Put away your purse & become debt-averse

foxgloves

BaileysBabe - Yes, I think any regular savings pots system needs to be flexible, as the whole idea is to create & maintain a system which works for our individual households' circumstances. I think I'm going to review our pots again in January. We often have a little money meeting then, to look at plans, targets & any likely pinchpoints for the year ahead.
F x
P. S Good news on the insurance reduction. 

Onebrokelady

foxgloves said:

Thanks, OBL. I can't deny that we're really disappointed, but the uncertainty was becoming difficult too, just with the simple planning of things. I think I must be a bigger control freak than I thought I was!
So many of the places we like to visit like NT properties, etc, are across the county borders in Tier 1 or Tier 2 areas so we can't visit those either. Mr F has so much annual leave to use up that he'll still need to take our planned holiday week off. We will try to use it well, to progress more of our home improvements project & crack on with autumn garden clearing. Neither of us are very good at just sitting around, especially me.
F x

I think all the uncertainty is one of them worst things about the whole situation, I don't like not being able to plan ahead either 

Toni'sfriend

I have to agree. Our recent holiday, although it was lovely, was spoiled by the constant worry of what was going to happen. Would the area move up a tier, could we get back home, etc, etc. What should have been relaxing wasn't. We're supposed to be going away again in December (in the UK) and honestly the stress of what might happen is spoiling the whole thing. We're supposed to be meeting friends as we always do and I don't want to be the one to disappoint everyone else but realistically I just don't think it's worth the hassle. I'd rather postpone it for the time being.

Pixiehouse55

Thank you Foxgloves and BaileysBabe.  Today it has been MRI scans for him. and now i have mountains of paperwork to still do. I spent 6 hours yesterday doing Paperwork and at 9pm i gave up for the day. At the moment I'm in the thought of lets sell up, buy our Narrow Boat which has been our dream that's kept us going and still have enough money to by a Mobile Home/Park home to live in when we've had enough of travelling. or time to settle down. I was thinking you could rent out the mobile home through summer months to get some money coming in.................Head swimming at the moment.... We had our holiday to Thailand cancelled in June Foxgloves, the company have re booked it for June next year....Or will that be a no go next year?  Thinking of you my dear. Right, back to my paperwork. Take Care everyone and Keep Safe X 

foxgloves

OBL, Toni'sFriend,Pixiehouse55 - Yes, you're right, it is the uncertainty. Really difficult to book anything at the moment. Mr F is going to ring the NT tomorrow & see if we can move our holiday booking to the same week in 2022. If things are still crazy by then, I think we all will be too! I think if one is a natural 'planner', it's quite difficult to 'go with the flow', but I think I'm going to have to take my own advice & take things one day at a time. I wouldn't be at all surprised if more people were motivated to go & do something radical lifestyle-wise like live on a narrowboat or become a shepherd, etc, after this very weird & challenging year.
F x

foxgloves

Evening m'dears,
Well, just a quick one before I go downstairs to investigate why the heating hasn't come on - I'm thinking it may be that the pilot light has blown out as it's been quite windy today.
A routine sort of day today. I did the meal plans for next week, then just as he was disappearing out of the door, Mr F doubled back for the shopping bags & said that if I What'sApped him a shopping list, he'd get the groceries on the way home from work to free up more time tomorrow, which is his day off. I didn't want to let that offer pass, so got on with it, & as we won't be needing the pot of money I'd put aside for our holiday food, I decided to stock up on a few more items for the pantry. Still saving on buying fresh fruit by eating our apple crop. I cooked up another pan full this morning as the stewed apple hoover has definitely not gone off them yet!
Remembered I'd got extra kitchen towels, dishcloths, etc, stored in the linen cupboard so ferretted them all out as now have room in kitchen cupboard - I shan't forget them now & waste money buying new. While I was upside down amongst the bed linen, I dug out another old cotton pillowcase to cut up for mask liners & managed to get another 20 out of that. This time last year, I'd never worn a face mask even once in my life & certainly didn't know how to make them. How that's all changed, hasn't it? I enjoyed skyping my sister & we were both drinking our coffee & doing our knitting while we were yakking. I also did 4 Prolific surveys, so am creeping closer to my £50 cash-out by Christmas goal. I have very little left to do today...minimal cooking required tonight as we are still in 'Use-it-up' mode & will be eating the leftover Channa Dhal we froze a few weeks ago (Hairy Bikers recipe) & there are still some of my biscuits left for dessert with yoghurt or apples. I've already written a list for town tomorrow morning - a stock up of my spice jars from the health shop & various other fairly unexciting bits & pieces. We will go & have a coffee in our favourite shop to support them. I'd be gutted to lose any more shops, especially the interesting little independent or specialist ones. 
Hope everyone's mood is holding up. Mine could go either way, but thankfully it does generally go the right way once I've got things out of my system.
Off to have a look at the boiler now. It's a brand new system. I'm thinking a setting has been accidentally altered or the pilot light has been puffed out this afternoon.
Bye for now,
F x

