Howdy!
Well the three rotten windows have gone and the new windows are in. They look really smart, they match the remaining windows really well and we have some new "cappit" boards as well to go over the awful windowsills we had in the bedroom and lounge too. Awful because of the previous house owners I must stress not because of us. We like to try and take care of our home whereas the previous family seemed hell bent on destroying it bit by bit! But that's another story for another day.
ANYWAY....this morning I had to punch my PIN in to pay for it and so here I am again with another credit card bill over my head. Although this time, unlike in a previous life, it is for something that adds value to the home, is useful, should save us money on heating and is interest free until March 2013. I have done a forecast for the next year to include the monthly payments. I don't think I could improve on this given our circumstances and lack of savings. This time there is light at the end of the tunnel albeit a twelve month tunnel.
I went shopping at ALDI today after work and berated myself for going £1.74 over budget! I can't believe the difference in myself these days. Not that it's a bad thing. Well, I got 35 items for £26.74 which will keep us going till next Tuesday bar a few fresh things I may need to pick up at the weekend. In one of the big supermarkets I know I would have been shelling out at least £40 on the same items. Got to try and stick to the budget of £25 though as even at their reasonable costs it soon adds up if you just pop one little thing here & there into the trolley on a whim.
I have a long weekend this weekend, got Friday off. I am really looking forward to it, the last few Fridays at work have been really hard work due to other colleagues being on holiday so I am looking forward to the break. My turn! The car is going into the garage for a repair on the day so that'll stop me going further afield and being tempted to spend money I can't afford to spend so I will probably busy myself around the home and see what money saving things I can do or plan!
Did anyone watch SuperScrimpers last night? I thought it was a little better than the previous week. I can't believe though that there are still people left who want to buy ALL BRANDED food? Really? I was struggling to believe it. I wished they had shown *how* to take in the dress that was slightly too big for that young girl as I would be prepared to give that a go but I don't know how. I guess I can look it up but I thought that was a missed opportunity on the episode. Didn't think much of that lady's DIY bath bombs though. Nice idea but when she popped it in the bath it looked foul! I wouldn't have wanted to get in with that.
Well that's about it for now, I do hope you are all well. I am off now to study my Excel spreadsheet and see if there is anywhere I can make any more improvements for the next few months which are going to be rather crap financially but like I said before.....light at the end of the tunnel and all that.
Take care. x x x
Tuesday, 28 February 2012
Saturday, 25 February 2012
Free Music Saturday!
Today has a musical theme. I hope you enjoy it. (And I really hope that they come out ok!)
The other day I very naughtily indulged in a packet of hula hoops from the canteen at work. I know...I know...
Anyway, there was a code on the back for a free music download so tonight I browsed the site and stumbled across this song which I absolutely love but I haven't heard it for years so I had forgotten just how much I do love it. Here it is off YouTube but it's not brilliant quality though unfortunately :-(
Following on from that, here is a song that always sorts me out whenever I am feeling sorry for myself. At this point in time I am lucky enough not to have that much to worry about apart from crappy money and it could be (and has been) so much worse, so, I really should stop stressing about it and do the best I can with this one life I have with the resources I have, whilst I can.
And finally here is a song I heard on the car radio the other week which was such a treat...it always makes me turn it up loud, sing along (badly) and never fails to cheer me up. You just don't get a man in a red cod piece on prime time Thursday night TV these days do you? (Anyone my age will remember this legendary Top of the Pops performance back in the eighties...)
Enjoy! And happy Saturday to you all. x x x
The other day I very naughtily indulged in a packet of hula hoops from the canteen at work. I know...I know...
Anyway, there was a code on the back for a free music download so tonight I browsed the site and stumbled across this song which I absolutely love but I haven't heard it for years so I had forgotten just how much I do love it. Here it is off YouTube but it's not brilliant quality though unfortunately :-(
Following on from that, here is a song that always sorts me out whenever I am feeling sorry for myself. At this point in time I am lucky enough not to have that much to worry about apart from crappy money and it could be (and has been) so much worse, so, I really should stop stressing about it and do the best I can with this one life I have with the resources I have, whilst I can.
And finally here is a song I heard on the car radio the other week which was such a treat...it always makes me turn it up loud, sing along (badly) and never fails to cheer me up. You just don't get a man in a red cod piece on prime time Thursday night TV these days do you? (Anyone my age will remember this legendary Top of the Pops performance back in the eighties...)
Enjoy! And happy Saturday to you all. x x x
Thursday, 23 February 2012
I Love It When I Find Bargains!
Hello there, and how are you today? I hope, well.
I wasn't feeling too well tonight when I popped out for a quick appointment so it was touch and go whether I would be popping into Morrisons on the way home for a couple of bits we needed. I did go though and I am glad I did! What a sight greeted me as I walked in.....two small tables of reduced bread products.
I could have stocked up on reduced tea cakes or a spiced loaf but to me that would be a bit gluttonous and I wanted more practical things so I dug out a handful of products we could use for actual meals.
Oh and the rubber gloves I had popped in for were reduced as well! So I was quite pleased with that little lot. Every penny is going to have to count especially right now.
Someone also tried to bully me in my little car! Sometimes I can let it wash over me....my thoughts being 'men with small willies in big cars trying to make themselves feel better by trying to push around a woman in a small hatchback'. Yeah whatever mate, whatever makes you feel good. Then other times, I'm not having any of it! Tonight was one of the latter.
