Follow Me On Twitter

Well - yet again, I have proved that I am a most inconsistent blogger.

All is going very well - frugal and otherwise, but I start off with such good intentions blogging and then just tail off.

I am so much better on Facebook and Twitter.

SO - if you want to follow me/keep in touch, please hit the Twitter button.

Love you all

x

Blessings

There are a few areas of my life that, when I compare them to others [I know I shouldn't, but hey, who doesn't?] I feel disadvantaged, but where I work is not one of them.  As some of you may know, I am a teacher, so that might be quite surprising.

I work in a lovely school, among many wonderful people, some of whom are now important friends to me.  Our Head is an amazing lady and she leads the school with integrity and we are very blessed.

One of her achievements is to have obtained solar panels.  The money we save on fuel has been used to set up and run a school farm.  We have a mini pony; 2 goats; countless  chickens; a rabbit; a guinea pig............  It is a really beautiful place to be and the children benefit from it no end, both in terms of learning and in terms of social and emotional nurturing.

Anyway, because the weather has been so nice, twice this week several of us have taken our lunch up there. Sitting at the picnic tables, surrounded by various animals and happy children, there was no better place to be.

Also this week, our Deputy, another amazing lady, began our 'sewing bee'.   She is a very taleneted sewer.  Many of us had enjoyed The Great British Sewing Bee and had chatted about it.  So, S decided to start a staff  sewing club.  We meet after school.  There is a range of abilities is broad:  I am a complete beginner.  One person is making 2 piped cushions, with zips; another is making a 'Kath Kitson' peg bag.  I am making an 'A-line' skirt.

S is v clever and instead of me buying a pattern, she took my measurements and created a bespoke pattern for me on the computer.  She then gave me calico and I made a 'block', which she then fitted on to me.  Today, I am off into Birmingham to buy my fabric.

Another illustration of how we care for each other is the machine I have was given to me by a collegue.  It turns out that a fellow sewing bee-er also had her machine given to her by another person at school.

I shall take a picture of the fabric, when I have it and post a picture.

x



.

Cool Kid

WARNING - BOASTFUL MUMMY POST

First of all, welcome to my new follower: Donna Scott.

Up until this point, I have hardly mentioned my 2 children.

My [almost] 14 year old daughter [Alice, aka superscout] is super cool, even though I say it myself.  REALLY.

She properly does not run with the pack and is not motivated by money at all.  She is motivated by happiness.  She is into photography and writes her own blog.

Anyway, this week she used ebay for the first time.  She bid and won a pair of skinny jeans for £1.21 plus £2.99 P and P.  She is so proud of herself. 

She is now researching/watching DM boots, in preparation for a winning snipe.  That is so like her; she always does her research about things.

This is her, wearing my 'Underground' shoes, that we share!

Today, I hope to capture the skinny jeans look; so watch this space.

Right Place/Right Time

Not the clearest of photos, but great bargains nonetheless.

Found these yesterday - carrot and  coriander soup; reduced from £1.80 each to 36p each!

Ideal for lunches at school.  I have popped them both in the freezer.

[Wrote 30 writing and 30 'speaking and listening' comments yesterday.  Plus listed 2 pairs of shoes on ebay]  

TV Licence

It is half-term, so I have time on my hands to catch up on little tasks I postpone during term time.

Inspired by a tip I read when we were all writing our '30Ways To Save £1' posts, I rang TV licensing today.

I wanted to save £5 per year, by paying by monthly DD; rather than quarterly [with £1.25 per quarter premium]

It is true you can do this, but there is a catch.  According to the guy I spoke to, the first time you go onto monthly DDs you must first pay £29.10 monthly for the first 5 months - IE the full licence. Then you are allowed to pay monthly.  I pointed out that I have a proven track record of responsible payments.  However, to no avail.  Apparantly, it is government regulation.. HOW SILLY?

