Put away your purse & become debt-averse

foxgloves

Well my dears, it's just as well I didn't want to go out today because I wouldn't have been able to get past my front door, so buried in solicitors' letters that even walking down the hallway almost caused an avalanche. Hahahahahahahaaaaaaaa!!!!!!! As if there was! Total number of solicitor letters = another big fat resounding ZERO.
It has barely stopped raining at all today, a shame for those who were hoping for a few fireworks in their garden & the big annual town display has been cancelled as the field is underwater. The weather forecast this morning showed that we might get a little drift of showers at some point during today, but they obviously liked the look of us & stayed. No gardening, but hadn't planned any, so wasn't too disappointed. I've baked a sourdough loaf, done quite a lot of my own activities - lots more historical research, caught up on 'Dublin Murders' & finished knitting the first of some birthday present socks. I intend to knit some more of my jumper tonight, light the fire & some candles & catch up with 'The name of the rose'.
Now I know this is one of the little frugal things I tend to bang on about, but I was pleased to get to the very last little application of an 'empty' lipstick tube this morning. It is one of my bugbears as it seems such a con that lipstick packaging is such that we pay for the product & are then able to access only 2/3 of it. The portion left at the bottom of the tube once the 'bullet' bit has been used up is a third as much again & we are supposedly meant to throw it away. I always insist on taking a lip brush to that otherwise wasted portion. I don't carry it around in my handbag, that's too much faff if I want to apply it while I'm out & about, but it's perfectly fuss-free to use it in the morning at home when I put my make-up on. I've used more expensive lipstick brands in the past, of course I have, but my brand of choice atm is a British-made high street one which usually costs around £6 ish So if I throw away that final third because I can't be bothered to apply it with a brush, that is £2 of my money that I may as well just go & poke straight down a drain. So I won't do that, & this morning, when I finished off the last tiny bit & finally binned it, then washed my brush ready for the next frugal lippy opportunity, I did feel proper angelic! Yes, I know, it's only a teensy bit of money saved, but I wear make-up every day & lipstick most days, so like a lot of these frugal mini-measures, it's got to add up over the years.
Ooooh, I can hear Mr f parking the car, he's got home a it early, I think I'll pop downstairs & see if he's cranking up the coffee machine.
Stay warm & dry,
F x
Yay!! Can defo hear the coffee machine :-)

Blackcats

Weather here has been horrid too. Almost a relief when darkness fell to replace the grey day that hardly bothered getting light.
I love concerts and am amazed at the energy of some performers. I saw Level 42 last year and they were so bubbly, bouncy and looked like they were having fun. this week I'm going to see Squeeze and Heaven 17 and I've been listening to their music to get myself prepared. I'd forgotten many Heaven 17 songs. They were very good back in the day.
I agree with using up the last bits of products. I used to be so wasteful and would throw away things as soon as they looked near to the end. If I had to apply the tiniest pressure to toothpaste or tubes of makeup they went straight into the bin.

foxgloves

I've seen Squeeze, Blackcats. They're a good live band to see & encouraged lots of singalong when I saw them.
Agree re using up products. I always cut tubes & plastic bottles open to use up every last drop. I find this easier than trying to force the remains of the product out now that I have arthritis starting in my hands. There's always something left when the tube is cut open, but sometimes there's a really surprising amount. And using a free coffee stirrer to extract the last dregs of foundation out of the bottle often makes it last an extra week. I also now use things like eye shadows up completely, rather than 'going off the colour'.... that well known prelude to swanning off to buy new ones. A little bit less plastic too.
F