I was simply waiting at a roundabout which has traffic lights on it, and they were red. The roundabout has three lanes on it and I was in the left hand lane minding my own business. As the lights turned amber I started to pull away and before I was probably even a couple of metres down the road some eejit taxi driver in a big car comes whizzing round the middle lane of the roundabout through the barely green lights and gives me a huge "MEEHHHHHHHHHHHHH" with his horn. For WHAT? I hadn't done anything except stop at a red light and pull away at amber...and I hadn't encroached on the next lane at all! I was completely baffled.
So I call him something naughty and let him speed away......then to my delight, about 200 metres down the road as I need to turn left into Morrisons car park, he is stuck in the third lane at another set of traffic lights which are red (but I can turn left on a green filter). So as I cruise past I stick my hand on the horn and my little car goes "mehhhhhhhhhhhh" which is very weak in comparison to his baritone "MEEHHHHHHHHHHHHH" but anyway it was enough to get his attention so I could flip him the bird.
Childish yes. Made me feel better though.
Well it's nearly the weekend - any plans? I have to get up quite early on Saturday to get a few bits done and also pick up a touch up paint pen for my little car as when I cleaned it on Sunday I noticed some lovely people had bashed into the passenger side door and put some nicks in it. Hubby has used these types of pens before on a previous car so I am going to let him sort them out seems I think I am so ham fisted at anything like that.
Then I am off to a friend's house for my haircut and colour which is *not* a luxury, not with my hair type. And today I looked in the mirror and thought thank goodness my hair appointment is nearly here as I look like a cave woman. With grey roots.
Hubby is out all day on Sunday so I have the house to myself and all I plan to do is watch the Cardiff v Liverpool Carling Cup Final drinking tea out of my Liverpool mug and maybe, just maybe, treating myself to a bag of something savoury. Bliss! Come on you Reds!
And that's about it really. Apart from the washing, the cleaning, the polishing, the tidying, you know...the usual delightful weekend chores.
Well I hope you all have something nice to look forward to. OH! Recently I tried some Rosetti rose wine from Aldi for £3.49...it was rather nice. So if you like rose wine and you want to try something for a few quid I can recommend that. It is slightly watery compared to something by say Ernest & Gallo but for £3.49 you can't complain and I did think it was completely palatable. No more of that for me for a while though. I think my penance for buying that wine was three broken electrical items the next day!
Take care and bye bye for now.
x x x
I wasn't feeling too well tonight when I popped out for a quick appointment so it was touch and go whether I would be popping into Morrisons on the way home for a couple of bits we needed. I did go though and I am glad I did! What a sight greeted me as I walked in.....two small tables of reduced bread products.
I could have stocked up on reduced tea cakes or a spiced loaf but to me that would be a bit gluttonous and I wanted more practical things so I dug out a handful of products we could use for actual meals.
- A large brown loaf (large baguette shaped but not a baguette...bigger...) which will be perfect with home made soup. 29p.
- A 2 pack of wholemeal sub rolls which will make for a decent lunch for hubby one day. 25p.
- A pack of wholemeal large rolls...large enough to accommodate a veggie burger which will be a perfect weekend lunch. 19p.
- Further down the store I found a pack of Cauldron veggie sausages for 50p. We will make a sausage casserole out of these.
Oh and the rubber gloves I had popped in for were reduced as well! So I was quite pleased with that little lot. Every penny is going to have to count especially right now.
Someone also tried to bully me in my little car! Sometimes I can let it wash over me....my thoughts being 'men with small willies in big cars trying to make themselves feel better by trying to push around a woman in a small hatchback'. Yeah whatever mate, whatever makes you feel good. Then other times, I'm not having any of it! Tonight was one of the latter.
I was simply waiting at a roundabout which has traffic lights on it, and they were red. The roundabout has three lanes on it and I was in the left hand lane minding my own business. As the lights turned amber I started to pull away and before I was probably even a couple of metres down the road some eejit taxi driver in a big car comes whizzing round the middle lane of the roundabout through the barely green lights and gives me a huge "MEEHHHHHHHHHHHHH" with his horn. For WHAT? I hadn't done anything except stop at a red light and pull away at amber...and I hadn't encroached on the next lane at all! I was completely baffled.
So I call him something naughty and let him speed away......then to my delight, about 200 metres down the road as I need to turn left into Morrisons car park, he is stuck in the third lane at another set of traffic lights which are red (but I can turn left on a green filter). So as I cruise past I stick my hand on the horn and my little car goes "mehhhhhhhhhhhh" which is very weak in comparison to his baritone "MEEHHHHHHHHHHHHH" but anyway it was enough to get his attention so I could flip him the bird.
Childish yes. Made me feel better though.
Well it's nearly the weekend - any plans? I have to get up quite early on Saturday to get a few bits done and also pick up a touch up paint pen for my little car as when I cleaned it on Sunday I noticed some lovely people had bashed into the passenger side door and put some nicks in it. Hubby has used these types of pens before on a previous car so I am going to let him sort them out seems I think I am so ham fisted at anything like that.
Then I am off to a friend's house for my haircut and colour which is *not* a luxury, not with my hair type. And today I looked in the mirror and thought thank goodness my hair appointment is nearly here as I look like a cave woman. With grey roots.
Hubby is out all day on Sunday so I have the house to myself and all I plan to do is watch the Cardiff v Liverpool Carling Cup Final drinking tea out of my Liverpool mug and maybe, just maybe, treating myself to a bag of something savoury. Bliss! Come on you Reds!
And that's about it really. Apart from the washing, the cleaning, the polishing, the tidying, you know...the usual delightful weekend chores.
