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

Slowdown

Btw. The Guardian crosswords can always be found for free online if the app makes you pay. Been doing them a while now. 

fionaandphil

Gosh what a day Elisheba! We aren't too bad after the storm, lots of branches and twigs down but nothing major and we are still drying out from last week.

In terms of trains, have you booked tickets online? Some good train ticket deals on just now.  I used the Transpennine one last week and got a return ticket to Glasgow for £2 for March!  I think there is a new sale on most operators if you book by 29/01 and I also found an extra 10% off on my credit card.  Good luck with the trip to work tomorrow, hope it all goes smoothly

themadvix

Remember you don’t have to book through your local train operator’s website either - definitely a way to maximise savings/discounts.

Elisheba

Evening, fantastic thrifters,

Thanks for all the thoughts over the car mishap yesterday! Thankfully today was a drama free day!

It was very useful you mentioning being able to do the crossword online rather than on the app @Slowdown as when I went to see if I could do a bit more at lunchtime the app version was paywalled again 🙄. I had to cheat with a few words today sadly - how on earth I was supposed to get knickers from Dammit! I do not know. Presumably knickers is an exclamation word in the setter's head, but I can't say I've ever heard or even read the word being used that way.

Regarding train journey, I've had a look and the current train ticket sale doesn't apply to my journey. Will have a look to see if I can book through the train companies offering cashback.

It's been quite a productive day here at Elisheba Cottage. I got downstairs hoovered, went to collect my (free - thank you Wales 😁) prescription from the doctors, popped in to the Coop and spent just under a fiver on lunchbox snacks (and a demi baguette and hummous as I was hungry 😳). Got £1.25 off through their weekly offers, and I think we still get reward money this week at least. 

Have also swept the bathroom floor, emptied upstairs bins, washed and rehung the shower curtain and put the dry washing away. I was feeling industrious after work, so I moved the old dining table into the back hall and brought the new (to me) table in. It fits much better in the space and looks good 😁.

In yet another attempt to knit around silly dog, I had the idea prompted by a chat on @foxgloves diary to convert quite a tall biscuit tin into a yarn holder. I've punched a hole in the top and lined the rough edges with some white sugru I had in the drawer. It'll take a day for the Sugru to dry, and I'll need to rewind some yarn to fit in the tin, but hopefully it will work - and it costs me nothing either way.

Since it was a spending day anyway I decided to order some Bluetooth headphones from the big river site for £13. I've had them on a list for a week or two now, and they have decent reviews. They'll arrive tomorrow and mean I can listen to audiobooks or podcasts on my work train journey this week. Bit more meaningful and productive than just faffing around on my phone. So that's out of my monthly pocket money, and means I only have a few pounds left in that pot for the month so this weekend will need to be a quiet one.

That's all my money saving news for today. Going to have a bit of dinner and read a book this evening. I'm so warm after moving the furniture, and the weather is so mild, that I've no heating on or fire lit tonight. Another few pennies saved 😁

SuzeQStan

Ingenious knitting solution! Hope it all works out 🤞🏻 free prescriptions is great too! Xx

Elisheba

Oh, I forgot to mention I also managed to have a sort of out silly dog's toys, and threw a few bones and some bits and pieces he never looks at any more away. Everything all fits very nicely into his two metal buckets now 😊. 

Tomorrow I'm going to *try* to get a good routine going.

6am - up, washed, dressed, bed made, dirty clothes I'm the laundry bin.
6.30am - breakfast and read paper
7am - house work - dusting I think, and wiping down the kitchen. Hoovering upstairs if time 

7.30am - 10 mins meditation 
7.40am - bring in wood and kindling

7.45 - free time 
8 - 5 - work

12 - 1 lunchbreak and dog walk
5 - 6 pm - make and eat dinner, do dishes, fill dishwasher etc

6 - 6.30pm - make sure clothes are out for office tomorrow, lunch is made, alarms are set, and bag is packed

6.30pm - 8pm - free time
8pm - bed for early start.

Slowdown

That’s quite a timetable you have there @Elisheba! I’m a bit of a timetable girl myself as I’ve spent 47 of my 57 years in education! Went when I was 4, spent the next 43 in school/uni/teaching. When I left teaching I had a yawning gap and now I like to have a timetable as I fritter my days wombling about the house/garden/friends houses and end up with mountains to do. Mostly nice but also a bit frustrating when nothing has been done. 

I look forward to hearing how it all goes. 😊

Cheery_Daff

Ooh, I love a good time-blocked plan 😁 Do let us know how it goes. Sorry to hear about the car escapade but I'm glad to hear you triumphed in the end x

weenancyinAmerica

Has anyone used the Transport thread on here to see if there are discounts on train tickets? I have wondered about it for a long time.

lucielle

Interested to see how you get on with your headphones. I’m thinking of getting some but can’t make my mind up between ear pods, with wires or head phones. 

L