My Busy Life

vasseur

Sounds like you have been quite busy today. I don't know about you but I feel far more lethargic when I'm just sitting around. If we get home and I hit the ground running and busy myself with lots of little jobs I feel far more energised.

Your butternut squash soup has got me thinking that I haven't made any for ages. It has really turned into soup weather down here now - today has been freezing! I make mine with coconut milk and a little thai green curry paste. It's delicious! Quite fattening though....:cool:

sidneysmum

Hi Polesalot - Great to hear from you. I am just the same as you regarding keeping busy. Once I am in a "doing" mood, I can get through loads. Otherwise I can be a bit lazy. I know this is something I need to look at about myself. My life has changed loads over the past 4 years. Up till 4 years ago I had a full time job, 4 adult children and a husband to look after. Now I live on my own and only work 2 days a week....and I do far less than I have ever done. I am now giving myself a big kick up the backside!!!

Today has been a day I have really enjoyed. No work so just a "me" day. I met my friend at the gym this morning. She is a personal trainer and she gave me loads of tips. This afternoon it was cinema time - saw "End of Watch" which was very good. This evening I met my friend at the local carvery and had a huge roast dinner plus unlimited soft drinks for £7.50. Lets just say my day has been great and feels like I have had a champagne day using lemonade money - A fab day at very ittle cost !! :A

I have actually been a bit proactive today along with all this going out - I booked an appointment at the hairdressers, ordered a new recycling bin from the council, booked my car in for an LPG service and checked my bank. Thats the best news - My bank had credited my account to the tune of £50 because I made a complaint to them which they thought was justified. Gold star to them ! Also used up yet another shampoo so thats been added to my signature.

Well its been freezing up here in the North West and I have just put the electric blanket on my bed. I hope it stays fine for tomorrow as I am hoping to get out for a good walk.
Hope everyone else is having a great moneysaving day. x

vasseur

Sounds like a lovely day and it seems to me that you have got the work/life balance sorted. I would love to go part-time but I can't imagine I will ever be in a position to do so. Good job I enjoy working!

Did you get a Daily Mirr0r today? The was a voucher inside for £5 off a £35 A1di shop. I know you don't always spend that much but could stock up on bits for xmas.

Stay warm!

sidneysmum

Hi Polesalot - Great to hear from you. I dont read the Daily Mail so didnt manage to get an Aldi voucher. Never mind. It would have come in handy though with all the food I am thinking I will need over the next few weeks !! Regarding working part time - You never know what might happen in the future. When I was in my 20`s and 30`s I worked full time in a job I hated as well as bringing up 4 children. Now I have found myself on my own, I have made a few choices - And one of them is to work 2 days - But its not brilliant when I only get 2 days pay !!! Cant have everything I suppose. :rotfl:

Spent yesterday with my young man and went out walking for the most part of the day. Did have to get a bit of shopping from Aldi but only needed bread and milk so only spent £2.21. Thats the kind of shopping bill I dont mind getting.

Today has been a bit more costly unfortunately. My car runs on LPG (as well as petrol to start the engine) so I took it for an LPG service. The chap who did the job was shall we say very obliging and only charged me £50 instead of the usual £70. Felt happy at that. A £20 saving is not to be sniffed at. I then filled the tankup with LPG which was £30. Off to the cinema this afternoon to watch Alex Cross, which I really enjoyed. Tonight I am just going to chill out at home, have a few glasses of home brew wine and eat up a few bits and pieces from the fridge instead of making an evening meal.

Whilst waiting for the film to start this afternoon I was doing a bit of thinking - mainly about 2013 and what it hold for me. I hope I continue to have a nice simple life doing all the things I enjoy. I also started to think about setting myself some goals and doing a bit of planning for next year. Has anyone else got any plans / goals in mind for 2013 ?

Hope you are all having a great moneysaving day x

vasseur

I've not really thought too much about 2013. I do really love New Year though...I love the thought of new year, new start - loads of new opportunities. I do want to start some savings pots for holiday, car repairs etc so that I don't get too many shocks during the year. I shall have a think on this one.....

