Swings and roundabouts

Hello, I renewed my insurance cover for my car this morning, it took about two minutes flat. The letter came last week from my broker, as it always does, two weeks before the current policy is due to run out. I did what I always do, pick up the phone and pay with my credit card.

You may ask, WHAT! You didn't go online and scour the comparison sites to find a better deal? You didn't play one off against the other, you didn't ask for a discount, you just coughed up your dosh and paid without question? Yep, that's exactly what I did.

I have been with the same broker for 40 years, every year I get the letter advising me of the cost of renewal, and every year I ring them and ask them to look for a better deal. They always come up with a cheaper policy. Now they don't wait for the phone call, they search before they send the letter, and tell me of a new company which will cut a few quid off.

Over the years this has saved me hours of my time, frustrating and confusing hours because I don't understand all the ins and outs of car insurance. It has saved me tearing my hair out, swearing at the computer, and mistakenly choosing the wrong policy. Yes, I know the broker is going to add their cut, but I think it's worth it, because two minutes on the phone and the job's done.

This is a family firm I deal with, they have been in business for 43 years, they know me, and I know I can speak to a real person any time about insurance matters. It's only like going into your local butcher or greengrocer, I am supporting a local business in my home town.

So, the twenty quid or so extra I pay will come out of my money saving in other areas. I could easily spend an extra �20 on my food bill, or go boozing for �20, or have a meal out for �20, or buy some bathroom smellies for �20. But I don't. It's swings and roundabouts, save a few bob here, and pay it out there. Shuffling money around and making sure I put it to it's best use to suit me.

Being frugal and living within your means is all about identifying what matters. I can easily trawl around the different shops to get the best deals for me, it suits me to do that. I get fresh air, I am getting exercise walking about, I meet people and chat, and I get the cheapest food. Some people prefer to do their supermarket shopping online, because they have neither the time or inclination to do it my way. It would do my head in to go to the Tesco or whatever web site, spend time searching for what I need, ticking boxes, arranging delivery times, and paying online. No no, chuffin no thank you. Pay more for your online shop, and claw the money back from spending another couple of hours or so on the computer trying to get your car insurance cheaper. Swings and roundabouts.

Some good comments on the last post, thank you for your input. Debbie makes a good point, spend a bit save a bit. When funds are low live on next to nothing, have a splurge when things are looking up.  Sue G's hubby bought some camera equipment, because they budget their finances well and can afford the odd treat. Pam has it sussed, channel any spare money saved from elsewhere, and buy a sewing machine. All swings and roundabouts.

I think a lot of my readers are as savvy as me, so please excuse me if this is all old hat to you. But as Anonymous (ha ha) mentioned, the people she used to work with were constantly complaining that they couldn't afford holidays, yet can afford phone contracts. No point in moaning people, you makes your choices, if there isn't enough dosh to pay for everything you want, you cut back on some things to pay for others. Simple as that, swings and roundabouts. By the way, my mobile phone is on PAYG �5 a month. Not a priority to have an all bells and whistles phone.
Thank you for visiting Tightwad Towers. Toodle pip.

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All stocked up again

Hiya campers. It was a good haul at Tesco last night even though there was a bit of argybargy going on around Carol, the fruit and veg lady who was marking down. I had to say something out loud to the effect of, sharing it and there's enough for everybody, when it was obvious that the same two greedy grabbing people were piling it into their trolley. I shamed someone into passing me some mushrooms when I exclaimed, I only want one packet. I think in future I will go on a Tuesday, because that seems the quieter night. Thursday is popular, probably because it is coming up to the weekend. Anyway I stood my ground and got what I wanted. 

Someone gets very excited when I bring my bags into the kitchen. Anything for me in there? Yes, there's cooked chicken and beef slices, reduced from the Deli counter. 

Bread has gone into the freezer, �1.14 for these, plus I had a treat of five ring donuts for 6p. 

A good selection of salad, fruit and veg. Celery, grapes, bananas, prepared fruit, salad bowls, snacking dips, fine beans, jacket potatoes, mushrooms, broccoli, baby kale, mangetout peas, and celeriac.�3.24 for all these.

I did buy some things without a yellow sticker, but I choose my items wisely. 6 small flavoured yogurts �1, Fresh milk 49p. Pet food 49p. Soft cheese 60p. Olive spread �1.50. Carton juice 65p. Plain yogurt 45p. Leerdammer cheese �1. Eggs �1. 2 tins baked beans 24p each. 4 tins rice pudding 15p each. 2 cream crackers 27p each. Quiche �1. Bran flakes 88p. 2 bags dry cat food �1 each. Total shop was �24.45. 

No fancy puddings in pots for me. No expensive juice. No brand name tins or packets. Only buy pet food on offer. 

I did treat myself to this cheese grater, (�3), I have been looking for one of these in all the discount stores but never found one. I had one of those box type efforts with multiple graters on each side. It was such a pain washing it. and I only ever used the one side, so I cut it down with a pair of secateurs. I have managed with that for a while, but the edges are a bit sharp and it was hard to keep hold of it while I grated. Now I have this supadupa version and the old one has gone in the metal recycling box. 