Onebrokelady

Mine sometimes doesn't light because the water pressure in the boiler has dropped butvits easily sorted 

foxgloves

Thanks OBL - Yes, I actually think that's probably what it was. We gave the magic green lever a swift yank as per boiler instructions & that seems to have sorted it out.
F 

foxgloves

Hello Frugal Friends,
Useful but unexciting day here. They key item of note is that Mr F rang the NT holiday cottages department to discuss our non-holiday - as soon as he mentioned the county we live in, their member of staff knew instantly why he'd rung. We had decided not to ask for a refund but to see if we could book the same week in 2022. This was fine, so I've been thinking about the financial ramifications of that......or rather the Holiday Savings Pot. I've paid the deposit on next year's holiday & have already got more than enough saved to pay the balance when it's time, so I'm thinking to would be sensible to 'close' the Holiday Pot for at least 6 months & divert the funds to general savings. One thing we do all learn once we start budgeting properly & trying to do meaningful financial projections, is that you never quite know what life will throw at you, so a bit more going into savings can only be a good thing. Back in the day, I had a wardrobe full of boots. I also had no money. In fact, I had minus money, as my unofficial middle name was 'Unauthorised overdraft'. I wish I had known then that saving money can feel just as good, if not much better atm, as spending it. Anyway, as usual, I digress. Back to today:
Town first thing. Had a coffee at our favourite indie coffee shop. The staff were a bit confused as to whether we were breaking the rules or not. Mr F had a breakfast bap & I had a toasted teacake. We both had coffee. There was some debate over whether customers were only allowed in if they were having a 'substantial meal' Apparently the government advice said one thing & local council advice another. I do feel sorry for staff having to navigate a meaningful way through the rules. Only Day 1 of Tier 3, so I'm sure everyone will get used to it. Got all our fresh veg from a local farm stall on the market - about £8 for an big bagful, all lovely quality & just a very few food miles. Bought 3 packs of lovely Christmas cards from Oxfam as they have a 3 for 2 deal atm. Have been pottering around this afternoon - tidying, budget updates, another Prolific survey, ordered an item I just cannot find in our local shops. Mr F has been playing his music & putting the first coat of paint on the kitchen. I've You-Tubed a piece of piano I've started learning  - there's a little saving right there, as back in the day (I'm kind of a returner to serious piano, as have been a very on & off player for a long time), I'd have bought a CD to help me learn more difficult pieces. I do still like CDs though, I just can't get as excited about downloads - I like a physical product to look at, hold & enjoy.
Well, I am done for today so am going to sign out & make a start on sewing up a completed knitting project. Then it will be time to cast on my best friend's Christmas present.
Stay safe m'ducks,
F xx

Pixiehouse55

Foxgloves, I've forgotten, do you have pots at home with money in or bank accounts?. Ive just started a bank account for new windows, as they are not repairable anymore. Lucky that hubby knows how to bore out the locking mechanism and repair, he said he's done it too many times now and they need replacing
Christmas this year will, be money for the Grandchildren as apparently my daughter tells me they don't need or want toys etc. All electronics now. I like buying a present but if they don't want anything I will put money in to their saving accounts. Plus Christmas account I put money away for food.Account for holidays. Narrowboat funds and a Emergency account. I don't have one for car repairs etc as I have the mobility car. What other saving pots do you all have? Our food shop is £300 a onto plus dog food about £90 ish plus £11.99 for Harry meds, its interesting to see what pots we have isn't it
 J is back in hospital again.......how long for this time I don't know, he has lost a lot of weight and not keeping anything down. Not even his meds.  He was crying today he has had enough. Its very worrying. 
Keep Safe X