As I now pay £37.62 quarterly, I don't want to go onto £29.10 monthly for 5 months; even though I would save the £5 in the following year.

WHAT WOULD YOU ?
X

Mortgage

Just overpaid another £100.00!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Next month - my target is to make £100 on ebay to cover the overpayment.  Have a few things to sell [This is an ambitious target]

Must get the sliders in the sidebar sorted.

Anyone got any recommendations?

The one I have at the moment is not easily updated.  You seem to have have to go back to square one each time.  Must be doing it wrong!

Anthem

Hey........................
Found an anthem


DISCLAIMER
DO NOT WATCH IF SWEARING OFFENDS YOU.

Fantastic Bank Holiday Monday/Whitson Half-Term

When I woke up this morning, an email was waiting for me offering a composter, through Freecycle.  I was delighted. It was very timely.  Only yesterday, I had found a composter on Ebay; collection only.  The current bid was £1.75, with 24 hours to go.

I set up a snipe bid; max. £3.00

I had previously ordered one from a supplier offer a concession to my local council. However, I had received an email to say that there had a problem with the check out on their website and my order had not gone through; would I like to re-order? NO!

Then the Freecycle offer came.

Superscout and I went to collect it at 4:00PM, from a lovely lady.

On the way home, we stopped at a Marks and Spencer 'Simply Food' store.  We planned to buy a £10 'Dine In For 2' offer, because it was Bank Holiday.

WELL WE ARRIVED AT THE RIGHT TIME ....................... JUST LOOK AT WHAT WE BAGGED!

ALL 10P!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

All in all it has been a great Bank Holiday.

Plus, I wrote 30 ICT comments and 30 Art and DT comments.

Added to which, we re-arranged Superscout's bedroom and did a major spring clean in it.

The Ebay composter finally went for £19.

I also have a chicken carcas in the slow cooker. #stock

Ridiculous Price Increase

At this time of year, I am partial to coucous, occassionally.  

The last time I bought some, it was approx 35p.  This time it cost 62p!  At first I thought it was a mistake.  Sadly not.

On the other hand, following on from a post and comment by Frugal Mum, instead of buying these:

£2.00/kg

I have bought these:

£0.63/kg

£1.37/kg saving.  

I plan to grated/slice them and freeze them ready for use.

Busy Saturday and Sunday.

Yesterday, I got so much done. I:

• Cleaned the kitchen;
• Cleaned the lounge;
• Cleaned the stairs and landing;
• Had lunch with a friend;
• Food shopped;
• Moved my raised bed to a sunnier spot in the garden;
• Planted some chard in it;
• Spring cleaned my bedroom;
• Sorted through all my clothes and have organised a pile for charity.

Well done to me.

Today, my aim is to:

• Write 30 RE comments in reports;
• Go to see the Great Gatsby; - CANCELLED - NOT BY ME
• Cook a roast dinner;
• Maybe spring clean Superscout's bedroom and sort through hr clothes too. - ROLLOVER TO TOMORROW.

We shall see.

Frightening

Last night, at approximately 11:00 PM, superscout and I were both asleep in bed.

We were woken by the doorbell ringing and someone banging on the front door.

Because, I was woken from sleep, I stumbled around, shaking trying to find my dressing gown.  I think I would have gone down stairs initially, but superscout told me not to.  Instead I opened my front bedroom window and called down 'who's there?'.

NO ONE.

There was no car; no person; nothing.

It really shook me up.  Then I started to get paranoid:  Had I locked the front and back doors properly?  Was my car locked?  I dare not go downstairs.

Plus the battery was flat on my phone.  If I had needed to call the police, we did have superscout's.

Anyway - it has been a lesson on being prepared and taking care with security.

[The teenager is not here.  He has gone on holiday with a friend.  His bedroom is downstairs and had he been here, there would have been lights and music on]

#scary

Not Having A Car

Last Friday, I took the teenager to the station to get the train to London, to see his dad.  I did a naughty thing and pulled into a disabled parking space................I know bad.

