We’d like to remind Forumites to please avoid political debate on the Forum.
This is to keep it a safe and useful space for MoneySaving discussions. Threads that are – or become – political in nature may be removed in line with the Forum’s rules. Thank you for your understanding.
Resourcefulness: The budgeter's friend
Comments
-
I shall pass on your kind words to them. Actually, @Sun_Addict, despite how it looks in his photo, Soot doesn't have any white bits, he is entirely black. That little bit on his leg (along with a quite bald tummy atm) is from over-grooming. Vet says no medical reason for it, no signs of any irritation, etc, says he probably started it through the stress & excitement of having a home after so long in rescue, but it's now become a habit.
F
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!5 -
Hello Friday night frugalistas,
Thanks for all your comments. Yes, we are relieved the car exchange went according to plan. Needn't have worried about them not honouring the 5-month old valuation, they pinged us a photo today of it sitting on their forecourt for sale with a very positive write-up. They were so obviously pleased with its clean condition, one has to wonder whether our vehicle followed rather a string of mingers!
Useful day in which I achieved all I set out to do. Budget-friendly bits as follows:
*Baked bread (can tell the bread hoover's been on leave this week!)
*Garden pickings: 2 aubergines, tomatoes, courgettes, french beans, blackberries.
*Planted out a few lettuce modules into gaps in raised bed.
*Sowed more lettuce & spring onions, also some spring cabbage, violas & wallflowers (mostly free seeds).
*Finished sewing my door curtain. It's not perfect as slight bodge required at corner but tbh, if anyone wants to be crawling around our lobby floor inspecting my hemming skills, I'll quite rightly think they've got issues!
*Wrote a list for our city centre trip tomorrow....then crossed off a £7 item I discovered I didn't need. Felt somehow 'up on the deal' already!
*Mr F watered & fed all the veg & containers. The front courtyard had recycled bathwater to offset the cost of the rest of today's watering. He also made very good progress on his big garden project which has needed doing for a long time. I think he'll be achey tomorrow, but I'm sure it will soon dissipate once through the threshold of HMV tomorrow morning.
Oh, & this...... Our TV subscription ended a couple of days ago. We cancelled because we find we don't make much use of it during the summer months. Today, Mr F received an email from them..…"Mr Foxgloves, it's been 2 days now. We miss you, let's get back together'. TWO DAYS!! Naturally our subscription won't be renewed until we decide we are ready once again to make good use of it. Between now & then, that £12-99 a month will be sent to our Leisure/Entertainment Pot to pay for some or other random future fun.
Have a lovely weekend everyone,
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!13 -
What a handsome chap Soot is
Brilliant news about the car, so relieved for you- that saga did not need to drag on any longer. Quite right being an embarrassing missus and making them write things down!
Ugh these cringe emails make me less likely to use a company, do they have no self-awareness
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6466032/an-in-between-phase/p1
'aggressive safety shot' Ken Doherty6 -
Catching up…
The photos of Soot and Ash are beautiful!
Glad that your car part exchange was honoured. What a good idea to have got it in writing earlier in the year.
paydbx2026 #19 £3324/£6000 . Mortgage start £148k June 23 - now £133k.
2026 savings challenge £0/£2000 EF £140. Savings 2 £2.175 -
@PennysIntoPounds & @Honeysucklelou2 - Yes, I'm glad I pressed the original car dealership on holding the part-ex value they cited at the end of Feb. As the budgeter in the relationship, I didn't like the uncertainty of that figure changing when I'd so carefully worked out all the figures (we'd been saving up for ages). We have seen our old car priced up on their forecourt & even with honouring a lower-mileage quote, they still look to be making a£3k profit on it so they won't have made a loss through being honourable.
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!11 -
Dear Saturday Readers,
A few wins today....the biggest one, I think, simply that we have had a pleasant day together & enjoyed each other's company. So much illness & worry among various family & friends atm that we have had a bit of an epiphany re being thankful for what we have…..what my Mum & Grandma would have called taking a moment to 'count our blessings', no moaning today.....well, at least not until Mr F went to buy some pants!
Anyway, today's budget-friendly bits & bobs such as they are:
*Managed to find a nice little within budget item to complete my sister's birthday box.
