I have lost my OS ways, help!

Caterina

I do! I do! I do!

No more trips to the laundrette and begging friends, how lovely is that, and now I can wash the weird smelling quilt (pure wool, smells too much like a stable to put it on the bed before a serious wash!).

Off to cook now, thank you for celebrating my washing machine revival with me!

XSpender

XSpender wrote: »

I am going to be practising my OS skills today and will be cooking, baking, sewing, washing and ironing;)

Epic fail for me today:( It took me 2.5 hours to take up a little boy's school trousers ready for the 1st day of school tomorrow:o, went the docs and did a little bit of shopping. No baking, washing, cooking was done. I did manage to iron a couple of shirts and DS uniform but that was it.


Came away from the docs with some stronger meds so hopefully I will be back to normal by the end of the week:)


Caterina - Yeah to the working washer:j

Caterina

Good morning,

My OS plan for today is:

NSD, unless I have the time to look at trains to Italy - I don't fly and need to go see my old Aunt. In which case it will be a Big Spend Day, but it needs to be done. The sooner the better as if I leave it to too near the leaving date, it is going to be extortionate! But definitely NSD grocery-wise.

In fact I must make sure that today and tomorrow are both food NSDs as Saturday we are planning for fish and chips with our builder (the nice one, not the s*d who is taking ages to finish our kitchen!) and his girlfriend. As always it is going to be 2 portions divided in 4 but we buy, so that's a tenner from the grocery challenge already planned to go! Or should I put fish and chips under the "entertainment" budget? In any case, it has to be spent so it is better to have saved in advance.

Then, as the sun is shining and the washing machine is working, it is laundry day, mainly it will be DH's martial arts suits as they take ages to dry and he needs one for tonight.

Then working with the boys, school bus pickup and cooking them dinner. I get paid today so can stash a bit of cash aside for fish and chips, and I need to buy some nuts and seeds on Saturday, from the wholefood community shop, as nuts are DH's pudding of choice in his pack lunch. More expensive than kit kats (another favourite of his) but immensely more healthy and nutritious. And now that I am looking at losing some weight by way of reducing carbs. They will be my snack of choice too.

Food plan:
B. mixed seeds with frozen raspberries in soya milk (the chia seeds makes it all nice and jelly pudding-y, and very filling)

L. Goats cheese salad

D. Vege sausages, tomatoes, squash and peppers stew, hopefully with greens if I make it to the allotment, otherwise it will have to be frozen veg again.

Have a lovely OS day.

Caterina

Good evening, here is the update for today, NSD as planned, in fact I got a small refund from day before yesterday's shopping, 76p, as I got a bag of £1 veg on a 24p YS, but looking at the receipt it did not go though as YS.

Today I drove DD to do her shopping and took with me the receipt and the YS empty packet. I got the refund without any problem.

Then DS and I drove a lot of rubble and junk to the rubbish tip, it is good to discard stuff rather than accumulate.

Work was fine and I got paid, so Saturday is nuts and seed stock up day! Second day of no sugar no bread, low-ish carb eating and I have already lost 1 lb. amazing the difference it makes, I must be really wheat sensitive, because I am feeling so much better.

I went to the allotment with DS and got a few more tomatoes, salad, squash, greens and cucumbers so I am ok for veg for the next couple of days. I also grow chard in the front garden and have a ready supply of it.

I looked at the train prices and they are prohibitive. I shall postpone the trip to early or mid November, it means losing a week's work but it will be cheaper than paying premium half term prices!

Good night.

fairy3

My OS day consisted of using up all the veg to make a chicken casserole in the slow cooker so technically 'free' as came out of last months grocery money, determined not to do a big shop till the weekend so need to work out how to use up the last of the fruit bowl. Overripe bananas x 2, one sad nectarine and an apple - may make a tea loaf or muffins.
One lot of washing line dried and another on the airer, very muggy today here, managed a walk and collected some more lavender to dry and put into pretty gauze bags for xmas presents.
Gardener has been so I dare walk down the street again now that all my bushes are tidy.
Glad you have a washer back and can re experience the joys of washing again!
Have sorted some paperwork and come across some Mr T vouchers which were forgotten so plan to use them in the 'double up' section online as there are lots of toiletries and beauty products on bogof and half price so will stock up and make the grocery fund go further and a few for the men's xmas 'bits'.

