Frugal, thrifty, make do, mend! Let this debt come to an end!

SuzeQStan

Very jumpy hopefully just new update glitches

badmemory

I'm reading on a computer & frankly it looks like someone has forgotten to put some ink in the pen.  But looks fine when you are typing in the leave a comment space.

Elisheba

Morning, my thrifty pals  ,

Yes, it does look quite different on here, doesn't it?  I can see why more of the main page stuff being promoted on the forum might be useful.  I just don't see any actual improved function for forum users so that's annoying.  Oh well. I'm sure we will all get used to it soon.

I bought a couple of birthday presents for friends yesterday that I have been meaning to get for ages.   One of them was reduced on a Clubcard deal, so that was nice.  Now I just have to get them to my friends - one of their birthdays was last month! Also bought some shampoo and conditioner, but didn't buy anything else so proud of that.

I'll need to stock up on UHT milk at the weekend, and might buy some dog food.  Didn't get either at the beginning of the month as I had loads then, but stores are running low now,

I had a look at the Prime day deals, but the only thing I've been thinking about getting were more, but smaller Stanley flasks.  The deals were okay but nothing fantastic, and I don't really need them so will leave them for now.  

I see in paper that the government is unlikely to fund any public sector pay rises recommended by independent pay review bodies.  Since Sunak has been saying all winter he can't possibly agree to any strike payrises as they weren't recommended in the pay reviews last year I think they are on a bit of a dodgy wicket there.  I really wish they would think of other options to deal with austerity and now inflation other than starving our public sector.  I am so sick of constant restructures and transformation programmes.  Everything is already cut back to the bone, and apparently next year (probably due to high interest rates, but I'm not actually sure) is going to be even worse again.  Oh, the joys of public sector work

Moneywise, everything is just ticking over nicely just now.  I should hear back from my Union any day now about whether we are accepting our pay offer or striking.  I am personally in favour of accepting, and it would be nice to see it in my pay packet this year when I actually need it.

I'll give the bathroom a quick clean later on, and that should be it for house tasks for today, other than putting a few clothes and some bedding away.  I think its sausage and mash for dinner tonight, and I have some boiled eggs I'll do something with for lunch.

I'm a bit at sixes and sevens today as there was a family situation that I can't really talk about for confidentiality reasons, but there was the potential for changing my life quite dramatically.  However, I learned this morning that it won't happen for various reasons and while I am basically hugely relieved, I am also a little sad as I had been growing accustomed to the idea.  There was also a work situation yesterday which was pretty horrible and I had to report it to management.  Its fine, and part of an on going issue which thankfully I haven't had much to do with, but it has unsettled me and I'm unsure of how to proceed in terms of a professional working relationship.  I absolutely hate drama, and there seems to have been a lot of it in my life this last week or two!

I finished the John Humphreys Greek book yesterday, and made a bit of an inroads into the the Escape to the Chateau one.  Hopefully I'll have all three finished by the end of the week and can choose something to read I'm more into. I'm trying to stick to summerish books just now as tis the season and all. 

I have the Levison Woods book about his journey on the Silk Road which I might read - not sure if that was when he fell off a cliff and nearly killed himself.  I remember that happening on a TV series when he was in Nepal I think (somewhere around there).  I honestly don't know how he gets insurance to make programmes as terrible things are always happening.  When he was walking the Nile one of his companions died from heat stroke, poor soul.  My ex and I were watching thinking it was a nice adventure travel programme and then that happened!  We were absolutely shocked.  These sort of programmes are normally highly sanitized travel shows, not full on 'I may be some time' expeditions!

Right, onwards with the day!  I hope everyone is having a good, frugal and thrifty week!

SuzeQStan

Thinking of you Elisheba - big virtual hugs be good to yourself.  Lots of self care please - bubble baths, good books, candles etc 🥰🥰

Elisheba

Morning, thrifty friends!

I have not been very money saving this week I must confess, but it has all been budgeted for.  I realised that my new CC payment wasn't coming out until August, and was just going to pay this month anyway as I had budgeted for it, and then I had a thought...  I have been talking about getting an inflatable tent since the beginning of the year for microcamping adventures, and due to a cold Spring and various mental health issues leading to me being unmotivated I never bought it.  Since the CC is 19 (or maybe 24?) months interest free and I have budgeted to pay it off in 12 months, one more month wasn't going to cost me anything extra, so I bought the tent!  

