Dump the junk.

Hello. There were a few questions on my diet, snacking, and size, yesterday which I will answer here. Thank you to the readers who asked.

Have I always been slim? I was a skinny kid and a skinny teenager which stayed the same well into my late twenties. I did put on some weight after that due to eating crappy snacks while out driving a truck. In the early days I didn't do packups, that was my downfall, I went in shops and bought crisps, pop, biscuits, and chocolates. I wasn't very organized then due to working 12 hour days. One thing I never did was to pull in a cafe and have a truckers breakfast like many of my male counterparts did. I'm sure later many of them would come to regret that. At one point I was approaching 11 stone, which worried me, because my clothes were getting too tight. My skin was horrible too, sallow and spotty. Eventually I saw the light and thought this can't go on, I have to take my own food with me. Thankfully I lost a few pounds. I have never consciously dieted.

My weight dropped a bit too low when they found a large cyst on my right ovary at age 59. I was concerned that I was becoming very skinny. Thankfully after an operation to remove it, I gained a bit of weight to a more healthy level, and I have been able to maintain that.

Do I snack between meals? Most of the time I don't feel the need to because I try to eat only when I'm hungry. I don't snack for the sake of snacking, just because it's there. Snacks to me are a treat, only to be eaten on odd occasions. My meals are substantial enough to keep me going. I know people say watch your portion size if you are trying to lose weight, but I say you can eat as much as you like if it is not 'bad' food. Look how I pile my plate high with vegetables and salad. I do believe all the accompaniments that go with meals bump up the calories. Gravy, sauces, pastry, dumplings, Yorkshire puddings, all not necessary. And if you have to eat meat only go for the leanest, smallest piece you can find. Avoid fatty cheap cuts, avoid sausages, and avoid any processed frozen pies and pasties. In fact I believe all meat is bad for you, but I am not going to get into the veggie v carnivore argument, it's all been said before.

I have to admit to opening the fridge door and having a couple of cream crackers with cheese. I might have a yogurt, or a banana to keep me going. I might have a single slice of seeded bread with a smear of lemon curd. Or I might have half a tin of rice pudding. I quite often bring a meal forward an hour if I am feeling hungry, or delay a meal if I am still slightly full from the last one. Mealtimes are not set in stone here. As regards snacking, there is so much crap out there, it makes shopping a lot easier if you avoid going down those aisles anyway.

Do I consciously watch what I eat? Yes, I do. I am always aware of what I am putting into my mouth. I know in my mind what is good food and what is bad. I don't go out very much socially so I am not drawn into eating with other people. I don't believe you have to have a starter and a pudding with a meal, just the meal is enough for me. And as for a cheese board, that's plain daft. If I am caught out feeling a bit peckish while I am out, I will look for the smallest snack I can find. They have a small nutty bar in B & M for 19p. I don't have a coffee and cake while I'm out, too many calories. I never have takeaways, never go into burger bars and suchlike. I have been known to hurry back home because I need to eat.

Can we have a more detailed recipe for the veg and blue cheese concoction? I usually start off a meal like that in a medium size pan with chopped onion, mushrooms, and spinach. Soften in a spoon of oil. Then I add whatever vegetables I need to use up, chopped small to reduce cooking time. Throw in any spices I have, then add fruit juice and/or water or both, simmer till soft, add cheese before serving. That's about it, I make it up as I go along.

Is there any hope for the rest of us? Certainly is. If you are not under the doctor for any underlying medical problems then there is no reason why carefully monitoring your diet should not bring about an improvement in health. In fact I believe a poor diet often contributes to health problems. It's all down to what you put in your mouth, and of course getting enough exercise.

Thank you for your questions. I'll get off now, my stomach is telling me to eat.

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

Kitty capers

Hello. So who is going shopping and who isn't? Black, green, yellow, blue, whatever colour it is today won't tempt me to hit the shops. Mind you, I have to confess to spending a little bit in the village shop as I was passing on my walk. The new Stitch Magazine is in, and as it is only £5 every two months, I allow myself that treat. I also wanted a small bottle of milk. But that's it, no more. 

From what I read in the newspapers there hasn't been long queues of people waiting for shops to open, maybe people have got wise to the big con trick, imported from across the pond. Mind you, I always say, if you have enough money and you want to spend it, go ahead, but don't go into debt by borrowing money, it's a slippery slope. I know what I can and can't afford. Watch all the panic posts coming into the MSE forum in the new year. OMG, the credit card bills have come in, I didn't realize I spent so much. No one says you have to join in with Christmas, it is not the law. I refuse to torture myself mooching around shops in a state of befuddlement, wondering what to get for auntie what's her name. I shall be putting some money into envelopes for the children in the family, and that will be it. 

This cat is not my cat, he is called Mickey and he lives a few doors down. That table is a sun trap and he is often found there in the mornings. I think he has the hots for Mayze, or is it Heidi, or maybe he is on the scrounge for any spare food which happens to get thrown out. He is a naughty boy, I have caught him coming through the cat flap, a few times. He can be a bit aggressive as well, hissing when I go to stroke him, so then I shoo him off.   

After breakfast I open the door to let my cats out, if they want to go out. It all depends on the weather. I think they sense when it is dull and miserable, so they stay in bed. This morning it was sunny, so Mayze was keen to go out. She stares at Mickey. I've never seen any fisticuffs but that look says, 'what are you doing here, get off my patch'. I think she is playing hard to get.

Heidi has found herself a new bed. In the evening as I am getting ready for bed, I drape my dressing gown over the banister. It must have fallen off because this is what I found this morning. Why is it that the cats always like to lie on my clothes. I hadn't the heart to move her. I will leave it there until she finds somewhere else to kip. I have three dressing gowns anyway. 

