Resourcefulness: The budgeter's friend

foxgloves

Afternoon Diary Friends,
Quite a pleasant day on the whole, in which I kept myself busy, but made sure I stopped for a proper lunch hour, during which I sat down & watched an episode of a Nflicks drama.
A few small wins:
*My credit card statement arrived, so I will be able to reconcile it against receipts, credits, etc, tomorrow.
*Two useful garden sessions - did a bit of weeding & planted out more homegrown summer bedding: larkspur, cosmos, cerinthe & echium. 
*Watered all veggies, new plantings & anything looking droopy. V dry here. Could do with a couple of nights of steady rain.
*Cut the old cuff binding off my purple hoodie & managed to re-bind with new bias binding. Tacked on & ironed. Just need to top-stitch it properly & job done. Will hopefully get that done tonight.
*Composted the last of my beautiful birthday bouquet today, exactly 3 weeks from the day I received it. Flowers are so expensive, I make every effort to keep them going & it's lovely when they do.
"Picked a small bunch of chives & parsley to go in tonight's potato salad, & pulled the first radishes of the year.
*Cooked a kg of rhubarb & froze in 3 containers. It comes in useful in making fresh fruit supplies last longer.
That's it for today. Looking forward to a catch-up with Mr F when he gets home. Soot busy trying to secure an early dinner, but he has actually been doing this since 8.45 this morning, so I am immune to the mini-panther tummy pity-party.
Love F x

themadvix

foxgloves said:

Soot busy trying to secure an early dinner, but he has actually been doing this since 8.45 this morning, so I am immune to the mini-panther tummy pity-party.

I love this description - I can just picture it (especially as my two are experts at it too).

Positive vibes coming from me too Foxgloves.

MisterPym

foxgloves said:

Afternoon Diary Friends,
Quite a pleasant day on the whole, in which I kept myself busy, but made sure I stopped for a proper lunch hour, during which I sat down & watched an episode of a Nflicks drama.
A few small wins:
*My credit card statement arrived, so I will be able to reconcile it against receipts, credits, etc, tomorrow.
*Two useful garden sessions - did a bit of weeding & planted out more homegrown summer bedding: larkspur, cosmos, cerinthe & echium. 
*Watered all veggies, new plantings & anything looking droopy. V dry here. Could do with a couple of nights of steady rain.
*Cut the old cuff binding off my purple hoodie & managed to re-bind with new bias binding. Tacked on & ironed. Just need to top-stitch it properly & job done. Will hopefully get that done tonight.
*Composted the last of my beautiful birthday bouquet today, exactly 3 weeks from the day I received it. Flowers are so expensive, I make every effort to keep them going & it's lovely when they do.
"Picked a small bunch of chives & parsley to go in tonight's potato salad, & pulled the first radishes of the year.
*Cooked a kg of rhubarb & froze in 3 containers. It comes in useful in making fresh fruit supplies last longer.
That's it for today. Looking forward to a catch-up with Mr F when he gets home. Soot busy trying to secure an early dinner, but he has actually been doing this since 8.45 this morning, so I am immune to the mini-panther tummy pity-party.
Love F x

Just wondering, what do folks do with radishes?

Sun_Addict

Soot sounds just like Mr SA, he’s always trying to secure an early meal too 😆

foxgloves

@MisterPym - I mostly just add them to a mixed salad bowl. They also provide quite a nice crunch simply eaten with fresh home baked bread & butter with cheese.
Years ago, I sometimes used to make a sort of deli-style salad - sweet & sour radishes from the old Cranks recipe book, but although I liked it at the time, I soon went off it & haven't made it since.
I'm sure there will be radish recipe ideas online.
F

EssexHebridean

I enjoy radishes sliced and added to a tossed salad with leaves, cubed cucumber, diced peppers, halved cherry tomatoes etc. that peppery bite and “proper crunchiness” really adds to a salad. 

That’s a productive sounding day there Mrs F - although your days mostly are! 

foxgloves

Hello Diary Readers,
A bit of a so-so day, as had an appointment in the middle & haven't felt brilliant, but I did manage a few small wins on the money saving front:
*Sorted out my credit card statement - reconciled all transactions & credits & paid off in full. Loyalty points will soon be at voucher level again.
*Ruled up a couple of new credit card payments log sheets, which probably sound like a bit of a faff, but in fact often come in useful on an everyday budget-running basis (my view, as someone who came to budgeting later in life is 'If it works for your, stick with it).
*Did a few PA surveys - small payers, but it all adds up.
*Did a long Ips*s survey which put me over the payment threshold for a JL voucher - duly cashed out. It will be subbed into next week's grocery budget & the £10 saved sent to a savings pot.
*Entered a competition.
*10% off Soot & Ash's brand of choice meat pouches plus a restock of treats & licky things as Mr F had a Wilk*'s voucher. In fact he has been given another one, so hopefully it will still be in date for another box of cat food next week. An assistant was handing them out near the tills,
*Changed bed & household linens but have held off laundry today because there are supposed to be thundery showers around. It's certainly very close, am sitting by an open window. Will wait for a definitely dry day for free line-drying.
*Wrapped a magazine for posting to my sis. We swap titles now & again, so I'll get one back.

Mr F has also been sorting his just-arrived credit card statement this afternoon. His is mostly used for petrol, parking, non-Waitbl00m grocery shopping, other planned spending & stuff bought with his Personal Spends. We have just had a full half an hour trying to work out what a particular transaction was. We didn't recognise the company, there was no receipt on my clip or any reference to it on or around that date on my trusty credit card payments log sheet. The company name didn't come up when he did an online search, either. Then he suddenly realised that it wasn't the name of a company, but the first part of the title of an online talk he booked for us to hear. And the cost of this mystery transaction that we put all that effort into solving? A dizzying whole £3.00 !! Honestly, back in the day, I'd blow £300 quid of my 24-year old overdraft without thinking about it, but now we are reformed budgeting people, we can't let an un-remembered 3 quid spend go! I know which way I'd rather be, though.
Started a new book last night - "The mysterious case of the Alperton Angels". How lovely to be the first person to get a brand new library book. I really like Janice Hallett's books & trying to work them out. 
Must pop down & close the greenhouse, then maybe another couple of chapters.....well, not so much traditional chapters as all told in emails, interviews, etc.
F x

Starlight_at_Sea

Thanks for mentioning the book @foxgloves. I've read a few of hers previously and found them very engaging. Sounds like just what I need over the next few weeks, so I'll see if I can find it at our library x

foxgloves

@Starlight_at_Sea - I loved 'The Twyford Code' -such an original format & a twisty turny plot I enjoyed trying to figure out. I borrowed 'The Appeal' from the library on audiobook. It really worked because of all the different voices. I've never been in an amateur dramatics society, but I've been in an opera group & I think these characters are in every performing arts society, really. 
Hope you are able to get 'Alperton Angels' from the library. I'm looking forward to reading it this weekend in between doing stuff with tomato plants.
F x

Blackcats

Spooky, spooky - I started the Alperton Angels last Saturday as my holiday listening treat.  I'm really enjoying it. 

Re - radishes ... on our school exchange to France umpteen years ago the family I was staying with served radishes for dinner.  Just radishes and bread.  I thought I was hard done by until the next morning my friend told me that her French family had caught 2 rabbits in a trap and they were served for her dinner.