Enjoy your evening. We're staying in this evening (no change there then) we went out earlier to watch the lights being switched on in the village where i work and I still haven't warmed up.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

Jazee

Hello sidneysmum and polesalot. I have been thinking about 2013 but only in the kind of resolutions way. I try to set myself a kind of challenge each year, for instance, learning to cook, only making cards - not buying them for a whole year etc which in the past I've done. But for next year, I thinks its to stop slobbing out in front of the telly each evening. I'm bored by what's on, but its the easy option after a days paid stuff. My plan is to have an activity planned for each evening even if its only doing something for 15 minutes.

Sidneysmum, I'm still feeling positive since reading your diary and changing my attitude, helped along by all the sunshine in the latter part of this week.

EC12345

Hey Sidneysmum. Just to say I am still popping in and enjoying your diary. It is so great to hear what you have been up to. I am also starting to think about 2013. My main plans are saving whilst still enjoying all the things I love.

Just relaxing today. Have done all my nasty Sunday jobs so thought I would log on quickly and see how you are getting on.

EC x x:p

sidneysmum

Polesalot - Hi ! What a good idea about the savings pots. I am trying to put a bit of cash away for my car repairs at the moment. Spent £50 yesterday on an LPG service and I am having a full proper service on Thursday this week.

Jazee - Hi ! Do you know watching TV has been in my resolutions for so many years now but I always fail. The thing is my resolution is to start to watch tv. :eek: I never watch it. I know I need to sometimes because I feel really left out when I hear my friends talk about certain programmes. The only thing I have watched this year is Downton Abbey which I thought was OK. Trouble is I can always find something else to do instead of relaxing in front of the TV.

EC12345 - Hi ! Your plan for 2013 sound pretty much like mine has been for 2012. I have managed to put some money away for a rainy day but still had a great time on a week to week basis.

Well today has been freezing up here in the North West and I have spent all day trying to keep warm. I went to my usual Sunday morning zumba class and it had been changed to belly dancing. Lets just say I used as much calories laughing as I did belly dancing !! It was actually really enjoyable. Decided to go to the cinema this afternoon as it was too cold to do any gardening. I watched "Trouble with the curve" which was so so. The only really good thing was Clint Eastwood. On my way back home I decided to stop off at Asda to see if i could pick up any bargains. I struck lucky and got 3 pizzas, 12 scones, bag of 5 cookies, box of donuts, vegetable slice, bag of spinach, lettuce and 4 pots of hummus for the grand total of......tada £2-18. I had to buy them all. The cakes have been given to /eaten by 2 of my grown up sons who came for their tea today. They also ate one of the pizzas. The spinach and lettuce will be used to feed my tortoise (who does not hibernate) and will save me searching outside in the cold for dandelion leaves and other tortoise goodies. Its far too cold for that nonsense.

One thing I have noticed today is that the chap who did my LPG service must have done a bit of tweaking with the car engine. The LPG is kicking in a lot quicker than usual so saving me loads of money on petrol !!!
Also I had a quick look at my Cineworld unlimited membership. In the last month I have paid £15 direct debit to Cineworld and seen 8 films so far and another on the agenda for tomorrow. Bargain !!!

Anyway I hope everyone is having a great moneysaving day x

vasseur

Lots of great money saving going on there. I had a day like that on saturday. Now i'm debt free I'm so tight! Before when I was in debt my attitude used be 'oh what damage is another tenner going to do?' Now I just want to spend as little as possible

sidneysmum

Hi Polesalot - You are quite right about wanting to save money. For me its just a way of life now and it sound like it is for you too x

Today had been really enjoyable and cerainly fits the bill of "champagne lifestyle on lemonade money" !! First thing was an hours zumba, cost included in my gym membership. At lunchtime I undid all my good work when I met an old work colleague for our xmas pub lunch. Quite cheap and cheerful really but very enjoyable. At tea time I went to the cinema with my cousin and we watched "Great Expectations" which was superb. Again this was at no cost as its included in my monthly £15 direct debit. I am really tired out now but just happy to have had such busy, enjoyable day meeting up with loads of people.
Still chewing over my goals for 2013 and I know I am going to have to lose a stone in weight. Noit sure what to do. Should I calorie count or should I follow the Slimming World eating plan ? Any suggestions gratefully received as I dont seem to be able to make a decision myself.

I hope everyone has had a great moneysaving day x