothered to dust. I have a couple in the bathroom for wiping bath, basin, and toilet down. And the very old cloths get used as cat litter box wipes after I have scrubbed them out and they need to be dry before refilling with fresh litter. When I throw cleaning cloths away they are manky. Just a note to add to this. I do have a paper towel roll, I use it for a dribbly nose. It lasts longer than a conventional box of tissues because it doesn't fall apart so quickly, and my nose is constantly cold and wet, even though I never catch a cold. A bit like a dogs, ha ha. I never ever buy J cloths, wet wipes, dish cloths, floor cloths, or boxes of tissues.

I still wear boys and men's underpants as opposed to ladies knickers. I haven't had to buy any for years, they last ages, never fall apart, and never stretch and go baggy. They are a snug fit, no uncomfortable floss up the bum or cheeks hanging out. Anyone with a small bottom would save loads of money by making the switch. They come in all colours.

Tidy your food cupboard and have a stock check. Yes I still do that. I know exactly what tins, packets and frozen I have, no festering unmentionables lurking at the back waiting to be chucked out. I keep my spices to a minimum, no small glass jars of goodness knows what hanging about. I don't follow recipes for cooking, because if you do, you need to check you have the ingredients first, if not then you buy it. So easy to be left with half a jar of this, half a packet of that, never to be used again. I make my meals with whatever I have in, I improvise, I use up what I already have. No recipe books in my house.

Moving on to food shopping. I don't take a list, I go with an open mind. There is no item of food that I must get, I buy whatever is a good price and I can substitute one item for another. I like expensive foods like they have at Marks and Sparks, but would never shop there unless it has a yellow sticker, and that isn't likely to happen because their big store is on the edge of town. I am not loyal to one supermarket but will cherry pick from those I am close to, or passing to and from somewhere else. I will not waste petrol running around from shop to shop. My motto is, 'pop in when passing', especially if it is between 5 and 9pm. Another motto, 'worth a look'.

Don't buy food out. I know the times when my stomach will be grumbling for food, so if I am going anywhere and I know I will need to eat, I take a snack with me. A sandwich, a drink, a piece of fruit, a few cream crackers a piece of cheese etc. If I don't eat when I am hungry I start getting wobbly, and that means eat something now. So rather than dashing in a shop, I have something in my bag. I eat before I go food shopping, because being hungry in a supermarket aisle will trigger off my desire to grab whatever is available. This has happened on occasions, and not wanting to give in to junk, I have been scouring the shelves for something suitable to eat. I might pick up a cheese and onion pasty or a banana, to satisfy my hunger. One thing I cannot bring myself to buy is ready made sandwiches, even if they have been reduced to pennies. No thanks.

I like to review my money saving and spending habits now and again, just to check I am on the right track. To check I am not slipping back into spending more than I can comfortably afford. I read other money saving sites to see if there is anything I am missing, any good ideas I should be doing. It's easy to take your eye off the ball and slip back. I don't keep a spending diary any more, by keeping my outgoings and incomings simple, all the information is stored in my head. As long as that bank balance stays in the black I am ok. It may dip a little at times when there is a big bill to pay, the next one will be car insurance, but exercising restraint for a few weeks will bring it back up again. Swings and roundabouts comes to mind.

Your priorities will probably be different to mine, but whatever you spend your money on, it has to be what you can afford without going into debt. Some sacrifices have to be made to be able to live the life you want to live. I want a nice car, I don't eat out. You eat out twice a week, go to the gym, get a coffee in a cardboard cup every day, and you make do with a cheaper car. Your choice, my choice. Don't come moaning to me that your car is clapped out and you can't afford the repairs.

Thanks very much for popping in, I hope I have given you something to think about. Time to take my best friend out. He is lying on the carpet, I'll get his lead.

Toodle pip

Rabbiting on

Hello. At last, I'm sitting down and chillin with a mug of coffee, it's been a hectic day. Yesterday I thought I didn't have much to do today, and could spend the day sewing. It didn't turn out like that. First off I noticed that Bugsy's claws needed clipping, and I don't have the tool to do that. Luckily Janet has, so she came round and did the deed, me holding him tight in a towel, she trimmed.

