We will get this debt down & the savings up

Makingabobor2

Another damp and dismal day, but at least a bit milder.  
Today was WalkFit class and I nipped to L*d! afterwards as I needed a few small bits and had vouchers to spend. When I opened the app, I realised I also had the spend £30 and save £5 voucher, so decided to get the bits I had on next weeks list as well, and then I won't need to go next week and will make use of all the vouchers.  So added it up as I went round and managed to use the £5 voucher, also got the 7.5kg potatoes free with that voucher, and also a free cookie for DH. There was also 15% off my favourite dark chocolate, so got some of that, paying for it from my personal funds as its hardly an essential grocery item....LOL   I am getting much better at doing that now, as I often used to just put chocolate in the trolley and not think about which pot to pay for it with.  Same with smoked salmon, I love it and DH hates it, and lets be honest, it is an expensive luxury these days. So I told DH that when/if I buy some I will pay for it from my personal funds, as it really is a treat.  Think this is working really well so far. Housekeeping budget is really looking good so far this period, and we are now entering week 3 of the 4 week period.  Only thing I couldn't get in L*d! was an orange...only wanted 1 and they only do them pre packed, also some peppers, don't like buying them in plastic unless I can avoid it. So will see if the veg man who stands in the village every Tuesday, has any on his stall tomorrow.  

P/fc doing very well still this month, currently got just over £9 waiting to cash out later today and still over £11 waiting to approve. 

One bit of news, which may please @foxgloves.....I am thinking of saving up to buy a 2nd hand piano.  It will take a while I'm sure, as we have so much other things to do with our money, and it will have to come from my personal/studies/surveys/ gifted money etc.   When I was a child I had piano lessons and then gave it up as a rebellious teenager. Since I have retired I have been saying I would really like to take it up again. I know it will certainly have brain health benefits as I get older, as well as being relaxing.  DH kept saying we didn't have room for one, but I persuaded him, but showing him how we can rejig the dining room to fit one in. TBH we don't use the dining room that much to eat in, only when DGKs come round mainly, as we now have a nice kitchen table or eat on our laps on a Saturday.  The room is already used for my treadmill, the TD and to store any other bits and bobs as needed.  So as DH has guitars....which he has had for years, so not a recent purchase, I felt it was only fair that I should have a piano.  I am very excited about it, although I know it is likely to be a while before I can get one.  When I played as a kid, it was old fashioned pianos, where as they seem to be more electric ones these days, which take up less room.  So lots of research and investigation is needed.  I did contact a tutor in our next town, who teaches adults as I never really got that far with it, and would definitely need some tuition/refresher lessons to get me back into it and learn a bit more.  Its a pity I live so far from you FG, as I could have come to you for help. From what I always imagine from your posts, we are about an hour south of you.   

On the financial front, I am going to do some moving about with savings pots, as we have the money saved for the extra fence and gate that DH needs to finish as soon as the weather is better, so I am going to move that into its own pot, so it doesn't get swallowed up by anything else. Also a separate one for my greenhouse, which I have been saving for since late last year, and just about got enough for that, and seen the one I want.....just a small poly carbonate type one, as don't have room for anything bigger. Hope to get that soon, so its ready for the Spring. 

Had the renewal for car insurance, and its actually £10 cheaper than last year, but DH is still going to do a search in case we can find it cheaper with anyone else. Its so much easier since we started an Annual Bills pot and don't pay for it monthly anymore. All insurances, car/motorbike tax, breakdown cover, boiler service, are now paid annually. 

Think that's about it for now. Need to cash out my P/fc money and get dinner. Using up yesterday's left over veg, with a couple of sausages thrown in.  

foxgloves

How interesting about you wanting to take up piano again! We have a very small living room but still managed to re-jig things to fit in my piano, which I bought 2nd hand during Lockdown. My sister is a piano teacher & has students of all ages. I'm sure you will find somebody local when the time comes. The 'plug-in' pianos are clavinovas. 
F

Sun_Addict

Lid! are doing single loose red peppers for 45p each this week, no packaging. I bought two yesterday.

What a lovely idea to take up playing the piano again. I'm sure you'll find some space to accommodate it. I used to have a piano as a child, I didn't have lessons but played an electric organ so just dabbled with the piano. Believe it or not I used to have cello lessons at school, I think it was bigger than me 🤣 

Makingabobor2

Sun_Addict said:

Lid! are doing single loose red peppers for 45p each this week, no packaging. I bought two yesterday.

What a lovely idea to take up playing the piano again. I'm sure you'll find some space to accommodate it. I used to have a piano as a child, I didn't have lessons but played an electric organ so just dabbled with the piano. Believe it or not I used to have cello lessons at school, I think it was bigger than me 🤣 

I think the cello is a lovely instrument & always seems so hard to play.

Makingabobor2

Well, have been so busy that I haven't had time to update my diary, so will try for a proper update some time over the next couple of days. But just wanted to say that I am very excited as have managed to secure a cheap piano and you won't believe how excited and pleased it has made me. I think maybe I am not as good as I thought I was, but it has been over 50 years since I played properly. Anyway, I don't care, as the learning will be good for my brain and that is what matters. I did however manage to play a couple of easy pieces, even though I think my tempo may be a bit out….🤣. I am now on the look out for cheap music books, so will be scouring the CS's and V*nt*d etc.

