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

KajiKita

Bravo on reducing the pizza dough! Sounds like the recipe is wrong …? 🤔 Are there any comments on line about it?

KK

Elisheba

Morning, all,

I had a quick look at the comments, @KajiKita, and most were good but a few said it was a liquid.  I think the issue may have been her conversion to metric was wrong, but haven't had the chance to work it out myself and see.

I have just had a look at energy fixes. Still wondering what to do.  I won't be able to change online because when I put my postcode in I only get offers with a night and a day rate, and I don't want that.  Even my current provider is only offering me night and day rates on their app, despite the fact I am on a single rate with them. 

I don't have a smart meter although that's just because my current provider never seem to have gotten around to installing one.  I have kept a very close ye on my usage this year, and I'm a very low user comparatively.  The standing charge accounts for almost a third of my bill, so unless that gets lowered significantly nothing makes a huge difference to me.  That's the main reason I'm not sure about fixing - yes, unit rates will go up 10% in October, but that won't actually mean a 10% rise for me, and none of the fixes look that good really.  I'll need to look into how much the standing charges are rising and then make a decision.

Monday is washing day and I think I probably have enough in the basket to put a load on.  Weather is very damp so I'll dry it indoors. Money saving in that I only wash what absolutely needs washing, I never use a tumble dryer, and I use my own cleaning products from Nancy Birtwhistle recipes.

I transferred my Mum the money for a birthday present for one of my brothers yesterday, so that is paid for, and comes out the present pot.  It is one of my niece's birthday's this month so I'll need to ask my sister what she needs, and pay for that out the present pot as well.  I think that is it for present spending this month.  Need to send a card to a friend and a cousin, but that should be it.

Clothing wise, I am going to see how I get on.  I am contemplating wide leg wellies, and a pair of brown DMs, but with the DMs I am not sure if I should get something smarter but that won't last nearly as long.  Its winter stuff really so no need to decide immediately.  Neither are cheap though, so I want to be pretty certain before commit. Also the clothing pot is empty, so if I do get them I will need to decide where the money is coming from.

I'll need to pop out and buy milk later on as I have enough for a coffee and my muesli at 11am, and that is it.  I'm not sure if I need anything else - certainly nothing desperately.  I might get some fruit and veg to make meals more interesting this week, and some more halloumi for the curry on whatever day I am having it.

I've just looked out the window and it looks like the birdfeeder needs filled so I'll do that later on.  I got 12 little cherry tomatoes yesterday from my one tomato plant that my neighbour gave me, so I'll have a tomato and cucumber salad tonight I think with a bit of balsamic vinegar, which will go well with soup and a cheese board. I have Beavers this evening and then there is some sort of planning meeting afterwards, so not sure if I should pack dinner to eat there or eat it super early. I guess I'll see how hungry I am half an hour before its time to leave. 

Right, time to get on with things.  Hope the start of the week treats you all well.

 

Makingabobor2

I love the idea of not working on a Sunday. I always seem to start out like that and then end up saying..."I'll just run the hoover over", or "I'll just do the ironing", etc, I really should try and not do that. Although I often like to garden on a Sunday, does that count as work? TBH, it never feels like work as I enjoy it, its my therapy. 

SuzeQStan

Don’t think you can go wrong with DMs Elisheba - quality durability and impervious to fads - at a price sure but DMs are accepted as smart enough at OH’s workplace.  I’ve got a pair that are 20 years old and still good to wear out walking. 

Elisheba

Morning, all,

I slept terribly last night.  Couldn't get to sleep, and then I tossed and turned all night.  Very annoying and feeling a bit grumpy today because of it.

My B@rclays Blue Rewards starts charging today.  The main thing I use BR for is their high interest saving account, which I put the bulk of my wages in until I need them - most things come out toward the end of the month, and I have been happily earning about £10 a month interest that way.  I have applied for a C!nergy easy access high interest account, but they are doing an ID check and I had some trouble with the link, and am currently awaiting them sending me another one.  So that's not going to be open for a little while by the looks of it.  