Well I hope you all have something nice to look forward to. OH! Recently I tried some Rosetti rose wine from Aldi for £3.49...it was rather nice. So if you like rose wine and you want to try something for a few quid I can recommend that. It is slightly watery compared to something by say Ernest & Gallo but for £3.49 you can't complain and I did think it was completely palatable. No more of that for me for a while though. I think my penance for buying that wine was three broken electrical items the next day!
Take care and bye bye for now.
x x x
Monday, 20 February 2012
Slipped Down the Slippery Slope
Hello and firstly welcome to my new follower. Really nice to have you here!
Secondly.......and excuse the fruity language but....oh bloody hell and bugger it. Sodding sodding overdraft. Will I never be smart enough to avoid it? It's like stepping on bloody quicksand.
Why does everything seem to happen at once? Why does the car need a suspension arm replacing when I least could do with another bill? Bloody sod's law that's why. And it's not just the overdraft either. Some urgent home repair/replacement stuff needs doing next week that's going to cost in excess of £1300. I don't want to go into detail but I can't put off the work any longer. The only way I can fund it though is by a 0% on purchases for 15 months credit card - so that's what is going to have to happen.
Well upwards and onwards with it I suppose. Mortgage aside I have been debt free before (and from a lot higher total than this) so I can get there again. But not for a while.
Bloody bugger it though! WHEN OH WHEN will I become that woman who is able to put the money aside every month to cover emergencies when they happen? Well when hubby is working full time again maybe but even then I wonder. My financial life is like a game of snakes & ladders! Know the feeling any of you?
I watched Superscrimpers tonight. I know quite a lot of people in Blogland watch it too and I am in agreement with those who have said it seems to have shifted it's course. I felt quite disappointed with it tonight. The trailer for next week looked a bit more promising though. I shall continue to watch for now...
TTFN my lovelies.
xx
Secondly.......and excuse the fruity language but....oh bloody hell and bugger it. Sodding sodding overdraft. Will I never be smart enough to avoid it? It's like stepping on bloody quicksand.
Why does everything seem to happen at once? Why does the car need a suspension arm replacing when I least could do with another bill? Bloody sod's law that's why. And it's not just the overdraft either. Some urgent home repair/replacement stuff needs doing next week that's going to cost in excess of £1300. I don't want to go into detail but I can't put off the work any longer. The only way I can fund it though is by a 0% on purchases for 15 months credit card - so that's what is going to have to happen.
Well upwards and onwards with it I suppose. Mortgage aside I have been debt free before (and from a lot higher total than this) so I can get there again. But not for a while.
Bloody bugger it though! WHEN OH WHEN will I become that woman who is able to put the money aside every month to cover emergencies when they happen? Well when hubby is working full time again maybe but even then I wonder. My financial life is like a game of snakes & ladders! Know the feeling any of you?
I watched Superscrimpers tonight. I know quite a lot of people in Blogland watch it too and I am in agreement with those who have said it seems to have shifted it's course. I felt quite disappointed with it tonight. The trailer for next week looked a bit more promising though. I shall continue to watch for now...
TTFN my lovelies.
xx
Sunday, 19 February 2012
So Much For Saving!
What a disastrous weekend from a "try not to spend any money" perspective!
So down to Argos I go today. And a few more Avios points collected.....enough said. Beans on toast for the rest of the month now probably!
On the plus side I have thoroughly cleaned my car inside & out in the cold sunshine and felt very virtuous for it. I've also kept myself busy with other chores, watching cycling on the internet from the new London velodrome (in the past I would have tried to get tickets) and now I am listening to the match on the new little radio. Chris Hoy is a true sporting hero, a bone fide legend. The rest of the squad are great too but what an ambassador he is for the sport. Scotland are rightly proud of him as is GB as a whole I am sure.
I have submitted meter readings again today....gas is up to £170 and electric up to £101. Next bill is due 16th March. The gas bill is horrendous but we've been as frugal with it as we could be given we had snow on the ground for over a week. Electric has been pushed up as I have had to use the extra haolgen heater to keep warm when the central heating was off plus the tumble dryer a hell of a lot during the very cold, snowy spell. No choice. I found mildew on the wall behind our sofa in the lounge last weekend and that's without drying clothes in here. Happy to report that I have managed to get quite a bit of washing dry on the line this weekend as it's been windy if a little cold though the sunshine today has made part of our garden warmer which helped.
Whilst out in the garden today I noticed the shoots of some daffodils coming through - what a happy sight that was for me! Spring is definitely approaching. I just hope Winter hasn't got a sting in it's tail!
Well on a final note today, I would just like to say RIP to one of my teenage idols, Ms Whitney Houston. A fabulous voice, a beautiful woman, a Mother, a daughter and a whole host more to many people. Sleep well.
x
- Iron: cable splits exposing wires underneath.
- Ironing board cover: Splits. And has looked rank for a while now.
- Kettle: lid will not stop popping open before it finishes boiling, husband's swearing at it makes my ears bleed.
- Digital radio: gives up the ghost on the day Liverpool play Brighton in the FA Cup (and 6Music is a must in this house).
So down to Argos I go today. And a few more Avios points collected.....enough said. Beans on toast for the rest of the month now probably!
On the plus side I have thoroughly cleaned my car inside & out in the cold sunshine and felt very virtuous for it. I've also kept myself busy with other chores, watching cycling on the internet from the new London velodrome (in the past I would have tried to get tickets) and now I am listening to the match on the new little radio. Chris Hoy is a true sporting hero, a bone fide legend. The rest of the squad are great too but what an ambassador he is for the sport. Scotland are rightly proud of him as is GB as a whole I am sure.