I have just had a super lunch, mushrooms, spinach, eggs, potato salad, and houmous, most of it was yellow sticker food I bought over a week ago. It is still fine to eat. I have some cauliflower, carrots, and broccoli left, which will see me through the weekend.

Hey, the sun is out, I will go into the garden for an hour or two and do some tidying. Nothing growing at the moment, just some dead stuff to collect and put in the bin.

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

How much! Chuffin heck!

Hello. My computer is having a wobbly. When I walk away from it and it goes into sleep mode, the screen doesn't just go black, it goes all colours, keeps changing every few seconds, bright neon colours. Then when I shut down, the computer switches itself off but the colours carry on and there is no response when I press the off button. I have to switch off at the wall, which I always do anyway. I think the monitor may be on it's way out. I'll wait until it stops working altogether. This computer is quite old. The red colour is very bright. Very strange.

I had to go shopping this afternoon, I had virtually no food left in the house apart from three cans of peaches, a jar of pickled onions, pasta, noodles and rice, nothing in the fridge, and a few things in the freezer. The postie brought me a letter from Tesco, there was a voucher for £7 off a £50 spend, I never spend that much. I put it in my pocket anyway. As I was walking round, I thought I might as well buy a few extra things, then I won't have to bother with a big shop for a month or so. There were offers on the cat food as well so I stocked up on that.

As she was scanning it I watched the numbers creep up and up. Chuffin heck, £72 chuffin quid, and that was with a few yellow stickers as well. The extras I bought were seeds and nuts, several kinds of canned beans, a bottle of wine, tuna fish, frozen white fish, and cooked chicken for the cats, sesame seed oil, frozen veggie burgers, plus all the usual stuff. So I did get to use the £7 off voucher. My stocks were very low, it was almost like starting from scratch. Gotta eat something.

I bought a cheese and onion pasty because I was hungry, I ate it on the way home. It was supposed to be for my dinner. So tonight I have had the rest of it, a plate of spinach and rocket with a little grated cheese and some pea and mint dip.

I must keep an eye on the time, I can't have anything to eat or drink after 9pm tonight. Tomorrow morning at ten past nine I'm at the medical centre for the first part of my free health check. They take a sample of blood, and I go back the week after for the rest of the check. I think I'll get a drink now, so I'll sign off.

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

Lucky find

Hello. Just a short one tonight. I've been nattering on the phone tonight for absolutely ages. Nephew rang and it must have been almost a year since I last spoke to him, so there was a lot of catching up to do. He has a busy life with a full time job, a long commute, and three young children. I could hear them in the background. It went quiet when they went to bed.

I've been wanting another short break away somewhere before the clocks change and we have shorter days. I've searched for the right accommodation, at the place I want to be, at a price I want to pay. It's taken ages and flippin ages. At last, I found somewhere. I fancied a bit more luxury this time, not a hostel, but not so silly expensive. A nice-ish hotel. Have a look here. What do you reckon, good innit. 

Look what I found in Wilko yesterday. I was checking cat food prices, and saw a shelf with REDUCED on it, worth a look. Tester pots of paint at 10p each. Might as well stock up, you never know when you might need it, always comes in useful for those little crafty jobs. 

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

Big shopping spend

Hello my little bloggerettes, Howz ya diddlin? This morning I went to Crafty Club and spent the two hours cutting out felt flowers for the next artwork. I need lots, it will take a while. 

Looking back at yesterday, I went and had a nosy at the car boot sale at the football ground. Not a lot of stalls there, although it was sunny it was quite cold. Also, too many traders, it was more like a market. I only buy from genuine booters. I got a bit of a shock, I spotted a pair of boots and instantly recognized them. I had donated them to the Age UK charity shop only two weeks ago. The cheeky stall holder is obviously a trader. I was so surprised I forgot to ask how much he wanted for them, he would have bought them for £1. I asked him where he got them from, he pretended it wasn't his stall, and said, 'I don't know where he got them from'. I donate things to charity shops because I think someone might have a use for it, not so someone can come along and make money from it. I suspect that a lot of people might do this trick though.  

 I picked up this set of curtains for £1.50, they are very long, thick fabric, and in good condition. My first thought was, would make lovely shopping bags, of course. I'll wait a while before I cut them up, just in case any other brilliant ideas come to mind. 

Tiny purple beads, they will come in useful. £1.

I've been to town this afternoon. A few bits from the discount stores, Wilko have an offer on the Ultima dry cat food so I picked up four bags. They also had a large bottle of milk for 30p, about to go out of date, so I nabbed that. Last port of call was Aldi. I haven't shopped here for a while, have been buying food from Tesco. I am not a creature of habit, I don't do a weekly shop. I pick up bits here and there as I am passing. I thought I would do an itemized list for you, so you can see what a normal shop is like when I pay full price.

2 cartons soya milk 59p each
Bottle chardonnay £3.89
5 foils of dog food 27p each
1k gran sugar 39p
2 tins baked beans 23p each
1kg bananas (8) 68p
Frozen peas 69p
Potatoes 79p
Onions 55p
2 packs ex mature cheese £1.59 each
Salted peanuts 99p
Dry roasted nuts £1.05
Butter 75p
Broccoli 37p
Cucumber 39p
Tomatoes 57p
Low fat yogurt 45p
2 bags walnuts £1.29 each
Brazil nuts 99p
Quiche £1.19
Soft cheese 49p
2 packs cream crackers 40p each
Spinach £1.29
Sliced ham for the kids 79p
Strawberries £1.35
Med FR eggs 79p
Mushrooms 89p
Farmhouse seeded loaf 85p
Bran flakes 88p
Total £30.62

I shop at Aldi about once a month, it's conveniently close to the town. They don't have everything I want, so I shop around. This is quite a big shop for me, the strawberries and wine are treats. The cheese and crackers will last four weeks, maybe more. I don't need to go shopping for a week to ten days, but if I am passing any supermarkets I will always pop in to see if there are any reductions, which will help me to stretch a normal shop out to last longer.