I was ages doing my shopping, chatting to the assistants, they are a friendly bunch. It has been announced in the news that Tesco are going to close 40+ not profitable stores. I think ours will be safe, it's in a prominent position, close to the motorway and football ground, and they have just opened an M & S nearby. I read that the new Imingham store will not now open, sad because they could do with the jobs in that area. As I was browsing last night, I did notice some lower than normal prices, so I think they are taking note of  trends and matching Aldi and Lidl. The quiche I bought is normally �1.19 in Aldi, Tesco have theirs at �1. All this is good news for the shopper.

There is a table at the front of the store full of donated books, put a few coins in the charity box if you want one. I glanced over them, didn't have time to rummage. This huge Readers Digest book caught my eye, well you couldn't miss it could you. Looks in good condition.

As well as the maps there are pages of interesting places to visit. Worth a couple of quid I thought.

The filling station was just about to close down for the night and I wanted some petrol. It is a 24 hour service but you have to put your card into the machine to get a fill up outside of opening hours. I have never done that before, so I asked the nice young man about to lock the door if he could talk me through it. Yep, it worked fine, so I might be getting my petrol that way in the future. Although I don't like the self service check outs in the store, it is a bit annoying when the pumps are busy, there is a queue to get in, and another queue in the shop to pay.

The weekend is upon us, doesn't time fly. I hope you have a good one. Catch you soon.
Toodle pip.

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Big shop - little money

Wow, the shopping was brilliant tonight. Lucky I was there at the right time, lucky that it was late and no one else was around so I didn't have to fight for it. The fruit and veg lady dun me proud. I'll let the stickers speak for themselves. 

Six packs of super food beetroot, going to be scoffing those.

Six packs of diced onions. Going to be making soup and stews with those, for the freezer. I've got a bean stew pack to go with these. Already got some carrots. 

Starting to buy potatoes again, now mine are finished.

Plenty of salad items, love potato salad. Won't be having cooked meals for a while. There's also pasta salad and cous cous.

Nearly everything had a yellow sticker, apart from cat food, olive oil, wine, and tuna for the cats. Total was �17.25, the non sticker items were �14. So, �3.25 for two weeks worth of food. It is widely said that supermarkets waste a lot of food, maybe some do, but my Tesco store sells it off for 1p rather than chuck it. Thank you Tesco.
I am a happy bunny tonight. Toodle pip.

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Eat well, eat cheap.

Hello. Howz ya diddlin? I am fine thank you. The sandwich I started to eat last night didn't get finished, too full after eating the left over chips. I popped this bit back in the bag and got it out this morning and photographed it before I ate it. Just to show that however small a morsel might be, it is not thrown away. 

I went to crafty club this morning, then this afternoon I paid a visit to Helen. She has new tenants in the house which was vacated and had to be cleaned up big time. They were renting her other house but decided they wanted to move nearer town and work. So now she is preparing their house for rental, and new tenants will be moving in, in the new year. Confusing aint it.

I called in at the small Tesco on the way back and came up trumps on yellow stickers. Not the full Monty 90% off, but nevertheless, the bargains were not to be sniffed at. Here's the list.

Packs of 4 Activia yogurt, �1.15 to 25p. I had three packs.
Bags mixed prepared vegetables, �1.23 each to 41p each. I had three bags.
Egg noodles, �1.20 each to 14p. I had two bags.
Bags prepared veg, �1.65 each, to 16p. I had two bags.
Bunches spring onions, 49p each to 5p. I had four bunches.
Chicken pieces for the cats. �2.50 to �1.50.
I got a multibuy deal on the three packs of veg, the rules still apply, buy 2 get 1 free.
Total spend �3.87, and a load of food to last me the week.

My dinner tonight, all yellow stickers. Egg noodles, carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, mangetout peas, fine beans. Very nice it was too. Strawberry yogurt to follow.

The chicken is grilled, a feast for the cats. I cut this up into small pieces with scissors. 

I had an email today from someone asking if they can use one of my photo's in a magazine. They had seen it on another blog called Dishfunctional Designs. Although the blog owner hadn't asked me, they did put a link back here.  I've had a look around the blog and it's quite interesting. All about re purposing, re using, up cycling, and creative ideas in crafts. Perhaps you might like to take a look. There are adverts on it, and the owner herself makes and sells jewelry from broken ceramics. If you can ignore them it's full of good ideas. My photograph is the garden gate made out of old bed springs.

Thanks for popping in. Catch you tomorrow. Toodle pip

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Fruit and nut case

Good evening. Another wet day, but not to worry, plenty to do indoors. I must say, it's a pleasure spending time in my living room now with it's much improved layout. I can shuffle backwards and forwards from sewing machine to computer on my wheelie chair. It's got a feeling of much more space, I am not cramped up on one table. More sewing today, no pics of that because there is nothing finished yet. 

Let's talk about healthy food. I bought a lot of fruit on yellow stickers and the easiest and quickest way to eat it is to make smoothies. Yesterday was banana, melon, and grapes, with added yogurt, also yellow sticker at 39p.

Today was mango, apple, and nectarine, plus added yogurt again. There was also a little pot of red berry juice in the pack. 

It was gorgeous. Now what do you do when it sticks to the blender? Lick it off of course.

