Resourcefulness: The budgeter's friend

kayannie

Regarding the quality of peat free compost, a few weeks (or months?) ago,  I was watching the gardening programme 'Beechgrove'. The presenters had been trying out various types of peat free compost to see which were best & which not so good.  Although I can't remember the exact results, there was a big difference. KA

Sun_Addict

I wish I’d made the effort to plant courgette seeds this year as it seems to be a good year for them. My peppers, tomatoes, chillis and blackberries are doing well though. The blackberries are actually next door’s but they started growing over the fence so they’re mine now 😆

Blackcats

Pleased that Ash is recovering well.  You've made quick progress on the cat blanket.

Cheery_Daff

Gosh, what a shock it must have been with Ash. Glad all is seeming better now (except the bank account...).

I'm delighted to report that I now have a single courgette growing 😁 A small miracle - I didn't even plant seeds until June, and didn't plant them outside until July, so I thought I'd failed altogether! Very exciting (although I won't count it until I've actually picked it - plenty of time for it to be munched yet!)

foxgloves

Hello Campers, & thanks for your comments, though I have to say to @Cheery_Daff, I simply cannot at this moment imagine a world in which I had only one courgette! I hope it is soon joined with lots of other little green friends.
Well, it is most pleasant sitting here at the dining room table with the french doors open with some actual wi-fi! Cats are both flat out, not even any biscuit pester this morning - I think they have both had a night out on the tiles. I did just pop in & check Ash's breathing is normal but it looks fine so I think the steroids are doing the job.
As usual at this time of year, I have had a pretty old-style morning. I've made bread dough & got a batch of rolls on their 2nd proving, fed my sourdough jar for baking a loaf tomorrow & made some pastry. I've baked a pastry case blind ready for tonight's cheese & caramelised shallot quiche & made a saucer jam tart with the leftover pastry. I think I was definitely channelling my Nana there, although her fabulous home made cherry jam is just a distant memory. She had a big espalier cherry tree in her garden - cooking cherries, sour as anything to eat, but made the most fantastic jam which she used to make all sorts of things, but always a lattice saucer or plate tart to use up scraps  of pastry. I have used blackberry & apple jam on mine & didn't have enough pastry for lattice-work so I topped it with 3 pastry stars instead. Tonight's quiche found its way onto the meal plan because there was a bit of T-Rex pastry fat at the back of the fridge which was getting close to its date & it fell into my sights for use-it-up activity.
Other use-it-up activity - As we both liked the experimental batch of sweet jalapeno chilli sauce I made on Tues, I used another 200g of elderly frozen jalapenos to make another couple of jars. I'd have doubled the recipe up if I'd had sufficient vinegar, so still may make more to free up some space for this year's crops.
Money saving efforts for the rest of the day? Well, apart from Mr F picking up the weekly groceries on his way past the shop tonight, as has become usual for Thursdays, there won't be any money spent. I kept the list fairly tight, although there are 2 or 3 preserving ingredients plus lamb mince & a chicken, no other shops should need to be visited except possibly for cat meat, so I remain hopeful about the budget target. I will, of course, be making tomorrow's work pack-up - long, long gone are the days of a meal-deal every working day x 2 & the huge expense of that, despite the word 'deal' implying otherwise! And I will hopefully do some surveys, as I would like to add to my August PA earnings if possible, as have only just broken £10 this month, which is low for me.
I may set out my pile of crochet squares in order of joining, as I began this last night & could probably finish the 1st cat blanket today if I put the effort in. 
Lovely weather here today - sunny, but not too hot. I like low 20s in summer so I can enjoy the sun without wilting.
Love to all,
F x

Sun_Addict

I'm not doing as well with surveys this month. I usually aim for £50 a month but not even half way there yet.

Glad Ash seems to be on the mend.

foxgloves

@Sun_Addict - Don't give up! I've had my laptop open this afternoon to catch any which might appear & I have topped £21 now, so I'm going to push on with it as I find their surveys the most interesting & it is useful money for adding to my new Personal Spends Savings Pot. I'm not via-ing spends into this for anything in particular, I just thought it would be useful to have some put by in case I see anything fabulous or need it for something. The interest in the bank account in which we have our Savings Pots money actually pays the best interest of all our accounts now at 4.50% instead of such a tiny little amount a couple of years or so ago that I forgot it was even an interest-bearing account!
F

Sun_Addict

Funnily enough I’ve just done quite a few and am now well over halfway to my target 🙂

foxgloves

@Sun_Addict - Excellent! I'm not quite at halfway yet but as there is still lots of month left, I think I should be able to get my total up a good bit more. I added on £11+ this afternoon just by having the tab open on my laptop so I could see any new ones coming in.
F

maryb

My younger daughter can buy discounted supermarket gift cards through her work including Rose Waite's which give a 4% discount. So £100 worth of shopping costs £96.   As that is tax free that represents a good chunk of saving, better than interest rates. 

Any chance Mr F could do the same?  Even if it's not part of an employer benefits program, some unions have negotiated similar discount deals - my other daughter can get the same deal through her union.

But I'm glad she didn't buy a Wilko gift card!