Put away your purse & become debt-averse

foxgloves

Joeyjimbles - Lovely to know you enjoy my diary. It does help keep me on the straight & narrow. I try to be honest about what a narna I used to be with money because above everything else, I want to convey to anyone lurking on the sidelines with oodles of consumer debt built up from bad spending habits, that it IS possible to change.
Thanks for flagging up the online glasses companies - worth bearing in mind for the future.
F x

Onebrokelady

Good idea to have the holiday money bag,I haven't done my budget for this month yet because I went on a spending bender on Friday and have totally messed up this month,just one day out was enough to wreck my plans,I am so annoyed with myself,just goes to show I can't be complacent at all:(

foxgloves

Oh dear, OBL. Sorry to hear that there's been a financial blip. Was there anything that triggered it, do you think? Or was it a case of old behaviours popping up out of the box? Well, it's done now, m'duck, so try not to beat yourself up too much as that can be really counter-productive. Learn from it & move on. Hope it's something which can be sorted.
F x

foxgloves

Morning Debtbusters,
A useful afternoon yesterday. I fetched my little kitchen stool & got right to the back of the pantry to clear out everything that basically can live somewhere else. This included 3 of mr f's toolboxes, which apparently really NEED to live in the house & not in shed. Hmmm. Suffice it to say that they now have new accomodation under a chair in the conservatory. I nèed pantry space!
This time of year until into Autumn, I am like a squirrel. I do loads of preserving - jams, jellies, chutneys, sauces, etc, & I like plenty of space for my newly filled jars. I've already made 9 jars of redcurrant jelly from some redcurrants my friend gave me last week & today I'll be pickling courgettes (so nice on burgers) if I can get some vinegar this morning.
I also want the extra space so that I can store a bit more food - I don't intend to go mad with this, but who knows when it might come in useful......snow, Brexit chaos, floods, another redundancy, I've decided it makes sense to carry more essentials in stores & have cleared a storage space for this at the back of the pantry. I shall buy a couple of extra store cupboardy items with our weekly shop for the next 3 or 4 months.
Did the clear out reveal anything useful? Well it did! A pack of picture hooks I'd forgotten we'd bought & 3 nice attractive recycled bottles which I can use for this year's home made fruit liqueur. Also an old bottle of bacardi with just enough left to go.in my Christmas cake. And a little bottle of raspberry vinegar my friend makes.....I like that with sparkling water & ice as a drink, so will get it used up. And oodles of pear chutney from last year, so will get more of that into sammies for packed lunches, toasties, etc.
All in all, a useful afternoon. Gotta love a good clear out!
Wishing everyone a peaceful & productive day,
F x

crazy_cat_lady

foxgloves wrote: »

Cat was, however, diagnosed with a condition which will require ongoing medication as it progresses, so we were obviouly sad about that. He's fine in himself for now though x

Ah no - I'm pleased he's ok but it's a pain in the bum when ongoing medication is required. For naughty tortie it's injections, but I've absorbed that into the budget without too much trouble. It's just what we do though isn't it? They are totally worth it.

Chrystal

foxgloves wrote: »

Morning Debtbusters,
A useful afternoon yesterday. I fetched my little kitchen stool & got right to the back of the pantry to clear out everything that basically can live somewhere else. This included 3 of mr f's toolboxes, which apparently really NEED to live in the house & not in shed. Hmmm. Suffice it to say that they now have new accomodation under a chair in the conservatory. I nèed pantry space!
This time of year until into Autumn, I am like a squirrel. I do loads of preserving - jams, jellies, chutneys, sauces, etc, & I like plenty of space for my newly filled jars. I've already made 9 jars of redcurrant jelly from some redcurrants my friend gave me last week & today I'll be pickling courgettes (so nice on burgers) if I can get some vinegar this morning.
I also want the extra space so that I can store a bit more food - I don't intend to go mad with this, but who knows when it might come in useful......snow, Brexit chaos, floods, another redundancy, I've decided it makes sense to carry more essentials in stores & have cleared a storage space for this at the back of the pantry. I shall buy a couple of extra store cupboardy items with our weekly shop for the next 3 or 4 months.
Did the clear out reveal anything useful? Well it did! A pack of picture hooks I'd forgotten we'd bought & 3 nice attractive recycled bottles which I can use for this year's home made fruit liqueur. Also an old bottle of bacardi with just enough left to go.in my Christmas cake. And a little bottle of raspberry vinegar my friend makes.....I like that with sparkling water & ice as a drink, so will get it used up. And oodles of pear chutney from last year, so will get more of that into sammies for packed lunches, toasties, etc.
All in all, a useful afternoon. Gotta love a good clear out!
Wishing everyone a peaceful & productive day,
F x