Anyway, as the teenager was getting his suitcase out of the boot, a man tapped on my window.  'Oh no,' I thought, or words to that effect...............'He is going to have a go at me!'.

In fact he asked me if I knew that I had no brake lights working.  I had absolutely no idea ................no warning lights; nothing.

Superscout and I drove home, very gingerly.  When we parked on the drive, Superscout sat in the driver's seat and pressed the brake peddles.  Sometimes they came on; sometimes they did not; an intermittent fault.

On Saturday morning, I rang the mobile mechanic, who looks after my car.  He is a great guy; comes round at the drop of a hat and is very reasonably priced.  I think he said it would be the brake switch.  However, he was not able to get hold of one until Monday.

On Monday, he came round and fixed it; total cost £45.  How good was that?  It seems like a very fair price to me.

Back to the weekend - I was left without a car:

• I ordered my food shopping online;
• I discovered MyHermes, instead of the PO.  They came and collected a parcel from school on Monday morning, so I didn't have to go to the PO;
• I went for a walk to the local CO-OP;
• Superscout went into town on the bus;
• The teenager walked back from the station;
• A lovely colleague took me to school and back on the Monday.

If I didn't need my car for work, in theory I would not need it at all.  I only live 5 miles away, but there is no direct public transport.  I would need to catch 2 buses, which would just take too long.  

If we did have no car, when I needed one for a long journey, I would simply hire one.

Beetroot, Bulgar Wheat and Lamb Burgers.

Tonight, I prepared these:

Not bad for a school night!

We did not eat them tonight; maybe tomorrow.

I followed this recipe.

Beetroot, bulgar wheat and lamb burgers

I used to not rate Nigel Slater, but now I do: very much.

x

Contact lenses

I wear daily disposable contact lenses, which I buy on a monthly basis from Tesco.  They cost £18 for a month's supply.  Surprisingly, they recently came down in price slightly.  I mean what comes down in price these days?

Anyway, I have decided that I shall stock up, whilst Tesco Clubcard Exchange is on; thus bringing the cost down to £9 per month.

I have to say, that this month, despite having an unforeseen leak in the bathroom and a problem with my brake lights, I have managed to save money.

Thus on the 24th [the day I receive my salary] I shall overpay another £100 off my mortgage.

Well done to me.

My Hermes

I have just used MyHermes for the first time.

I have done this because I read about the service on another blog and I like the fact that they will pick up the parcel from a designated collection point, or that you can drop it off at a designated shop.

I think this level of convenience will help me sell more on ebay.  In the past I have been hampered by not being able to get to the Post Office during the week, or indeed before 12.30PM on a Saturday.

I have compared the price with the PO and it has worked out no cheaper:  I have paid £3.30 for a 30 x 20 x 10 cm parcel, weighing 0.925 kg. 

Anyway, this little transaction has made me £3.55 for the sealed pot.

Compost Bin

Have ordered a compost bin.

Made it almost cost neutral in the end, because I have just sent back a bra I had bought from M and S.  I bought 2 identical, but only really need 1.

Really looking forward to getting started with the bin.  I already have some kitchen waste that I have been saving.  Plus I shall be mowing the lawn tomorrow and will put these cuttings to start it off.

Have been reading about how to successfully make compost on the Garden Organic website.

A Busy Day/Weekend Lies Ahead and COMPOST BIN DILEMA

Since last Sunday I have been wrestling with my frugal self about whether to buy a compost bin.

I have put a post on Freecycle, but to no avail.  My local council are selling them for approx £20, including p and p. I do have a green wheelie bin, into which I can put my mown grass.  However, as I have re-started cooking from scratch, I am generating more kitchen waste and like the idea of composting that.

Is it worth buying a compost bin?  What do you think???

