Resourcefulness: The budgeter's friend

foxgloves

Thanks, @PennysIntoPounds & @Makingabobor2 - Yes, it was an enjoyable productive day. I always like to get Christmas shopping underway early, then save cards & wrapping until later, when I'm getting festive.
F

foxgloves

Hello Diary Readers,
An unexciting but useful & pleasant enough day. Budget-friendly efforts:
*3 loads of laundry well-spun & on heated airer. It wouldn't have saved any pennies pegging out as we have had on & off showers today.
*Baked a loaf.
*Made tomorrow's packed lunch & breakfast.
*Knitted half the cuff on remaining pair of socks for the presents bag.
*Unpacked yesterday's shopping & packed it all away - mostly in the presents stash & my toiletries basket.
*Transferred a few more red tomatoes from the ripening bag to the fridge.
*Did my usual Monday morning budget updates.
*Remembered to post birthday card while it still has time to get there 2nd class.
*Made a little seasonal display on our front windowsill with stuffed toy cat (Pyewacket wearing his scarf), knitted & other pumpkin decorations, fir cones & a felt bat. Abandoned my idea of bedecking with fairy lights as felt they'd get too much attention from unhelpful paws, but there are some fairy lights not too far away in my Mum's 'mystery purple glass thing' as it's always known, so it does all look quite nicely autumnal in a 'less is more' kind of way. 
Am enjoying watching 'Riot Women'.....talking of which, this was a conversation earlier Mr F:
Me: I've watched the 2nd episode of 'Riot Women'.
Him: Was it good? 
Me: Yes, very. I think I'd like to be a Riot Woman.
Him: You already are one.

Hmmm, not sure how to take that!! 
Right, a chapter of my book, piano practice & a chat with the cats, then I shall think about a bit of chopping for tonight's nosebag. Kedgeree, so v easy.
Hope everyone's off to a reasonably decent start to the week. When I was working, I preferred Mondays to Tuesdays. Monday still had that potential of promise. By Tuesday, I knew it was going to be the same as usual. Sometimes used to play the Pogues 'Too many sad days, too many Tuesday mornings' on my way to work.
F xx

Humdinger1

@KajiKita re door salesman  - you're more than capable of dealing with Juggins - but that could feel quite spooky under some circumstances, no? Or just plain patronising, pushy and/or rude! Onwards and upwards love Humdinger xx 

badmemory

One thing I learnt earlier this year.  It is a lot easier to close the top of a stable door on a pushy person than it is to close a normal door.  Not cheap but at my age the peace of mind is priceless

Humdinger1

Humdinger1 said:

@KajiKita re door salesman  - you're more than capable of dealing with Juggins - but that could feel quite spooky under some circumstances, no? Or just plain patronising, pushy and/or rude! Onwards and upwards love Humdinger xx 

And @daisy_1571 as you also mentioned this?

Sun_Addict

Sounds like you had a successful shopping trip yesterday. It’s good to get Christmas present buying done early so you can relax and enjoy the run up to festivities. I’ve made a small start already. Mr SA used to be one of those Christmas Eve shopper men, wandering around grabbing anything remotely suitable regardless of price tag. I still shudder at the Christmas Eve he chanced upon the Estée Lauder counter in JL and bought me one of everything. All he was bothered about was they gave him a free box and gift wrapped it 😬

I much prefer Monday to Tuesday. Monday has a fresh start vibe whereas Tuesday has an abandon all hope vibe. 

Humdinger1

One of everything @Sun_Addict? Absolutely everything...from Estee L?!  Spending like a drunken sailor, in fact.  Love Humdinger xx 

Sun_Addict

Humdinger1 said:

One of everything @Sun_Addict? Absolutely everything...from Estee L?!  Spending like a drunken sailor, in fact.  Love Humdinger xx 

Skin care wise @Humdinger1 plus a couple of perfumes thrown in! The bill was a few hundred, it wasn't budgeted for but budgeting was never his forte. 

foxgloves

@Sun_Addict - Oh my life, that was an expensive present! One of the reasons I like to start my Christmas shopping early is that it gives me plenty of time to choose with no last minute panic, which is more likely to result in spending more than I intended.
F

foxgloves

Hello Money Savers,
I can't say there's much of any interest to impart today. I still feel I've only just about caught up with myself, having being out of action with that dose of covid so soon after being away on holiday. Last week was about catching up & this week, I've tried to progress a few things. Today's scanty efforts such as they are.....
*Blasted the last of the damp laundry on the heated airer then sorted it all & ironed the few things which needed it.
*Did next week's meal plans.
*Wrote Week 4's grocery shopping list as one or both of us will be able to pick that up tomorrow.
*Progress December birthday present socks. Have decided to knit both pairs simultaneously to avoid '2nd sock syndrome' & also so that I know I will have sufficient of each colour (these are knitted from leftover yarns from my stash) to finish them properly.
*Did a survey. Was evicted from another for some random indecipherable reason for which I was appeased with a mighty payment of 10p. I shall be extra careful not to spend it all at once.
*Started jotting down a list of present ideas for Mr F. I have requested a wish list which has been 'imminent' for a couple of weeks. Have told him he will only be getting pants if it doesn't appear soon. This usually has the desired effect of producing a list in the next couple of days!
*Jotted down a wish list myself as Mr F likes me to open some surprises but also likes to be able to pick up things he knows I want/need, like nice skincare, etc. 
*Effortless nosebag tonight, which feels like a free meal  - the last 2 portions of the gigantes plakis batch-cook with crusty homemade bread. 
Must remember to pay cash when we go out tomorrow as I am £11 overspent on my October Personal Spends spreadsheet, but I do still have a decent amount of money in my purse as I always like to take some of my monthly Spends in cash. I did a big stock-up of my toiletries stash at the weekend, including more expensive items like moisturiser, serum, foundation, a different brand of body butter to try, etc, so that little lot should last me a while anyway.....hopefully until Christmas :-)
Right, I only need to do a little bit of a tidy up then that is all I intend to do today so will get a bit more of those socks knitted. 
Wishing you all a peaceful evening. I'm looking forward to watching GBBO.
F x