Someone asked about the exotic fruit. �1 per pack of three, yellow sticker price, 10p. Here it is, the first one is cut open. It's the size of a satsuma with a smooth orange skin.

No idea how to eat it, so I scooped it out with a teaspoon. No pips in it. Tasted very sweet and not particularly fruity. There is nothing to say on the packet what it is.

I ran out of my favourite peanut butter a few weeks ago and can't bring myself to pay the silly prices for an upgrade. My idea is to make some in the food processor. Here we go, one bag of KP nuts, 360 grm, bought from the cash and carry for �1. Nothing else added.

After a couple of minutes it looks the right texture.

I transferred it into a margarine tub and put it in the fridge. Taste wise it would have been a whole lot better if I had washed the salt off first. Oooops, I forgot. Never mind, it will get eaten, and now I know it works I will be making more, with plain unsalted peanuts, or washed salted ones.

Tonights dinner was experimental. As I had messed up the mixer I thought I might as well use it again. A few peanuts are fine in this made up recipe. A can of chick peas, drained and rinsed. One medium size onion, a few radishes and a few button mushrooms, the last limp spring onions, and some chopped walnuts. I added pepper, garlic powder, and turmeric. Chop and mix it up, leaving it a bit coarse. Then add two eggs to bind it. It seemed a bit too wet so I added two spoons of porridge oats. 

Make some scone size patties with it and grill on a low gas for 20 minutes turning them over once.

I had seven for dinner with wholegrain mustard, iceberg lettuce and lentil sprout mix. It was smashing, very filling, and best of all, I know exactly what went in them. Enough mix left for tomorrow. I have noticed that vegetarian food in the freezer and chiller cabinet has gone up in price, so I will be buying less of it and making my own more often.

That's all for tonight folks. Thank you for popping in.
Toodle pip

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Looking for bargains.

Hello, I'm a bit late tonight. I went to town today, needed some garlic powder so I went to the Asian shop just off the High Street. I got a big bag this time, should last me a while. Also bought ground cumin, ground coriander, cous cous, and ground Almonds. The man on the checkout was dead impressed with my home made shopping bags. 

We have a new Polish supermarket at the top end of the High Street, it used to be a fashion store. I took a look inside out of curiosity, and was completely baffled, I didn't know what most of the stuff was, had to make a guess by the picture on the packet, jar, or can. All very clean and tidy though but maybe I won't be shopping there. Some of the items that I did recognize were more expensive than the English version. 

I popped in Aldi for a few things. Soya milk is still 59p a carton, soft cheese with garlic 49p, French Brie 99p, 1kg bananas 68p, quiche �1.19. The cats like the gourmet supreme in a foil tray, and at 20p each it's a good price. Total spent �7.02. B & M for the remainder of the cat food.  

Last nights dinner, was the last of the egg noodles, that's a third of a packet. I could probably get four portions out of it but I thought I had better eat it quite quickly as it was going out of date when I bought it. I stirred in two spoons of houmous. Served with potatoes, parsnips, broccoli, and cauliflower.  

It was sewing class at the college tonight. This is the shirt made into a cushion cover. I rushed the job a bit so it's not as neat as it should be. This is the back of the shirt but the front of of the cover. The bits I cut off have been sewn back onto it as embellishments. The teacher showed us how to make ruffles. The colour is not very accurate on the photo due to poor lighting, it's actually a nice shade of powder blue.

 The front of the shirt is now the opening for inserting the cushion.

I pass Tesco on the way home after class, so it makes sense to pop in. A few bargains to be had.
Radishes 5p
Sprouts 10p
Pack of 3 exotic fruits 10p. Don't know what they are.
Two packs of button mushrooms 10p each.
Four tubs of prepared fruit 20p each.
Bag of rocket 10p.
Pasta salad  x 2, 22p each.
Spring onions 5p
Sprouting beans 13p
Bread 10p
Dry cat food �1.50
Total spent �4.07

That's my shopping done for the week.
Thanks for popping in. Toodle pip.

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Shopping - a military operation

Good morning, and what a miserable one it is too. I don't care, plenty to keep me occupied here. I am fully stocked up with food once again after my Tesco saunter last night. It took me two hours to pick up the best bargains in the store. It's all about timing, and hovering, and going backwards and forwards, watching the various places where the yellow stickers are likely to appear. 

Not much in the chiller cabinet when I arrived at 7pm, mostly meat. I picked out some cooked ham for the cats. The veg had not yet been marked down, I saw it disappear into the store room, and after some enquiries I knew it would be about 20 minutes before it was wheeled back out again, newly stickered up. That gave me time to put a few essentials into my trolley and check out the bread situation. Not a lot on offer there, it hadn't had it's final reduction, I'll keep an eye on that, will come back later. 

The veg came out and there were four of five people eagerly diving in, me included. No point in having a meal plan in that situation, just take what's there and think about what I am going to do with it later. Someone beat me to the pears, but I met the lady a few minutes later and we stopped to chat about what we managed to bag. She handed me a pack of pears which she didn't need, she had two packs, and I gave her my tomatoes which I wasn't really bothered about. She was pleased with that and so was I. 

I find it's best to make a few friends while yellow sticker shopping, we are all trying to get the best for our money, and that lady has several kids to feed. 