Today I have to/shall:

• Clean the kitchen;
• Clean the lounge;
• Clean stairs and landing;
• Clean the bathroom;
• Write 5 personal report comments;
• Calculate current personal finances position.
• Take a parcel to the Post Office;
• Ring mechanic about brake lights not working;
• Food shopping
• Mow the lawn.
• Laundry.

What a fun life I lead.

Hair Cut

I used to have my hair cut at a local salon.  The price had gradually crept up over the years, to £45.00.

I really enjoyed going: the magazines; the head massage and the nice coffee.

However, my stylist, who is a lovely person, has left.

This got me thinking, together with my reinvigorated frugal fervour, that I should re-think my hair cut approach.

Thus I contacted a mobile hairdresser, whose name I saw advertised in the Post Office.  She charges £20.00.

When she was actually cutting it, I wasn't sure.  However, I have had so many positive reactions - far more than normal.  So, I am now quite pleased.

As I have my haircut approximately every 10 weeks, that is an annual saving of approximately £130.00.

Not bad.

Finally, a very warm welcome to my new follower: Kirsty.

Chickpea and spinach cuury

Last week I cooked a delicious spinach and chickpea curry.  A very economical meal it was too; stretching to several lunches at work.

I followed this recipe:

Grating And Slicing

 

 I love the way I am pushed on/gently encouraged and inspired by other bloggers.

Today, I mentioned that I have being buying grated cheese and carrots.  Frugal Mum then kindly left a comment, which inspired me to look carefully at 3 food processor blades I have had in my cupboards for years.  They turned out to be: a finer slicer/grater; a thick slicer/grater and a chipper. [I Googled them - how else would I have found out?!]  Indeed, if I wished to buy them separatley, they appear to be selling on ebay for approx the £10 each mark.

So, I had a little go, using a carrot and a courgette.  I AM SO PLEASED WITH THE OUTCOME.

I love my blogging friends.
x

Sealed Pot Sunday

DRUM ROLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL ... £1.68.

I thank you.

Food budget

First and foremost; a very warm welcome to Scarlett, my new follower. Wow - I now have the grand total of 6.  Sign up, if read but don't follow.  It is so exciting when I get a new follower.  I realy like knowing you are out there!


Before, I get started about my food budget, I will just let out a little frustration - GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR- for about 5 days now I have being trying to upload a photo.  It is just not happening - hence a lack of posts.

I made myself an ace spinach and chickpea curry, but I don't want to blog about it without a photo.

#frustration.

Moving on; I am pleased to say that I have significantly reduced my food/supermarket expenditure over the past month.  I have a budget of £70 for the three of us [2 adults; one almost adult; including a certain teenage  boy who tends to think it is not a proper meal unless containing meat.]

The last 3 weekly shops have cost: £35; £35 and £40.  The first 2 were reduced to that figure because I had £5 off when you spend £40 vouchers.

Notable successes: I used to buy 5 'eat me' bananas for £1.  Now buy 5 loose ones for about 60p.  I also used to buy 250g grated carrot for 50p/£2 per kg.  Now buy loose ones for 80p per kg.

Why did/do I buy grated carrot or grated cheese?  I have been using the grated carrot to make lentil burgers,  which create a very cheap meal.  So although within that , the carrot is not the cheapest, the eventual lentil burgers are a heck of a lot cheaper than my previous bad habit of nipping into the COOP on the way home, when tired, and blowing around £10 on ready meals - if you follow my logic.

I also buy frozen chopped onions, for £1.  They enable me to make quick meals from scratch.  It is all about being smart and saving money in ways that work for you.

Mowing The Lawn

Last Sunday, I gave the lawn its first cut of the season.  I was very pleased when the lawn mower started first time.

I took these before and after pictures, which, in fact, don't do the after justice!

It got me thinking about looking after my lawn mower, so I contacted the local supplier, from where the mower was bought, in a former life.  To service it, they wanted £130 pounds!!!!!!!!!!! Apparently  this is not excessive.  Well to me it is.

