Living Large, on a Small Income, by the Sea.

MayDogsandCoffee

I remember years ago our family was posted to a seaside town, I think that summer my Mum ended up hosting every relative we had (didn't know we had!).  The same people that never visited us anywhere else.  So I suppose the lesson is maybe if they are all coming and staying overnight, then the deal is they buy dinner?  Just my thought, I don't know your circumstances well enough.  Hosting all the time can start to get very expensive, coffees here and there do add up as you know.

doingitanyway

Thanks @MayDogsandCoffee You have a point! Hosting can indeed be very expensive. I appreciate your insight and I will come up with a 'hosting plan' 

The friend of a friend did not come in the end. I kept space for them in my diary for nothing. However it gave me time to be home. I am getting through the washing pile. I had a lovely bath, washed my hair and cooked healthy food.

I did my first online shop at my new home. Free delivery. I used a SM that gave me a 25% discount. Shopping arrives tomorrow. The plan is to do a monthly shop. It should stop the constant trips to the local (expensive) SM

A nice phone call with bestie 

I hope everyone is having a lovely Sunday.

Skint_yet_Again

Sounds like a lovely Sunday dia. Great saving with the online shopping 

liselle

I know what you mean about visitors, especially when you’ve recently moved to a seaside home.
One ‘friend’ watched me put food in the oven for dinner, then said, “I was thinking we’d eat out……”

doingitanyway

Thanks @Skint_yet_Again it was indeed a lovely day, so much so I am thinking of keeping Sunday unstructured and home-based in future

Thanks @liselle your post made me laugh 

The online shop came. I asked the delivery man to put bags on kitchen counter to save me bending. I don't think he wanted to but he did it...

I changed my light fittings over. Been meaning to do them but needed a ladder. Done now.

Washing done and dried...

I walked from 11 until after 3pm. It was a beautiful walk but I came home tired and overate snacks as there was nothing ready to eat. Mistake! I'm going to start prepping the veggies in my soup maker when I make my breakfast, so it is ready to go and eat within minutes

I paid my insurance in one go. It was one of the Which recommended. It was cheaper than my previous insurance and it covered more. I saved a month's insurance by paying it in one go. A few tight months as a result (what's new) but then I will be better off each month. What's more I am covered for a year and can relax!

Mornings are my best to do hard things so tomorrow I will call a pension provider to check before I send info.

I have a facial tomorrow. It is a course of facials so this one is already paid for.

Whilst in town I will check shops for some bits of furniture I still need

Maybe it is the sunshine and the long walk, but it feels like a good start to the week 

TO DO

• wash winter woollens and store in box with moth sheets

PennysIntoPounds

Great steps and task doing!
Any surveys you can do or bits you can sell for a couple of quid to make the next 2-3 months less tight? Even if you only get a fiver, that's a coffee or pint out, or a bottle of wine or chocolate or charity shop book in, to have something to enjoy rather than feel miserable as skintness (temporarily) drags on!

doingitanyway

Thanks @PennysIntoPounds the next few months are tight but not so tight that it will be unbearable. I am working on money generating in the short term to ease the next few months...watch this space!

So today I had a facial (already paid for) so that was nice. Face feels so smooth 

BORING DIET ALERT
I overhauled my diet as feeling groggy. Joints hurting. Also looking pudgy....so, going to cut down on wine...yes, I am.
I ordered some seaweed snacks that aren't actually healthy as deep fried in corn oil. They are expensive too. Anyway, they went in food bank along with a few other things I don't want to eat.

I am going to use my bread maker once a week. 

Going back to organic veg box. I can't afford it weekly or even fortnightly right now, but I can just about do once a month for now...bought some purple kale, that stuff makes me happy just looking at it. I know! 

I spent all morning faffing and feeling edgy, not sure why...I was supposed to make an important call re chasing a small pension payment. I did not do it. PRIORITY CALL for tomorrow morning

I did not sort out my clothes either...

Big news of the day is I just made the next few months even tighter...although there is a long term gain...I bought an air-fryer. I'm late to the game on this one. It will keep my electricity bill down as I cook from scratch a lot and use it most days. I have a feeling that is why my electricity bill is so high. It is a smallish size. Hoping it will pay for itself over 3 months
 
A fox did a poo on one of the pots I planted up. Off to clean it up!

in_need_of_direction

How do you know it was a fox?

MayDogsandCoffee

Interested in the organic veg box as I was looking at them, but living on my own I am not sure if I would get through it all in a week, I suppose I could arrange for it to come then batch for the freezer.  Maybe have one once a fortnight, I thought it might make me a bit more creative with cooking, I am recently diagnosed coeliac so have to change my ways. 

Skint_yet_Again

Will be interested to see how you get on with the air fryer dia. Is it a one or 2 drawer ? There’s been lots of meal ideas on tv lately Jamie etc