After several circuits of the store, I was lucky enough to be in the right place when they brought more bread out. Wow, I hit the jackpot, Hovis seeded wholemeal for 15p, down from �1.49. 

So, what did I get, here's a breakdown.

Yellow sticker list.
Pack 8 croissants 18p was �1.75
5 x Hovis wholemeal 15p each was �1.49 each
Pack of 4 wholemeal rolls 13p was �1.30
Pack of 5 cookies 50p was �1.00
Family pack mushrooms 50p was �2.00
Cooked ham for cats 48p was 95p
Curly kale 15p was �1.00
Small Parsnips 16p was �1.60
2 packs parsnips 7p each was 73p each
6 Rocha pears 26p was �1.75
Grapes 6p was �1.25
2 avocados 18p was �1.80
Bananas 7p was 74p
Cabbage 8p was 80p
Cauliflower x 2 10p each was �1.00 each
Broccoli x 2 6p each was 64p each

Here's the rest of the shop.
Cat food pouches �2.50
Bananas loose 69p. I picked these up before I found the reduced but decided to keep them as they are a bit green and will keep longer.
4 tins Value spaghetti hoops 20p each
Jar Value pickled onions 30p
4 tins Value rice pudding 15p each.
Value plain yogurt 45p
Value tinned peaches 40p these have gone up from 35p
8 tins Gourmet gold cat food 45p each, on offer 8 for �3.00
Bag frozen chicken pieces for the cats �2.00
2 jars Value Lemon curd 22p each
2 tins Value baked beans 24p each
Packet Value sultanas 84p
Six pack flavoured yogurt �1.00
Mature cheddar 350 grm �2.00
3 packs ground almonds �1 each, Buy 2 get one free.
Value porridge oats 75p
2 boxes Value bran flakes 88p each

I had three coupons totaling �2.75 making a total to pay of �23.05. I think that's what is called savvy shopping, ha ha. One of the loaves and a cauliflower is ear marked to give away to someone who is doing me a favour.

And that's not all. My new purple Hudl is charged up and ready to go. They cost �129, but I got �60 off by using the double up offer on vouchers. �30 became �60. Now I have got a new toy to play with, it can rain as much as it likes. Ooops it's stopped, might go out later.

I'll leave you with another picture of Mayze snoozing in my bit box. Buried under the mounds of mesh fruit bags. The pink thing is an unraveled body scrub, might come in useful for something, ha ha.

Have a good weekend, I'll catch you tomorrow, probably, possibly, most likely, might do, good chance I will do. Toodle pip

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Trolley dolly on the hunt for bargains

Good morning. Listening to Sounds of the Sixties on Radio 2 as usual. Much more enjoyable than running round a track with 200 others on the Saturday morning Parkrun. I have given up on that, can get on my cross trainer if I feel the need to workout.

Trolley dolly did a town centre shop yesterday. I took the trolley because I knew I would have a lot of bulky stuff to carry. No point in stretching my arms when I can let the wheels take the strain. First port of call was the Cash and Carry on the way in. Not much to tempt me there. Mature cheese �2.50 for 350grm. I can get something similar at Aldi a bit cheaper, but although it says 'mature' on the label, it isn't as tasty, so I'll pay the �2.50 and get what I like.

I get pet food from Home Bargains, plus a few bits for myself. Two cartons of fruit juice, 59p and 49p, don't like to pay more than that. I use it very sparingly because of the sugar content, but diluted with copious amounts of water I can spin it out to make lots of drinks. I picked up a 500grm Coffee Mate for for �2.19, that's the same price as the other discount stores so it doesn't matter where I get it from. It costs a lot more at the supermarkets. Six large free range eggs, 99p is about standard price at most places.

On to B & M discount store. They have an offer on sugar at the moment. 69p per 1 kilo bag, or two for �1. Worth stocking up at that price, but the only thing I use it for is one spoon in my morning coffee, so it's going to last absolutely ages. Got the trolley so I might as well get it. There is an offer on Princes tuna flakes, 59p a tin, or two for �1. I got four tins for cat treats, All three cats like it, have to limit it though, too much salt. More pet food bought here. I treated myself to one 19p flapjack.

On to Wilko. I find this store expensive for what I want, but they have bags of Ultima dry cat food, chicken variety, at �1.75. Mayze and Heidi absolutely love this, though I limit it and give them a cheaper Whiskas dry as well. If you go and look for this, it's only the chicken variety at that price, other flavours are more expensive, don't know why.

Last point of call was Aldi. A few essential items needed. Two cartons of soya milk at 59p each. This is 65p at Tesco. A look at the Super Six veg offers, they are 59p today, and not much left, the counters look trashed. I rummaged through the 68p bags of bananas, searching for the largest amount I could get.  YAY, found 9 small bananas, that will do nicely. A bag of 7 large onions 59p. I would have liked smaller onions and more of them, but there aren't any, and I don't want to go traipsing anywhere else. A large tub of natural yogurt 45p. Two packets of cream crackers 28p each, these are a good price, and two packs of soft cheese with garlic and herbs, 49p each. I picked up a box of bran flakes, like to keep a spare in, 88p, same price as Tesco. I thought I might get a quiche, but they had a short date on them, and I have already had my quota of pastry type stodge with the pizza I ate. By the way, the pizza was awful, yes you do need to put your own topping on them, otherwise they are a rip off. I won't bother again, unless I find them drastically reduced to a few pence.