I have submitted meter readings again today....gas is up to £170 and electric up to £101. Next bill is due 16th March. The gas bill is horrendous but we've been as frugal with it as we could be given we had snow on the ground for over a week. Electric has been pushed up as I have had to use the extra haolgen heater to keep warm when the central heating was off plus the tumble dryer a hell of a lot during the very cold, snowy spell. No choice. I found mildew on the wall behind our sofa in the lounge last weekend and that's without drying clothes in here. Happy to report that I have managed to get quite a bit of washing dry on the line this weekend as it's been windy if a little cold though the sunshine today has made part of our garden warmer which helped.
Whilst out in the garden today I noticed the shoots of some daffodils coming through - what a happy sight that was for me! Spring is definitely approaching. I just hope Winter hasn't got a sting in it's tail!
Well on a final note today, I would just like to say RIP to one of my teenage idols, Ms Whitney Houston. A fabulous voice, a beautiful woman, a Mother, a daughter and a whole host more to many people. Sleep well.
x
Wednesday, 8 February 2012
Chilly or WHAT?
Well now I realise some people who might read this blog may experience temperatures each winter that make our current cold snap feel like high summer but I have to say....I'm COLD!! How about you?
My poor hubby has been off work today (day off....and again tomorrow) and because of the cost of gas, he's sitting at home with the central heating off and just puts the halogen heater on from time to time. I feel so bad for him but he says he's ok, he's got layers on etc but I wonder if he's just putting a brave face on it! I know how cold our house gets.
I did a gas reading last Friday and our bill was up to £138 and we've still got till the end of March to go before the next bill is due. We're just having to be frugal with it (heating) being on but it's such a sad state of affairs when there is snow on the ground outside! But as ever, I know there are people worse off so I'm not grumbling too much.
How true is that?
Well it was hubby's birthday this week...we didn't go anywhere because the weather was cold & snowy so we just huggled down at home and watched films together. A quiet day but we were happy. We are off out this Sunday though as I bought him two tickets for his birthday to a gig so we're off to that. Fingers crossed for slightly warmer weather as it's about 40 miles away and I don't fancy driving home in the dark if it is icy on the roads!
I continue my experiments with Aldi's products and for the first time in a long time I have to report there is something I'm not happy with. It's their Almat washing powder. It just doesn't dissolve in the drawer for me at all! I have to manually pour some warm water into the detergent drawer and mix it up with a spoon then wash it down with some more water! Not good. I won't be buying that again. Such a shame - I had hoped for more as their fabric conditioner "So Soft" (or similarly named) in the yellow bottle is really good.
I bought some of their green olives with herbs yesterday to go into a pasta dish tonight and they were YUMMY. So I will buy them again for sure. I also picked up a packet of their dark chocolate digestive biscuits (very very naughty of me) for 59p...total bargain as they are delicious. I shouldn't buy them again for the sake of my hips but I probably will!
Have you got any bargain products you can recommend (remembering we're vegetarian) from UK shops or websites?
My poor hubby has been off work today (day off....and again tomorrow) and because of the cost of gas, he's sitting at home with the central heating off and just puts the halogen heater on from time to time. I feel so bad for him but he says he's ok, he's got layers on etc but I wonder if he's just putting a brave face on it! I know how cold our house gets.
I did a gas reading last Friday and our bill was up to £138 and we've still got till the end of March to go before the next bill is due. We're just having to be frugal with it (heating) being on but it's such a sad state of affairs when there is snow on the ground outside! But as ever, I know there are people worse off so I'm not grumbling too much.
How true is that?
Well it was hubby's birthday this week...we didn't go anywhere because the weather was cold & snowy so we just huggled down at home and watched films together. A quiet day but we were happy. We are off out this Sunday though as I bought him two tickets for his birthday to a gig so we're off to that. Fingers crossed for slightly warmer weather as it's about 40 miles away and I don't fancy driving home in the dark if it is icy on the roads!
I continue my experiments with Aldi's products and for the first time in a long time I have to report there is something I'm not happy with. It's their Almat washing powder. It just doesn't dissolve in the drawer for me at all! I have to manually pour some warm water into the detergent drawer and mix it up with a spoon then wash it down with some more water! Not good. I won't be buying that again. Such a shame - I had hoped for more as their fabric conditioner "So Soft" (or similarly named) in the yellow bottle is really good.
I bought some of their green olives with herbs yesterday to go into a pasta dish tonight and they were YUMMY. So I will buy them again for sure. I also picked up a packet of their dark chocolate digestive biscuits (very very naughty of me) for 59p...total bargain as they are delicious. I shouldn't buy them again for the sake of my hips but I probably will!
Have you got any bargain products you can recommend (remembering we're vegetarian) from UK shops or websites?
Sunday, 5 February 2012
WHAT is that awful noise?
Oh it's Nicki Minaj.
Oh my good GOD. I had a look on YouTube as everywhere I look at the moment I see a picture of this girl (and I think I read she performed or is performing at the Super Bowl? Something else that bypasses me annually.....no offence my USA readers but I am sure our soccer FA Cup doesn't interest you either!) so I thought I would take a look.
Oh man. How bad is music (and I use that word loosely I really do) now? I know every generation has listened to younger generations music and thought theirs was better but honestly, the word dirge comes to mind. I only managed to listen for about half a minute then I had to turn it off. I'm so glad I haven't got children. I feel sorry for them. No jobs at the moment, no great prospects to look forward to, less industry every year producing even fewer opportunities, a Government seemingly hell bent on making everything as bleak as possible and on top of all that, really really awful music as well.
