Resourcefulness: The budgeter's friend

ladyholly

Stay safe foxgloves. We live not far from the Somerset levels so flooding is a way of life for the farmers but it is definately getting worse and more frequent. Our house is actually on flood plain although we havent been flooded -  YET.

Four_Seasons

Hope everything is alright with you, Mr. F and the boys. Stay safe and dry xx

EssexHebridean

I was just checking in to see how things were with you flood wise Mrs F - I think you’ve said before that you are high enough not to be personally at risk, but it sounds like your area is having a really nasty time of it today. As I heard on the news yesterday that a particular area of the Trent was at its highest for around the last 20 years I am guessing that was the stretch you too were referring to - I’m certainly glad I had no plans to head to Lincoln today as I think I’d have been calling those off! 

foxgloves

Greetings from Atlantis,
Thank-you for all your concerned enquiries about our wellbeing. We are fine, thanks, although a nearly 2-hour power-cut last night on top of all the worrying about water, failed to provide any cheer!  Mr F has been on time owed today due to having to deal with a work emergency on NYE. Drove into town for grocery shopping with no issues, apart from volume of traffic because the more usual local route from our village into town is still underwater, so everyone was using the flyover, with the addition of all the lorries which had realised they couldn't get all the way up the A1 in its current watery state, so as usual, were diverting via our town. This morning's flood news was that the big river has peaked, but that  because there is such a big volume of water still to 'work its way through the system', there could be areas still to flood. I have checked the online river guage level for our village throughout today & so far, the very high river level has fallen back by a colossal 1cm!! @EssexHebridean - Yes, you are right that we have so far remained safe from these increasingly frequent flood events, but the flood warnings always cite the next road to ours as 'Flooding expected' so on the warning map, areas of our road look worryingly dodgy. I am not an expert on the local topography of flooding, but the map does seem to show that the water would actually come from the oppositive direction from expected. This is because the river runs straight (& floods straight into the nearby area as I described yesterday) but then curves round, meaning that the water if it does eventually reach us, looks more likely to come over the close at the back of us & over our garden. The nearby floodwater we popped down to assess last night would almost certainly get to the nearest cul-de-sac of houses & possibly further, if it weren't for a slight slope in the land there, which means it flows off in another direction - water always finding the lowest path of least resistance, as it does. Hoping to get to Lincoln tomorrow, but will check the route beforehand.
Oh, well that was all very watery again, wasn't it? I shall get onto today's small budget-helping positives, such as they are:
*Rounded up & put away all the extra tea-light holders, torches plus wind-up camping lantern. Checked stocks of tea-lights & candles & we have ample, should the power-cut (our whole village plus a small area of town) have been water-related). My first thought was that I MUST buy more supplies, but actually it was worth checking as we do have plenty.
*Groceries came in under this week's target budget - I budgeted £50 less for groceries this month & it is going well. As usual, the combination of systematic meal planning & a good store cupboard combined with rolling ingredients forward to other meals looming on the horizon is worthwhile for pulling back the grocery spend.
*Bargainaceousness.....Found that Waitbl00m are selling off their festive cheeses for 35p to 42p each. Bought 3 different ones. I shall probably grate or chunk up at least one of them for freezing. Just flagging in case anyone else could usefully see a purpose for nice cheese which costs pence. I bought a large size Skin F00d for my stash as it was on a decent offer....only a little above what I have often paid for the small size. Oh & Mr F availed himself of a free latte.
*Cleaned the house between us using the usual minimal products & washable cloths.
*Did a couple of minor budget updates. 
*Did some surveys. Nothing doing on PA for me this afternoon but a lot of Ips*s, putting my total to well over halfway to another cash-out, & I have only just added the last one from them to our Leisure/Entertainment Pot. 
*Shopped an item from home. All our kitchen sink-side products are now refillables from the eco-refill shop in town & we have moved to pump-top glass bottles for two of them as they look so much nicer & also get rid of a bit more plastic to the recycling bin, not to be re-bought. I was casting about for something attractive to stand them all in & came to the conclusion I'd need to buy something, but would try charity shops for vintage china first. Then I found an old Portmeirion casserole dish which I no longer use for cooking because it is nearly 40 years old & very crazed. The bottles fit perfectly & it looks pretty standing on the worktop. I do love it when a purchase can be scaled back into a shopped from home (I should get out more, lol!)
It is Mr F's cooking night & he is making tuna chipotle wedge melt (think this recipe came from the aforementioned supermarket's free paper years ago) which is cheap, tasty & reasonably healthy. I am going to knit & read, as those are my default settings for relaxation when I am not outside growing things. I may also look on YouTube for a decent pianist playing the new pieces I received for Christmas. I have sussed the first page - just needs practice, but I could do with hearing the 2nd page to make sure I am learning the rhythm correctly. It is very folky-sounding, inspired by Orkney & I think I will love playing it. Another useful present that will help keep me out of charity shop music score baskets!
Stay dry & cosy, everyone.
F x
Edited to say....Oh my giddy trousers, the Trent has fallen another whole centimetre! River status has just changed to 'Falling'. Thank goodness, especially for all those poor sods who have had their homes flooded again, as well as for the first time. There is SO much water where it shouldn't be though, I think it is going to take a long time to sort itself out.

