Put away your purse & become debt-averse

marionmgcars

I love the idea of recycling wrapping etc.  I have not bought a gift bag for years.  When I receive a gift and put the bag in storage I always pop a piece of paper in with the persons name on, so that I don't return their bag to them, not that they would probably remember.  I have acquired some parsnips this weekend, so am going to try curried parsnip soup, sounds delicious but never made it before.  I lost my fitbit a few years ago, but thinking it might be a nice retirement treat to have and monitor my activities in retirement.  My partner keeps asking me what I am treating myself to, and I just smile and say its going in the savings pot to live on until I get my state pension.  

Deni_debt-free_dreamer

Morning
I bought a loofah wash up sponge from the zero waste shop and then another from t0sco - the latter one has lasted much longer.  I'm lucky that we have a zero waste shop in my local town so as i run out of things i am refilling from there.  They seem to sell everything!  I have just filled up on liquid soap and this year have also bought porridge oats, pasta and couscous.  It is a bit more expensive but that has made me better at measuring quantities rather than throwing a handful or 3 of pasta into the saucepan!
i got a f!tb!t last year as i had some JL vouchers - i really like it and it makes me aware of my step count.
love Deni 

foxgloves

Thanks for mentioning your zero waste shop, @Deni_debt-free_dreamer, as it reminded me that I still haven't investigated our local zero waste market stall. 
I like my Fitbit too & now that I have a new phone, I can actually start using the app again. Was infuriating to find that Fitbit stopped supporting my phone, as it wasn't even a particularly old model. 
F

foxgloves

Hello Frugalistas,
Lots more fresh air this morning. Tidied & swept greenhouse, renovated all my potted agapanthus & fed them some worm tea, pinched out & fed autumn-sown sweetpeas, sowed perpetual spinach, lollo rosso lettuce, radishes, rocket, spring onions, coriander & cucumbers. 
Mr F made great progress with the shed clearing & managed to get lots of stuff squidged  into the wheelie bin for tomorrow's collection, so we won't have piles of crud hanging around. He wasn't too impressed that when he lifted a bag of aquatic compost, it all fell out of the bottom, which had been used by mice for nest building. When he found the nest, they'd lined it with chewed up bits of his old gardening hoodie, lol. I was quite happy to see that going in the bin! I made a start on sorting out my half of the shed & will hopefully finish it this week. I do like to be able to see what I've got, especially for shopping from home opportunities.
I've baked bread today, but as Mr F is doing a roast tonight, that's me done. I intend to enter a competition, read, knit & watch 'Peaky blinders'.
I'm hoping for a proper productive week ahead because I think it would give me a physical & mental boost.
F x

Deni_debt-free_dreamer

foxgloves said:

Thanks for mentioning your zero waste shop, @Deni_debt-free_dreamer, as it reminded me that I still haven't investigated our local zero waste market stall. 
F

Hi foxgloves

i love that shop - it has great products and the owners are lovely and the whole ethos is brilliant (& necessary).  We actually have 2 of these type of shops locally, hopefully they will spring up all over the UK.  
I have had some small wins this weekend in terms of MSE-ness - i love a certain high protein yoghurt which is 75p a pot; yesterday i had half a pot plus raspberries and granola for breakfast - it was delicious and enough for my breakfast, if i carry on with half a pot a day i have halved my costs - all helps
I have also been paying more attention to the c00p loyalty vouchers which are available weekly; this week i had £1.00 off my shopping and i also got a bonus £4 off a £20 spend; as i needed a few things i went round the store adding up in my head (risky!) & was ridiculously pleased that the total was £20.05!!  So i got my £4 off and have stocked up on all the things i buy from there anyway   

love Deni

Blackcats

Just had a mammoth catch up on your diary for the last week.  What a weird "thing on the lawn" - I wondered if it was going to be a mahoosive lump of unidentifiable excrement.
my cats hate their flea treatment too - I'm sure they can hear the snipping off the end of the pipette even when they are sound asleep.  Their reproachful sulking post treatment forced me into buying tablets and crushing them into their food - this inspires them to do a routine of crossing over from bowl to bowl that the red arrows would be proud of.  I'm never sure who has had what but I hope that some flea treatment has gone into each of them.  

foxgloves

@Deni_debt-free_dreamer -Good use of your vouchers. We're trying to maximise our voucher use too in the spirit of every little helps. 
We're also building up our nectar points & Co-op dividend all year for Christmas groceries, as if plans don't go awry, we should be hosting.
F x

foxgloves

@Blackcats -Getting medication into cats is something at which Mr F & I have always been spectacularly useless. Thankfully, the vet said this is very common.with cats, not helped by the fact that they seem to be able to hold out for ages.
F x
 

Deni_debt-free_dreamer

foxgloves said:

@Deni_debt-free_dreamer -Good use of your vouchers. We're trying to maximise our voucher use too in the spirit of every little helps. 
We're also building up our nectar points & Co-op dividend all year for Christmas groceries, as if plans don't go awry, we should be hosting.
F x

Hi foxgloves

I am also saving up my nectar points, i haven't redeemed any for a couple of years.
I had to go into work today but i charged up my phone in the office   

Love Deni 
x

foxgloves

Every little helps @Deni_debt-free_dreamer, the way things are at the moment. I was pleased to discover that our replacement coffee machine will make just 300ml of coffee -the exact amount to fill my favourite mug. In the face of these horrendous energy rises, all such micro-savings are worth making as they are often savings on things which are done very regularly, so those teeny tiny reductions in use WILL add up. Mr F reckons the figures he's seeing on the smart monitor are starting to fall. I'm going to wait & reserve judgement until this month's energy statement arrives in my inbox. 
F x