foxgloves

Morning Chilly Savers,
It's not raining here yet, but it's a chilly one & Mr F had to pop back in for some warm water to clear the icy windscreen first thing.
Am pleased to report three 'shop from home' successes so far today:
1. Remember that new black tunic I wanted to buy? Well I was ferreting around in my wardrobe first thing deciding what to wear, moved a poncho onto a different hanger & underneath that was a black dress - a short one - which I usually wear with chunky tights & boots, but it occurred to me that it might work with trousers. So I tied it & it looks fine. Actually I'll go as far as to say it looks good! Have put a bright hand knitted slouchy jumper over the whole thing & am feeling that this is an outfit I can mix & match with various things, now that I know it goes with trousers. I think it would also go with jeans & a shawl/wrap-type cardi I have, too.
2.OK this is a bit of a specific one, but bear with me.....Ever since I've been with mr F, he's been putting lids back on bottles & jars so tight I am often unable to undo them. Fine when he's here & can bring his mighty strength to bear......hopeless when he's not, so as I have arthritis starting in both my hands, I decided that I'd look for one of those ridged rubber circle gizmos next time I'm in a kitchenware type shop - you know the thing - they provide a grip so you can get lids off more easily. Then earlier, I filled a hot water bottle & after about ten mins, realised it had got a hole in it! Managed to avoid a deluge, emptied it out & was just lifting the lid on the bin to throw it away when I thought 'Hang on......basically the sides of this are two sheets of ridged rubber. Is it cuttable?' And it was. I cut out two sheets, drew round a saucer, cut out a couple of circles, dried them, then tried one on a lid which had been given the Mr F treatment. Yay! Result! Less crud for landfill & a shop from home result on an item I had intended to look for at the next opportunity!
3.As we deliberately concentrated on a tight meal plan & sensible shopping list at the weekend, I'm feeling we're a little light on snacks (the sort of thing that can be popped in packed lunch boxes, etc). I'm also low on butter for baking anything. Then remembered at the back of the fridge I'd seen a couple of the little butter pats you get in cafes, which I'd not used & brought home. Adding those to what little butter I'd got, plus a tiny bit of spread to make up the weight, I've got everything I need to make a batch of cheesy oatcakes, so I shall get on with those this afternoon. Of course as we all know,
there's nothing wrong with just popping out to buy a little snack/packed lunch item We just know we add to the basket & have spent ten quid in no time!
Good day so far!
F x

amber03

Well I was going to go out this afternoon cos I felt I needed to have a spend. Would have been on Xmas stuff, but as weather is not that nice decided to stay in and the pennies have stayed in the purse. Feeling a little bit smug.x

HairyHandofDartmoor

Well done on shopping from home Foxgloves. It is amazing how much of our expenditure can be avoided with a little thought. So many purchases are impulse buys and are not essential items. It's especially pleasing when you find an item of clothing that you can bring back into use as clothes are expensive to buy.

foxgloves

Amber03 - Well I think you should enjoy that little smug feeling, as we all know how popping out for a look around the shops or for a couple of items can so easily turn into something much more damaging to the budget. I have half a lifetime of that behind me, but am a reformed character these days!

foxgloves

Yes, it's satisfying HHoD, isn't it? I do wear this black dress, as a dress, but it had just never occurred to me to try it as a long tunic top. I don't know why as it's a short dress. As I find myself increasingly worrying about the state of the planet these days, it's also good to be able to shop from home by repurposing items, as it means less stuff being added to the Stuff Mountain in landfill.
As a good example of this.....as you know, we had a huge job on our hands this time last year & into the new year clearing my parents' home. Mum had a simply colossal craft stash to sort out & while we took lots of items (yarn in my case, mostly) for our own use, we ended up giving heaps of it away to a local crafting group. Anyway, when I was going through all the drawers of yarn, I found two balls of some dark gold ribbon yarn which I was going to add to the 'To go' pile, because I knew I'd never knit anything with it in a month of Fridays, just not my thing. But then I though that as it was gold & looked like ribbon, it'd be good for wrapping Christmas presents & using on my home made gift tags, so I brought it back with me & it's absolutely perfect for that. I think we sometimes need to look at things kind of outside their normal context, then a money saving idea can sometimes pop into our heads & the item becomes a shopping from home resource. I should add that I'm not a hoarder. I have quite a low tolerance of clutter, so if resources are saved, they have to have 'somewhere to live'. That's why I am using up my yarn stash before allowing myself to buy any more......because my chest of drawers for yarn is rammed to bursting & I don't intend to have extra piles of yarn hanging around which won't fit in there!
Anyway, nice to chat, but I must remember to go down to the compost bins with my bucket of veggie scraps before it gets any darker.......long garden & can't see anything once I get halfway down as too far from the house!
F x

crazy_cat_lady

I need more of your inspiration Foxgloves - I throw an awful lot of stuff away (or into recycling)...

Kantankrus_Mare

Oooh Marillion!! Didnt know they were still on the go!

Squeeze........I would love to see live. How lucky we were to grow up with the music and bands that we did. Can you imagine any of todays "Pop stars" performing in thirty years time? The occasional one such as Ed Sheeran has the talent to possibly still be on the go but I dont hold out much hope for a lot of them.

All this talk of Christmas is scaring me. Its never been my favourite time of year. Its not the actual day itself, which I actually enjoy, but the build up, commercialism and over playing of Christmas music everywhere you go. We dont have a lot of people to buy for but it still stresses me what to get people and I havent bought a single thing yet. :eek: