Resourcefulness: The budgeter's friend

Sun_Addict

Great news the stitches are out 🎉 Mr SA used to be the opposite with petrol when we had a car, if that needle dared drift slightly past full he was at the petrol station filling it back up, used to drive me nuts, he was constantly checking it. I also colour my own hair, couldn't stand sitting in the hairdressers for hours or the cost for that matter. Costs me around £6 every 2 months or so and takes less than 30 minutes. I don't have to colour it much in the summer because I'm naturally blonde and the sun lightens it for free. 

EssexHebridean

Ha - one benefit of having a diesel car as never risking playing the low fuel game - both of ours give a full gallon+ of driving once the light is on - so effectively 60 miles minimum - but once that light is on filling up is an immediate priority, and in fairness it's fairly rare either get to that stage. Running out in a diesel is a horrible thought though so it definitely focuses the mind! As you say though, it did take your mind off the dental trepidation! 

delighted to hear that the stitches are out - I bet that feels a whole heap more comfortable too! 

Blackcats - your "tactful route in dealing with your hairdresser" is surely going to start "Now I've retired..."! 

Oh - and a timely reminder that we will no doubt need to order the turkey at this month's farmer's market - I must make sure we have the £10 deposit that they take! (And ask that a note is put with it that we will cheerfully take giblets where others have declined them, too!) 

foxgloves

@EssexHebridean - I think people can be so squeamish about giblets while happily stuffing themselves with the rest of the deceased bird. I think it's a shame that even big free range chickens are sold giblet-free these days as the giblets do make fab gravy. After the stock has been strained off, we have always had a cat waiting in the wings ready for the giblets themselves to be chopped up & presented as a tasty snack, & these two are no different.
Yes, am more comfortable without the stitches. I was sure I counted 9 going in, but dentist assured me I'd only had 6! The rest of the work will take place in about 3 months. It would have been 2 had I not required a small bone graft on one of them. That apparently needs longer healing time to ensure nothing moves. 
F

foxgloves

@Sun_Addict - That made me smile about Mr SA & the petrol fill-ups. When I had my own car (we decided to reduce to one between us when I took VR), I never used to let the fuel guage drop below 1/4 of a tank. I read an article about safety for women drivers not long after I passed my test & remember this being a recommendation so as not to conk out after dark in a less than salubrious area or in the middle of nowhere. I remember years ago, there was a TV ad from one of the big breakdown companies where a woman phoned to say she had broken down & that she was on her own. Well, they made it a lone-woman emergency, a hunk set out on his motorbike to come to her aid & it all looked most encouraging........
......until I broke down in a pretty rough area. I phoned in & did I get the hunk on a motorbike? I did not. I was asked if I was a lone woman driver. 'Yes' I said. "He'll be at least an hour & a half' came the reply! 
F

foxgloves

Hello Thursday Pence Savers,
Some useful stuff today but also some annoying stuff to do with recent orders I have placed for presents. So far, as I've already mentioned, I have had one for which I was charged twice....now I can add to that one that contained the wrong item & another which had an item missing. I have sorted out the wrong item on the phone. Also phoned the company about the incomplete order. Explained I had received 2 of the items but the 3rd was missing. I then learned that apparently the 3rd item IS NOT missing. It is, in fact, sent separately from a different depot. Well why is it listed on the dispatch note then, I asked. A dispatch note is a list of what is included inside the parcel. Not in this case, apparently, the item in question would always be sent in a separate parcel. How am I supposed to know this & that you haven't just forgotten it? "My boss usually writes on the dispatch note - "To follow". I suggested he could perhaps do this on all orders, as there is nothing to indicate that part of the order is coming separately. 
The other order which arrived today came in a damaged box. It has sustained a bit of a crush & had partially opened. Thankfully all the books were present & correct & in perfect condition when I looked. Oh, & my latest mailing from the lakeside people arrived - Christmas catalogue & latest voucher pack. That was almost completely open across the top. I was sure my voucher pack would be missing, but it was there. I think the vouchers only work with the relevant person's loyalty card, but they still could have fallen out. Haven't opened them yet. Been too busy with other stuff.
Anyway, enough moaning & onto today's small budget helping positives:
*Rounded up a bag of library items ready for imminent return.
*Had a last look at one of the above items - a nice cookery book called 'The Thrifty veggie' (Nicola Graimes). Useful for people new to food budgeting as well as people who want a few different meat-free meals to cook. Mentions meal planning & is generally useful. I noted a couple of recipes I'd like to make - black bean & lime tostadas & sausage roll-type savoury pastries using a pumpkin seed filling, which sounded nice. 
*Did yet another triage of the home grown tomatoes.....this must be about the last time I think. Some were very much ready for using so I made a batch of Crank's lentil & tomato soup which we both really like & froze it.
*Baked a farmhouse loaf (have scaled this loaf down from Mary Berry's prodigious quantity of dough as found it wasn't cooking through & no room in freezer for a spare one). The maths has worked anyway & with my quantities, it now fits in a standard bread tin. Also made dough for pizza & a batch of rolls which are proving.
*Use-it-up pizza toppings tonight....the last tbsp or two of pesto, the last of the mozzarella Mr F made the other week, a couple of the getting squishy tomatoes among other things.
*Checked CC account for the refund on that twice-charged order. Now received & showing on statement.
*Knitted some more of current birthday present sock.
*Will crochet a couple more granny squares tonight from that free yarn.
*Did a couple of surveys - cashed out £5 from one of the sites which I took as a voucher we can use against the turkey.
*Made tomorrow's packed lunch & breakfast. Very easy lunch pack-up as still had a nice big portion of home made chicken soup in the fridge.
Well, I must sign out & get those bread rolls into the oven.
Hope everyone's had a decent day of money saving,
F x

