Resourcefulness: The budgeter's friend

foxgloves

Christmas Cake iced today - see main post.

Blackcats

I hacked off the end of a body lotion tube on Monday (I didn't resort to a carving knife of hacksaw though) and it will be finally used up tomorrow.  I've enjoyed eeking it out every day as it's one of my favourites and makes me feel very MSE to start the day.  

foxgloves

Hello & Solstice Blessings to you all,
I've popped a photo of my newly-iced Christmas cake up for you to see, not because I've gone to any extra trouble or tackled a tricky design or anything but because there are 2 frugal elements! The little bell cutter I used around the edge was from a bag of assorted cutters my sister intended to send to the charity shop, but asked me in passing if I'd like them. I said I would & found they contained a set of tiny festive cutters which are perfect for icing. The main decoration was rescued by Mr F at work. It was going in the skip! I'm glad he rescued it.
Well, I have been productive, but I did have to catch up as I had a telephone appointment with hospital consultant brought forward from January, as they had, had a cancellation, so I was waiting for that for a while. Good to get it over with though. I have been discharged back to my GP on the basis that I know what to do in an emergency - prevention of further flare-ups being key. That was good to know, anyway. On the productivity front I have:
*Baked a sourdough loaf
*Changed tonight's planned meal to pesto pasta to get another pot out of the freezer but also for speed as too much other kitchen activity going on to be faffing with making pizza.
*Made mince pies. I used my snowflake cutter to make the tops which I hadn't done before, so made a couple of extras to bake first as a test. It worked so that's tonight's dessert sorted out! baked another dozen & froze.
*Iced Christmas cake - already talked about that. Have leftover fondant icing which I have put in the fridge for now. I have sometimes added peppermint essence & use it to make peppermint creams, which I could serve to our Sat guests after lunch, esp if I remembered to get some chocolate for melting & half dipping them, I can't decide, but the spare icing can sit in the fridge until I do.
*Did that last load of laundry until after Christmas. Drying pretty well on the heated airer with dehumidifier also doing its thing. Had to empty it again today - amazing how much it slurps out of the atmosphere.
*Did a minor budget update.
*Tried logging into YouGov following yesterday's surprise reply. It worked & I did 2 surveys. I only need about 600-odd points to cash out my 50 quid which is what has been so very exasperating about the whole thing. 
*Did a couple more PA surveys while I was in the zone - almost at £40 now for December. I'd like to be able to nudge it over the line.
Will need to put our heads together on a list for town tomorrow. Last opportunity to visit farm stall before Christmas so we will need to get our festive veg, also some bits from other local indie traders. I would like to drop off a charity shop bag to get rid of it & also to drop off bottles & stretchy plastic for recycling. We have  guests on Saturday so I don't really want to be going out again. Tonight: Probably more knitting, more festive quizzes & I'd also like to finish the last chapter of my current library book, but first I must see what those ominously silent cats are up to, before today's piano session - a nice arrangement of 'Silent Night' today, I think.
F x

Sun_Addict

Beautifully decorated cake. Good news from the hospital, hopefully can now be managed. 

I hope the boys haven’t been up to anything naughty 😼

PennysIntoPounds

The cake looks absolutely beautiful.

Great news that you've been discharged back to GP

My dodgy joints use one of those kitchen clips to squeeze more out of flexible tubes so you get extra dollops while keeping the toothpaste/hand cream fresh.
After that I'm with @Cheery_Daff, hack at it (or get someone else to), we will not be defeated by wasteful money grabbing companies! 

Makingabobor2

Beautiful cake. 
Glad to hear your phone call went well and you have been discharged. 

ladyholly

Good news on the discharge and hoping for no flare ups for you.

Beautiful cake.

Moorviews

The cake looks very classy and expensive! It’s good news that the health episode has come to a close now. Hopefully you can avoid further flare ups. I don’t do the surveys but can appreciate how annoying it must be not being able to cash out your earnings due to a technical hitch. Hope it is all sorted and you can earn your last few points and pounds. 

I am trying to get the family to complete their laundry before tomorrow which is always a challenge. I really don’t want to be working around racks of clothes in the next few days though. 
Something comes over me when getting towards the end of a product and I can’t accept that it is finished. Hence, I am a fellow tube/pot/jar scraper, squeezer and hacker, whatever it takes really to get that last scrap. There ought to be a special little set of tools that are ideal for such essential tasks. Hacksaws, spatulas, long spoons, mini rolling pin, scissors, etc. I once contemplated the pasta maker as a means of getting the last out of a tube. 

Enjoy your weekend and Christmas with all your wonderful preparations 🧑‍🎄 

marionmgcars

Beautiful cake,  it looks scrumptious,  a tasty treat over the festive season x

Debsnewbudget

The wooden coffee stirrers are useful for getting stuff from the bottom of tubes once you have cut them in half