Risen from the ashes ...

rising_from_the_ashes

Late doing this again:( blaming DM as she came to visit today (I know, excuses, excuses) and brought me her old pine dresser... Have spent the rest of the day reorganising the kitchen!:D Now have loads of extra storage space:j

Every cupboard has been emptied & sorted - I had to shove stuff in where I could squeeze it before ..... now have all my baking stuff in one (spread over 3 before), tins in another, staples together etc. :T
Really hoping this will help with grocery shopping as I can see exactly what I've got and not think I'm about to run out of something, rush out to buy more & then discover there's loads in a different cupboard already!
Anyway, on with this week's roundup!

NSDs: Thursday, Friday & Tuesday

Sainsbobs
Cost - £58.82 (overcharged as they forgot to deduct a welcome voucher:( - £10 to be refunded / remember to check account!)
Need / Want - Groceries .....
Positives - First time I've shopped at Sainsbobs (store too far to go) and got a lot of their value range. So far, everything I've tried has been great (better than other sm value) and not any more expensive. Their value bubble bath is fantastic! May be worth doing a big online order from them every couple of months.

Pet food
Cost - £33.78
Need / Want - pet food
Positives - Got RC wet BOGOF (£8+ each so a great saving) & last time I can get deliveries for a while. Also got a few bits for mum. Won't need to buy pet food for ages now!

Local shop
Cost - £12.93
Need / Want -bits & pieces Positives - Really only went in as it was the 1st time I'd attempted to drive since my surgery and didn't want to go far! Got a few bits (mini choc bars 4 for £1) for the winter supply cupboard

Summary
Not too bad a week . Now, I must not look at any pet supplies sites ..... I keep seeing offers and although these are fantastic & I have to stock up while stuff is on offer - I now have plenty of supples.....

elantan

rising_from_the_ashes wrote: »

Good news is that the replacement cat carrier turned up & it's perfect!:D (bet I still can't get the wee "darlings" in without a fight tho')

ahh yes i remember that job well ... i couldnt manage it either lol

your doing good with the plan though

banwa

rising_from_the_ashes wrote: »

Late doing this again:( blaming DM as she came to visit today (I know, excuses, excuses) and brought me her old pine dresser... Have spent the rest of the day reorganising the kitchen!:D Now have loads of extra storage space:j

Every cupboard has been emptied & sorted - I had to shove stuff in where I could squeeze it before ..... now have all my baking stuff in one (spread over 3 before), tins in another, staples together etc. :T
Really hoping this will help with grocery shopping as I can see exactly what I've got and not think I'm about to run out of something, rush out to buy more & then discover there's loads in a different cupboard already!
Anyway, on with this week's roundup!

NSDs: Thursday, Friday & Tuesday

Sainsbobs
Cost - £58.82 (overcharged as they forgot to deduct a welcome voucher:( - £10 to be refunded / remember to check account!)
Need / Want - Groceries .....
Positives - First time I've shopped at Sainsbobs (store too far to go) and got a lot of their value range. So far, everything I've tried has been great (better than other sm value) and not any more expensive. Their value bubble bath is fantastic! May be worth doing a big online order from them every couple of months.

Pet food
Cost - £33.78
Need / Want - pet food
Positives - Got RC wet BOGOF (£8+ each so a great saving) & last time I can get deliveries for a while. Also got a few bits for mum. Won't need to buy pet food for ages now!

Local shop
Cost - £12.93
Need / Want -bits & pieces Positives - Really only went in as it was the 1st time I'd attempted to drive since my surgery and didn't want to go far! Got a few bits (mini choc bars 4 for £1) for the winter supply cupboard

Summary
Not too bad a week . Now, I must not look at any pet supplies sites ..... I keep seeing offers and although these are fantastic & I have to stock up while stuff is on offer - I now have plenty of supples.....

Pet food. If I have less in my cupboard, I give them less of the naughty stuff and they just fill up on the (high quality) biscuits. If I stock up on sachet cat food, it makes me give them more, and it's quite bad for them. So I try not to stock up too much either.

Your kitchen now sounds very organised indeed. I have one cupboard which is quite organised and full of lovely stuff. It is called the Cupboard of Joy. I have another, much darker cupboard where things topple out when you open it. This is the Cupboard of Doom. That's just the way it is and I don't think there is anything I can do about it:D

rising_from_the_ashes

Ohhhhh I love the sound of the cupboard of joy and the cupboard of doom!:D

Honestly, it's sooooooo nice to have things where I can find them and - much more importantly - see how much I've got (I did actually have 24 tins of tomatos which I'd never have thought as there were only 5 in the old tinned cupboard and the rest were shoved in elsewhere:o).

