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

Elisheba

Oh, for goodness sake!  Just realised I had put the hot water on for a bath on Sunday night and and never turned it off again!  That'll be a good few litres of oil I'll never see again . What a muppet I am - although I'm blaming it on being ill and not quite with it.

Thanks @Moorviews I am pretty happy right now.  I'm a big advocate of working on being happy when and wherever you are planted rather than constantly dreaming of the future, but I do have to admit its a lot easier in a lovely house with beautiful views  . 

Thanks @WinterWarrior and @puckishpixie.  I have done some research online today about natural products you can dye your hair with.  I don't want to go red so henna and beet juice are out.  You can go darker using coffee or sage, but neither are permanent.  I think I might start treating my hair with lemon juice, especially when its sunny and sit out in it.  It bleaches hair, so might strip a little of the colour from my already dyed part and lighten the not grey hair a bit so it all looks more evenly coloured.   I did have it natural for about 3 years and just got bored of it, and also thought I looked younger in pictures with it dyed. But it doesn't really fit around my values to be dying it with all those chemicals so I'll just have to put up with the transition.

Elisheba

Morning, all,

Looks like today is going to be a lovely day 🌞. I've got my T3sco shop coming this evening which will be nice.  I totally forgot to buy butter yesterday when I did a small interim shop at the Coop, so will need to manage without today. I did remember proper coffee though, so normal service has resumed and I'm sitting in bed with a cup of the black nectar currently.

I'm a little tired today as church home group ran late, and then I sat chatting to another member in the car on the way home until close to eleven, and my mind was really active then and I didn't get to sleep until last midnight 😱. I'm so grateful that I'm making friends here though and settling in. I think part of it is that people here are just so friendly, and the other part is that in the past I believe I was living with a long-term anxiety disorder that really limited what I felt comfortable doing.

It was something I wasn't even aware of - I just thought feeling horrendous dread and panic when going into new situations and dealing with stress was normal, and all my life I had just ploughed through it. It was only when I started medication for depression after my divorce and suddenly didn't feel that dread and panic all the time, I realised that perhaps what I felt wasn't actually normal. The medication had fixed something I didn't even know was wrong 😂. 

What it has meant though is that moving here to a new place and meeting new people is so much easier than I ever remember it being before. While it didn't stop me from doing things completely before, it did make everything much harder so I was likely to try less. Now I'm happy to go along to anything and give it a go ☺️. I still have to shake myself sometimes at how much easier things are to do now, and how much better that makes things!

Black cat managed to throw up her breakfast on the carpet about 10 minutes ago, so I'll need to go clean that up in a sec. It really is without rhyme or reason, as she hasn't thrown up for weeks. 

Need to cut the grass this evening. I'm a bit concerned about my lawnmower as last time I used it, the blade hit a big stone and the mover started making a funny sound. When I investigated it's seemed bit wonky and was rubbing against one side of the engine part and had worn a hole in it. I played around with it a little but not sure I fixed it. If it is just that it needs a new blade I can buy one of those, but there isn't much point if the whole mechanism has moved and can't be sorted out.

Breakfast today is the homemade 50/50 bread I remembered to make yesterday, with marmalade (but no butter 😭). Not sure what lunch will be - I have a pepper and some tomatoes that needs using so possibly a salad with some hard boiled eggs, and olives and picked onions on the side. A bit of a picnic lunch. I'll see what I'm in the mood for at dinner time. Probably not the pesto pasta in the fridge as I've had that the last two nights in a row.

If I find the time and have the energy I might do a little cleaning today. I have a friend visiting on Saturday and won't have any other time really do do much. Thankfully the house is still pretty clean and tidy from my clean before I went away, but with a cat and dog that doesn't last long!

Moneywise, I don't predict any spends today - unless the Kindle daily deal tempts me of course ☺️. 

I hope everyone has a wonderful Wednesday and all your tasks and activities go well.

Cheery_Daff

Lovely to see you back, and I'm so glad you're finding it easier to get out and about and make new friends in a new place 😊 Makes all the difference 😊

lucielle

Hi lurker here. Regarding your lawnmower it’s probably your blade boss that needs replaced and may be the blade. The blade boss protects the engine from damage and should be easily replaced. Hope that helps. 

L

SuzeQStan

Hey Elisheba - once a month commute sounds absolutely brilliant! 🎉🎉 Hope it works out would be a lot less faff for you to deal with.

i hear you on the hair dye situ - if you find something that is more natural please let me know.  I’ve been touching up with eyebrow powder but that’s not entirely effective when you have as much PURE WHITE hair coming through as I do! 

