Ready for next year.

 The calendar I bought last year cost £1. I think this year they will be more than that. I am a bit choosy where calendars are concerned, I like a big enough space to write on. Don't need pictures. It sits on my desk so I remember to fill it in daily, and can refer to it when I am on the phone. 

The last time I went to Home Bargains I forgot to buy one, and I haven't seen them in Aldi. As I don't go to any other shops I might not be able to get one in time for the new year. And I must have one so I can record my walking miles. 

I could make one, and so I did. I don't have a printer so make it by hand. Twelve pages of thin card, 4cm squares, fill in the months and the days of the week on each page. Add the dates. Perfect, exactly what I need, and it cost me nothing. 

It's a lousy day today. Getting dark at 3pm, and raining. Cats are both inside. Now to get on with something else. Thanks for popping in. Toodle pip.   ilona

Basket case ;o)

A corner of my kitchen just after I have had a tidy up. I try and keep it tidy, but this corner gets a bit busy after I have been shopping. In the basket on the left are bananas, onions, and potatoes. Other fruits are in a bowl, and loose. I keep them visible to remind me that I must eat them. The smaller basket in the corner is where I keep the stick blender and a toilet roll, in case I need to wipe up a spillage. The basket on the right is for bread, crackers, buns, cake and biscuits. Yes, I do have the occasional sweet treat, I am allowed.  

As this is the side where I do my prep, the mini chopper is kept here because I use it most days. 

Just along from there on the same side, next to the cooker, are a couple of trays, which I keep forgetting to use. Mostly I walk through to the next room with my meal, carrying  the plate. Four mugs which I saved from a skip. They were about to get chucked and I was there at the right time. You will see that a mug is upside down on a can of cider. I do that if I don't want to drink the cider all at once. Sometimes I drink it over two days. 

My glass chopping board lives here permanently. The picture isn't very clear because I put the flash on. First I put a pillow case or a tea towel down, lay the board on top, then fold it over to cover it. I can leave utensils and plates on the board and cover them up so that it looks tidy. The two knives, one for spreading one for peeling and chopping, always stay on the board. Sometimes I have a couple of spoons there as well. So all I have to do when starting to prepare food is lift the cover without having to go into the drawer for utensils. 

I think it's important to have a kitchen laid out properly so that everything is close to where you want to use it. My crockery cupboard is next to the sink so that when the pots have air dried on the drainer they can be put straight into the cupboard. 

My dried food, canned food, and cereals are in the tall cupboard to the left of the baskets. Easily reached when I prep a meal. 

The cooker is next to the chopping board, next to that is the microwave on top of a small cupboard, and next to that is the fridge freezer. All in a line, all on one side. 

I don't like a lot of clutter on the worktops, so as soon as I have finished making and eating a meal I rinse off the pots and pans, and put them on the drainer. Sometimes I get a bit lazy then I have to blitz the lot and have a big clean and tidy up. 

Kitchen and bathroom and toilets are priority here, they get cleaned. The other rooms do not have to be pristine. I live here, it's my home, it's not a show house. So if anyone comes to visit I point at the sign I have in the front porch, You are welcome to come in, but do not moan about the cat hairs. 

Thanks for popping in. Toodle pip.   ilona

My end of year message.

Good Morning, on the last day of the year. It's been a good one for me. I've had holidays and days out. Visited some nice places. Had fun times with my friends. Made some art. Walked a lot. Lived within my means and only spent what I can afford. I've loved my cats, supported charities, and have made people laugh. The world is too serious, I try to be cheerful because I have absolutely no reason not to be.

My mission for 2020 is more of the same. I will be walking the 1000 miles again, starting tomorrow. I will visit more places, and talk to more strangers. I will act the fool, take the micky out of myself to encourage people to laugh. We need more laughter. I like to brighten the day with a bit of banter.

I choose a simple life, my needs are simple, and I choose to keep a positive attitude. No matter how many trolls have a go at me, I will laugh in their faces. (Side note to flis, ignore, you know what I mean). They are only harming themselves when they spew their sarcasm and nastiness. So dear readers, don't forget, you have choices too.

I would like to take this opportunity, as we head for a brand new year, of thanking everyone who visits my blog. Thank you to those who take the time to comment. Thank you to the International Walking Group members who stick with it in their quest to stay healthy, and to lift their minds and spirits. Thank you to those who have made changes to make their own lives better, those who are now successfully budgeting their income, and to sharing your stories with me. It makes blogging worthwhile for me. Thank you to those who thank me.

Walking group please check in tomorrow with your END OF YEAR MILES. Lets all rejoice together at our achievements. We welcome new members, anyone can join in. They just need some means of keeping track of their progress. Every 1st day of the month is check in day. We like to encourage each other, no matter how many miles you are able to do. If you can make the 1000 that's brilliant, if you want to set your own targets, that's also brilliant. The key is to be focused, and to be constant, little and often will get you there.

Checking out on the last day of 2019, and looking forward to a new and shiny 2020. A very Happy New Year to everybody.
Best wishes,  ilona

I can make those.

A few months ago I found these embroidery silks in a charity shop. They were in a bag for £2.50. A good buy I thought. My embroidery threads are in a bit of a tangle loose in a box, so I thought these plastiky bits were a good way to keep them tidy. 

I think it must be a bit of a laborious task to transfer silks onto these , but at least it's easy to find the colours you need.

 I don't know how much it costs to buy the plastic bits, but why not make them for nothing. Some plastics are easy to cut with nail scissors.

There you are, two home made spools, now how many more do I need.

They don't cost very much to buy, on eeeeebay I found 100 for £3.29 with free postage. As I don't buy off the internet and I am not registered with eeeebay, and as I prefer to pay cash, I won't bother. I can make them.

The storage boxes to put them in are also for sale. I've found one for £6.49, free postage. I have made my own out of a cat food pouch box, cut down to size. This will do me fine.

