My Busy Life

sidneysmum

Work for me yesterday. Thankfully the day sped past and I was able to leave in the early afternoon. I decided to do a bit of a road trip of errands before going home. The main reasons being to save time and money. Firstly I went to one of these “cash for rags” shops and sold a bag of old clothes, next the post office to get some cash and post an ebay sale, called at Aldi for a few essential groceries but had to call in at Tesco next door to get some sweeteners. Back in the car I then called at the petrol station to fill up before going to Asda Living. I bought 3 silver grey cushions to try with my new sofa when it arrives. Back in the car again and I went to the material shop and bought a couple of meters of fuchsia pink chenille to cover my 6 dining chair seats in the morning room. Last stop was B&Q where I bought a gold coloured light switch for the playroom. All told I spent a couple of hours doing all these errands but I am sure it would have taken far longer if I had done them individually. I am hoping that over the next week or so I can cross a few jobs off my “to do” list.
After tea etc, I cut out my fabric seat covers and managed to attach 3 out of the 6 that need doing. I decided to cut the material and staple it over the existing seat fabric. I am really pleased with the 3 I have done. It feels like I have had a new table and chairs. I was so tired last night that I just went straight to be without doing any reading.
I hope everyone had a great moneysaving day x

sidneysmum

Oh I am so tired....but I am going to have to wait up just in case my sofa is being delivered last thing tonight. I am on the delivery list for first thing in the morning but was told there was a slim chance I could be the very last delivery tonight !!! Never mind.
I was up super early for work this morning and luckily time marched by pretty quickly. I was able to leave about 2pm and decided to come straight home so i could do some chores. I did my ironing then sorted out 2 new pet beds. I am determined to keep both Sidney and Christoper the cat off the furniture from now on. I have found a plastic cat bed in the garage and have made it wonderful and cosy with a lovely tartan blanket. As far as I am concerned this is Christopher's new bed and I will just keep putting him in there if he so much as tries to get on the new sofa. I have made Sidney a new cover for her dog duvet which she sleeps on at night on the landing. As chief of security, I like her upstairs with me at night. Anyway I am pleased with the progress and have ticked a couple of jobs off my "to do" list. I have also covered the remaining 3 seat inserts for my morning room chairs. They look lovely now - really clean and bright. I shall be making my grandson sit on a towel when he eats his food from now on as he is still a bit clumsy with food !!!
Anyway I am going to carry on with a couple more chores and see if the delivery men phone me. I hope everyone has had a great moneysaving day x

sidneysmum

Its been all go over the last day or so. On Wednesday evening I got a phone call from the delivery driver asking if I would like my new sofa.......yes please. So it was delivered at 9.30pm and i am very please with it. The morning room is now spot on and the playroom is pretty much finished. I just need a new light fitting !! With the sofa being delivered on Wednesday evening, it meant that i could get on with my usual Thursday plans. I was up nice and early and took Sid to the park. I walked to the town centre gym and did 55 minutes on the treadmill. I then spent an hour doing a few errands before my dance class started at 10am. I managed to get to my lovely greengrocer who let me have some veg/leaves/fruit for my guinea pigs. I handed in some old photos at Max S to be copied. I am going to start doing some more work on my family tree soon I hope. Also bought a few postage stamps to put on one side for in December. Paid my premium bonds winnings into the bank then went to the lovely Primark and bought my grandson some thick fleece pjs and some slippers. My house has gone a shade colder over the last couple of weeks and the last thing i want is for him to be cold when he stays over. After my dance aerobics class i walked home and just spent the afternoon pottering about after having a lovely warm shower. I decided to use up some old material to make some bunting for in the wash house as i think it will look great. Anyway its all cut out now ready to be stitched and put up. Not sure when that will be happening. Late afternoon my work friend came and picked me up. We went to another couples house for a meal which was wonderful. Sidney even came with us. We had the most tasty potato hash with pie crust followed by chocolate fudge cake and ice cream. My friend is a true gentleman and always turns up with an armful of flowers when he comes to collect me (even though we are not romantically involved). This morning has seen me organising the flowers into 2 vases - one for the morning room (roses) and one for the kitchen (freesia). They look stunning. Anyway I am hoping to enjoy the rest of today.
Hope everyone is having a great moneysaving time x

sidneysmum

Today has been rather nice. I got up early as usual and went straight to the gym. Did 60 minutes on the treadmill then took Sid to the park when i got back home. I much prefer going to the park when its fully light. This morning was just spent pottering about doing a few little chores. I cut some hydrangea heads from the garden and they are starting to dry our now. At lunch time i went to the cinema to see "Diana" and despite all its bad press, I really rather enjoyed it. After a quick bowl of home made soup, I went to the late afternoon zumba class at the gym. On my way home i collected my grandson and we have had a lovely night just playing with the toys. He has loved the story books i bought him from the car boot sale. I have read 3 of them countless times to him tonight. Possibly the best 70p I have spent yet. He went to bed in his new pjs and loved his slippers so I feel happy with my purchases. I hope everyone has had a great moneysaving day x

Mrs_Money_Penny

What a lovely day you had. Sounds perfect. A lot of things don't need to be expensive to be enjoyed.Love reading your diary and hearing about your decorating. We're refurbishing our cloak room at the moment. I can't wait until it's finished.

sidneysmum

Mrs Moneypenny - Hi, and thanks for posting. I just love having a champagne lifestyle but using lemonade money !! My plans for my cloakroom haven't really progressed but I am hoping to sort it all out before the end of the year. I have emptied everything out of it, and only put things back that i want to keep. The rest has been disposed of one way or another. I have decided that from now on I am starting to save items for a car boot sale next spring. What are your cloakroom plans ? Please tell. Hope to hear from you soon x

