Resourcefulness: The budgeter's friend

foxgloves

Dear Readers,
Another Monday, another new week & I can feel a serious bout of Doingstuffitis coming on. I've done a bit of general planning & thought about the shape of my week where various tasks are concerned. Already had to postpone a job till tomorrow because the blade stuck fast on the Bamix & it took me ages & a couple of Youtube suggestions to shift it. Success, but too late now to commence the additional kitchen witchery I'd planned. On the money saving front, here are today's offerings:
*Ironing. Not too much. Only did what needed it.
*Did my regular Monday morning budget updates. Grocery budget lower than I'd like. I can see I'll need to make some adjustments at the end of the month when I reconcile July's overall financials.
*Did 3 surveys. PA crashed just as I was trying to submit my completion code but it wasn't out for long & I have defo been paid.
*Garden pickings: Basil
*Made the 1st batch of this year's pesto. Since pinenuts became stupidly expensive, I've been using cashews & it's just as nice. 6 pots - 1 left out for tonight's cheesy courgette spaghetti & the other 5 frozen.
*Prepped, blanched & froze the french beans I picked yesterday.
*Mended a pair of Mr F's jeans.
*Soaked the labels off a rather nice gin bottle as it will be perfect for this year's blackberry & pear gin.
*Ground some more seasalt crystals as I like to have finer salt available for baking.
*Refilled indoor cat litter bag - we find it works out cheaper to buy a big sack to keep in the shed & bag it up into smaller quantities ourselves.
*Harvest a layer of compost from the worm composter unit & start off another base layer using shredded paper as bedding (a free option).
I just have the final task to do then I shall get on with my knitting for the presents bag.
Mr F is making inroads into decluttering some stuff which has been hanging around for ages. He can be a bit of a hoarder, but only in certain categories of stuff. He seems well into the frame of mind for a clear-out 😍 atm & long may it last!
Right, off to sort out my wiggly friends.....
F x

foxgloves

Just spotted another SEVEN courgettes ready since yesterday! Looks like we are going to have a good crop of blackberries this summer too.
F

teapot2

I've noticed ripe brambles already when I've been out and about, they don't usually ripen up here till August into Sept.

foxgloves

@teapot2 - Yes, the heat is making everything ripen more quickly, isn't it? My flower borders are already 'going over' (as my Mum used to say) despite it only being mid-July. I think anyone who usually heads off blackberry picking in September may find they've been beaten to it this year.
F

rtandon27

I've been picking blackberries from our bush for almost 2 weeks now - it's definitely a late summer activity, but they are so very prolific that I'm hoping for a long season.  My rasps were a complete write-off this year, the birds had a feast one morning before I got to them.

Baileys_Babe

I picked my first blackberries this year on the 1st July, which is the earliest I can ever remember. I have been picking them every couple of days. If the rain holds off, I am going to pick my next batch this evening.

foxgloves

That's defo early for blackberries, isn't it? Looking forward to our first pick.
F

foxgloves

Evening dear readers,
Just a quick post before 'Sewing Bee'. Productive day, though had to waste time sorting out a damn mouse. I disturbed it before it caused much damage & sent Soot into the cupboard, followed by the electronic trap. Nothing caught as yet, so I'm wondering if it turned tail & ran back out through the air brick. Will check trap tomorrow morning.
*Did my mid-month budget check-in. Figures just slightly out & I feel sure this is something to do with my new purple glitter tights. Not enough to launch financial forensics anyway. Reconciled credit card bill - no nasty surprises - it will be paid off in full as usual. Credit cards are now a tool for us, rather than a tool for the bank to make money from our past silly spending.
*Cleared a section of flower border & filled garden waste wheelie ready for collection this week. Felt I'd had a good stretching session with all the reaching & bending.
*Cut back the comfrey & used for chop n drop onto squash bed.
*Watered greenhouse veg (the rain took care of everything else).
*Garden pickings: Cucumbers no.14 & 15, 3 courgettes, a chilli & some basil for tonight's pizza.
*Knitted heel flap & turned the heel on a sock (a pair for the presents bag knitted from my stash).
*Baked a batch of bread rolls as I was already planning to make the pizza dough.
*Cleaned bathroom - usual minimal products.
*Got my daily minimum steps past target level by flinging the vacuum around so clean house too.
Right, time to watch some sewing, & hopefully pick up some ideas.
F x

PennysIntoPounds

Mouse issue sympathies from here!

I saw a fully grown luscious blackberry on a bush overhanging the street a few weeks ago, it was still June! I know it was just the one but all the same, in my mind blackberries are the approach to autumn not the approach to summer 

Suffolk_lass

Yes, the problem for us (for our bees) is that the July flowering blackberries just are not there for this month's forage. Lots of beekeepers are considering when to remove the honey crop, as they fear the bees will start to eat their own stores. This isn't an issue for us as we take the view that they can have it if they need it. In fact, I went out and to a small colony before the wasps were flying yesterday, and eased open their protective cover, just enough to swap an unused frame they had yet to draw wax on, with a nice, fat heavy one full of capped stores out of our freezer - so if it does actually rain enough to stop them foraging, they do have some reserves. While the colonies remain large (at this point in the year) people need to think about possible starvation. They can use their own stores in a bit over a week at this time. Whereas, as they shrink for winter, a frame will last nearly a month.

I have bee feed on order (more than normal) but only for collection on 2nd August.

Sorry to hijack - Oh yes, courgettes coming now!