Put away your purse & become debt-averse

HairyHandofDartmoor

It sounds like you've had a relaxing couple of days Foxgloves doing your Christmas jigsaw with the snow falling outside, it sounds so peaceful. I was given a jigsaw of a old fashioned bookshop for Christmas which I would like to do one day. 

I always hate taking down the Christmas decorations as they look so cheerful and January is often a bit grim, especially this January, but I'm leaving the fairy lights up until the spring to cheer us up.

I'm glad town was empty of people, it gives me hope that people may start being sensible one of these days. Mind you, you're in tier 4 so I guess many shops weren't allowed to open.

You're right that we shouldn't fret about the things we can't control.

foxgloves

Yes, HHoD, you're right that only a few shops can open in Tier 4 areas. It's only the essential ones... food, pharmacy, etc, but WH Sm1th has managed to stay open in town this time. I wouldn't describe anything they sell as 'essential' in a general sense, but as books, stationary, etc, is important to me, I'm not going to complain about that.
I agree about taking the Christmas decs down. It always looks a bit bare & glum afterwards, doesn't it? But I do have fairy lights up all year round. I have a string of them across my big kitchen dresser & a small battery-powered set which I have in the lounge, either along the mantlepiece beam, stuffed in a glass vase or wherever I fancy putting them for a change. I shall feel a bit sad to be packing our Christmas things away, but I do feel I am now ready to move into 2021, even though at the moment it's looking exceedingly similar to 2020. I know I'll start to perk up once I get back into my routines, healthier eating & gardening activities. Take care now, HHoD. 
F x

Sun_Addict

I love a long soak in the bath with something nice like a bath bomb or bubble bath, very relaxing I think.I also keep fairy lights and candles up all year round, definitely cheers up the darker months.

Onebrokelady

I'm another who has realised I need to get back into some sort of routine,I was feeling quite glum today and have decided it probably due to a lack of focus, I'm back at work tomorrow so that will help my routine get back on track. The bath bomb sounded lovely, I might have to treat myself to a bath soon, I don't have them very often because of being on a water meter but I'm sure once in a while won't hurt 

amber03

Well I finally finished my Xmas jigsaw puzzle that I started November 2019, i have one of those jigsaw cases that you do it in ,so you can zip it up and put it away . Think I will do a seaside one next as I am fed up with looking at father Xmas and his Xmas tree. My decs are coming down on Tuesday, determined not to have anymore bad luck this year. Then will give the house a good clean.xx

Blackcats

Twiglets are so Christmassy .... I like those little cheesy biscuity snacks too that only seem to appear at Christmas.  I wonder how WH Sm*th manages to survive - so much of their business was generated at railway stations and people just aren't commuting or travelling much at the moment.  I've always loved the shop- stationery as a child (and adult), buying records back in the day, cards, books, magazines etc.  However my local branch is so gloomy, seems very muddly and seems to have a disproportionate amount of chocolate and sweets which the checkout staff are constantly trying to up sell.  
Glad you've had a relaxing time, at least we can start 2021 feeling good about the things we can control.

Pixiehouse55

Helloooo to you all, I admit that I took Christmas decs down Wednesday (I think, I'm confused what days we are on lately). Gave the lounge a really good clean. Lots of dogs hairs as Harry does moult a lot.  Stripped our peoples beds as they still had their Christmas bedding on that we had brought them. Tomorrow is the wet room to have a mega clean, J often misses the toilet!!   Trying to get him to sit down to go but after 70 years of standing  I think it might take a while🤣😂. Pay day a week Tuesday so I must sit and work out what money goes where. Still got holiday money put away... Will we be able to go to Thailand in June I wonder?  Fingers crossed.  Loads of Christmas food still sat looking at me and saying "eat me" and I'm saying "no! Go away" I need to loose a stone ish. Need to go threw freezers cupboards and fridge and do our menu plan for the month. Freezer still got a lot init still. Fingers crossed I won't need to buy much.. The last couple of days I sorted all my wool out.. I have far too much, so I've began knitting squares ready for our bed when we buy and live on our narrow boat. Only 4 squares knitted so far.  Right, bed for me, 6am start tomorrow morning. Night all. Keep Safe XX 

