13 Moons ... ( *** Off, I'm Fabulous )

Lula-Hula

Hi,

I am soooooo glad that week is over, first full one back at work & all that.

Gropey seems to have forgiven me for having a cold & was his usual chatty self today. The manic work phase has slowed down now & he & Grumpy seem to be getting on again which is a relief.

Not a single penny spent again today, although all the funds have been topped up :

Presents : £ 20
Treats : £ 30
Clothes : £ 20
Laptop : £123.11
DD clubs : £ 25 (transferred £40 to PGL fund)
PGL trip : £110

No point having £40 sat in DDs clubs fund when I still have payments to make towards the PGL trip, so I've transferred it across. Now only have another £30 to to go & then it's all paid for

I'm still totally calm about the grocery budget & our current store cupboard, just wondering how best to do the shopping.

I have the £2 off voucher for the co op & can walk there, BUT I dont think I need to spend £20 on stuff & that would leave me with just £16 for fuel & any other grocery top ups.

I have a £1.50 voucher for Tatco & need to go there for fuel within the next few days.

I can also walk to Waitrose but that way lies foody temptation, so best avoided for now I think.

Just to throw a bit more confusion in to the pot, I need to get some more contact lens solution. This involves going to town, which means using fuel, paying for parking & the cost of the solution will have to come out of my personal spends. Typically, town is in the opposite direction from work, Tatco & everywhere else that I may need to go.

Hmmmmmm :think:

I received a gift from the L A today; a big box to put our plastic & cardboard in, a sweet little kitchen caddy for our food scraps & a larger one to put the waste in at the kerb. Also included was an instruction leaflet of what could go in each container & a timetable for collections.

I'm really pleased that it's going ahead as a few years ago I had an active role in the planning of our areas waste management strategies & attended various meetings, debates & workshops.

I'm hoping that we dont have much to put in the food waste bin although events over the last couple of days have had an affect on my views on feeding scraps to the local wildlife. One of my neighbours told me that a fox had jumped over their 6ft garden fence & grabbed one of their pet rabbits & disappeared before they even had time to get to the door . I'm really upset about it as it was so lovely to see the bunnies running free around the garden, although this is quite risky & they were always escaping.

Another neighbour had her post festive feasting bin bags torn apart & rubbish strewn across her garden by foxes. I found remains of food including an entire baguette in its wrapper in my garden. Admittedly, there have been foxes around here for some years, there are fields all around & it's been a hard winter for wildlife, but I wont be leaving scraps out for them anymore as I dont want to encourage them.

Karmacat

I've been hearing a lot recently about foxes becoming much more aggressive ... though in the last place I lived it was seagulls that were likely to tear open the bin bags, even during the 12 hours or so they were out waiting for the binmen to come. But thats brilliant news that the recycling plans are in full operation now, well done to the LA

Your dilemma about the contact lens solution is typical of us trying to keep spends down by only buying when we need to - if you were debt free, you'd have bought the solution last time you were in that area, I bet ... thats what I do at least, I try to have one box of something open, and one in the background - thats partly because I've been so ill for so long over the last couple of years, its been kind of essential. Hey ho - I'm better now, so the important thing is not to fall ill again!

Have a good day today - nice plans?

Lula-Hula

Morning Karma,

good plans, rather than nice ones, but I'm happy with them.

As to the contact lens solution, I usually buy 3 months worth when I collect my 3 months worth of lenses - makes sense so I was rather confused as to why I had run out when not due to collect new lenses until the end of the month.

Having had a rummage in my household goodies store cupboard this morning, i am chuffed to discover that I do in fact have another bottle ( it was hidden behind the shampoo stock)

Like you, I rarely totally run out of things as I tend to replace the 'spare', so now I dont have to go into town :j & have decided to whizz up to Tatco this evening while DD at guides to hopefully get some cheap bread & fruit ( dont really like their fruit as it tends to go off so quickly) & will also get some fuel at the same time, thereby making just the one journey .

Plans for today therefore involve cleaning, tidying, decluttering, paperwork, list making & pottering on here . I did think of going out for a long walk & ringing Grumpy to see if I could 'borrow' his dog but it's very damp & I do have plenty to do so will organise that another time. Probably best to book in advance too as he is a very busy dog :rotfl:

I've already done the black wash, the towels are in as I type & I've been down to the compost bin & checked the garden for signs of intruders.

