Put away your purse & become debt-averse

Baileys_Babe

Don't worry @foxgloves I will give the recipe a try, it looks like it will be a regular on our meal plan. The one adverse to pulses will be served a smaller portion and if it comes with lots of cheese they will be happy.

I like Aldi for tinned pulses, a reasonable range at a good price.

Today I also need a three thing list, my priorities are:
☀ Fill in HMRC form
☀ Sort out a bag of things to give my sister tomorrow
☀ Order medication 

foxgloves

I do find the '3-task job list' method helpful. I can't remember where I first saw it suggested. It's not my idea, but I like it. The advantages are that you are not faced wirh an overwhelming list, which can feel demotivating. Also, because you are only writing down a very few tasks at a time, you tend to prioritise the ones which most need doing. With a huge daily list, it can be tempting to go for all the easy win tasks to enjoy the act of crossing-off. That's not so good if it means the longer or more involved (& often more interesting) tasks fall off the bottom of several days lists in succession.
Anyway, I achieved 16 tasks. Only one still on the list & that's because I ran out of time.
No money spent either. Haven't been out anywhere & no interest in online shopping atm.
F x

BlueJ94

@foxgloves I tried your method throughout my work day and completed tasks quicker than I usually do! I even finally managed to set up a payment plan with Barclaycard after 45 minutes of speaking to them tonight's 3 things are budget, unload washing which I have done already and empty the dishwasher which is also done! I also managed to get a bargain on kebab skewers from £3.25 to 79p as they go off today but we will have it for dinner later  

I also enjoy following along your diary as it motivates me along also! 

foxgloves

Hello Sunbeams,
Well, I've been doing the '3-task list' method again today & I found myself powering through my jobs to the extent that I not only had a welcome 45 min skype call with my sis & my boffin nephew, I also managed to watch a film this afternoon!!
Money-saving bits of the list included baking bread (a seeded wholemeal loaf, rolls & pizza dough), doing today's garden pickings - courgettes, french beans & tomatoes plus prepping/freezing where appropriate. Also rounded up more windfall apples. Am hoping to collect sufficient for a batch of cranberry & apple jelly, as I've had a kg of yellow stickered cranberries in the freezer since New Year. They are expensive in December so I was thinking ahead.
Have also finished the first of B-in-L's socks & cast on the 2nd, mended my favourite footless tights & made a knitting plan re presents, charity stall items & something for myself.
Postie brought Mr F's pension statement. I'd already had mine (frozen pension) so I must plan in some time to have a proper look at both of those. I shall get mine first, being the ancient crone in the relationship, but it isn't any time yet. As with all things though, knowledge is power, is it not? 
Right..... time to decide what's going on top of this pizza. I saved some of the roasted tomato sauce I made the other day. Will use that plus red onion, l/o sweetcorn, goats cheese & of course..... a courgette
Cheers all, keep your hands on your pence, 
F x

foxgloves

Hello Friday Frugalistas, Woke up a bit headachey today, but it is lifting now I'm outside in the fresh air. Today's money saving wins have been:
*Not going into town. We needed so little that Mr F said he'd go himself. That saved on coffee shop for starters!
*Grocery shopping looks to have come in below budget.
*Cleaned bathroom & kitchen, showed a few surfaces the duster - minimal products as usual.
*Today's garden pickings = the 3 large courgettes i somehow managed to miss yesterday. 
*Made another batch of pickled courgettes as they are inexpensive, we both like them & they help make the most of our home grown veg.
*Use-it-ups still ongoing - cut open a tube of Skin F**d to release at least another 4 applications. Using up that pesky last lipstick 1/3 by lip brush.
*Mr F had been tasked with sourcing a decent set of electric hedgecutters & found a pair £40 less than he'd originally intended to pay.
*Entered a competition..... which is admittedly only money saving if I actually win.

Other jobs all finished for today, so I shall read my book & let this breeze blow the last of my muzzy head away.
Love F x

DawnW

How do you do your pickled courgettes please Foxgloves?

