Giving every £ a job

joedenise

@Blackcats I always put the frozen fruit in at night when I do overnight oats so that the juices seep into the yoghurt and have defrosted.  Not sure I'd want to eat the fruit whilst it's frozen!

Love the "marginal gains pot" - that's a new one to me!

Sarahwithlove

Sometimes needs must and you just have to have a takeaway. I've been wanting one for about 2 weeks but been saving myself for my birthday 🤣

Blackcats

Hello Sarah - I enjoyed the takeaway and there was enough for dinner tonight when I added it to a dal and dug out some samosas from the depths of the freezer.  It's your birthday tomorrow so time for you to enjoy a nice takeaway treat.
JoeDenise I kept the blueberries in a separate pot in the fridge as I thought they might make the oats a funny colour.  Marginal gains pot is my fancy name for the odds and ends pot - rounding down of bank accounts, voucher savings, quidco etc.  I'm up to £381 in there now which has taken a few months but has been completely painless.  When I reach £500 I'll move it to another one of my savings pots and start again.  

Exciting lockdown activity of the day ....... drum roll .... I tidied my candle drawer.  Now I can see what I've got and I found some hidden treasures.  I'm using up some part used candles tonight that were lurking at the back of the drawer.  Shopping from home has given me at least a month's worth of cosy candlelit evenings.  

savingholmes

I adore candle light too

Sarahwithlove

I'm certainly looking forward to it I have to say. Be nice to have a night off cooking. 

Blackcats

Thanks for popping in SavingHolmes and Sarah.  (Hope you had a good birthday Sarah)

I had my day off today, lovely walk in beautiful sunshine around a picturesque lake.  All local, not travelling too far).  

From my personal spends budget I bought a nice hat and gloves with sparkly bits in the sale and wore them for the first time today.  Made me feel very happy wearing them.  Took a flask of tea with me.
it could have been a no spending day but I filled car up with petrol as I was passing the cheapest petrol station locally.  

Candles are lit, wine is poured and a couple of chocolates are waiting to be eaten.  😀

Sun_Addict

Just popping in to say hello. Also enjoying a glass of vino and candles 👍 Have subscribed and will follow your adventures 😁

Blackcats

hello sun addict - thank you so much for popping in.  I've followed your diary for a long time, mostly reading, very occasionally posting.  You do so well and have such a great writing style. 

I was going to say that there aren't many adventures here, but actually all our lives are our own adventures. 

Even though I'm working from home, so no travel etc, there's still something very special about a Friday night.  

Sarahwithlove

Walk sounds lovely! I've been going down the beach but wondering whether I should venture to local nature reserve instead as nice lake there. 

Blackcats

Sarah, I'd love to go to the beach but sadly it's in the neighbouring county so not currently allowed.  Pre lockdown we would pop to the nearest seaside town for a walk and a bag of chips so we are really looking forward to doing that again.  In fact tonight we are re-creating a dish from our favourite beach restaurant - crab risotto.  However a walk by a lake is lovely too, with the reflections and calmness of the water.  

I am really excited as I have set a hugely ambitious savings target for this year.  The plan is to increase a savings pot by £10,000.  There is some consolidating of odds and ends of money from other accounts which will give me a head start and I've set up a monthly savings plan.  It might not be doable but even getting somewhere close to that will be amazing.  I've drawn a pretty coloured page in my notebook to plot my journey.  

Nothing spent today.  A nice long walk in the sun earlier and now I'm cosy for the evening. Just about to light some candles and pour a glass of wine.