Resourcefulness: The budgeter's friend

foxgloves

@EssexHebridean - Yes, that was pretty much our thinking. We did initially look at replacing the tent but the one we wanted was around £800. Lockdown arrived in March & of course that meant the campsite closed. When they reopened, their industry still had restrictions so they were only acceping bookings from people in campervans with their own loo/washing facilities. Around that time, our recent paying-off of the mortgage was starting to affect our budget positively & our thinking was that we would be able to afford an annual cottage holiday so we never did replace our wrecked tent. But we did miss our annual stays in our old campsite area & the lovely laid-back vibe of the campsite itself so investigating the en-suite rooms seemed worth doing. They are quite basic but nice modern ensuites, clean & comfortable & we will certainly try the 3 nights for 2 at some point one winter.
F x

Makingabobor2

What a great option. So much better than camping, which I know is a cheap holiday, but has never been something I could take to.....and even less inclined as I've got older....lol

foxgloves

@Makingabobor2 - I was a latecomer to camping (was in my 40s) & Mr F, who had experienced camping both as holidays & at festivals, wasn't sure I would take to it, but I loved it! I gussied up our tent so it looked so pretty it was as near to glamping as I could manage without the budget for hiring a yurt, lol! It meant that we had 2 holidays a year while our budget was still on the tight side & we have fond memories of every one. Yes, there was the occasional weather issue....we will never forget the time I had to bail out the tent with a mug, but I found camping to be great fun, laid back & affordable. Now that we are mortgage free, we can afford to book an annual holiday cottage, so don't 'need' a tent like we did in the past, which does make the expense of a good quality new one a little harder to justify as I can't see that we'd get as much use out of it. The en-suite campsite rooms are a great idea - the manager said that they set them up because it meant that they could continue taking guests & still comply with the pandemic safety rules & found that guests really like the idea. We'll certainly go again.
F

foxgloves

Hello Diary Readers,
Well, we are back at Foxgloves Manor after our mini-break & we have pretty much unpacked & got things back to normal. Soot & Ash arrived back this morning, then disappeared, later discovered on our bed like they'd never been away! The welcome home lick-e-lix went down well & was thankfully administered by Mr F & not me! Anyway, onto today's budget helping activity:
*Did 3 loads of laundry - all pegged out. Hope they have dried sufficiently not to require the heated airer - shall investigate shortly.
*Garden pickings: Blackberries, courgettes & a few pears. Couldn't face the tomatoes, will do those tomorrow.
*Started off a batch of blackberry & pear whisky for B-i-L's Christmas present.
*Stewed leftover pears & blackberries which will doubtless get eaten for dessert at some point over the next couple of days.
*Confirmed the meal plan we'd notionally agreed last night & transferred it to the monthly planner section of my diary which I use for food.
*Grocery shopping done & £1.50's worth of vouchers used. We are within budget, though still need a couple of minor items from the market tomorrow.
*Changed bed linen & put the winter duvet on as the forecast appears to be showing colder temperatures next week. Haven't turned the central heating on yet, but as we don't have it coming on between 10pm & 6am (apart from if the thermostat fell really very low), I like to be warm in bed but with the window at least cracked open for some fresh air. 
*Did post-holiday budget updates. This has taken me quite a long time, but was worth getting it right, as there were transfers from 3 different Savings Pots, including paying the cattery boarding fees, Week 4 grocery budget to update & also our Personal Spends. We bought 3 Christmas presents while we were away - 2 of them for a hard-to-buy-for family member  - definitely a case of seeing something just right & not wanting to leave it in the shop, regret it, & have to think of another idea,
*Checked our holiday expenses maths was correct (it was!). I had earmarked £100 from September's budget then added another £85 from grocery budget underspends on Weeks 1- 3, so we had £185 to cover living expenses while we were away. Astoundingly, we came home WITH MONEY!! This meant that we could treat ourselves to guilt-free take-away pizza last night after a busy day/drive & there was STILL £7-31 left over, which I have pinged over to the Presents Pot. We did take some provisions, but now that we know the set-up of staying at the campsite's rooms, particularly around kitchen-use, etc, we both think we could take a bit more next time we stay there. Still, it was a blimming surprise to come home with some money left!
*Entered a competition.
*Did a survey.
Mr F's cooking night & it involves something in wraps with coleslaw & salad, which I will offer to pick in a minute, as I have to go out & fetch the laundry in anyway. I hope I don't get mugged by an army of tomatoes on the way!
F x