So, I have been doing some research: basically, I should change the filter, top up the oil, change the spark plug and possibly get the blade sharpened.  I don't have the manual anymore, so am trying to find info on line.  Once I know where things like the spark are and how to get to them, I should be well away.

Today, I have topped up the oil.  It took a bit of asking around, but I have now established that I have a 4 stroke mower and have bought the correct oil.

I have just cut it again and it is starting to look lovely - although have not taken photos this time.  

Learning a bit every time - am now using the shorter cut setting.

Driving Lessons - Not

First of all, a very warm welcome to my new follower: Lisamaywalters

Well, today I had a great day and came home feeling really good.

When I pulled up on the drive, my nice neighbour was in the front garden.  He is, I believe, a bit shy, and, I believe, does not find it that easy to make polite conversation with me.  Nevertheless, he did engage with me.

Last year, at about this time, I informed him and his wife that Aidan was going to be having a 16th birthday party in the garden.  I was pre-warning them, just in case of any potential noise.  They were lovely about it and, as it happened all went v well, as expected, and there was nothing to worry about.

This evening, the guy asked me if Aidan was looking forward to driving lessons, as he was going to be 17.

I am an honest person and said that we are not planning on driving lessons.  I think he felt awkward that he had raised the subject and I have pretended for a few hours that everything is OK.

However, everything is not OK.  I feel like a complete failure because I am not giving Aidan driving lessons.

I live in quite an affluent area.  The house we have is lovely, but quite modest relatively speaking.  The reason I strive to live here is for the school and sixth form attached.  Both my children are benefiting from a great education.  However, they are poor in comparison.

Aidan IS the only child not having driving lessons in his friendship group.  One of his friends, who is a lovely gir,l and who cannot be put into some stereotypical category of being an unpleasant girl by any means, not only has had driving lessons, but has also had a car bought for her - a brand new Mini.

This post is not about how I should feel, but how I do I feel.  When I had my wanted children, I wanted to give them at least what I had, perhaps a little bit more.  Reverse is the case.

I feel awful.

In so many ways I they are privileged, but still I feel I failure,
x

No Spend Day

Fleece

Well done to me for covering my courgettes with fleece, last night.

Oxtail Update And Start Of Sealed Pot

Obviously, this is a one off, but Superscout and I have just counted up all the loose change in the house. It came to £6.87.

Also, I had an email from Tesco today, about the oxtail fail.  They are refunding me £3.50.

So I will have £10.37 for the sealed pot on Sunday.

x

Updated Defrosting The Freezer

Shameful

That's more like it!

Last night, because I was so pleased with having defrosted it, the freezer was on my mind.I think I have have owned it for since approximately 1998 [15 years].  It has survived two house moves.

I was checking on line how much it would cost to replace, if it went wrong. I was also considering what size we really need as a family of 3.  That said, I do use my freezer quite a lot to freeze 'yellow sticker' items etc.

During the course of my research, I read some reviews and managed to glean this: apparently old fashioned 'manual freezer are more reliable than frost-free types.   This might go some way to explaining the longevity of my freezer, despite years of abuse.  I think the previous one might have been a frost-free type [although my memory is not that good anymore] and it only survived one move and 5 years.

When this one bites the dust, I think I will buy another 'manual' freezer.

x

Hair Cut

The last time I went to the hairdresser, my regular stylist had left.  I have been going to the same salon for a number of years and have been very happy there.

My last haircut cost £42.  [I never leave a tip, but always feel a bit guilty about it]  £42 seems like a lot of money, although if I went to a well known high street chain, such as Toni and Guy, I know I would pay even more.

Anyway, I have been thinking, and have decided that I am going to try out a mobile hairdresser.  I have started to ring round and have had a quote of £20.  However, I have another phone call to make, because a friend has specifically recommended the lady she uses.

Obviously, I want to be happy with the cut and finish.  However, if it works out I have calculated that I would be saving myself approximately £132 per year.

