All it takes is practice

Hiya peeps. I was reading somewhere that it is hard being frugal, I read a lot and can't remember where I saw it and who said it. It made me think, what is hardship? Is it having no money to spare, or not sure what to buy with the little you have, or is it a hardship because other people seem to be spending and you can't?

I have been frugal for a long time, even before I had even heard of the word frugal. It was not in my vocabulary, but being careful with my spending was, so I have never viewed it as a hardship. For me, having less money makes life easier, because you have fewer choices on what to spend it on.

People who are trying to cut down on their spending are going to find the transition to frugaldom quite daunting, because they are not used to it. Walking past a shop when they normally pop in for a paper or a chocolate bar takes an enormous amount of will power, such is the  embedded habit of buying anything you want.

It's all about changing a habit, and spending is like any other habit, a hard one to break, but not impossible. You have to start somewhere. Frugal living is a learned behaviour, just as over spending, over eating, and over indulging in most things is. Making any changes is hard, you have got to want to do it. You cannot wake up one day and say that's it, I am frugal from this moment on. You could if you are very strong willed, which would be the exception rather than the rule, but like a lot of diets that start on January the 1st, most will fall by the wayside before the 31st. Yes, being frugal is hard, if you haven't been that way inclined before.

But as time goes on, and you make a little progress each day, week, or month, like anything, the more you practice, the easier it gets and the better at it you become. The journey is long it won't happen overnight. Eventually it will be second nature, you will automatically check your bank account before you make a big purchase, rather than say, sod it I'll put it on the card.

Not many of my friends understand me, but they are my friends because they accept me as I am. My lifestyle is different to theirs. They can go to the shops and buy whatever they like. They can surround themselves with nice things, have nice cars, go on holiday. Fine, they have no need to be frugal. But ask them to step into my shoes, or ask me to step into their shoes, and we both would be floundering. They would find it very difficult to cut back on their spending, just as I would struggle to splash the cash.

Frugality is not hard at all for me, because I am used to it, and you can get used to anything if you practice it often enough. People used to ask me, is it hard driving a lorry, quick answer, no it's easy. I would find it hard to learn German, or learn to play the piano, but if I really wanted to do it and practiced it enough, I could probably do it.

If you either want to or need to live a frugal lifestyle, start practicing today. I love it.
Toodle pip

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Let's have a natter

Hey my little bloggerettes, hows the money saving going? Have you stopped spending willynilly on stuff you don't need? I hope so. You won't get rid of your overdraft and your credit card bills if you don't pull your socks up and do something about it. You know you can't go on living the lifestyle you want if you keep bashing the plastic, because one day it's going to catch up with you. Best start now and make some decisions. Do you want to be in debt forever or get rid of it? 

I haven't talked much about frugal living, stop spending, living within your means, and money saving, for a while now. To be honest it slips my mind sometimes, I live that way naturally, and I keep forgetting that you are all at different stages with your finances. If you don't have any debt like me, just keep plugging away at keeping your head above water. Watch your spending, study your bank statements, and be careful when you open your purse. If you are in debt and need to make changes to get rid of it, take this as a kick up the @rse and get on with it. No whinging no moaning, that debt is not going to fade away. The quicker you put it at the top of your list of priorities the better. 

Now where was I after that little pep talk, ha ha. Yes, I went to town this morning to pay my credit card bill. Paid on the nail, every month, in full. I took a few books into the Age UK charity shop, and had a look round while I was there. Everything is �1, so there is a good chance I will pick up a bargain. Here I am modelling a pink fleecy, erm, sort of nightie come dressing gown. It looks almost brand new, and fits me like a sack. It will be lovely and warm over my clothes in the winter, not for going out in, silly, but for mooching round the house. I may of course cut it up and make something with it. 

Quite snazzy isn't it.

My friend Barry keeps waking up too early because his curtains are not thick enough to keep out the early morning sun. I thought I would look for some thicker curtains for him. I found these for �1, they are really big. I had to guess the size, these are fully lined. A bargain eh! Sadly they are not long enough. Never mind, I will make some shopping bags out of them.

Here is the pattern in detail. I have enough curtains for my own house, so they will get the chop. The bags will be doubly thick because I will use the lining as well.

Last night was a Tesco Dash night. Haven't been for ages after managing on bits and bobs, so I needed to fill my fridge. I was lucky with the yellow stickers, I saw a scrum halfway up the aisle as they brought them all out. I was in there with the rest of them, getting my share. I got loads of pasta and salady stuff. This is my lunch which I have just scoffed. A plastic box of Red pesto and piquillo pepper pasta salad. I suppose two people could share this but as I got three boxes I ate one in this meal. 