I'll wrap this up now. Need to take the dawg out and then do my three miles.
Thanks for popping in. We'll catch up soon. Toodle pip.

Turned out nice again

Hello. As George Formby used to sing, it's turned out nice again. The day started wet and drab, and it's ended sunny. Yesterday I made this, Quorn pieces, an onion, frozen broad beans and peas, and fresh mushrooms. Start them off in a splash of oil then add water and spices, simmer for ten minutes and add a pack of cheap vacuum pack noodles. Doesn't take long, I like quick meals. It was very tasty. There was three portions, one yesterday, and two for today. Bloomin lovely. If you want to make it you can use any frozen veg, or you could add tinned peas and sweetcorn, anything you like really. I only buy Quorn when it's on offer, ir was £1 a pack a few weeks ago so I stocked up. 

It was raining when I went to town this morning so I did a quick dash round. The pet food cupboard was getting a bit low, the kids have been sulking because I had run out of their favourite food. I was down to my last bag of nuts as well, so I needed to get some more. I have nuts on my bran flakes every morning. I usually buy walnuts, brazils, almonds, and peanuts. They all get smashed to bits in the mini chopper.

Rocky inspecting what's in the shopping bags. Don't worry Rocky, there is something nice for you in there.

The picture is coming along, it's looking good. The colour hasn't come out very well in this close up, the background is yellow. Still plenty to do.

Thank you to the Walking Group for sending in your mileages. I am updating the list every day. Some of you are going great guns, but don't forget, it isn't a race. Everyone is a winner.

Here's a little song from George, It's turned out nice again. Let's hope it turns out nice tomorrow. Thanks for popping in. Enjoy your Sunday. We'll catch up soon.



Toodle pip

New exhibitions at The Ropewalk

Aye up me ducks, how ya diddlin. I was a bit fed up of being indoors today, so I went out. I noticed in our free paper, in the guide to local events, that there are two new artists exhibiting their works at the Ropewalk Gallery in Barton. Just the ticket to get me off my bum and go and have an eyeball. 

Amanda Cobbett is a paper and textile artist. I liked the look of the work on her web site, but was a bit disappointed that her exhibition was a bit small and did not contain many pieces. I was particularly interested in her embroidered pictures, but there were none on show. It focused on her birds, flowers, and mushrooms. 

The detail in these small pieces is amazing, the birds are papier mache covered in machine embroidery. There are more pictures on her web site. I didn't photograph the mushrooms because they were inside a perspex case which would have caught the reflections in the room. 

The other exhibition was a bit strange, I am not sure how these images were made, but if you are interested here is a link to Lou Hazelwoods blurb on the Ropewalk site. There is a short video explaining the methods she used. 

Luckily the Ropewalk is right next to Tesco, so with a bit of careful timing I was able to scoop quite a good haul of yellow stickers. I made a stop halfway home because the sunlight was making interesting pictures. These two photo's were taken in exactly the same spot, first looking away from the sun, then into it. 

Here I have £15.09's worth of food, for which I paid £2.19p. There's salad leaves, rocket, cauliflower, bananas, apples, prepared fruit, wraps, carrots and peas, and I had a treat of four blueberry muffins for 18p. I did try to resist them, but the price swayed me. I have plenty in the fridge now, don't need anything else this week.

Well it's time for me to go walkabout, I really must try and get it done earlier. I see a lot of our walking group members are making a big effort to top up their miles. Every little helps, every mile counts towards the big 1000. Don't worry if you are going at a more leisurely pace, it isn't a race, the taking part is more important. There are no prizes for those who go through to the finishing line, except the uplifting feeling that you have achieved your goal, and you are a lot more fitter and healthier than when you started. Well done everyone. Keep walking.

Thanks for popping in. Catch up soon. Toodle pip.

Easypeasy food shopping

Hello. I've been reading about a new food store that has opened in South London, by Stelios of Easy Jet fame. His plan is to undercut Lidl and Aldi by selling everything at 25p during February, he calls it an introductory offer. Afterwards it is said that everything will double in price and be sold at 50p. Here is a link to the Easyfood web site, which lists all the items on offer, and here is a shopping list of some of the items taken from the Daily Mail.. Hundreds of bargain hunters descended on the store and it has had to close down due to selling out. There is a notice on the web site saying it will be open on Friday after re stocking. 

Looking at the list above, there is hardly anything I would buy. Biscuits no. Baked beans 24p Tesco Value. Salt don't use it. Chopped Tomatoes maybe. Jam never buy it. Tea bags nope. Cheap coffee definitely not. Ginger nuts nope. Pasta only buy wholemeal. Pitta bread only buy it if nothing else, and cheaper than that. Tomato puree might buy it. Mayo not a fan of cheap makes, would rather go without. Mini shortbreads might buy as a treat. Mini cheese thins nope. Peach slices buy sometimes. Tuna flakes for the cats. Variety pack cereal nope too much sugar. Tomato ketchup nope I can live without that.

The Cash and Carry that I go to has similar items on sale, a lot of processed and snacky foods. I am very picky about what I buy there. Only the odd items which I consider are part of a balanced diet. I reckon the largest part what I eat is made up of fresh fruit and veg with salads and dairy. My very small store cupboard of tins and packets only comes into play when I am running down the contents of my fridge, or for quickness when I fancy beans on toast.

I would be interested to know how many items on the above list would you buy. How big is your store cupboard?

I'm not sure if Mr Stelios will be expanding his Easyfood empire. If he opens one in North Lincolnshire, I might pop in when I am passing, just for the odd item or two.

