Giving every £ a job

savingholmes

Thank you for the recommendation I will look into it. I think I have checked it out before but it's been a while

Blackcats

Thanks for popping in benben.  I've followed your diary for ages - I remember your trips out on buses and trains with your DS!

Saving Holmes - it's the 52 week money makeover programme that I think you'll find valuable.

it's still so cold - OH is getting on board with energy saving, to the extent that he bought 2 single quits and covers to have on our laps in the living room.  Surprisingly the covers are quite nice and actually complement the sofas and decor.  At my insistence he has cleared space in a cupboard in the lounge so they can be rolled up and put away during the day so it doesn't look like a pair of lounging teenagers have taken up residence.  

I'm paying another whopping £500 of council tax tomorrow - £400 from current account and £100 from my "accumulation of marginal gains" pot.  I think I can make a further payment later this month but I like having a safety net in the current account.  

We went for a walk after work today to the village pub - I had a hot chocolate and OH had a coffee.  We both enjoyed it and it was nice to have a change of scene.  There was a delightful Jack Russell in the pub, so friendly and happy.  There are dog biscuits on the bar so I think he was using all of his charms to coerce us into giving him some.  

MissRikkiC

I have a small village pub like that, with just lovely little dogs and they all flutter their eye lashes at the bar staff for biscuits. It’s lovely. We frequent once a week or so… hopefully more once I’m not pregnant as it’s our favourite past time even with children. 

Well done the big payment to CT! That must be nice even if not a shock initially to see such a large payment. 

I love that you’re having duvets on the sofa too. That really made me smile! 

savingholmes

I love that your DH is on board enough with money saving to have bought a solution. That the covers match the decor too. Woohoo.

Blackcats

thanks MissRickiC and savingholmes.  

I think we'll go for coffee at the pub mid week as it was very pleasant.  Pre lockdown we used to go for a coffee most days - justifying that it only cost us about £6 but in reality doing that 5 times a week and often adding in a slice of cake is a considerable amount of money.  Now it feels like a nice treat.

tomorrow after work we are going for a walk and getting an ice cream from the ice cream van - a 99 with chocolate sauce for me 😋.

in further money saving news from OH - he has bought a washing up bowl!  He always does the washing up before all the crockery and cutlery goes in the dishwasher - I'm careful not to criticise in case I end up having to do it BUT he does it under a running tap, with the water going straight down the drain.  Anyway along with the duvets he came home with the new fangled invention of a washing up bowl.  He hasn't used it yet ..... hopefully soon but I think he is working up to it 🙃

savingholmes

LOL at washing up before putting it in the dishwasher as well as moving from a running tap to a bowl. 

Have a lovely weekend.

Blackcats

Well someone or something has got MrBlackcats fired up into money saving mode - he haggled with S ky yesterday, adjusted our package and got it down from £62 to £30 per month - he even got the ludicrous £10 admin fee waived.  Washing up bowl is in partial use 🤣

£500 paid off council tax - 14 more leaves or apples coloured in on my motivational 1% tree.  Still £2600 to pay off.  If I can squeeze another £72 this month then I can colour in 2 more leaves and have 3 full branches.  (How old am I?? Obviously juvenile enough to be so motivated by such simple pleasures)


.  

foxgloves

Great saving on Sk* @Blackcats. I think I'd also be motivated by colouring in if I were ever to adopt it as a system.
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Blackcats

We went out for a meal last night with friends and I was surprised and very grateful to find that they had paid the bill.  They usually come to us and we do the cooking etc (which we enjoy) and they said they wanted to thank us.

it's my non working day tomorrow (yay) and I'm going to finish sorting out my wardrobe.  4 bags for the charity shop so far.    I'm also going to try and sort out my dad's gas/electricity and virg-in media accounts.  All have gone up massively in price and I'm hoping I can get them reduced a bit.  He isn't short of money but I don't want him to be paying more than he needs to. 

foxgloves

How nice of your friends, @Blackcats. That unspent money can go towards something else now. 
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