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Resourcefulness: The budgeter's friend
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We have a big old chest/box we use as a coffee table/jigsaw table too. When we first acquired it (via freecycle) it was heavier than I thought it would be so before it went into the house it went into the garage and had a set of casters put on the bottom. It’s just perfect to store all sorts of junk in and wheels from side to side/room to room to be useful (ideal extra seating when we have extras at the dining table too)4
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@Jellytotts - Yes, we find this old chest a useful piece of furniture. We store things like maps, guidebooks, etc, in it....the sort of useful but floppy pamphletty stuff which won't stand up properly on bookshelves without the help of magazine file boxes. I remember my parents buying this wooden chest in the 1970s for my Dad to keep his record collection in (big classical music buff). Of course the arrival of CDs meant it wasn't required any more, so it was given to me. I stripped it of its dark lacquer & waxed it & when Mum saw it, she liked its new look so much, she jokingly asked to have it back!
F2025's challenges: 1) To fill our 10 Savings Pots to their healthiest level ever
2) To read 100 books (36/100) 3) The Shrinking of Foxgloves 8.1kg/30kg
"Life can only be understood backwards but it must be lived forwards" (Soren Kirkegaard 1813-55)6 -
Hello Monday Money Savers,
Quite a laid back but useful day so far on the whole. I've been busy with various random tasks - the budget-friendly ones among them as follows:
*3 loads of laundry done early & pegged out in the sunshine for free drying. I think some of it will require finishing off on the heated airer. This time of year, it's finding the optimum time to bring it all in, a balance between it being outside for long enough to stand a good chance of drying, but not so long that as late afternoon arrives, so does the dampness in the air. Shouldn't need much heated airer time though, so defo worth pegging it out.
*Garden pickings: 4 pears.
*The beans I picked yesterday didn't get eaten - now blanched & frozen.
*Entered a competition.
*Did a survey.
*Made tomorrow's packed lunch & breakfast.
*Did my usual Monday morning budget updates - very little required doing, just grocery budget & personal spends.
*Effort-free meal tonight as Mr F cooked sufficient last night to feed us tonight as well.
*Remembered to defrost a couple of items ready for a slow cooker batch-cook tomorrow morning.
*Yarn donated from my sis & the colours from my stash to be divided into roughly equal amounts so I can get both of the socks I am going to knit to match reasonably well. I am going to get on with that next while listening to my audiobook on the kitchen stereo as I shall need the kitchen scales to weigh small balls of yarn as I wind them.
*Mr F has decided he doesn't need any blackberry brandy to be made after all, as he has found a small bottle of blackberry whisky in the pantry as well as a 3 year old bottle of blackberry & pear gin. I was perfectly happy to make some but did explain that we'd need to buy a couple of large kilner jars as my huge one is already in use (gin!) & I only have small kilner jars going spare atm. Shall now not have the cost of the jars or the brandy though will doubtless make some next Autumn.
Right, I had better go & check the whirlygig to see how all that laundry is doing. I've nearly achieved my daily steps & still have plenty of moving around to do. I think they were boosted by sweeping the back courtyard which was blobbed with roof-top moss courtesy of the local corvids who love to beak it off while arguing loudly with one another.
F x
2025's challenges: 1) To fill our 10 Savings Pots to their healthiest level ever
2) To read 100 books (36/100) 3) The Shrinking of Foxgloves 8.1kg/30kg
"Life can only be understood backwards but it must be lived forwards" (Soren Kirkegaard 1813-55)9 -
Greetings from what I very much hope is not gearing up to be a plague house. Poor night's sleep, woke at 3.20 very hot, didn't get back to sleep & had a suspicious throat by the time the alarm went off. Decided to get on with my day as planned, budget-friendly bits as follows:
*Baked a wholemeal loaf.
*Made use of the oven being on to roast veg for tomorrow's couscous.
*Good drying weather again so washed a load of towels & our summer weight duvet. Didn't need the heated airer at all last night, same again today, so packed it away, electricity (& more to the point our money) saved.
*Garden pickings : Courgettes & carrots.
*Used 2lbs of our own homegrown tomatoes skinned & chopped instead of tinned for the bolognese sauce which is bubbling away in the slow cooker & smelling enticing.
*Sorted clean laundry & ironed just what required it.
*Did meal plans for next week. Started grocery shopping list but......
Have run out of steam. Throat still suspicious, I ache all over & by the time I got halfway through this afternoon, my energy levels had depleted to really quite pathetic levels. Feel sure I am now fighting off a lergy. Mr F pinged to ask how I was & so I told him. I received instructions by return of ping to make a drink & sit down with a magazine.....so that, dear readers, is what I am doing. I'll see what tomorrow brings.
F x2025's challenges: 1) To fill our 10 Savings Pots to their healthiest level ever
2) To read 100 books (36/100) 3) The Shrinking of Foxgloves 8.1kg/30kg
"Life can only be understood backwards but it must be lived forwards" (Soren Kirkegaard 1813-55)7 -
Oh no, hope its not this new.covid strain that is apparently going round. I always find honey, lemon & ginger helps, with a paracetamol. Hope you feel a bit better tomorrowMaking the debt go down and savings go up
LBM 2015 - debt £57K / Now £28,304....its going down
Mortgage Free December 9th 2024! 18mths ahead of schedule. Since 2022 we paid over £15K in OPs.Challenges
EF #68 £650/£3000
.
Studies/surveys October £21.15
Decluttering items 1202/2025
Books read 18
Jigsaws done 11
My debt free diary...https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6396218/we-will-get-this-debt-d£own-the-savings-up4 -
Thanks, @Makingabobor2. Yes, I am good at dosing myself with potions. I also find my homemade blackberry vinegar helpful for sore throats, usually a dessertspoonful sipped slowly, but it is good diluted in hot water too with a slice of root ginger.
F x2025's challenges: 1) To fill our 10 Savings Pots to their healthiest level ever
2) To read 100 books (36/100) 3) The Shrinking of Foxgloves 8.1kg/30kg
"Life can only be understood backwards but it must be lived forwards" (Soren Kirkegaard 1813-55)5 -
My 16 year old currently has some lurgy or other she says hers started with a sore throat. I hope you manage to shake it off quickly.Fashion on a ration 2025 0/66 coupons spent
79.5 coupons rolled over 4/75.5 coupons spent - using for secondhand purchases
One income, home educating family4 -
Oh no, hope you feel better very soon!
Zinc, vitamin c, gargle with TCP and sleep as long as you can, we'll be having none of your bustling productivity tomorrow young lady!https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6466032/an-in-between-phase
Books read 2025: 56
Hey! Use my code GW7II3 on Eureka Surveys and unlock a short 80p survey just for signing up! https://eurekasurveys.page.link/do9nSyy8u4nikx6r65 -
I just got over a 6 day sore throat and 3 day full on cold. Thankfully OH with his weakened immune system did not catch it.4 YEARS 10 MONTHS DEBT FREE!!! (24 OCT 2016)(With heartfelt thanks to those who have gone before us & their indubitable generosity.)...and now I have a mortgage! (23 AUG 2021)New projection - 14 YEARS 7 MONTHS LEFT OF 20 YEARS (reduced by 17 mths)Psst...I may have started a diary!4
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I hope the sore throat doesn’t amount to anything. I felt like I was coming down with something last week but it seems to have cleared off.I get knocked down but I get up again (Chumbawamba, Tubthumping)4
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