Looks like it might be a nice day, so best to get out in the sun, and top up my vitamin D. Have a nice weekend.
Toodle pip

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Top up shop to keep me going

Howdy. The stew is still on the go, though with the addition of curry powder, it is now a not very hot veg curry. I added the last of the cauliflower, steamed with a couple of spuds, to bulk it up a bit, and it went down a treat at lunchtime. I took a bowlful with me to eat at my friends house while I sat with her dog. You remember Henry the choc lab. While the curry was waltzing around in the microwave I heard a pop, oh dear, it had exploded and splattered the inside. Oooops. Anyway, I waited for Helen to come back, as she had texted me to say she wouldn't be long. My payment for the dog sitting was four mucky carrots and an exotic cauliflower. A good swap I thought.   

I was thinking about doing the yellow sticker dash tonight, but now I can't be bothered. I decided to call in at a couple of smaller shops on the way back, and see if there was any reductions. Managed to find a few items, so the big shop can wait. These will see me through the next few days. 

The list is as follows.
The Co op shop.
Packet of 4 cheese tortelloni. Was �2.50, now 89p
Packet egg noodles. Was �1.00, now 55p
Large cheese pizza. Was �3.00, now �1.05
Seeded bread. Was 65p, now 25p
Bag spinach. Was �1.00, now 55p

Small Tesco.
Another bag spinach. Was �1.00, now 33p
Four flapjack bars. Was 90p each, now 9p each.
Vitalite spread. Full price, �1.00
Three packets of ground almonds. �1.05 each, buy 2 get 1 free.

Total spent �7.08.

I think Pizzas are a bit of a rip off really. I wouldn't normally buy one, but as it's reduced I'll have it for a change. A big crust of bread with a skimpy topping.

I need to go to town tomorrow to pay a bill. Could do with some bananas, soya milk, and eggs from Aldi. Then I should be ok till the beginning of next week.

A quick note here, thank you to Caroline for sending your old towel rail to Helen, for me to pick up. I now have a second one exactly the same as the first, for another piece of artwork. I've got enough projects floating around in my head to last me through the winter now.
Tatty byes and toodle pip.

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First list your priorities

Good morning, I'm going to rattle this one off quick, have plans for the day. It always intrigues me how people prioritize their spending, what influences their choices, and how they decide what is important to them. We are all different and have different needs, but I can't help thinking that poor choices are at the root of many a problem debt. It's the psychology of what's behind spending which I find fascinating, but unfortunately I haven't time to write a whole book about it, so a blog post will have to suffice.

I'll start with what's at the top of my priority list, which I am sure many of you financial savvy people will agree with. First off is to pay for a roof over my head. I used to pay rent from the age of 16 to 27. Board and lodgings to my mum from the very first wage packet, then rent to a landlord for a bedsit or flat. At 27 I bought my first house which came with a mortgage. I never once defaulted on rent or mortgage because I didn't want to find myself without a home.

Second priority was to pay for any services to the accommodation. Council Tax which used to be called Poll Tax, and before that Rates, had to be paid. Heating and lighting had to be paid. I used it, I paid for it. So, that's a roof over my head covered.

My next priority was to eat, I always made sure I had enough money for food, even if it meant having to cut down a bit when things were tight. Now the edges start getting a bit blurred, things are not clear cut any more, there are choices to be made. Now the questions start. What are your priorities where food is concerned? What would you never give up no matter how much it costs? I still like to think I can adapt my eating habits according to how much money I have to spend on it. Squeeze my finances to the bone and I will find something to eat within my budget. I can't think of one thing that I would still buy if I had no money and had to go into debt for it.

Now comes the juggling bit, do you know how to juggle, because if you don't you need to learn. The term robbing Peter to pay Paul is imperative these days, though I wouldn't call it robbing, No need to go without if you prioritize before it gets to crisis point. And there is the crux of the matter. Good old fashioned sitting down and making a plan, thinking about what is important in your life.

I will never understand people who say they wouldn't give up this and give up that, and are perpetually in debt. So what they are saying is, plastic isn't real money and I will have whatever I fancy. I will have a latte every day, I will have the latest mobile phone gadgety thing, and I will change my car every year, because those are my priorities. I say, sunshine, you have got it all back to front, arse about face, and there will come a time when you will be drowning up to your eyeballs in debt because your priorities are all wrong.

But you can't tell folks that. Eventually they have a light bulb moment when the penny suddenly drops and they realize that something has to give. But the changes they need to make are like climbing a mountain, their habits are so ingrained in their lifestyle that they fight against change. They want to carry on with their current lifestyle and still get out of debt. Their juggling becomes more intense as they search out a remedy which will not impede their comfortable life.

The remedy is simple and staring them in the face, I'm stating the bleeding obvious here, where's Nellie when I need her, ha ha. If you spend more money than you have coming into the house you will go into debt. Spending someone else's money is not a good idea, it will come back to bite you on the bum eventually.

