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Resourcefulness: The budgeter's friend
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Those bindweed roots! I agree they are very satisfying to trace back to source and remove. I can get quite obsessed, although I know that I shall never be rid of the stuff. When I go to bed, having had a good removal session that day, sometimes I can still see them when I close my eyes!5
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@Moorviews - Yes, it is a strangely satisfying task.....until I notice new shoots of the stuff popping up. I do find that now is a good time to knock it back. The emerging shoots indicate where roots are lurking underground so I can get my fork under it to remove & slow its progress. Years ago, we did manage to get an area of our veg plot completely cleared of the stuff, simply by adopting utter zero tolerance. I can see some tiny hawkweed shoots coming up in a neighbouring bed so will get onto those too. It's the only way, as it spreads the same way as bindweed - persistent horizontal roots which pop up a new plant every 10 to 20cms or so. Not this year though. I'm determined! And good exercise digging it out according to yesterday afternoon's fitness tracker stats.
F2026's challenges: 1) To rebuild our Emergency Fund to at least £5k.
2) To read 50 books (12/50) 3) The Re-Shrinking of Foxgloves 8.1kg/30kg
Remember....if you have to put it on a credit card, extend your overdraft or take out a loan to buy whatever it is, you probably can't afford it, as that's not your money, it's somebody else's!6 -
If the knocked back bindweed pops up again, we put a cane in and get it to twirl round that until it reaches the top, then we paint it with (S)ome (B)loomin' (K)lump (stump) killer, and pop a plastic bag over it. This takes the said substance down to that bit of root and kills it. A bit of a faff but does work if you have already weeded the majoritySave £12k in 2026 #2 I have banked £2870.61 so far, against a £10k target The 2026 Save £12k in 2026 thread is here
OS Grocery Challenge in 2026 I am sticking with a £3000 annual budget for 2026 - currently £568.34 and most of my March purchasing made
I also Reverse Meal Plan on that thread and grow much of our own premium price fruit and veg, joining in on the grow your own in 2026 discussion thread
My keep within our budget diary is here5 -
I've heard of that method, @Suffolk_lass, but have never tried it because we are are organic gardeners. I had a quick look first thing when I was pegging the laundry out & I seem to be keeping on top of it at the moment. I always think that once I let it get to the stage where it is starting to climb up other plants, I'm losing the battle. It's time consuming but not so bad doing 30 mins to an hour on each gardening day. I actually quite like the flowers on both bindweed varieties when it's out in the wild, but it is way too triffidy to entertain in a domestic garden. What are your most horrendous weeds?
F2026's challenges: 1) To rebuild our Emergency Fund to at least £5k.
2) To read 50 books (12/50) 3) The Re-Shrinking of Foxgloves 8.1kg/30kg
Remember....if you have to put it on a credit card, extend your overdraft or take out a loan to buy whatever it is, you probably can't afford it, as that's not your money, it's somebody else's!6 -
I have creeping wood sorrel, ground elder, nettles (I tolerate some of these), brambles, docs and creeping thistles on my hate you list. All of the colours and all of the flavours of all of the weeds, really but they are the worst!Save £12k in 2026 #2 I have banked £2870.61 so far, against a £10k target The 2026 Save £12k in 2026 thread is here
OS Grocery Challenge in 2026 I am sticking with a £3000 annual budget for 2026 - currently £568.34 and most of my March purchasing made
I also Reverse Meal Plan on that thread and grow much of our own premium price fruit and veg, joining in on the grow your own in 2026 discussion thread
My keep within our budget diary is here7 -
You've got some bangers there, @Suffolk_lass. If you add in the annoying creeping oxalis I also need to control, & way too much alkanet, I think we've got all the thuggy weeds covered between us!
F2026's challenges: 1) To rebuild our Emergency Fund to at least £5k.
2) To read 50 books (12/50) 3) The Re-Shrinking of Foxgloves 8.1kg/30kg
Remember....if you have to put it on a credit card, extend your overdraft or take out a loan to buy whatever it is, you probably can't afford it, as that's not your money, it's somebody else's!4 -
Hello Diary Readers,
Today has simply whizzed by & I haven't achieved nearly as much as I'd hoped. Budget-friendly efforts:
*Almost a no-spend day until Mr F came home with mini-eggs & then we decided to book tickets to see John Cooper-Clarke.
*Did my mid-month budget check-in which was all fine, but took a lot longer than usual because there were so many bits & pieces to sort out beforehand so as to be able to work from correct figures.
*Fed my sourdough jar.
*Usual baby plant checks. Have bubblewrapped ready for 4° tonight.
*Took advantage of strong winds to do a laundry load for pegging out. All dry by lunchtime & as it got such a good blow, nothibg required ironing.
*A bit of present knitting (if you can count 1/2 a cm!)
Still intending to do meal plans for Easter & next week this evening as we'll be grocery shopping tomorrow. Dinner in the oven - Smoky Fish Bake - a recipe I'd forgotten about until my recent recipe-sorting & copying project. There will be some leftover for freezing too. Hoping to read some more of my current library book later too, as it is very intriguing - 'One true word' by Snaebjorn Arngrimsson. The story is unfolding & I don't think I trust anyone in it yet!
Enjoy your evenings.
F x
2026's challenges: 1) To rebuild our Emergency Fund to at least £5k.
2) To read 50 books (12/50) 3) The Re-Shrinking of Foxgloves 8.1kg/30kg
Remember....if you have to put it on a credit card, extend your overdraft or take out a loan to buy whatever it is, you probably can't afford it, as that's not your money, it's somebody else's!7 -
You forgot mares tail nightmare!
LTotal Debt Dec 07 £59875.83 Overdrafts £2900,New Debt Figure ZERO !!!!!!:j 08/06/2013
Lucielle's Daring Debt Free Journey
DFD Before we Die!!!! Long Haul Supporter #1247 -
Yes, 1/2cm of present knitting counts - you’ve picked it up and engaged in the task - that counts! 😊
I will be looking at recipes and menus tomorrow for next week as I have some leave and I want to mix things up a bit.
KKAs at 17.04.26:
- When bought house £315,995 mortgage debt and end date at start = October 2039 - now £216,847
- OPs to mortgage = £17,793 Estd. interest saved = £9,021 to date
c. 16 months reduction in term
Fixed rate 3.85% ends October 2030
Read 28 books of target 52 in 2026 as @ 23rd April.
Produce tracker: £78 of £400 in 2026
Watch your thoughts, they become your words.
Watch your words, they become your actions.Watch your actions, they become your reality.5 -
I am with you Lucielle! It and bindweed are my allotment nemeses!lucielle said:You forgot mares tail nightmare!
LMortgage free 16/06/2023! £132,500 cleared in 11 years, 3 months and 7 days
'Now is no time to think of what you do not have. Think of what you can do with what there is.' Ernest Hemingway4
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