While out there, I rearranged the veg plot markers as I wasnt happy with how it looked. I've now turned it by 45 degrees & I think that will work much better, as it leaves room for growth. Good job I decided to mark it out first before actually digging.

I recognise that I am very late with starting this off so wont get to plant everything we want to grow in the first year, but on the other hand I do have a history of rushing into things at 100mph, attempting to achieve everything in one fell swoop & then getting completely overwhelmed & disheartened when I cant manage it all.

Like every other aspect of my life that I'm reorgansing or adjusting, it will take time to reap the rewards & it's the journey that matters. Life is the journey, death is the destination & I'm in no hurry to get there

List to follow in next post ...

se999

On the foxes front, we used to live in a London suburb, and the foxes were OK normally. They seemed to organise their foraging around the bin men routines and people feeding them. There were always problems around Christmas/New Year, as people didn't put out rubbish on their normal days and people were away, so it seemed that they were desperately hungry and that drove them to change their routine. But once the normal routine returned the foxes weren't a problem again.

Lula-Hula

Tasks to be completed by midnight on Sunday :


[STRIKE]4 [/STRIKE] [STRIKE] 3[/STRIKE] [STRIKE] 2[/STRIKE] [STRIKE]1[/STRIKE] [STRIKE]laundry load[/STRIKE]s DONE

Ironing

[STRIKE]Stripping & remaking beds[/STRIKE] [STRIKE]Stripped & now airing ...[/STRIKE] DONE

[STRIKE]Hoovering everywhere[/STRIKE] DONE

[STRIKE]Cleaning the bathroom[/STRIKE] DONE

[STRIKE]De-dusting[/STRIKE] DONE

[STRIKE]Tidying[/STRIKE] DONE

[STRIKE]Sorting through wardrobes & drawers for charity stuff[/STRIKE] - DONE & found yet more stuff

[STRIKE]Topping up essential groceries[/STRIKE] DONE

Fuelling up car ( a bit) - CHANGE OF PLAN

[STRIKE]Returning books to the library[/STRIKE] DONE

Posting lovefilm DVD

2 x exercise sessions ( any variety)

[STRIKE]Visiting rellies[/STRIKE] CHANGE OF PLAN

[STRIKE]Making chilli in the slowcooker[/STRIKE] DONE

[STRIKE]Sorting through paperwork.[/STRIKE] DONE

Lula-Hula

Thanks for that info se999,

I do like to see the foxes in the fields & you're absolutely right about it being a seasonal problem ( if neighbours used the existing recycling scheme they would fit all their other rubbish in their bins) I just felt so awful that perhaps my having left scraps out for them had encouraged them towards the houses & resulted in bunny napping

I suppose that as people arent in their gardens much this time of year, the wildlife do tend to roam a bit more freely anyway.

Off to do complete more tasks now ....

Karmacat

I love the "de-dusting" makes much more sense!

Lula-Hula

Home is looking a lot cleaner, tidier & less dusty now.

However, during the big decluttering session I've discovered that my little (but great sound & volume quality) stereo thingy is not well. It's got it's cd recognition & mechanism all in a twist. To be honest I rarely listen to cds at home, prefer the radio (& a sleek new digital one is on my want list.) I listen to cds in the car as can turn it up & sing along without bothering anyone

It did however, cost a few hundred squids & DD may indeed want it, so my question is ... is it possible to get these things repaired ?

As much as I'm all for minimalism & desperately trying to reduce my possessions, I'm not up for replacing my entire music collection, although I am now coming round to the idea of getting rid of a lot of old stuff.

I'm off to investigate shiny new sleek & stylish digital radios .... I may be some time :rotfl:

Lula-Hula

I think we might have 'visitors' here.

3 times I turned the hifi off & left the room, 3 times it turned itself on again :huh:

DD was watching tv while I was sorting through paperwork & the printer which is connected to the desktop, turned itself on & then off again. The pc was shut down last night & has not been used since hmmmmm :think:

Never mind, I've been doing lots of decluttering. I've filled a box with books, mainly my old childrens books that after 30 years, really need to go. I'd sort of hoped that DD might want to read them, but I think they're just too last century for her so I might as well send them to the charity shop.