Has anyone been over to John's blog yet, he is doing a feature entitled, 'My Corner'. Everyone sends in a photo of their favourite corner of their house or garden, and he posts them on his blog. Some lovely places to sit and relax and spend quality time doing hobbies or whatever. I sent him my corner. Craft table by the back window looking out over the garden. I picked up a smashing free lamp from my Aunties house clearance, now I can carry on working when it gets dark outside. Have a look, interesting to peek.You'll have to keep going back because more are arriving daily.
 

Looking like a day indoors today. Windy and showery. Plenty to do.  ilona

What are your daily priorities?

Hello. How are you at prioritizing? In some aspects of my life I am really good, like eating the food which is going to go off the quickest, first. That is easy to do, check the fridge daily, check the freezer and cupboards monthly, bring stuff to be eaten first, to the front.

Prioritizing the washing, also easy. Underwear gets changed daily, into the basket, I only wear pants, gave up with bra's ten years ago. Visually check clothes, wash if dirty or smelly. I wear scruffs around the house and change when I go out. Once back into the house, it's on with the scruffs again. Household linens, just guess when they need washing, apply similar principle as with clothes, eyes and nose test.

Window cleaning. When I get fed up of squinting through grubby glass I clean them. Inside is cleaned often, but outside is whenever I get round to it. I look at the houses across the road and think do they look dirty? Nope, can't see any dirt, so maybe they can't see the dust on my less than sparkly clean windows.

Prioritizing housework. I do try with this, I really do. I keep myself clean, the kitchen and bathroom are clean enough for me, but the rest of the house could do with a good going over by someone who really likes housework. I will whip the dyson around, and dusting gets done once a year whether it needs it or not. I am no Hyacinth Bucket, neither am I a contender for Aggy and Kim's extreme measures cleaning service. I do just enough.

So, splitting tasks into categories I can do, but it's integrating the tasks that need doing, with the things I would rather be doing. As an example, The stairs need a good going over, this means getting the dyson out and getting on hands and knees. But I have art projects that need finishing, and ideas for some I want to start.

It's getting near the time when the windows need cleaning on the outside. But I am half way through building a new cat shelter outside and I want to finish that today. I did manage to do a task that I don't particularly like doing last week, I washed the car, it was quite mucky, and needed doing ages ago, so scored a few Brownie points there.

I don't much like deadlines, would rather take each day as it comes, but I have things written on the calendar which I must prepare for. It's six weeks to the Open Gardens, so lots to do outside, and I have to think about the exhibition in August. I know it seems a long way off, but I need more artworks.

Then of course there is the Walking Challenge which I must do, don't want to fall behind on that And I have two WI talks to do in July, not much preparation needed for them.

Some people swear by making lists to help them prioritize, I very rarely do, I am not a list person. I just hope for the best and hope things turn out right. I have tried lists, and very soon get bored with them. I write a few things down, tick them off, then can't be bothered to add more notes on the bottom.

I think a lot of things aren't worth stressing about, like some of the housework tasks I have mentioned above. It doesn't matter that there are a few crumbs on the floor or there are cat hairs on the stair carpet, if I don't look down I won't see them. I have the same solution to cobwebs on the ceiling, don't look up.

Anyway, I have completed one task for today, this blog post, now I am going outside to finish the cat shelter. I am super excited by this, creating something is far better than doing mundane tasks.

It's my birthday soon, for those who sent me a card a year ago, you don't need to send one this year. I still have those cards up, I never got round to taking them down. Another non priority job, ha ha.

Have a nice weekend, I'm off outside. Thanks for popping in, we'll catch up soon.
Toodle pip

PS. A few minutes after I posted this I found out that Sue's husband Col has passed away. Sue from the Cottage at the End of the Lane has been blogging for a long while and I feel I have got to know her. My very best wishes to you Sue, and your family. So sorry. Lots of love xxx

You win some, you lose some

Hello. I managed to save a few £'s yesterday by making a phone call. Every year I get a renewal letter from the RAC, (breakdown and recovery policy), and every year I ring them up and ask why has it gone up so much. They usually find a way to knock a bit off and so I agree to the new amount that they have offered. Well now I an fed up of doing that, so this time it's curtains, cancelled I am not paying the extra 20 quid that they want.

I rang my insurance brokers because they have offered me a much better price in the past for the same RAC cover, so now I am moving to them. Seems a bit bonkers to me, you pay direct to the RAC and it costs more than going through another channel.

Ok, so now I want to explain why I use an insurance broker for my car insurance. Some will say, they cost more, yes they probably do because they have premises and staff to pay for, but I am paying for a service in the same way that someone might pay a window cleaner or a gardener, or a cleaner. I can clean my own windows, look after my own garden, and clean my own house, so savings there. 

I know my weaknesses and big numbers are not my strong point. I am confused by spreadsheets, and the small print in policies, who reads them all anyway. I want to get it right so I speak to my broker on the phone as I have been doing for the last 48 years. They explain everything to me, I get a real person in an office, I know where the office is I have visited it in the past. It's a family business which I stick with because they provide a good service. They are the experts in insurance, and after all this time they are still in business.

I know, things have moved forward, people can look for better deals on the internet. That's fine for those who want to spend time doing that. There is a trade off between time and money. You can save all the money you like on every aspect of your life, and you can become obsessed by saving money. You can search out the best deals on every penny you spend, but if money is controlling your life, you will have no life worth living.

I know the areas where I am hot on saving money, I know the amount of time I am willing to invest in achieving those savings. Some people are not so keen on saving a few £'s on food shopping, doing it my way takes time and effort to go around the shops comparing prices. Others would rather tap a few keys on a keyboard to do their shopping. I see that physically walking around shops is better for me, I am in the open air, I am walking, I am not sat at home looking at a screen.