Then I made the decision to take Heidi to the vet, her neck looks sore and she is looking a bit sad. I have bathed it but it doesn't seem to be healing. I needed to get there for 11.30 and be first in the queue, the vet should turn up at 12noon on a Friday. She was a bit late, that's normal, she gets held up at the main practice. Marion said she though Heidi might be anaemic and suggested blood tests. I thought that was a good idea, but best to go to the main practice some miles away for that. She rang and made an appointment for me.

Back home for lunch. Check emails. There was one from the Rabbit Rescue. A neighbour has two rabbits which she wants to re home, she has been waiting for a place for them. I have been helping her out with feeding them because she is busy. Now the rescue has a place and the neighbour is away on holiday. I know the lady who runs the rescue, that's why she emailed me, so I offered to deliver the rabbits. Then I went round to the neighbours father who lives down the road, to ok it with him. Yes fine he said. It was arranged for a 7pm delivery.

Then off to the vet again, the big practice on the other side of town, with Heidi. I had to wait a long time, they were busy. Heidi has had a sample of blood taken, the results will be through on Tuesday. She has also had an antibiotic injection for her sore neck. Poor Heidi.

I called in at the small Tesco on the way back to get some milk, and some treats for Heidi, I need to get her to eat more. Make myself a quick dinner with courgettes, mushrooms and celeriac. Then neighbours father came round and between us we got the rabbits into the cat carrier box. The food, hay, and water bottles went with them.

The rabbit lady runs the rescue from her home. She has a courtyard at the back of the house with all the pens, it looks very comfortable, and clean, and well organized. There are plants in pots, secure pens, and lots of bunnies. Mandy is the Founder and has been running it since 1996. She is dedicated to rescuing rabbits and every Sunday morning you can see her at the local car boot sale raising funds for them. Here is a link to Scunthorpe Rabbit Rescue.

Phew, now I'm back home and able to sit down for a rest. It's been a busy day, always something to do.
Thank you to those who have emailed me about the possibility of meeting up in Norfolk next month. I shall reply soon. Have a nice weekend, and thanks for popping in.
Toodle pip

Here's a bit more rabbit.

Crafting with friends

Hello. It was back to the Crafty Club this morning. I've missed two weeks due to walking trips, so it was nice to meet up with the ladies again and find out what everyone is making. It was almost a full house, twelve people round the table with one missing, and for once I was on time. I took some of my recent makes to show, and Janet brought some of hers along. You have seen mine, so here are a few pics of Janet's. She has completed a cross stitch wall hanging, of three quirky cat pictures, on a black background. I love these. 

She has made a sleeve at the back to insert a wooden rod for hanging purposes. Once again her stitching is perfect. 

A piece of patchwork has been hanging around for ages, and now she has finally finished it and made an over the knees quilt. The hexi flowers are separated by shades of green to make a flower garden. It is so pretty. Two ladies are holding it up for me so I can get the whole thing on the photo.

It's a smashing group, people swap ideas, help each other to learn new techniques, and pass on surplus crafting materials. We are working together to make a Christmas tree for the festival of Christmas Trees, held annually at a church in town. Janet has a large piece of green felt rescued from a snooker table which is perfect for the job. We will all be making the decorations for it. No rush, we've got until December to do it.

I know Kath has a Crafty Group in her home town, does anyone else go to one? If you don't have a group  perhaps you could start one. All it needs is the use of a room, in a Village Hall, or other community building, put a few posters about, ask friends to ask their friends, and bingo. It only needs three or four people to start, once word gets around more people will join. There needs to be a small charge to cover the room hire, tea and coffee. Best to check whether insurance is included in that fee. Weekly meetings of two hours is not such a big commitment. It would be a lot cheaper than joining the W.I.

