Approved Foods - I've Taken the Plunge!

Evening all,

Well as most of you, like me, follow Frugal Queen's blog, you will have no doubt seen the recent post about Approved Foods and her recent delivery.  I had been meaning to check them out for a while now but kept forgetting so this inspired me to have a little look around.

Well I am quite excited tonight as I have placed my first order which will be delivered some time mid to end of this week.  My basket was somewhere in the range of £90 RRP but my total to pay (including delivery of £5.25) was £26.53.  Completely bonkers bargains!  I'm so happy.

We make a lot of stir fries, chillies, curries and the like in this household so Thai red curry paste, red chilli paste, poppadums and basmati rice were some of the first things in the basket.  I have also bought spicy cous cous (which I love), some Twix bars (my favourite), breakfast cereals, loo roll, other types of sauce, some pears in cranberry sauce which I intend to make a few crumbles with and/or eat with cream or yoghurt perhaps.

A few other bits & bobs made their way into the basket too which will be used up and I will be back to browse the site in due course.  I could have gone completely mad tonight but I would like to place a modest order to start with to see how it goes and what the goods are like, plus as always, you've got to have the money to place the order haven't you no matter how much of a bargain it all is!  But after reading so many positive things about it, I have high hopes.

If you have also used them and found some superb savings, do share!

Well I think we're going to need to save every penny even more as the washing machine decided it was going to start playing up today.  On spin mode it sounds like a rumbling tank coming over the brow of a hill!  Not good.  Something metal seemed to clang earlier and it sounded like a coin or something was rattling around in there from time to time (it wasn't) so I am guessing at some sort of spring or bearings or the like have gone pop?

I have left a voicemail for a local guy who fixes machines but if he says it's over £100/£125 to supply parts & fix it (and replace the rubber seal which is a bit icky after 5/6 years of service no matter how much I try and clean it!) then I might just see about a new one BUT I don't want to.  I want it to be repaired and I am really hoping it will come in less than that to get it back working.  I have no idea how much I should expect a repair bill to be!

I don't expect it to last forever but if it could last another 12 - 18 months I would be so grateful, as we'd have finished paying for the windows by then and hubby will be contributing a bit more due to his last OU module being paid for by that time.  Fingers crossed then!

I am back on the bike to work tomorrow for various reasons but luckily it is supposed to be mild for a few days at least so that's good.  Mind you I *have* to take the car Tuesday so if it's going to rain at all....let it be Tuesday!

Apart from essential fresh groceries which I bought today (£5.67!) and the on-line Approved Foods purchase, I haven't spent any other money at all.  This is the norm now really.  I did find myself craving another day out perusing the local charity shops but I have resisted!  I have a friend coming to see me at the end of the month and we've said we'll pop 5 miles up the road to the nearest little market town which has a grand total of 2 charity shops which we'll have a browse around so I have that to look forward to. 

I have had a bit of a clear out today to put things in the Age UK charity bag which is being collected Tuesday.  Luckily they are happy to take all sorts so I have been able to get rid of a few bits that we got for Christmas presents but were never opened (sad isn't it?) or used, I have also been ruthless about a few bits in my wardrobe which may have been fairly costly (compared to now) but hey, I don't feel comfortable in them, they are just taking up space and I would like to hope someone in the same circumstances as me might stumble across some of the items and like them and be able to pick up a bargain.  Like the hot pink cashmere mix cardigan with beautiful ruffle front (that I just feel like a trussed up chicken in) or perhaps they will fall in love with the pretty little silver sparkly handbag that I bought for my wedding day but has sat in a drawer ever since.  I will never use it again, I am not a 'sparkly babe' type woman!  Some days I am more rock chick and others more floaty sleeved hippy!

Part of me thinks I should keep the bag as it was my wedding day bag but hey, I didn't keep my wedding dress (though I did get it altered and wore it again once to a party!) and I sold my silver wedding shoes so what's the point?  My wedding ring and my husband are the only things I really need to keep! 

Well time to make a lunch for tomorrow then settle down for some Being Human before getting ready for bed and another week. 

I hope you have a good week whatever you are doing.  Take care and thanks for reading.

xx