Thanks for popping in. Catch up tomorrow. Toodle pip.

Second hand or new. Which is it to be?

Hello. The new fridge freezer is being delivered on Wednesday, so that's good news after putting up with a temperamental one for so long. I went out and splashed the cash on this, but there are a lot of things that I would happily accept second hand, from car boot sales and charity shops. It's got me thinking about what second hand goods are acceptable and which aren't.

I've said that I am happy to keep things I find in skips, things that people give me, and things bought cheap from car boot sales and charity shops, but I think there are some things which are best bought new. I could have put the feelers out for a second hand fridge freezer, asked around, or gone on web sites to look for one, but I just didn't fancy one that someone else had used before me. I want to keep my food in a brand new appliance.

Looking around my house there are far more second hand things than new. When I  moved in 18 years ago I had a new cooker, new bed, and new dining table and chairs. Then a few years later I had a new Kitchen fitted, new but bought on a budget, I assembled it and a plumber cut the worktops to size and fitted the sink. At that time I bought a new automatic washer after 20 odd years of using the same twin tub. I prefer to buy new  electrical appliances which I hope will last a long time. I have a microwave which I bought new about 20 years ago, a new stereo music centre which is 15 years old. My sewing machine was bought new ten years ago and this computer new about eight years ago. My cross trainer was bought new. So mainly electrical things I buy new, because I want some sort of guarantee that they will last.

So what will I accept second hand? I think it's ok to wear second hand clothes, either given or from car boot sales or charity shops. I even wear second hand pants, they were given to me by a friend so I know they were well washed. I will wear second hand boots, I don't care that someone else's feet has been in them, in fact I like it that they are already 'worn in'. The only exception to this is my walking boots. They have to be new because they need to be well fitting to enable me to walk lots of miles.

I bought a new set of non stick pans, but I have second hand stainless steel pans that I got from a car boot sale, and a large one I got out of a skip. These can be cleaned by scrubbing in hot water, you can't scrub non stick.

I have towels and bed linen which were given to me, some bought at charity shops, and some found in skips. These can all be cleaned in the washer before use. My curtains are all second hand from various places, I wouldn't buy new. Charity shops are a good source for these.

A list of second hand things given to me.
Two desks. Bookcase. Writing bureau. Small glass front cupboard. Office chair. Pine breakfast tabe with two benches. Treadle sewing machine. Dining table. Glass top table and four chairs. Dyson. Sideboard. Electric shredder. Toaster. Toiletries.
Things bought second hand.
Car. Four piece suite. Office desk. office chair. Sideboard. Metal shelving.

I wish I had gone down the second hand route years ago. While I was earning I did the same as most people, everything had to be new bought from a shop. As kids we were brought up wearing hand me down clothes, but of course, when you get a job you want to be keeping up with the fashions. Now, the only new clothes I buy are walking trousers, can't find them to fit in charity shops, and a pack of new underpants every five years or so. When I started reducing my working hours and the cash was tight I stopped spending and started to look at second hand. I am ecstatic when I find a real bargain for a lot less money. It is my mission to pay as little as possible for things that are perfectly fine second hand, so I have enough money to buy new things that matter to me. It's a juggling game, prioritizing what's important.

So, my question to you is what do you absolutely have to buy new, and what is ok to buy second hand, or even get free, either given or from skips?

Thanks for popping in. Catch you soon. Toodle pip

Emergency fund to the rescue

Hello. I have been Christmas shopping, for myself. This is my present to me.

I've been expecting it, my current fridge freezer has been going a bit doolally over the last few months. The salad has been freezing in the salad drawer, and frozen soggy lettuce isn't nice. The thermostat has taken on a life of it's own, sending the temperature up and down willynilly, out of control. Now it has defrosted itself leaving a puddle on the floor, so it has to go.

I've still got the receipt for it, bought 8.5 years ago for £180. I was a bit dubious about buying an unknown make, but I had a height restriction at the time and it was the only one which would fit underneath a wall cupboard. Since then the kitchen has been renewed and that wall cupboard was taken out. Problem gone so I can have whichever one I like.

I have chosen the Hotpoint. There are plenty more expensive ones,  but I see no point in paying  extra for the  all bells and whistles version. I don't want a black one or a silver one, or a stainless steel one. I don't want an American one, or a water dispenser, or an ice dispenser.

I had some Tesco Vouchers saved up, and as they have a double up promotion on at the moment, it makes sense to use them on something I need. The price of the Hotpoint is £230, and with a reduction of £49, it makes it £181. I'm chuffed with that. Only £1 more than I paid in 2007.

Luckily I am in between yellow sticker shopping and was already using up what I had. I have been eating everything that has cost me the most money first, yesterday was the Quorn fillets, Quorn nuggets, and veggie burgers, followed by copious amounts of yogurt. There is very little left today, I have just eaten a portion of home made veggie stew, there was no bad smell, perfectly fine, and I haven't been sick yet, ha ha.. The half a tin of mixed salad beans stored in a mug pongs a bit so they have been chucked. My porch is not heated and quite cold, so a few bits and bobs will sit there for a day or two. They said 3 - 5 days for delivery, no charge. They take away the old one, no charge for that.

This is what my emergency fund is for, no worries about paying for it, the money is saved in the bank. Now I need to move the old one out of the way, and wait for the new one to arrive.

