NST; January Challenge- The Money Saving Game

mothernerd

Number 8 - reserve for Stewby, okay.

Spendy day, but only because I had decided that I would be able to walk as far as Tessimo and back today. No great bargains, best I could do was 10p each for a bag of leetuce, a bag of watercress, a bag of mushroom stir-fry and a triple stack of hummous. No bargain bread for my freezer and not quite sure about my other YS purchase - 55p for a kg pack of ready to serve low-fat custard (I have 3 portioned crumbles in the freezer, scraped out the tin of custard powder to go with the one I already ate and probably won't buy another tin until next winter). So a mix of bargain luxury and using what I have.

Trying to make some of the charity donations leave the house this week, so bag to Sally army hopper yesterday, quick trip to the big red bin at the library today and three items of clothing drying to go in the scope hopper on the car park opposite. Two more small bags being collected for other charity shops and some stuff for extended family members to leave at weekend.

Weather much improved so no excuse to huddle under the bedclothes. House is a mess so concentrating on what I can do and tackling it in 15 minute chunks (aiming for 10 x 15 minutes a day and keeping the sewing going as well). So did washing up, cleaned bathroom sink and unblocked toilet (wasn't blocked but water was rising when flushed and only draining slowly so sorted it before it became a problem), collected, washed and binned recycling, cleared a lever arch file, sorted library books (mostly back in the bag awaiting collection, just finished one and deciding which of three I most want to read - need more time) and put washing to dry. Hoping it will make a difference by the end of the week.

Accentuating the Positive
1) Found 1p roadkill on the way to Tessimo - a bright shiny new one (shame the '5p' was only silver paper.
2) Today I am grateful for local authority councillors, for school governors, for church wardens and vicars wives (just to make up for my mother who has been exposed to 'the paper that supported Hitler' for too long and doesn't have a good word for anyone just lately).
3) For gratitude practice and reading through how to work through problems with it.
4) A special mention for all the drivers who waited for me to cross the road, very slowly.
5) For lovely weather (until about 3pm) and quite a pleasant evening.
6) For the rather spotty young assistant who hadn't really got the hang of the chatting to customers bit - "So.....have you had a good day.....so far". Poor boy.
7) For the panda hat keeping my ears and neck warm and my hands free.
8) For the large rucksack (I wanted bread and the baby one isn't bread shaped) - it's old, battered, on it's last legs, ripped and it's cord tie is broken but it still does the job (it sounds a bit like me when I think about it).

speakingofart

Groceries 15th Jan - 15th Feb £53.20/ £106.30
Fuel 15th January - 15th February £37.17/£57.17
Spending money - 6.38/11.37
Lunch to work: 15/19
Lunchtime walks at work 17/19
Food bank 0/£3
SFDs: 10/18

Very ready for a night off tonight, hope everyone's well and not getting too wet/ cold/ snowed on!

apple_muncher

Fmes - thank you for suggesting Mr A. Unfortunately, we do not have one anywhere near us. Within walking distance are aldee and sains and a small rip-off c00p, liddle is a bus trip, ice1and is a detour on the way home from work. No greengrocer, butcher or fishmonger.

Gosh! All sounds v limited! That's why 90% of my shop is in aldee, I guess!

traveller

Morning everyone. Well not kitty for us as the pet store didn't have any. We don't qualify for a rescue cat as we have a child under 10, live near a main road and are not in all day everyday, by the looks of it. The prices are quite eye watering these days, from what I'm seeing. Nearly two hundred pounds for a non pedigree. I'm still looking though.

Well hopefully balance transfer cash comes through today to pay off remainder of card who's offer will soon expire. Then hopefully can pay this one down ASAP. Paying two hundred pounds a month for daughter chemistry tutor will start to take it toll soon as my Christmas money is starting to run out!

I think it's hard to socialise when at this stage unless everyone is in this position, I've felt uncomfortable at times. Ironically, some people keep there hands in their pockets regardless,lol.

Well I hope everyone has a good day. Take care.

Bobarella

Hi All
Mothernerd - how funny about the cashier. My best ever was one day I went to pret for morning coffee & a very young & obviously not UK native (think brazillian) cheerily enquired 'did you sleep well last night madam?' I couldn't stop smiling all the way to work & told anyone who'd listen. So funny.