I am in and out a lot at the moment, so some of the posts may be a bit short. I have a friends cats to look after which needs two visits a day. They also get a third visit from another friend, we sit with them for a while, so I am getting to see some tele while I am there. Today was library day, the books needed changing.  Rocky is loving all the attention he is getting when I push him around the village, so it is becoming part of our daily routine. I'll sign off now, because it's time we were having a bimble. Thanks for popping in.
Toodle pip

First list your priorities

Good morning, I'm going to rattle this one off quick, have plans for the day. It always intrigues me how people prioritize their spending, what influences their choices, and how they decide what is important to them. We are all different and have different needs, but I can't help thinking that poor choices are at the root of many a problem debt. It's the psychology of what's behind spending which I find fascinating, but unfortunately I haven't time to write a whole book about it, so a blog post will have to suffice.

I'll start with what's at the top of my priority list, which I am sure many of you financial savvy people will agree with. First off is to pay for a roof over my head. I used to pay rent from the age of 16 to 27. Board and lodgings to my mum from the very first wage packet, then rent to a landlord for a bedsit or flat. At 27 I bought my first house which came with a mortgage. I never once defaulted on rent or mortgage because I didn't want to find myself without a home.

Second priority was to pay for any services to the accommodation. Council Tax which used to be called Poll Tax, and before that Rates, had to be paid. Heating and lighting had to be paid. I used it, I paid for it. So, that's a roof over my head covered.

My next priority was to eat, I always made sure I had enough money for food, even if it meant having to cut down a bit when things were tight. Now the edges start getting a bit blurred, things are not clear cut any more, there are choices to be made. Now the questions start. What are your priorities where food is concerned? What would you never give up no matter how much it costs? I still like to think I can adapt my eating habits according to how much money I have to spend on it. Squeeze my finances to the bone and I will find something to eat within my budget. I can't think of one thing that I would still buy if I had no money and had to go into debt for it.

Now comes the juggling bit, do you know how to juggle, because if you don't you need to learn. The term robbing Peter to pay Paul is imperative these days, though I wouldn't call it robbing, No need to go without if you prioritize before it gets to crisis point. And there is the crux of the matter. Good old fashioned sitting down and making a plan, thinking about what is important in your life.

I will never understand people who say they wouldn't give up this and give up that, and are perpetually in debt. So what they are saying is, plastic isn't real money and I will have whatever I fancy. I will have a latte every day, I will have the latest mobile phone gadgety thing, and I will change my car every year, because those are my priorities. I say, sunshine, you have got it all back to front, arse about face, and there will come a time when you will be drowning up to your eyeballs in debt because your priorities are all wrong.

But you can't tell folks that. Eventually they have a light bulb moment when the penny suddenly drops and they realize that something has to give. But the changes they need to make are like climbing a mountain, their habits are so ingrained in their lifestyle that they fight against change. They want to carry on with their current lifestyle and still get out of debt. Their juggling becomes more intense as they search out a remedy which will not impede their comfortable life.

The remedy is simple and staring them in the face, I'm stating the bleeding obvious here, where's Nellie when I need her, ha ha. If you spend more money than you have coming into the house you will go into debt. Spending someone else's money is not a good idea, it will come back to bite you on the bum eventually.

This is where the psychology comes into it. How do you decide what to spend your available income on? How do you divide it up and prioritize? Say you were down to your last couple of £'s would you spend it on a pint down the pub or a loaf of bread, a tin of baked beans, and six eggs?

Let's imagine we are all down to our last couple of £'s, no let's make it £5, I'm being generous. Imagine this scenario, we have paid the rent, and we have heating, what would you spend your last £5 on when you have a week to go till the next payday. I know what a lot of you are going to say, eat out of the freezer and cupboards, good for you. But there will be those who say I have nothing in my cupboards. Hang on a minute, what's that packet of pasta then, and what's that onion, and I see you have a stock cube. Isn't that food? Oh, I see, you don't fancy it so you are going out to spend your £5 on a pizza. Why not add a fizzy drink and a pancake to that and put it on the credit card!

Can you see what I mean, I'm sure you can, this is like teaching my grandma to suck eggs, but if there is one person out there who is desperately searching for that light bulb moment, then writing this post will have been worth it.

