Turning Straw into Gold: Creating Long Term Security & A Solid Home

MillQueen

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81925446#Comment_81925446

Yes this is true, @blackcats, all of my efforts are preventing things from becoming worse. I have just renewed my home insurance and used some comparison sites for the cheapest quote, so that was good. Although some aspects of the house make it more expensive than my old house, such as the location and the fact it’s stone and slate rather than tile and brick, so it was £38 a month. There was one cheaper quote but it looked rubbish with a huge excess and not covering much, so I picked the best one.

MillQueen

I haven't yet returned to the level of functionality where I am cooking stuff, but I threw away all of the gone off food in the fridge and emptied the bins. I have started to clean a bit, but I will have to work on one room at a time. I've spent a lot on having food delivered this week, which I can't afford to continue, so I’ve got a fruit and veg bag and a grocery bag to collect from TGTG later. I have done some self-employed work today, which should earn about £95 before tax and student loan. I am struggling to keep my eyes open so I’m going to have lie down for a bit on the sofa with a book and possibly have a nap. Then I will get out my laptop, as I have got loads to do for my employed job. I haven’t heard back yet on whether I got an interview for the higher paid role I applied for. The weather is lovely ❤️.

MillQueen

I actually did really well with the TGTG, as when I got there they said they had meant to cancel the order but would still give me a bag since I had travelled there. She went around the shop putting stuff in there at random, some of which was yellow sticker with a short date and lots that wasn't.

I got 2 big bags of spinach, 4 peaches, 4 white rolls, 2 avocados, 6 crumpets, 6 soft brown thins, 4 protein bagels, 8 scotch pancakes, a madeira cake, large brown seeded loaf, pomegranate seeds, mixed berry medley, seedless grapes, mini eggs. Happy with all that and the bread items can go in the freezer.

I plan to use some of the spinach in a smoothie tomorrow, with strawberries, protein powder and oat milk, and I will also make a big spinach omelette where I can eat some for lunch at work too. I could have made a spinach and potato curry, but I have got neither potatoes nor curry paste so that was a pointless thought 🤣.

I only spent £24 on petrol this week as I managed to work from home for 2 days.

MillQueen

Update, I've found a fiver that I didn't know I had. I wonder if I can make it last, by using it next week to get £5 worth of yellow sticker stuff next weekend, and then not spending anything else at all until pay day. I shall set myself a challenge!

jwil

Well done on the TGTG and good luck with your challenge!

Blackcats

good luck with your £5 challenge. I like to put an extra portion of dinner into the freezer each week which means the last week of the month has some "free" dinners. I know March has been tough for you but might be worth trying in April?

Have you looked at the monthly grocery challenge on the Old Style board? Lots of great recipes there and some really resourceful shoppers to help and inspire. Since I started joining in I have managed to reduce our grocery spends without having to compromise on good food.

MillQueen

Well, I have got a flat tyre, which has now added another expense this month 😑

I can't find a tyre fitter who will come out to the house today and my insurance doesn't do home cover, so I will have to get the train until I can have a work from home day maybe later in the week or next week. The train costs three times as much as driving, takes a long time and means getting up early and getting back late.

Irritatingly, if I had been a bit less nice I could have worked at home tomorrow to get someone out to fit a tyre, but I offered to cover parts of someone's role who is off long term sick, meaning there are things I have to be there for F2F tomorrow so I can't stay at home and get the car fixed.

It's going to add maybe an extra £200 this month with the cost of a home tyre fitting and the additional travel expenses. I have already had to pay the new car cost, the euthanasia and cremation cost, the sofa, the locksmith, and the dentist, and I feel a bit on my knees with it all.

MillQueen

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81933026#Comment_81933026

This is a good idea thank you, I like the free dinners idea for the last week of the month. I haven't looked at the grocery challenge, I will have a look. It's the only area where there is the opportunity to save, as everything else that goes out is bills or non-negotiables like putting petrol in the car (or the necessary things that come up, like the things this month… although with hindsight I should not have bought a sofa).

MillQueen

A good thing was that I was able to come home from work a bit earlier in order to get a mobile tyre fitter. It has cost £114 for two tyres, as I got the flat one replaced and one of the others that had a slow puncture (which I had been planning to save for another time when richer). Such a great little car, which is more affordable to repair than others I've had. Obviously not great to have to spend the £114 and the £22 for the train cost today, but it could have been worse. My £5 challenge is ruined 😂😂. Back to work now.

FootyFanDan

March really is chucking everything it can your way isn't it. Glad you were able to sort the tyres out quickly