Giving every £ a job

savingholmes

Some people adore cruises. Have you been before? Anywhere in particular you are hoping to go?

EssexHebridean

Ooh what are your plans for the garden BC/ have you already mentioned this and I've missed it? Great work having the regular saver money there to pay for it too - how MSE is that! 

Blackcats

@savingholmes - no I haven't been on a cruise before.  MrBC went on a cruise with a former partner and in a very immature way I've always thought that I wouldn't do something they had done together.  Utterly ridiculous I know.  I don't want to go on a humongous ship or go for a long time, so I think possibly 7 nights around the Mediterranean might be an option but I'm not committing just yet!

@EssexHebridean - we are getting a garden room which I'm really excited about.  We've enjoyed using a tarted up large garden shed type building so have decided to get a purpose built 5m x 3m fully insulated room.  It will have patio doors, be fully plastered, have electricity and heating/air con,  it will cost a small fortune but we are confident that we will get lots of use and enjoyment from it.  Preparatory work starts the week after next and so we shoukd still got lots of summertime use but it's a room for all seasons.  

Really chuffed to have added £100 to the Christmas pot during June from odds and s*DS such as £co, surveys, vinted, Chase rewards and round ups.  Accumulation of marginal gains at its finest.

£20 leftover in the grocery budget, however, we have had 2 concert picnics and a Sunday lunch out from a different budget.  

ladyholly

We went on cruise round the Greek Islands on honeymoon about 50 years ago. It was good because most of the sailing was in the evening or at night so no long boring days at sea.

PennysIntoPounds

Aw, I love that you've finally come round to the idea of a cruise after years of indulging in a begrudging pettiness, I absolutely understand your stance 😂 we ain't half daft to ourselves sometimes aren't we. I think there might be cruises that go from South Britain with stop offs up to the Scottish islands then beyond, might be worth looking into that so if you don't take to it you can get off before you get remote and get the trains home?

The garden room sounds fabulous

And excellent June MSEing!

Blackcats

@ladyholly - that was a lovely honeymoon choice.
Yes PIP it is daft and even more daft because I've been to visit "that" family of Mr BC in Europe many times, following directly in the footsteps of previous partner!

1 more day until the budget re-set and it should be a no spend day.  I used money from my personal spends pot to buy 2 books in the Audible sale so that pot has just £2 left in it.  Luckily for my challenged maths capability my Chase account rounds up every transaction and it is also good to have the round-ups to put into a savings pot at the end of each month.

I sold 4 items as a bundle on vinted which have been posted this afternoon.  Nice to pack up one parcel instead of 4 and the buyer paid in full without making any offers.  I'm never sure about how to react when someone offers 50p less for a £4 item - part of me thinks that it's not worth quibbling over 50p but I also think it's a well priced, good quality item just blooming we'll pay what I've asked for it!

PennysIntoPounds

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6532029/e-31-07-win-a-7-night-cruise#latest

EssexHebridean

Oh wow - the garden room sounds amazing! And yes - I should think it will indeed give you more than enough pleasure to justify the cost! To me, this is one of the wins of the MSE lifestyle - that it enables us to learn the real value of the things we choose to spend money on, to choose those things wisely, and to ensure that our hard earned and saved money does give us value! 

Blackcats

Thank you @PennysIntoPounds - today I am mostly looking forward to winning a 7 night cruise and graciously accepting it and having a better room on a better ship to better destinations than MrBC and his ex went on 😎. You see I am now very mature and sanguine about previous cruises that might have occurred!
@EssexHebridean - thank you for your wise words.  I have grappled a bit with spending so much money but it's not borrowed money nor will it cause us to have to go into debt to counterbalance the spending which must mean it's ours to spend and enjoy.   

Preliminary work on the base and clearing of the area is due to start next week and I'm really excited.  

My dad has given us 3 lovely bright blue garden pots which is sweet of him.  They are from his garden and whilst we do keep his garden neat and tidy he doesn't want these pots planted up any more.  They will look lovely as a trio outside the garden room.

I spent some time today working on our July meal plan which helped remind me that we won't be eating at home for 5 nights this month but will have greedy friend visiting for 2 days which could possibly offset the 5 days 🤣.  Budget set, meal plan done.  Just need to stick to both.

PennysIntoPounds

💅  You are so mature and sanguine. Fingers crossed for you that you win so you can continue to emanate such graciousness in superior cruising luxury 

Lovely to have those pots from your dad 😊

I need to know how one qualifies as greedy friend just in case I'm it 👀