I have 50p left in my purse. I get paid on Tuesday. That's all I have to last me till then. Luckily I have made a meal plan and bought what we need for it so that's the food taken care of. I am cycling to work so no bus fares or petrol to worry about. I have my own cup of tea supplies at work so no need to buy from the restaurant (and of COURSE I will be taking my own lunch in tomorrow!).
I don't have anything planned for the weekend except getting washing done & dried in the windy sunshine that is forecast and a home pampering day on Sunday with products I already have. I will literally be scraping the product out of the bottom of the packaging but hey! I won't be buying anything new. Hubby is out all day so I plan to just indulge. I bought some Fairtrade milk chocolate from Aldi on Tuesday night (damn them and their extremely reasonably priced treats!) so I will probably be indulging in some of that whilst lounging on the sofa chatting to my best friend on a free phone call, 'apres' face pack.
So, 50p. Do I need to spend it? Will I need to get any more cash out of the bank? I hope not. Anything I take out, this side of pay day, sends me into the red next month. My budget shows me being in the black my a whopping £2.60 next month if I stick to budget! You gotta laugh!
Anyone got any nice plans for the weekend? Feel free to share...just because I am on a zero budget, doesn't mean everyone is. If you're off to Paris for the weekend...enjoy! :-)
Thursday, 20 October 2011
Monday, 17 October 2011
Monday Monday
Well I am not at work today, I have a day off and it was lovely to lay in till 8.30 this morning!
It's turned really chilly & drizzly overnight here but I am still not putting the heating on! I have however dragged out a halogen portable heater and have turned that on in the living room to take the chill off. I won't be leaving it on much longer though as it'll probably have the electricity meter whizzing around.
I have the back curtains closed - Keshling are you listening? - to try and retain what warmth the heater produces and I am enjoying my first cup of tea of the day so that's warmed me up too.
Popping out later to see a friend and along the way I think I will be doing a few chores including paying some loose change into the bank (if the sorting machine is working) then picking up some moisture traps from the discount warehouse I have to go past....it's that time of year now where come the morning the windows are covered in condensation and the moisture traps help a bit.
I have also got to do a full inventory of what food we have left in the house and see what meal plan I can come up with. I don't get paid until next Tuesday and I have a budget of £24 (yes, not £23, not £25, but £24!) to get us through to the end of the month, or actually, ideally 2nd November (long story) for fresh fruit & veg, milk, bread, fillings for home made sandwiches for lunch, stuff to make evening meals out of etc. £24. Good job we don't eat meat! I'll see what I can come up with. I am sure Aldi will help me out. It's going to be tight though.
Luckily I have plenty of washing powder, fabric conditioner, washing up liquid, household cleaning products, shower gel, hair stuff, hand soap, loo roll, body lotions & potions & dental hygiene products so no spends on that kind of stuff.
Well I should get stuck into it shouldn't I? The sofa is toooo comfy though...very tempting to just sit here for another half an hour daydreaming.
OK bye for now - hope you've had a good Monday.
xx
It's turned really chilly & drizzly overnight here but I am still not putting the heating on! I have however dragged out a halogen portable heater and have turned that on in the living room to take the chill off. I won't be leaving it on much longer though as it'll probably have the electricity meter whizzing around.
I have the back curtains closed - Keshling are you listening? - to try and retain what warmth the heater produces and I am enjoying my first cup of tea of the day so that's warmed me up too.
Popping out later to see a friend and along the way I think I will be doing a few chores including paying some loose change into the bank (if the sorting machine is working) then picking up some moisture traps from the discount warehouse I have to go past....it's that time of year now where come the morning the windows are covered in condensation and the moisture traps help a bit.
I have also got to do a full inventory of what food we have left in the house and see what meal plan I can come up with. I don't get paid until next Tuesday and I have a budget of £24 (yes, not £23, not £25, but £24!) to get us through to the end of the month, or actually, ideally 2nd November (long story) for fresh fruit & veg, milk, bread, fillings for home made sandwiches for lunch, stuff to make evening meals out of etc. £24. Good job we don't eat meat! I'll see what I can come up with. I am sure Aldi will help me out. It's going to be tight though.
Luckily I have plenty of washing powder, fabric conditioner, washing up liquid, household cleaning products, shower gel, hair stuff, hand soap, loo roll, body lotions & potions & dental hygiene products so no spends on that kind of stuff.
Well I should get stuck into it shouldn't I? The sofa is toooo comfy though...very tempting to just sit here for another half an hour daydreaming.
OK bye for now - hope you've had a good Monday.
xx
Sunday, 16 October 2011
Here I Go Again!
Well howdy! What an age it's been since I last posted. So what's been going on then, I hear you cry (hmmm!).
Well as you know if you've read my other posts, I left the old job & started the new one. And it's kept me REALLY busy. Last week was the end of my 5th week and I feel like I have been training pretty much constantly. I know I haven't really but when it's all new and you are learning all the time, it's bloody exhausting. I am also cycling into work & home again (more on that in a moment) so I am mentally tired and physically tired too.
So pretty much I have been working, coming home, doing the necessary and then vegging out/going to bed early to get up & do it all again. Happily I feel like I am adjusting a bit more now and I feel a bit more energised. I guess it just takes a while to adapt to a new routine and the older you get, the longer it takes. I had quite a few jobs through my twenties and it was a breeze! Not so any more.....another reason to want to stay in this one till I retire I think!!
So anyway...the cycling. The hospital charge a small fortune for parking there - an annual ticket about £450. If I have £450 spare, I can tell you, it would not be going on a parking space. It's about a 20 - 25 minute ride there (and another 20 - 25 minutes home) and a pretty cycle friendly route most of the way so I cannot justify spending that sort of money on a car park. That would be insanity.
So, I have kitted myself out with some appropriate cycling gear (which makes all the difference believe me) and I have spent money on getting my bike checked out/serviced/new, slicker tyres & mudguards fitted. I have spent money yes (taken from money that was supposed to be going into a pension but that's another story) but I am still at least £150 better off than I would be if I had of coughed up for the car park. And the money I have spent should last for AGES as the clothes are good quality and the 'hardware' for the bike isn't going to need replacing for years & years. The tyres are - touch wood - puncture resistant. Finger's crossed!