I'm off to the Christmas Tree Festival at the church in town in an hour, it finishes today and we have to dismantle our tree and take it away. Thanks for popping in. Enjoy the rest of your Sunday.
Toodle pip

My top tips for Black Friday

Hello. I was just wondering if anyone is going after a bargain or two, on Black Friday. The sale starts tomorrow if you hadn't already heard. You need to be at the shop of your choice at one minute past midnight, to join in the stampede. In fact best to turn up several hours before that and set up camp outside the door. Carefully select the clothing you are going to wear, because there is every chance that you will have to engage in unarmed combat with fellow bargain hunters. No need to dress up in your best togs. Put on your oldest and smelliest gardening gear, a filthy old coat, a mucky old pair of trousers smeared with hoss manure, and a pair of steel toecap boots. You never know, you may have to stamp on someone's hands if they get to the item that you had your eyes on, before you. If you choose the grubbiest clothes you will find  that other people will give you a wide berth, and you will have a better chance of getting what you want because no one will dare approach you.

The electrical departments will be particularly busy, as everyone has their eye on bagging a new gadget or toy to play with. The ones with the screens seem to be favourite, and the bigger the better. Be assertive at the display as you reach for your prize, to ensure no one challenges you. Grab, grab, grab is the best way to approach this. If someone is slightly ahead of you and it looks like they are going for something you have your eyes on, grab them by the hair and sling them to the ground. Be careful however that you don't do any serious damage, as you might get arrested. Then grab the item you want, and barge your way through the rest of the chaos, elbowing people out of the way, until you get to the checkout.

Forget good manners and politeness at these sales, the order of the day is grab whatever you want. Look into your vocabulary and pick out a few choice expletives, be prepared to use them if anyone gets in your way. Posh people will find this quite daunting, not being used to such course language, but don't forget, it's a case of who dares wins. Open your mouth and throw your inhibitions to the wind. Building site navvies will have no problem using this tactic, just pretend you are at work.

Another trick you can utilize is working in a team. Get your friends and family organized into a line, link arms, and force your way forward through the crowd. People may get pushed over as they lose their balance but not to worry, step over them and continue towards your goal. Doing it this way means you can clear the whole display in a matter of seconds, and you all get a share of the loot.

Once through the checkouts, don't let go of your purchase. Guard it because some aggrieved person who was witness to your disgusting behavior may be looking for retribution. Stay alert and look out for the clenched fist aimed at your head, and be prepared to duck.

If you follow my advice, at best you will arrive home in one piece, you will set up your mega flatscreen TV in front of your armchair and will be enjoying a beer, when the police will come a knocking at your door to arrest you. At worst, you will wake up in the supermarket car park, having had seven bells kicked out of you, and your TV shattered into a thousand pieces. Don't worry about the blue light flashing in your eyes, they have come to cart you off to hospital.

The best advice I can give for this Black Friday lark is......
STUFF IT, DON'T BOTHER GOING. 

Thanks for popping in. Catch up soon. Toodle pip

You gotta laugh at this

Hello. This is my own very amateur video, on how to get the most for your money when shopping for food. Do not expect it to be polished, in fact it is thrown together on a whim. I have not tarted myself up, no makeup, no fancy hairdo, no fashionable clothes, just me in my everyday clobber. No rehearsals and no retakes, I can't be bothered to do it all again. No editing, I don't know how to do that, it's just my mush in front of my little point and shoot camera. What you see is exactly how I am in real life. I have never seen a face move around as much as mine does, it has a life of it's own. Yes, you can laugh if you like, I think it is hilarious. The  BBC cameraman kept telling me to smile. I know I should smile more, but I find it very difficult to smile while I am talking, so no fake smiles from me. I am as I am.

So here we go, it's 13 minutes long. I've just watched it and had a damn good laugh at myself.



Catch you soon. Toodle pip

Birthday plans, a surprise parcel, and a singalong with The Seekers

Hello from a chilly North Lincolnshire. By 'eck it's been cold here today, brass monkey weather by all accounts. Time to wrap up. I had a quick trip to town this morning, I've been meaning to buy a ticket for a show at the Baths Hall in May, and after checking their web site again and seeing how fast they are selling, I thought I'd better make a purchase sharpish. I could have done it over the phone with a credit card, but that would have cost me an extra £2, so I decided to go there and hand the cash over the counter. 

I parked at Sainsbury's opposite because the plan was to combine the journey with stocking up on cat litter, that one bag I bought at Aldi isn't going to last long. The Baths Hall was closed, chuffin heck. A sign on the door said tickets are for sale at The Plowright Theatre. Back to the car park and into Sainsbury's. Not having much luck, clumping cat litter at £1.55, out of stock. That's another chuffin heck. I got in the car and drove to the Plowright, not far, and bought my ticket, not many left on the front row, my favourite seats. Then I drove to Tesco and picked up eight bags of cat litter and a bottle of wine, a nice treat for me. 

The show I'm going to see is Men of Steel - A Massed Male Voice Choir with Lesley Garrett. The blurb says, 25 years ago the Scunthorpe Male Voice Choir pulled together male voice choirs from all the major steel making areas of Northern England to sing in a 200 men massed concert. And now they are doing it again next year, sounds pretty fantastic, I shall enjoy that. The date is five days after my birthday, so I have decided I am going to celebrate over the whole five days and find something to do every day. Whooohooo, that should be fun. 

This afternoon a parcel arrived for me, a surprise, I wasn't expecting anything. Inside it was a mixed box of crafting supplies, wool, fabric, etc, and also a gift for Rocky. Here he is in his new lead with matching collar, and doesn't he look a cool dude with his bandana round his neck. Thank you so much to the mysterious sender of this gift. There was a note but I'm not sure which kind reader sent it. A lovely thought. 

I've had a lovely afternoon. I collected the free newpapers from my friend, Rocky came with me. I've been scoffing veggie stew, and slurping the chardonnay, I've even gone a bit bonkers and put the central heating on. YAY, it still works after not being turned on since February. Some crafting has been done, and a long conversation with my best friend on the phone. Yoootooob has provided me with entertainment, Judith Durham and the Seekers have been revisited. Hasn't she got a beautiful voice. She is now 72, and the most recent video I can find was from last year, the quality isn't so good so here is one from 2010. Their music is just as good now as it was 50 years ago. Hope you enjoy it.



