Put away your purse & become debt-averse

foxgloves

We have a big DVD & CD collection, OBL, but we do use them. We like to have the physical format, though we do watch things on Prime, too. Mr f is a proper geek over certain vintage TV programmes & likes to collect the box sets, etc. I've no problem with that, as he buys them from his Personal Spends allowance, so there is no impact on the budget.
We were talking the other day about pre-LBM when we were very spendy, & how tempted we used to be in the big entertainment stores. You know those offers where you can have 5 DVDs for £30.....that kind of thing. We'd always think 'Oooooh, that's a good offer'. Then it always went something like this: PIck up a film we really want, then another one which we'd like to see, though not as much. Still 3 more to pick to get the offer, so we'd have one 'Do you want this one?' 'Um, yeah, that's ok. I'll probably watch that'. Then the other two would be just to 'get the offer', things we'd watch once before sending off to the charity shop next time we had a sort out. We did this so often....both as individuals before we hooked up, & afterwards, as a couple. Of course, the sensible decision if we were intent on a purchase, would have been to buy the dvd we really wanted at its standard non-offer price & leave the other 4 'also rans' firmly in the shop. That would have cost us considerably less than £30. Oh dear, what a pair of twits!
F x

foxgloves

Just gone around the house closing all the curtains. Chucking it down with rain here - supposed to change to sleet & snow later, so I thought I'd shut out the cold wet night, light the fire, read & knit.
My 2019 Stash Knitting Challenge (as in I've banned myself from buying new yarn) is off the blocks. Finished Project #1 today - a big chunky pair of hiking socks for mr f. He loves them & will wear them around the house during these cold months, which is what I intended them for. Tonight I'll be casting on Project #2, which will be a pair of socks for B-in-law's birthday. I'm using up 2 part balls of one self-patterning sock yarn & 1 part ball of another. I'm going to use the brighter colourway for the cuffs, heels & toes and the more subdued one for the main body of the sock. I've got loads of leftover sock yarn, so I've chosen two which I think will tone/contrast well. Already turning all sorts of other possible stash busting ideas over in my mind. The old LBM me would have hated this challenge as choosing new yarn & lovely patterns to buy with my permanent overdraft was just too exciting, but now I've moved on from all that spendy nonsense, I am really enjoying being resourceful & not wasting yarn. I'm seeing the whole project as drawers full of yarn I already own being magicked into all sorts of nice things with ne'er a penny leaving my purse.
Wrap up well, my little ice cubes - thick curtains, draught excluders & hot water bottles at the ready......& if anyone in your household is sitting there in just a t-shirt wibbling for the heating to be turned up, tell them to have a word with themself!!
F x

PurpleFairy26

foxgloves wrote: »

We have a big DVD & CD collection, OBL, but we do use them. We like to have the physical format, though we do watch things on Prime, too. Mr f is a proper geek over certain vintage TV programmes & likes to collect the box sets, etc. I've no problem with that, as he buys them from his Personal Spends allowance, so there is no impact on the budget.
We were talking the other day about pre-LBM when we were very spendy, & how tempted we used to be in the big entertainment stores. You know those offers where you can have 5 DVDs for £30.....that kind of thing. We'd always think 'Oooooh, that's a good offer'. Then it always went something like this: PIck up a film we really want, then another one which we'd like to see, though not as much. Still 3 more to pick to get the offer, so we'd have one 'Do you want this one?' 'Um, yeah, that's ok. I'll probably watch that'. Then the other two would be just to 'get the offer', things we'd watch once before sending off to the charity shop next time we had a sort out. We did this so often....both as individuals before we hooked up, & afterwards, as a couple. Of course, the sensible decision if we were intent on a purchase, would have been to buy the dvd we really wanted at its standard non-offer price & leave the other 4 'also rans' firmly in the shop. That would have cost us considerably less than £30. Oh dear, what a pair of twits!
F x

You have just described mr Purps and me in our pre llight bulb state :rotfl: think that particular shop had a loyalty card too so you get even better getting 3 stamps for your 5 dvds (3 of which you didn't want) :rotfl:

Onebrokelady

Yep,I too fell victim to the 5 for £30 back in my spendy days,I'm so glad I've come to my senses

foxgloves

Lol, you two, so glad it wasn't just us!

foxgloves

Morning Money Saving Icicles,
Oh, the ice this morning.....I've just had to pour 3 pints of hot water over the wheelie bin lid to get it open.
Hope everyone is staying as warm as possible. Remember - layers first, then increasing the heating if needed. Central heating has just got everyone so used to sitting around in a t-shirt all year round (except us lot of tightwads, lol!)
Now, an interesting little thing this morning re car insurance. Last year. I switched providers to get a much lower quote. Renewal time is approaching, so not surprisingly, I received an email today from one of the big comparison sites which said "Your cheapest deal this year is from XXXX at £170". Nothing wrong with that, you might think, until I tell you that I am already insured with XXXX, they have sent me their renewal quote already, & it isn't £170, it is £153. So how come if I went through the comparison site I'd be paying an extra £17 for exactly the same policy? Hmmm, I've always suspected these comparison sites are less than opaque at times. Anyway, it's all sorted out as I'm renewing directly with XXXX so will not be stung for a mystery £17. Just shows it's worth checking these figures, doesn't it?
My hands are still really cold from thawing the bird bath, think I'll find my fingerless gloves & fire up the coffee machine.
F x

carrielovesfanta

foxgloves wrote: »

Renewal time is approaching, so not surprisingly, I received an email today from one of the big comparison sites which said "Your cheapest deal this year is from XXXX at £170". Nothing wrong with that, you might think, until I tell you that I am already insured with XXXX, they have sent me their renewal quote already, & it isn't £170, it is £153. So how come if I went through the comparison site I'd be paying an extra £17 for exactly the same policy?

I usually put the cheapest quote directly into the insurer's website to double check it

foxgloves

Me too, CLF, & it's always been cheaper direct from the insurer's own website, usually about £5 but any saving is welcome. I do think £17 is quite a big difference though.....I can find lots of much better uses for that!

crazy_cat_lady

Foxgloves - do I remember reading somewhere that you have an electronic copy of your sock pattern somewhere?
Making socks is on my frog list and I just cannot find a decent pattern that I think I could do - I know I have a paper copy of yours but that will require a long trip into the loft so if you have an electronic one would you mind sending me a copy please?
Thankyou

wishingthemortgaheaway

£153 for car insurance. I can only dream.
But then we have every factor against us, including the fact we both need business class insurance on both cars.