So I am feeling great about the cycling as not only does it let the endorphins loose and thus make me feel happier, but now, going forward, it's 'free' and it's eco friendly AND there will be no scraping of an icy car in the mornings come Winter. Yes I might be cold for the first 5 minutes on a bike but it's not exactly a warm glowing feeling scraping a car and waiting for your heater to kick in whilst you sit in slow moving traffic for fifteen minutes either. Then you have to do it all again when you come OUT of work, by which time I will be half way home, yipeee!
(OK I say all this now, we'll talk again in two months when I have actually had to cycle in with icicles on my nose. Nice. But I do remain optimistic!)
The love affair with Aldi continues. I am there pretty much every week, feeling amazed every time I walk off with a big box of goods for about £11 which I know damn well would cost me at least double that in the Sainsburys across the road. I am really having to pull in our belts now. There's just not a lot of money left at all at the end of the month once all the bills are paid and if I want to try and save some money too. My pension money is dwindling away to nothing as life and it's challenges sucks it dry. So Aldi has been an absolute God send and I love it. Yes some of their stuff is not great but you have to try it at those prices. Not really anything to lose. I just wish I'd shopped there sooner.
This weekend I have been spending more of that said pension money, to try and get us a bit better prepared for this Winter. Gas bills are just f***ing insane and we simply can't afford big bills like last year...and they will be big because the crooked b*stards have put the prices up again since last year obviously. So....I have bought some thermal & blackout lined curtains for the bedroom and also the living room. The living room has a front window and patio doors so two pairs for that room. I had to get curtains about 6 inches longer than the patio doors but to be honest, I can get them taken up if they look really ridiculous but I am hoping for a) a romantic, drape-y look as the curtains are (apparently) quite soft and b) that the extra length will just function as a draft excluder if nothing else!
I have also purchased on-line some radiator heat reflector panels (Radflek) which gained rave reviews on Amazon from most people so finger's crossed they work and do reflect lots of heat back into the room instead of just heating the outside wall.
What else have I bought.....oh yes, two more indoor drying rack things for washing if it's not dry outside...I just cannot bring myself to use the tumble dryer unless I have to.
A wind up lantern - good for emergencies (we had a power cut recently and only had one torch!) but also good for when you just want a bit of light in the evening and switching the light off will save a bit. Not much, granted but it all helps. Two minutes of winding gives over one hour's light apparently. Sounds good to me.
Another hot water bottle also purchased which will be good not only for bedtime but for cuddling on the sofa on really chilly nights, under the fleecy wraps things I bought a year or so ago, once the central heating has gone off. Cos that will not be staying on all night I can tell you.
Finally, some draft excluder tape for our ageing windows for £2.99.
Hopefully that will all arrive this week in time for next weekend and hubby & I can tape up windows, fit reflector panels and hang new curtains....whilst washing done overnight for cheaper electricity is drying outside obviously :-)
I really hope it's snugger & cosier after that else I shall cry.
I have got washing drying outside at the moment actually (and yesterday) thank goodness for a better weekend this weekend than last. I have managed to get about 4 loads done & dried which is heaven. Last weekend it wasn't supposed to rain - just be cloudy - so I set off washing overnight on Friday and hung it out on a gloomy Saturday morning, only for it to start p-ing it down 5 minutes later after I had set off the stripped bedding in the washing machine. Reluctantly I had to use the tumble dryer - gutted. So this weekend I have made hay whilst the sun shone (so to speak) and got a fair bit done. I know it's only simple stuff but it makes me happy.
Well that's me up to date. I hope you're still with me and if you feel the need to share in my joy of line drying or ways to keep warm this winter in a house that wasn't built to accommodate a wood burner or anything that requires a chimney then feel free!
Take care, bye for now.
xx
Well as you know if you've read my other posts, I left the old job & started the new one. And it's kept me REALLY busy. Last week was the end of my 5th week and I feel like I have been training pretty much constantly. I know I haven't really but when it's all new and you are learning all the time, it's bloody exhausting. I am also cycling into work & home again (more on that in a moment) so I am mentally tired and physically tired too.
So pretty much I have been working, coming home, doing the necessary and then vegging out/going to bed early to get up & do it all again. Happily I feel like I am adjusting a bit more now and I feel a bit more energised. I guess it just takes a while to adapt to a new routine and the older you get, the longer it takes. I had quite a few jobs through my twenties and it was a breeze! Not so any more.....another reason to want to stay in this one till I retire I think!!
So anyway...the cycling. The hospital charge a small fortune for parking there - an annual ticket about £450. If I have £450 spare, I can tell you, it would not be going on a parking space. It's about a 20 - 25 minute ride there (and another 20 - 25 minutes home) and a pretty cycle friendly route most of the way so I cannot justify spending that sort of money on a car park. That would be insanity.
So, I have kitted myself out with some appropriate cycling gear (which makes all the difference believe me) and I have spent money on getting my bike checked out/serviced/new, slicker tyres & mudguards fitted. I have spent money yes (taken from money that was supposed to be going into a pension but that's another story) but I am still at least £150 better off than I would be if I had of coughed up for the car park. And the money I have spent should last for AGES as the clothes are good quality and the 'hardware' for the bike isn't going to need replacing for years & years. The tyres are - touch wood - puncture resistant. Finger's crossed!
So I am feeling great about the cycling as not only does it let the endorphins loose and thus make me feel happier, but now, going forward, it's 'free' and it's eco friendly AND there will be no scraping of an icy car in the mornings come Winter. Yes I might be cold for the first 5 minutes on a bike but it's not exactly a warm glowing feeling scraping a car and waiting for your heater to kick in whilst you sit in slow moving traffic for fifteen minutes either. Then you have to do it all again when you come OUT of work, by which time I will be half way home, yipeee!
(OK I say all this now, we'll talk again in two months when I have actually had to cycle in with icicles on my nose. Nice. But I do remain optimistic!)
The love affair with Aldi continues. I am there pretty much every week, feeling amazed every time I walk off with a big box of goods for about £11 which I know damn well would cost me at least double that in the Sainsburys across the road. I am really having to pull in our belts now. There's just not a lot of money left at all at the end of the month once all the bills are paid and if I want to try and save some money too. My pension money is dwindling away to nothing as life and it's challenges sucks it dry. So Aldi has been an absolute God send and I love it. Yes some of their stuff is not great but you have to try it at those prices. Not really anything to lose. I just wish I'd shopped there sooner.