Thank you for popping in. Catch you soon. Toodle pip

Just an ordinary Friday

Hello. Nothing exciting has happened today. Spose I need to have a few dull days, too much excitement would wear me out. I went to town to pay a bill at the bank. While I was there I had a look at the newly refurbished 20 21 Arts Centre. It sure does look posh. A brand spanking new reception area, gift shop, and cafe, it looks lovely. I had a browse of the exhibitions, two really interesting ones. I didn't have time to study it properly so I shall go back, with my camera. 

I popped in Poundland next door to the bank, in search of Ultimate cat food. They haven't had any for a few weeks, but I was surprised and pleased that it is back in stock. I cleared the shelf of 14 bags. My cats will be chuffed, it's their favourite. I did a quick shop in Aldi, for a few items, only spent £7. Bananas, cheese, broccoli, spinach, dog food. I was running out of cat litter and they do a bag for £1.55. Cats are piddling indoors a lot just lately.

I've thought of a new idea to play around with. I have a metal bracket for a hanging basket outside on the wall, next to the kitchen window, and I have never had a basket on it. It needs something to hang there to brighten up these dull winter days. It's the wrong time of year to plant up real flowers, so why not make an artificial display, something that will not deteriorate in the weather. 

I have this chrome basket type, pointy end round ball. It used to be a lampshade, I found it in a skip. It was covered in glass beads and crystals which I stripped off to use on other projects. I didn't like to throw it away so it has been hanging in a tree in my back garden for the past year. Now I need some flowers, that's easy, I can make some from aluminium drinks cans. Yes, I think that should be quite good, a hanging ball of artificial flowers. I'll get on with it.

It's a bit colder today, I think we are heading for a cold weekend. Mayze cat and Rocky are lying in front of the gas fire, Bugsy is next to me on his chair, and Heidi has taken a liking to lie in a small gap behind the open living room door. I don't think we will be moving far tomorrow. I have a big pan of veg stew, potatoes, carrots, onions, large tin of mixed bean salad, and a tin of tomatoes. I usually use porridge oats to thicken it, but I have half a packet of ground rice which I want to use up, and that does the job nicely. Won't need to do much cooking for a couple of days.

Thanks for popping in. Enjoy your weekend. Toodle pip.

Shopping till I dropped

Hello. Now that the filming has finished, I have time to tell you a bit more about it. Mollie asked the question, what happened to the food, did I get to keep it. I'll come to that later. Someone from the BBC found my blog and was interested in how I cut my food bill by buying yellow sticker reduced items. They came up with the idea of sending me shopping to get as many items as I could with big savings.

We started at Sainsbury's and I did what I normally do, head for the obvious places, and as I haven't been there for a while, asking an assistant where I should look. I'll just mention here that we did not film inside any of the stores. I had to forget that I was shopping for myself, and had to get a good cross section of food including meat and fish, with the biggest markdowns. This is when I hit the first problem, how could I put into my basket food that I do not need and food that I would not eat. It goes against my principles. I usually take my time and carefully select what I would buy. We did this on Tuesday late afternoon and evening, and to get to four stores in the time meant I had to make quick decisions and rush about. I had to keep reminding myself, it is not my shopping and I was spending someone else's money. There wasn't a lot on offer at Sainsbury's and normally I would have been happy with spending a pound and getting two or three items, then walking out.

At Asda we hit the jackpot, there was plenty of my normal food to choose from, fruit, veg, salad, and dairy, at very low prices. No problem in filling the basket there, in fact we had to get a trolley, the basket wasn't big enough. By now I was getting a buzz, we were winning. We then went to Morrisons, and finished up at Tesco. It was quite late when we got there, and had missed most of the bargains. Nevertheless we found something from the few things that were left, but it wasn't food that I would normally buy.

It was all brought back to the house and I stored the temperature sensitive items in the fridge. We ended up with a lot of shopping, and I got quite excited about having all that food in the house. We talked about what would be done with it once the filming had finished. I said that as they had paid for it they could take it away, but if they left it with me I could eat some of it, and make sure that every thing I didn't need would be given to friends and neighbours. I would find a home for it and nothing would be wasted. They said that would be fine and I could have it. I was very excited at the prospect of giving people surprises. Barry could have the mince as he likes to make spag bol. The family across the road might like the diced turkey, bread, and some veg, they have three strapping blokes to feed, two of them students. And my friend in the next village who is slightly disabled and doesn't earn much would like to pick a few items. Then there's my friends in the crafty club, I could ring them and tell them to come and take what they liked. I was really looking forward to sharing it out.

It was an early start the next day, the crew arrived at 8am. They had a plan. The cameraman and I would go back to all the four stores and film the outside scenes, me walking to the store with empty bags and coming back to the car with full ones. The sound lady would stay in the house and go through all the purchases logging on the computer how much each item was to begin with, how much was paid for it. Now as you know this is something I have done in the past with my own yellow stickers, because it's interesting to find out exactly how much can be saved. She had a massive amount of food to go through, it was going to take more than two hours to do it.

When we got back she had finished and the food was piled up in the living room, some of it back in the shopping bags. It was lunch time and we were going to the pub so I started putting the temperature sensitive food back in the fridge. By this time, with all the handling, some of it had started to deteriorate, the prepared veg getting squishy and the bread crumbling. There was no time to mess about they wanted to get to the pub to eat, I insisted that some of it had to be refrigerated. I had already mentioned that the food shouldn't be out of the fridge for too long.

