Resourcefulness: The budgeter's friend

ladyholly

you have my sympathy re the washing machine having just had to get a new one. I find it is much harder to spend money from my pots rather than just shove things on a cc.

Humdinger1

Feeling your pain @foxgloves! At least it didn't happen on Christmas Eve.  That's a memory that rises horrifically before me from time to time.  You're fixed and snug or about to be.  I agree, some brands are worth avoiding.   Well done on having funds in place to fix this.  Love Humdinger xx 

EssexHebridean

Hurrah for at least a little bit of a saving to offset the unplanned spendiness. Our washer dryer is somehow still hanging on in there - although for how much longer we will see, the noisiness and high levels of vibration actually seem to have settled a bit of late which is a bit of a result. I know we have already decided that we will not be buying another appliance of that same brand though, which is disappointing as it is a "warm-pointy" one, a brand which was always respected as being a good one until a few years ago, now though, less so. 

amber03

I was in Iceland last Tuesday and whilst paying the assistant said”are you 60”, then said if so you get 10% off your bill on a Tuesday. Told her I was, then thought do I look old, but think it was because I have an Iceland loyalty card which I think you have to put your DOB on application. Either way don’t mind as 10% off is more money in my pocket.x

foxgloves

Hello Diary Readers,
I've just been reading all your comments, for which thanks. It amazes me how many people seem to read my drivel. Nothing ever seems very exciting or interesting when I'm typing it, but I think our common bond on here is that we are trying to live in a more sustainable way.....both in terms of saving, rather than wasting money and in buying less, also leaving smaller footprints on the planet.
I appreciated all the sympathy about the washing machine. I was cross about the expense at the time, but really, it had 3 different faults (& I think its latest stunt of tripping the electrics has to be taken fairly seriously!) & I actually feel better with it out of the house. We also discovered a top corner where the white coating had piggled off & there was such significant rust underneath that it actually put me in mind of my old mini-metro!
@kayannie & @amber03 - Thanks for your info about 60+ discounts. The funny thing about that cafe is that I'd read the notice a couple of times before it actually sunk in that as a new 60 year old this year, it actually applied to me! 
One of the things I most like about this diary forum is that we all help each other, don't we? I can't recall the last time I went in the icy shop, but there is one on the way into town, so I could at least have a look at some point. I think the other chain (the DIY one) will be of more use, as our other similar chain has either closed down or it is just about to do so.
F

foxgloves

And so for today's post. 
I didn't get around to posting yesterday. I did intend to, but got caught up in a knitting muddle of my own making. I decided to sit in the kitchen armchair & listen to a couple of chapters of my audiobook while knitting the tricky row of my shawl pattern which I have been putting off. I studied the instructions & decided they were 2 possible ways of interpreting them. Naturally, I chose the wrong one & the maths of the pattern didn't work. So instead of getting on with my laptop jobs, then chatting to you, I had to sit & work out how to frog the incorrect bit. This took ages as it is a section of loose lace & fan shapes made from loops & of course while unpicking a stitch is one thing, trying to turn lacy holes back into stitches is much harder. Thankfully managed it in the end. This shawl kit was a gift & I know that the yarn would have been expensive, so I really don't want to make a bird's nest of such a potentially lovely thing to wear.
Anyway, enough yakking about knitting. Today's budget-helping activity:
*New washing machine arrived & I have already experimented with a 14-min cycle. Now catching up on the rest of the laundry backlog. It's a better energy rating than our previous one & has more eco-type settings so I would hope that it will be cheaper to run. Asked the delivery team if they could leave me the cardboard packaging as I have run out of moisture mats for the worm composter. I use circles of thick cardboard instead of buying them, so felt I'd acquired a little bit of a useful free resource.
*Still on the subject of the washing machine. Yesterday, my CC bill landed & while reconciling it against receipts & my CC payment log, I realised that the washer purchase wasn't on there. Well, it must have missed it by the tiniest of teensy whiskers, but this is helpful as it means it won't appear until November's bill, so I can choose whether to pay it off as part of November or December's budget, given that my Big Budget Day is always on 27th of the month. I am still moving bits of money around, as didn't have sufficient in the Appliances Replacement Pot to cover it in full, so the extra time is useful.
*Wrote grocery shopping list & pinged to Mr F who is picking it up on his way home from work. Spotted him putting his coffee beaker in the car this morning for a free latte (shopper's rights!) Not a huge list & we have already bought a 40-box of Persian Queen for the beasticles.
*Ordered a nice Chris Packham-designed hoodie for youngest nephew for Christmas. Took advantage of a 10% discount code, which has covered the delivery cost. Need to go through the presents stash as have lost track of where I am with it & feel I'm probably further ahead than I think.
*Entered 3 competitions. 
*Easy nosebag option tonight - we've built our October meal plans mostly around what we have in the freezer, including all the batch cooks I've been doing, so tonight simply involves heating up some bolognese sauce & bunging some spaghetti in a pan. 
*And still they come......opened the tomato ripening bag & removed about 500g ripe ones, now in fridge for using. Weighed the bag - about 1.2kg still to ripen - several are halfway - so shall be shopping tomatoes from home for some time yet.
*Checked for surveys, but nothing doing today.
Enjoy your evenings all - the heating is barely coming on atm as it's so warm. Nice to save some money, but I have to admit I am more of a crisp chilly October sort of a girl. Haven't even had my gloves out yet!
F x
 

DawnW

Still ripening tomatoes here too, also pears...

foxgloves

Our pears are about finished now, @DawnW, but we had a decent amount, especially as the tree had its first proper pruning for over 20 years! We've eaten quite a bit of pear & blackberry compote & I tried bottling some of that this year as well as tomatoes.
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KajiKita

Ohhhhh I so get you on the frogging of a lacy knit pattern …. 😳 Trying to do this exact same thing myself and I am literally getting tied into knots with it! I picked up a book with lots of different knitting stitches, including lacy ones, whilst I was on holiday. I’m going to use this to knit up some sample panels to get my head into the ‘structure’ of the gains, knitted / purled together, slipped psso etc etc etc …. The I will go back to my actual project! 😉😊

Glad the paying off of the new WM can be paced and that it looks effective 😊

KK

PennysIntoPounds

Excellent work asking for the cardboard for the wormery!
Glad the new appliance is bringing relief and efficiency (and eventual money and environment saving)