Making money make sense

Franalamadingdong

Thanks. Well it's just from bits and bobs in the cupboards. I sorted through the baking cupboard the other week and realised it was silly having the things in there and not using them. So I rearranged everything so I could see it properly and have been baking away. Just once a week. I think next time I go to Lidl I'll do a top up of things like chocolate chips as they're so much cheaper there. Wondering about maybe doing some enriched dough and doing iced buns or something next week.

Well done for having a go with baking. I grew up cooking and baking with my mum so it's all normal for me, but I'm always impressed when someone has a go. I try out new recipes and styles often.... It does not always turn out well. Haha.

Still on zero spends, but I have spotted a few things I need to pick up this coming week. Best make a list!

Franalamadingdong

I spoke too soon. The boyfriend needed a tool to fix mum and dad's floor that they asked if he could do while they were away. Not sure how it equates that I'm paying for it, but he certainly shouldn't. At this rate I'll be giving my parents a bill by the time they get home! Haha anyway, that's another £25 gone! I've definitely learned that my miscellaneous budget needs to be higher. The tool for mum and dad's floor, the new remote (which I'd actually put in the household budget), the new harness for mum and dad's dog, a gift for a party my son had been invited to.

And I was right to not hold my breath for the extra curricular activities contribution from my son's dad.

Anyway, lunch is made and we'll be off to start another week!

Franalamadingdong

I did the last shop for January. It came in at £26.20 bringing me under this month's budget by 3p!!! Woop woop!!! Glad I listed the costs of things as I realised when I pulled up that the meal I'd planned for Saturday was essentially the same thing as Friday, so I did a switcheroo. Changed Emmenthal cheese for cheddar, swapped steak for mince and swapped parsley for cereal. Haha. Friday is chicken kebab, chips, veg and homemade flatbreads and Saturday was going to be chimmi churri Philly steaks, but now I'm doing lasagne.

Now no one else is allowed to ask for me to buy anything else until Saturday!!!!

Blackcats

Fantastic food budget result and nice sounding dinners. I swopped my meal plan around today too as the butcher had a lovely looking beef stir fry so I bought that instead of the pork that I'd planned. Otherwise I stuck to the plan.
How are your craft projects getting on?

Franalamadingdong

Ooh lovely!

I've been plodding on with my English paper piecing, but decided I'd like to do a bit of machine sewing. Going to work on a couple of blocks for a quilt I'm behind on, then the cushions for the boyfriend for Valentine's Day and a cute make up pouch for my friend's birthday to go with a necklace. Need to get my butt in gear!

I've sorted out my budget closing. It would not balance yesterday. Anyway. Super pleased with my sinking funds.
Holiday : £120.02
Laptop: £30
Prime: £10
Magazine subscription: £10
Clothes and shoes: £50
Emergency fund: £2000
Car: £200
Birthdays: £93.36
Christmas: £100
Home and garden: £47.39
Events: £36.66

The holiday fund and £50 of the Christmas fund came from December, the £2k emergency fund was just in my current account, the rest is from this month's income

Blackcats

:AYou are right to be super pleased - well done!
Valentine's isn't far away .... just saying :A:A

Franalamadingdong

Haha! I know, Blackcats! Hense the need for a fire up my backside!

Thankfully I dusted off my machine, which has been neglected for handsewing for quite a while and I prepared my pieces for a block and got sewing. I got a nice chunk of it done yesterday and will finish it off today. Four small log cabin blocks with quarter square triangles on two sides sewn together with some sashing almost, in between. I have another one to do in another colour way and that'll be two more blocks towards that quilt. It's actually a couple of precious blocks for this quilt that the boyfriend has been eyeing up and keeps saying will make nice cushions. I figure I'll do these log cabin blocks to get the juices flowing again and then crack on with the blocks for his cushions, then work on my friend's gift whilst he's over for the weekend, then finish his gifts off during the next week.

