Dusty's Frugal Fortnights Return!

dustydigger

Thanks,Bluegreen. Heres hoping I can emulate you,you are going great guns for the 2nd quarter weightloss

maddiemay

@dustydigger Sending virtual hugs and as many positive thoughts as I can muster.

dustydigger

Thanks,maddiemay!

 It'll all come out in the wash,doubtless.

Aching all over from walking through shopping mall then 10 minute walking uphill to the surgery carrying lots of frozen things.Forgot how heavy they are. Shoulders and arms protesting their abuse today. So I am decluttering a kitchen cupboard. Its full of pyrex dishes ,best plates for Xmas,a wok,and a couple of dishes also used for family gatherings peeping out of said wok.Awkward sizes and shapes abound in that hell cupboard.For years I had a 6 tier pan stand,the wok fitted in the bottom tier. Now it takes up far too much space. All those awkward sizes and shapes,I am puzzling how to arrange them

Bluegreen143

Aw thanks @dustydigger. I’m away for a long weekend this weekend though so I fear I may put some back on 😳 wish me luck!

Well done on the decluttering, sounds like you’re getting a lot done.

dustydigger

Collected a gazillion photos from so many bags,boxes,carrier bags and drawers. Did a quick sort and got rid of lots of them. Rough sorted them into my parents,and my childhood pile,the american branch of the family pile,my own children and grandchildren pile,and even a pile from Africa.Thats the easy bit,sorting into order will be a lot more work.Sadly there are none of the latest generation,they are all on phones. My daughter broke her phone and lost all her pics of her daughter from birth to six years old,so I think relying on phones isnt too safe.

Also sorted out the two huge boxes on the lower shelves of a kitchen cupboard,full of cleaning items and all sorts of things. Made a pile to discard and Mr Dusty came down and was shocked that I was throwing good items away. Some have been unused there for years. I had some satchets to whiten net curtains,havent had net curtains for 12 years!

There was a little plastic grinder thingimabob for grinding spices,never used  in years.. Every time I redo that box I hestitate about getting rid of it,so when I finally do,in comes Mr D wailing about throwing it out. Mr Packrat,winner of Packrat of the Year award numerous times was horrified that I would even think of doing it. We then had 10 minutes going through every item in the pile before I prevailed to throw them out..I had an old mug holder,which used to adorn the kitchen window sill till I inherited my sister's much nicer one 12 years ago. Mr D refused in the past to let me throw it out,and now the wood is in a poor state. Trust him catching me chucking it out. He moaned that what if the present one broke,what would we do? I said buy a new one at Poundland for a quid.

Never mind he's happy now slurping some Vienetta icecream,which I have to foego now.and I LOVE Vienetta!........sigh..........

dustydigger

Anyone here a Saving Ninja Turtles fan? I always love the monthly opening post. There is always so much excellent advice and wisdom there. I am too intimidated by how the turtles are so great at frugality and happy living. Wont join the challenge but will post the JOYFUL JUNE  details here for my perusal:

J   Just live on what is left after paying to your debt or savings

O  Opportunities to be kind or help those who are worse off abound. Be the change you want to see in the world (Gandhi)

Y   You should check in each day (whenever possible) and find three things to be grateful for (the tiny rainbow on a storm filled day).

F   Food is fuel for your body. Don't put diesel in a petrol car. Best of all go electric and don't try to run it on empty

U   U need BUDGETS. These should be set before the start of the challenge. Food, Transport and Miscellaneous/ diy are the essential categories. 

L   Look in your cupboards, fridge and freezer. Build your meal plan around these. Try SM basics, hunt down yellow sticker (ys) items. Take lunches and drinks to work, appointments and outings.  

J    June is an excellent time for setting off seeds, if you haven't already done so. Sprouting some pea shoots or sprinkling a few salad leaves is easy, gets quick results and some of these have premium prices in the SM

U    U need to build on past successes or learn from your mistakes (win or learn, never lose), look towards your future goals (or just your future if your life is changing/ entering a new phase) but BE MINDFUL and live in the present. Plan, plan, plan. Hope for the best, prepare for the worst .

N   NSDs 10 + whatever suits you. No cafes, restaurants, works canteens (unless free/ heavily subsidised), vending machines, coffee shops or pie shops. This month's RANDOM RULE no spending on clothes, toiletries or make up. This does not apply to members of your household who are still growing. I will allow items you are gifted, swaps with friends. charity shop purchases. Use what you have, take a good look at your wardrobe and get creative about the way you put things together. There are lots of sales for the BH weekend so if there's something you've been thinking about for a while and it's a genuine bargain, go for it. 


E   Exercise 3 full sessions 3 times a week. Add extra exercise into your daily activities. Exemptions (reduced targets) for age, illness or injury. June weather makes it easier to walk or cycle rather than getting in the car or taking a bus.

Bluegreen143

@dustydigger you can now have your phone photos automatically sync to the cloud so you can access them on any device; I’d recommend this to ensure none are lost again. I do pay £2 a month for enough cloud storage for this but think there may also be free option. 

Each year I make a printed family photobook of the best photos from that year too - the kids love looking through them. Well, I’m two years behind so I’ve done up til Monkey turned 4 and Bambi turned 1, but my aim is to get the two done this year so I’m caught back up! 

gran3

Please take care of yourself, you have a lot going on.xxxx

dustydigger

Hi,gran3,I appreciate your support

dustydigger

Bluegreen143 said:

@dustydigger you can now have your phone photos automatically sync to the cloud so you can access them on any device; I’d recommend this to ensure none are lost again. I do pay £2 a month for enough cloud storage for this but think there may also be free option. 

Each year I make a printed family photobook of the best photos from that year too - the kids love looking through them. Well, I’m two years behind so I’ve done up til Monkey turned 4 and Bambi turned 1, but my aim is to get the two done this year so I’m caught back up! 

What a coincidence! DS2 and I were just discussing this last night,and there is a distinct possibility that something like that will feature in my Xmas stocking this year showing my delightful granddaughter. Last Xmas GD1 gave me a lovely album of her then 15 month old twins   dressed as Santa Claus or elves. being their usual hyperactive selves. One picture of them sitting on Santa's knees at his grotto,looking deeply suspicious of this weird fellow dressed in red like them is absolutely priceless!