This weekend I have been spending more of that said pension money, to try and get us a bit better prepared for this Winter. Gas bills are just f***ing insane and we simply can't afford big bills like last year...and they will be big because the crooked b*stards have put the prices up again since last year obviously. So....I have bought some thermal & blackout lined curtains for the bedroom and also the living room. The living room has a front window and patio doors so two pairs for that room. I had to get curtains about 6 inches longer than the patio doors but to be honest, I can get them taken up if they look really ridiculous but I am hoping for a) a romantic, drape-y look as the curtains are (apparently) quite soft and b) that the extra length will just function as a draft excluder if nothing else!
I have also purchased on-line some radiator heat reflector panels (Radflek) which gained rave reviews on Amazon from most people so finger's crossed they work and do reflect lots of heat back into the room instead of just heating the outside wall.
What else have I bought.....oh yes, two more indoor drying rack things for washing if it's not dry outside...I just cannot bring myself to use the tumble dryer unless I have to.
A wind up lantern - good for emergencies (we had a power cut recently and only had one torch!) but also good for when you just want a bit of light in the evening and switching the light off will save a bit. Not much, granted but it all helps. Two minutes of winding gives over one hour's light apparently. Sounds good to me.
Another hot water bottle also purchased which will be good not only for bedtime but for cuddling on the sofa on really chilly nights, under the fleecy wraps things I bought a year or so ago, once the central heating has gone off. Cos that will not be staying on all night I can tell you.
Finally, some draft excluder tape for our ageing windows for £2.99.
Hopefully that will all arrive this week in time for next weekend and hubby & I can tape up windows, fit reflector panels and hang new curtains....whilst washing done overnight for cheaper electricity is drying outside obviously :-)
I really hope it's snugger & cosier after that else I shall cry.
I have got washing drying outside at the moment actually (and yesterday) thank goodness for a better weekend this weekend than last. I have managed to get about 4 loads done & dried which is heaven. Last weekend it wasn't supposed to rain - just be cloudy - so I set off washing overnight on Friday and hung it out on a gloomy Saturday morning, only for it to start p-ing it down 5 minutes later after I had set off the stripped bedding in the washing machine. Reluctantly I had to use the tumble dryer - gutted. So this weekend I have made hay whilst the sun shone (so to speak) and got a fair bit done. I know it's only simple stuff but it makes me happy.
Well that's me up to date. I hope you're still with me and if you feel the need to share in my joy of line drying or ways to keep warm this winter in a house that wasn't built to accommodate a wood burner or anything that requires a chimney then feel free!
Take care, bye for now.
xx
Monday, 29 August 2011
Are the Seasons Changing Already?
Howdy all! How are you today? I hope you are well.
Well here we are on the last Bank Holiday before Christmas - eeeek! I said the 'C' word. Sorry.
Anyway it's still officially British Summer but doesn't it feel like Autumn today? Well it does where I am! Windy, chilly, cloudy with the occasional bit of sunshine. I refuse to put the heating on yet - it's chilly enough to warrant having it on a bit later in the day to take the edge off but, no way! Heating on in August is just wrong.
So I've got thick socks on, jeans and a long sleeved top and am drinking lots of tea today. Haven't really got a great deal of funds to get out & about on this Bank Holiday which is a shame but with it being so uninviting out there I don't feel like I am missing out on much.
To keep me out of mischief today I've shampooed the spare room carpet (again) to make sure the borrowed Vax is ok before I give it back later. I've also vacuumed all of downstairs, washed up & given the kitchen a once over, I've shopped locally for a very few essential items and I've cleaned some windows on the inside. Also caught up on some correspondence with friends.
I finish my despised job this week then I have the time off between jobs that I am so so so looking forward to! Wish me luck though people. I really don't want this new job to fail.
Oh....Aldi I have been buying more bits & pieces from there to see how things go. Really pleased with some stuff i.e. bread, strawberry conserve, chocolate, fig rolls (yeah - essentials here!), kitchen cleaner & all the fresh veg / fruit I've bought. Not so keen on their honey nut cornflakes but at 99p a box you have to try these things! I will definitely be using them for my weekly top up shops though and hope to save a bundle.
I had a massive piece of luck last week in that I ordered some salon hair products off EBAY (shampoo & conditioner) in a dual pack, each bottle being 280ml. The guy shipped me ONE LITRE BOTTLES of each....and two of each! I emailed him to let him know his mistake but in a nutshell he said keep them but thanks for your honesty! So I now have enough shampoo to last me I don't know how long (I am going to give one bottle away to a friend as I will never get through two litres of shampoo before it's past its best) and the conditioner will last me about 6 months I think (my hair drinks conditioner). Result! That's going to save me some serious money for the rest of this year.
I also got severely overpaid from work in my last pay packet which I 'fessed up to straight away (honesty is always best policy) but unfortunately they weren't quite so generous so I have to give the difference back tomorrow by cheque! Oh well, better to get it sorted now rather than when they realise however many months later eh?
That's about it from me, not a very exciting update today but at least you know I'm still here!
Bye for now - thanks for reading!
Well here we are on the last Bank Holiday before Christmas - eeeek! I said the 'C' word. Sorry.
Anyway it's still officially British Summer but doesn't it feel like Autumn today? Well it does where I am! Windy, chilly, cloudy with the occasional bit of sunshine. I refuse to put the heating on yet - it's chilly enough to warrant having it on a bit later in the day to take the edge off but, no way! Heating on in August is just wrong.
So I've got thick socks on, jeans and a long sleeved top and am drinking lots of tea today. Haven't really got a great deal of funds to get out & about on this Bank Holiday which is a shame but with it being so uninviting out there I don't feel like I am missing out on much.
To keep me out of mischief today I've shampooed the spare room carpet (again) to make sure the borrowed Vax is ok before I give it back later. I've also vacuumed all of downstairs, washed up & given the kitchen a once over, I've shopped locally for a very few essential items and I've cleaned some windows on the inside. Also caught up on some correspondence with friends.
I finish my despised job this week then I have the time off between jobs that I am so so so looking forward to! Wish me luck though people. I really don't want this new job to fail.