Today is leftovers from yesterday's chicken casserole, unfortunately we both loved it so there's not as much left as I had hoped. I think cooking up some pasta stars and maybe adding some beans of some sort (will look in the fridge) will bolster it up a bit!
Tomorrow is bacon and butternut squash risotto - a personal favourite of mine.

I've been looking at seeds for growing some veg again this year. My son and I have really enjoyed doing it in previous years and this year I'm hoping to get my dirty mitts on my parent's old raised bed sleepers - they had them built and never did anything with them! Growing in containers is ok, but I always feel the poor things need their own proper space to bed down properly and to not get trampled on by hoardes of kids.

Blackcats

Hi Fran, I know about log cabin blocks - very pretty. My mum is an amazing quilter. She's made quite a few using different techniques. I've made a couple but they've been the simple hexagon patches, hand sewn quilts but they do look effective.
Growing fruit and veg sounds good.

Franalamadingdong

Hexies make beautiful quilts. I have a backburner project that is hexies.... I might be 90 by the time I get to it again at this rate. I like to have a handsewing project on the go as it's not as noisy or exclusive as machine sewing and as such can be done while watching a film/TV and chatting or having snuggles with the boy or the boyfriend, however the seedlings quilt is my current handsewing project so scrap hexies got put to one side.

I finished the mixed coloured log cabin block yesterday and have made good progress on the yellow version of the same block.

The best thing is that because the quilt I made for my mum generated so much scrap fabric I've been using them as much as possible for the seedlings quilt and this quilt (paws and pluses). The only thing I can see myself needing is more low volume (mostly white in this case) fabrics and/or backing fabric. Everything where possible is coming from my stash and especially my scraps.

Thinking ahead to February I have mum's birthday (already gave her the card and gift, so just need to pop her a message as they're still away, currently on the Amazon), valentine's Day (picked out cards for the best friend and boyfriend, planned gift for boyfriend, just need to make it, and need to decide on nice meal to make), best friend's birthday (again, decided what to make and materials to use, just need to make it, but I have already bought the card) and lastly shrove Tuesday (25th for those who don't know), I'll pick up some chocolate spread as that's the boy's favourite and lemon as that's mine! There's possibly a birth of my new baby niece, but she might stick around until March. I have the card, but no gift yet.

I am wondering about the beginning of March as that's the anniversary for the boyfriend and I being "official". Poor thing had declared his love for me before we'd even met up and had asked to be official/exclusive/whathaveyou a couple of dates in and I had asked for a little more time. Not to be a cow may I add, I just wanted to be sure as it's not just my life he'd be coming in to. Anyway, we were on another date and I said, "ask me again." And he did, and I said yes, and now he's stuck with me. Haha.

We do laugh, I was telling him about a restaurant I'd seen on the local news for being one of the best in the country, and it looks nice, is in Dartmoor, a place we'd talked about going to, and they have lovely rooms and it's not too expensive and maybe when my parents are back we could take a weekend away. He says, "or we could go to Dartmoor and stay in a tent." And this loved up idiot goes "ok." Lol. That said I'm not organising camping as I've not got the foggiest, so if I end up organising we're saving the holiday pot money up and going to the nice place! I like warmth and showers and roll top baths.

He'll be back with us tomorrow (yay) and has said he's picking up the boy from school - I think for some man-talk so I'll let them get on with that. Thankfully he's much better from the concussion, but there will be a big thing at work and his colleagues are livid (not with him, on his behalf). I'll just be glad to have him home so I can look after him and be sure he's ok.

Anyway! No spends expected today or tomorrow. Might need to pick up milk on Saturday and the boy has his party to go to (card and gift already purchased). And that's about it. The boyfriend made noises about working up at mum and dad's - he's fixing the floor. The sunny forecast has changed to rain, so no garden work for me, less I turn it into a muddy swamp. I think I will go through things in various cupboards for a declutter and probably list the boy's outgrown clothes for sale.

I should rename this blog "quite the boring life".

Blackcats

Sorry Fran - I must have missed the concussion news. Glad he's recovering. Dartmoor in a tent wouldn't be my idea of a holiday either.
You are very organised with your gifts.