Put away your purse & become debt-averse

Awww, sorry you lost one of your fave earrings Tescodealqueen. That's what I'm trying to avoid. I find dangly earrings sometimes get caught in my hair, or in a scarf or just get half pulled out with my furry hood if it's a cold day. I often notice in the mirror that one of them is nearly right out of my ear. At least these wretchedly expensive little nodules will stop that happening, anyway.
And it's nice that you de-lurked to say hello!
F

savingmore - Oh I know! The first thing we do when we notice we've lost an earring is try to find out how long it's been missing, as that's the vital clue to where we need to look, or at least phone & ask if anyone's handed one in.
I've transferred my very expensive little plastic blobs onto my dangly earrings today. In that packet, there were 12 pairs, so that really is pretty expensive for what they are. I think I shall have to stop moaning about it this week, though. I'm now telling myself that it is infinitely better than losing treasured silver earrings.
F x

Evening all - Well, considering we are not in one of the key storm-affected regions, the wind is hugely getting up outside tonight. I've just walked down to the postbox & blew nearly all the way back!
I've had quite a productive day, but the 2 hours minimum of leisure time I promised myself this afternoon just hasn't happened, thanks to some confusing missives in my email inbox from our energy company (it's just merged with another one). Oddly, I received two bills simultaneously. I THINK one of them was worked out on estimated figures, then they have sent another one as an 'adjustment' using meter readings I HAD sent them, as requested, Although it said on this one that they hadn't received any meter readings from me for ages. I contacted them at the beginning of this month with a query about meter readings (there was an error in something I received about these) & nobody replied, so I phoned this afternoon to find out what was going on. As I sat in the phone queue, an extremely enthusiastic voice kept telling my that I might like to try emailing........so I did in the end & an assistant got back to me very quickly, but I was still confused, so have spent way more time than I'd like this afternoon studying bills & wafting my calculator around. I think I get it now, but have nevertheless emailed AGAIN to check that what I believe to be the case, actually IS the case. I've said that as it's effectively a new company, I need to be confident from the very beginning that I understand how these figures have been arrived at, especially since the 2nd bill received today has a debit balance on our account that is significantly bigger than the 1st one (also received today). I think the debit was inevitable, as our monthly dd was reduced to too low a figure at the beginning of last year & I knew it would come back & bite us heartily on the bum.
Ah well, I'll see what reply I receive to my request for further clarification & make sure I am putting into practice all my little energy saving ways.
On a less tedious note, I've enjoyed baking bread today, I've put a big stew in the slow cooker for later & there'll be plenty leftover too, have cast on the 2nd sock I'm knitting for the presents bag & managed 40 minutes in the garden. Amazing what can be done in 40 minutes - I took down last year's salad tunnel & packed it away then weeded & dug over the bed, I planted the last of my bargainaceous allium bulbs in the old galvanised metal BBQ bucket - their purple shades should look good against that, then I went to the watercress pots to dismantle those ready for re-sowing in Spring & found that as it hasn't been very cold, there is still usable watercress. So I emptied out the old water in the washing-up bowl the watercress pots live in, cleaned it out & filled it with fresh water. I have quite a lot of winter salads in the greenhouse, but there is enough watercress for soup & if we don't have a big freeze, it should keep growing.
Anyway, I had better go & get the spring greens prepped and light the fire. Cat has been mithering for this all day! (The fire, not the spring greens!)
Stay warm all,
F x
Paid the asbestos invoice today. It was exactly smack on what they quoted me & at least £46 less than
I expected to pay, based on hearsay from people on our road who have had quotes for this service in the past, so I was pleased with that. Haven't heard back about the tree felling yet, so will chase that if I don't hear this week x