Oh....Aldi I have been buying more bits & pieces from there to see how things go. Really pleased with some stuff i.e. bread, strawberry conserve, chocolate, fig rolls (yeah - essentials here!), kitchen cleaner & all the fresh veg / fruit I've bought. Not so keen on their honey nut cornflakes but at 99p a box you have to try these things! I will definitely be using them for my weekly top up shops though and hope to save a bundle.
I had a massive piece of luck last week in that I ordered some salon hair products off EBAY (shampoo & conditioner) in a dual pack, each bottle being 280ml. The guy shipped me ONE LITRE BOTTLES of each....and two of each! I emailed him to let him know his mistake but in a nutshell he said keep them but thanks for your honesty! So I now have enough shampoo to last me I don't know how long (I am going to give one bottle away to a friend as I will never get through two litres of shampoo before it's past its best) and the conditioner will last me about 6 months I think (my hair drinks conditioner). Result! That's going to save me some serious money for the rest of this year.
I also got severely overpaid from work in my last pay packet which I 'fessed up to straight away (honesty is always best policy) but unfortunately they weren't quite so generous so I have to give the difference back tomorrow by cheque! Oh well, better to get it sorted now rather than when they realise however many months later eh?
That's about it from me, not a very exciting update today but at least you know I'm still here!
Bye for now - thanks for reading!
Sunday, 21 August 2011
Lazing on a Sunny Afternoon....
Hi everyone, how are you? I do hope everyone is well and enjoying the sunshine today. I've been out sitting in the garden for a while and enjoyed it.
It feels like ages since I last posted anything. I have been completely knackered from the early shifts this week and after getting home, eating and doing whatever needs to be done, I've not had much energy for anything else so apologies.
But here we are at the weekend again and I feel rather more energised!
Well what a mixture this weekend has been. Yesterday I was up fairly early (after a week of early starts at work, 9.00am felt like a disgusting extravagance!) and did loads of things around the house. Last weekend was a busy one too after I borrowed a carpet cleaner and cleaned all carpeted rooms in the house...which saved a lot of money as all it cost me was a bottle of carpet cleaner and the water/electricity to do the job itself.
This weekend was just general stuff to do like usual cleaning, washing, food shopping & stuff like that. Apart from the groceries I have not spent any money so that's a good thing. So yesterday was mega busy and today was more laid back. Got up early again and lazed on the sofa watching Gok Wan and Supersize vs Superskinny till midday & hubby made scrummy porridge (the sun didn't come out till later so it didn't feel too weird eating porridge on a summer's morning!).
I am feeling a little hypocritical today though as I posted on the wonderful Frugal Queen's blog earlier today about the giving away of things and it is something I do regularly one way or the other, but I am currently selling three pairs of shoes on EBAY! In my defence, I listed them last weekend before that post. And I would have given two pairs away gladly but only two of my friends are the same size shoe as me. One doesn't wear high heels any more and the other already has loads of shoes too and, without wanting to sounds bitchy, isn't exactly in need of hand outs.
I have sold one pair to someone in the same city as me so she is coming to collect them tonight. The other two pairs finish tomorrow and next weekend respectively.
One pair of these pairs to sell are frankly way too good to give away. They are a well known shoe designer name and I bought them about a year ago and have never worn them. Idiot that I am. They're gorgeous. I'd be an even bigger idiot if I didn't try and get something for them. Pretty much the same with the other pair too though they're not quite as mouthwatering but they've only been worn once (same designer but bought in 2009 for wedding).
I do have one more pair of shoes that I didn't list on EBAY which are high high high heels and I think I will pop them into a charity shop. You never know, they may well be someone's dream going out shoes and they can get them for a song.
I'm really rambling aren't I? About shoes. How boring. If you've made it this far through the post I think you deserve a medal.
In other news, I finally popped into Aldi in the week just gone and was very pleasantly surprised at the cost of things and the quality of the bag of parsnips I bought! I asked a frugal friend I have if she has ever shopped and Aldi and she told me she's been shopping there for years and recommended some particular things (and advised me to steer clear of certain others) so that was good feedback. I am planning to pop back in this week for any fresh stuff that we need so I'll have another nosy around to see what they have for when I need to do a "big shop" and stock up.
I'll be doing an inventory soon of what tinned stuff we have to see how long we can make meals for before another such big shop though.
What else, ah yes. I failed on the Chinese Takeaway desire. I gave in last Friday and we had one delivered in to celebrate it being the end of the week and my not having to work a crappy late shift. It was delicious but unfortunately they delivered meaty spring rolls instead of vegetarian ones and refused to believe me when I rang to complain so I swore never to use them again! Perhaps it is someone up there giving me a big clue that I SHOULDN'T BE SPENDING MONEY ON CHINESE TAKEAWAYS!
I have walked past the Body Shop though and am using up the dregs of all shower gels I have before going out to purchase anything else. And when I do I'll be looking for BOGOFs in Tesco no doubt, not the Body Shop's finest!
The pizza is a work in progress though. Seeing a friend at the beginning of next month for a pre-arranged lunch and I am pretty sure we'll be either popping out to the deli section of her local Sainsburys which apparently does great "build your own" pizzas or we'll be dialling one in. But, call me weak if you like, as it's a social meeting and I will have been paid and budgeted for it, I am not beating myself up too much about it. It'll still be cheaper than going out for lunch somewhere I'm sure!
Right well that's me done for now.
Wishing you a happy week and thanks for taking the time to read today.
xx
It feels like ages since I last posted anything. I have been completely knackered from the early shifts this week and after getting home, eating and doing whatever needs to be done, I've not had much energy for anything else so apologies.
But here we are at the weekend again and I feel rather more energised!
Well what a mixture this weekend has been. Yesterday I was up fairly early (after a week of early starts at work, 9.00am felt like a disgusting extravagance!) and did loads of things around the house. Last weekend was a busy one too after I borrowed a carpet cleaner and cleaned all carpeted rooms in the house...which saved a lot of money as all it cost me was a bottle of carpet cleaner and the water/electricity to do the job itself.
This weekend was just general stuff to do like usual cleaning, washing, food shopping & stuff like that. Apart from the groceries I have not spent any money so that's a good thing. So yesterday was mega busy and today was more laid back. Got up early again and lazed on the sofa watching Gok Wan and Supersize vs Superskinny till midday & hubby made scrummy porridge (the sun didn't come out till later so it didn't feel too weird eating porridge on a summer's morning!).