I am now going to cancel the direct debit to the RAC, I am leaving them. The wheels are in motion for joining the RAC via my insurance broker. I know there are other breakdown companies out there, but I would rather stick with a known brand, a man, or woman (I have yet to meet one), in an orange van.

There are many different way of saving money, people have different needs and wants. I do the best for me, now you do the best for you.

A note has popped up in the corner of my screen, Scott has a new video out on yoootooob, so now I'm going to get a coffee and watch that. It's raining, and it's mobile library day, so I won't be going far. Thanks for popping in, we'll catch up soon.
Toodle pip

Storage solutions on the cheap.

Hello my little Blogerettes, howz ya didlin? The snow has almost gone here in North Lincolnshire, I'm not sure about other parts of the country though, they have had more than us.

I've made a video for you, I got it just about right first time this time, no retakes, ha ha. What you see is what you get, no editing. It's about using what you already have to store bits and bobs in, rather than going out to the shops and buying containers. With the whole plastic thing in the news at the moment, and the plastic boxes stacked sky high in the shops, I thought I would do my bit to point out that actually you might already have something in the house to keep your nails/screws/threads, paint brushes, crafting bits and pieces and anything else, tidy.



Blimey, it's only been live for twenty minutes and already someone has viewed it. It's 16 minutes long by the way.

Right, I'm going for a little bimble, and will pop in to check on Tina puss cat. I am splitting my walks into two at 2 miles each, the house is on my route so I can call in twice a day as I am passing.

Thanks for popping in, we'll catch up soon.
Toodle pip

Pay attention.

Hello. Have you ever thought about how carelessness and familiarization with your surroundings can impact on your bank balance? Can you see the connection with everything in it's place and a place for everything, equals saving money? Or, lacking in organizational skills can lead to more bills, more expenses to pay out?

I have been thinking about how every day activities can be linked with either money spending or money saving. The things we do automatically without thinking may not always be the best way. We can get into sloppy habits because we are not paying attention. Here are some of my ideas.

Where do you keep your car and house keys, any keys for that matter? It's easy to come into the house and sling them in the nearest kitchen drawer. Easy to pick them up again before you leave the house. They will always be there, mostly they are, but not always. Don't tell me that you hang them on a hook on the wall just inside the front door, that is just asking for trouble. Thieves know the most likely places to find keys. Only a few weeks ago a house near here was broken into, they found the keys to three cars on the drive, they were all gone in a matter of minutes. I hide my keys in another room of the house. I know where they are, no one else does. They would have to ransack the place before they find them.

Same with purses, wallets, and handbags. In the kitchen cupboard? In the office? Don't make it easy for thieves, hide things away out of sight, somewhere where they might not think of looking.

There are desperate people out there who are not getting any benefits and will resort to robbery to fund their lifestyle. You think you are safe in your own house, but you are not if you leave a door unlocked. Opportunist thieves will try doors until they find one unlocked, and woe betide anyone who is inside. You don't want that to happen, so lock your doors.

Next, walking about in towns, anywhere, you are carrying money, keys, phone, and cards. Keep them safe in zipped pockets, always check that the zips are fully closed after making a purchase. Do not leave the shop until you have checked your change and have your card stowed away safely. If you have to carry a bag use a small across the body bag with a shoulder strap. Put it on over your clothes but under your coat or jacket. While walking about check that you still have all your valuables in your possession. Pick pocketing is rife, bag snatching is rife, and now we have hoodies riding about on mopeds looking for victims who are yakking into their mobile phones while not taking a bit of notice about what is going on around them. It only takes a split second for a snatch to take place.

You think you are safe while driving about in your metal box, but you are not. When you get in your car what is the first thing you do, chuck your bag on the front passenger seat or in the front footwell, then drive off. That's a no no. At least hide your bag, your purse, but better still, lock all your doors. Bags have been stolen while a car is sat at traffic lights on red. It takes no time at all for someone to come alongside. open the door and make off with your valuables. It happens. They could be on foot or on a bicycle, they will escape through the crowds, and you are stuck in a traffic jam in your car.

As for parking your car, try and leave it in a busy street, not somewhere hidden away. Park near houses if you can, and lock it. Thieves will try car doors in the middle of the night even when your car is on your own driveway, they have been caught on CCTV cameras. Do not leave anything in your car when you lock it and leave it. Last week Humberside police tweeted that a car had been broken into, cards found and a substantial amount of money had been spent on them within hours. Who would be so daft as to leave their cards in their car? I do despair. Do not leave anything in your car.

Yet another case of stolen dogs has come up on my Facebook this morning, it's happening all the time. They are stolen from back gardens on a regular basis. Apart from the mental anguish that follows from a pet disappearing, there is also the monetary loss as well. Six dogs were stolen from the back of a Transit van recently. Only a couple of weeks ago someone left their two dogs in the multistory car park at Manchester which went up in flames, while they went out for a meal. The brave fire brigade went in and got them out before they died. I suppose you could put it down to the owner making a mistake and leaving them for a few minutes, but it shouldn't happen. You have to be aware of why dogs are stolen. People see dog breeding as an easy way of making money. They will steal a dog, impregnate it, or use it (male) for stud, keep it in squalid conditions until it gives birth and then kick it out. Often a stolen dog will be sold on to an unsuspecting buyer. Some of them are finding their way back to the original owner because of chipping, but not all are chipped. So my message here is, do not let your dogs out of your sight, make sure they are in a safe place at all times.

And the connection to money saving? Every little mishap, every mistake, every time complacency takes over and you are not watching what you are doing, you walk zombie like into disaster. Your purse is gone, the cash is gone, you have to phone the bank and cancel the cards and order new ones. Your car is stolen, or damaged, you have to contact your insurance to claim, your premium goes up the following year. You have to replace the car or get it repaired. Your mobile phone is gone, all your details are in there, your contact numbers, you are in danger of someone stealing your identity, the repercussions could be horrendous.