There is a lot more I could say but I don't want to appear sanctimonious, I don't know everything, I'm just drawing on my experiences and adding my thoughts. Questions you can ask yourself and only you can answer them. Do you have any debt? If not, you are swimming, if you have then you are sinking. What would it take to throw a life belt to you? You can do it the hard way, carry on sinking until you are eventually totally submerged, or you could sit down and work through your priorities. Divide up your income into pots according to what has to be paid, and when it has to be paid, but make sure you don't prioritize a new dress over slashing £50 off your debt. Never ever leave your debt languishing at the bottom of the list, promising to pay what ever you have left into it. It should be somewhere near the top. You have to pay your rent or mortgage, you have to pay Council Tax, you have to pay utilities, but you have control over how much you use, as I highlighted in yesterdays post.

Right, I'm off, done my bit, trying to help, need to go to town to pay some bills. I shall be looking for your comments, hope it all works out for you, whatever your situation.
Toodle pip

Five year review.

I have just discovered that I am rich. I have a few bob in a current account which is my emergency fund, this will come in useful should I need to pay out for something that breaks or wears out, or I want to go on holiday. I don't have to worry, because I am not dead skint, I have got some money. YAY :o)

I've been going back over my bank statements to see how I have been doing financially since I retired five years ago. In fact my statements go back further than that to 2001. It certainly makes interesting reading, especially around the time of November 2005 when I was getting fed up with driving, cutting my hours, and running a small business trying to make up the shortfall. I was riding by the seat of my pants then, down to my last £300 in the account, and no savings to fall back on. I still don't have any savings, because I don't need any. I can't see the point in having money lying around in accounts doing nothing except earning a piddling bit of interest. I can do without all that bother. The less I have the better as far as I'm concerned.

I'm not saying I want to live on fresh air with no money at all. If the government went bankrupt and my pension suddenly stopped, I would go back to work, But as long as they are paying me enough to cover my living expenses and a few treats, I am happy. I read a lot about poor pensioners who can't manage, but to be honest, I have a pretty good life on my pension. In fact, as my header says, it's a brilliant life.

I made the decision a few years ago to cut my working hours, which cut my pay. I decided I would learn to manage on less. When the going got tough, I simply stopped spending, that was it, full stop. Can't afford it, need money to pay mortgage, council tax, utilities, food, car, one cat, none left for other stuff.

I scrutinized my bank statements, got the calculator out, worked out a plan. The plan was not to buy anything I didn't need. In 2007 I did spend some money, I needed a new kitchen because the one I inherited when I moved here was disgusting. I had put up with it for years because every penny I had went into buying the house, there was none left for anything else. So for £514 I bought a new kitchen from Homebase. I ripped out the old kitchen, put the cupboards together for the new one, and paid a plumber to fit the sink, cut the worktops to size and screw the cupboards to the wall. I wanted some electrical work doing, new sockets, but the electrician said I needed a whole house rewire. So I didn't have the sockets, and I manage with the two double sockets already there.

Once I had got back on my feet again, after years of cutting back, cutting down, and being super frugal, things started to get easier. By then I had living within my means down to an art form. Nothing more has been spent on the house, it is still standing, and I have the same decor that the previous owners left me, except I put a lick of paint on the living room walls.

I saved enough to be able to change my car, adding some cash to the pay off I got from the insurance company when the last one was written off. I was able to save up a bit extra from my pension and get rid of the mortgage.

In 2009 my total annual pension was £7,925.84, now it is £9,590.23. Yes the cost of living has gone up, everything has gone up, but I am still managing. My quarterly utilities bills have hardly changed at all, their prices go up, I use less, I will beat them. I have no mortgage to pay now. I don't pay as much council tax as I did when I was working. I negotiated a better deal on my house insurance. I cut Bugsy's insurance. A little tweak here and a little tweak there, and I don't have to worry about money any more, as I have enough.