Hard Core

Since I have come back to blogging, I feel more hard core about saving money.  I am trying not to let any more at all slip through my fingers.  I also get a sense, from reading the blogs of others, that they are doing the same.

So, 3 little successes to note:

• Yesterday was my fortnightly lunch duty day [Don't have to do anything unless it rains.  If it does, just have to go into the corridors and support Lunch Time Supervisors bringing the children in]  For this we are entitled to claim a free lunch.  This I did.  In the past I have not bothered to claim. So, I ate vegetable curry and rice, with a shortbread biscuit for pudding. [I kept the biscuit and ate it after school, when I was doing my marking]

• I was also given 2 free-range eggs, from the school farm.  I am planning to have scrambled eggs on toast for my breakfast.

• I have just sold a vintage telephone on ebay.  It was a wedding present and never used.  It spent almost 20 years in the loft.  I did my research and believed I might get as much as £200.  This was based on dedicated dealer websites.  However, I have had to list it 3 times.  It has sold for £45 [best offer] on the third attempt, but I am at peace with this because it was not adding value to me when sitting in the loft.  It is going towards the £100 per month mortgage overpayment target.  So far this month I have achieved £93 [£30 Moneysupermarket; £45 ebay and £18 other]

I will update my sidebar accordingly.

I have also emailed Tesco about the oxtail.  They have tried to contact me by phone, but I was not able to answer the call.  I await to see if they offer a resolution to my complaint!

Epic Fail

Well,the oxtail stew was a disaster!

Maybe, it was cheap/poor quality oxtail; if there is such a thing.  It was purchased from Tesco.

It was tough and there was very little meat that came off the bone.  Despite being cooked all day,with plenty of liquid, in my slow cooker, it didn't want to come off the bone; even the little bit of meat that was there.

I don't usually waste food, but I threw it away and ate something else.  I just didn't  fancy it at all.

Can't win them all.
x

Oxtail Stew And No Spend Days

Tonight I have put an oxtail stew into my slow cooker.  I was going to follow the Hairy Bikers recipe, but did not have red wine.  So, instead have used Tesco Everyday Value mixed vegetables, frozen onion and frozen garlic, with a Tesco packet mix.

38p

Should do the job.  Have never used oxtail before.  Intrigued about how it will turn out.  Will post a picture of finished result.

Also used up some potatoes.  Have peeled them ready.  Will use my ricer to mash.  A very effective gadget.

Plus Monday and Tuesday have been NSDs - no spend days.

Moneysupermarket Payment And Lunches

First of all, a big thank you to Sarah and Saving For Travel for becoming official followers.

Secondly, I am absolutely cock-a-hoop because I have been paid £30 by Moneysupermarket for my 30 Ways To Save £1 post.  I read the small print on their site yesterday, and it said they were going to pay for  the first 500 posts.  As I had left it several days, I was not hopeful.  However, I got the email this morning and the money os in my paypal account as I type.  The £30 is going towards a mortgage overpayment this month.  Indeed, that is the subject for another post and I intend to add a sidebar counter to encourage me.

Thirdly, I am going to answer a question put to me by gotthisfar.  

We bloggers are a funny bunch; this morning at 7:00 AM I found myself photographing my food for the day!

Packed lunches:

We have a microwave and toaster at school, as I imagine many places do.  Thus I usually take something that I can heat up.  It is quite rare that I take sandwiches. Aldi do a fine selection of chunky soups, and I go through phases of having them.  Another favorite is mackeral on toast.

Today I had jacket potato, with salad and lentil and carrot curry topping.

For my break at 11:00 AM I usually take some tomato juice.  I really enjoy this because it is very refreshing and fills me up.

Tesco Vale Tomato Juice

I also have some apple, which I core and segment.  That way it feels a bit posher, like the over-priced fruit bags you can buy!