Blubella - I may be late to the party on this but whenever I see dating advice it recommends meeting in coffee shops at odd times because they are cheaper than a restaurant and you can sit undisturbed for hours. Appreciate if you are doing a lot of travelling that's maybe not as attractive a thought but worth a try? Then for example you could offer to pay for coffee (£5 for 2) & then they could buy lunch if you want to move on elsewhere. Other thoughts, do you have any seasonal memberships like national trust? What better to meet than at a castle or lovely stately home with a coffee shop of course. Perfect setting for a picnic (& so low cost)

Lilt - it's funny but most of the people I know with money tend to do relatively cheap kids parties. Hire a hall and maybe an entertainer. It's always people with no money that seem hell bent on these insane buying fests for kids. Maybe there is a link there? I always remember a girl I worked with from quite a different background who would say on her estate if your kid didn't have the right trainers and tracksuits it was like social death. No matter the parent may go without food to afford it but expensive labels compared to an invisible savings account would win in those situations every time. Thankfully shed got out of it by doing well at school but for many that's life. So sad.

cupcake-queen

Groceries: £130/£100
Travel: £29.30/£50
SFD: 13/20

Gratefuls for yesterday
1. My colleagues making me laugh so hard - we have such a great team
2. Last day of work for 11 days
3. My sister giving me lifts to and from work, saving me bus fare, time and giving me an extra half hour in bed!
4. DH had chucked some potatoes in the oven when he got home so I didn't have to make dinner.

Today's
1. Around £85 of eBay sales this month
2. A dad came to pick up his son's birthday cake that I made through the charity 'Bake a Smile' and bought me chocolates
3. Hasn't happened yet but it will!

I'll definitely be in next month, I've found it really helpful

thriftylass

NSD today.

The car is drinking oil like there is no tomorrow so it will need to go to the mechanic again. The new mattress might have to wait.
Made soup again yesterday and just having that after my lunch break swim.

Will make a salmon quiche thing for dinner tonight and try making my own shortcrust pastry. Sounds easy enough. QUESTION: Do you really need to bake it blind first or can you fill it raw and cook the lot in one go?

Today I am grateful for

1. this round of DD's teething being over, only 16 to go :eek:
2. moisturiser after my swim as it feels like it's crawling with a thousand ants from the chlorine
3. the sunshine lifting my mood

apple_muncher

Kiddie parties, eh? Having had ELSA :j this year, I don't think I'd like to repeat it, as she cost sooo much - £250. Ouch! Elsa got £130 and the agency got £120. Double ouch. And although Elsa was brilliant, she didn't really do much different from dd's previous 5 parties when I've done it all myself. Ok, so she's a queen, and can freeze things and make it snowy and icy, and I have yet to acquire that particular superpower...

And the party bags: we decided to buy a load of cheap white teeshirts and special paper and print a Frozen picture and iron it on to the shirts. Everyone had the same picture on their tee shirt and we used white paper bags. Also put in some Frozen stickers and some tat that dh couldn't stop himself buying! (rolling eyes smilie)

I think it cost us a reasonable amount, saved for over a few months, but as I say, I do hope to spend much less next year!

Tomorrow is food shopping day, my favourite day of the week. And the added challenge of spending £40 in order to use my £5 off voucher, but not going too mad...

Bobarella

Thrifty - Yes, if you dont do the 2 rounds of baking you'll get a soggy bottom Sorry to say. I normally do 45 mins on bake one with the case lined and filled with uncooked chick peas. Then remove, egg wash & return to the oven for 15 mins or longer if the base is still not crisp when a fork is stuck into it. Then fill, and bake for another 30 mins. It isnt a quick dinner making a pie.

thriftylass

Bobarella wrote: »

Thrifty - Yes, if you dont do the 2 rounds of baking you'll get a soggy bottom Sorry to say. I normally do 45 mins on bake one with the case lined and filled with uncooked chick peas. Then remove, egg wash & return to the oven for 15 mins or longer if the base is still not crisp when a fork is stuck into it. Then fill, and bake for another 30 mins. It isnt a quick dinner making a pie.

Thank you, I'll do that then. But I guess you can't reuse the chickpeas for eating? I've got a spare bag and could just keep that for blind baking. I often make pies during the week but usually with store bought ready made puff pastry or potato, so I thought I try something new like HM short crust, cheap and easy. We usually don't eat till after the kids are in bed Mo-Thu so I got time to stick that in the oven.