Still, looking on the bright side, I did watch a programme last week that said there are no asteroids large enough to cause a global catastrophe due to hit the earth within the next 100 years. Hooray!
Oh my good GOD. I had a look on YouTube as everywhere I look at the moment I see a picture of this girl (and I think I read she performed or is performing at the Super Bowl? Something else that bypasses me annually.....no offence my USA readers but I am sure our soccer FA Cup doesn't interest you either!) so I thought I would take a look.
Oh man. How bad is music (and I use that word loosely I really do) now? I know every generation has listened to younger generations music and thought theirs was better but honestly, the word dirge comes to mind. I only managed to listen for about half a minute then I had to turn it off. I'm so glad I haven't got children. I feel sorry for them. No jobs at the moment, no great prospects to look forward to, less industry every year producing even fewer opportunities, a Government seemingly hell bent on making everything as bleak as possible and on top of all that, really really awful music as well.
Still, looking on the bright side, I did watch a programme last week that said there are no asteroids large enough to cause a global catastrophe due to hit the earth within the next 100 years. Hooray!
Tuesday, 31 January 2012
Awaiting ....."The Change"
No not *that* change! I mean the change of seasons!
So here we are with a real proper Winter cold snap (we've been pretty lucky this year compared to the last two haven't we?) and I'm thinking about Spring! I love Spring time I really do. I don't know about you but when the temperature lifts and the first signs of life come through the cold damp earth and the cherry blossom errr, blossoms, then I also feel like I am unfurling and coming back to life as well.
I do really like the New Year feeling in that it's a brand new shiny New Year and it feels like a new page, a clean slate, a fresh start...but I have difficulty getting galvanised and putting anything into practice. The Springtime kicks it into life for me.
So...I am hoping that after this cold snap it won't be long before the daffodils come out and the tree in the front garden is adorned with pretty white flowers again.
So what do I want this year?
I really REALLY want to feel I have knocked stupid spending on the head and the only way I will know that is to watch savings grow and observe my purchases and note my feelings when I am in shops looking and 'stuff'. I hope to notice more "need" purchases than "wants" and if I do indulge in "wants" then they must be out of a budgeted figure. I guess in a nutshell I am looking forward to the next chapter in my financial life.
I want to continue enjoying my new job. No elaboration required on that really. I have no desire to get promoted or get myself noticed in any way (apart from just doing a good job)...I just want to enjoy it and not dread Sunday nights.
I would like to make some more house improvements. Ideally I'd love to move BUT that can't happen right now so I would like to feel like I am working to make the best of where we are and work to keep it cosy and homely for hubby and I.
And I'd like to see more of a select few people. As you get older I think you realise who the people are that you should be sharing your time with. For me, time is the most precious commodity and I can be extremely selfish with it these days. I have spent far too many days and nights in the past wasting money & time on and with people that I shouldn't have done and that time and that money are gone forever, completely wasted. It's the time that's more regrettable though in my opinion. So this year, it's quality over quantity.
So those are the things I am looking forward to getting started with and I feel quite excited about them all really!
How about you? Please do share your thoughts, I am always inspired by other people's stories.
xx
So here we are with a real proper Winter cold snap (we've been pretty lucky this year compared to the last two haven't we?) and I'm thinking about Spring! I love Spring time I really do. I don't know about you but when the temperature lifts and the first signs of life come through the cold damp earth and the cherry blossom errr, blossoms, then I also feel like I am unfurling and coming back to life as well.
I do really like the New Year feeling in that it's a brand new shiny New Year and it feels like a new page, a clean slate, a fresh start...but I have difficulty getting galvanised and putting anything into practice. The Springtime kicks it into life for me.
So...I am hoping that after this cold snap it won't be long before the daffodils come out and the tree in the front garden is adorned with pretty white flowers again.
So what do I want this year?
I really REALLY want to feel I have knocked stupid spending on the head and the only way I will know that is to watch savings grow and observe my purchases and note my feelings when I am in shops looking and 'stuff'. I hope to notice more "need" purchases than "wants" and if I do indulge in "wants" then they must be out of a budgeted figure. I guess in a nutshell I am looking forward to the next chapter in my financial life.
I want to continue enjoying my new job. No elaboration required on that really. I have no desire to get promoted or get myself noticed in any way (apart from just doing a good job)...I just want to enjoy it and not dread Sunday nights.
I would like to make some more house improvements. Ideally I'd love to move BUT that can't happen right now so I would like to feel like I am working to make the best of where we are and work to keep it cosy and homely for hubby and I.
And I'd like to see more of a select few people. As you get older I think you realise who the people are that you should be sharing your time with. For me, time is the most precious commodity and I can be extremely selfish with it these days. I have spent far too many days and nights in the past wasting money & time on and with people that I shouldn't have done and that time and that money are gone forever, completely wasted. It's the time that's more regrettable though in my opinion. So this year, it's quality over quantity.
So those are the things I am looking forward to getting started with and I feel quite excited about them all really!
How about you? Please do share your thoughts, I am always inspired by other people's stories.
xx
Saturday, 28 January 2012
2012 Gathers a Pace Already!
Well howdy. I have been neglecting you haven't I? My apologies.
But as the title suggests, just how quickly has the first month of 2012 flown by? I am in a small state of shock when I realise February is this coming midweek!
So how are you all? I hope your 2012 has got off to a good start wherever you are.
I have got back on my bike a little this week for work. It's been cold but bearable although there was some ice yesterday morning so I was taking it easy. One of my colleagues also cycles to work and she came off in December and hurt her knee. It's still giving her hassle (yes we've all told her to go to the walk-in centre and ask for an x-ray but you know how people are sometimes...they "don't like to fuss") and I don't want that to happen to me: or worse.
