Put away your purse & become debt-averse

foxgloves

@Onebrokelady & @Deni_debt-free_dreamer - I'm glad it's not just me then. I am an early riser as staying in bed just gives me a headache, but I really didn't want to shift this morning.
F x

foxgloves

Hello Diary Readers,
Fairly productive day, I suppose. I think my expectations were unrealistic. Quite a few sensible money habit things:
Baked bread as we had almost run out, pulled another 800g rhubarb for compote (will stretch fresh fruit supplies a bit further), took a freezer mug of leftovers out for tomorrow's packed lunch, got 2 loads of laundry part dry outside on the whirlygig - will only need a couple of hours on heated airer to finish off. Leftover roast beef being used for curry tonight - 1st of a few knock-on meals.
Also did my mid-month budget check-in. Took ages because there was significantly more money than I was expecting so clearly a discrepancy. It turned out to be a couple of anomalies arising from the fact that I'm running our normal household budget & home improvements budget concurrently. Also an annual subscription dd of over £100 has not been collected so I will need to keep an eye on that. However, even with factoring in the above, we still appear to have £126 more than I think we should have. It may resolve itself by Big Budget Day at the end of the month, but as soon as I get my desk back, I will double check my home improvements budget accounting against the most recent invoices.
Needed some fresh air after that so dodging showers, I planted out a big tray of cosmos & some larkspur.
Sofa beckoning now though. 
Peace & lots of green loveliness,
F xx

foxgloves

Greetings Chilly May Mortals,
Honestly, it goes from lovely sunshine one minute to coal-black clouds, stinging rain & even a few thunderclaps the next! I wish it would settle down & get a little warmer. Busy couple of days, as our final upstairs room was carpeted yesterday (my little HQ), so we have been starting to get everything back to normal up there, a job which will be carrying on this coming weekend too. There has been very little spending (apart from the home improvements, but that is a separate budget) & a few money saving wins - for example, being able to fill up my garden borders with stuff I've grown almost exclusively from free seed, changing round my bits & pieces for a new look in my redecorated HQ instead of buying new & having a try-on of warmer-weather clothes to see what fits before I hit a city centre for the first time in over a year & am tempted by summery loveliness. 
Was also pleased with the meals I got from that big joint of beef. It did roast dinner on Sunday, a curry with rice on Monday, mince with leek mash & vegetables yesterday & I have chunked up & frozen the rest for making a beef bhuna at some point when we fancy a fake-away (will probably do two days when I do make it) It also did a beef & horseradish salad for today's packed lunch & a generous portion of spare mince for tomorrow's with some leftover veg. I have learned not to be put off necessarily by the price of a large joint, but instead to eye up its potential for stretchiness - it's how I was taught to cook at school, when cookery was much more about home economics, rather than designing a marketing campaign for a sandwich you have invented, which I think is of much less practical value, unless one is destined for the food marketing industry.
Talking of food, I must make a start on meal plans for next week, & write the list, as Thursday is shopping night. We have decided to incorporate as many meals as possible from the freezer next week, as it is very full & I would be disappointed if we were to overspend our grocery budget this month, because we have plenty of stuff in. 
So nothing exciting to report at all today - just enjoying starting to get the house back to normal before the next phase of work starts in the summer. I enjoyed a long yakk with my sis on Skype - we must have had plenty to catch up on, as I knitted an entire bedspread square - which was no. 105 / 144.
Hope you are all ok this week. Odd times, for sure. I haven't felt at all like rushing off to the pub, that's for sure.
F x

Sun_Addict

I buy those large beef joints for Mr SA and they’re very good value. I cut them into small joints, steaks and diced beef. Certainly cheaper than buying separately. I haven’t been tempted by the pub yet, put off by the faff of booking and restrictions still in place. Your home improvements sound like they’re coming along nicely. We’re currently having our bedroom completely refurbished. 

Onebrokelady

Wow that joint went a loooong way 😀 my DD went to the pub last week,she went with a friend from work and they booked a slot from 5.30 to 7.30, the pub they visited is in the city and is really nice with good food. They are going again this Friday but have also booked to go to a second pub afterwards because  the 7.30 finish was too early 😀she said it wasn't too busy last week but it was midweek so I expect Friday will be busier. It's nice to actually see her go out and have a nice time for a change. I'm not in a hurry to go to a pub though buts that's mainly because I can't drink at the moment and it seems like a waste 😂

Baileys_Babe

No desire to go to a pub or a restaurant. But it was lovely yesterday when my parents knocked on the door to be able to invite them in for a cuppa. We then convinced them to stay for lunch as the rain came on very heavily with a heavy thunder accompaniment 🤗

foxgloves

@Onebrokelady & @Baileys_Babe, I agree, I don't think either of us feel ready for pub-going yet, although we might feel differently when we've had our 2nd dose of vaccine. Mine is booked for BH weekend, & Mr F (despite the disparity in our ages) just a week later.
Haven't socialised indoors with anyone either, largely due to having no family nearby, but aiming to have a meet-up for a picnic at end of June or early July.
F x

foxgloves

Hello Icicles,
Oh it is just ridiculously cold here. Went out to dig over front border first thing. Had to come in for my leather jacket, then again for a warm shawl! May 20th & it's so dark I have the lights on while the wind is howling down the chimney & the windows are being lashed with cold rain.
Today's money saving wins - Filled front border entirely with plants I grew from free seeds, divided from existing stocks or was gifted by my friend. Ditto the two big containers outside the front door. Buying plants to fill tubs & containers used to be a big seasonal spend for me, easily £50 a time to fill a couple of containers despite always having had quite green fingers. Also devised a 'Use-it-up' meal plan with Mr F for next week, prioritising meals we already have in the freezer.
Leisurely afternoon watching 'The Pact' & knitting blanket squares no 106 & 107. Just need to pop out to close greenhouse window, then I may have to light the stove as my feet think it's January. I think a candle would also make me feel cosier...... I haven't been on a naughty scented candle fritter.... I received one for Easter & another for my birthday.
Keep safe, stay warm,
F xx

foxgloves

Got up about an hour ago to find Mr F had switched the heating back on "just to take the chill off". We don't have our thermostat set very high, even in winter, as we are not generally chilly mortals, but apparently the thermometer said '15 degrees' first thing. I can't believe it is fast approaching the end of May & it's too cold & horrid even to stand my tomato plants outside! Hope it warms up soon. I am not at all happy about paying for heating in May & it will be going off asap.
Anyway, that's my coffee finished. Time to get a wriggle on.
F

Tescodealqueen

I too don't like paying for heating but our thermostat is set to 18.5 and it came on for the first time in weeks this morning. Must be a combination of the cold and the wet weather. My knees are complaining about the wet weather too. Just hope it sorts itself out soon