This is where the psychology comes into it. How do you decide what to spend your available income on? How do you divide it up and prioritize? Say you were down to your last couple of �'s would you spend it on a pint down the pub or a loaf of bread, a tin of baked beans, and six eggs?

Let's imagine we are all down to our last couple of �'s, no let's make it �5, I'm being generous. Imagine this scenario, we have paid the rent, and we have heating, what would you spend your last �5 on when you have a week to go till the next payday. I know what a lot of you are going to say, eat out of the freezer and cupboards, good for you. But there will be those who say I have nothing in my cupboards. Hang on a minute, what's that packet of pasta then, and what's that onion, and I see you have a stock cube. Isn't that food? Oh, I see, you don't fancy it so you are going out to spend your �5 on a pizza. Why not add a fizzy drink and a pancake to that and put it on the credit card!

Can you see what I mean, I'm sure you can, this is like teaching my grandma to suck eggs, but if there is one person out there who is desperately searching for that light bulb moment, then writing this post will have been worth it.

There is a lot more I could say but I don't want to appear sanctimonious, I don't know everything, I'm just drawing on my experiences and adding my thoughts. Questions you can ask yourself and only you can answer them. Do you have any debt? If not, you are swimming, if you have then you are sinking. What would it take to throw a life belt to you? You can do it the hard way, carry on sinking until you are eventually totally submerged, or you could sit down and work through your priorities. Divide up your income into pots according to what has to be paid, and when it has to be paid, but make sure you don't prioritize a new dress over slashing �50 off your debt. Never ever leave your debt languishing at the bottom of the list, promising to pay what ever you have left into it. It should be somewhere near the top. You have to pay your rent or mortgage, you have to pay Council Tax, you have to pay utilities, but you have control over how much you use, as I highlighted in yesterdays post.

Right, I'm off, done my bit, trying to help, need to go to town to pay some bills. I shall be looking for your comments, hope it all works out for you, whatever your situation.
Toodle pip

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Shopping around for the best prices

Hello I had a lovely start to the day, I watched the third and last episode of  Cilla, a drama about Cilla Black's early days from typist, to singing in the Cavern in Liverpool, to her first television series. The amazing Sheriden Smith played her, what a fantastic actress she is. If anyone has missed it you can see it on ITV Player, possibly not available in other parts of the world though. It is on Yoootooob, but the quality of the first episode is not brilliant. It brought back many happy memories for me, I had a ball in the swinging sixties. Here is a clip of Sheriden singing Anyone who had a heart. She sang all the songs herself and I must say she sang them brilliantly. 

It was MOT day for the car today. I was undecided where to take it. Last year it passed and the tester man put an advisory note on it. Apparently there is a tiny hole in the middle section of the exhaust. I remember taking it in to a garage I have used before for my repairs, and they said it wasn't urgent, and drop it in when I had time. Well one year on and I still haven't had it done, so I expected it to fail on that. 

I didn't know whether to take it back to the same place for it's test, but decided not to. Although he is a bit cheaper than most places at �40, he doesn't give you a time, just asks that you drop it in first thing in the morning and he will get round to it sometime during the day. Not very convenient. I looked on the internet yesterday and found that Halfords do an MOT for �30, looks good, the only proviso is that you book and pay online. I don't normally buy anything on the internet, don't like putting my card details into the computer, but I thought I would give it a try to get the special price. The site was easy to follow, find your local branch, insert the details of the car, and name and address etc. Halfords is conveniently situated close to the town so no hanging about waiting for it, I can drop it in and do my own thing. 

I was in Poundstretcher when they rang to say it was ready. When I got back I had a nice surprise, it had passed. The notification of the exhaust leak was still there, still not urgent, plus another notification of brake pipes starting to corrode. Replacing them is not urgent, and I was told they would probably be ok until the next MOT test in a years time. The man at Halfords said he would put a note on his file to send me a letter in six months to bring it back for a visual check. That will do nicely I thought. I left with a big grin on my face, yipeeee, it's passed, and only �30 spent. I was in two minds whether to get the exhaust repair done before I took it for test, I'm glad I didn't now, it can wait a bit longer. 

I had a bimble round town while the car was being done, and went to the 20 21 Arts Centre to see what was new. This is what I found in the main exhibition area. Scaffolding, laid along the floor and through and over that door at the far end, with a tall pyramid tower in the middle. Now who in their right mind can call that art. I was gobsmacked, well almost.  

Here is the blurb about the so called artist. I couldn't resist putting something in the visitors book, and I can tell you it wasn't at all complementary. I managed to control my language, just. I saw that a lot of comments before mine were along the same lines. Apparently Ms Ellis was supposed to provide another piece of artwork, which according to the picture in the brochure, look a lot more interesting than this. There had been some kind of hitch in getting the piece ready, so the scaffolding was brought in instead. They needn't have bothered, the empty space would have been better. 

I visited five shops while I was in town to pick up bits and bobs, mainly pet food. Found some Ribena reduced to 50p as it was out of date by one month. I like Ribena but never buy it because it is usually quite expensive. My cats have taken a liking to Ultima dried cat food and I found some in Wilko for �1.75 for 750 grms. It's a bit more expensive than the Whiskas dry so I ration it.