More filming after lunch, in fact we didn't get finished until 7pm, so it was a long day. During the afternoon I was told that they would have to take the food away with them because each individual item needed to be photographed by someone else for the still shots. Nothing I could do, it was out of my hands. From that moment on, I lost enthusiasm for the the job. I was so disappointed. For me that would have been the icing on the cake, to be able to give it away.

We still had some filming to do, the food came out of the fridge and went through more mauling about. I had to put a smile on my face and carry on, and hide my disappointment. It was very hard to do that. By the time they had got back to Manchester later that night some of the food would have to be binned, it had been out of the fridge for too long. You know what I think about wasting food. Criminal.

So now my fridge is empty, I'll leave the shopping till next week and eat out of the freezer and store cupboard. I can't face going shopping again just yet. I've lost my mojo, I need to find it again. I have a £3 voucher off a £20 shop at Tesco with another week left on it, so I'll use that.

A lot of work goes into making a short piece of film, and unless you have done it you don't realize just how much. It's interesting to gain a bit of an insight as to how it all comes together. They had allocated two days to this. I decided to do it because it might be fun, but in truth you need to have a sharp mind, you need to pick things up quickly, and follow direction. It's a lot of focused concentration. Most of the filming is in short bits which will be pieced together later, and most of it is shot out of sequence, so that befuddles the brain a bit, especially my logical brain. There were times when I was stuck for words. I am usually a lively conversationalist, but to be asked the same questions over and over again, and to respond with a smile on my face and repeat the same or similar lines over and over again, I found it very hard. My enthusiasm started to fade away as the day went on. I am best first thing in the morning.

Right, let's move on, what's the next? Something will turn up. In the meantime, I'll keep on trucking.
Thanks for popping in. Toodle pip

Successful shopping, time it right

Hello. It's looking like an indoor day today, very wet outside. I might pop out later if it stops raining, in the meantime I shall be getting on with a new craft project. 

Take a look at my empty fridge, this was the state of play yesterday, nowt left except for one portion of veg stew, a few pickled onions, half a jar of lemon curd, soya milk, and dilute fruit juice. Can't make much out of that, ha ha. I like to see an empty fridge every so often, it reminds me that I am eating everything I buy and nothing is left to fester at the back out of sight. I am a bit low on tinned food as well, though there are some things left in the freezer. But I am craving fresh veg so a yellow sticker dash is needed. 

And this is the state of play this morning, stuffed full of various shades of green. Oooh, I'm excited.

I went to Tesco at 7.15pm and came back at 9.15pm, two hours wisely invested in buying up bargains. Carol, my favourite fruit and veg lady was in charge of the reductions. She is a star. My  home made bags are brilliant, will last forever. The shopping includes twelve tins of rice pudding, might as well buy bulk at 15p a tin. They won't all get eaten at once, one per week is my ration. A bag of cat litter is £1.55, can't find cheaper at the moment, I shall keep looking. In one of the bags are eight cartons of soya milk, I see they have dropped the price to match Aldi, I will buy it then. Mind you, Tesco have discontinued  the 88p box of Value Bran Flakes, so I will have to go to Aldi for that as it's still 88p there. Rocky coming to look at what I have, he gets so excited when I return with the shopping.  

 A yellow sticker picture, 5p, 10p, nearly all with 90% off the full price.

Here is my shopping list, as copied from the till receipt. Total £24.41

Non reduced (full price)

Cat litter £1.55

Small fresh milk 45p

12 tins rice pudding £1.80

4 tins baked beans @ 24p each = 96p

4 tins spaghetti hoops @ 20p each = 80p

8 cartons soya milk @ 59p each = £4.72

Large tub Value plain yogurt 45p (same as Aldi)

Six pack flavoured yogurt £1.00

2 boxes wet cat food pouches @ £1.50 each = £3

Quiche £1  (£1.19p at Aldi)

Sultanas 84p (same price as Aldi)

Nappy bags (300) 35p. Used as dog poo bags

Porridge oats 75p (same price as Aldi)

Olive spread £1

2 cat food pouches @ 29p each = 58p (treats)

Cooked chicken £1 (treats for cats)

Cooked ham £1 (treats for cats)

Yellow stickers

Sweet potatoes 15p was £1.50

Ordinary potatoes 15p was £1.50

Pink onions 10p was £1

3 bags Brussel Sprouts @ 7p each were 69p each

Organic bananas 14p was £1.39

Turnips 16p was £1.60

Cauliflower 7p was 69p

2 bags prepared broccoli/cauliflower 10p each were £1 each 

Fine beans 20p was £2

Bag prepared sweet potato and butternut squash 10p was £1

2 packs mushrooms @ 10p each was £1 each

2 packs leafy salad @10p each was £1 each

4 packs wild rocket @ 15p each was £1.50 each

Pack prepared carrots and peas 13p was £1.25

Iceberg lettuce 5p was 49p

And I have to confess, a treat for me. Pack of 5 jaffa cookies for 50p was £1. 

I am a few items short which will come from Aldi and other places. 350grm extra mature Cheddar cheese is £1.55 at Aldi. Will stock up on bran flakes 88p. FR eggs needed but they can usually be found for 79 - 89p most places. Cat and dog food is a reasonable price at Aldi, and I usually get my nuts from there as well. A visit to the Cash and Carry on the way to town to see if they have anything new in, sometimes pick up pet food there. Non of this is urgent, have plenty to be going on with.

Someone was watching me last night on her usual perch on the window sill, as I unpacked the shopping. Mayze is partial to a slice of cooked chicken. Aint she cute, such a pretty face.  

Another successful shopping trip, lots of money saved. I'm chuffed. Keep your eyes open for a bargain or two, don't shop if you are hungry or in a hurry because you will grab anything, and probably stuff you don't need. I don't make a shopping list, it's in my head. My eating is flexible, I base my meals around what I can buy cheaply. Only rules are no meat, no fish, and I only buy sweat things as a treat and if they are reduced. I'm cutting down on my sugar intake.

