Extending our house without extending ourselves beyond our means

PurpleFairy26

Tomorrows pay day and we've made it with about £5 to spare :rotfl: that said I've allocated money to all the right pots so considering the time of year I'm pleased with that :T

I've started 1p a day challenge in reverse. So on jan 1st I put £3.65 in a separate account and will do this daily reducing by 1p a day. In reality what I'll do is put any fleabay sales money or any other additional funds I make in there too which will ease the pressure at times. Month 1 is definitely the hardest but it helps me to be frugal in January, which is definitely my aim :A

My tax code has changed and I have an extra £65 tomorrow which is always welcome :rotfl:

Used the yummy chicken stock to make chicken noodle soup in the end which was most welcome in a house of colds also made chickpea and spinach curry in sc overnight which will be good for lunch tomorrow and a few next week. Will freeze and portion when it cools.

Aim is to get one freezer switched off this week, we'll see how successful that is. Project use up freezer(s) :o has commenced

crazy_cat_lady

Well done on having any spare at this time of year. I don't think that I have £5 at the moment and I'm 4 weeks away from payday :rotfl:

brizzlegirl

All sounding good PF, keep up that running. Am going tomorrow xx

hugglemonster

All sounding good, well done on using up all the leftovers - we're definitely out of the main food so a shop tomorrow.

Well done on the run, I did the first of the year with my group tonight and feel so much better for it.

Great that you managed to make it with £5 to spare at the end of the month.

H x

PurpleFairy26

Payday so money shuffle done :T pots all topped up but balance left to spend is looking tight due to DH pay date. However, well survive. We have a freezer full of food and a chicken delivery came today. Freeze Tetris required once it's packed.

Also managed to list 12 things on the bay. Regifting a present tomorrow which also helps.

We've just spent a few months looking at our life cover and just need to speak to DH tonight but think we've got a decent deal after some back and forth with a company. Will mean cancelling a few policies and having it all together but I think that's worth it for lots of reasons. Will be a big thing ticked off to do list.

Not well enough for a run but kettle bells will replace, hoping it will help in long run anyway (excuse the pun :rotfl:)

Have moved some furniture around (well back to its rightful place) and packed some more stuff back in to loft.

This weekend will be about sorting, listing on selling sites, filling the car for the tip and charity shop

PurpleFairy26

A productive weekend was had and hoping for another one this weekend too. Couple of tip runs and some serious sorting have seen the outbuilding nearly filled and the existing one almost empty. Hoping it'll be clear by the weekend.

I've sold something for a decent ish price on fleabay will try and wrap and post tomorrow. Funds will go to the 1p account.

Puss has not been himself so mr Purps took him to the vet. He has another condition, but this one should be reversible with some medication and specialist food. Food ordered online at what looks like a decent price and medication covered from vet pot. Will see if there is any scope under insurance to reclaim but as some of it was tests I'm not sure I can

Been out for a long walk today, unfortunately no time to run. Maybe tomorrow but definitely Saturday and/or Sunday. Have been managing decent amounts of water though which is a positive. Need to keep up those habits.

For the first time in nearly 5 years I have also been able to work in my own study again this week :T still need a proper chair but making do at the moment as I can't find one I like (well not at the right price :rotfl:) so today I had a folding chair with 2 cushions on it however, much better than being on the settee or my bed working

Food spends remain low, and my shopping list for this week contains only 3 things. Long may that continue. I have ordered some much used spices from an online store with some other store cupboard staples that come plastic free that I can't get in sm. if any good will probably do a monthly shop there. Still less than £12 spent.

Also have a trial of a wonky veg box tomorrow, reasonable and should cover us for the next week if not longer. Will keep food spends down again as I won't need to go to SM at all at this rate :T

Still hoping to find a few more bits to list on the bay this weekend for a few more ££ in the coffers, fingers crossed. Some of the goods I've listed several times will need to go to the charity shop though I think. Maybe 1 more relist

PurpleFairy26

Another week, another low spend one :T

Spent £17.11 at the food shop :A other than eating what we have, long may this continue. Veg box is amazing and has definitely worked well for us, will go online and order again.

