Resourcefulness: The budgeter's friend

EssexHebridean

Swift boxes are definitely in our future Foxgloves - we know that they nested under the eaves of a house over the road last year and they’re very active round here so we’ve already agreed that when the roof is done we’ll be getting Steve to pop some boxes up while he’s up at that level anyway! They are just truly astonishing little birds, and yes, anything anyone can do to help them is very much needed.

foxgloves

@EH - They are no trouble. They arrive usually first week of May, locate nest box, take up residence, raise chicks & have set off back to Africa by mid-August. While they are here, they entertain us daily with their aerobatic displays & screechy fly-pasts. If they ever failed to turn up, I'd feel the loss of them. You will love having a box.
F

foxgloves

Hello Hot People,
Not as productive today as I'd hoped. I'd intended to cut out my practice dress this afternoon, but the conservatory (our dining room where the table lives) is just way too hot to be comfortable, even with the doors flung wide. Ah well, shall no doubt have a cooler day soon....or could be an evening sewing person.
*Vacuumed upstairs & staircase. Cleaned bathroom. Minimal products & washable cloths as usual.
*Useful free resources - Postie brought our new flask. Box saved for consignment of books I'm stacking up for selling. Packaging was shredded corrugated cardboard, so has been added to compost bin.
*Watered veg, new bedding plants & containers.
*Garden pickings: a globe artichoke which I ate for my lunch.
*Entered a competition.
*Did a couple of surveys.
*Got containers ready for tomorrow's visit to the Eco-refill shop.
*Knitted some more sock (for the presents stash).
*Froze half a loaf which isn't getting eaten.
*Cut away the seams from old cotton duvet from which I intend to make my practice dress. Ironed it ready to cut out when the conservatory is cooler to work in. Soot had a fine old game with one of the long pieces of cut-away seam. Honestly, why do we buy cat toys??!!! Cardboard boxes, cardboard tubes with catnip inside, pieces of string, balls of scrunched up paper, Mr F's feet.......all of these are highly acceptable to our cats.
Enjoying watching garden wildlife - squirrel, swifts, 2 bees which looked like a different type so must get my bee ID chart out, damselflies & all the usual suspects. Have swapped a cooking night with Mr F now he is working his new compressed hours. I now cook Mon, Tues, Thurs & Fri and he does the remaining days, as we both enjoy cooking. Luckily I remembered this & defrosted the fish for tonight!
Have been thinking about the Grocery Budget & Project Surbiton this week, so doubtless these will feature in a diary post v soon.
Off to fetch a glass of water. I only like high teens/v low 20s for summer temperatures.
F x

Makingabobor2

It was a bit too hot today by the time it got to lunch time. Think its our age making us dislike it. I used to be ok when I was young. 

weenancyinAmerica

Thank you for the suggestions of cat toys - we were just discussing it for our youngest cat. Have sent you a PM re-family history. Really like to help out.

foxgloves

@weenancyinAmerica - Thank-you. I have the details to hand & will PM them over to you shortly. 
F

foxgloves

Hello Sunday Savers,
Just checking in with today's budget-friendly efforts:
*Made bread
*BBQ brisket in the slow cooker for a couple of days meals plus freezer portions.
*Picked another cucumber (no.5)
*Cut out my practice dress from the old duvet cotton & pinned it together.
*Decided not to make or purchase a set of pattern cutting weights as my collection of 50p glass tealight holders from the Swedish Emporium worked perfectly.
*Mr F finished kitchen garden gravel & got 2 re-usable old railway sleepers into position to raise the front of the bed we usually use for potatoes.
*Made tomorrow's packed lunch & breakfast.
I am still some way from my daily minimum steps target today so I intend to have a brisk tidying session followed by some marching up & down the garden to make up the numbers. And I must wash my witchy hair.
Wishing you all a nice Sunday.
Onwards with the steps!
F x

rtandon27

@foxgloves - I hear you on the struggle for steps!  I've programmed my tracker to buzz me every 10 to the hour & tell me to get off my lazy backside 😂 - I've now found out that two 'circuits of upstairs/downstairs/outside/end of the garden/inside - is enough to appease the minimal movement per hour - also reminds me to do my neurophysio exercises while doing the steps, so my brain gets a little workout & forms new pathways!

Suffolk_lass

Back to water for a minute. Being a thatched property, we don't have gutters (so we do receive a grey water reduction of our bill). We haven't heard yet for 2025(!) but our (metered) water bill is £34 a month from Anglia Water. I was considering tagging two or three butts to the bathroom grey water pipe so that our shower water goes in them. The two things I need to resolve are some sort of (removable?) filter to take out any shampoo or shower gloop residue. (I think the washing machine, dishwasher and sink grey water pipe might be too low to fill butts, so also considering a pump of some sort, for these). My other issue is space to put these, as the back of the kitchen extension has a row of planters, chimneys and other plant stands, and I won't want to have to excavate the other side of the gravel path to make it wider as there is a rockery-type of wall up to the raised bed and the oregano lawn.

foxgloves

@rtandon27 - I read another article this morning (in the 'Independent', I think) about the myth of the 10,000 daily steps. Again, it cited 5000 as the cut-off point for 'sedentary'. It was interesting to read that while studies seem to show more positive health benefits for 7000 - 8000 steps, these don't really increase if one pushes onto 10,000 steps a day. My average is higher than 5000 as this is only my daily minimum. I do rack up more steps on days when I am out & about. Today I've been at home all day, but have been quite busy, so 5000 steps will be met with ease.
F