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

missymoo81

Hi @Elisheba I have just caught up. Your plans sound super sensible. Onwards and upwards for 2023!

kiloranbay

Hello @Elisheba. My every day vehicle is a small panel van with a conversion kit, as a compromise between car and camper, and I love it. Ask me anything!  

Elisheba

Hello all,

Sorry for my extended absence.  I was pretty busy and then had gotten out the habit, but without my daily dose of MSE forums I am getting rather spendy again and I need to rein it back in.

I have invested in a few very useful things for myself in my absence.  One is very good quality washing basket  Its made of some sort of rushes I think, and I can fill it, and the handles will join in one hand and its absolutely ideal for my narrow twisty stairs.  The handle on my old plastic one had ripped, and I had cut a new ones into it again twice, but it was really awkward to hold and quite painful as the handle cut into my hand.  So it is now a basket for the mending, and I can get washing to and from my upstairs bedroom to the outside utility room via my narrow, twisty stairs and very bouncy dog intent on stealing socks, much more easily with my new one. Its seems to be extremely good quality so hopefully it will last me for years.

I have also got a new smaller Stanley flask, 1 litre instead of my other 2 litre one - which makes taking coffee on the train to work easier.

And finally, although it hasn't arrived yet, a countertop dishwasher that I don't need to plumb in (I can fill with a jug from the top) and which will drain into the sink.  I am so excited about this.  I've been in my new house almost 5 years and missed having a dishwasher so much.  the kitchen is too small for even a slimline one. I am not a very domestic person and I hate doing dishes, but I also hate them piling up and not having any clean ones.  So this will hopefully be the (very expensive) solution.  Since its only me it being quite small shouldn't be an issue.  I just wish I had known you could get no plumbing ones before - my life would have been so much better!

It's bill day today, when most of my bills come out.  I have a problem just now in that my phone is broken and I am in the process of getting it collected for repair.  So my SIM is in my work phone (which takes two), but my work have restricted the apps I can have so I can't do online banking (or sign into google or loads of things which is so annoying).  I popped into the bank yesterday and transferred all my money to my bill account so its fine, but I can't keep an easy close eye on things like I am used to, or transfer money from my high interest account as needed.  Its still going to be about 2 weeks before I have my phone back so I'll just have to live with it, and keep good spending records.

As an update regarding a camper van, I decided not to buy one after Xmas as I didn't want the debt.  On reflection cooking with my dog in any sort of confined space vehicle will be close to impossible.  What I have decided to do is get an inflatable one room tent from Decathlon which will go up in two minutes and be my living room, and is recommended by a friend who says I will be able to put it up on my own no problem.  It means camping on campsites, but that's not the end of the world.  I can sleep in my car which is warm and comfy, and do everything else in the tent.  Then I can drive away and leave the tent on site to visit places.  All going well I will try it out at Easter, in the Lake District I think.

I hope everyone is well and I will try to catch up with diaries and threads over the next few days 

Makingabobor2

Glad things are still going  well for you. The tent idea sounds great. Love the Lake District, not been for a few years. Hope the weather is good by then and you can have a fab time trying out the tent and exploring. 

Dishwasher sounds a great idea. Got to be better than washing dishes at the sink....my worst job. 

Have a good day

Elisheba

Just being back on this board is making me more organised. Have the kitchen all cleaned and ready for the new dishwasher - although it's not due for delivery now until Thursday which is a bit annoying.

Can't do anything about organising money until I get my phone back as I need it to log onto pretty much everything. It's being collected tomorrow though, and then hopefully 7-10 days before it's delivered back to me all fixed (or possibly replaced I suppose, although that wouldn't be very eco friendly. I'll try to get to the actual bank tomorrow to transfer a couple of bits that need doing, but otherwise not much I can do.

I checked my energy bill online, which I don't need my phone for. I ran out of credit with January's whopper of a bill, and raised my DD, but I've still gone about £70 into the red. I'm not too stressed about it as my bills should go down from now on, but worth keeping an eye on.

I've been swimming with a friend a couple of mornings a week for the last month. Since it looks like I will stick with it I think it'll be worthwhile signing up for the swimming membership. I've been debating whether to get the full membership, then I can go into the health suite as well, but as yet I'm not sure I would do it enough to justify the extra expense. So for now I'll just go for the swimming membership I think.