This weekend has been a busy one so far ! Yesterday I got up early with my grandson. We had an hour or so of playing with his toys before we went to the cinema to see "Tinkerbell and the secret of the wings". It was OK although i could see little girls enjoying it more (sorry if that sounds sexist). After our lunch we went up to the town and I collected some copy photographs I was having done at Max S`s. Also bought 5 primroses for £2.25 which I will use to add a bit of colour to my chimney pot planter which is at my front door. We then had an hour in the town centre baths at the splash session which he really enjoyed. Before taking him back home I took him to see my aunt in the nursing home. Most of last night was spent doing 2 lots of washing, tidying up and just catching up on my chores.
This morning I was up nice and early to go to the town centre car boot sale. Spent £6.60 in total. I bought a fleece dressing gown for my little boy. It was in almost perfect condition and cost me £1. I also bought him 3 lovely reading books at 20p each. He will just love me reading him some stories. My best purchase was a brand new Henleys winter padded jacket in plum colour. It still had the labels on and had not been worn. It is perfect to wear when I go out dog walking and when I walk to the gym during the cold weather to come. I am almost embarressed to say that I paid £4 for it.
After the car boot sale, I went in the gym and did an hour on the treadmill. Once i got home i took the hound for a quick once round the park before coming back home to get ready to go out. I have spent the afternoon with my cousin at a huge M&S having a good look round at the clothes for next season. I treated my self to some of the trendy wedge trainer boots in black leather and suede in M&S. They are lovely. We also had a spot of lunch and a couple of pit stops for a drink. All in all a lovely afternoon.
The plan for tonight is to get on with a few chores and to get ready for work as I am working on Monday and Tuesday this week.
Anyway I hope everyone has had a great moneysaving day x

Mrs_Money_Penny

Another lovely day for you. Progress has been made today in the cloakroom. My husband gutted the room completely ithad a massive sink. Both sink & toilet were blue. We are replacing it with a nice white corner sink, white toilet and Crome heated towel rail. We had the room replays termed as taking the old tiles off the plaster came away. Today the floor tiles have gone done. They Need to be stuck but are all cut. My husband done a good job. He was worried as the tiles are £20 each. They are looking great. It will be coming to a stop soon as he goes away Thursday with work for 3 weeks. Have said to my daughter it will be done by the time she comes home from uni at Christmas!

Great bargains at the boot sale haven't been to one in years. Used to go more when the children were young.

Have a good day tomorrow. X

sidneysmum

Mrs Moneypenny – Your cloakroom renovations sounds great. Good luck with it!! Basically I will be just painting the walls and woodwork in mine but at the moment I just don’t have the energy. I actually forgot to mention my main purchase at the car boot sale (must be menopausal). I bought a sledge for £1!!! Nothing like being prepared. I will be taking my small boy out to the field as soon as we get the first glimpse of snow!!

Yesterday I was at work. I am doing some Mondays and Tuesdays instead of Tuesdays and Wednesdays. If it goes OK I might stick at doing Mondays. After work I decided to go to the cinema on my way home and watch “White House Down”. It was an action film and was rather entertaining. I didn’t have to take Sid out for a walk when I got home as my neighbour had taken care of that job for me. I just spent last night doing a few chores and making some phone calls. All in all, a good work day with a bit of cinema thrown in!
Anyway I hope everyone had a great moneysaving day x

sidneysmum

Well that's work over with for the week. I got everything wrapped up for early afternoon and went straight to Aldi on my way home. I only bought a few essentials (£7-13) so that was OK. I then called at the gym and went on the treadmill for an hour. Lets say I needed to because I have eaten a lot of cake today as it was someones birthday at work. Just done a bit of pottering about since I got home - Did one load of washing and sorted a few things out for my car boot sale. I know its going to be a while off but I want to get things put on one side as and when I see them. I dont want to leave everything stuffed in cupboards. Lets just say I found 4 flasks !!!! Obviously a single lady who lives on her own needs 4 flasks.......NOT !!!
A stroke of good luck was a sale I made on Ebay recently. A lady came tonight and picked her purchase up and paid me £64 for the item. That went straight in my purse. I have decided that if I sell something and the person pays through pay pal, I am going to save the money till Christmas or for a rainy day but and cash I get is going in my purse!!!
I am really tired tonight so I am just going to have a potter about before having a read and an early night.
I hope everyone is having a great moneysaving day x

sidneysmum

Today has been a bit of a whirlwind.....but i have enjoyed it. As usual I was up nice and early to take her ladyship to the park. I managed to have a bit of a read this morning before I walked up to town. I had the sad task today of going to the county court to hand in my divorce papers. I came out of the building £410 poorer. I just hope it all goes ahead without a hitch. I am going to put it to the back of my mind as the end of my marriage is a sad part of my life, and i am really getting over the disappointment now. Anyway......
I did a spot of shopping - bottle of shampoo and had another photograph copied for my family tree. I then went to the gym and really put myself to the test. I had a massive uphill run for an hour and then did an hours zumba. Although I felt tired, i also felt full of beans !!! Anyway i was going to go to the local interest centre to do some family tree work but got a phone call from my sons partner asking me to help her get her puppy Frank to the vets as he is poorly. Anyway I rushed home and after a quick shower I picked her up and got them both to the vets then home again.
I have just spent the last hour or so listing another 3 things on eBay. The first 2 things I listed a fortnight ago have now been sold, paid for, posted and received. I am going to pace myself with this eBay selling as I dont want to get bogged down with it all. I have got 3 items listed now and I will list some more when I have sold these.
I have just paid for my car tax for the next 12 months for my runaround Gladys. So all in all its been a bit of a heavy spend day !! Off to do a bit of googling then having an early night.
I hope everyone has had a great moneysaving day x