And losing a beloved pet has to be the most painful of the lot. Nothing is as bad as that. Material things can be replaced, but finding that your best friend has been taken by strangers, who will probably not treat it very well, is enough to make you say, why did I not take more care of it.

Something to think about. Pay attention, take care of your possessions, and I don't mean become paranoid about it. Just get into the habit of taking simple precautions.

I'm off. Thanks for popping in, we'll catch up soon.
Toodle pip

Even more inspiration from Marigold

Hello. And now for the third and final part of Marigold's email. I see her words of wisdom have prompted a lot of readers to share their own experiences of money saving and simple living. Thank you for your comments so far.

So what's this post about? In her first sentence she talks about the fear of being without. It's a natural feeling that most people have at some point in their life. What would happen if my house burnt down, how would I take care of myself if I had no income? We all hope that these disasters don't crop up in our lives, but they could happen to any of us.

So, we take out insurances, and stockpile just in case, because it gives us a cushion if we need it. How many people have gone through the whole of their lives and never claimed off their insurance? How many people have lost food at the back of their cupboards and in the bottom of the freezer, for it to become inedible and have to be thrown away? Be brave, I say. I have house insurance for the fabric of the house, sensible, because I couldn't afford to pay for repairs should a disaster strike. I don't have contents insurance because I can afford to replace things, second hand if needed. I have car insurance because it's a legal requirement. I have breakdown cover because I don't want to leave myself vulnerable in case I break down in the middle of nowhere. I keep minimum food in my cupboards and freezer, nothing gets lost at the back in this house. 

Marigold talks about her credit card trapping her, I bet not many people realize this is happening to them. It's a yoyo way of living. If you take your credit up to the max, and then find you have to empty your bank account to pay it off each month, what's the point? You are living beyond your means and you are trapped. My credit limit is £3,100. I never take it up to that limit, with one exception, when I change my car, every three or four years. And even then I have the cash to pay it off in full.

Marigold mentions her credit rating. In the UK a credit rating is just a number, it means nothing. What lenders look at is your CREDIT HISTORY, how you have been managing your finances over a period of time. I have no idea what my credit rating or history says about me, I don't care. All I know is that I don't owe anyone anything.

I've been rabbiting on a bit here, so I'll shut up and paste the last part of Marigold's email. I have just remembered she has sent a second email and after checking it again I see there are also some important points in there as well. So, tomorrow is Christmas Eve, and to finish off this series I shall post some more of Marigolds wise words from this second email.

Your viewpoint has helped me to face my fear of being without.  My Mum was raised in the Depression and I inherited a lot of her ideas being a Post WW2 baby also.   My cupboards are overstocked (in case of an emergency) and I loose things at the back. Now we are eating through this reserve.  

Also I faced up to the way my credit card use was trapping me.  I would work for ages to get my balance down and then within a week I'd take it back up to the original level.  Then I would try to pay off a bulk amount from saving and again repeat the behaviour.   I faced that I am no good with a Credit Card, I took money out of my saving and closed it and cut the card up.   I am trying to finish my preparations for Christmas and I am making do with a very small budget....usually I realise I would cope by going into debt on the Credit Card.  I'm trying to keep my fear that I will not have a good credit rating now under control...ridiculous as banks will not give me loans now i am 65...not that I need one now!  And also the fear that in an emergency I will not have any rescue resources keeps playing out but is beginning to quieten down.  Without the card I am more prosperous.

Come back tomorrow, even though it's Christmas, the money saving, simple living, whatever you like to call it, still goes on. Thanks for popping in, we'll catch up soon.
Toodle pip

Organize your bits and pieces

Hello. I try and keep things tidy so I know where to find things. There are plastic storage boxes you can buy, of varying sizes, to store small items in. I don't spend money if I can find a cheaper or free alternative. My bead collection is stored in various tins and boxes. These two plastic trays once contained posh cakes from M & S, I nabbed them after a party as they were about to be thrown out. The trays fit exactly inside an old chocolate tin, one on top of the other. 

In this tin I have a couple of ice cube trays, and small individual pots made by cutting the top off some supplement containers. I collect all kinds of plastics and have had these for a long time, when I used to take extra vitamins. Yes, I fell into the trap of thinking I needed them, but having not taken any for several years, I now know they did not make any difference to my general health and well being.

Another tin, this one has those small yogurty type drinks bottles in it, with the tops cut off. I buy these if they are on a yellow sticker, would never pay full price for them. They make handy little containers for bits and pieces.

Those Ferrero Rocher plastic boxes make good storage boxes as well. You can see at a glance what you have without taking the lid off. 

Has anyone else got their own unique storage system made with re purposed tins, boxes, jars, and plastic bottles? Share your tips so we can save money by not buying new from a shop.

Thanks for popping in. We'll catch up soon. Toodle pip

Keeping track of where the money goes

Hello and good morning. It's Friday, and as Ready Steady Go used to say at the beginning of their Friday night music programme, the weekend starts here. Thank you all so much for your comments on the previous post, your words made very useful and enlightening contributions. It's great to get the views of others, adds meat to the bare bones if you like. It's a subject that needs to be aired on occasions, to highlight the good work of Women's Refuge, and to show that if anyone is suffering in silence there are places to get help. 

So, what's on the agenda today? My winter fuel bills, as expected were quite high, so this has prompted me to sort out my utility bill files, put them in order, and work out the figures for the past year. 

Most people prefer to pay monthly by direct debit which comes straight out of their bank account. I am a bit old fashioned, I like to use the utilities first, gas, electric, and water, then pay for them on a quarterly or half yearly bill. The direct debit system works ok for those who have multiple financial commitments and find it difficult to keep track. Not a good idea to miss paying essential bills, they need to be paid. My financial commitments are simple and I find it easy to budget on a monthly and yearly basis.