I hear there is a cold snap approaching so next week I may well be off the bike again for the duration. I guess I always knew January & February would be the most precarious months and I'd be getting lifts or having to take the car quite a bit so my attitude is, any days I can cycle are a bonus. Can't wait for Spring though when cycling is a bit more enjoyable!
I went out during the week for a meal with some work colleagues which is the first time since I joined in September and it was a nice enough evening. I would do it again but not too regularly as I can't afford it for one, but also I like to keep a slight distance with work people...experience has taught me not to get too close or be too open as you never know when someone is going to use something against you. So I try to maintain a friendly but professional demeanour if that makes sense.
I have continued to try more Aldi products in my bid to drive down grocery costs. I can report back that their potato wedges are as good as anything I have had from any other shop and they also sell Blue Dragon Sweet Chilli Dip which makes a delicious spicy accompaniment! I also bought a jar of green olives for 39p to go in a pasta dish yesterday and they were delicious. They also sell black olives which are good too but I really did like the green ones for a change.
I bought their Lacura body lotion for £1.49 recently which is OK. Not as nice a smell as Dove but OK and really not bad for £1.49...it's a big bottle! Will last me ages.
Oh I also tried their fajita kits which are about half the price of the named brand you can get (name escapes me...Old El Paso?) and much better thanSainsbury's the Discovery brand own in my opinion. I found a tin of dented refried beans reduced to 50p, which, with a chopped onion and a chopped pepper made a very cheap and healthy dinner. Recommended!
What else....what else.....oh, if you like to take a packed lunch to work, I can recommend the Harvest Morn cereal bars, both the cranberry yoghurt coated ones and the chocolate "Fruit & Fibre" ones. 8 in a box for £1.49. Much cheaper and much nicer than a lot of others I have tried. I loved Frusli bars previously (Jordans) but they are nearly £2 for 6 which is getting a bit too much now!
Non food: their kitchen cleaner in an orange bottle is effective and also I picked up a massive bottle of fabric conditioner (yellow one) for under a quid and it is fine. I'd buy it again or try a different fragrance in the same range. Only in the winter though....in the summer I try to use Ecover because it doesn't affect bees & butterflies like others can do. Did you know that?
On the subject of trying new things, I did have to pop into Tesco today to get a small box of washing powder in a rush (Aldi is not nearby for me...but I have to say their washing powder is next on my hit list!) and there was a new type: £1 for 10 washes. They are in a purple box and a pink box and they are called "Enrituals". I have done my bedding today and a few other bits and they seem absolutely fine. I would say give it a try for a quid especially if you are doing lightly soiled clothes or just a freshen up load. I bought the purple one which is Jasmine and Lily but doesn't overpower at all.
I have spent most of today doing the usual housework things but did spend a bit of time on the sofa watching Liverpool beat Manchester United which made me very happy! I had a bit of a snooze mid afternoon then more chores. Time shortly to go and make some dinner. We are having a marinated tofu chilli on Aldi rice!
I recently started taking vitamin B6 (50mg) to help improve PMT and my general mood as well as Evening Primrose Oil and Flaxseed Oil capsules. Things seem to be ok though the next 10 days or so will really tell! Vitamin B6 is supposed to help aid sleep and I have to say over the last week I think I have slept really well compared to the months beforehand where I would wake up several times a night. Things take time to get into your system don't they and touch wood, I think things are starting to maybe kick in now. I bought them from Healthspan online - I really recommend them if you need supplements of any kind. No I do not work for them or get anything from them at all if I promote them! I have been using them for various bits & bobs for a few years now and have never been disappointed so I do like to pass on recommendations where I can.
Well that is about it from me...not a very exciting update I guess but then again January is not really a very exciting month in my part of the world when you're broke after Christmas and the weather is yuk!
I hope hope you are all OK and thank you again for taking the time to read my ramblings! Bye for now.
xx
But as the title suggests, just how quickly has the first month of 2012 flown by? I am in a small state of shock when I realise February is this coming midweek!
So how are you all? I hope your 2012 has got off to a good start wherever you are.
I have got back on my bike a little this week for work. It's been cold but bearable although there was some ice yesterday morning so I was taking it easy. One of my colleagues also cycles to work and she came off in December and hurt her knee. It's still giving her hassle (yes we've all told her to go to the walk-in centre and ask for an x-ray but you know how people are sometimes...they "don't like to fuss") and I don't want that to happen to me: or worse.
I hear there is a cold snap approaching so next week I may well be off the bike again for the duration. I guess I always knew January & February would be the most precarious months and I'd be getting lifts or having to take the car quite a bit so my attitude is, any days I can cycle are a bonus. Can't wait for Spring though when cycling is a bit more enjoyable!
I went out during the week for a meal with some work colleagues which is the first time since I joined in September and it was a nice enough evening. I would do it again but not too regularly as I can't afford it for one, but also I like to keep a slight distance with work people...experience has taught me not to get too close or be too open as you never know when someone is going to use something against you. So I try to maintain a friendly but professional demeanour if that makes sense.
I have continued to try more Aldi products in my bid to drive down grocery costs. I can report back that their potato wedges are as good as anything I have had from any other shop and they also sell Blue Dragon Sweet Chilli Dip which makes a delicious spicy accompaniment! I also bought a jar of green olives for 39p to go in a pasta dish yesterday and they were delicious. They also sell black olives which are good too but I really did like the green ones for a change.
