Resourcefulness: The budgeter's friend

Debsnewbudget

Just as an aside re in person/online shopping.  I went to 5 different big high street shops this week to look at buying my pregnant daughter some maternity clothes to wear, and more importantly to look at the sizing. I was actually quite excited to be able to look at and buy her something.
All of them said that they don't stock them in store but I can go online and order them.
So I came home and went instead onto FB Marketplace and bought 2 bundles for £10 each, approx 20+ items. If not suitable I can relist them without having to try and return clothes to the big retailers.

ziggy2407

Suffolk_lass said:

For a while they also had a shop at home (like Tupperware) option (as my cousin's daughter was an agent). I have no idea if they still do.

My friend ran a Body Sh*p at home business and they were told mid January that it would finish Feb 1st - so just over 2 weeks notice byt they were expected to keep promoting items until that day - such a shame for those that ran it as a full time job.

Onebrokelady

foxgloves said:

I grow quite a lot of salad stuff in troughs, @Onebrokelady - lettuces, rocket, spring onions & radishes, mostly, but also pak choi, lamb's lettuce & baby carrots (the little round varieties are good for troughs as they din't require so much depth). Also strawberries.
F x

Thanks Foxgloves thats very helpful to know. I wouldn't have thought of spring onions or the little round carrots. I grew some of the carrots several years ago now in a large pot, I did not get loads  but the  ones that grew were very tasty 

Onebrokelady

Such a shame about the body shop, I buy the Hemp hand cream because it's so good for really dry skin.

kayannie

@foxgloves. I read a Lisa Jewell book recently for the first time & enjoyed it so much I've now read 2 more. I can thoroughly recommend her. KA

foxgloves

@ziggy2407 - Yes, it isn't good news for the party plan people or the shopworkers. Shops I never go in seem to go from strength to strength & those I like seem to struggle on, then close down. So many shops lost from our town & it is considered one of the more affluent areas of the county. 
@Onebrokelady - Yes, that is a good product & a little goes a long way. Mr F loves their hemp lip balm & face protector too.
@kayannie - Thanks for the recommendation. The two I picked up from the charity bookshop look like something I'd enjoy, so I thought I'd give them a go. The good thing about buying from the charity bookshop is that the prices are so reasonable that if I don't like a title I've chosen, it can just go back for re-sale, & there is always such a lot of choice.
F x

Sweetbriarrose

I think it’s a shame a lot of our High Street names are going online, but I guess its the only way they can afford to keep trading. Personally I think it’s nicer to go into a shop and see the item in real life.

I was wondering has anyone grown aubergines, what variety would you recommend. They would need to be grown outside as I don’t have a greenhouse, but I could find a sheltered spot, any growing tips. 

Thanks.

foxgloves

Hello Monday Money Savers,
Off to a decent start to the week. I think a blast of sunshine has worked a little magic this morning. Small frugal positives today:
*Last portion of the Hairy Biker curry sauce from our tomato glut defrosting ready to add to a selection of root vegetable chunks/caramelised onions.
*Made tomorrow's packed breakfast & lunch.
*Did my regular Monday morning budget updates. Grocery budget is a good bit lower than I'd like, partially due to taking advantage of an offer on a sack of cat biscuits & not really pulling in our horns sufficiently to navigate a 5-week month. Hmmm. I am definitely not minded to via in money from elsewhere in the budget so am intending to be creative in my food planning for the rest of Feb.
*Did this week's laundry & it is pegged out & blowing around in the sunshine. 
*Baked bread....well, almost. It's currently in the oven & that warm crusty smell is just starting to waft upstairs to Foxgloves HQ.
*Sowed aubergine seeds, now in heated propagator. Also sowed the seeds I saved from Mum's white aquilegia & assorted calendula.
*Potted up the new rooted verbena bonariensis plants from the cuttings I took in September. Most of them struck & just need growing on before adding to the borders for summer purpleness. Also potted on autumn-sown hollyhocks babies (seedhead courtesy of a local supermarket car park)
*Did a couple of surveys, but not a lot doing on Mondays.
*Entered 2 competitions. 
*Mr F obviously had Doingstuffitis on his coffee break this morning as he pinged me to say he'd booked our optician appointments, booked the cats in for their annual boosters & paid the balance on the holiday cottage! This is all good as they are all things which involve the budget, or more to the point, manoeuvring of funds. Shortly afterwards I had a call from our friendly workman to confirm the date for hedge/tree work so that's another payment moving towards a 'known' rather than a 'guestimate' of both week & cost.
*Still to do - trot down to the post box with a birthday card. It's all very well deciding to use 2nd class stamps to save money, now that there is quite a large price differential, but not if they are not deposited in the post box in good time!
I think that is it for today. Cats have had a thoroughly snoozy day. Haven't been outside in the sunshine at all yet, though of course they could have been here, there & everywhere overnight as they have free access through their flap. Today was the first proper change of their schedule so as to feed them their biscuits at noon instead of mid-morning. Ash wasn't bothered as long as he got some. Soot thought it was absolutely the worst decision ever made in the entire history of mankind. 
Right, here's hoping everyone's off to a good start to the week & that poorly readers are maybe starting to turn a corner. On with the DMs for me now, or I just know that birthday card will still be sitting on the shelf by the front door this time tomorrow.
F x

EssexHebridean

We've got glorious sunshine here today too - isn't it lovely!  Of course, it might have been nicer had it been yesterday when we wanted to get some washing out, but you can't have it all I guess! 

I'm still enjoying reading all the garden chat - We had a wander at a local-ish garden centre yesterday - I was nearly seduced by a Heuchera or a Clematis - either could be had on clearance for £5 each - but I resisted temptation on the  basis that I haven't quite worked out where either will go yet....although I may well pop back at some stage to see if they still have the Heuchera as That could make a nice splash of colour (and there was even a choice of colours!) in the front garden. For now though my garden pot pennies remain untouched by planty goodness - and only a nesting box and a bag of kibbled peanuts for our feathered friends came home with us. We've noticed a pair of Blue Tits eyeing up the next box in next door's garden so felt that an addition to the local birdy real estate would be a good plan. 

PennysIntoPounds

"Also potted on autumn-sown hollyhocks babies (seedhead courtesy of a local supermarket car park)"

This has made me smile, excellent spot