I am feeling a little hypocritical today though as I posted on the wonderful Frugal Queen's blog earlier today about the giving away of things and it is something I do regularly one way or the other, but I am currently selling three pairs of shoes on EBAY! In my defence, I listed them last weekend before that post. And I would have given two pairs away gladly but only two of my friends are the same size shoe as me. One doesn't wear high heels any more and the other already has loads of shoes too and, without wanting to sounds bitchy, isn't exactly in need of hand outs.
I have sold one pair to someone in the same city as me so she is coming to collect them tonight. The other two pairs finish tomorrow and next weekend respectively.
One pair of these pairs to sell are frankly way too good to give away. They are a well known shoe designer name and I bought them about a year ago and have never worn them. Idiot that I am. They're gorgeous. I'd be an even bigger idiot if I didn't try and get something for them. Pretty much the same with the other pair too though they're not quite as mouthwatering but they've only been worn once (same designer but bought in 2009 for wedding).
I do have one more pair of shoes that I didn't list on EBAY which are high high high heels and I think I will pop them into a charity shop. You never know, they may well be someone's dream going out shoes and they can get them for a song.
I'm really rambling aren't I? About shoes. How boring. If you've made it this far through the post I think you deserve a medal.
In other news, I finally popped into Aldi in the week just gone and was very pleasantly surprised at the cost of things and the quality of the bag of parsnips I bought! I asked a frugal friend I have if she has ever shopped and Aldi and she told me she's been shopping there for years and recommended some particular things (and advised me to steer clear of certain others) so that was good feedback. I am planning to pop back in this week for any fresh stuff that we need so I'll have another nosy around to see what they have for when I need to do a "big shop" and stock up.
I'll be doing an inventory soon of what tinned stuff we have to see how long we can make meals for before another such big shop though.
What else, ah yes. I failed on the Chinese Takeaway desire. I gave in last Friday and we had one delivered in to celebrate it being the end of the week and my not having to work a crappy late shift. It was delicious but unfortunately they delivered meaty spring rolls instead of vegetarian ones and refused to believe me when I rang to complain so I swore never to use them again! Perhaps it is someone up there giving me a big clue that I SHOULDN'T BE SPENDING MONEY ON CHINESE TAKEAWAYS!
I have walked past the Body Shop though and am using up the dregs of all shower gels I have before going out to purchase anything else. And when I do I'll be looking for BOGOFs in Tesco no doubt, not the Body Shop's finest!
The pizza is a work in progress though. Seeing a friend at the beginning of next month for a pre-arranged lunch and I am pretty sure we'll be either popping out to the deli section of her local Sainsburys which apparently does great "build your own" pizzas or we'll be dialling one in. But, call me weak if you like, as it's a social meeting and I will have been paid and budgeted for it, I am not beating myself up too much about it. It'll still be cheaper than going out for lunch somewhere I'm sure!
Right well that's me done for now.
Wishing you a happy week and thanks for taking the time to read today.
xx
Monday, 8 August 2011
Resist! Resist!
Isn't it interesting how different we all are?
There are some people out there, who, when faced with my current financial situation (trying to stop overdraft from spiralling out of control...it is not allowed to get over the free £250 overdraft I have!) would batten down all the hatches, pull out all the frugal cookbooks, burn their credit cards (or at least freeze them in a block of ice) and then inspiringly & creatively they would build their bank balance up again and then write a worldwide best selling book about it thus lifting them out of the situation altogether.
But what do I do? Get a massive yearning to go shopping, go out for lunches with friends, treat myself to crap I don't need and generally stick two fingers up at the bank balance. What the hell is wrong with me?
Now don't get me wrong, I have been very very good in the past, shifting thousands and thousands of pounds worth of debt from loans, credit cards and TWO massive overdrafts that make my current £250 look like small change, and my naughty spending ways have been curtailed immensely. But my God does that little spending devil on my shoulder still exist.
I am drooling over a Chinese takeaway I desperately want (I am taking notice of that word "want" rather than "need"!) from a fantastic place in our village. I am also yearning for a vegetarian pizza....it's been I don't know how long since I had a pizza. Maybe 5 months? Actually that's not that long ago but it was a rare treat meal out with a friend and doesn't count. I am thinking lay-about-on-the-sofa-with-pizza-from-box type pizza. Yes readers I also have a sluttish lazy side!
I want to go out and splurge some cash in The Body Shop....how I love the vanilla range and the Neroli range. I have run out of both, all bar the few washes of Neroli shower gel I have left. Oh woe is me! How dreadful life is that I can't afford my favourite body lotions and potions! Ahem.
Ah well. I just have to keep on resisting for a while. Damn it, it's hard sometimes though! Anyway readers, don't judge me on my yearnings....but you can judge me on my success or failure to resist them...I guess time will tell right?
On the positive side, I am back to a normal shift this week....fabulous! This time last week I still had half an hour to go at work, this week I have been home, had dinner, washed up, cleaned the bathroom, started a load of washing off, cleaned the kitchen down, sent some emails, made my lunch for tomorrow, polished all of upstairs and the coffee table! And still two hours or so before bed time. I feel quite virtuous.
I think I will sit down and watch an episode of Supersize vs Superskinny that I recorded yesterday. That'll keep me out of trouble.
Bye bye for now!
There are some people out there, who, when faced with my current financial situation (trying to stop overdraft from spiralling out of control...it is not allowed to get over the free £250 overdraft I have!) would batten down all the hatches, pull out all the frugal cookbooks, burn their credit cards (or at least freeze them in a block of ice) and then inspiringly & creatively they would build their bank balance up again and then write a worldwide best selling book about it thus lifting them out of the situation altogether.
But what do I do? Get a massive yearning to go shopping, go out for lunches with friends, treat myself to crap I don't need and generally stick two fingers up at the bank balance. What the hell is wrong with me?
Now don't get me wrong, I have been very very good in the past, shifting thousands and thousands of pounds worth of debt from loans, credit cards and TWO massive overdrafts that make my current £250 look like small change, and my naughty spending ways have been curtailed immensely. But my God does that little spending devil on my shoulder still exist.
