Put away your purse & become debt-averse

Blackcats

Foxgloves your garden is beautiful and just how I imagined it.  I've got plenty of free plants in mine of the weed variety described by Sunaddict. 

Onebrokelady

Beautiful garden Foxgloves 😍😍all my plants became chicken food 😟I do have a few bits on the patio and an Escalonia hedge that my son in law planted for me, the bees absolutely love it. I needs pruning now but I have to wait until the flowers have finished because of the bees 😊

savingmore

loving the pics of your flower beds.....more please😀. helps create the imagination when you in your garden.   seconding the plea to start your books.....

foxgloves

Hello Diary Readers,
Thanks for all your lovely comments about my garden pictures. I can't find a way of photographing the whole thing, as garden is so long, but I have a paved courtyard up close to the house, then the main part of the garden (about 2/3 of it) is a curvy lawn with various flower borders, old pear tree & a wildlife pond. The furthest 1/3 is the veggie garden - greenhouse, herb bed, a long veggie bed on one side of a path divided into two by the strawberry patch & ending with the rhubarb. On the other side is a big lorry tyre planted with mint, 2 large raised beds made from old railway sleepers & various containers. Right at the top, we have a big apple tree which I have been told is probably 1930s, same as the house, tatty brick shed & our composting area. I must say to those of you who have commented how many weeds you have - my garden is also replete with weeds. I like my summer borders packed full because mine is a cottage garden style, so the weeds don't get so much of a look in there at this time of year, but the veggie beds require frequent hand weeding & hoeing. A 'weed' is just a wild flower, usually a native British one, so perfect for our wildlife. I am quite lax about letting some alkanet, dead nettles (bees seem to love the pink ones), herb robert, fumitory, buttercups & daisies, etc, flower here & there, as long as they don't take over. I do however yank out as much bindweed, groundsel & hawkweed as possible as they spread like crazy. As for my namesake, the foxglove......they self-seed like mad, but there is little to top those tall spires on a late June afternoon, lighting up the borders with their bright pink, maroon-spotted cream & pale pink& pure white, with bees queuing up to go inside each floral finger. Despite a firend once telling me in no uncertain terms that they are a 'nuisance weed', I wouldn't be without them.
Anyway, I'm rambling, instead of telling you about this morning's little bits of money saving. Mr F is on a virtual training course at home today so that meant I could access the Wheels, yay!! Have been into town & had my long hair cut off. Honestly, I was looking like I could audition for a Deep Purple tribute band....& fly there on a broomstick! I asked for a short choppy bob & she has done the most lovely job, short & layered at the back & graduated to fall longer at the front. I love it! I only have a cut, as I lose patience having to sit still to be fussed over any longer & so was charged just £10, despite there being enough hair left on the floor to stuff a cushion! So that was my first win. 2nd one was that the shampoo/conditioner I had decided to try (my hair has been breaking off all over the place) was on a 3 for 2 offer in B**ts so I hope it's as good as the reviews as I have a lot of it! Then, because as my Mum was fond of saying, 'Things come in threes', I popped in to see if a book I have on my list had been published yet & not only was it there, it was half price! So a good morning, on the money saving front. 
I now have a free afternoon, as I had planned to clear a mountain of nasty ironing but I managed to get it all finished before I went out. Dinner is a couple of spare portions of something from the freezer so zero effort required there. I am going to read in the garden. Too hot here today to do much else.
And on that subject m'dears, if you haven't had a glass of water in the last couple of hours, do go & fetch one now. You'll feel better for it & it helps keep your innards nice & squishy.
Peace,
F x

Tescodealqueen

Some great wins there Foxgloves. on the subject of books i am delighted  that our town, possibly because Dolly Parton funds books for children to help them with literacy so they have been shamed to keep it as a priority, hasn't succumbed to what seems to be a growing trend to close public libraries. I make full use of it because as they say use it or lose it . Other than that I would be like you in the find it at half price club.

foxgloves

Totally agree, @Tescodealqueen - I'm a big supporter of public libraries. Did you know that local authorities have to provide a public library service by law? There is a Public Libraries Act which means that they are a statutory service. Like any service, it's 'Use it or lose it', isn't it, exactly as you say. I don't actually know how local authorities are managing to stay the right side of bankruptcy as their grants from central government have been cut by nearly 50% in recent years. I think some of them are able to provide little other than essential children's services & adult social care these days. It's a great shame. If as many people moaned about the loss of local libraries, Surestarts & youth clubs even half as much as they do about pot holes, I think it would be a little more difficult to get these cuts passed & we'd all be better for it.
Ah well, you & I are not running the country, @Tescodealqueen - things would be a lot different if we were, I reckon! 
F

Deni_debt-free_dreamer

Hi foxgloves and friends
Hear, hear for libraries - and the public sector !  
Also agree that your garden pics are lovely & it is so nice to hear the description of the layout; i just have a small square patch of mostly lawn.  A friend did send me some lettuce seeds through the post (good MSE-ness) but didn't pay enough postage so i had to pay extra - not very MSE!!  I haven't planted them yet.  My neighbour has a greenhouse and supplies us with cherry tomatoes
i just discovered that M£S do mini walnut whips, i have bought a packet but haven't tasted them yet ....
Deni x

foxgloves

Walnut whips....... (sighs)..... 

foxgloves

Morning m'dears,
A bit of a shock to look in the mirror first thing & think 'Where is all my hair?' but am very pleased with it. Not finding it easy to get myself going this morning. I've already opened all the windows, as it is set to be 27° here today. I think I need a bit of a challenge to motivate myself today so I am going to see how many money saving things I can do before 4pm. I hope I will be able to return & post up a decent list.
Have a good day, all. 
F x

Baileys_Babe

Looking forward to reading your list.