Aldi is close to Halfords so I popped in there, to pick up a few items that I had run out of.
Carrots 1kg 65p
Bananas 1kg 68p
Quiche �1.19. This will do for four meals with veg added.
2 x soft cheese with garlic @ 49p each
6 x large free range eggs 99p
2 packets cream crackers 28p each.
Also Bugsy likes their small trays of gourmet food, at 20p each.

Tomorrow morning I'm off to see Helen at her house. She has a new sewing machine and has started going to sewing classes. She has asked me to help with zips as she is struggling to get to grips with them. Also she is not sure how the machine works. That will be fun.

Welcome to the new readers, hope there is something of interest here. I'm just an ordinary pensioner  trying to make the best of my life.  

Toodle pip.

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Cobbled together meals

I've been thinking I ought to go shopping, then I keep putting it off, can't be bothered, I'll eat something out of the freezer. Although the fridge is bare, I've surely got loads of other food, and yes I have. Sometimes you think you have nothing then when you look more closely, you have plenty. It doesn't matter if it might not be what you fancy, but hey, you paid for it and it is waiting to be eaten. 

Yesterday I cooked up half a large courgette and an onion in a pan with a drop of oil and spices. Then made up some cous cous. I emptied what was left in the bag into a pan of water, always guess how much water and usually get it wrong. I had to add some more as it was a bit dry. Of course it swells to three times the amount, I ended up with too much, not to worry, it will get eaten. Lunch today was exactly the same as dinner last night. Cous cous, courgette and onion.  

I have now resorted to knocking on doors to ask if anyone wants a large courgette. The family up the road said, oooh lovely, I'll make a curry with it, and a friend across the road said that will come in handy we have guests coming for a meal. The friend who gave me the crumble put an order in for another one at the weekend. 

Tonights dinner you will be surprised to know doesn't include courgettes, I'm having a break, ha ha. It's a bit of a mish mash, something cobbled together. I changed my mind several times before I decided what to have. It took very little cooking, first put two Quorn sausages under the grill. Chop up the last bit of the iceberg lettuce that's been hanging around for nearly two weeks. It's amazing how it stays crispy in the fridge. Open a jar of pickled onions and a jar of beetroot, always good to have this on standby to bulk a meal up a bit. Put the last bit of the cous cous in a dish with some frozen peas and zap in the microwave. Cut the sausages into pieces. I always cut my food up into bite size pieces in the kitchen then I don't have to bother with a knife. I am eating it as I type this. Multi tasking, ha ha. 

I might go shopping tomorrow, if I can be bothered. Could do with some eggs, bananas, cheese and yogurt. No weekly shopping expeditions here, I wait till I need to go. I know some of you from your comments are expert at making food go a long way. Are you able to resist going to the shops unless you absolutely have to? I think it might be difficult for those with families, especially teenagers who turn their nose up at certain foods and say they don't like whatever you serve up. I know in our house I had to eat whatever mum gave us, there was no choosing. It might not be like that now.

Well, I'm feeling stuffed, that was pretty darn good, for a cobbled together meal. Have a nice evening.
Toodle pip

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What did I buy?

Good morning, bright and sunny here in North Lincolnshire, so pleased that storm has passed over. I was awoken at around 2am when the bedroom was lit up, then an almighty clap of thunder. It went on for almost an hour, quite amazing to watch as it went on it's way to wake up other parts of the country. With my sleep disrupted I stayed in bed an extra hour this morning. 

So, what have I been up to? I am revisiting my childhood here, ha ha. Browsing the baby food section in Aldi a week ago I spotted chocolate pudding at 25p a small tin. Wonder what that's like I thought, let's try it. Should be ok if it's made for babies, not so many nasties in it. Might make a nice alternative to yogurt or chocolate mousse.

Twas a bit bland, only slightly chocolatey, and not very sweet. Probably a good thing, not to get babies hooked on sugar or chocolate. The label says, gluten free, suitable for vegetarians, source of calcium, can be eaten hot or cold, so I suppose it could be useful for adults who crave a little bit of sweetness and have to watch their diet for whatever reason.

Now I have a dinky little tin to play with. Wonder what I can make with it  ;o))

I popped round to see a friend yesterday to offer some courgettes from my garden, I have loads of them at the moment. He said he loves them. He gave me a sample of some home made wine he has brewed, I must say it was delicious. He has bottles everywhere, stacked in his garage, and demijohns of the stuff waiting to be bottled up. He had a firkle around and handed me this bottle of Strawberry wine, bottled on the 1st May 2011, not to be drunk before 1st May 2013. I have instructions to serve it on ice cubes, so I had better get the trays out of the cupboard and freeze a few. Woohoo, can't wait. Good swap I would say.

I have another swap for the courgettes, they like them next door and gave me a cucumber in exchange. More to come, and some tomatoes when they are ready. I like this swapping lark. 

Another lunch made with broad beans and courgettes, this time with mushrooms added, and instead of the garlicky cream cheese I have used whole grain mustard to spice it up. Served on a thick slice of wholemeal bread, it makes a filling lunch. Another variation would be serve it with rice or pasta, to make a bigger meal. Or even mashed potato would be nice. 