So what's the situation at Tightwad Towers. I have some figures in front of me.
Four gas bills from April 15 to April 16
£5.30  April to July. Cooking and baths.
£5.84  July to Sept. Cooking and baths.
£32.64  Sept to Dec. Also, bit chilly, some heating.
£98.13  Dec to April. Also, cold bit more heating.
Total £141.91 for the year. Average £11.82 per month.

Four electricity bills from April 15 to April 16.
£26.55  April to July. Longer days, spend time outside.
£38.41  July to Sept  Don't go out much in school holidays.
£23.40 Sept to Nov  Cutting down in readiness for winter.
£71.99  Nov to April  Lights on, staying in. Computer on.
Total £160.35. Average £13.36 per month.

I have two water bills a year from two companies. Water into the house and waste water out  from Anglian. I am on a meter. Surface water removal by Severn Trent.
Anglian
£35.67 Dec 14 to June 15
£32.55 June 15 to Dec 15
Total £68.22.
Severn Trent
£28.49 Oct 15
£28.49 April 16
Total £56.98
Total water charges for the year. £125.20.  Average £10.43 per month.

The other regular bill coming in is taken by direct debit, my broadband and land line is paid monthly. When I changed supplier this was the only option offered. I get an email every month from EE, which I don't bother reading because I know more or less what is in it. I can confirm the amounts when I get my bank statement. It is usually around £35 a month. I could probably get it cheaper if I shopped around, but I don't want to be tied into any contracts, and then after the one or two year period have to look for another deal. I count my computer as my hobby and entertainment. I don't go out hardly at all in the evenings, don't pay a TV licence, don't go to the pub, don't eat out. My unlimited broadband is as important to me as my gas and electric.

I won't go into detail on my other expenses, I have house insurance but not contents insurance. I have all the costs involved in running a nice car, road tax, insurance, MOT, recovery, and depreciation. For any new people who have started reading, I don't have a mortgage or pay rent.

So there you are. Financial review all done and dusted. Have you looked at your bills lately? Do you keep them in a file? Or are they all computerized? Maybe you do a spread sheet on the computer, I don't. Maybe you do internet banking, I don't. Do what's best for you.

Thanks for popping in. We'll catch up soon.
Toodle pip

Keeping on track, a review

Good morning. I will zap off this post early being as I missed yesterday. From time to time I review my money saving activities, to ascertain if they are still relevant today as they were when I first started on my frugal living journey. You might have noticed there is a list of money saving tips on a separate page, link at the top, I have been checking through them to see if they still apply now.

Almost every aspect of  living expenses can be tweaked and pruned by making choices. Make a wrong choice and you will find you pay more than you need to. Saying that, everyone's aspirations for a better life are different, so there is no, 'one size fits all'. The areas I save money in may not be the same as yours. So why am I so tight when it comes to spending? Easy answer, because I like to be in control. I will not hand over any money willynilly, every purchase is carefully thought out.

The first question I ask myself is, 'do I need it?' If yes, then where is the cheapest place I can get it. If no, how much do I want it, and do I have enough money to pay for it without skinting myself. At this point treats come into it. Nothing wrong in treating yourself now and again, but a treat to me is something I allow myself occasionally. My treats might be a small bar of chocolate, a bottle of wine, a can of cider, a bag of crisps, or  a magnum ice cream. I spread my treats out over several weeks or months. One bottle of wine a month spread over four days. One magnum when I am on a day out or holiday. One small choc bar if I really fancy it, but my self discipline always kick in when I am in a shop and I will not pick one up as an afterthought to add to my other purchases.

So, basically, I save money in some areas to channel that cash into other areas which are important to me. I like a nice car so I save up for one. I have pets so I need money for that. These might seem like fixed costs that I can't cut down on, but as I said, all aspects of living expenses can be tweaked and pruned. I could buy a cheaper car which costs less to run, but I can afford the one I have. I could have just one cat. I am at my maximum of pets cost wise at the moment, and would not take on any more. I have a budget for them and I am at my limit. Utilities are flexible costs, I can choose when to flick switches, when to turn things on and off. I can monitor usage through my meter readings.

So let's have a look at the money saving list. I will pick out a few to review.

Before I wash my clothes I inspect them to see if they are dirty or smell. Yes, I still do that. It's a waste of water, electricity, and soap powder to wash clean clothes. Will they last one more wearing before they need a wash. I wash everything on a 30 degree, 30 minute wash, using two dessertspoons of powder for each load, and dry everything outside. If the weather prevents me from drying outside, I have enough clothes to delay a wash until a good drying day comes along, windy or sunny.

Cut down on tea and coffee, heat a mug of  water in the microwave and add a dash of fruit juice. Yes, I still do that. I very rarely use my electric kettle because it needs two mugs of water to cover the element. I know you can put some in a flask for later, but I only have one hot drink in the morning, the rest of the time I have cold drinks, and they are very watered down juice drinks.

Check bank statements and credit card statements for any direct debits that are not needed any more. I keep my direct debits to an absolute minimum, preferring to pay bills by cheque into the bank My mobile phone is topped up at the local shop, £10 every two months. I have an annual DD for my Youth Hostel membership, and car recovery service. £4 goes to googlie for posting unlimited photo's on my blog, and a monthly DD goes out for house insurance, and landline/broadband. That's all, makes it easy for me to monitor.

Buy children's tooth brushes, they are cheaper than adult brushes. Yes, I still do that. A three minute scrub with a small brush gives the same results as a bigger one. My dentist always asks if I use an electric brush, my answer is no. Why do I want to spend money on a gadget that will need charging up, and new brushes to purchase every so often, when I can do the same thing using wrist power. And while on the subject of teeth, I only use toothpaste in the morning. I like to start the day with a fresh clean mouth. All other times I brush with water only. It's the time spent brushing that counts, and using the correct technique, plus flossing, which gets rid of the food trapped between them. I must be doing it right because I've had five years of all clear check ups.