So, I'm feeling pretty flush at the moment, but that isn't a cue to do anything rash, like going out and buying something I don't need. I don't have to scrimp every penny, but I probably will, ha ha. It's in my nature to be cautious with my money. There's no way on earth I could go out and flash the cash.

There is another reason to keep on with the money saving, and it's far more important than me living within my means. The worlds population is growing at an alarming rate, and if things keep going as they are there is going to be a massive wakeup call. There will be no gas, no electricity, no water, it will all be gone, used up, nothing left. Me using the bath water to flush the toilet, and buying second hand clothes, is unlikely to save the planet, but it makes me feel better knowing I am doing a bit to help.

Anyway, as long as that pension keeps appearing in my bank account I will be OK. I'm sure of that.

My stomach is telling me it's time for dinner, so I'll say toodle pip.

Stocktaking your smellies

There is a monthly thread on Money Saving Forum, in the Health and Beauty money saving bit, and it's called 'No buying Unnecessary Toiletries' The idea is that you take stock of what you already have, just like you might do in your food cupboard and freezer, and stop buying any more until you have used things up. So, instead of thinking you must use that tin of tomatoes up which has been at the back of the cupboard for the last ten years, you now think about using up that half bottle of whiffy moisturiser that you are not particularly keen on, before you buy a replacement.

Makes good sense to me. My bathroom cabinet is not bulging at the seams, it is not packed full of bottles and tubes of various lotions and potions. I just have a few items which seem to last me ages because I don't go mad splashing things about. I use my toiletries sparingly so they last a long time. When I buy something new I don't go for a particular label or fragrance, I buy on price. An expensive bar of soap does not do the job of cleaning me any better than a basic affordable one. A cheap Value shampoo will clean my hair just the same as the top of the range salon variety.

I think they should rename the thread, No Buying Unnecessary Toiletries Ever Again. I know I won't need to buy anything for at least another year.
Have a look for yourself.
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=4807895

Post has been edited, some people have taken offence at my words. The message is still the same though, one way to save money is to stop buying unnecessary toiletries. I won't delete the whole lot  because there are some very good comments added, it would be a shame to lose them. Just shows how difficult it is to write a daily blog and please everybody all of the time, it's nigh on impossible.

Sock it to me

I am test driving some new socks tonight, went a bit mad today and spent some money. I sorted through my sock drawer, and to be honest some of them needed throwing out. Some of them are that old and full of holes, and are no longer fit for purpose. I have had extra wear out of them by turning them around so the heel part is on top of my foot, but now there are more holes, and they are wearing very thin with no cushioning between my feet and the boots.

So I thought I would treat myself to some super duper soft ones, and here I am walking around the house with them on. I must say, they feel lovely. I think they are going to make my walk a lot more enjoyable. Bye the way, I've got another pair just like these, ha ha.

Looks like I'm going to have some nice weather for this walk, probably only need shorts and a teeshirt. I've got the sun cream ready. The proposed route is marked on the maps in pink, the actual route will be highlighted in green. Just need to pack my rucksack in the morning then I will be off. I'm getting a lift to the station, spose I could walk really, best save my legs for the rest of it though.

I haven't done much training for this, no long day walks to build my muscles up. I'll soon get into the swing of it once I get going. Putting one foot in front of the other is not that difficult. All I need to do is to walk for nine hours a day for seven days, hoping for an average of 18 - 20 miles a day.

I've told the pussycats to behave, and not mess the cat sitter about. When she calls them to come in at night, they must come in straight away and not be naughty and run away.   

Let the fun begin. I'll see you up north tomorrow. Toodle pip.

The price of lurv

Good morning. Getting the blog post done early this morning, while it's still fresh in my mind, and before I get distracted and go off and do something else. Not a lot of yellow stickers to be had last night, just the luck of the draw, I suppose, you win some you lose some. I turned my attention to the Value labels instead, and stocked up on some of my store cupboard items. Rice pudding 12p a tin, lemon curd 22p, tinned spaghetti 19p, peanut butter 62p, tinned fruit 32p.