I am drooling over a Chinese takeaway I desperately want (I am taking notice of that word "want" rather than "need"!) from a fantastic place in our village. I am also yearning for a vegetarian pizza....it's been I don't know how long since I had a pizza. Maybe 5 months? Actually that's not that long ago but it was a rare treat meal out with a friend and doesn't count. I am thinking lay-about-on-the-sofa-with-pizza-from-box type pizza. Yes readers I also have a sluttish lazy side!
I want to go out and splurge some cash in The Body Shop....how I love the vanilla range and the Neroli range. I have run out of both, all bar the few washes of Neroli shower gel I have left. Oh woe is me! How dreadful life is that I can't afford my favourite body lotions and potions! Ahem.
Ah well. I just have to keep on resisting for a while. Damn it, it's hard sometimes though! Anyway readers, don't judge me on my yearnings....but you can judge me on my success or failure to resist them...I guess time will tell right?
On the positive side, I am back to a normal shift this week....fabulous! This time last week I still had half an hour to go at work, this week I have been home, had dinner, washed up, cleaned the bathroom, started a load of washing off, cleaned the kitchen down, sent some emails, made my lunch for tomorrow, polished all of upstairs and the coffee table! And still two hours or so before bed time. I feel quite virtuous.
I think I will sit down and watch an episode of Supersize vs Superskinny that I recorded yesterday. That'll keep me out of trouble.
Bye bye for now!
Thursday, 4 August 2011
Time Drags When....You're On a Dodgy Shift Pattern
Oh for the love of God is it not the weekend yet? Not enjoying this week at all and will be ecstatic when it is over! Thank the stars I am leaving soon!
Well my leaving date has been fixed and my start date of new job also fixed - and it leaves me with some time off in between which I am looking forward to immensely but the worry is, it is unpaid. Well I guess I have the choice of asking if I can start the new job a bit sooner but the truth is, I think I would rather eat beans on toast all the way through October (cos Septembers pay will be minus 7 days worth of pay) if it comes to that as I am gagging for some more time to myself! Hubby might take some convincing about the beans on toast thing but he's welcome to try some frugal creativity in the kitchen if he likes!
We've got one thing planned for the weekend after I finish work though...we're going to an exhibition (free!) in London and I booked the train tickets tonight in advance...£36 return for the both of us. Certainly wouldn't cost as that much to drive & park but frankly I can do without the hassle and he would hate driving in London too. So train taking the strain it is then.
I have got to be careful at the moment as I just feel somewhat giddy at the thought of leaving my job and I want to have so much fun, do lots of social things and enjoy myself after a year of feeling miserable. I have to be careful not to go crazy...I do get swept up in the whole "you only live once" state of mind at times and it's at those times that the plastic gets flashed. Regrets? I've had a few.......and I'll have a few more of a financial nature if I don't keep a check on things!
Well what else to report this week....I did my first ASDA online shop and feel I got a lot more for my money with them than I have done in the past with Tesco or Sainsburys. Hopefully I will like their range of own products and will use them again. Although should I still be checking out Aldi or LIDL for things like tinned tomatoes, pulses etc? Does anyone know how they compare to ASDA smart price stuff?
Oooh I know what else....I got the gas & electric bills in yesterday too. Gas was down about £3.50 and electric was down by....about 30p! Unfortunately, as I suspected, due to all the rain and having to use the tumble dryer, I couldn't manage it down really. Still - at least it didn't go UP eh? Only about 2 more months till water meter gets read and I will find out if I have managed to get the monthly direct debit down on that too.
Something has got to help pay for my fun times! ;-)
Right then, I had better start thinking about bed time.
How's everyone else's week going? Feel free to tell me about any money saving things or fun things you've done or are planning for....I love a bit of inspiration and hearing other's tales me!
Bye for now.
Well my leaving date has been fixed and my start date of new job also fixed - and it leaves me with some time off in between which I am looking forward to immensely but the worry is, it is unpaid. Well I guess I have the choice of asking if I can start the new job a bit sooner but the truth is, I think I would rather eat beans on toast all the way through October (cos Septembers pay will be minus 7 days worth of pay) if it comes to that as I am gagging for some more time to myself! Hubby might take some convincing about the beans on toast thing but he's welcome to try some frugal creativity in the kitchen if he likes!
We've got one thing planned for the weekend after I finish work though...we're going to an exhibition (free!) in London and I booked the train tickets tonight in advance...£36 return for the both of us. Certainly wouldn't cost as that much to drive & park but frankly I can do without the hassle and he would hate driving in London too. So train taking the strain it is then.
I have got to be careful at the moment as I just feel somewhat giddy at the thought of leaving my job and I want to have so much fun, do lots of social things and enjoy myself after a year of feeling miserable. I have to be careful not to go crazy...I do get swept up in the whole "you only live once" state of mind at times and it's at those times that the plastic gets flashed. Regrets? I've had a few.......and I'll have a few more of a financial nature if I don't keep a check on things!
Well what else to report this week....I did my first ASDA online shop and feel I got a lot more for my money with them than I have done in the past with Tesco or Sainsburys. Hopefully I will like their range of own products and will use them again. Although should I still be checking out Aldi or LIDL for things like tinned tomatoes, pulses etc? Does anyone know how they compare to ASDA smart price stuff?
Oooh I know what else....I got the gas & electric bills in yesterday too. Gas was down about £3.50 and electric was down by....about 30p! Unfortunately, as I suspected, due to all the rain and having to use the tumble dryer, I couldn't manage it down really. Still - at least it didn't go UP eh? Only about 2 more months till water meter gets read and I will find out if I have managed to get the monthly direct debit down on that too.
Something has got to help pay for my fun times! ;-)
Right then, I had better start thinking about bed time.
How's everyone else's week going? Feel free to tell me about any money saving things or fun things you've done or are planning for....I love a bit of inspiration and hearing other's tales me!
Bye for now.
Monday, 1 August 2011
Time Flies When You're Having Fun
And ain't that the truth! Where did my time off go?
And goodness me it is almost a week since I last posted. I was back to work today on a weird shift which I am on all week. So my 'evenings' are everyone else's getting ready for bed time!
Well where to start.....oh yes, David Tennant and Much Ado About Nothing. Good grief I haven't laughed so much in a long time believe me. He is hilarious and so is Catherine Tate. I had an absolute ball on Saturday afternoon and my ultra generous friend who purchased the tickets did too. We spent a long time chatting before and afterwards and also had several 'pit stops' in cafes (which were very welcome as we walked a long way round the streets of London town to avoid packed, hot underground stations and save money!) and we both agreed the show was a complete winner. Definitely recommended if you have the money for a treat and there are any tickets left. I think it runs till September.
