Resourcefulness: The budgeter's friend

themadvix

We have also had the insurance premium go down despite a no fault claim Foxgloves - welcome, but astonishing. Have put it down to Mr MV having an app on his phone monitoring his driving for 60 days, but even so…

foxgloves

@themadvix - It was very welcome, but as you say, also astonishing......although I'm sure the new water bill will more than gobble up the saving when it lands.
F

foxgloves

Greetings Friday Frugalistas,
What a windy old day! We are only in a 'yellow warning' part of the country but some of the gusts, which seemed to strengthen here late morning, were incredibly strong. I was emptying bins at the time so naturally ended up showing my pants to the street....not that anyone around here would notice if I put out the rubbish skyclad!
Weekend plans all put back by one day so as to be able to visit local market as planned. It was cancelled today as too risky trying to keep stalls anchored down. So town tomorrow & city centre trip on Sunday. Mr F has a free C0?ta coffee for one of those days.
Anything useful gone on today?
*Mr F vacuumed whole house & I did my (new system!) daily hour of housework which consisted of sorting, decluttering & cleaning another kitchen cupboard (found my missing jellybag) & ditto 3 bags.
*Started a new charity bag...which while not money saving for me, might well be for someone who needs 2 umbrellas & a set of 8 spice jars.
*Baked a crusty loaf as the bread hoover has a 3-day weekend.
*Did quite a bit more recipe copying. Am enjoying revisiting old favourites & plenty of good things to resurrect when meal planning.
*Discussed the subject of Mr F's new phone & I could feel myself getting a bit exasperated. We had agreed that around now would be a good time for him to replace his knackered phone as this month's pay will include backpay. My new phone was bought outright so I only pay for a monthly SIM & he was keen to do the same when he replaced his. Only this afternoon, he started looking at various monthly handset packages....not because this is a way of getting a more expensive phone, but because he has becone so averse to spending money. So when I said our budget could withstand him choosing a phone costing up to X, it went through a mental filter of 'that sounds a lot, what about our Savings Pots' & swung back to seeing monthly handset payments aa having less impact. I explained 3 times that this is not actually the case because monthly handset payments which drag on for 3 years are money which isn't available for sending to the Savings Pots anyway!! Anyway, I've convinced him & the plan is that I will put an amount from the backpay into the Tech Replacement Pot ringfenced for his phone. He will research & buy it over the next month or two, then in March, when both our current SIM contracts end, we will visit the Sean Bean voiceover shop & get a new lower-priced deal. Honestly, thinking how he was back pre-LBM (every bit as spendy as me), I'd never have imagined there'd come a time I was having to tell him to spend money!!
Anyway, enough phones yakk. Have had a lovely bath with the most glamorous soap my sis bought be for Christmas & intend doing nothing more onerous tonight than reading, knitting & watching the last couple of eps of 'Slow horses' series 2'. 
Wishing everyone a pleasant peaceful evening,
F x

PennysIntoPounds

I hope you were wearing your best pants all the same young lady!

Reassuring that Mr F isn't seizing the opportunity to be profligate though understandably exasperating when it just needs to get sorted. I see that v!nted has just started an electronics section so another opportunity to make a couple of quid for the Project Surbiton pot by reselling his old phone perhaps

There's nothing like a lovely toiletry is there, especially one you didn't pay for!

Sun_Addict

The wind hasn’t been that bad where we are despite us living in a wind bowl. Although we’re so used to it being windy maybe we didn’t notice it. 

Good idea to break the cleaning jobs down. I usually end up cramming mine into a weekend but tend to run out of steam after a while. I’m working on a system whereby I do a little each day but easier said than done when I work full time. 

scandimore

Good idea re the one hour per day I think Foxgloves, I'm sure you'll be round the house  finding all sorts and feeling much better for having been to the back of every cupboard it sounds like! 
We're in the amber zone here, lots of trees down and power outages but luckily no harm done in the immediate area. Very much cosying up weather! Nearly lost the car door when opening it lol
Hope Mr F gets his phone sorted sensibly x

Makingabobor2

Our local Friday market was also cancelled. Which is a shame as there is a great fruit & veg stall I like to go to sometimes, and today would have been one of those times. Never mind, we are going to a farm shop tomorrow instead

2Scratters

Evening All,(Very Dixon of Dock Green there  )

Some how this month we really have dragged out the food, well actually it's my fault as I had locked my card PIN and had to get a reminder and can only do it at a branch atm!! nearest one 6 miles away and definately will need a special trip to it. As I CBA  to make the journey the money is still sat in the bank account waiting  We had bought a sack of potatoes before Christmas and are coming to the end of them, this has helped with reduction of using up food stores. Have slowly gone through the fridge by UU items and it is pretty bare now. I have still wasted food which I get really mad with myself as being a procrastinator things that are simple just don't seem to get done. I think I need to register these fails with noting the financial impact of not being organised.
 DH and I have made a concerted effort and purchased at a good price some natural pills to help our well being and be more focussed on being better than we are at this time. Days are so much noticeably lighter this past week so hoping that will lift my SAD.
 
The UU list for January currently stands at 14 and is without concentrating/focussing on items. I think that as we had already put items into a location for UU there is little effort needed as they are the go to stores for them to be taken from, so more of a natural selection of getting them out. Slow but steady away. 

As we have a 12 month balance for the bills account including the price increases  I need to figure out the next savings plan. I personally have some NS&I savings but not added to them for some time. Just trying to figure out if PBs are a better option?

2 Scratters xx

foxgloves

Morning Campers!
Big Budget Day. Am just self-fortifying with toast & marmalade & large cup of coffee, then shall be off to Foxgloves HQ where there will hopefully soon be steam coming off the calculator.
Back later,
F 

Suffolk_lass

How inspiring! We need to do similar, looking at the dregs of the two current accounts. Adjustments, imminent CC bills and planned purchases all need to be considered.

I just wanted to mention that your influence has made me acquire some Blue Guatemalan Squash seeds to try this year. I always go for flavour over quantity of squash but the single Crown Prince pumpkin has caused me to consider something else and I thought of you!

Ooh, is that steam, a bit like the white smoke when a new pope is chosen, that I see wisping out of foxgloves HQ?