There is always tomorrow

Sponge_pudding

My Olio volunteer had some amazing items last night but it was late and I had worked all day and was tired. I've managed to get some that were left over and am picking them up dinner time today. I have some finest sourdough bread which is £3.85 in Tesco. I can't afford that but apparently it is great for stomach issues which I have. Fingers crossed it will be good for me.  The next Olio I can pick up is Saturday night, I don't mind it being late then as I can lie in on Sunday.
Still no vets bill would like it done and dusted.  
Have sold two items on vinted, only a few pounds but still better than nothing. Will post them lunchtime at the same time as picking up my Olio order.

Sponge_pudding

My old me had forgotten that I joined Amazon Prime on a free months trial so we were able to watch films abroad. I had forgotten to cancel it.  Just sorted it now and apparently because I did not use it this month they will refund the £8.99, phew! It's a weird feeling for me, I don't know what to do with it...I mean I know I have the vet bill coming in soon but where should I put the £8.99, would it be savings, holiday or emergency/buffer, I didn't know I had paid it and as such it is free money.  I suppose I need to forgot the vets bill and consider where I would put it if I did not have to pay the bill.  Holidays maybe? Still don't know.

vampirotoothus

Hi, I don't think it matters much - just don't spend it! Good Luck V x

Sponge_pudding

Thank you @vampirotoothusand hi! x
This afternoons chores have been very MSE I think. One of my CC's was coming to an interest free end and although our credit score is showing as excellent we can't get another interest free one.  My Mum however can so she has got one for me and we have transferred the balance but I will pay it for 'her'. That means one of my CC's is empty and I had a balance transfer offer so have transferred over my other CC's balance to the empty one so both are now on interest free, minimum of 20 months on both.  I am going to overpay the CC to clear it in the 20 months.  I feel a little bit happy tbh as the one I have transferred from was the one that would not help me when I said that the company was taking payments when I had repeatedly asked them to cancel, so pffff! to them

Sponge_pudding

That sounds confusing even to me! I couldn't get a balance transfer to transfer the CC with the balance transfer offered on it, I could only add extra money onto it from another CC and would have had to pay the original balance at full interest. Hope that makes sense.

Sponge_pudding

Last night I bought a too good to go box, it was okaayyyyyyy, well actually I was disappointed but I think that is because the Olio food has been fantastic. The too good to go box was 2 packs of sandwiches, 1 wrap, 3 bags of dodgy salad, a dead basil plant, two greek fresh salads and a toastie for £3.30. I was again hoping for things to go in the freezer. 
DDIL went to Lidl and had had a box for £1.50 she gave me apples, tomatoes, radish, a healthy basil plant and some spring onions. The horses had some zuchini and the rest she took home so that was a much better buy.
Today my Mum was given a bag of cooking apples and some tomatoes so tomorrow I am making apple sauce and tomato and basil pasta sauce for the freezer. Tomorrow night is my best Olio night so although it will be a late one, I am looking forward to what we might be lucky enough to have.
Still no vets bill, the second I say hopefully they have forgotten, it will pop into my email box.
Withdrew £31.83 from prolific surveys and put it into holiday pot, balance is now up to £11 odd.
DH had a good week over budget

Sponge_pudding

Has been a great week for food spends due to Olio mainly. I wont be buying any too good to go boxes as they are not really worth it. Last night we had an amazing selection including ham, eggs, salad, sandwich fillers, celery, various potato dishes, finest fish cakes and lots of other bits and bobs. Today DH has had two of the sandwiches for lunch will have a seafood sandwich filler with salad for starters tonight (quick prawn cocktail) and a coronation chicken sandwich filler stirred through some pasta with salad and homemade garlic bread. 
Yesterday I need to buy some items, just two boxes of cereal £3.00 and a free apple turnover from Lidl.
The weather here it absolutely torrential, bucketing it down all morning, has eased a bit now but still very wet.
Stables all mucked out and ponies fed and happy.
Made some tomato and basil pasta sauce with Olio ingredients and also some apple sauce out of bramleys from Olio and my Mums friends garden.  All will be going in the freezer except for a small amount of apple sauce as DH has 'ordered' apple tart! Bless him that's his favourite.
DH and I are having a slower afternoon watching telly together.

Doris17

Well done on your hauls. Always good to save money and reduce waste. Mr D is not a fan of bread when its been frozen, he is very fussy, so I have never used the Olio site. I have used our local food pantry a few time last month and will be going again when I am back from holiday. Will also have another look at Olio.
Enjoy you afternoon.

Sponge_pudding

Ahhh it's been a while. I think I got disheartened so gave up posting.

Things are different now. Income is more and sadly we have less horses due to natural circumstances related to age so expenses are less.

Debt is less, I will add it all up shortly but it's definitely less.

I like to be warm, if I'm cold I get anxious so heating is a priority for me. Even so we have reduced it down to an hour here and there which is vastly different from mid winter where it is on all day, so less expenses there.

Still making bread, using Olio and making cakes and biscuits.

I'm hoping to get some carrots and parsnips in lidl on the easter offers this weekend, some for us and some for the horses.

Farrier is due tomorrow to trim their hooves, not expecting any nasty surprises they look healthy.

Hay and straw has gone up massively but we are not using so much so it balances out. Plus having lots more grass is also helpful, saves on hay. We've already had a few nights where the horses can stay out, clear and not too cold so that saves on straw.

We have a holiday booked, just got one more payment to make and its paid for. We also have around 300 euros left from last time so won't need too much more.

I've also increased my hours at work, nor many but a few a week which is making a difference.

All in all things are getting better, now to really shift the debt.

Thank you to everyone who supported me last year, you comments were very much appreciated x

Sponge_pudding

Beautiful day today. I didn't have any washing that I could have pegged out but nevertheless missed doing it. I love to see washing blowing in the breeze.

It's been quite hectic here today, with lots of grandchildren visiting, running around, and playing. Boy, they are loud! All's quiet now, though; they have gone home. I am still at work atm, I work from home, so I'm just having a sneaky five-minute break. I am so looking forward to the long weekend. I need to pick up some Easter Eggs for the grandchildren on Saturday, i'm not sure what I will get. Need to balance giving them some with saving money.

Not sure what is for tea tonight, I need to have a look through the freezer and meal plan before I go shopping next. I'm going to do the 'reverse meal planning' I saw on a thread here. Our next Olio opportunity will be Saturday evening, fingers crossed there are some nice bits in there.

The farrier is here at the moment, trimming the horses' feet. I need to pop and see him as soon as I have finished, as last time I paid him £5 more than I should have, I think, not that I want it back, I consider it gone, but I don't want to overpay again by accident.

This week I have done quite a lot of overtime, I've earned £148 more than my basic hours. I feel shattered, though. Next week I have booked a similar amount and hope to earn around £200. I'm hoping my 4 days off over the weekend will be enough of a rest. It will go towards the overdraft which is small and dips in and out of the black and shopping for the week and not the credit card or loan debt. At least it's something in the right direction.