I also met up with a couple of other friends last week and I didn't blow my social budget and I even brought some cash home from London too so I am quite pleased about that. I have put a fiver's worth of petrol in the car to see me through till I can top up properly towards the back end of the week and completely wasted £1.05 in the vending machine at work on rubbish today but I was starving! We had b*gger all in the house to take to work apart from a banana and a sandwich. When I popped into a shop before work to buy something sensible for extra, I just wasn't hungry at the time and looking at all the food made me feel a bit queasy. So I made my exit! Obviously regretted that later on.
I have had the formal new job offer letter now subject to my CRB check coming back ok and the Occupational Health Department not causing a fuss over anything on my Health Questionnaire. I would hope this means I can start mid September. I am having a small amount of time off between jobs which will be unpaid unfortunately but I am prepared to pull the belt in even tighter in the Autumn to enjoy a bit of time off when the weather will still be good as who knows when my next time off will be? Maybe Christmas.
Well that is about it for now - I have come over really snoozy and can't concentrate so instead of waffling on about nothing I shall bid you good night and hope that you all have a good week.
Bye for now!
And goodness me it is almost a week since I last posted. I was back to work today on a weird shift which I am on all week. So my 'evenings' are everyone else's getting ready for bed time!
Well where to start.....oh yes, David Tennant and Much Ado About Nothing. Good grief I haven't laughed so much in a long time believe me. He is hilarious and so is Catherine Tate. I had an absolute ball on Saturday afternoon and my ultra generous friend who purchased the tickets did too. We spent a long time chatting before and afterwards and also had several 'pit stops' in cafes (which were very welcome as we walked a long way round the streets of London town to avoid packed, hot underground stations and save money!) and we both agreed the show was a complete winner. Definitely recommended if you have the money for a treat and there are any tickets left. I think it runs till September.
I also met up with a couple of other friends last week and I didn't blow my social budget and I even brought some cash home from London too so I am quite pleased about that. I have put a fiver's worth of petrol in the car to see me through till I can top up properly towards the back end of the week and completely wasted £1.05 in the vending machine at work on rubbish today but I was starving! We had b*gger all in the house to take to work apart from a banana and a sandwich. When I popped into a shop before work to buy something sensible for extra, I just wasn't hungry at the time and looking at all the food made me feel a bit queasy. So I made my exit! Obviously regretted that later on.
I have had the formal new job offer letter now subject to my CRB check coming back ok and the Occupational Health Department not causing a fuss over anything on my Health Questionnaire. I would hope this means I can start mid September. I am having a small amount of time off between jobs which will be unpaid unfortunately but I am prepared to pull the belt in even tighter in the Autumn to enjoy a bit of time off when the weather will still be good as who knows when my next time off will be? Maybe Christmas.
Well that is about it for now - I have come over really snoozy and can't concentrate so instead of waffling on about nothing I shall bid you good night and hope that you all have a good week.
Bye for now!
Wednesday, 27 July 2011
Hump Day Already?
For those of you just joining....hump day does not represent anything rude...it just means you've got over the middle hump in the week and it's downhill all the way to the weekend now!
So why does hump day seem to take an eternity to come around when you're at work but a blink of an eye when you're on holiday then, eh? Anyway I hope you've all been having a good week so far?
I have felt ok since Saturday and have been enjoying the week. I met my friend for lunch yesterday and we had tasty chip shop chips for a treat and I had a mooch around some second hand shops before & after meeting her but I didn't find anything I wanted. Never mind - sometimes the pleasure is just in browsing.
Today I went for a bike ride to seek out a route to the new job and I found one that takes probably about 20 minutes....which is about double what it will take me in the car unfortunately. But I am hoping that I will see people queued up at the traffic lights waiting to get onto the main road out of the works site, which I will be able to sail past on my bike going home and maybe be about a mile home before they even get past the lights! I know that sounds mean and I don't mean it horribly really as I know some people have no choice but to drive but I am just trying to talk myself into cycling rather than taking the easy option. I guess I need to keep telling myself I will be saving money on parking & petrol too!
I think it will be difficult in the winter though as the route is mainly cycle paths which will not get gritted in the snow & ice and I also have to push my bike over a railway bridge which definitely won't get gritted and it will be a bit scary when it's dark (no lights there) but I need to be brave! Hopefully there will be other cycle commuters coming home that way at the same time.
I think I will take another bike ride out before my week off is up to check the route and look to see if there is another 'leg' I can take as part of it was a bit confusing going through housing estates that all looked the same! Maybe I just need to to it again and make some mental 'markers'.
Anyway I did enjoy the bike ride which was good as if I had hated it, there would have been nothing to encourage me to even try it.
So my treat for the weekend is a journey down to London (train ticket booked ages ago in advance for cheap) to see a show with a friend who bought the tickets as a gift for my 40th birthday this year. How generous is that? It's the Much Ado About Nothing show with David Tennant and Catherine Tate which is very exciting as I have a soft spot for David Tennant shall we say! Anyway I shall meet my friend and we'll go for some lunch (money for this has been budgeted for some time) then head off to the theatre. I am booked on an early evening train back from London so no hanging around being tempted by expensive shops, bars or restaurants! However I may pop into a pub on the way home (right next to train station) where an old colleague/friend is having a birthday get together but I think that depends on how much ££ I have left over. But I would like to.
I don't want the weekend to get here too quickly for a change but at least when it does I have something brilliant to look forward to eh?
Thanks for reading today and I wish you a happy remainder of the week.
x
So why does hump day seem to take an eternity to come around when you're at work but a blink of an eye when you're on holiday then, eh? Anyway I hope you've all been having a good week so far?
I have felt ok since Saturday and have been enjoying the week. I met my friend for lunch yesterday and we had tasty chip shop chips for a treat and I had a mooch around some second hand shops before & after meeting her but I didn't find anything I wanted. Never mind - sometimes the pleasure is just in browsing.