I bet it doesn't last tho' - I'm a very messy person!:o


Missing the table for a couple of things - have a bit of an issue where I can use my sewing machine which hadn't occurred to me:(. I tried it on my laptop table yesterday (very basic sausage type pillow made for the dog's bed) and it was OK for that but not really steady enough (couldn't get straight lines) for anything "proper".

mmmmmm ideas welcome!

rising_from_the_ashes

Grrrrr just lost a big post:mad: - I've done it a few times over the past few days, must be a key on the lappy keyboard.....


Anyway, new savings pot added to my sig.....

I really really really WANT a Kindle:o - have done for ages & have added one to a basket on numerous occasions and always managed to talk myself out of it.

However, I was thinking earlier about the number of books I buy - usually only from the supermarket when cheap (around £3 or 2 for £7 etc) but it must still add up.

So - the Kindle will save this money!:T (see "justifiable" spending in the eyes of a shopaholic;)).

New plan of action - going to try not to buy any more books & stick a wee bit away here & there and when I've got enough, I'll get the Kindle.

It's carp that the library's not open anymore when I can go which doesn't help.:( It will take a big effort to walk straight past the book aisle and not go down but will focus on the end result!

I know the boiler's more important but £5 here & there doesn't seem too bad (the boiler pot is getting £25/month).

I've not saved for anything for years so also feel the Kindle is an achieveable goal and will hopefully give me a boost to keep saving for the boiler / holiday (which will take years to save for).


I found £5 in a purse yesterday:j - wouldn't it be good if that happened on a regular basis! It's been there for ages so have decided that it should start off the Kindle fund.

rising_from_the_ashes

Well been a pretty horrendous couple of weeks if I'm honest.

Lost my darling Ben last week and really, really struggling without him - the house is so quiet and empty and I hate to say ... I'm really lonely without him:(. Love the cats to pieces but I only see them for short spells (Archie goes out as soon as he gets up and when he comes in spends the day upstairs so really only see him when I go to bed. Mia will sit for a cuddle for around 1/2 in the evening but, again, she spends most of her time upstairs too now).

Loads of things I'm missing about him but it's especially hard leaving & coming into the house - I hate coming in without the waggly tail ..... and come through to the lounge and the throw & cushions are still on the sofa, cat bowls still on the worktops etc .... oh boy, mum misses you so much.

My routine is up the spout too - what on earth can I do to fill the time from 5am to leaving for work? (There is a limit to how early I can go in!). Been trying to still go for morning "walkies" but it's just not the same without him ..... but need to go as it does loosen my back off (arthritis).:(

Honestly, I never realised how long getting in from work in an evening to leaving the next morning could be ......

And .... what on earth do I do to fill in the weekends ....... we've always gone to the beach, woods etc - he went everywhere with me.


Hate being without a dog (especially Ben as he was really my soul mate) but can't stand the thought of another dog being in "his" house IYKWIM - don't know if that will ever change.

I have been writing spends in my diary but haven't' split out into various budgets etc..... can't get my head together at all.:(

Depressing entry .... hope it will help to get it off my chest.

banwa

Oh RFTA, I don't know what to say:(. Losing a much loved pet is so hard, and I don't think you truly know how hard until it has happened to you. Made all the harder by the fact it is so difficult to talk about, because so few people understand.

After my little cat died two and half years ago, I spent days and days in shock, and grief and disbelief. I cried buckets, and I still cry occasionally. But the old adage is true, although it won't feel like it right now, that time really is a healer. The pain never goes away but it does get easier.

I found giving a home to another little cat helped greatly. I don't know if it's practical, or if it feels too soon, but maybe another dog, not to replace the irreplacable but to help fill the doggy shaped hole in your world that probably feels too big right now.

Take care, look after yourself and know that there are lots of people that understand

Banwa

scaredy_cat

re the budgeting, i'm also rubbish at it, and i've been thinking of going on a CAP course - https://www.capmoney.org/en_GB/home

i believe they are free.

mooomin

I didn't know you had a diary

*subscribes*

rising_from_the_ashes

banwa wrote: »

Oh RFTA, I don't know what to say:(. Losing a much loved pet is so hard, and I don't think you truly know how hard until it has happened to you. Made all the harder by the fact it is so difficult to talk about, because so few people understand.

Thanks Banwa, I've dreaded the day for a long time but sadly it always has to come .....

At the moment, I just couldn't have another but that may change with time I guess. Also, it would be very hard to find one who'd be happy with my situation (I work ...... Ben had been left all day since he was a pup which is one of the reasons I took him ... and have cats!)