Put away your purse & become debt-averse

HairyHandofDartmoor

I'm very impressed, as always, with your shopping from home and I try to follow your example when I can 🙂. 

My savings goal is to build up our very depleted emergency fund, and after that try to pay off the mortgage early as I'm worried about interest rates going up and we're on a standard variable rate.

foxgloves

@HairyHandofDartmoor - I hope you are able to build up your emergency fund at least a little over the coming year. Although we know that they are there exactly for just such emergencies, it does feel worrying, I know, to see the sum we so carefully squirrelled away dwindling. We all know how careful you are, so I'm sure that you will soon start to see those numbers building again & you will feel more secure. I know I have also had a few wobbles over this in the past. It feels like such a relief when one has only had debt instead of any savings finally to have £500, then £1000, then more, in one's emergency fund, but the reality is that it can soon be spent on essentials when/if an emergency does strike. At least you did have an emergency fund in place for when you needed it & you should feel proud of yourself for that preparedness.
F x

foxgloves

Hello Frugalistas,
Well, a bit of a nothingy day today. Slightly better night's sleep as took tablets before bed even though I was relatively pain-free to try & pre-empt the devil tooth waking me up in the early hours. It hasn't started hurting until late afternoon today. I have saved some strong tablets to throw at it later if it doesn't settle.
I would have liked to get out & make a start in the garden today, but for tedious reasons I won't bore you with, I had to wait in for someone who didn't arrive until well into the afternoon. I made the most of my captivity by doing some much needed piano practice & then sewing up my blanket squares, while watching TV to alleviate the tediosity. I haven't had to do much else today tbh - dinner went into the slow cooker at 11a.m - smoky beef with butterbeans & I only need to heat a couple of pittas to serve with that. I did a bit more shopping from home for cat stuff as cat adoption is fairly imminent & squidged down to the shed to play a solo game of 'Hunt the litter tray'.......finally located neatly stored inside cat carrier basket & completely invisible without moving a ton of stuff. Ah well, not much at all to buy new, which is good, as shall have to get used to paying cat insurance premiums again, as well as stocking up on food, etc.
Hope someone out there has had a more exciting day than me.....which frankly wouldn't be difficult today!
Cheers,
F x

HairyHandofDartmoor

It's infuriating waiting for people who are late/dont' arrive, but at least you made good use of your time.

It's strange how toothache seems worse in the evening, like all ills.

CRANKY40

Ooooh, cat adoption. We'd love an extra cat but when our cat's half sister died we decided we wouldn't have another as our cat isn't keen on other cats - not even the half sister previously mentioned that moved in when ours was only one. Ours is too much loved and too old to risk upsetting her by moving anything else in. 

I've started some indoor seedlings off while I wait for the outdoor swamp previously known as the garden to become useable and useful again and I've worked some extra hours so my day was more or less as exciting as yours. I hope your sore mouth lets you sleep tonight. 

crazy_cat_lady

So excited to hear the pitter patter of tiny paws heading off to chez foxgloves.

Sun_Addict

How lovely to be getting a cat 😻

Merryberry

@Foxgloves over the last three months I have read your diary from the beginning, I love the way that you write.
I have been inspired by your idea of shopping from home. When a need/want occurs I have a look in all the cupboards and sheds and often no longer need to purchase anything. I call these my foxglove moments!

Blackcats

Hooray to the imminent arrival of a cat.
very impressed by your various candle gifts (quelle surprise - blackcats hones in on the candle discussion!).  I got a Jo M candle for Christmas from a very unexpected source - it's so lovely, with its own little bag and special matches - but I don't think I would find it easy to buy one for myself any more.  Back in the day the trip to the shop, the sniffing and gazing was such a pleasure whilst I chose the candle I thought I deserved.
glad you found a nice vase for the hall - so much better to have memories attached to the decorative item.  

I'm reluctantly sewing in ends to finish a blanket - seems like there are a few former spendy folk keeping out of mischief with finishing off their craft projects. Would love to see a glimpse of your finished blanket if you can suitably anonymise it.

Humdinger1

@foxgloves so sorry to hear about your tooth.  Have you tried oil of cloves? I think it's one of the few things that can help while you wait to see the dentist xx