Pay off mortgage and start having even more fun 😁

newgirly

Maybe I’ve quickly forgotten how much cheaper things used to be then, it’s certainly hard work! Funny you mentioned shampoo GP, i needed some this week and went into B00ts first and it was all what I would call the posher stuff, no option for the usual older fashioned brand at £1.50 ish a bottle so then I went to HB afterwards to get some and couldn’t find any under £2 a bottle, I’m sure they used to do some cheaper. Don’t get me wrong sometimes I’ll splash out a bit more and get some a little dearer, but not right now. 

Thinking about he coffee, we usually go to cost@ which does a deal before 11 am where it’s £4.99 each for up to a medium size and toast and butter which is not bad these days compared to some, we do take it in turns so it’s not that big a chunk of the weeks budget. I am doing shopping here and there still, so need to be mindful that I’m not paying more than would in a bigger supermarket, still buying basics like veg, milk, yoghurt etc, in m@s, not buying hardly any fruit nowadays but when I do I’m finding it lasts longer from there. 

I don’t know, I’ll keep going but it can be a bit time consuming thinking about it all 😆

Finally saw the final film on the series we all like last night (the conjuring) with ds2 and dil, popped in on the way to visit my new granddaughter (the rescue cat, they haven’t suddenly had a baby 😆) to say she settled in well is an understatement, she trotted straight up to me , jumped on my lap so I could stroke her for a bit and then tried to crawl up my sleeve as she likes to snuggle 😆 if ds2 leaves the room she follows him around and tries to “help” she’s like a little dog! It’s amazing how well she’s doing since she was used for breeding and kept in room with 38 cats ☹️ she’s certainly got a much nicer life with those two spoiling her now, they have started her jumper collection as she’s hairless, yesterday she was sporting a pumpkin one 😊

themadvix

So lovely to hear that your granddaughter has settled in well and is being spoilt after such a rotten start in life. I've never been keen on Sphinxes - my cats are super furry! - but she sounds quite sweet.

You're right that £5 for a coffee and buttered toast isn't extortionate in this day and age - but it's still a whole day's spending gone in one hit if you're on a budget of £10/day. I'm not suggesting you shouldn't do it - just the £10/day is not as easy as it was. Reckon a few years ago, you could have got coffee and toast for £3.99 if not £3.49.

Greying_Pilgrim

newgirly - I get my shampoo from hB and I can concur.  Not only have they hiked prices on the 'branded' product, but there is less and less options for the budget lines.  And what used to be 99p is now £1.50 or nowhere to be found on the shelf.  

Just back in from shopping - Tea bags were 10p more in MrL and milk was up 10p in MrS... I really am sad to say that you're putting yourself under tremendous pressure with your challenge - the playing field ain't level anymore ☹️

Greying X

daisy_1571

They've changed the bottle shape of the Alberto balsam shampoo that we get.  Used to be a pound a bottle or 3 for 2 and you got 350ml.  Now its dearer and you only get 300ml

LadyWithAPlan

So sorry to hear re DS1’s gf’s BIL news, what a shock!!

I had a cat that was convinced he was a dog, followed me into every room, waited at the front door when he heard me coming up the stairs, if i was sat he was sat on my lap and even would sit on the edge of the bath - i had to rescue him from falling in with me twice!  He had been in cat heaven for over a decade now and I still think of him with absolute joy & love. His sister was way more chilled

Greying_Pilgrim

daisy - that's what I buy.  Picked up a bottle this lunch-time 95p for 300ml, and very few bottles on the shelf - and certainly none of the 3 for 2 offers that it used to be ☹️

Greying X

South_coast

I use a fake Pantene from Lidl, £1.59 for 300ml 👍

teapot2

daisy_1571 said:

They've changed the bottle shape of the Alberto balsam shampoo that we get.  Used to be a pound a bottle or 3 for 2 and you got 350ml.  Now its dearer and you only get 300ml

I used to buy this for £1 in @sda as well but been using a shampoo bar lately.  I was looking for some plain soap the other day as stuff I'd had for presents was nearly done, that seems to have shot up in price as well.

daisy_1571

Greying_Pilgrim said:

daisy - that's what I buy.  Picked up a bottle this lunch-time 95p for 300ml, and very few bottles on the shelf - and certainly none of the 3 for 2 offers that it used to be ☹️

Greying X

At least that was under the pound, well done

newgirly

Gosh it’s been busy on here 🙂

Vix- Too true prices have shot up, next time I might go for a slightly higher budget or make it just food! 

GP- It seems proportionally bigger price jumps for the lowest priced items too, I realise I’m lucky to currently be able to chose to spend less rather than be forced to, in the past that would have made the stress levels worse.

Daisy- I’ve noticed that too! 

Lady- Ah, some are just extra special, our old girl we lost a few years ago was like that, she once fell in the bath with me 😆

Sc- will check that out next time I’m in Lidl 🙂

Teapot2- I stopped using soap bars again a couple of years ago, perhaps I should restart it lasts so much longer.

Well we are in York, it was a nightmare journey on Saturday morning , left before 6 am and the car needed a lot of charging it seemed! Did stop off at the outlet centre on the way quickly as dh wanted to look for sk@chers for work (didn’t buy) but we didn’t get to the flat until about 2.30pm  😩 dh bought us an early dinner at prezz0 as it was but a main and get another for £1 so £32 total including tip, then we did the ghost bus tour which I booked in advance, fantastic silly fun and a great atmosphere. 

Somehow I’ve spent a lot so far, we had got this down to a fine art of just eating indoors and bringing lots, but this time was going to be a bit more of an out and about trip, yesterday we had a roast dinner and today we have the 1vy booked for later before we go off to the opera house for the show. I budgeted £300 for everything , but have spent £20 on boxes of lind0r chocolates in funky flavours for Xmas hampers for the kids and also I finally got a heated throw from b@m at for £35, it’s balanced out as dh has chipped in a bit, but I will have spent it all! Car charging is very dear on the go and it’s a car with a so called 160 odd range, but that’s weather dependant and also you need to not let it get too low on motorways incase you (as usual ) can’t remember where you usually stop and charge 🤣 or worse they are full and you have to hang around. 

I have to say the heated throw will be fantastic at home this winter, I tried it out last night here and wow it’s so cosy, did a bit of reading up and decided on a throw so I can just put it under the quilt to take the chill off before bed but still use it elsewhere. I won’t have it on when in bed probably but for the living room when I’m home alone and the heating is off and I’m sat still for a bit. I also ordered some gloves (not holiday related and have come from the challenge money) second hand “turtle doves” recycled cashmere fingerless gloves. I wanted some last year but at £37 plus postage 😱😱 I didn’t , finally got some unworn with no labels in a very bright pinky red colour for £5 on vinted! I can confirm these are absolutely amazing and I will probably wear indoors as well as out when it’s freezing. I appreciate I may sound as if I’m about 99 with my excitement over blankets and gloves, but I’m not looking forwards to my drafty house this winter as I don’t want the heating in for just me 😬

Spending challenge update : 

£423.33/£1000 so another £15.83 spent on the gloves and some stamps and sympathy cards, no food as we are away and it’s in that budget for three days. 

Anyway, time to get up and go for a wander around York, it’s bright and sunny today and hopefully less rammed with people as it has been this weekend so far.