Makingabobor2

Nice to have you back FG, & glad you had a lovely time

PennysIntoPounds

Sounds like a lovely time, pleased for you- and that you had money left over for a takeaway pizza and present pot. Great work getting the gifts for difficult to buy for relative 

Sun_Addict

Welcome home. Well done on coming home with money left. We always come home with a good amount left but it just gets rolled over to the next one. Glad Soot and Ash are settled back in. Are they cross with you mine always are 😆 Blackberry and pear whisky, now that sounds rather delicious 😋 

foxgloves

Hello & thanks for your comments. 
@Sun_Addict - No, they weren't cross with us, but Soot got his own back early this morning when he arrived outside our bedroom door at 4.30 am & started on a 2-hour yowl-a-thon. I didn't want to reward bad behaviour by getting up & letting him in, but in the end, that's what I did as I couldn't stand it any longer & needed to get ready to go into town early anyway. I honestly don't know how he didn't lose his voice! Once ensconced on the bed, he was, of course, the very model of excellent behaviour. I think, actually, he was just really glad to be home & fancied some company. He's a very chatty, social cat, but also very LOUD!!
F

foxgloves

Hello Friday Frugalistas,
Honestly, you'd think Foxgloves Manor was under siege atm as Mr F is busy firing at aliens downstairs....probably not for much longer, as I predict Soot & Ash will start pestering for their dinner any time now.
Quite a useful day on the money saving front....mostly the usual domestic stuff, but tbh, that's where I often make the most regular savings. Anyway, today's helpful activity:
*Hair cut first thing. £13. I really cannot complain about that amazing price for a cut. It costs more for Mr F at the barber's & I have much more hair than him!
*Bought the rest of the grocery list at the market....forgot to buy a lime, which I need for a specific recipe, but can get one tomorrow. It looks like our September grocery budget will come in with about a £9 underspend so I will find somewhere useful for that.
*Baked bread.
*Made a blackberry & pear crumble. 
*Picked the rest of the scotch bonnet chillies.
*Ditto french beans.
*Ditto the last of the spring onions.
*Ditto outdoor tomatoes. Now these were more time consuming as 15 outdoor plants. As the weather is getting cooler, I decided to pick all of them regardless of stage of ripeness. Filled a crate & a basket, then had to get Mr F to carry the basket indoors as I couldn't lift it! There followed a triage process which went something like this - ripest ones to use first into fridge drawer, next ripest ones in large bowl on kitchen dresser, large unripe ones on large tray in conservatory & unripe cherry ones in crate. I have put a few riper ones in amongst these to help with ripening. I need them to ripen fairly gradually so I can get on top of the already ripe ones first. Those which insist on remaining resolutely green after that will be put in the naughty bag....a large paper carrier bag with the top pegged closed. I do usually manage to get pretty much everything except v small ones ripe this way, so will see how it goes. I haven't ever needed to chuck in a ripe banana, but that's another option if too many of them refuse to play ball. 
*Picked a bowl of lettuce & rocket leaves for tonight's salad.
*Drafted out a few thoughts re some tomatoey batch cooking next week.
*Printed off credit card bill & reconciled it against receipts & my CC payment log-sheet. All as I expected. Just one transaction to pay off (gas servicing) which I had included in September's budget so I have now done that & it is, as usual, paid in full. 
*Did 3 surveys.
*I did have to finish off the larger laundry items on the heated airer overnight but it was noticeable that large towels, etc, didn't need as long because they had been pegged out first, so I think it is still worth doing if the weather looks ok.
Right, that is me done for the day. Mr F is making 'posh fish finger cobs' tonight. My contribution is the salad & crumble. Just going to have a little tidy of my desk, then it's bum in chair with sparkly sock knitting time!
Keep it in your purses, m'dears!
F x

Sun_Addict

£13 for a cut is a real bargain indeed! You have prompted me to pick my tomatoes. There are loads but all still green. I put mine in a brown box with an apple which works a treat.