In the veg department I got big bag of carrots, white cabbage, butternut squash, mushrooms, and bananas. No cheap greens to be had :o(  Quite a lot of yellow stickers in the bakery department, but as my freezer is already full of bread, I only picked up one loaf for 15p. There were some treats on offer, so I thought it my duty to get a couple of packets, all in the name of research of course. I like to keep my readers informed of what not to buy, as well as pointing them in the direction of the bargains.

So what have we here. Four Boston Creme Doughnuts, covered in chocolate of some sort, probably not a lot of real chocolate in it, with a filling of some sweet sickly goo. Don't know why they are called Boston Doughnuts, probably wouldn't sell any if they were called Scunthorpe Doughnuts, ha ha. Look at the original price, two chuffin pounds for four. Chuffin heck, are some folks mad enough to pay that? Must be or they wouldn't make them. I don't mind paying 5p each for them.

The price of these Chocolate and Orange Tarts is even more shocking. Two chuffin pounds for two chuffin tarts. Look at the trickery involved in the packaging. The tart is four inches in diameter, the paper tray is five inches across, what a sly trick, to give the impression you are getting something quite substantial for your money. Now after my taste session with these, I have to conclude that the pastry case is like hard sand, you have to be careful not to break your teeth when biting into it, and the choc filling although tastes chocolatey, is very sweet and sickly. The orange flavour is achieved by blobbing a dollop of posh orange jam on the top. Would you pay £2 for these, not on your nelly, ha ha.  

As I was going through the checkouts, a young man followed me through with a ginormous bunch of red roses, a pink heart shaped fluffy cushion, and a box of posh chocs. You couldn't help but notice the huge flower display which was 'in your face' at the entrance to the store. Me and the checkout lady was having a bit of a banter about prices, how they are going up, and going down in some cases. We engaged the shy young man in our conversations, me saying how nice it was to see someone getting a nice treat for his lady friend for Valentines Day, and he must be in love to spend so much money. The checkout lady pointed to the cost of the flowers as she put it through the scanner. Good grief, £30. I kept my thoughts to myself, he'll learn, ha ha.

Yes, it's St Valentines Day today. I won't know if I have a card till later, as the post doesn't arrive untill about 3pm. I won't hold my breath though, ha ha. I wonder if my troll will be back today to have a gloat, they have already called me a bag lady spinster. There's only one thing I can say to that comment, I won't die wondering, sunshine. Been there, done that, got the teashirt. This spinster has seen it all, ha ha. Not pandering to men's whims any more. Unless you get a good 'un, which is quite rare these days, I'd rather not bother, thank you very much, and just be happy that I have some friends, oh, and my cats are a good substitute.
Toodle pip.

I can see the wood for the trees

The morning wasn't too good today, dull, overcast, and cold, so I stayed indoors and got on with the artwork. I must say it's coming together nicely now. I ran out of the yellow paint I was using, so had to continue with a slightly lighter shade of yellow. It looks quite good, so now I'm not sure that it needs any other colours. Have to think about it.

After lunch the weather picked up a bit so I carried on sorting the garage out. Here you can see what a mess it is, piles of wood everywhere, think I have a wood fetish, ha ha. A lot of this was collected from B & Q when I worked there. Some pallets were picked up from the back door of Wickes, the DIY store. They have a special pile where they put stuff they don't want, anyone can help themselves. If I see a nice pallet I can't drive past it without stopping to pick it up.

There is a paste table on the right, buried under stuff and about to collapse. Old kitchen cupboards come in handy for storing small stuff.

I've got stacks of blue plastic trays, retrieved from the skip outside the takeaway. They had mushrooms delivered in them and they are non returnable, so they get thrown away. 

Right, get some of the large items outside, so I have room to work.

That's a big improvement, long lengths of wood on the right hand side, lots of rubbish thrown out. Cardboard broken up and put in the recycling bin.

Timber sorted into lengths, oddments of pallets stacked up on the left.

Nice tidy stack of wood here, now I can see what I've got without having to shift a load of stuff.