We've moved a policy from 3 to 1. Have cancelled 1 of the 3, need to cancel the other two. Policy comes with some rewards, have looked in to them so that we understand them fully. I've earned a couple this week already which is great at no additional cost. Hopefully mr Purps can do the same.

New food arrived for the cat, there may be a transition period :rotfl: although I've held my nerve today and he has had some of it but not his full weighed amount. Who ever thought I'd be weighing out cat food :rotfl:

I've made a cake today with a lemon I found in the fridge, which will do us for the next few days. Also got something for smalls lunch box out too.

I've been looking for a blender as our current one has broken having been refunded twice. I can live without a stick blender probably given we have a bullet type blender if required for soup. But the little blender with small blade is invaluable and I just can't justify £60 or more on what seems like a decent one. Last one was £50. Then I remembered that both the bullet thing and my faithful kenw00d have grinder type attachments, so I'm going to try one of these first. Planning on nut free pesto as first attempt. Love shopping from home

Sold another item on the bag and listed several more. Not huge, but another item has left the building. Need to message FIL to see if he can come over and do a small electrical job for us, which would help us out hugely and be paid in coffee and lunch

Have some sale items to return which I really must do this weekend.

Excerise is going well have run about 15 miles this month so far which is over double last month. Let's see if I can get to 30 and I can build on that in February. Feel better for it too.

Happy days. Am grateful that despite being frugal and saving money we can afford to have the heating on when we want to and appreciate others aren't as lucky.

PurpleFairy26

Evening diary land. Should really try and check in more than once a week :rotfl: maybe if I had something more interesting to say

Another veg box coming tomorrow :T only 1 pepper and 1 sweet potato left from the last one. Has done us well. Excited to see what's coming tomorrow

A successful week, DH and I both earned rewards so we had free family trip to the cinema and we both have a hot drink to redeem in the next 7 days and have earned the same again for next week already :T

Project freezer use up continues, small shop again this week. Aim for same again next week. Meal plan is going well, will need updating post veg box delivery. Also had an offer through post from mu$clefood, will work out of its worth it now we have space in the freezer.

2 more bids on the items on the bay, few more pennies in the coffers when they end and more items out the house. Tomorrow will be items going to the charity shop, good to see more leaving the house than coming in. I've written quite a long comprehensive list for the next 4 days, some quick jobs, some will take a bit longer. Hopefully I will get them all done or at least a big chunk.

We've had to go back to the drawing board on the cat food after he only ate about 10g of food in 2 days. We've got the vet to get us an alternative. There some money in the vet/medical pot for this.

Managed 4 runs last week but not run since Monday, planning again tomorrow and at least 1 at the weekend, I'm thoroughly enjoying it at the moment. Particularly if I can avoid the dark and ice :rotfl:

No space in the bank balance for TT until DH gets paid next week, but pots topped up and we have food in, so can't complain.

hugglemonster

All sounding good PF, we used to love our veg box but unfortunately the farm shop stopped delivering a few months ago. It was excited to see all that lovely fresh fruit and veg.

Shame about the cat food, our cat will only eat T*sco own fish variety and that's it, she absolutely will not touch anything else we've tried.

Keep going on the runs, the nights are gradually getting lighter, Spring will be here soon enough.

H x

brizzlegirl

All sounding good. I am keeping up the exercise, not every day, but several times a week and alcohol free and avoiding sugar, crisps, biscuits and so on. Think it is making a difference and its keeping my blood sugar more level which has to be a good thing.

How did the blender turn out? A workable solution? We lost our kettle last week and I am ploughing on using a hob one. Know its more expensive in gas, but I am just not prepared to buy a new one..just yet. And despite some groans we are adapting