Here is the price, 22p, a bargain. Served with half a bag of salad leaves, five small tomatoes, and two slices of cheddar cheese. The cheese was cheap from the cash and carry as it is about to go out of date.

This is how I mark my receipt when I check all the items and prices. I will be adding this to the page above shortly. Yes, I did buy some Value crisps this time. Only because I haven't had any for months, and I just fancied some. I haven't any potatoes in to make my own, and 66p for a 12 bag multipack isn't too much. I also confess to buying a 4 pack of cider for �2.15, and a cheap bottle of wine for �3.99. Treats for the next few weeks. �11 was spent on cat food. They get what they need, and I have to make do with what I can get,  Ha ha.  

Just while I am in the nattering mood, I've had a letter from my doctor's surgery, inviting me to go for a pneumococcal vaccination. They recommend that all people over the age of 65 have this, as it helps to protect against pneumococcal infection which can cause diseases such as pneumonia, septicaemia and meningitis. Blimey, I didn't know I was at risk of catching such things. I suppose I ought to go and get this jab, has anyone else been invited and have you had it? I am wondering about side effects, hope I don't feel ill after it.

I'm going to be missing tomorrow, so may not post. Got some family business to attend to. Got to miss the Parkrun again. Last call to Louise in my home town. If you want to meet let me know your phone number in a comment, which I will not publish. That's all for now, have a nice weekend.
Toodle pip

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Free haircuts at the Back Door Salon

I look such a sight when my hair gets this long. It hangs around my face and annoys me, it looks straggly and unkempt, and adds another ten years to my age. There isn't much artificial colour left in it, the sun tends to bleach it, leaving the roots a little darker than the rest of it. I can't decide whether to colour it again, I'll think about it, maybe do it on a whim when I fancy a change. 

Anyway, it's time for a haircut, I go to the Back Door Salon to get this done, it costs me nothing. My hairdresser is a whiz with a brush and a pair of dressmaking scissors. 

Ten minutes later it's trimmed to my liking. No booking an appointment, no waiting in a queue, no time to sit down even. There you are Madam, all done, no you don't need to pay me, it's free.

Only one thing left to do, boil a kettle of water, and wash it. I wouldn't normally blow dry it, but as it is a pic for the blog I will make an effort. That's better, a bit shorter in the neck and some of the weight taken out of the top so it has more spring in it. Some of the bulk taken out at the back so it looks a bit layered, instead of a pudding basin cut. Next please, anyone else want a free hair cut?

I made too much dinner tonight and some has had to go in the fridge to be consumed tomorrow. Steamed cauliflower, frozen peas and beans, and fresh spinach, served on a bed of couscous. No sauce, no spices, no nothing added, just nude food, and I'm chuffin full.

It's the weekend, I hope you have a good one. Get off your backside and get out in the sunshine. I want to see you running, walking, gardening, cycling, roller skating, skateboarding, kicking a ball about, playing tennis, in fact anything that makes you move.  Toodle pip.

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A DIY valet to save money

I can't remember when I last washed my car, must be about a year by my reckoning. I haven't needed to, I have only done 5,000 miles since the last MOT test. Mind you, silver is regarded as being the best colour for not showing the dirt, black and white being the worst. I gave it a quick swill over the other day, but this morning I thought I would make more of an effort and get into all the nooks and crannies, give it a super duper five star valet. I don't believe in taking my car to a car wash, when I can do it at home myself for the price of a bottle of car shampoo which lasts for a very long time if used sparingly.

Here I have gathered together my cleaning tools. Three assorted brushes of different sizes. A large piece of sponge, and a small sponge with a rough side to it. A towelling rag, and a squirty bottle filled with clean water for rinsing the dirt away in those small hard to get your fingers into places.

First of all, open all the doors, the bonnet, and the tailgate. The inside is clean as I only did that last week with the Dyson.  

I think you have met Heidi before, she wants to get in on everything. The back seats are down at the moment, that's how I keep it. I remove the rear headrests and the parcel shelf and keep them in the house. No point in carrying extra weight around. If you have stuff in the boot it only costs more in petrol. I only take what I need with me, and every time I come back I always empty the car. The shopping bags stay in, plus an old throw in case I need to put something mucky in the back, or cover up something I have bought.   