I have known which tent I wanted since February, and it had £50 off in a summer sale, so I thought I may as well.  Its basically an inflatable room that I can use as an awning with my car, and was recommended by a friend.  It arrived yesterday and I am dying to try it out!  Not sure when I am going to get a chance though as quite busy for the next few weekends.  I have booked 3 nights away over the August bank holiday, so if I haven't managed it by then I will have to put it up first time when I am away.

I also bought a rucksack for my holiday in September for £24.  It'll do me for what I need it for, but in comparison to my old one that I bought for £100 in 1998 (so a lot of money back then!) it is rubbish. But you get what you pay for, and I didn't need anything fancy.  

And I bought a cotton towel poncho for £25 (reduced from £30), which was totally not a need but just seemed so blooming useful for beach days.  No longer will I need to do the infamous British shuffle when I get out the sea! I just put this over my head and I can strip off my swimming costume no bother, dry myself, and put on dry clothes, no hassle at all! You can also stick the head hole closed and use it as a huge beach towel.  It might even be useful for camping when its dry, as an extra layer when I'm sitting out on the cooler nights.

In terms of camping I could really use a camping cupboard to store food in the tent so my dog can't get at it, but they are so expensive for what they are!  About £50 - 80 for a 3 shelf unit, and £80 -120 for something fancier.  I'm holding off to see if any bargains come up, although it doesn't seem likely in peak camping season and I will need one when I go away on the August bank holiday.  I also need a few other bits like camping gas and a camping frying pan, but they can wait until nearer the time.

Other than that I am on top of recording all my spends this month - its so much easier now I use Notion, and the s/s adds every category up for me so I always know where I am. I haven't been so good on meal planning, so I will do a plan asap based on what I have in for the rest of the month.  I am away the first week of August to Scotland to visit family so would like the fridge to be bare by then.  

I checked why I was paying less in pension contributions and it was because the banding changed slightly.  Annoyingly, when my annual payrise finally comes my payments will likely go up again.  The Union have informed us we didn't get to the 50% of people voting that was needed to to strike, so that's now off the cards.  Instead of firing ahead with the offer on the table so we could see it in September though, they are waiting for the results of a sister Union at the end of the month so they can make an announcement together.  I don't think that is very considerate of people's needs when there is a cost of living crisis on personally, but I don't suppose it makes a huge difference to me and nothing I can do about it anyway.

I've been sleeping later and later recently, so last night went to bed super early to try and get back in a good sleep routine again.  I need about 10 hours sleep (which is ridiculous, but if I don't get it I feel awful) so that means going to bed about 8pm if I want to get up early.  Once my routine is better I can hopefully go to bed at 9 and straight to sleep, then up about 6 or 7am.

I made sweetcorn and potato soup yesterday so that will be lunch today and tomorrow, with some bread and butter.  I have about 20 veggie sausages in the freezer so will need to have some sort of sausage meals for dinner - so probably sausage and mash for the next 2 days.  That'll give me time to think of a meal plan for the week afterwards.  

I hope everyone is faring well, and I am looking forward to catching up with everyone's diaries 

Elisheba

Just back from my lunchtime walk and remembered a few little moneysaving (or lack of moneysaving) bits that I forgot to mention.

I had to buy a new railcard - sadly no deals when I needed them, so that was £30.  Obviously it pays for itself quite quickly, and I have recently discovered that I only need the one railcard.  Previously the railcard for my local line made my tickets cheaper than the Network Rail one  tickets for work, but needed the Network Rail one to get to London.  Now the Network Rail one seems cheaper locally so will just use that one.

Industrial action on the trains means that I am not going into the office this week so almost £18 saved there.  It looks like there is industrial action next week as well, but I am hoping it won't affect my trains too much.  I do need to show my face at some point.

My dog found half a loaf of bread on our lunchtime walk which he scoffed so he won't be needing full rations for dinner    

I am out on Saturday for an Escape Room and dinner for a friend's birthday.  I am designated driver though so won't be spending a fortune on cocktails.

Not very environmentally friendly but I bought Lidl's dishwasher tablets for about £3 for 50, rather then ordering the Ecover ones on Amazon for £20 for 100.

Not bought any Kindle books this month!