rtandon27

FG - just love the idea of pesto and mozzarella pizza! That may be our topping the next time a homemade batch of dough gets made as we have both on the freezer!

maggiem

Pleased to read you re stitch free Foxgloves. Thanks for the reminder re booking slots, just checked and all the Waitbloom slots for Christmas Eve have gone but managed to get a M & * slot so very grateful. We used to live near Kelly's turkeys which were fab and pick up was always a jolly affair! But very pleased to have secured a slot for Christmas Eve. 

2Scratters

I too save on hair treatments and cuts. I was a red head am now very faded, so I just top it up sort of monthly and get my hair cut at the barbers shop. It is short already and see no reason to pay more than I need too. 
Why have I only found out this week about bendy carrots being stored in water in a sealed tub with water changes to prevent that drying out process and also they can be wrapped in a damp t towel where they are placed into then turn the towel place another in and so on till full. That towel will need dampening weekly and store in the veg section of fridge. 
Has anyone else noted on the Nwide app you can now do some internal transfers outside the app. I am loving this.

2 Scratters xx

foxgloves

@rtandon27 - Do try it, as it's such an easy & tasty pizza topping. Last night's with Mr F's home made mozzarella was lush. I just leave the pizza base to rise, then spread on about 1 to 2 tbsp pesto, before whatever else I fancy (last night's was just some chopped red onion & red pepper) & top with sliced mozzarella. Very speedy.
@maggiem - I'm glad that me woffling on about turkeys was helpful. I earned another £5 off ours yesterday as found I could still cash out of a survey site for a JL voucher. ....or 'turkey tokens' as I call them this time of year!
@2Scratters - Interesting discovery about carrots. I find the best ones for keeping a decent length of time are the farmers market mucky carrots with the foliage on which haven't been washed. A farmer told me this - she sells on our local market - & it's true, her carrots last as long as potatoes. I do usually take off the bulk of the foliage, but leave the soil firmly in place on the carrots themselves until I want to cook them.
F

foxgloves

Hello Friday Frugalistas,
Busy start to the day, but this was intentional so as to free up plenty of leisure time this afternoon. Today's small budget-helping positives:
*Cleaned whole house using minimal products & microfibre cloths. 
*Made tomorrow's packed lunch - Mr F is hosting a major all-day work event & apparently needs plenty of nose-bag! 
*Entered a competition
*Did several surveys - am up to £22+ on PA for this month already, so must keep at it.
*Sorted latest lakeside-shop loyalty vouchers into voucher wallet. Was pleased to see that 2 of them are the % off a minimum spend again, as I find these the most generally useful.
*Two more of the Christmas presents I ordered arrived this morning. Decent packaging, so have salvaged for my free wrappings stash.
*Planned tomorrow's garden tasks. Nice weather forecast apparently, so am really looking forward to getting out there & achieving lots by pottering around.
*Today's garden pickings: 2 tromboncino courgettes, blackberries & pears.
*Sock knitting later, as well as hopefully finishing my current batch of crochet squares. I have another pair to knit for a Christmas present after I've finished these ones, but I am confident they will be done in time.
Enjoy your Fridays all.
F