Am giving serious consideration to a wig - my mum loved hers

Elisheba

Morning, all,

Thanks, @Cheery_Daff. Getting settled in so quickly and meeting new people has really made such a difference. I think I would feel quite isolated otherwise as it really is quite a hike to see friends otherwise.

Hi, @lucielle. I've not heard of a blade boss before - I'll have a Google and look into it. I got the mower working yesterday, and it didn't seem to have any problems so fingers crossed.

Hi, @SuzeQStan. I know - once a month would be so good. It would open up the Scotland plan again as well, although I'm not sure that's what I want at this moment in time. Still, it's has given me some added impetus to get on too of my finances so I've got some flexibility in the future. I will let you know how I get on with the hair. Won't be able to try out the lemon juice for a few days due to various social commitments that means I can't be seen with lemon juice soaked into my hair 😂.

Happy Thursday, everyone. Looks like it will be quite a decent day, weather wise. There is a D day remembrance service for a local chap who didn't come home at my village church this morning, so I must make sure to remember that and dress smartly.

My T3sco shop was delivered last night so my cupboards are full once more 😊. It really is so much easier than going out and doing a big shop. When you think the supermarket is half an hour away, and then all the heavy pet food I need to buy and lug into the house, then £3 delivery charge to have it all brought to my door really isn't much. The food is more expensive than Ald1 but it'd just so much easier. I think I might do online shopping going forward. The saved time and energy are worth it.

Breakfast today will be porridge with mis shaped summer berries I took out the freezer yesterday, and probably crumpets and marmalade as well. I'll make some vegetable soup for lunch and have that with my homemade bread. Then dinner will either be vegetable wraps, or homemade pizza. Whichever meal I don't have tonight I will have tomorrow night as I took the pizza dough out the freezer to defrost last night so it needs using up.

Today is my very early to bed night due to having to get up at 5am tomorrow, so I won't plan any house tasks. Honestly, I wouldn't mind office days so much if I could just sleep a bit later. The 5am start leaves me tired and strung out no matter what time I go to bed the night before. I have not bought any snacks for my packed lunch tomorrow which was a bit of an oversight. I think it'll be cheese and tomato sandwiches and fruit for the packed lunch, and I'll need to see if there is anything else I can make if I get time.

I don't think I mentioned before but the little lump I found on black cat disappeared before I had time to take her to the vet, so must have just been a cyst thankfully. Apart from sleeping a lot she seems in rare good health for an 18 year old.

Right, time to get ready for the day ahead. Have a fab day, everyone 😊

beanielou

I agree on the home shopping delivery. Worth its weight in gold. 

Good news on the black cat. 🐈‍⬛ 

Elisheba

Good morning everyone and happy weekend!

Well, I got my office day out the way yesterday. I was so very tired on the way home that I didn't even feel like reading on the train and instead just listened to music. I had remembered to pack my breakfast and lunch, and had gone to the Coop the day before for snacks, so I didn't spend any money other than the planned spending on my train ticket and parking. I'll count that as a win, as it's so easy to fritter money away on office days.

I've got a friend visiting today, so I need to get up soon and get ready, and then do a quick house tidy. Need to change cat litter, sort out some books, freshen the bathroom, empty the dishwasher, makes sure downstairs is tidy, hoover, and fill the bird feeder. Nothing too arduous. We don't even be spending much time in the house, just a quick coffee before we head out to do something nice locally.

Spending today will involve lunch, and possibly some books from all the bookshops we will visit 😆. When my friend has left I need to take silly dog a walk, as I won't have time before she arrives. The supper will be pizza I think, as I haven't used the dough I defrosted yet.

Tomorrow afternoon, after church I need to do some weeding in the garden, and then I have some Scouting online training I need to do. I'm sure it will be very basic and nothing I've not done before so I've been putting it off, but there is a time limit fur it so I need to get started on it. 

I've just started a lovely book called Dusk Light Dawn by Anne La Mott so I'm looking forward to reading more of that this evening. I was also very good yesterday and instead of buying the newly released Rev Richard Coles new murder mystery, which I have been looking forward to, I have ordered it from the library. That's £11 saved ☺️.

So, time to get started then. The world awaits and I don't want to be late 🌞. Have a lovely weekend, everyone.