I bought their Lacura body lotion for £1.49 recently which is OK. Not as nice a smell as Dove but OK and really not bad for £1.49...it's a big bottle! Will last me ages.
Oh I also tried their fajita kits which are about half the price of the named brand you can get (name escapes me...Old El Paso?) and much better than
What else....what else.....oh, if you like to take a packed lunch to work, I can recommend the Harvest Morn cereal bars, both the cranberry yoghurt coated ones and the chocolate "Fruit & Fibre" ones. 8 in a box for £1.49. Much cheaper and much nicer than a lot of others I have tried. I loved Frusli bars previously (Jordans) but they are nearly £2 for 6 which is getting a bit too much now!
Non food: their kitchen cleaner in an orange bottle is effective and also I picked up a massive bottle of fabric conditioner (yellow one) for under a quid and it is fine. I'd buy it again or try a different fragrance in the same range. Only in the winter though....in the summer I try to use Ecover because it doesn't affect bees & butterflies like others can do. Did you know that?
On the subject of trying new things, I did have to pop into Tesco today to get a small box of washing powder in a rush (Aldi is not nearby for me...but I have to say their washing powder is next on my hit list!) and there was a new type: £1 for 10 washes. They are in a purple box and a pink box and they are called "Enrituals". I have done my bedding today and a few other bits and they seem absolutely fine. I would say give it a try for a quid especially if you are doing lightly soiled clothes or just a freshen up load. I bought the purple one which is Jasmine and Lily but doesn't overpower at all.
I have spent most of today doing the usual housework things but did spend a bit of time on the sofa watching Liverpool beat Manchester United which made me very happy! I had a bit of a snooze mid afternoon then more chores. Time shortly to go and make some dinner. We are having a marinated tofu chilli on Aldi rice!
I recently started taking vitamin B6 (50mg) to help improve PMT and my general mood as well as Evening Primrose Oil and Flaxseed Oil capsules. Things seem to be ok though the next 10 days or so will really tell! Vitamin B6 is supposed to help aid sleep and I have to say over the last week I think I have slept really well compared to the months beforehand where I would wake up several times a night. Things take time to get into your system don't they and touch wood, I think things are starting to maybe kick in now. I bought them from Healthspan online - I really recommend them if you need supplements of any kind. No I do not work for them or get anything from them at all if I promote them! I have been using them for various bits & bobs for a few years now and have never been disappointed so I do like to pass on recommendations where I can.
Well that is about it from me...not a very exciting update I guess but then again January is not really a very exciting month in my part of the world when you're broke after Christmas and the weather is yuk!
I hope hope you are all OK and thank you again for taking the time to read my ramblings! Bye for now.
xx
Saturday, 14 January 2012
Happy New Year! (Better Late Than Never...)
Well hello there. So 2012 is here...and already nearly halfway through the first month! Pretty scary how time flies.
So how was the New Year for you then? I hope it was good fun for you if you're into it and if you're not, well, I hope you just made the best of it somehow.
We stayed up late and watched the fireworks from London which I personally loved and thought were fantastic. I wished I was there for them but I know what the long trek home afterwards is like (I was there on the side of the Thames as 1999 slipped into 2000) and my feet still ache when I think about it!
So a new year and new challenges and all that. The first challenge is to keep warm here without going bankrupt! We live in a modern house with no fireplace at all or any place for any type of woodburner so we're 100% reliant on central heating and/or portable heaters, along with: blankets, hot water bottles, cardigans and jumpers!
I submitted meter readings today for gas & electricity. Unfortunately there was a fault on the website which prevented the electricity £ usage total so far (since my last reading) but I think it's probably about £50. The gas however nearly gave me a seizure. £99!! In a month! Hubby said "Do you think that is right?" and after doing some manual calculations, unfortunately I think it is. We were here a lot over Christmas with annual leave and also with Mum being with us I didn't want her to be cold so I kept heating on longer than I might have done normally and obviously it all adds up, especially when the unit prices are so expensive.
So hubby & I were shell-shocked at that and we're now sitting here with the heating off and it's about 1 degree centigrade outside! It'll come on a bit later again but we know we have to have it on staggered for the rest of the weekend. For the next two months, which will be the hardest before Spring, we'll just have to suffer. Central heating on for a short amount of time in the morning and then staggered from about 4.30pm to 10.00pm which wouldn't be a problem if hubby was working full time but he isn't. He's working part time and studying at home during the other times so bless him, he'll have to sit in a cold house. However he can bring the little halogen heater into the lounge and heat that up a bit when needed.
I do worry for people who are worse off than we are, I mean we're not on the breadline but certainly not well off by any stretch of the imagination, so people worse than us must be frantic with worry about their energy bills.
Well we'll just have to keep trying to make savings where we can. Today wasn't a good day for making savings though.....freezing cold with no wind at all and a heap of essential washing to do. I had to use the tumble dryer 3 times and I'll have to use it again tomorrow. Gutted. No choice at all though.
I haven't been biking to work since Christmas, the cold dark mornings are about as appealing as a week old salad with a mouldy cheese slice on the side. I can cope with the cold I guess but it is the dark mornings that get me down. When you're still stumbling around in the dark at nearly 8.00am (which is about what time I leave on the bike) it's depressing. So I have either been getting lifts or, horror upon horrors, I took the car twice last week and paid £2 per day for parking! Not much I know but that definitely adds up over the course of time and I can't be doing that much. Oh roll on the lighter mornings and evenings!
Noisy neighbour has received a letter from the council and *touch wood* we haven't heard anything more but I am not holding my breath too much. I get the feeling he might kick off again at some point, perhaps after the month long monitoring period but I suppose if he does we just start over again don't we?