Going to catch 'educating the east end' on C4 before bed it looks promising.

Caterina

Good morning,

My OS plan for today will consist of bootcamp, more laundry, then more ironing. At least it will keep me out of mischief spend wise. I hope to make it as a NSD.

Since starting in this OS journey again I have come to realise how much I have used shopping as a pastime. Even going to a cafe just for the sake of buying a hot drink that I could have easily made at home, probably with better quality tea!

I sort of miss the freedom of going to the shops with no list, no plan and just spend at random. However this very feeling is an indicator that I had a consumer problem! I am so glad to have started this OS lifestyle again, I welcome the challenge and discipline of not rushing off to buy just for the sake of buying, just because I am bored. And I am finding that I do a lot more useful stuff now that I have no incentive to wander about the shopping precincts!

It is also helping me lose weight because I need to think about what I plan to cook and eat, and for me awareness of food is always a good thing, as mindless eating has been the principal reason for weight gain.

So, this is my eating plan today:

B. Mushroom omelette
L. Cheese salad
D. Veggie burgers with squash, tomato and peppers (need to finish the last peppers of the allotment which I did not cook last night).
S. Peanut butter, Brazil nuts

Have a good OS day.

Aril

Hello. There's been a lot of decluttering, sorting and recycling going on at Gnat Bottomed Towers. I'm dumping all the stuff from a single cupboard or drawer in the kitchen on the worktop and because I'm tidy I then get on and clean it. Otherwise I think about doing it. This alone has saved me money as I've noted down all the lurkers and some have been put into this week's meal plan.

Lots of little mending jobs done- another upside to decluttering. Most have only taken a couple of mins to do and then I've just put them away. The small person has had a big turnout clothes wise so I've snaffled away some of his hoodies and relegated my tatty fleeces to the recycling bin.

Have bought lemons today. I'm making preserved lemons to go along with the limoncello I started last week for Chrimble pressies.

Arilx

Caterina

Evening update.

Aril well done on all the OS activities and could you please share lemon and limoncello recipes? I would love to make limoncello but here in the UK you cannot buy pure 100% spirit! what do you use instead? I am planning to bring some spirit back from Italy when I go in November!

NSD for groceries and would have been a total NSD but DH had to buy some tile separators, couple of quid.

Nice input of money, DS gave me back £150 that I had lent him for his new phone ages ago. He saved up and gave me back every penny. Much as my mother heart is tempted to give him some back (he is skint and mostly unemployed), the sensible OSer in me feels that it would give him the wrong signal. He is usually good with money but has recently started smoking again after a while giving up, so I don't want to encourage that.

Slight modification to dinner, I have been requested vegetable and kidney bean soup. The men will have it with bread, I won't. Then salad and burger as planned.

Ah, today the electrician has been fiddling with the plugs so I could not do any ironing. One hand, perfect excuse. On the other, blimey, when am I ever going to finish it!

Good night.

bellaquidsin

The last day of my holiday. The weather has been amazing, sorry Cranky that it was not so good for you.


I've got to drag the latent OSer in me back into the limelight as I have not been at all frugal on holiday. I have however packed a picnic for our journey home so that's a start. There will be a homemade ready meal waiting in the freezer when we get home and there should be plenty of green beans in the garden. I've really got to up my game.


Bella.

ginnyknit

Im low carbing too Caterina and have lost a stone in a month - I hve a lot more to lose than you and lot of water has gone - been told I carry a lot of water. Now my clothes slide on nicely, have also fitted into some old stuff so thats a bonus. I am doing it for healths sake as I was very slow and weary so looking forward to a big improvement soon.

Keeping on with being frugal as possible, quite easy as I ahve barely been out of the house for a week till today. Went to the Cs's to look for clothes for Ds's marriage blessing in 8 days :eek: Just need shoes and a top unless I wear a barely worn one from the old wardrobe which should fit nicely by then - crossed fingers smiley!