foxgloves

Hello January Savers,
Thanks for all your comments - I've enjoyed sitting with a coffee & reading them all. Pixiehouse - What a lovely idea to start knitting something nice for when you have bought your narrowboat. I have quite a decent pile of knitted blanket squares now - they are on the bookshelf next to my end of the sofa & I cast them off & toss them onto the pile as I get each one finished on an evening.
Well, I've had a productive day, but I was disappointed to receive a text from the plasterer to say he couldn't make it this afternoon after all. He's a nice chap & I think he does genuinely have a whole lot of work on, but honestly, it has felt like knitting fog trying to get a firm date booked in for our work to be done. He says he will come tomorrow afternoon instead & I will try to remain hopeful, but I am starting to think I will be posting about my new handknitted 'fog poncho' before I'm telling you that the plastering job has been done & we can move on to decorating quotes. Grrrrrrr.
Mr F back to work today & much as I've loved our time together over Christmas, I do feel ready to get back a sense of routine. I spent this morning taking down the Christmas tree, packing away all the decorations & rounding up all the festive crockery/tins, etc, to put away in the dresser cupboard. I popped out for a little walk - only just around the block, but I felt like some fresh air so it did the job. I've done two loads of laundry, now on the heated airer, & as I found myself at more of a loose end than I expected this afternoon, I did my budget updates, which I had scheduled for tomorrow. Our first grocery shop of January's budget was well under budget, although £9 of this was because the assistant accidentally used our loyalty points as part-payment! We queried this, & she was very apologetic & said we could have the points added back on, but we would need to apply to head office. Well, that's a layer of faff I can well do without for £9, so we just accepted that we'd had some 'free' groceries now instead of when we had intended to claim them. 
I have also checked the balances of our Savings Pots, our Emergency Fund & general savings and made a note of these, as well as the current interest rates for each of them. That has been worthwhile just in itself, as the savings account into which I had intended to try & save more money each month has by far the worst interest rate! I know rates are low pretty much all round at the moment, so my expectations were not great, but I am glad I looked, as I don't really want to change savings providers, but I obviously don't want to be making a much bigger effort to save in 2021 & find that I have been squirrelling our money away in the account with the titchiest interest. Knowledge is power, m'dears, is it not?! Mr F & I always have a January budget meeting - it's called 'The Money Summit', lol, & looking at the best way to build our savings is the key item on the agenda this year. 
Well, I think I will go & find my shawl as it seems to have dropped much colder over the afternoon. Turkey soup & toast later though, so that will warm me up, then it will again be time to get competitive with the Beloved over 'University Challenge' & 'Only Connect' & I will, as usual be hoping for plenty of questions which are not physics, chemistry, maths, geography & sport! Ah well, it keeps the little grey cells active!
Bye,
F x

crazy_cat_lady

It would be lovely to get back into some sort of routine. I'm jealous of yours... I was hoping, but it's not looking likely that I will be going back to school again. I managed one day today at least.
Dreading the idea of battling with working from home and making sure that the kids also work from home. It's going to be a bit of a nightmare...
Good luck with the plasterer - I'll keep my fingers crossed.

foxgloves

Yes, CCL - it must be crazy for teachers trying to plan at the moment. Lots of littlies trotted past our house this morning on their way to the village primary. They've had precisely one day!
I do think that a period of Lockdown is necessary to keep a lid on new infections while the vaccination programme gets properly underway, but I hate the way Johnson keeps hinting that things will happen, rather than making the decision in good time & putting out the information straight away. There will be head teachers who have working really hard getting enhanced safety measures ready for this week as it was only last week that Williamson was threatening legal action against schools if they didn't open. I don't know why this Government seems completely unable to learn from its mistakes. 
F x