Resourcefulness: The budgeter's friend

ladyholly

There was avery cold wind when I took the dog out at lunchtime and havent really been warm since despite snuggling under my blanket.

Blackcats

There seem to be a lot of coughers and splutterers about who seem to have completely forgotten all the covid era messages about spreading germs.  Also why do people do enormous, lengthy yawns without  overnight their mouths?

Onebrokelady

I've been thoroughly trained since Covid to cough or sneeze into my inner elbow. I just do it automatically now and get very wound up when I see people coughing into their hands and then putting them every where especially on the bus. I try very hard not to touch any handholds on the buses nowadays  

angela110660

 Yuk to loud coughs and sneezes. Was in Sains and some man was constantly hacking away whilst shopping. Kept a row or two behind for safety but that tells you how loud he was! I always wipe my hands when I get back in the car something from Covid days. Also get fed up at gym as so few people ever wipe down the machines after use anymore despite there being paper and spray bottles available.

Blackcats

My moan about wide open mouthed yawners should have said covering their mouth not "overnight" their mouth.  Note to self - proof read posts better even when writing them in a hurumph 🤦‍♀️ 

2Scratters

Our kitchen sink has decided to give up on the outlet drain. It is 60 years old and we just need it to last a little longer. DH has managed to stop the leak. Fingers crossed it will last long enough. Even though we are working through chosen inherited cleaning products from parents after moving from their lifetime home most of it is now stored in DH's workshop/shed in a large box. As there is little under the sink (in case of emergency access) as it should be anyway it is helping with the focus of using what is there to UU.
 Does anyone else get a simple pleasure of using up and item and retrieving a stock item to replace it? 
Our House keeping budget has managed very well as I ended up rolling over the months till money was spent up. We have ended up with a £700 credit balance 
I have had notification of Ebay rising their costs again in April. I really need to get a push on in recycling some money. I never call it making money as it isn't. 

2 Scratters xx

foxgloves

@2Scratters - Yes, I very much do get satisfaction from using up the last dregs of a product then being able to replace it from stores, as I would describe that as shopping from home - you know how much I promote that!

And yes, yes, yes, to everyone's comments about the swift decrease in public hygiene habits. After our collective heightened awareness of how importance simple hygiene is during 2 years of pandemic, it is shocking how quickly it seems to have been forgotten. I always have sanitiser with me when I am out, but still wash my hands thoroughly with hot water & soap when I have the opportunity & always on returning home. I remember reading a reminder from a medic that sanitiser is good, but it doesn't kill off norovirus, & as I wouldn't wish to have THAT again either, that tip about soap had stayed with me. There isn't much we can do about oiks coughing over us, except keep our distance where possible. I am also quite frequently yukked out by people vacating public loo cubicles (for example in supermarkets) & not washing their hands. This is just so very basic & I don't like to think that they then might be handling fruit & veg I might unwittingly go & buy.
As we learned during the pandemic, we can do nothing about other people's sloppy hygiene except try our best to avoid it.
F

foxgloves

Hello Friday Frugalistas,
A curious thing happened today, as I woke up & found that it was not raining! The river is high again here & the smaller river which joins it between our village & town has burst its banks, so I think a lot of people will be as equally glad to see a dry day.
A few budget-helping positives - I think that listing these daily (well, most days...) does help to underline the importance of small regular habits/behaviours, whether one is trying to pay down debts, remain solvent or build some savings. We are now on the 3rd one of these, but I have concentrated on pretty much the same little habits whatever our monetary goals at the time. Anyway, today's small things:
*A very speedy town trip so as to get everything done within £1's worth of car parking.
*Small toiletries stash stock-up (4 items) entirely funded from my Advantage card points, helped by one of them being on offer.
*3 for 2 offer at the next shop which  I was able to use for the vitamins/supplements on my list, plus a £1.25 voucher on my loyalty card. Every little bit helps, doesn't it?
* 2 books from the charity bookshop - Personal Spends, so budget-neutral.
*Swerved calling into supermarket for a single grocery item on our way home, as we don't need it until tomorrow, which means we can wait until we are passing by tomorrow which we can coincide with being in need of the free coffee on offer.
*Cleaned house using usual minimal products & washable cloths - the vast & ridiculous array of different cleaning products in supermarkets makes me feel so disheartened for the common sense of the human race. A very few simple products will do so many different jobs.
*Aubergines now all germinated so moved them to a warm windowsill covered with a bottle cloche.
*Re-potted the pretty mini-rose which Mr F gave me for Valentine's - despite us agreeing not to do presents or cards, he still gave me this with some very lovely truffles - & it had started looking a bit poorly. Tipped it out & discovered it was waterlogged due to no drainage. Now in a bigger pot with poorly bits removed & misted with a little very dilute seaweed solution. I'll see how it fares. I would love it to survive as it is pretty & I would like to move it to an outside container in Spring.
*Glad I didn't buy bird food from the market this morning. I decided to delay until new budget cycle begins next week, but while I was in the shed finding a pot for the rose, I found some bird seed, fat balls & peanuts which I thought we had already used. Feeders now topped up from stores.
*Surveys? Well, that remains to be seen, as I got locked out of my PA account today. I mistakenly typed in the wrong password - entirely my own fault, I wasn't concentrating & just wanged in the password for another site. I realised as soon as I pressed 'enter', but instead of getting the 'incorrect password' message & re-typing, I was instantly locked out with an error code. I messaged Support to get unlocked & can see from my emails that I have had a response, so I am going to see if it is now fixed.
No more jobs planned for today. I intend to read, knit, doubtless pontificate on the parlous state of the nation & have a bath.
F x

Makingabobor2

I agree about the cleaning products. I have hardly anything in my cupboards these days and what I do have, I either buy from refill shop or make up using natural things following Nancy B's "recipes" in her books. I buy white vinegar in bulk now, as I use it for so many things, and lemons, citric acid etc. Just about to try making Nancy's fabric conditioner, not tried that yet.  I get so cross when I see adverts for these stupid throw away wipes to put on a mop, or a duster etc. For goodness sake, what is wrong with cutting up old tea shirts and underwear and using them as cloths.? ....rant over...lol

hope you manage to get back into P/fc. Although it seems to be slow on there lately. Had 1 yesterday and so far none today. They obviously have no need for a over 65yr old, female in East Mids....lol

joedenise

I'm also finding PA very slow at the moment.  I usually manage £40-£50 a month but this month I'm struggling to get half that - have got £18.90 cleared and £1.18 waiting to clear.  At this rate I'll be luck to make it to £25!