Frump to Fab 2022 - The Big One

chanie

@Wednesday2000 hopefully your new offers will work out. As @helensbiggestfan posted, things will work themselves out.  Maybe the universe is telling you that you need to buy @helensbiggestfan house 🤣.    

@helensbiggestfan hope your health improves soon and your heating and electrics get sorted quickly. 

Me and OH are putting on our frugal hats in an effort to get ahead of the rising living costs, as we’ve taken our eyes off the ball in recent years.  The children have gotten into bad eating habits (foregoing dinner in favour of snack food), so we are trying to sort that out.  We are slowly getting there and that should help with grocery costs!! Since I’ve been working from home, I’m not spending as much money because I’m away from the shops, so that’s also helping.   Although, I do find myself craving that outside world more.

sugarbaby125

Hello Ladies,

I went to the Thinking Ahead discussion group at Blackfriars Settlement yesterday and it was good listening to everyone else. I was thanked for the jerk chicken wings that I cooked, as apparently they were well received. 

We were discussing mine and other people's upcoming birthdays. Next week we will have a mini birthday celebration for 3 members of the group. I did a quick stop on my way home yesterday to Card Factory, so that I could buy some inexpensive birthday cards (4 for £1) and 2 medium gift bags. I will be giving the 3 members birthday presents. Unexpected gifts on your birthday are always welcome. 

Wednesday I hope all goes well with your house move. 

LL I hope your electrics and heating are now in working order. 

helensbiggestfan

Good Morning lovely ladies. 

Please to report boiler now fixed, new pump required. Everywhere now super toasty.  The system seems far more efficient now, the house is much warmer and actually seem to be using less gas.  Win-win.  Warmer house and lower bills.  

Still awaiting the lighting circuit repair but I have plenty of table lamps so not a problem.  

It's funny but throughout this last week I got to relive what life was like when I was younger. I was brought up in an age before central heating, double glazing and good insulation.  

"Good Old Days".? Pah, , you can keep them......😂.  

Life without hot water and being reduced to boiling kettles is so primitive dahhhlings. 

All joking apart it really reminded me just how fortunate we are.  We citizens of the first world have a luxurious life our grandparents could have only have dreamed of.  

Have a great weekend y'all.  I'll catch up later, first I'm going to have a nice soak in the bath and then get cracking,   

Keep fabbing.  

helensbiggestfan

Car just passed its MOT with flying colours.  Wahoo.  

Going to have a nice restful afternoon now, maybe watch a film, read a book.  Just take it easy.  Think I have earned a break after the stress of the last week.  

helensbiggestfan

Chanie......meant to say I've got my frugal hat on now too.  Living costs are rising and although I am ok and have both savings and wriggle room in the budget there's always room for improvement.  So I'm scaling back where I can.  

I have made a conscious effort this month not to indulge in frivolous spending or impulse buys.  I did buy an electrical staple gun/nailer but only because I now find using the manual one too difficult.   My next project is to reupholster 6 dining room chairs and the thought of having to use a manual stapler was a bit daunting. 

 I did splurge on a couple of items from a charity shop, a purple M&S fine knit sweater, £3, no tags but it looks like it hasn't been worn, and a nice maxi dress for £1.50.  

Luckily both the new central heating pump and the car MOT didn't break the bank. Phew!!  Both came in much less than I'd feared.  

But you're right.  Costs for food, petrol, gas, leccy - all the basics - are rising very fast.  The more I can claw back a bit, the better.  

maman

So pleased you got your heating sorted out @helensbiggestfan. Ours packed up on Christmas Eve 2020 but thankfully a darling plumber came out and fixed it that afternoon. 🥰 Great that you have alternative heating though. 

We, too, are in the fortunate position that we can afford price rises but it's going to be devastating for so many people that you read about on mse. I'm still being careful though. I don't want to waste energy. Whether that's gas, electric or my own! 🤣

I'm still keeping up with fabbing. I went out for lunch yesterday and wore blue (instead of my usual black, grey or beige! ). I'm definitely one for neutrals, although my beiges don't include anoraks and crimplene trousers.  I'm more a honey coloured cashmere sweater type of gal. 😉

sugarbaby125

Hello Ladies,

There will be a lot of spending for me not just this month, but throughout 2022. I have bought lots of items from eBay as presents for family and friends upcoming birthdays throughout 2022. I will be doing various events to celebrate my 60th birthday and also for my daughter's 30th birthday this year.   

I am of course saving more than I am spending by trawling through eBay finding items at bargain prices. I used to go to the shops in January to find sale bargains, but once I realised I could secure even bigger bargains on eBay, I started to make most of my purchases from eBay. I also collect Nectar points and earn cashback on all of my eBay purchases. There are also regular Nectar bonus points promotions on eBay which give my Nectar account a nice boost. 

chanie

@sugarbaby125  what are your pens for your big birthday and your daughters birthday?  

I also have a few big birthday coming up this year, including OH.  DD thinks she has a big birthday this year, as she is turning double digits (10) 😂.

I suggested to OH that we go out for a meal for his birthday and invite our family to join us.  Otherwise, he doesn’t really know what he wants to do.  I’m going to decorate the house etc and I’m going to start buying him a few presents to open until he decides on his main gift. 

I always say that my eBay addiction is due to @sugarbaby125 I’ve got so many good deals on there.  I’ll definitely be looking there for OHs birthday gifts. 

Floss

@chanie a friend of mine is doing a weekly  "thing" for his partner who turns 40 this year, who did a sort of birthday advent calendar for the month leading up to his 40th.

chanie

@Floss thats a good idea. I’m now thinking maybe I could do something similar, in the weeks leading up to OHs birthday… although I don’t want the children thinking they will get presents in the lead up to their birthdays as well 🤣.