Squizz's Fizzy Diary

redsquirrel80

I used to do loads of surveys but got fed up with the amount of time they took for the amount of reward. Tried to start again recently and got so many "sorry, you do not qualify" messages I gave up again! Maybe worth another try though.

Value stuff - for some things, these days it tends to be Waitrose Essentials which are not Tesco Value cheap but better quality, ethics etc. Do try to buy everything else when it's reduced/ special offer etc. It will be interesting to see what the actual figures are though - especially as Mr S contributes at least as much as I do to the food shopping!

Karmacat

I agree on both counts! We did our holiday shopping at Tesco, which I haven't been to for a while, and I was just shocked at how cheap the Value porridge oats were - half the price of Sainsbugs. But you can't beat Waitrose. Even Marks can't beat Waitrose

redsquirrel80

There's a new M&S Food near us and, well, I've been in twice. Totally unimpressed. Would rather avoid supermarkets altogether but Waitrose seems like the least worst option - at least they have some better standards (or they have at least convinced me they have). We do sometimes buy really cheap fruit and veg from a nearby independent shop but it's all been shipped/ flown miles.. even the nearest decent farmers market isn't as close as I'd like - about 15 miles, and only once a month, but with the market regulations I think that means none of the food there comes from more than 65 miles from where we live, which isn't bad really. Although I bought a pepper for 60p at the market, and saw one in the grocers in the same town, grown in Spain, which was 29p (or five for £1!) - how are local food suppliers supposed to compete?!

redsquirrel80

Yawn! Little bit more with-it today, but still.. yawn! Had a fun night of trying to sort hot water (plumber can't come till Monday :eek:) and figure out the source of the funny smell under the sink.. have come to the conclusion that the cupboard door has got wet too many times and started to go mouldy - I guess the only cure for that is a new door... finally managed to get the water to come on and were scared to turn it off again so had to run around switching shower on before we switched the tap off but you'll be pleased to know we did manage to wash! Badminton tonight so might have a shower at the gym just in case it doesn't work tonight.

Got some studying done and read a bit - have just read http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hovel-Hills-Account-Simple-Life/dp/055210907X followed by http://www.amazon.co.uk/Garden-Hills-Elizabeth-West/dp/0552117072 which have made me seriously long for the countryside and proper space to grow things. Ah well, we'll get there!

Just checked online banking and have £105 left - know I have £8 to come off for a KGB voucher I bought yesterday for local Sri Lankan restaurant (pre-empting the money saving on eating out!), but other than that don't expect to spend anything else this week so going to transfer most of it into savings. Payday on Friday :T

Oh yep.. and lunch today is same as yesterday. Tomorrow we have an office trip out (to a manufacturing research place - exciting stuff) and think we get lunch there

Karmacat

I'm sure you'll get a smallholding in some way, Squizz, you do so much already - you're not one of those dreamers that put it off "until we can do it properly"....

Trip sounds quite good - research establishments can be awfully Austin Powers or the equivalent of a shed in the garden

Yay to payday!

hypno06

Lunch for me today is toasted crumpets with butter :drool::drool::drool::drool::drool:

I might have a cup a soup later in the day.....or a bowl of shreddies.....or some more crumpets with butter :D:D

redsquirrel80

Don't tell me about buttery crumpets when I've got a mouth full of salad! :rotfl:

I think research place is more Austin Powers than shed - now thinking about Austin Powers film where they go on a tour of the factory or whatever it is in that little 'train' thingy :rotfl:

Re the smallholdings and stuff... yep we'll get there. I do think Mr S needs a little bit of convincing that it's possible rather than just a "wouldn't it be lovely" dream though...

redsquirrel80

I have discovered a flaw in my budgeting plan.. quite a good flaw though... I don't earn £1230 a month, I earn £1293 a month So in fact my total income is £8115 (probably a bit more as I worked out second job at four week months), which I guess means I can potentially save more than I thought. Which is good, but has totally thrown me :rotfl:

hypno06

But nice to be thrown in the right direction!!!

Fudgefund

Hi

Just wanted to say now that I've registered how much I enjoyed your old diary, particularly the part about moving in with your partner (I wasn't aiming for so many 'parts' in one sentence there!), I was in exactly the same boat at the time. I'll go back to lurking now.