ho hum!

shinytoaster

We went to Costco today and I so wish that I had a chest freezer (and, maybe the space to have one). I bought four packs of pita bread for a few pennies shy of three quid and four (Doreen, where's your) soreen were even less. Yum! I need to work out how much I owe my fella as he paid (I'm not the member, he is). I will settle my debt so to speak when I see him next.

I don't know how much petrol is in the tank but I do know that I don't need to do any food shopping all week - lots of no spend days Happy days!

Had a lovely day. We just curled up on the sofa watching some films on tv. Was really nice

X Factor tonight. I really shouldn't watch that show ...

Some time later ...

Just did the dreaded internet banking. Man alive, I have to psych myself up to do that job! I had slightly more in there than what I thought but it will still be a tight month as it is Christmas and I haven't had my gas and electricity bill yet. I hope that I get some freelance work as this will help to tide me over. Mind you, payday is 18 days away and I don't need to draw any money out until next weekend (I'm going out for the day and this has been planned since the summer - wish I had saved up for it though!).

Must list ebay stuff this week and plan my assignment!

patman99

If you have a local joinery or fence/shed/cabinet maker near you, pop-in and ask what they do with their saw dust. When I had a cat, I used to get a big bag of sawdust for nothing (they would have had to pay to dispose of it, so I saved them cash). Mix this 50/50 with your cat litter as you put it in the litter tray. You will save 50% on your kitty litter spending.

Does your local College or adult learning centre run courses on servicing your own car?. You can service it to the same standard as any garage, but save on the labour charges.

EssexHebridean

Good idea with the cat litter Patman.

Must have been a dayfor food bargains yesterday Shiny as I managed to get into Tesco at *just* the right time for them to be doing the second wave of reductions and got some nice stuff for next to nothing. At some stage must do a mid-evening run to Asda for 5p bread & rolls too! Can't make them for that price so makes sense to stock up.

shinytoaster

I swear that I was born into the wrong body - I should have been a bear or something as all I want to do is sleep the winter away!

Anyway, I was rudely awoken by my bl00dy kitten at silly o clock - again. As soon as he wakes, he wants me to be up as well and he has deployed some nasty tactics such as seeking my feet from under the covers, scratching at the walls and playing with my fairy lights. Going to bed armed with a plantspray is not a good look! I know that it is only a phase as my older cat was the same - only his tactic was to run around the room at a zillion miles an hour only pausing to use me as some kind of trampoline.

Anyway, I was wanted to do some extra work today but because I was so tired it seemed like too much hard work to answer the phone. They know that I need to be asked in advance anyway as I have to plot my journey beforehand (I'm a part time teacher and work supply one day a week). I could have done with the extra pennies but I shall be fine.

Going to the gym in a bit and look at the saucepans in Sainsbury's. The last set I bought (Teefal) are falling to bits and they are only four years old. I have some vouchers from there so, should I buy any, they won't cost anything.

I have comments **squee**

You know, I never thought about that (cat litter). You comment did bring a long forgotten memory to the surface of my sister and I making an arduous five mile trip on foot to collect a huge bin bag of sawdust for free. We would have only been 14 and 11 at the time and we left a hansel and gretal trail of sawdust all the way home. Our arms felt as though they belonged to Mr Tickle as they seemed impossibly long!

I think that my local college does do courses like that. I should look into it. I just think that I fret too much - never used to be like this.

There is a 24hour ASDA near my house. I sometimes pop in there after swimming. I need to let my freezer run down before I can stock up again

EssexHebridean

shinytoaster wrote: »

I swear that I was born into the wrong body - I should have been a bear or something as all I want to do is sleep the winter away!

Anyway, I was rudely awoken by my bl00dy kitten at silly o clock - again. As soon as he wakes, he wants me to be up as well and he has deployed some nasty tactics such as seeking my feet from under the covers, scratching at the walls and playing with my fairy lights. Going to bed armed with a plantspray is not a good look! I know that it is only a phase as my older cat was the same - only his tactic was to run around the room at a zillion miles an hour only pausing to use me as some kind of trampoline.

Anyway, I was wanted to do some extra work today but because I was so tired it seemed like too much hard work to answer the phone. They know that I need to be asked in advance anyway as I have to plot my journey beforehand (I'm a part time teacher and work supply one day a week). I could have done with the extra pennies but I shall be fine.

Going to the gym in a bit and look at the saucepans in Sainsbury's. The last set I bought (Teefal) are falling to bits and they are only four years old. I have some vouchers from there so, should I buy any, they won't cost anything.