Sun_Addict

Great news about the piano. Well done for grabbing a bargain and good luck with your progress with regaining your musical skills. 🎶

Makingabobor2

Well another week has gone by and I still don't seem to find the time to update more regularly. Not sure if that's just because I have been so busy…which I have, or if its just because I think nothing exciting is happening for me to report. I will try and update more often, but it goes against my ethos of trying to spend less time online….LOL

So a bit more paid off the debts, still coming down too slow for my liking, but really working on getting it down quicker.

Into week 2 of 4 week budget period, and nothing spent on groceries this week so far, so hoping my well stocked freezer, fridge and cupboards mean that we will do well again as we did last month. Looks like the only thing I may need to buy later this week, is some bread and fruit/veg, but even then it won't be much. Last month we were still using up the meat hamper we had bought at Christmas, and even now there is still some sausage meat in the freezer ( not sure what to do with that yet….any ideas)? Then last week the butcher was advertising a brilliant deal of a large chicken, 4 pork steaks, a pack of bacon, 1kg sausages and 4 large burgers ( which he let me swap for apple and pork flavour as we don't eat normal burgers), for £24.99. Decided it was a good deal. Chicken was cooked on Sunday, and so far has done 2 meals, with some chicken sandwich filling made up for DH and I've just had some for lunch with egg on toast, and there should be 2 more meals from it. Used half the sausages and bacon on Saturday, and everything else is in the freezer. Along with everything else I already had in freezer, it is now full to bursting. Sometimes I wish we had a bigger one, or an extra one. Not sure if the running cost would outweigh the savings, and also not sure where it would go. But its certainly something I keep considering. Especially when I come to batch cook or back and realise there is no room. Need to do the rest of the meal plan later, for at least up to end up next week.

Well you may remember that towards the end of last year, I said I wanted to get a small greenhouse. Well in the end I decided on a large cold frame type thing…..still just over 4' tall and with opening doors & roof and shelves inside, which can be removed if needed. This will take up less room in the garden, and also was a lot cheaper, which considering I had just got that piano, was a big consideration. DH did however give me some money towards the piano, as he had recently sold a lot of photographic and motorbike stuff, so it didn't all come out of my personal money. So he is in my good books again now. So mini greenhouse has arrived and just waiting for some good weather for DH to assemble it for me. Yesterday we actually had a couple of hours of sunshine and it was quite warm, so I was out doing a bit of tidying in the garden, but there is LOTS more to be done, including load of weeds to get rid of in the front. Waiting for some dry weather so I can put down my home made natural weed killer. Think I'll be getting DGSs round to help soon. My back doesn't like too much bending and stuff these days.

Piano is going well, loving it. We visited MIL & FIL at weekend, and FIL gave me some very old sheet music that had belonged to his father and grandfather. Some of the tunes I'd never even heard of, but its the thought that counts, and it helped him declutter a bit. No idea why he was even keeping it, as neither of them can read music.

Still decluttering and took another box to CS yesterday. Also I have sold 2 items on V!nt*d this week, so all good there. Just waiting for that to land and will move it to the debt pots, along with the money from Y!*v* that I am still waiting for, they say it should be any day now. P/fc is going well this month, over £25 so far and got at least £10 to cash out today. Tried to cash it out yesterday, but they seemed to have a problem with it. I am really trying to find time to do a lot more on other sites, but just never seem to have the time.

Still reading library books, and not spent anything on CS books so far this year. Also the free Borrow Box audio books are good. Just started reading Atomic Habits, by James Clear, from library, on recommendation from another MSE'er on her diary. Really interesting and helpful book so far.

Not much more to report at the moment, so will crack on with some tasks this afternoon and try to keep the MSE faith and save/make some money, pay the debts off quicker and build the savings pots, which are coming along really well actually.

Sun_Addict

Good news about the mini greenhouse. We started off with a basic one before committing to a more expensive one. It served us well.

No chance of me getting a digital detox when my whole working day is spent on a computer, then throw into the mix my Spanish lessons and exercise classes 🤣

Makingabobor2

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81879264#Comment_81879264

This is the thing....I do surveys, Whatsapp friends, read Sky news etc & loads of other things so I need to cut down somewhere. Think FB might be the best thing to get rid of.

Makingabobor2

Not a very exciting day, went to dance class, nipped to Mr S to get a yellow pepper and some salad leaves….actually found a bag yellow stickered to 50p. Will be glad when I have some growing.

Listed another item on V*nt*d.

Just about to run the hoover over and steam the kitchen floor. Then need to put the recycling bin out

A question for anyone who has a dehumidifier…..what do you think of it? What make do you have? I am sick of drying washing indoors in winter and it making damp everywhere and taking forever. But I hate having to use TD unless its an absolute emergency. So hit me with your Dehumidifier tips and advice please?