Use wash cloths instead of paper towels. Yes, I cut up old cotton sheets, old towels, and use them as dishcloths. When they are past their useful life in the kitchen they get relegated to floor cloths, shoe polishing cloths, window cleaning cloths, and dusters, when I can be bothered to dust. I have a couple in the bathroom for wiping bath, basin, and toilet down. And the very old cloths get used as cat litter box wipes after I have scrubbed them out and they need to be dry before refilling with fresh litter. When I throw cleaning cloths away they are manky. Just a note to add to this. I do have a paper towel roll, I use it for a dribbly nose. It lasts longer than a conventional box of tissues because it doesn't fall apart so quickly, and my nose is constantly cold and wet, even though I never catch a cold. A bit like a dogs, ha ha. I never ever buy J cloths, wet wipes, dish cloths, floor cloths, or boxes of tissues.

I still wear boys and men's underpants as opposed to ladies knickers. I haven't had to buy any for years, they last ages, never fall apart, and never stretch and go baggy. They are a snug fit, no uncomfortable floss up the bum or cheeks hanging out. Anyone with a small bottom would save loads of money by making the switch. They come in all colours.

Tidy your food cupboard and have a stock check. Yes I still do that. I know exactly what tins, packets and frozen I have, no festering unmentionables lurking at the back waiting to be chucked out. I keep my spices to a minimum, no small glass jars of goodness knows what hanging about. I don't follow recipes for cooking, because if you do, you need to check you have the ingredients first, if not then you buy it. So easy to be left with half a jar of this, half a packet of that, never to be used again. I make my meals with whatever I have in, I improvise, I use up what I already have. No recipe books in my house.

Moving on to food shopping. I don't take a list, I go with an open mind. There is no item of food that I must get, I buy whatever is a good price and I can substitute one item for another. I like expensive foods like they have at Marks and Sparks, but would never shop there unless it has a yellow sticker, and that isn't likely to happen because their big store is on the edge of town. I am not loyal to one supermarket but will cherry pick from those I am close to, or passing to and from somewhere else. I will not waste petrol running around from shop to shop. My motto is, 'pop in when passing', especially if it is between 5 and 9pm. Another motto, 'worth a look'.

Don't buy food out. I know the times when my stomach will be grumbling for food, so if I am going anywhere and I know I will need to eat, I take a snack with me. A sandwich, a drink, a piece of fruit, a few cream crackers a piece of cheese etc. If I don't eat when I am hungry I start getting wobbly, and that means eat something now. So rather than dashing in a shop, I have something in my bag. I eat before I go food shopping, because being hungry in a supermarket aisle will trigger off my desire to grab whatever is available. This has happened on occasions, and not wanting to give in to junk, I have been scouring the shelves for something suitable to eat. I might pick up a cheese and onion pasty or a banana, to satisfy my hunger. One thing I cannot bring myself to buy is ready made sandwiches, even if they have been reduced to pennies. No thanks.

I like to review my money saving and spending habits now and again, just to check I am on the right track. To check I am not slipping back into spending more than I can comfortably afford. I read other money saving sites to see if there is anything I am missing, any good ideas I should be doing. It's easy to take your eye off the ball and slip back. I don't keep a spending diary any more, by keeping my outgoings and incomings simple, all the information is stored in my head. As long as that bank balance stays in the black I am ok. It may dip a little at times when there is a big bill to pay, the next one will be car insurance, but exercising restraint for a few weeks will bring it back up again. Swings and roundabouts comes to mind.

Your priorities will probably be different to mine, but whatever you spend your money on, it has to be what you can afford without going into debt. Some sacrifices have to be made to be able to live the life you want to live. I want a nice car, I don't eat out. You eat out twice a week, go to the gym, get a coffee in a cardboard cup every day, and you make do with a cheaper car. Your choice, my choice. Don't come moaning to me that your car is clapped out and you can't afford the repairs.

Thanks very much for popping in, I hope I have given you something to think about. Time to take my best friend out. He is lying on the carpet, I'll get his lead.

Toodle pip

Rabbiting on

Hello. At last, I'm sitting down and chillin with a mug of coffee, it's been a hectic day. Yesterday I thought I didn't have much to do today, and could spend the day sewing. It didn't turn out like that. First off I noticed that Bugsy's claws needed clipping, and I don't have the tool to do that. Luckily Janet has, so she came round and did the deed, me holding him tight in a towel, she trimmed.

Then I made the decision to take Heidi to the vet, her neck looks sore and she is looking a bit sad. I have bathed it but it doesn't seem to be healing. I needed to get there for 11.30 and be first in the queue, the vet should turn up at 12noon on a Friday. She was a bit late, that's normal, she gets held up at the main practice. Marion said she though Heidi might be anaemic and suggested blood tests. I thought that was a good idea, but best to go to the main practice some miles away for that. She rang and made an appointment for me.

Back home for lunch. Check emails. There was one from the Rabbit Rescue. A neighbour has two rabbits which she wants to re home, she has been waiting for a place for them. I have been helping her out with feeding them because she is busy. Now the rescue has a place and the neighbour is away on holiday. I know the lady who runs the rescue, that's why she emailed me, so I offered to deliver the rabbits. Then I went round to the neighbours father who lives down the road, to ok it with him. Yes fine he said. It was arranged for a 7pm delivery.

Then off to the vet again, the big practice on the other side of town, with Heidi. I had to wait a long time, they were busy. Heidi has had a sample of blood taken, the results will be through on Tuesday. She has also had an antibiotic injection for her sore neck. Poor Heidi.

