Giving every £ a job

lucielle

Well done. My pots have taken a real battering this year and I feel like I’m always on the back foot. Just need to get to the end of the year and then I can refresh. 

L

Blackcats

@lucielle - I feel like I've been playing fast and loose with my savings pots by filling and depleting them on a fairly short term basis and not loading them up for annual recurrent costs or big expenses like planned 2026 holidays.  The ongoing reset is doing me good and I'm taking my time pot by pot by pot to get a realistic monthly savings plan.  The exception is my regular savers which are diligently funded for Christmas, tax and my stooped interest free credit card.

talking of holidays we are away for a 5 day break in one of our favourite regular haunts.  The accommodation is good value and we are eating out at lunchtime and having cheese and crackers back at base in the evenings.  

Gloriously sunny today and we enjoyed tapas on the seafront and then a long walk along the sandy beach. It's great to watch how much fun dogs have on the beach, running around, digging and scampering in and out of the sea.  We aren't having any booze with our lunches but are having a glass of wine back home with our evening cheese board.  I got so fed up with paying big money for mediocre wine so I've made a conscious decision not to drink when we are eating out so I'm saving money and avoiding disappointment.  I had a nice glass of ginger beer today which was very refreshing.  

Sun_Addict

Tapas on the sea front sounds idyllic. Another one here who doesn’t like mediocre wine. Life’s too short to drink bad wine or coffee. 

lucielle

That sounds like a great way to spend the day. 

L

Blackcats

@Sun_Addict - I don't drink coffee but MrBC likes good coffee at home and when we are out and about.  Fortunately he is often given fancy coffee beans for birthday or Christmas so he gets to enjoy a nice variety of tastes.  He is almost impossible to buy gifts for so I think people are relieved to buy something useful.
@lucielle - we enjoyed another sunny beach day today.  We had lunch watching the tide go out.  I had harissa potato hash with spinach, peppers, onions, feta and fried egg which was yummy.  Then a cuppa and a slice of Dorset apple cake which fortified us for a walk back along the sandy beach.

Our mini break has helped me start to plan for an Autumn re-set.  I'm eeking out the last drops of summer until at least 1st October and then I'm going to embrace a cosy Autumn.  I've spent some clothes budget money on new slippers (my current slippers should really have left the building last year), new jim jams (one pair in and one pair out) and some fun socks.  All bought from Vinted so reasonably priced.  I also used some personal spends budget to buy 2 new mugs and some tea towels for a home refresh.  MrBC is befuddled as to why new tea towels can make me so happy.

i love how relaxing in a different environment helps clarify thinking and refresh mind, body and soul.  Dorset apple cake helps too 😎

Sun_Addict

I’ve got some new tea towels with pumpkins on but I’m not allowing myself to use them until October 🤣

PennysIntoPounds

New tea towels and apple cake is living the good life 🥂

foxgloves

Same here, @Blackcats. Am also ready to embrace Autumn in all its glory. New slippers, 2 new tea towels, new shopping list pad magneted to the fridge......but no apple cake. I did bake a semolina cake to take on holiday with us though, so I think that could count as I did fill it with blackberry & apple jam.
F

savingholmes

Beach times are fun times - and when they come with cake too - heaven.

Scott_Weiland79

Blackcats said:

@lucielle - I feel like I've been playing fast and loose with my savings pots by filling and depleting them on a fairly short term basis and not loading them up for annual recurrent costs or big expenses like planned 2026 holidays.  The ongoing reset is doing me good and I'm taking my time pot by pot by pot to get a realistic monthly savings plan.  The exception is my regular savers which are diligently funded for Christmas, tax and my stooped interest free credit card.

talking of holidays we are away for a 5 day break in one of our favourite regular haunts.  The accommodation is good value and we are eating out at lunchtime and having cheese and crackers back at base in the evenings.  

Gloriously sunny today and we enjoyed tapas on the seafront and then a long walk along the sandy beach. It's great to watch how much fun dogs have on the beach, running around, digging and scampering in and out of the sea.  We aren't having any booze with our lunches but are having a glass of wine back home with our evening cheese board.  I got so fed up with paying big money for mediocre wine so I've made a conscious decision not to drink when we are eating out so I'm saving money and avoiding disappointment.  I had a nice glass of ginger beer today which was very refreshing.  

hmmmmm tapas on the seafront and Blackcat as a user name i am thinking hmmmmm where are you from?

We are in Tynemouth