So, since B@rclays BR is offering 1% cashback on spending up to £5 a month for the next couple of months, with the interest and that cashback I will probably be getting about the same amount of money each month, so I'll keep it until I have an alternative sorted out.  

I still haven't sorted out an a energy fix.  It is a bit of a faff for saving a few pounds is the problem, but I know the pounds all add up.  Martin's email today was saying the current deals might be pulled, so I'll need to do something soon if I am going.

I went through the Kindle monthly deals yesterday and spent £10 on books, that comes out of my personal allowance. I also put loads of books that looked good in the deal, but which the library app said my library has, in a list of 'Books in the library', so I can go through and order them (ordering books is free in my library) when I have time to read them.  

Got a lovely little book in the deal called 'Romanticise your life' which I have started.  Its a concept I have seen a lot on some of the YT videos I watch, and is very Anne of Green Gables.  It a really gentle way of being mindful and appreciating things, basically.  Making your self the hero of your own story. Turning each activity into something special. Using your imagination to make things beautiful. As someone who is prone to the black dog, anything that works to make me happy is always a bonus.

I realised today I will need new deodorant soon.  I would really like to get an eco option, but anything with bicarb in it irritates my skins, so not sure what ones to try (that actually work) and what ones are a good price.  If anyone has any recommendation I would be grateful.

I have had to take an anti histamine as my allergies are playing up, making my skin itchy which seems to be the new normal, and was one of the reasons I couldn't sleep last night, so hopefully it won't knock me out!  

I think that's all for now.  Hopefully next time I update I will be a slightly better mood!

SuzeQStan

Sorry Elisheba - sleep is so important isn’t it?  Can totally relate but the one thought that brings me a crumb of comfort is the thought that I will sleep so well the next night!  Have you had anything with caffeine in it? 

Romanticising your life sounds amazing!  Totally agree with you about that one - if I’m happy in my surroundings then I do feel so much more content. I remember that gorgeous photo of
silly dog and your bookshelves.  Let us know if book is any good might check it out x

hope you feel bit better xx

jokono

Chase bank offers 1% cashback up to £15 per month; they also have a 5% round up account. The rate for saving pots is 3.85%, and you can have a boosted one (not sure if it's still available) at 4.85%. The interest varies with the BOE base rate.

I use a crystal/ alum stone as a deodorant. It doesn't have any smell (I prefer it) and it's not perfect, but nothing I tried ever was perfect for me. I had one for about 5 years and I reckon I still have a couple years use left.

foxgloves

@Elisheba - Both Mr F & I changed to the refillable Fussy deodorants last year as another step in our efforts to reduce plastic waste. We get on really well with them. I don't know whether they do a bicarb-free version? Previously, I could only use 2 or 3 brands of sensitive roll-on deodorants as my arm-pits would become very irritated, something I have never found a problem with any of the Fussy deodorant fragrances. I am not sensitive to bicarb though. 
F

Makingabobor2

I've heard of Fussy deodorants FG, supposed to be excellent. Can I ask @foxgloves, how long do they last? Is it good value?  Sorry to hijack your diary @Elisheba

foxgloves

Well, that's a bit 'How long is a piece of string?', as it depends entirely on how much you use. I do remember that I was monitoring this the first time I used it. I put the 1st refill in the case in September & didn't need to change it until some time in December. I've just taken delivery of 3 more assorted refills with a £4.50 reduction as they sometimes email customers a discount code. I am more bothered about the steady stream of plastic I have put into the environment between the age of 12 & 59, so even if it worked out more expensive, refillable is now something I'm going to stick with. Another thing we have noticed....sorry if it sounds a bit gross.....you know how white work shirts can get yellowy armpits from man-sweat? Well, since swapping to this natural brand, we have noticed that the armpits of Mr F's white shirts are pristine. We can only assume that there must be some kind of reaction between the more chemically traditional deodorants & sweat. Also, there doesn't seem to be any residue of product building up on clothes either, despite me washing them at 30 degrees.
Sorry, @Elisheba....it's gone a bit more deodoranty than you probably anticipated!
F x