I saw a local government article that said we are being offered the same payrise we got last year. The Union's will need to vote on it, but I think it's fairly decent so hopefully it will pass and I will get it from April. That would be good as last year's is has basically been eaten by now needing to go into the office once a week at peak times. It's a 50 mile each way journey and not cheap either by train or car.

Other than that I need to do a meal plan for the next week and a half. I want to make sure I have plenty of fruit and veg I'm there as I haven't been the healthiest recently. I'll post it here when it's done, and do the shop either tomorrow night or Thursday.

I'm in the office on Friday so need to have packed lunch stuff for then, and then I'm rushing home to feed and walk my dog, then out that night for a social group I attend. I'm not sure if I have plans on Saturday (can only check my calender on my laptop currently - so I need to remember to check that tomorrow). Sunday I'll probably go to church in the morning - I'm trying to be good as it's Lent. Then probably a walk in the afternoon. My sciatica has been playing up so I can't walk miles like I used to which I'm finding really frustrating.

House tasks I need 5o fit in this week/weekend -
-
* Getting the wiring sorted for the dishwasher and getting it set up when it arrives (I'm going to need to clip an extension lead around a door frame and along some tiles).
* Hoovering the house

* Dusting the house

* Cleaning the bathroom

* Cleaning the fridge

* Mending (ongoing from the neverending basket of doom)
* Give the oven and grill a wipe down

* Meal plan and food shop

Amazingly I'm currently on top of the washing and dishes for once, so don't need to worry about them.

I would normally head to bed in about 20 minutes (I need a ridiculous amount of sleep) but I'm still waiting for an Amazon delivery, so don't want to go until that's arrived. It's been a grey, wet day here but I've got the heating on, and I'm cosy and warm while my cats snore  and my dog chews on his bone, so I can't complain. 

I hope everyone has had a lovely, cosy day 😀

Elisheba

Afternoon all!

My new dishwasher arrived today rather than Thursday after all. It made me very glad I had cleaned the kitchen yesterday, and then clipped the extension wire around the door last night after it (the extension wire) was delivered just before 10pm.  The instructions on the dishwasher make almost no sense at all - I think its fair to say whomever wrote them didn't speak English as a first language, or possibly a second or third language  .  However, the set up looks fairly straightforward so I've done what I can and put it on for an eco wash with a few bits in it just to get a feel for how it will work.  Its basically just a one tray dishwasher, only the tray is a bit smaller than a normal one. 

It feels so good to know I can just put it on every night and no more piles of dishes waiting for me when I get around to them.  I've bought a big box of 68 Ecover dishwasher tablets, and I think I'll be fine to cut them in half - it being so small.  My water here is soft so I shouldn't need dishwasher salt with the all in one tablets, so a little saving there.  Its not exactly energy efficient this baby dishwasher, but again, its about quality of life.  

I'm about to go out for a dog walk, and will pop into the bank to do the essential money transferring on the way back.  Think I'll have beans and cheese on toast when I get in, as got half a tin of beans that need using.  I'll need to work out a meal plan and shopping list as well, as absolutely must go food shopping tonight as I'm out of cat food.

I have the heating off today, but will put it on in the evening so that saves a few pennies.

Meal plan done now 
Wed - Pasta mish mash (to use up some half empty jars of pesto)
Thurs - Mince and tatties (with carrots and peas)
Friday - out
Sat - HM PIzza
Sun - Pie and roast things
Mon - Veggie chow mein
Tues - Quorn chicken veggie wraps
Wed - Veggie chow mein
Thurs - Wraps
Friday - Lasagne, garlic bread and salad

Lunches - soup and sandwiches, baked potatoes with cottage cheese and salad.

Breakfast - porridge with dried fruit and nuts, weetabix and tinned fruit

Hope everyone has a great day 

Elisheba

Duh! I've just remembered I can't go out just yet as my broken phone is due to be collected within the next hour.  Hopefully they are sooner rather than later so I can get on with things!

Makingabobor2

Dishwasher sounds great. What size is it? Does it take up a lot of space? It sounds a great idea. 

Elisheba

Its about 45 cm by 45 cm by 45 cm (roughly - can't remember exactly). It could technically sit on the drying area of my sink, but I am putting it on the counter between the sink and cooker.

Makingabobor2

That sounds like a decent size to wash quite a few bits and not use too much water either. Might have to look into these