One of my libraries (I am a member of two different county libraries) shows I am in credit with them!  Think this is a result of trying to pay a fine on their machine and it looked like it had come off twice, but didn't actually in the end. Much confusion but since I have paid them hundreds in fines over the years I am not feeling too guilty. My other library shows me owing them money as I didn't renew on time - ooops!

Think that is about it!  I'm going to try and post a bit more frequently than I have been doing in the last few weeks as it really is good for keeping myself on track.

Elisheba

Evening, all, 

Well, I ended up making a massive pot of quorn bolognaise for dinner as I remembered I had mushrooms that needed using up ASAP. I chucked a couple of handfuls of sweetcorn in as well, just to get the veg content up. I think there are probably 3 or 4 portions left, and I'm out for a chip supper tomorrow, so I'll have some more on Saturday and then freeze the rest.

I've been reading diaries and getting inspired. I really need to have a proper declutter of the whole house. Drawers, cupboards, clothes, the lot. I need to get in the mindset of if I'm not going to use it then I don't need to keep it, even if it's perfectly good and serviceable. Even little things - for instance when I was looking for something in a drawer earlier I found a ham jar, nicely labelled, with styluses (or plural stylie?) for phones. I never use a stylus on a phone or tablet, so why am I keeping them? So I am going to slowly try to sort through everything and get rid of what I don't want or need.

My hip is also still playing up and as medicine only seems to go so far with it, I think I need to have a serious think about losing weight. Everything I Google on femoral nerve pain seems to suggest that something is pressing on the nerve, and it could be a weight issue.

I'm absolutely all there for body positivity and I've never stressed much about being big, and deliberately stopped weighing myself or any of that malarkey years ago. My blood pressure and all the other health metrics are fine apart from my BMI, and I know for a fact that having a bit more fat in my face makes me look younger and healthier than some of my counterparts. Again, I'm happy to grow old gracefully but it does feel a little bit nice when people look shocked when I mention my age.

However, it has to be faced that it is a distinct possibility that my weight could be causing this nerve pain. It started soon after I got a desk job 18 years ago, and that's also when I started putting on weight. I need to try everything I can to get this problem either fixed, or at least minimised. 

I'm not going to join a diet club - I've done it before, but it's expensive, and I don't stick it out, and then it all goes out the window. It has to be about lifestyle change. So, I think the thing to do is to try to educate myself on what a healthy diet consists of - obviously I know some stuff already, but just don't do it enough, like 5 - 10 portions of fruit and veg a day, all the colours of the rainbow, keep the processed food to a minimum, go wholegrain where possible, fermented food is good, exercise regularly. But I need to do more research as well.

In the meantime I'm going to cut out unhealthy snacks, try to get to 10k steps a day, get back to swimming at least twice a week. I'm going to get the ultra processed stuff in my freezer (mainly meat replacement products) used up and then slowly move over to more wholegrain product eg. Green lentils instead of quorn mince, and apparently there is a recipe for sliced aubergines that works really well as a fake bacon. 

My theme/focus for this year is self care, so sorting out my lifestyle and weight, and hopefully my blooming hip, sound like they will really fit into that. Grand plans are all well and good, but follow up is what counts. I have some old scales in a cupboard, but need to put a new battery in them and find the cover for the battery area so they work! I can weigh and measure myself weekly, and I might post my monthly BMI on here to keep myself accountable. 

I'm off to bed now, so sleep tight and sweet dreams, everyone 😴

beanielou

Have you thought about consulting a physio for advice? 

SuzeQStan

Lovely to read your posts Elisheba - so glad to hear you will be posting more often.  

I need to take a leaf out your book and have a good declutter. Started doing it on Olio but got fed up.  Think it’s more
motivating to donate to charity shop.

interesting about what might be behind the nerve pain - hope it eases for you soon xx

Makingabobor2

The 10K steps a day is a good idea, any sort of moving is helpful. I bought a 2nd hand tread mill, so that when I can't get out in the winter, I can still walk. I also follow a woman on FB who does the most brilliant classes, it is £15 a month to join her VIP class, but there are 3 lives a week and literally hundreds of classes in her library to chose from at any time. I find it really motivates me, knowing I can just do a session whenever I feel like it. 
I think a lot of hip pain can come from the nerve, I suffer a lot with my hip. I also think a lot of it starts higher up in shoulders etc and moves down. 

Keep on with the decluttering, I have been doing it a while now and it helps declutter the mind as well.