Giving every £ a job

Blackcats

Hopefully the refund from m and s is being processed now.  I hope the money goes back onto the credit card during this billing period as that will mean that I can definitely pay my car insurance from monthly spending budget rather than dipping into the car savings pot.  

I did a Lid* shop this week.  I tried to get a 2 week shop, and I'll need to top up with fresh fruit and veg.  Not sure I've got everything as I'm more used to shopping weekly but I don't want to go to the shops too often at the moment and the more I go, the more I spend.  

I've started using Smol washing capsules and dishwasher tabs this month.   They are probably a bit more expensive but they are more eco friendly and work well, plus they are delivered to home so no need to lug great heavy plastic bottles of washing liquid home.  And the final piece of exciting news for this evening ..... drum roll ....I used up ripe bananas to make banana bread now.  I'm off to calm myself down with a cup of tea and some crochet 😂

flipflopflo

Hope the refund comes through quickly for you.

I've just signed up to Smol as well. It will be interesting to see how it goes.

Blackcats

Hello Flo.  Finally got both refunds through - amounted to £80 so worth the persistence to get it sorted.  At one point I was starting to doubt myself as the customer service team kept asking for the same info.  I have to admit that not so long ago I wouldn't have bothered and with that financial attitude it's not surprising that I accrued then debts I did.
I had a nice meal out on Tuesday so we benefitted from the eat out to help out discount.  The restaurant was very busy, good distancing and hygiene measures in place and it was nice to see it doing well as it's a family business that's been around for many years.  They won't be able to self fund the discount after the government scheme ends unlike some of the bigger chains who always had offers and deals which probably equated to the £10 off anyway.  

Blackcats

A nice day at home with family today.  I cooked pulled pork in the slow cooker overnight, some apple sauce using apples from the garden and warmed up some baguettes - very tasty Saturday lunch.  

Woke up to an unpleasant surprise in the bath .... not a giant spider but one of the cats had pooed in the bath 🙀.  They've never done it before and I can only assume that the torrential rain over night deterred them from popping out to use the outside facilities (the garden).  

Trying to spend as little as possible til 5th September when my credit card statement comes through - I think I can scrape through without having to dip into the car savings pot to pay the car insurance - in other words I'll be able to absorb the cost into my regular spending this month.  I don't need a food shop and probably don't need petrol so I might just manage it.   Can't think of anything else I need to buy and the new teapot and mugs I want to buy can wait until next month's personal spend budget to see if I really still want them.   I just re-read the post and there was a typo (or wishful thinking) that said the tea pot and mugs can't wait 😇

foxgloves

I love doing pulled pork in the slow cooker, Blackcats. It sounds lovely. I'm busy using up apples too.
You know from my diary that I've been a past spender too, so you won't be offended by the initial opening leery comment I was going to make enquiring if perhaps there aren't any mugs or a teapot in the Blackcats household, but then I thought how I am intending to log onto a few homeware websites shortly to look at new baking/roasting tins. Nothing inherently wrong with ours, just at that stage where they are getting a bit charred around the edges & aren't as easy to clean. Not strictly necessary though, which is why I am defo not one to be sounding judgemental over mugs & teapots! We are in the throes of the biggest part of our home improvements work at the moment & it is amazing how I start thinking 'Oh, I'd better replace that' , even on items I had every intention of keeping. The latest is the lounge curtains. They are full length as I do like a fairly theatrical floor-sweeping curtain, but we have just had a big radiator fitted under the window, so unless (in the words of my Dad) I want to 'pay to heat the street', I need some shorter ones. I was perfectly happy to shorten the ones I already have, but today......oh, you'll know the drill, lol, I have found myself looking at them properly........there's a little faded bit, a couple of bits where our dear old fur friend (now deceased) applied his claws, I have convinced myself I would perhaps not make a brilliant job of altering the lining, etc, etc, so of course, I am now looking at buying a new pair & saving myself the effort. Now, back in the day, I'd have the new ones already, plus a room half full of new stuff bought & stored ready to put out when the work is finished. Buying stuff for my home was probably one of my worst habits back when I was spendy. It actually started when I was in halls of residence at uni......when I'd only got a room, not even a flat or a house! 
Are you still plastic cacti-free?
I have high hopes that you are, lol.
F x

Lifeofdreams

Hello

I would love to subscribe to this thread.  How do I do it?

joedenise

At the top of the thread there is a box on the left called Bookmark, click on that.  When you want to go back onto your bookmarked threads you need to go to the box on the right of the page which looks like a bookmark (to the left of it is an envelope and to the right a circle with the word Profile under it.

Lifeofdreams

Thank you so much for advice greatly appreciated.  

Blackcats

Ah Mrs F - to paraphrase Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber "you know me so well!".  Yes the blackcats household already owns 3 teapots - 2 have been boxed up in the garage for several years because Blackcats drinks such weak tea that a teapot has never been necessary.  So, if I really, really needed/wanted a teapot then I could go and retrieve either of these teapots as a proof of teapot concept.  There is also a small glass teapot that I use for mint tea.  So, there is no need to bring a new teapot into the house.  And yes I have lots of mugs but I'm a bit bored of them 🤷‍♀️.  I realise that I wanted a new teapot and mugs to make my table look lovely for visitors.  A lot of my spending has been about "what other people think of me" but actually 'what other people think of me is none of my business".  If I've invited friends and/or family to my home then I need to accept that they want to spend time with me regardless of my elegant teapot.  (That was my search criteria - "elegant white teapot". )Good grief 🤭😖

Blackcats

Thank you JoeDenise - very helpful.  I hope you are well?
hello lifeofdreams and welcome.  I think this diary is about me achieving a life of dreams so your user name is very apt.
as you will see from my ramblings i spent more than I earned for many years.  Sometimes this was just about keeping my head above water and other times it was about frittering money away on "stuff".  I am a reforming character now but still fall into the trap of spending on pretty, sparkly things or too many meals out or failing to budget properly.  I don't have any debt but I'm trying to learn to save money with as much enthusiasm as I've spent money.
what is your "life of dreams?"