Cheery_Daff

Glad the water level is falling now, you're right though, so much of it about! 

Good on you shopping from home 😊 Your use of the casserole dish reminded me of some of the older posts on the GDonna blog - have you seen that? She and her husband used to pick a year (eg 1920) to live in the style of, and try to look eg at ration books, stick to recipes etc. She was always making casseroles, and usually had a jug and bowl in the bedroom to wash with. She's not posting so much now, and has been caring for an elderly family member, so it's more general and not so frequent now, but it's a nice gentle read 😊

milann

I’m so pleased the river is falling. It must be so devastating for the premises flooded. Pleased you stayed safe and your Dh managed to get home. I did think about you when I saw the floods on TV.

Humdinger1

@foxgloves, I hope you don't mind if I paste in an entry from my own diary 

Humdinger1 said:

Happy New Year everyone! It's been a bit of a roller-coaster here.  DD has been ill and -mercifully- an MRI scan has ruled out a mass on her brain which one junior doc mentioned as a possibility, her ears/balance are still under investigation.  She has an appointment in a week or so with a consultant to talk through the diagnosis.   She has decided to restart Year 2 of uni in September 24 and we are in the thick of sorting that out.  She has said that she doesn't want to drop out, transfer elsewhere or do a different course (acting degree) but does want to move year as it has been a toxic experience with people in her current year and has numerous friends in the year below.  I'm so relieved about her diagnosis so far but am anxious about what comes next.  She has accommodation set up for the next academic year.  Her happiness and health come first and we've had a couple of conversations already about this being an opportunity for a structured reset, not a dropping out and retreating to teenage behaviour.  I think it's going to take time for me to process and there will be times of anxiety along the way.  Thanks to everyone reading love Humdinger xx 

ladyholly

Pleased that your dd doesnt have a mass on her brain. Dizziness and balance problems are hard to deal with. I was diagnosed with Menieres several years ago which has largely cleared  itself with just the occasional dizziness. My balance is another matter. I dont know if she is taking anything for the dizziness but there is a travel sickness tablet called stug***n. That may help but talk to her doctors first. if they approve it dont tell the pharmacy what it is for as they refused to sell it to my dd when she told them it was for labrynthitis and the gp had told her to use it.

When did pharmacies have the right to go against a doctors advice?

Good luck with her journey and with her degree.

foxgloves

@Humdinger1, Yes I had just read your post about your daughter on your diary & left a comment. It is certainly a difficult time. Back in my mid-thirties, I had a terrible time with vertigo, dizziness, etc, The first attack I had was while I was by myself & driving & I honestly thought I was having some kind of stroke. It turned out to be a middle ear problem which resolved itself in time but was very difficult in terms of anxiety/meds. I wonder if your daughter has something similar? Awful for her whatever it is & very worrying for you too. Sending positive thoughts in your direction,
F x

foxgloves

Hello Saturday Savers,
Well, certainly a saving for us here today, as we decided to postpone our city centre trip until next weekend. We made the decision last night, after the District Council emailed out a newsletter concerning the flooding emergency, in which they advised people in the area only to make necessary journeys. While we didn't really feel that our journey across into the neighbouring county would be too problematic, we also took on board what was said about the possibility of flooding for hitherto unaffected areas as all that excess water works its way up to the Humber. So we decided to be good citizens & not to go, then of course today, it's sunny & bright, the river guage level for our village is continuing slowly to fall & we are wishing we had gone out. Never mind, we can go next Saturday & the decision means I can begin today's small budget-helping positives with......
*A no-spend day.
*Did a survey - Mr F has had a good few PA surveys today, but none for me. Ips*s points continue to mount up though.
*Soot & Ash's new Christmas present toy sewn up for the 2nd time......at least I suppose it shows that they are enjoying playing with it, but I think that given the express purpose of the thing (it's a kicker toy) is to be savaged by cats, the seams could do with being stronger. At least it is easy to mend.
*Made a list of TV programmes with which to catch up - free entertainment, or if Netflix, making use of our monthly subscription.
*Continuing with another week of eat-it-up meals from our January master meal plan - BBQ chicken thighs which Mr F found at the back of the freezer (surely indicating that it is time for a new freezer list) with home made jacket wedges & salad.
*Made bread dough - currently on its first proving. Could have bought one at the village farm shop tomorrow, but better for the grocery budget to bake one when I have all the ingredients in stock.
*Mr F has been grinding up some of the lovely posh coffee beans he received for Christmas to keep us in coffee this week both at home & at work without buying any for a couple of weeks, at least. 
Leisurely day really, now that we haven't gone out. I intend to finish my library book, knit a few rows & finish reading a few magazines which are hanging around as I didn't get round to reading them over Christmas. It's bright & sunny enough for gardening, but with all the rain, it's a quagmire, so I shall aim to get out there next week. Mr F has started thinking about seed potatoes, so we will soon be in the vegetable plot planning zone - the October-sown garlic is coming up well. 
I'm not planning to do much tomorrow, but am aiming for a productive week next week, which will take my mind off the resumption of my dental implant work on Friday. The scary bit is done but I don't like dentist visits regardless so always have to fish the big girl's pants out of my drawer in readiness for such things.
Right, that's quite enough yakk from me.
Take care m'dears, especially those of you going through challenging times.
F x