Escape to the country & living off savings

SuzeQStan

Condolences to you and your family SYA xx

Glad you had some lovely weather yday - bet you had to pinch yourself when you realised it was November! We weren’t as good here in NW but it wasn’t bad!

Those cakes were a bargain!  I always think bargain food tastes better too! 😋🤣👍🏻

Skint_yet_Again

Thanks SQS 

I have paid my credit card bill for petrol & gas/electric. Remaining for the month £240 which I have budgeted as follows 

Phone £10  (all other bills paid)

Petrol  £30

Food £120

Entertainment £80

Busy week ahead including xmas shopping trip/lunch & mot (paid from car pot). Also a friends birthday so we are out for lunch on Tuesday. We are going to a local pub which does a nice lunch time menu so should be around £10 for food & a drink. I have £14 cash in my purse so that should cover it. 

Today I am making butternut squash soup in the slow cooker. I have 3 butternut squash left from DF’s allotment & will use one today. Still several batch cooked meals in the freezer & the rest of the roast chicken, so I shouldn’t need much food shopping. 

MovingForwards

My condolences Skinty.

Butternut squash soup is delicious.
That's definitely a busy week, but some some good plans. Great price for a pub visit.

Skint_yet_Again

Thanks MF. Also had some bad news yesterday about PD & waiting for cancer test results. Feeling like I’ve had the stuffing knocked out of me. Trying to stay positive. 

Sunny and breezy here today. New bedding for spare room is swishing in the machine & will hopefully line dry. 

In two minds about the Christmas shopping trip/ lunch this week. Had set aside £50 but may need it if I have to go back down south dog sitting. Am out with DF tomorrow, mainly to have my flu jab at the chemist which I booked online. GP couldn’t fit me in for 3 weeks. 

We had a couple of power cuts last night. Not for very long but it made me think I should maybe get a torch & batteries. 

[Deleted User]

Always useful to have a back up. We always have torches and candles in the house. I also keep a small camping stove and canisters in the garage as the hob and oven are electric. That has saved us a few times!

SuzeQStan

Sorry to hear there is bad news about PD 😢 pls let us know if you do decide to go south - and safe journeys as well if you do. Big hugs xx

Skint_yet_Again

Thanks Baron_Dale and SQS 

Trying to keep busy. All new bedding washed and dried outside yesterday. I also made a start on sorting the remaining boxes not unpacked. Went round to DF for a cuppa and chat and he gave me a parsnip and 2 leeks from the allotment. 

I also messaged my friend to let her know that I am not going into the city later this week. (Train /lunch/ cocktails £50+). Felt ok with the decision as there was meant to be 3 of us going & I am just not feeling it, plus the weather forecast is for pouring rain, but then she replied and said her friend wasn’t going either. Feel awful now, like I have let her down 😔 I know she understands & I will see her at the lunch tomorrow (which should be about £10) Need to get a card today for the birthday girl & a sympathy card for my relative. Still waiting to hear when the funeral will be. 

SuzeQStan

Don’t feel bad about cancelling - priorities change and like you said your friend understands (good friends always do) 

have you got a lot of boxes left from the move?  I think we still have 2 boxes unopened and we
moved almost 5 years ago!  I’ve told OH gonna take them to the tip as we clearly don’t need what is inside and he’s had a bit of a panic about that bless him lol (I wouldn’t do that of course - you never know when you might have a Trotters moment - this time next year Rodders 😉) 

hope you are ok SYA xx

MovingForwards

Please don't feel guilty about cancelling the trip, there may be another opportunity over the coming weeks.
Fingers crossed for PD x

Skint_yet_Again

Thanks SQS and MF ❤️

Another nice weather day yesterday. Got dark coloured clothes & 3 pairs jeans washed and line dried apart from the waist bands which aired off on the clothes airer next to the radiator in the evening. 

Had a call from the big chemist to say they couldn’t give me my flu jab as they hadn’t received their order. I contacted my gp again and got an appointment for Wednesday afternoon instead. DF still drove us to the shops & I bought multi pack of pork scratchings (food budget) & hot chocolate gift set in b & m (Christmas gift pot). Sympathy card and 3 birthday cards for stash £2.16

Then to morries £21.59 for liver, mince, tin toms & baked beans, 3 x hair mousse and 2 x books of 8 stamps 2nd class. Stamps are for Christmas cards £12 transferred from Xmas pot. 

Parsnip soup from the freezer for lunch. Had a walk round the village while the sun was still shining. Used up the last of the roast chicken for tea. 

Hope to get news of the test results later today. Aqua fit this morning then lunch with friends.