I have comments **squee**

You know, I never thought about that (cat litter). You comment did bring a long forgotten memory to the surface of my sister and I making an arduous five mile trip on foot to collect a huge bin bag of sawdust for free. We would have only been 14 and 11 at the time and we left a hansel and gretal trail of sawdust all the way home. Our arms felt as though they belonged to Mr Tickle as they seemed impossibly long!

I think that my local college does do courses like that. I should look into it. I just think that I fret too much - never used to be like this.

There is a 24hour ASDA near my house. I sometimes pop in there after swimming. I need to let my freezer run down before I can stock up again

ROFL at cat behaviour - I can identify with some of that! Thankfully at 10 years old her ladyship is mostly too old for silly games these days - although her party piece is jumping from the dressing table onto the bed, landing smack in the middle of your tummy - you can practically see the smile as you make a sort of "oof!" sound and start wheezing!

I can identify about the freezer thing as well - we have two and both are groaningly full. I keep saying I must eat from the freezer for a whilel then see another good reduction that needs to be crammed in!

shinytoaster

eek I haven't posted for a while!

I'm glad that I went to London last Saturday and not this. It does make me chuckle how a bit of snow can grind the whole country to a halt. I didn't spend too much which was good but I have spent heaps this week which isn't so good. Mind you, I used my nectar points to buy six presents, my Sainbury's vouchers (£50) to buy two more plus three new saucepans for me) and a ten pound M&S voucher to buy another **and** my survey pennies to buy two new books for me. Not bad! I have four more to buy - eek!

I get paid on Thursday - yayyyyyyyy!!!! And, have decided to draw my money out for the week in advance. If I draw out £80 a week for all food, cat stuff, petrol and the like I should be ok. Whatever isn't spent it to be put in my money box and notes in 'very important stuff only' box I will be fine. Meal planning and batch cooking and I will be grand.

I received some incredibly bad news this week and I just need to remember that it could always be so much worse. My mum told me, after some coaching, told me that she was told that she hasn't much time left. Bl00dy cancer. I just wish that it would fcuk off and leave us all alone. She keeps saying that it is just cancer and not dementia or anything else equally horrible. I suppose that it is the right attitude to have but she hasn't seen anyone die of it. I have. Twice this year and it was awful.

Anyway!

I let my kitten play in the snow for the first time and he just leapt around like a spring lamb before attacking all the flakes. Was really funny to witness.

clippy_girl

sorry to hear about your mum hun, big hugs xx

shinytoaster

I'm all surveyed out! I tell you what, the number of points that lightspeed offered have declined considerably since they merged with whoever it was. I can't be doing with ones that only offer 5 points because they take a flipping age to complete. ughh!

Well! I should be nipping into town but it's too cold to get dressed. I need some fruit and to complete my Chrimbo shopping. I will go after I have posted this. I haven't spent much money this week. Let's see:
Friday -£22.90 (works do)
Saturday - nuffink
Sunday - £5.00 in Tesco
Monday - nuffink
Tuesday - £25 at the vets as my kitten was neutered.

Eek! Still a lot when you type it out but the latter was essential. He only plays in the garden but it is only a matter of time before he wants to explore further afield and I don't want anyone hammering on my door to complain that he knocked someone up!

I cannot wait for payday so that I can put my plan into action. I am getting quite concerned about the proposed job losses in my field. No one has said anything but I am going to an informal union meeting next month - its not about the cuts, just normal union stuff but I'd quite like to hear things first hand and not off the grapevine so to speak. I just need to learn how to network.

Right-e-o! Time to stop procrastinating!

EssexHebridean

Hi Shiny - so sorry to hear your news about your Mum. We lost my Uncle to Cancer some years ago and my Aunt always says that at least he got to prepare for the end, he planned exactly the funeral that he wanted and made sure that she was as prepared as she could possibly be for being on her own too. Not much consolation now, but hopefully it will be one day. (((((hugs)))))

Good work on squeezing two NSD's in between the slightly more spendy ones, you're right about the kitten though, it needed to be done. Good frugal christmas shopping too - makes life much easier when you have accumulated vouchers etc doesn't it!

shinytoaster

I love my nectar and advantage card a lot! They are fab! The words 'frugal' and I didn't go very well together a few years ago but now they do! haha Oh my! If only I knew then what I know now. Nevermind, we live and learn.

Cancer is awful. I saw someone I have known for many many years die earlier in the year from it. I'm hoping that my mum doesn't pass on in the same way.