*We both achieved a good toiletries stash stock-up by maximising offers, points, etc. Two nice full-size cleansing balms half-price in the Em&Ess sale - 100ml ones which will last me ages & each with a muslin cloth, which no longer seem to be as standard a provision with these balms as once they were.
*Was the very picture of restraint in the 'marine condiment' shop. Yes, there was a dress I liked but I already have some fabric to make something fairly similar so I didn't feel at all disappointed to leave it in the shop.
*Mr F bought some new jeans straight away without any of the usual faff before putting them back & saying 'I'll get some another time'. He found a pair then couldn't remember his preferred leg length. He had a 29" but I queried this as it said 'short' & he is 5'11". He was adament he was right. In the end, I told him to keep still while I had a quick ferret down the back of the jeans he was wearing to check the label.....I think he was too surprised to complain......& I was right! He duly selected a pair in the appropriate length. Now the absolute worst clothes shopping involving Mr F is when he needs to buy a pack of pants. Oh my goodness, the complaining! "Why are they so expensive? How can pants cost that? etc, etc, ad infinitum. An older chap was laughing at us & said to me, "He'll be going commando to save money next'". I said, "Don't encourage him!". He did eventually choose a nice pack & was very pleased with himself for 2 sensible purchases which he needed. What IS it with some men & buying clothes?! If it's some gizmo with a cable he's on it like a bonnet! 😂 The positive £ side of this was that on his way to the tills, he discovered he had a £6 cashback offer which he said reduced things by £1-15 per pant so for all the moaning, he did feel he'd come out as the winner 🙄
*Did another triage of the veg, esp 🍅🍅🍅 ,🍆🍆🍆 & 🥒🥒🥒🥒 & Mr F decided he'd like to buy a couple of peppers (ours are not ready yet) & make a batch of ratatouille tomorrow, so that will be a decent batch cook for the freezer. I like rataouille on a jacket potato with grated cheddar popped back in the oven for melty cheese loveliness while still providing a decent wodge of plants.
*Oh, & I did a final small survey before cashing out of PA at just under £21. Nowhere near my preferred monthly target but useful nevertheless.
Time to wish you all a pleasant evening, as the Intrepid Jeans & Pants-Buying Hero has just informed me that his chilli is almost ready to serve.
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!13 -
My OH is the same when he needs new clothes - moans like stink about the cost!
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)Original End Date - Sept 2041 *** New projection - Aug 2038 (reduced by 3 years & 1 month)6 -
Sounds like a good day. I hate clothes shopping with Mr SA as he always insists he’s two sizes smaller than he really is.
I get knocked down but I get up again (Chumbawamba, Tubthumping) -.literally have been run over by a bike, mobility scooter and a car - still here 💪6 -
Well done to Mr F and his pants!
Mr C is very thrifty and won't buy new clothes (draws the line at second hand undercrackers, fortunately 😂). He does love both novelty and buying clothes though, so currently has well over 50 shirts and over 30 jackets of many different varieties 😮 some more practical than others, and some distinctly towards the fancy dress variety (not that that stops him just wearing them on a random Tuesday sometimes). 😬😂🥰
10 -
Mr KK is also hopeless about buying clothes … It was only the threat of visiting my mother and needing to ‘be up to standard’ for her, that got him buying any last time … He then needed trousers, jacket, shoes, shirts and a tie! 🙄 Fortunately we were spending in an end of line place so it wasn’t too pricey and the Iranian lady server, who was both motherly and gently flirtatious with him, chivvied him through the whole process without too much fuss! 😉😂
KK
As at 18.08.26:
- When bought house £315,995 mortgage debt and end date at start = October 2039 - now £211,813
- OPs to mortgage = £19,809 Estd. interest saved = £10,180 to date
c. 16 months reduction in term
Fixed rate 3.85% ends October 2030
Read 63 books of target 52 in 2026 as @ 2nd September.
Produce tracker: £245 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.10
Confirm your email address to Create Threads and Reply
Categories
- All Categories
- 355.4K Banking & Borrowing
- 254.8K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
- 456K Spending & Discounts
- 248.1K Work, Benefits & Business
- 605.4K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
- 178.9K Life & Family
- 263.2K Travel & Transport
- 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
- 16.1K Discuss & Feedback
- 37.7K Read-Only Boards