Indeed I am quite a grazer, so I also take a small tub if mixed fruit, which I have posted about before. 

So, there we have it.  Quite frugal and healthy me thinks.

x

Followers button

After some searching, I have managed to add a followers button.  It was not as simple as in the old days!

So now it is there; an official welcome to Sharon and Ruth.  So glad to have you here.

If you are reading, please hit the followers button in the side tab, so that I can welcome you too.  Plus, please spread the word about my blog, if you don't mind, because it is such a thrill to receive comments.

On another note, I have just checked  Moneysupermarket's site and the £30 offer only goes to the first 500, although anyone after that you will still be entered into the prize draw for either £1000 or £2000.  Thus, I think I am too late for the £30.

Nevermind.
x

30 Ways To Save £1.

Alerted by Sarah and Iona, I have tuned into MoneySupermarket's celebration of the 30th anniversary of the introduction of the £1 coin.  They are offering £30 to every blogger who posts 30 ways t save a pound/money.

Here goes.  My ideas are:

1. Sit boiling - boil food stuffs like pasta and rice for half the time it says on the packet.  Then turn the heat off and let them continue to cook in their own ambient heat for the second half of the time.
2. House swap for holidays.  Five years ago I swapped my house and car with a Spanish family and had 3 fantastic weeks in La Manga.  Accommodation and car hire TOTALLY FREE.
3. Save bread bags, cereal packet innards etc to re-use as freezer/sandwich bags.
4. Use voucher code sites to actively search for vouchers to reduce he cost of a whole manner of things.
5. Put 'wanted' posts of Freecycle.  I usually get what I want.
6. Get rid/sell your tumble dryer.
7. Buy supermarket value/everyday etc products.  The family usually cannot discern the difference.
8. Bulk buy when there are genuine reductions on products you actually need.  For example, last week Tesco were selling my usual bath foam [normal cost 59p] for 17p, so I bought 6.
9. If you have savings, but credit card debt, use your savings to pay off your debt.  Martin Lewis draws an important distinction between'good debt' and 'bad debt'.  He considers 'good debt' to be things like a mortgage and education.
10. Use both sides of printer paper.  At school we are now issued with our own termly supply of paper.  In order to make mine go further, I now re-use and print on both sides.  Moreover, I have started to apply this principle at home too.
11. Leave purse/wallet at home.  I now only take my purse with me if I know that I will need to fill up with fuel or have something very specific to buy that day.  This principle is proving highly effective.
12. Don't go window shopping.
13. If you can, buy what you can online, if free delivery applies.  For example, both my children needed new school shoes.  We knew their sizing and the style they wanted, so I bought them online, with free delivery.  If we had gone into town, I would have had to pay to park, been pestered for a Starbucks etc.
14. Batch cook.  Last night I cooked a wonderful butternut and bacon risotto.  There is now masses to freeze.  Similarly, I have loads of lentil and carrot curry to freeze, sitting in my slow cooker.
15. Use a slow cooker.  They provide delicious hot meals when you come in after a busy day and run on tiny amounts of electricity.  Plus you can make large batches of food, using cuts that take a long to time to cook.
16. However, on the subject of meat - reduce the amount you eat.  Meat is expensive and it is healthier to eat less.  Substitute for lentils, chickpeas etc.
17. Read frugal blogs.  I have found out so many new ways to save money through the blogging community.
18. Shower rather than bath.  This saves money on your water bill, if you are on a meter.  That said, when we do have baths, 3 of us use the water, one after the other.
19. Car share.  A colleague and I plan to do this, as soon as our schedules coincide.  In know others who do already.
20. Get things repaired - don't just default buy new.  For example, the hoze on my Dyson recently split.  I had had it for over a year and assumed it would be out of guarantee   Someone told me to check.  It turned out, it had a 2 year guarantee and they replaced it free of charge.
21. Use Youtube to watch videos on how to repair things.  You will find almost everything is on there.  For example, my son's braces came slightly unhinged at the back.  We found a video on how to re-thread.  This saved the fuel on a journey to the orthodontist.
22. Shop around for tariffs.  I used Bill Monitor to track my actual mobile phone usage prior to re-newing my contract.  I now pay almost £30 a month less for the contract, because I am on the correct contract for my needs.
23. Don't go food shopping with children, if you can avoid it.  Seriously, pester power is real and powerful.  My bill is ALWAYS much cheaper when I shop alone.
24. Take packed lunches, snacks and drinks to work - so much cheaper.
25. If you need to travel by train, and you know you are going somewhere well ahead of time, book in advance.  Superscout and the teenager's dad now lives in London.  They book their tickets online, well ahead of the date of travel.  I have been v pleasantly surprised at how inexpensive the tickets are.
26. Don't pay TV licence by quarterly direct debit.  If you do, you pay a £1.25 per quarter premium [£5 per year].  If you pay monthly, you don't.
27. Grow some vegetables, even if only a small amount.  I have a metre square raised bed and will plant 3 to 4 courgette plants in there.  When the courgettes get going, they will save me real money.  [The bed  itself is made from the sides of my old pine bed!]
28. Don't leave electrical items on standby.  Turn off lights in empty rooms.
29. Use half the recommended soap and conditioner when washing clothes.  I have been doing this for years and no-one has ever noticed.
30. Get to know trusted local tradesmen.  I now use a mobile mechanic to look after my car.  He is so much cheaper than a garage [I have actively compared prices]