Thanks for popping in. Catch you soon. Toodle pip

Look and you shall find

Hello. I had a bimble round the car boot sale this morning, I haven't been for ages and ages. It's held at the football ground, not far away, and it was a sunny morning so off I went. It starts at about 6am, there is no need to go that early, even though I am up at that time. Coffee and breakfast first for me, I got there at 9am. 

I was looking for something decorative for my craft work, very small beads needed in bright colours. There was a lady who has been crafting but is packing up because she can no longer hold tiny objects due to her arthritis, I had a rummage through her redundant stock. I have seen buttons like these in craft shops, but don't buy them because the prices are a rip off. I got this lot for £1.50. A bargain I thought. 

Moving along I found a couple of pairs of earrings for 50p. These can be stitched onto fabric as embellishments.

Then I found some tiny red beads, the man wanted £1 for it but I put it down I said I only wanted the red beads. He changed his mind and dropped it to 75p, I hesitated and he said, ok, 50p then. Deal. 

Quite pleased with my little haul. I went across the road to Tesco, for some cat litter and to see if there were any bargains. Always worth a look if passing. Too early for the yellow sticker bargains, they had started marking down but the best prices will come later on about three o clock, and I am not going back. I happened to see a neighbour in there, they know I like a bargain or two, and they said have a look in the freezer. I wouldn't normally look in the frozen food department, so I made a bee line for it with this information. Yep, he was right, reduced veggie style spag bol made with Quorn 50p each, I'll have four please. Two packs of Quorn Tortilla, 44p each, and two packs of Quorn kebabs, also 44p each. Just the job. I had to have a bit of a shuffle round in my freezer to get it all in. Good result, worth a look.

Too nice to be indoors, I'm off out. Enjoy your Sunday. 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

Hey big spender !

Hello, back again. Oh Lordy, I've spent some money today, stocked up on pet food mainly. Heidi will only eat the small pouches of Sheba, six for £1.50. Bugsy has taken a liking to Gourmet Gold, three small tins for £1. Mayze likes her sliced chicken or turkey or ham, around a pound a packet. All the cats like the Ultima dried food, can get it from the £1 shop. And Rocky likes the Chicken Jerky and the Frolics. Me, what do I get? Anything that's reduced from Tesco, or cheap from the cash and carry. 

Here's the breakdown of spends.

Wilco £4.10. cat and dog food.

Poundland £10. Ultima dried and cooked meats. 

B & M discount store £9.93. Sheba cat food, deli dog treats.

Home Bargains £11.05. jerky fillets, vinegar, bleach, body lotion, Nivea soft.

Poundworld £5. Gourmet Gold cat food, chicken dog treats.

Cash and Carry £8. Tripe dog treats, wet dog food, muesli, linseeds, malt loaf. 

Market £4. Frolics and dog treats.

Tesco £9.81. Cat litter, cat food, milk, bread, pasta salad, salad leaves, yogurts. 

Tesco filling station £40.31. Petrol fill up. 

Good grief, £82.20. 

Ooops, nearly forgot, add one more pound to that for this skirt from Age UK charity shop. It would look lovely on someone of a more senior disposition, 75 or 80 perhaps. Lovely fabric and it looks brand new. Fabulous vibrant colours, not for me to wear, I can see cushion covers. 

Time to clock off. Thanks for popping in and thanks for all the teef stories, seems I am not the only one who was scared out of her pants at the school dentist. At some point I will be doing a disappearing act, but do not despair, I will be back with lots of pics. Catch you tomorrow. Toodle pip

A stitch in time saves loads of money

Hello. This post is for all shoppers in England. Are you ready for the new carrier bag charge that will come in on October 5th? All retailers who have more than 250 employees must charge a minimum of 5p for every single use plastic carrier bag they hand over to a customer. So, if you don't want to pay for your bags what are the options? 

You can purchase a bag for life, they are plastic and around 10p. When they are worn out you take them back to the shop and they exchange it for a new one free of charge. You can buy thick heavy duty bags that supermarkets sell from around £1 and upwards, or you can make your own, like these. I ran them up in a couple of hours on the machine this afternoon. They are made from heavy blackout curtain fabric which I got from the Scrapstore. You could use any curtain fabric you have.   

If you want to have a go, here are the links to a couple of pages I wrote about how to make them.
Make your own shopping bag, from October 2013.
Shopping bags and food, from February 2015

If anyone wants to know more about the new rules, here is an article on the Gov.uk web site.

There's only a month to go, but you can start preparing now. It's a good idea to get into the habit of putting your shopping bags back in the car as soon as you have emptied them, that way you won't forget them next time you need them. If you don't go shopping by car, maybe a bus, or bicycle, or walk, find a place to keep your bags close to the front door, so you remember to pick them up before you go. Have you got a cupboard or a shelf, or hang them on the coat rack by the handles. What you could also do is stick a post it note on the inside of your front door to remind you to take them, until you get into the routine of always picking them up before you leave.

You might want to have a few different types of bags for different types of shopping. If you take a handbag to work you could have a thin nylon bag which folds up very small and fits into your handbag. You could have different sizes of bags, the smaller ones fitting inside the largest bag so you only have one to carry to the shop. A mesh type bag would be useful to carry your veg in then if it has any dirt on it won't contaminate any of your other shopping. You might need a smaller box type bag which is very strong to take the weight of the tinned food. Or a large lightweight bag for the cereal boxes and bread.

Start collecting your bags now so you are ready, and get in the habit of always taking them with you. Then you will never be caught out and have to pay for carrier bags.

Thanks for popping in. Toodle pip