365 days adrift .... land ahoy!

rising_from_the_ashes

Happy Saturday everyone! :j

Tried to have a bit of a lie in but the dog wanted out for the first time at 6am ... and the second time at 8am *sigh* - gave up after that!

Looks not too bad out cold but dry and not too windy!

Will venture out shortly with her for a nice walk as both of us are absolutely PIG sick of walking around the park

I have a dilemma ..... well - actually 2!

Dilemma 1 ..... I really could do with going to L*dl - I really like their meats (and they're a lot cheaper than Mr T etc) and a few other bits BUT it's about a 30 mile round trip :eek: - normal SM are a 16 mile round trip so it's not as bad as it first seems but still ..... it seems a long way for some meat for my lunches ....

mmmm think I've answered my question!

Dilemma 2 .... that deserves a post to itself!

rising_from_the_ashes

OK here goes, dilemma 2 ..... last year I started (yet another) savings pot that I put £1 / week into

What inspired me was a girl at my work had done something similar with one of her pals and they were going to treat themselves to a holiday when they were 40. She stuck odds & ends into it now & then - there was just under £300 which is a lot but they'd been saving 10 years so I think she was a bit disappointed it wasn't more!


The intention is to keep it going until my 50th :eek: and then treat myself to something I'd never normally be able to afford / do etc

I'm wavering

Please, please give me some suggestions of what I could do with it to keep me on the straight & narrow!

It won't be a huge sum - about £400


I have a few things floating around but some other suggestions would be good

amber03

Do what I do, I have a sealed tin and save up any money I have in my purse at the end of the day, anything upto a pound. If I find or win an money this goes straight into the tin. I start a tin on the first of January open it on the 30thjune with a second tin starting the first july. My last time which I opened 31st December had £104 in it which went straight into my savings.


I used to just save in a jar but within a couple of weeks would be dipping into it. Keep saving it will be worth it in the end.:)x

rising_from_the_ashes

Wow that's good Amber! :T


I put £1 / week into 'my' pot but, aside from that, I rarely have cash as I hardly use it

I am absolutely useless with cash and control my spending much better using the c/card for everything and settling that each month


BUT I am thinking of sticking anything left at the end of each week into (yet another!) pot and using that to put towards my emergency fund!



Been a quiet week here - Mum came & got Maisie again last Mon so she's had a busy week. Went & collected her Fri after work and was treated to a yummy roast chicken dinner :j mmmmm.

This weekend .... went to return some pouches I got Archie when he was ill - he wolfed down the 1st and 2nd lot (3 / day which is more than he normally eats so bought a load as they were on offer and ..... come on cat slaves ..... you know what's coming next don't you! :rotfl:

Anyway, still had the receipts and PAH offer a money back guarantee so took them back - £32 back :T

Have resorted to Felix and Whiskas (which I'm not a fan of) but he's not eating his 'usual' food at all .

I found some Whiskas that he'll eat BUT turns out it's been discontinued :mad: Have got a couple of boxes coming with my cat litter but that's obviously going to be about all I can get (it's shot up in price as well - I guess they know people are trying to get the last few boxes out there!
I got some Felix to try at PAH and he's eaten one pouch so fingers crossed .... little booger will only eat small chunks in gravy and most seem to do jelly now - or that shredded meat which he'll not touch either!


I also treated myself to a new grill machine (like the george fore*man ones) as Lidl had them and they were a decent price (£12.99) and mine is absolutely ancient and has lost it's non-stick. I used to use it loads for chicken breasts etc as a lot cheaper than heating the oven just for one!

Just looked at their site to see if I could post a link to it and see they have proper george ones from Thursday - but they're £19.99!


Was really disappointed at work as someone's leaving (same job I'm doing on a temp basis) so thought I had a good chance when it was advertised - but it's not being replaced which is a real bummer

1/2 way through my job now (and that's providing the person doesn't come back from maternity leave early) and it's just flying by ..... really enjoying it too

Off tomorrow so hopefully be a short week :T

rising_from_the_ashes

Found it!

http://offers.kd2.org/en/ie/lidl/pnBX/

really chuffed with it

beanielou

Happy new grill thingy
Why do you not like Felix for Archie?

rising_from_the_ashes

It's all lovely and shiny & red!:D Scared to use it in case I get it dirty :rotfl:


Felix / Whiskas (and most branded pouches) - generally I've always felt they're really over-priced for what's in them

I get annoyed that the stuff in the pouches is different from the stuff in the cans (which hardly any seem to like!) - and although it won't cost more to produce they cost a fortune to buy!

If they eat a can a day, it can cost about 60p / day but the same amount in pouches is at least double that!


Mia eats canned wet (sadly a LOT more expensive than Felix or Whiskas cans - in fact over 3 x much :eek:) but because she eats less of it as it's got such a high meat content, it lasts a lot longer & it works out cheaper to feed than Archie's pouches!:eek:


However, as Archie seems to be a junk food addict I'll have to accept the Felix / Whiskas just now as I do need him to eat something!

He only ate gourmet before so I guess there's not really any difference!

Bubblesmum

Morning all

Must admit I stopped buying the branded wet foods, when my vet told me that feeding M & S foils ( they were cheaper than whiskas ) was not doing my elderly cats kidney any good because of the high levels of additives.

Ours are now on science plan biscuits which we buy in bulk on line.....

Have every sympathy with a cat who displays it's dislikes ( have had one like that)

mooomin

My cat loves Felix, but we've noticed it having an....unpleasant....effect on his litter tray :eek: He's on a dry food diet now. He's not happy, but I couldn't care less!

rising_from_the_ashes

mooomin wrote: »

My cat loves Felix, but we've noticed it having an....unpleasant....effect on his litter tray :eek: He's on a dry food diet now. He's not happy, but I couldn't care less!

:eek: oh no! Fingers crossed it doesn't have the same effect on Archie!

I have an Asda order coming tonight with 4 boxes in! (it's on rollback!) I can't get it at the small store near me & a home delivery is cheaper than the fuel to Edinburgh - also got a few other bits I can only get at the big store to make it to min delivery limit

I know some of the ones I tried for Mia had the same effect but thankfully she's fine on the ones she's on now!

Bubblesmum wrote: »

Morning all

Must admit I stopped buying the branded wet foods, when my vet told me that feeding M & S foils ( they were cheaper than whiskas ) was not doing my elderly cats kidney any good because of the high levels of additives.

Ours are now on science plan biscuits which we buy in bulk on line.....

Have every sympathy with a cat who displays it's dislikes ( have had one like that)

Yup - tough love doesn't work with him as he will starve himself rather than eat something he doesn't like - he's very like Siamese in that respect!

I'm not a fan of dry as Smudge had kidney issues and it certainly doesn't help as it's hard for them to drink enough when they have kidney problems to counteract the lack of moisture in the dry food.

Mia gets a small bit of Royal Canin Calm morning & night - as it keeps her moods in check & she's a complete nightmare without it! :eek:

Archie has free access to dry - really as he's so beeping fussy and I really struggle to get him to eat enough wet.

He really does just pick at food and literally eats a couple of mouthfuls at a time

He's always skinny but after his recent illness, he's now back to being about 1kg under his ideal weight & is very bony again




Just popped back to say - I'm on a day off ..... and still in my PJs!