OK I'm hanging my head in shame and crying into my coffee as it's been brought home to me with a bang that I am a total failure as a housekeeper. I have NEVER done any preserving in my life - and I'm 70 years old next year.:o: Is it too late to start I ask myself?? Well I wouldn't know where to begin (maybe youtube?)
Seriously foxgloves I'm in awe of what you do, and wish I could be more like you. I'm full of good intentions that never get followed through, and instead of getting on with something I spend my time on the comp thinking 'what a brilliant idea, I must try that' Of course I never do! :cool: The raspberry vinegar sounds lovely by the way. Enjoy. X

foxgloves

Chrystal - Hey, it's never too late to start! I learned to make jam when I was 12. My Nana was a teally crack jam maker. Her cherry jam made from cherries from the tree in her garden was the most fab stuff.....I can still taste the big lattice tarts she used to make from it. My Mum never had any interest in cooking (she still doesn't) but she did learn jam-making from Nan & passed it on to me.
I think people these days may get put off by the thought of needing lots of equipment....electric jam makers, jar lifting tongs, sterilizing equipment, etc, but the only things you really need is a proper big pan & a wooden spoon! A jam funnel is helpful but not essential if you are steady-handed with a ladle. I never buy jars (not even when I was spendy) as recycled ones are fine if well-washed & sterilised in the oven. Packets of paper/cellophane jar covers are very inexpensive. Sometimes people are put off because they use a tricky fruit to set fot their 1st go. Strawberries for example, so it's best to start with something which sets pretty easily - I'd recommend blackberry & apple jam for a first go.....a bit of canny foraging, some bog standard granulated sugar, some saved jars......that's a supply of lovely home made jam for your pantry, & with the addition of a pretty label &/or lid topper, a potential source of gifts for foodie friends. So if you fancy it, have a go! There's really no mystique to it.
F x
P.S Home made blackberry & apple jam is totally scrummy if you use it to sandwich a Victoria Sponge together.
Or stirred into yoghurt.
Or on hot buttered crumpets.
Or on porridge.

Chrystal

Thanks for the encouragement in your post foxgloves, it was fine till the end bit.... now I'm drooling and wondering where I can go to buy some crumpets! :eek: :rotfl: :rotfl:

PurpleFairy26

Blackberries are just starting to appear in the hedgerow around here. I might go out for a wonder later in the week with a plastic bag although I still have a stash in the freezer from last year, but fancy making some apple and blackberry jam. Do you use eating or cooking apples? I made blackberry jam last year and it was scrummy and we are on the last jar of 'boozy blackberry' which I made with the leftover blackberries I'd macerated for blackberry liqueur (which the recipe said -discard :eek:)

foxgloves

Lol, Chrystal.....well maybe you should have a go at jam making & I should try making my own crumpets. I love baking, but they are something I've never tried. Oh.no, now I want a bloomin' crumpet myself & I want one now.........two packs in the freezer.......must try to be strong as my jeans felt slightly looser today.
I do not need a jammy crumpet.
I do not need a jammy crumpet.
I do not need a jammy crumpet.
Nope! I still want one.
Grrrrr. Going to try 5 mins of thinking thin crumpetless thoughts.