I called in at the small Tesco on the way back to get some milk, and some treats for Heidi, I need to get her to eat more. Make myself a quick dinner with courgettes, mushrooms and celeriac. Then neighbours father came round and between us we got the rabbits into the cat carrier box. The food, hay, and water bottles went with them.

The rabbit lady runs the rescue from her home. She has a courtyard at the back of the house with all the pens, it looks very comfortable, and clean, and well organized. There are plants in pots, secure pens, and lots of bunnies. Mandy is the Founder and has been running it since 1996. She is dedicated to rescuing rabbits and every Sunday morning you can see her at the local car boot sale raising funds for them. Here is a link to Scunthorpe Rabbit Rescue.

Phew, now I'm back home and able to sit down for a rest. It's been a busy day, always something to do.
Thank you to those who have emailed me about the possibility of meeting up in Norfolk next month. I shall reply soon. Have a nice weekend, and thanks for popping in.
Toodle pip

Here's a bit more rabbit.

Crafting with friends

Hello. It was back to the Crafty Club this morning. I've missed two weeks due to walking trips, so it was nice to meet up with the ladies again and find out what everyone is making. It was almost a full house, twelve people round the table with one missing, and for once I was on time. I took some of my recent makes to show, and Janet brought some of hers along. You have seen mine, so here are a few pics of Janet's. She has completed a cross stitch wall hanging, of three quirky cat pictures, on a black background. I love these. 

She has made a sleeve at the back to insert a wooden rod for hanging purposes. Once again her stitching is perfect. 

A piece of patchwork has been hanging around for ages, and now she has finally finished it and made an over the knees quilt. The hexi flowers are separated by shades of green to make a flower garden. It is so pretty. Two ladies are holding it up for me so I can get the whole thing on the photo.

It's a smashing group, people swap ideas, help each other to learn new techniques, and pass on surplus crafting materials. We are working together to make a Christmas tree for the festival of Christmas Trees, held annually at a church in town. Janet has a large piece of green felt rescued from a snooker table which is perfect for the job. We will all be making the decorations for it. No rush, we've got until December to do it.

I know Kath has a Crafty Group in her home town, does anyone else go to one? If you don't have a group  perhaps you could start one. All it needs is the use of a room, in a Village Hall, or other community building, put a few posters about, ask friends to ask their friends, and bingo. It only needs three or four people to start, once word gets around more people will join. There needs to be a small charge to cover the room hire, tea and coffee. Best to check whether insurance is included in that fee. Weekly meetings of two hours is not such a big commitment. It would be a lot cheaper than joining the W.I.

I am in and out a lot at the moment, so some of the posts may be a bit short. I have a friends cats to look after which needs two visits a day. They also get a third visit from another friend, we sit with them for a while, so I am getting to see some tele while I am there. Today was library day, the books needed changing.  Rocky is loving all the attention he is getting when I push him around the village, so it is becoming part of our daily routine. I'll sign off now, because it's time we were having a bimble. Thanks for popping in.
Toodle pip

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

Five year review.

I have just discovered that I am rich. I have a few bob in a current account which is my emergency fund, this will come in useful should I need to pay out for something that breaks or wears out, or I want to go on holiday. I don't have to worry, because I am not dead skint, I have got some money. YAY :o)

I've been going back over my bank statements to see how I have been doing financially since I retired five years ago. In fact my statements go back further than that to 2001. It certainly makes interesting reading, especially around the time of November 2005 when I was getting fed up with driving, cutting my hours, and running a small business trying to make up the shortfall. I was riding by the seat of my pants then, down to my last £300 in the account, and no savings to fall back on. I still don't have any savings, because I don't need any. I can't see the point in having money lying around in accounts doing nothing except earning a piddling bit of interest. I can do without all that bother. The less I have the better as far as I'm concerned.

I'm not saying I want to live on fresh air with no money at all. If the government went bankrupt and my pension suddenly stopped, I would go back to work, But as long as they are paying me enough to cover my living expenses and a few treats, I am happy. I read a lot about poor pensioners who can't manage, but to be honest, I have a pretty good life on my pension. In fact, as my header says, it's a brilliant life.

I made the decision a few years ago to cut my working hours, which cut my pay. I decided I would learn to manage on less. When the going got tough, I simply stopped spending, that was it, full stop. Can't afford it, need money to pay mortgage, council tax, utilities, food, car, one cat, none left for other stuff.

I scrutinized my bank statements, got the calculator out, worked out a plan. The plan was not to buy anything I didn't need. In 2007 I did spend some money, I needed a new kitchen because the one I inherited when I moved here was disgusting. I had put up with it for years because every penny I had went into buying the house, there was none left for anything else. So for £514 I bought a new kitchen from Homebase. I ripped out the old kitchen, put the cupboards together for the new one, and paid a plumber to fit the sink, cut the worktops to size and screw the cupboards to the wall. I wanted some electrical work doing, new sockets, but the electrician said I needed a whole house rewire. So I didn't have the sockets, and I manage with the two double sockets already there.

Once I had got back on my feet again, after years of cutting back, cutting down, and being super frugal, things started to get easier. By then I had living within my means down to an art form. Nothing more has been spent on the house, it is still standing, and I have the same decor that the previous owners left me, except I put a lick of paint on the living room walls.

I saved enough to be able to change my car, adding some cash to the pay off I got from the insurance company when the last one was written off. I was able to save up a bit extra from my pension and get rid of the mortgage.

In 2009 my total annual pension was £7,925.84, now it is £9,590.23. Yes the cost of living has gone up, everything has gone up, but I am still managing. My quarterly utilities bills have hardly changed at all, their prices go up, I use less, I will beat them. I have no mortgage to pay now. I don't pay as much council tax as I did when I was working. I negotiated a better deal on my house insurance. I cut Bugsy's insurance. A little tweak here and a little tweak there, and I don't have to worry about money any more, as I have enough.