Yes, Heidi, you are a pretty girl, but I don't want to play at the moment. There is plenty of room in here for me to sleep if I need to. Chuck in my sunlounger mattress, a few pillows, a camping stove to make coffee, and bran flakes, and I have my own bed and breakfast  :o) 

She's gone. Time to turn it back into a five seater. Lift the seats and put all the bits back in. The man in the garage will want to check seat belts, spare wheel, and other parts when it goes in tomorrow. Everything needs to be easily accessible

This is why I have got all doors opened, to clean the hidden gunge. The muck at the top of the tailgate is yuk. If you leave it and it gets worse it will start eating into the paintwork. So with brushes and sponge I attack it.  

That's better. I'd better keep on top of it and wipe with a cloth a bit more often.

All around the doors have been done, sparkly clean. All the rubber seals have been wiped.  

Inside the bonnet and the engine compartment has been cleaned. All the windows have been polished inside and out. All the wheels have been scrubbed. New carpets have been put in the footwells. The dashboard has been polished. In fact it's like brand spanking new again.

Now where is Heidi, ha ha, might have guessed. She is so happy, I think she wants to move in.

That's �35 saved on a full valet, and it's taken me two and a half hours. That's very frugal I would say. Bye the way, I washed it with my bath water. 

After lunch I decided to take it for a spin. It's been a lovely sunny day again and I wanted to check out a couple of places. There will be pics tomorrow of Thornton Abbey Gatehouse, and a new visitor attraction, The Old Tile Works at Barton, near the Humber Bridge. MOT test at 2pm tomorrow, keep your fingers crossed.

Toodle pip.

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Controlling a craving

I don't know, the things I do in the name of research. Putting myself in danger of becoming obese, spots and pimples erupting all over my face, and clogging up my arteries by consuming excessive sugar. That's what you get when you uncontrollably stuff your face with chocolate. But in the name of research I have decided to carry out this little experiment.

We all know that chocolate tastes yummy, and we shouldn't really eat too much of it. But it is so tempting to reach for a bar at the checkout, because we know it will put a smile on our faces and lift our spirits. A nice treat to eat on the way home in the car, or while out and about, or anytime we fancy it.

We all deserve a treat now and again, don't we? The taste of chocolate can take away all our worries, and all our anxieties, if you are feeling low, eat chocolate. If we've had a crap day chocolate puts things right.

If scoffing chocolate is having a detrimental affect on your health, and your purse, there are steps you can take to minimise the risk, without cutting it out all together. You don't have to go cold turkey to wean yourself off the stuff. All you need to do is to cut down, and it isn't difficult if you follow my guide.

 I discovered this little trick while out walking last week. I fancied a bit of chocolate and popped in a shop and bought a Mars Bar. While I was plodding along I took a bite and instead of chomping at it like a person demented, I wondered how long I could make that Mars Bar last me. So I didn't chew it I sucked it slowly. I wanted to savour the flavour fully around the taste buds in my mouth before I swallowed it. The same with the second, third, and fourth mouthful. In fact it took me an hour and a half to get through the whole thing. By the time I got to the end I felt a bit queasy, I didn't really need to eat that much.

So that got me thinking, if a Mars Bar is too big for me, why not buy something smaller, I will still get the same choc fix, but I won't feel sick, and it will be cheaper. So this is my experiment. I bought four different types of children's size bars. These you will find on the lower shelves in the shop. They are 20p each.       

 

Then I cut each one into four pieces, inserting them into my mouth one piece at a time, one after the other, and timed how long it would take to suck each bar until it had all melted. Amazingly I got 41 minutes worth of choco fix out of the Fudge bar. Really good value for money in my opinion.

  

The Chomp Bar was a close second at 40 minutes, it has a caramel filling, these two are almost the same size. The Milky Way has a softer centre so dissolved a lot more quickly and only lasted 22 minutes, while the toffee filled Freddo took 20 minutes of sucking before it was gone completely, it was a much smaller bar.

So the conclusion to my experiment is, when you need a fix of chocolate, first, exercise strict discipline and do not enter any shops, but if you find yourself uncontrollably lusting, look on the lower shelves and pick up a 20p small bar, and suck it and see. On no account stuff the whole lot in your mouth in one go. If it doesn't touch the sides you wont get that lip smacking feel good factor and it will be a waste of money because all it will do is play havoc with your innards. I will add another small but important point here, chocolate is not an every day food, it should be an occasional treat, no more than one small bar a week. And plain dark chocolate is better for you than the sweet sickly milk variety. Have fun.
Toodle pip 

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