The canes are stacked up on the right, ready for the runner beans. Now I can walk in without falling over things. Much better, job well done.  I must say I quite like my garage, well it's more a shed really. It's a bit tumbledown, but it serves it's purpose. I can do a bit of potting up in there if the weather isn't too good.

Library day today, so I took half an hour out to change my books. I'm a bit limited for choice in the van, as I only read non fiction, and they don't seem to get many new books in. Never mind, I managed to find four, just have to expand my horizons a bit more and read about new topics.

Dinner tonight was steamed brocolli, leeks, potatoes, and celeriac, with half a 99p cauliflower cheese Value ready meal. It was very nice, and oh so filling.

Thanks for popping in. Toodle pip.

Plastics and pea burgers

We've had some right funny weather here today. First it's sunny, then it gets all windy, then big black clouds come over and chuck a load of snow at us, then the sun comes out. Temperature wise, it's flippin freezing cold. Not a good day for going out. So what did I do? I thought you might be interested to see how I organise this cupboard.

I have a big wall cupboard in the kitchen which houses all my plastic containers and bottles, it could do with a sort out and a tidy up. These bottles are different sizes, I keep them because they are useful for making up diluted fruit juice drinks to take with me when I go out for the day, or several days. The bigger bottles I fill with tap water if I take a trip in the car.  I wash the bottles out when I get back home, and if any of them are looking a bit grotty I chuck them in the recycling bin. The old bottles get thrown and new ones are bought to replace them. Most of these have come from the cash and carry, or the reduced section of the supermarket. I never pay full price for a bottled drink. The smaller bottles will fit nicely in a shoulder bag, along with a sandwich and a banana. A handy lunch for the day.

In this pile are an assortment of small pots and tubs. Some are used for freezing portions of soups or stews, others can be used for storing any small objects in them. You never know when you might need a small plastic container, so it's a good idea to keep some handy. I haven't yet found a use for the small white Coffee Mate shakers. They could be used to store any dried food and herbs. Some of these could be used to propagate seeds, especially the yogurt pots, and the milk bottle. Just cut the top off the bottle and make drainage holes in the bottom.

I like to keep a few microwavable dishes, for heating up portions of my home made soup or stew. There's no need to buy any of these from a kitchenware shop, just buy a few ready meals and keep the trays they come in. They can be used over again, and replaced and recycled when they are worn out.

These are storage boxes which I have bought from shops. I bought them long before I started my frugal journey, some of them must be more than twenty years old. I won't be buying any more, these will last me. Sometimes I make up a salad in a box and take it with me when I go out for the day. They are also useful for storing portions of food in the refrigerator.

I keep a selection of smaller containers. Some of these are handy for packed lunches if I want to take some tinned fruit with me. I can put some into a tub with a tight fitting lid. I use them for camping and hostelling. Coffee, sugar, and dried milk containers.

The small ones store nicely in this big plastic box.

All sorted and tidy.

So, what happened to the peas. They soaked in a bowl for 24 hours. Then I followed the instructions on the packet and rinsed them, boiled them for ten minutes, and simmered for 40 minutes. Then they were done. I added about half of them to the vegetable curry I made yesterday. Then put several spoonfulls into a mixing bowl. They were a bit sloppy so I added three slices of crumbled granary bread and some grated cheese. I chopped an onion and fried it in a small pan with some garlic, a crumbled veg stock cube, and some dried mixed herbs. When the onion was cooked I added it to the peas. It would have been better if I added an egg, but I didn't have any left.  

 

Next I made three small burgers. They were falling apart a bit because the mix wasn't stiff enough, I don't have any flour so I opened a cheap packet of stuffing mix and used this to coat them, and firm them up. I cooked them in the pan with a drop of oil, and flipped them over to cook the other side. Here they are, my pea burgers. They were very nice, but the stuffing had such a strong sage and onion taste. Perfectly acceptable but maybe I won't use the stuffing mix next time.

I'm going to freeze the rest of the peas in portions. There's a heck of a lot of peas in one 45p bag of split green peas. I shall probably buy them again, as they are a perfect filler for soups and stews, and maybe more experimental burgers.

Toodle pip.