Last night I did the supermarket dash. I suddenly realized I had a �3 off  a �20 shop voucher, which must be used by today. So as soon as I had swallowed my last mouthful of dinner I was off in my car. I had missed some of the yellow stickers because of my lateness, nevertheless I managed to bag some spinach, salad leaves, mushrooms and wholemeal bread at really cheap prices. I added everything up that I put in my trolley and when the magical �20 and a bit was reached I headed for the checkout. You might be interested in what I bought and why I bought it, so I will list everything here.

4 tins of chopped tomatoes. I had picked up two tins from the Value range, but when I got to the World Foods aisle I saw that a similar product was 39p each, 4 tins for �1, so a cheaper price.
2 tins of Value peaches, 35p each. I like to have some in the cupboard, I split the tin into three portions (11.5p per portion), and eat it with two spoons of plain yogurt on the top.
2 tins Value rice pudding, 15p a tin. For the store cupboard. I heat half a tin in a mug in the microwave, when eaten I pour the other half into the mug and keep in the fridge to eat the next day. 7.5p per portion. I will make a note here, I never have a pudding after a meal. By the time I have eaten a meal I am full. My occasional sweet treat is eaten in between meals, mid morning, mid afternoon, or at 9pm in the evening, and not every day.
2 jars of Value pickled onions 30p each, and 2 jars Value pickled beetroot 39p each. I add these to salads if I am a bit short of fresh salady stuff. I sometimes use pickled onions in cooking if I don't have a fresh onion.
Olive oil, completely run out so I needed a bottle. Chose the best I could afford, �2, looked for special offer.
Small jar Mayo. Tesco's own label but not Value. I've tried that and it's not very nice. I don't very often buy mayo, I consider it a treat, not a must have.
2 tins of tuna in brine, Tesco label. 45p each. Not for me, but for Bugsy as a treat. He is getting on a bit now and can have whatever he likes.
Bag of Value carrots, 1.5kg, 89p. Like to eat lots of carrots, steamed or grated on salads.
Packet ground almonds. Add these to breakfast cereal, to rice pudding, to yogurt, or eat it straight out of the packet with a spoon.
Packet of ground rice. This is something new to try, I remember it from mum making puddings with it. This is an experiment. I have added a teaspoon of it to my porridge this morning, will try different ways of using it.
Bag of frozen Quorn mince, �2.00. It has 50% extra in it, and I had a 65p off voucher, so a good buy. Handy to have some in the freezer, lots of uses for it.
Bag Value frozen green beans. �1.00. Still waiting for mine to come in the garden.
Small punnet picota cherries �1. A treat, I love cherries, won't pay more than �1.
Salad tomatoes, 69p. Haven't grown any this year. Don't mind buying Holland tomatoes, but won't buy them from further afield. They generally have no taste and have thick skins.
6 pack flavoured yogurt �1. This used to be a regular purchase of mine, now it is relegated to an occasional treat because I eat more plain yogurt now.
Danish blue cheese, and Brie cheese. These are treats. I usually buy mature cheddar, but the price keeps going up and the pack size is shrinking, so now looking at cheese as a treat and not as a must have.
6 FR eggs. I usually eat six eggs a week. Added to salads, or scrambled into other ingredients, with an occasional omelette. Never fried.
2 bags of yellow sticker baby spinach. Can't get enough of this, eaten raw in salads, added to sandwiches, or very lightly steamed with veg, (only needs 30 seconds).
2 loaves weightwatchers wholemeal bread, yellow stickers. Don't care that it's for slimmers, it's wholemeal and it's cheap, 9p a loaf. To go in freezer for future use, as I already have a loaf open.
Big bag of loose weighed mushrooms, yellow sticker, 4p. I will make sure I eat them before they go off. Got to at that price. Cooked or eaten raw with salad.
Bag of dry cat food, �1.25, on offer. A new one to try to give the cats a bit of variety.
Total shop came to �21.97, reduced to �18.32 with vouchers. Enough in to last a while.

Thank you for reading. I will go outside now, while the weather is nice. I hope you have a nice Sunday.
Toodle pip.
PS, Will reply to emails soon, many thanks.

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Charity shop bargains

Good morning. A quickie post today, a lovely sunny day and I want to go to town. I mentioned that we browsed the charity shops in Driffield on Tuesday, this is what I bought. I haven't been wearing slippers ever since the last ones dropped to bits and were no longer repairable, but I came across this pair and snapped them up for the winter. They are size 7 mens slippers, too big for my size 5 feet, but with a pair of thick socks they fit snugly. I love the way they come almost up to my ankles, more like bootees than slippers.  

They look brand new, or hardly worn, the soles are clean and show no signs of wear.

The velcro fastening make them easy to slip in and out of, and fully enclose my foot for maximum warmth. A snip at �3.

It was the colour of this tablecloth that caught my eye, a pretty pale lilac with a sheen to it. It's a massive circular cloth, perfect condition, for only �2. Good for a sewing project I think.

And the third item is a lightweight scarf. I like the soft pastel colours, and it can be worn as an accessory rather than something to keep my neck warm. Had to have it at �1.

The Dove Hospice shop in Driffield has some lovely things in it, a big shop, well laid out, no squashing between railings crammed full of clothes. I'm chuffed with my bargains.

Thanks for the interesting comments yesterday, and welcome to the new readers. I'm off out now. Toodle pip.

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