Today I went for a bike ride to seek out a route to the new job and I found one that takes probably about 20 minutes....which is about double what it will take me in the car unfortunately. But I am hoping that I will see people queued up at the traffic lights waiting to get onto the main road out of the works site, which I will be able to sail past on my bike going home and maybe be about a mile home before they even get past the lights! I know that sounds mean and I don't mean it horribly really as I know some people have no choice but to drive but I am just trying to talk myself into cycling rather than taking the easy option. I guess I need to keep telling myself I will be saving money on parking & petrol too!
I think it will be difficult in the winter though as the route is mainly cycle paths which will not get gritted in the snow & ice and I also have to push my bike over a railway bridge which definitely won't get gritted and it will be a bit scary when it's dark (no lights there) but I need to be brave! Hopefully there will be other cycle commuters coming home that way at the same time.
I think I will take another bike ride out before my week off is up to check the route and look to see if there is another 'leg' I can take as part of it was a bit confusing going through housing estates that all looked the same! Maybe I just need to to it again and make some mental 'markers'.
Anyway I did enjoy the bike ride which was good as if I had hated it, there would have been nothing to encourage me to even try it.
So my treat for the weekend is a journey down to London (train ticket booked ages ago in advance for cheap) to see a show with a friend who bought the tickets as a gift for my 40th birthday this year. How generous is that? It's the Much Ado About Nothing show with David Tennant and Catherine Tate which is very exciting as I have a soft spot for David Tennant shall we say! Anyway I shall meet my friend and we'll go for some lunch (money for this has been budgeted for some time) then head off to the theatre. I am booked on an early evening train back from London so no hanging around being tempted by expensive shops, bars or restaurants! However I may pop into a pub on the way home (right next to train station) where an old colleague/friend is having a birthday get together but I think that depends on how much ££ I have left over. But I would like to.
I don't want the weekend to get here too quickly for a change but at least when it does I have something brilliant to look forward to eh?
Thanks for reading today and I wish you a happy remainder of the week.
x
Monday, 25 July 2011
First Day of Week Off!
Thanks to those who wished me well from Saturday when I was feeling poorly and Sara I have added another comment re: your daughter. If anyone is reading this and has some HR experience I wonder if you would mind having a read and contributing some knowledge?
So here I am on a Monday, feet up on the sofa doing some internet browsing after a busy morning in the home. ....I had a lie in but nothing too obscene! I got up and had some breakfast then watched "How Clean Is Your Home" in my PJs....that programme makes me cringe in disgust but also fascinates me at the same time and I love to see the houses at the end. I am pretty clean & tidy anyway but after watching that programme I am always inspired to do a bit more! So I:
Sat down for 10 minutes with a cup of tea reflecting on a few things.
I then did my nails & toenails and applied a facepack before jumping in the shower.
I have had a frugal lunch of a banana and two slices of marmite on granary toast as we haven't actually got much in the house at the moment. I am trying to eke out everything we have before I do another 'stock up' shop which means there isn't much to nibble on between meals...which is a good thing really!
I've logged on to check all ok with bank account & credit card - does anyone else feel compelled to log in every day to check in this day & age of fraud?
Been reading a bit more about Amy Winehouse and Frugal Queen posted about it this weekend on her blog, which pretty much encapsulates how I feel, although I don't have a daughter myself. The news this weekend has been awful, so many dreadful stories. The world is a brutal place at times.
Well it is time to go and do a few more useful things now and as Mum said, I can enjoy taking my time over them and having gotten them out of the way I will be able to do the other things I have planned this week guilt free.
I am meeting a few friends over different days for drinks at lunchtime, I am also hoping to get out on my bike to see how long it would take me to cycle to my new job to save on petrol and parking fees (it's not a free car park unfortunately), am going to pay the loose change in our jar into the bank tomorrow and perhaps pop into the charity shops too to see if I can spot any bargains. I have one evening out planned on Thursday which is just a couple of drinks with a friend to celebrate the new job but I will drive there so won't have to fork out for taxis. It'll just be nice to be out and chat with my good friend as I don't see her that often these days.
I do have one big thing to look forward to though on Saturday - a trip to London to see a show! But more on that later....
Have a good day and I hope your Monday wasn't too bad!
x
So here I am on a Monday, feet up on the sofa doing some internet browsing after a busy morning in the home. ....I had a lie in but nothing too obscene! I got up and had some breakfast then watched "How Clean Is Your Home" in my PJs....that programme makes me cringe in disgust but also fascinates me at the same time and I love to see the houses at the end. I am pretty clean & tidy anyway but after watching that programme I am always inspired to do a bit more! So I:
- Washed up
- Cleaned the kitchen down (including the sink & floor)
- Hoovered everywhere & removed all cushions off the sofa and hoovered up underneath them
- Cleaned the bathroom floor
- Wiped down everywhere in the bathroom (it had a deep clean on Saturday!) including skirting boards
- Made the bed
- Emptied bins!
Sat down for 10 minutes with a cup of tea reflecting on a few things.
I then did my nails & toenails and applied a facepack before jumping in the shower.
I have had a frugal lunch of a banana and two slices of marmite on granary toast as we haven't actually got much in the house at the moment. I am trying to eke out everything we have before I do another 'stock up' shop which means there isn't much to nibble on between meals...which is a good thing really!
I've logged on to check all ok with bank account & credit card - does anyone else feel compelled to log in every day to check in this day & age of fraud?
Been reading a bit more about Amy Winehouse and Frugal Queen posted about it this weekend on her blog, which pretty much encapsulates how I feel, although I don't have a daughter myself. The news this weekend has been awful, so many dreadful stories. The world is a brutal place at times.
Well it is time to go and do a few more useful things now and as Mum said, I can enjoy taking my time over them and having gotten them out of the way I will be able to do the other things I have planned this week guilt free.
I am meeting a few friends over different days for drinks at lunchtime, I am also hoping to get out on my bike to see how long it would take me to cycle to my new job to save on petrol and parking fees (it's not a free car park unfortunately), am going to pay the loose change in our jar into the bank tomorrow and perhaps pop into the charity shops too to see if I can spot any bargains. I have one evening out planned on Thursday which is just a couple of drinks with a friend to celebrate the new job but I will drive there so won't have to fork out for taxis. It'll just be nice to be out and chat with my good friend as I don't see her that often these days.
I do have one big thing to look forward to though on Saturday - a trip to London to see a show! But more on that later....
Have a good day and I hope your Monday wasn't too bad!
x
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