Pixiehouse55

Hello Mrs Foxgloves and Gang.  Looks like you are very busy as always Mrs F.  How do you pickle your courgettes? Mr P tried last year without success!! Too much vinegar for me.  Sold a lot more craftcstuff today. Selling some things at silly prices to get it gone. Gas boiler and gas checks were done Tuesday. All ok. Buyers want electric certificate. So Monday we are having a new fuse circuit or whatever its called as ours is old. Then they will check all the electrics, so fingers crossed. Gave 28 days notice on our job so our people will be leaving September 7th if not before. Then we have just under 3 weeks to sale everything. As in all our furniture and all craft stuff and hubby's tools in his workshop. Put what we are keeping in storage and go look for our narrowboat. Take care everyone. Keep safe. Catch up soon.. lots of no spend days everyone. XX

crazy_cat_lady

Good morning! I have returned and spent all morning catching up on missed diary posts on here.
I feel very honoured to have had 2 mentions in your diary - even though I've been missing for weeks, being a bit like my ex and burying my head in the sand regarding my life and my finances. However, I feel motivated again at the moment...
So, thank you for the compliment about us teachers (still on a pay freeze and doing all of the examiners work this year too) - it's been awful, but not as awful as it has for the kids. I've missed a couple of years of my career, but my kids and your nephews have missed a massive chunk of their education and socialisation that school brings. Congratulations to your nephew getting into his first choice of uni as well.
Oh - and on the 8th of August, when you asked if I was doing anything exciting? That was the day I got lost in the woods in Scotland and ended up rock climbing, crawling through undergrowth and climbing trees, all whilst it was pittling with rain. So exciting in its own way but not an experience I want to repeat
Whenever I read your diaries I get quite jealous because I wish I loved gardening and cooking. As you know though I absolutely detest both. I look and think how gorgeous your food sounds and how I would love to eat it, but I just can't be bothered to make it. 
It's lovely to be back and I promise I will be checking in more often

foxgloves

Welcome back, @crazy_cat_lady. Oh, I did have to laugh that the very day you were lost in the woods like Hansel & Gretel was my dull day where I was wondering if you, among others, were doing anything exciting!
Now, you are right that generally, I love gardening, but I can assure you that doesn't include a whole range of tedious tasks within. Growing our fruit & veg, creating beautiful flowe-packed borders.... that kind of work is one thing. Today I've cut back the narrow channel around the pond which had over-filled with weedy turf & trimmed the excess pond liner. I've also hand-massecred aphids off a row of cabbages using home made spray. Sometime soon I need to de-gunk the pond again & deal with a problem strip of jungle at the back of the greenhouse. I will find all these tasks every bit as tedoous as you would, but the thought of how much better it will look when done will provide the motivation.... or I hope it will! 
Yes, very proud of my nephew who is off to uni in a northen city. Makes me smile, actually, as being a Londoner, he thinks I live in the north! 
F x

foxgloves

@DawnW & @Pixiehouse55 - This is how I pickle courgettes. I don't buy kilner jars, I just save mayonnaise jars & their lids. 
These are not over-vinegary at all.
Right, thinly slice 1.4kg courgettes & 450g onions into a large non-metal bowl. Cut really big slices of courgette in half. Dissolve 225g salt in 2.5 litres water & pour over courgettes & onions. Leave for 3 hours. Stir now & again.
Drain & rinse very thoroughly with cold water. Tip onto a clean tea towel & dry off water. Transfer to large pan.
Using a smaller pan, make the vinegar. Just heat together 500ml white malt vinegar, 225g white sugar, 2 cloves thinly sliced garlic, 2 bay leaves, 1 tsp coriander seeds, 1tsp black peppercorns, 1tsp mustard seeds
Stir to dissolve sugar then pour your hot flavoured vinegar over the courgette/onion slices. Leave to stand for 1 hour then put pan on hob & boil gently for 3 mins. 
You're done! Use a slotted spoon to transfer courgettes into warm sterilised jars. Pack them down well. Pour the spiced vinegar into a jug & use it to top up the jars so that the veg is covered. Put lids on. Leave for 2 weeks to mellow before eating. 
I'm glad we both love these as our courgettes are still going crackers! 3 more marrows lurking today. Luckily Mr F is using one tonight as he's making WW lamb & marrow bake, which is a seasonal favourite. 
There's been a blip develop on the home improvements schedule, so I am hoping Plan B might materialise early this week. I have a lot of produce to gather & deal with & the usual financials to sort out. A productive week would make me happy. 
F x