So there you have it!  Let me know my frugal friends, what you think.

x

Tesco Everyday Value

Yesterday, I went shopping with superscout.  During our trip, we had a discusssion about the amount of Tesco Everyday Value products I buy.

Since the re-branding from Value to Everyday Value, I seem to buying a lot more.  Superscout says it is because of the re-branding.  I am not sure.  I feel that the quality has improved.

In a way, does it matter?  If I am happy, as the customer/consumer, surely that is a good thing.

Here is a selection of products we currently have in our cupboards:

 

What do you buy of a similar nature?  Any top tips?

x

Norfolk 5th to 8th April 2013

Superscout [13] and I [!] had a lovely time in Norfolk.

We stayed at Pontins Pakefield, at £9.50 per head, courtesy of The Sun.  However, there was an approx £45 supplement to pay on top of that.  From a frugal point of view, once cost of fuel, approx £60 [2 x 3.5 hours] is taken into account, I am not sure how economical it was. I know, for example, that Sarah across on Little family of 3, has gone on a similar break, but for £65.

I will be very interested to find out more details when she gets back, because next time I might be better off waiting for a late deal, closer to home.

That said, someone I work with says that once you have been on a Sun holiday, and are therefore in the system, you receive a priority booking code in the future; thus securing wider/better choice of parks.  I did want either Devon, Cornwall, Gloucestershire etc, but all where gone.  Hence Norfolk.

Anyway, to the break itself:

On the first day we drove to Toad Hole, a Victorian eel catchers cottage.  It was small, but interesting. [I have a degree in History and love all that stuff]

Whilst we we were there we walked along the banks of the Broad that runs adjacent to it.  It is a very beautiful and peaceful landscape.

 

On the way back, we had fish and chips in Great Yarmouth.  Both superscout and I  were not impressed with GY.

On the second day we went to Somerleyton Hall.  We spent several happy hours together looking around the gardens, where superscout took lots of photographs. [When she has edited them, I hope to post some]

We also treated ourselves to lunch in the cafe.  I had spinach and potato soup; delicious.

 

It was lovely to get away and to be with SS, she really is a wonderful child.  We had a laugh, seeing the accomodation for what it was....................I wanted to go to the Disco Bingo, but she is too well brought up and wouldn't allow it!!!!!!!! We ate well, because we took out slow cooker and had some nice treats.

We really are very lucky.

x