La Dolce Vita (The Sweet Life) - on a tiny budget.

helensbiggestfan

Good morning lovely ladies.  

Thank you for sharing your experiences of B12. I didn't realise that there were different systems of delivery and not just injections.  You learn something new every day.  Lol

And yes I agree ........no one should be written off because of their age.  And there are times when our age and hard worn wisdom accumulated through years of experience can be a valuable asset.  

Which brings me nicely to Thrifty Thursday and how our experience can help us through difficult economic times and how we can perhaps also help our children and younger friends and family members 

Thrifty Thursday. 

There can be little doubt in anyone's mind now that we are headed for some difficult times in the next few years.  The economy is not looking good and unfortunately the downturn is not a temporary blip. It's going to be deep and long lasting. It's global so theres no escape.  

Having lived through several recessions, periods of high inflation, housing slumps about 18 months ago I spotted the early warning signs of what was going to happen with the housing market.  I could foresee where we were heading and was able to not only prepare myself but also advise and guide my children.  

I have now moved all my house money into the best interest accounts I can find whilst at the same time ensuring that I have split it across a range of banks so as to take advantage of the £85k guarantee just in case some of the banks are at risk.  

I am still trying to be frugal whilst living well.  I learned a lot from my parents who were very much of a make do and mend mindset.  Their generation had to be.  

There's not a lot we can do about energy prices and food prices though. I just thank my lucky stars that I can afford to both heat and eat. I do need to get back into batch cooking. Living alone I have fallen out of the habit but now we are coming back into more winter type meals I want to start using the slow cooker again,  I also want to try baking again. I never really got on with the oven in my old house but I quite like my current oven so i think I will have a go. I am considering buying one of those ninja type mini cookers, does anyone have any recommendations.  

I have had a little spend recently on some winter clothing but my love of vintage and my willingness to buy pre-loved (except for underwear and footwear) means my money has gone a long way.  Without breaking the bank I have bought 5 sweaters, 2 thermal vests (new) a long thick maxi skirt and two leather handbags, around £150 the lot.  I would like to get some black boots.  And I need some new sleepwear. 

Of course I shall keep up my habit of browsing the chazzas for bargains.😂.  

I have learned so much about money management from this site.  It opened my eyes to a whole world of financial knowledge and I continue to delve and learn.  I follow a number of financial blogs and podcasts. The internet is a wonderful thing.  I wish we had had such a resource when I was young and starting out.......I would have been a millionaire by now. 😂🤣.  

One thing I have learned is how to make thrifty living more fun.  Instead of feeling resentful and envious of others who might have more than I have I now enjoy the challenge of making my money work harder for me.  

I follow a few fashion blogs too and I don't know if you know this but there has been a big thing this year about the "old money aesthetic" or "old money style".  Basically this means dressing and styling yourself to look as if you come from a wealthy background, usually inherited wealth, rather than being "new   money" or being self made.  So quiet dressing, no flash logos, that kind of thing.  It's well worth looking at .....

It struck me that I and many of my fellow "moneysavingexperts" have adopted this way of living - dressing well, living well, styling our homes on tight budgets.  Whether it's out of necessity or to accumulate wealth, or to save in one area so we can splurge on other things like travel or entertainment, or whether it's out of concern for the health of our planet many of us have been quietly living the "old money aesthetic" for years.  😉. 

I adopted the "money talks but wealth whispers" mindset many years ago.  Even when I was in my 20s a lot of my peers assumed I was loaded because I bought my first house by myself when I was 25.  Little did they realise I probably had less money than they had....it was all about choices and priorities.  I made a lot of sacrifices to get that first house. It wasn't easy. I bought a wreck, three years of hard slog renovating it. I couldn't afford to pay tradesmen so I rolled up my sleeves. I had to sell my car, no holidays, no new clothes.  For the first year it was like living on a building site, freezing cold, dirty and jolly uncomfortable.  It was grim but I just gritted my teeth. Would I do it again.  You betcha. It was the best financial decision I ever made. 

Whenever I was debt busting, or skimping and saving I always used a little mind trick to help me stay focussed.  I still do.  Instead of saying to myself "I need to save money" I tell myself "I am building wealth". 

 

Today I shall be wealth building by going to Lidls and visiting the library.  Lol. 

Katiehound

This week in Lidl- Salter hot air fryer- £40
https://www.lidl.co.uk/l/en/online-leaflets/14-09-20-09-lidl-weekly-28c61f/view/flyer/page/16

No ideas on suitability- or whether any are in stock!!
Online same one at Amazon £45, or smaller version £30 (I think these from the Salter store)

Floss

I've had a basket air-fryer and replaced it with an oven style one. Mine has shelves & a rotisserie and I rarely use the main oven now. 
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Tower-T17076-Digital-Circulation-60-Minute/dp/B09CDT23ZV

Makingabobor2

Floss said:

I've had a basket air-fryer and replaced it with an oven style one. Mine has shelves & a rotisserie and I rarely use the main oven now. 
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Tower-T17076-Digital-Circulation-60-Minute/dp/B09CDT23ZV

That looks interesting.  Been considering something like that or an airfryer. How much quicker does it cook?  I notice its still 2000W, so no more efficient than an oven unless it cooks a lot quicker. How long to cook chips for example? Or a chicken?  Do you still need to heat it up before you start?