Onto more positive things now though.
I have started taking some supplements recently which I hope will improve my moods (I can get quite dark and self loathing at times and I think it's also related to PMT - sorry if that's 'Too Much Information' for some!) and also have an effect on hair & skin too which is always useful! I have started taking Vitamin B6, Oil of Evening Primrose and Flaxseed Oil for Omega 3 because I don't eat fish so can't get it from that source. I am really hoping it will all help come Spring time (I guess I need to give it a while to get into my system) for a new energised me who is a bit more my old "up & at 'em" self and will get out there and start loving life again. Fingers crossed!
I am also going to really really REALLY try this year to get some savings plans back on track. I totally have the will to do it as a long period of enforced frugalness has broken the urge to:
shop shop shop!
possess possess possess!
spend spend spend!
Now I only enjoy going shopping if I have specific things I need to buy. So that's good. So I am excited about the possibility of better saving but I have to hope nothing stupid happens, before I have a pot of savings, that would set me back before I even start! Again....fingers crossed.
And a silly little thing that made me happy this week is I discovered in Aldi, their own brand "Dove" shower cream for about 69p compared to about £2! I was delighted as I have always loved the Dove original fragrance but won't buy it at those prices any more. Little things can make you happy eh??
Well that's about it for now I think, not much else to report from here.
Again happy new year to you and thanks for stopping by today.
xxx
So how was the New Year for you then? I hope it was good fun for you if you're into it and if you're not, well, I hope you just made the best of it somehow.
We stayed up late and watched the fireworks from London which I personally loved and thought were fantastic. I wished I was there for them but I know what the long trek home afterwards is like (I was there on the side of the Thames as 1999 slipped into 2000) and my feet still ache when I think about it!
So a new year and new challenges and all that. The first challenge is to keep warm here without going bankrupt! We live in a modern house with no fireplace at all or any place for any type of woodburner so we're 100% reliant on central heating and/or portable heaters, along with: blankets, hot water bottles, cardigans and jumpers!
I submitted meter readings today for gas & electricity. Unfortunately there was a fault on the website which prevented the electricity £ usage total so far (since my last reading) but I think it's probably about £50. The gas however nearly gave me a seizure. £99!! In a month! Hubby said "Do you think that is right?" and after doing some manual calculations, unfortunately I think it is. We were here a lot over Christmas with annual leave and also with Mum being with us I didn't want her to be cold so I kept heating on longer than I might have done normally and obviously it all adds up, especially when the unit prices are so expensive.
So hubby & I were shell-shocked at that and we're now sitting here with the heating off and it's about 1 degree centigrade outside! It'll come on a bit later again but we know we have to have it on staggered for the rest of the weekend. For the next two months, which will be the hardest before Spring, we'll just have to suffer. Central heating on for a short amount of time in the morning and then staggered from about 4.30pm to 10.00pm which wouldn't be a problem if hubby was working full time but he isn't. He's working part time and studying at home during the other times so bless him, he'll have to sit in a cold house. However he can bring the little halogen heater into the lounge and heat that up a bit when needed.
I do worry for people who are worse off than we are, I mean we're not on the breadline but certainly not well off by any stretch of the imagination, so people worse than us must be frantic with worry about their energy bills.
Well we'll just have to keep trying to make savings where we can. Today wasn't a good day for making savings though.....freezing cold with no wind at all and a heap of essential washing to do. I had to use the tumble dryer 3 times and I'll have to use it again tomorrow. Gutted. No choice at all though.
I haven't been biking to work since Christmas, the cold dark mornings are about as appealing as a week old salad with a mouldy cheese slice on the side. I can cope with the cold I guess but it is the dark mornings that get me down. When you're still stumbling around in the dark at nearly 8.00am (which is about what time I leave on the bike) it's depressing. So I have either been getting lifts or, horror upon horrors, I took the car twice last week and paid £2 per day for parking! Not much I know but that definitely adds up over the course of time and I can't be doing that much. Oh roll on the lighter mornings and evenings!
Noisy neighbour has received a letter from the council and *touch wood* we haven't heard anything more but I am not holding my breath too much. I get the feeling he might kick off again at some point, perhaps after the month long monitoring period but I suppose if he does we just start over again don't we?
Onto more positive things now though.
I have started taking some supplements recently which I hope will improve my moods (I can get quite dark and self loathing at times and I think it's also related to PMT - sorry if that's 'Too Much Information' for some!) and also have an effect on hair & skin too which is always useful! I have started taking Vitamin B6, Oil of Evening Primrose and Flaxseed Oil for Omega 3 because I don't eat fish so can't get it from that source. I am really hoping it will all help come Spring time (I guess I need to give it a while to get into my system) for a new energised me who is a bit more my old "up & at 'em" self and will get out there and start loving life again. Fingers crossed!
I am also going to really really REALLY try this year to get some savings plans back on track. I totally have the will to do it as a long period of enforced frugalness has broken the urge to:
shop shop shop!
possess possess possess!
spend spend spend!
Now I only enjoy going shopping if I have specific things I need to buy. So that's good. So I am excited about the possibility of better saving but I have to hope nothing stupid happens, before I have a pot of savings, that would set me back before I even start! Again....fingers crossed.
And a silly little thing that made me happy this week is I discovered in Aldi, their own brand "Dove" shower cream for about 69p compared to about £2! I was delighted as I have always loved the Dove original fragrance but won't buy it at those prices any more. Little things can make you happy eh??
Well that's about it for now I think, not much else to report from here.
Again happy new year to you and thanks for stopping by today.
xxx
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)