Elisheba

Afternoon, frugaleers,

Hope all is well with everyone.  I've been feeling bit run down this week so far - not sure if its a touch of post viral fatigue after my nasty cold last week, or no cause in particular.

Had a bit of a shock yesterday. Someone has put an insurance claim in against me.  It was a situation that happened in Scotland. I parked the car in one of these long parking bays where you are parallel to the pavement and cars park top to tail.   I distinctly remember there was loads of room so I just turned into the big space and stopped the car, then took silly dog on a quick walk round the carpark for a comfort break.  When I came back some car was completely blocking me from from opening the boot which I was cross about and had to get into the car and move it forward.  Then a woman came out of the building and accused me of reversing into her.  She said, and it seemed to be valid, that her car had been there before mine, and I had no explanation at the time other than I hadn't reversed into her.  I hadn't reversed at all, and if I had my car has a rear camera and beeps when I'm near anything so its not something I could have done accidently.

When I thought about it later I thought her handbrake had probably been off or loose and her car had rolled into mine - there was a very slight slope.  I had given her my insurance details but honestly didn't think she would be daft enough to take it further.  However lo and behold, I was informed yesterday that she has.  I took a picture of both our cars at the time and there was no damage but I had already moved my car so no pictures of them touching.  I don't know what she hopes to gain.  Her car had peeling paint but that was nothing to do with the fact our cars had been touching.  

I've disputed the claim, and have a company coming out to inspect my car next week, and my insurance company are asking hers for evidence of any damage.  There may well be CCTV as well, but I need to get hold of the person in charge of it and give them permission to release it apparently.  No response from the contact details I was given for that as yet.  Its just so frustrating because I know I am innocent, and I have never been involved in an insurance claim before (and haven't protected my 15 years no claims discount either - oops).  I don't really know how this plays out and its worrying me.  The more I think about it the more I feel she is just trying it on.  I mean when I saw the cars together my first thought wasn't someone has reversed into me, it was someone had parked ridiculously close, and what an idiot they were.  Why did she immediately presume a collision?  Surely she knows (as I made it pretty clear at the time) that I would dispute it, and its just going to mean her insurance premiums going up? I honestly can't think what is going on in her head.

Apart from that drama, I also chased up the Reader's Digest subscription I had got my Mum for her birthday which has never arrived, and it turns out they have gone into administration!  I've lodged a claim, but I suspect that's a £25 I will never see again.  

So many annoyances this week!  However, moneywise all is on track.  I've bought some bird food as the birds are going through it at some rate, and some cheap sunglasses as my old ones have broken.  I've also had to pay some money for specific things for a friend's big birthday day out at the end of the month, but that has all been factored into annual pots.  

This evening is my evening off from all activities.  The weather isn't awesome so I suspect I will just curl up on the sofa and read a bit, or maybe watch some YouTube.  Hopefully that will recuperate my energy levels a bit.  I've actually nothing I need to do tomorrow evening either, as I'm not going into the office on Friday so don't need to head to bed ridiculously early.  We are supposed to be having a village shindig on Friday but the weather doesn't look promising, so not sure how that is going to play out.  I have 4 little tins of cherry cider for it that I ordered with my big T£sco shop, so quite looking forward to it and hope it goes ahead.   

All this week's washing is done and dry, and is folded ready to be put away.  I hoovered downstairs yesterday, and I'm on top of the dishes so I really can just relax tonight. 

I had a quick look on Rightmove earlier, and there is an ex council house similar to mine in the next village on sale for £190k.  Its not such a nice layout but has a much bigger back garden. It needs a new kitchen, flooring, and I'd want to have oil central heating fitted and probably a wood burner as well. I didn't look at the bathroom or whether it had double glazing.  I'm not in a position to buy currently, but its useful to know that's what I would be looking at if I bought around here.  I suppose I really need to start thinking again about getting a deposit together - its not like houses are going to get any cheaper.  There is still a bit of debt hanging around from the massive amount I started with, and then the house move on top of that (not counting my car loan).  Time to get my eye back on the ball I think.  I kind of lost motivation when it seemed like my Scotland plan was never going to work out.  

Well, that's all my news for now.  I hope everyone is having a good week. We are over the hump now so won't be long until the weekend!

Cheery_Daff

What a nuisance about the stupid insurance claim! I hope it comes to nothing. I imagine it won't get very far - insurance companies aren't known for paying out on a whim when there isn't any proof - she doesn't have a leg to stand on. Not nice to have to deal with though xx