I also have some other new condition grown up books which I'd thought I might sell, but having checked out the prices on Amazon, they're selling for 1p each & that's for hardcovers which these are. Just not worth it. Might have a look at green metropolis but will probably just charitize them or pass on to fellow book fiend friend.

I'm not going to Tatco tonight as I've decided not to visit rellies this weekend, so wont need to get fuel. I will make the most of my free weekend calls instead .

I reckon I can easily get to work & back on monday & tuesday with what's in the tank & then fuel up about £20 on my way in on wednesday as DD starts early so I have time & it's almost on the way. I will then only have to do 3 more commutes so can easily visit rellies after that.

Will worry about the following week of commutes nearer the time :cool:

I do have an ulterior motive for not visiting rellies unilt next weekend, but will keep that secret for now. It is a cunningly good plan though

Off to take DD to guides & then check out the food stocks so we can shop locally for ONLY what we need.

Back in a bit ...

Lula-Hula

Ok, have just one more laundry load to go which I'll do first thing in the morning.

I also need to get that chilli in the slowcooker first thing. I'm a bit disappointed that I have to brown meat & soften onions, garlic etc before bunging it in, although I do see why. I just cant see me ever getting that all organised before going off to work in the morning, Onions, mince etc first thing in the morning eeeeuuuuugggghh .

It will be fab for soups, veggie meals & am thinking of sausage type casseroles that wont need pre cooking.

I've rummaged through the freezer & cupboards & have a list of staples that will be very useful.

Freezer :

2 chicken breasts,
1 quiche ( quite vintage but sure will be fine)
1/2 bag of quorn chunks
1 bag of quorn mince
big bag of chunky veg ( carrots, cauli & broccoli)
A few crinkly chips for DD
4 pints of milk

Fridge :

500g tub of buttery stuff
beast of a block (750g) of cheese
1/2 litre of orange juice
1 pint of milk
1/2 a christmas pudding
4 apples
1 big tomato - needs some retinol
1 red cabbage - needs last rites
1 cucumber - status unknown as too scared to look
one bottle of rose (:whistle:)

Tins & Jars :

4 tins branston beans
2 tins sweetcorn
2 big jars bolognese sauce
1 big jar tomato & basil sauce
1 big jar tomato & mascarpone sauce
1 jar of chickeny type sauce

2 tins peach slices
1 tin prunes ( I know not why)
1 tin summer fruit pie filling
2 tins vintage ( 2008) condensed milk
1 tin very vintage ( 2003) light carnation milk

Storecupboard :

500g lasagne
750g spaghetti
500 g fusilli
500g penne
400g rice

+ all the usual baking stuff, spices, sauces, mustard, stock etc

6 large potatoes
4 small onions
3 garlic segments
1 banana
6 horrible mandarins ( tough to peel & full of pips)

& enough booze to keep me sozzled til payday :rotfl:


There are plenty of meals there but I will need to get a couple more portions of meat or chicken, some more orange juice, yogurts for DD, fruit, potatoes, bread, eggs & more buttery stuff.

I'm aiming to get all that for less than £16 as that is what's left if I put £20 in the car.

I also still have the £10 note in my purse for any other necessities but will try hard not to spend this.


This is a self imposed budget as I do have access to other funds but just want to see what I can achieve with a bit of creativity & actually using up what we have rather than 'popping to the shop'

I'm enjoying this in a perverse kind of way; & it's made me think about how to shop for the rest of the year.

I'm already compiling my list for the huge Tatco shop I'll be doing at the end of the month. This will be for stocking up on household & cleaning stuff, as well as tins,jars & basic toiletries & I hope to do this only once every quarter.

I'll try hard to do a waitrose shop with the car only once every couple of weeks & then either walk there or use local shops for inbetween stuff.

If I want to give up home-job without having to do another day at work-job to compensate, I need to cut other costs & growing veg & learning to cook properly is going to be an essential part of that.


I dont like the price of radios, although there are some gorgeous ones - loving the retro ones in a huge array of colours - so am going to ask guys at work if they know of anyone who might be able to fix my beloved hifi very cheaply. Boys are brill at that kind of thing .

Have a busy day ahead of me tomorrow so will report my deeds when the forum back up & running.

Bye for now
xx