Floss

It is an airfryer. It does a small chicken in around 45 minutes, frozen chips in 10-14 minutes.

helensbiggestfan

Thanks for the info re air fryers.  

Fab Friday. 

And the weekend starts here.   So best foot forward.....

Today I shall give myself a facial and a mani and pedi at some point.  

Have a great day y'all.  💕

artistlifestyle

Hello all, just caught up with your messages. Hope you’re all ok? Recovering from Covid round 3, going back to work in a couple of days. Posting on what Helen calls Wellness Wednesday, it’s very apt. 

Can’t help wondering if it’s just going to be an annual event to be endured. I was meant to visit family this week but had to cancel because of the Covid. 

Made some delicious store cupboard soup, I make a lot of pot luck soup depending on what’s in the fridge and the cupboard. 

Got a few things to finish for Christmas, two children’s sweaters one just needs the neck, the other needs two sleeves, and I have some more soap still to make, so that’s my evenings sorted. Amazing how the months run away. 

Take care all. 

helensbiggestfan

Wellness Wednesday. 

Hope you are ok. Artisteslifestyle.  I'm on the fence about getting a covid booster.  I did get my flu jab today. 

I have had my first implant done, all went smoothly 2nd one next week.  Hopefully I should have had all of them done by mid November.  

I also got my blood tests done.   Apparently ferritin levels are high, and white cells are low.  🤷‍♀️.   Just have to see what needs to be done to address that, but it explains the fatigue though.  

Other than that all is well.  Managing to do some autumn tidying up in the garden.  And a bag full of clothes to the Air Ambulance today.  

Living quietly whilst working my way through all the dentist/doctor appts but all is good.  😁

I will reward myself with a nice holiday when I'm done.......

artistlifestyle

Hello @helensbiggestfan I already decided against any more Covid jabs, but have had the flu one and will have the shingles one as I’ll be eligible soon as they’re targeting the 65’s. Hope your bloods improve and the implants go well. 

I’m still off work but getting stronger, Covid recovery isn’t always quick. Three weeks has been fairly standard for me. 

Made a few decisions about reducing my hours. Tightening my belt to get through the next 18 months while improving my QOL and seeing more of my GD. It’s worth trying to see how it goes. Can always up the hours again if need be. 

Lots of homemade soup. This week’s is lentil, tomato and butter bean. Last week was chicken, veg and barley broth. I make a batch and freeze 1-2 portions, very handy for hectic days. 

Take care everyone. It’s very quiet in here now. 

helensbiggestfan

Super Sunday. 

And a lovely gentle warm day.   

Had my flu jab, no real side effects, just the usual joint aches.  My sister (61) currently has covid and she says it's far worse this time than when she's had it previously.  So I'm tempted to get the  jab.  

However, second implant due tomorrow so will get that over with first.  It's quite a juggling act, trying to time my gynae appts, dental treatments and now vaccinations. When did life become so complicated.  Lol. I'm desperate for a hair cut and I would kill for a massage.  😂🤣.  Hey ho, they will just have to wait.  

Loving the sound of your soups.  It's that time of year now when we start reintroducing nice hearty soups and casseroles back into our diets,  I did a beef casserole in the slow cooker yesterday.  I have cheated and bought some spicy butternut squash soup in case I struggle with eating when I've had my implant.  It is recommended that you avoid crunchy foods and stick to a fairly soft diet until the site heals. So soups, yoghurts, puddings, soft pasta type meals and slow cooked casseroles will be my go to for the for the next few weeks.  

Did some gardening yesterday, cleared out all the bedding plants and replaced with some heathers and winter pansies. Of course I overdid it and hurt my shoulder. Typical. So just taking it a bit easier today. I still need to plant some bulbs but they can wait a couple of days. 

Reducing your hours sounds like a good idea. I agree it's all about quality of life and if you can cut back and manage on less so you can work fewer hours then all to the good.  

I did a financial review last week, all is good.  I have reorganised my savings to get the best interest rates.  Food budget is a bit high so I will try and spend a little less, more batch cooking etc.  and see where I can cut back a bit. Having said that, apart from stocking up on a few winter bits and pieces last month, I don't really need anything at the moment. I have like plenty of clothes, toiletries etc to be going on with.  Have just taxed and insured my car, ouch!!!  But hopefully that's it now.  My energy supplier has lowered my monthly bill by £50 a month and I'm £500 in credit so no worries there.  Just Christmas to think of but I only buy gifts for immediate family now so I'm ok.  

My dentist is allowing me to pay for my implants over 10 months interest free.  I do actually have the  money sitting in my bank but I decided I may as well take advantage of an interest free loan.  

Time for a cuppa and sit outside with my book. Then I'm going to plant up a couple of pots, not too strenuous and unlikely to make my shoulder worse.  

Have a lovely day. 💕