So, I'm feeling pretty flush at the moment, but that isn't a cue to do anything rash, like going out and buying something I don't need. I don't have to scrimp every penny, but I probably will, ha ha. It's in my nature to be cautious with my money. There's no way on earth I could go out and flash the cash.

There is another reason to keep on with the money saving, and it's far more important than me living within my means. The worlds population is growing at an alarming rate, and if things keep going as they are there is going to be a massive wakeup call. There will be no gas, no electricity, no water, it will all be gone, used up, nothing left. Me using the bath water to flush the toilet, and buying second hand clothes, is unlikely to save the planet, but it makes me feel better knowing I am doing a bit to help.

Anyway, as long as that pension keeps appearing in my bank account I will be OK. I'm sure of that.

My stomach is telling me it's time for dinner, so I'll say toodle pip.

Stocktaking your smellies

There is a monthly thread on Money Saving Forum, in the Health and Beauty money saving bit, and it's called 'No buying Unnecessary Toiletries' The idea is that you take stock of what you already have, just like you might do in your food cupboard and freezer, and stop buying any more until you have used things up. So, instead of thinking you must use that tin of tomatoes up which has been at the back of the cupboard for the last ten years, you now think about using up that half bottle of whiffy moisturiser that you are not particularly keen on, before you buy a replacement.

Makes good sense to me. My bathroom cabinet is not bulging at the seams, it is not packed full of bottles and tubes of various lotions and potions. I just have a few items which seem to last me ages because I don't go mad splashing things about. I use my toiletries sparingly so they last a long time. When I buy something new I don't go for a particular label or fragrance, I buy on price. An expensive bar of soap does not do the job of cleaning me any better than a basic affordable one. A cheap Value shampoo will clean my hair just the same as the top of the range salon variety.

I think they should rename the thread, No Buying Unnecessary Toiletries Ever Again. I know I won't need to buy anything for at least another year.
Have a look for yourself.
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=4807895

Post has been edited, some people have taken offence at my words. The message is still the same though, one way to save money is to stop buying unnecessary toiletries. I won't delete the whole lot  because there are some very good comments added, it would be a shame to lose them. Just shows how difficult it is to write a daily blog and please everybody all of the time, it's nigh on impossible.

Sock it to me

I am test driving some new socks tonight, went a bit mad today and spent some money. I sorted through my sock drawer, and to be honest some of them needed throwing out. Some of them are that old and full of holes, and are no longer fit for purpose. I have had extra wear out of them by turning them around so the heel part is on top of my foot, but now there are more holes, and they are wearing very thin with no cushioning between my feet and the boots.

So I thought I would treat myself to some super duper soft ones, and here I am walking around the house with them on. I must say, they feel lovely. I think they are going to make my walk a lot more enjoyable. Bye the way, I've got another pair just like these, ha ha.

Looks like I'm going to have some nice weather for this walk, probably only need shorts and a teeshirt. I've got the sun cream ready. The proposed route is marked on the maps in pink, the actual route will be highlighted in green. Just need to pack my rucksack in the morning then I will be off. I'm getting a lift to the station, spose I could walk really, best save my legs for the rest of it though.

I haven't done much training for this, no long day walks to build my muscles up. I'll soon get into the swing of it once I get going. Putting one foot in front of the other is not that difficult. All I need to do is to walk for nine hours a day for seven days, hoping for an average of 18 - 20 miles a day.

I've told the pussycats to behave, and not mess the cat sitter about. When she calls them to come in at night, they must come in straight away and not be naughty and run away.   

Let the fun begin. I'll see you up north tomorrow. Toodle pip.

The price of lurv

Good morning. Getting the blog post done early this morning, while it's still fresh in my mind, and before I get distracted and go off and do something else. Not a lot of yellow stickers to be had last night, just the luck of the draw, I suppose, you win some you lose some. I turned my attention to the Value labels instead, and stocked up on some of my store cupboard items. Rice pudding 12p a tin, lemon curd 22p, tinned spaghetti 19p, peanut butter 62p, tinned fruit 32p.

In the veg department I got big bag of carrots, white cabbage, butternut squash, mushrooms, and bananas. No cheap greens to be had :o(  Quite a lot of yellow stickers in the bakery department, but as my freezer is already full of bread, I only picked up one loaf for 15p. There were some treats on offer, so I thought it my duty to get a couple of packets, all in the name of research of course. I like to keep my readers informed of what not to buy, as well as pointing them in the direction of the bargains.

So what have we here. Four Boston Creme Doughnuts, covered in chocolate of some sort, probably not a lot of real chocolate in it, with a filling of some sweet sickly goo. Don't know why they are called Boston Doughnuts, probably wouldn't sell any if they were called Scunthorpe Doughnuts, ha ha. Look at the original price, two chuffin pounds for four. Chuffin heck, are some folks mad enough to pay that? Must be or they wouldn't make them. I don't mind paying 5p each for them.

The price of these Chocolate and Orange Tarts is even more shocking. Two chuffin pounds for two chuffin tarts. Look at the trickery involved in the packaging. The tart is four inches in diameter, the paper tray is five inches across, what a sly trick, to give the impression you are getting something quite substantial for your money. Now after my taste session with these, I have to conclude that the pastry case is like hard sand, you have to be careful not to break your teeth when biting into it, and the choc filling although tastes chocolatey, is very sweet and sickly. The orange flavour is achieved by blobbing a dollop of posh orange jam on the top. Would you pay £2 for these, not on your nelly, ha ha.  

As I was going through the checkouts, a young man followed me through with a ginormous bunch of red roses, a pink heart shaped fluffy cushion, and a box of posh chocs. You couldn't help but notice the huge flower display which was 'in your face' at the entrance to the store. Me and the checkout lady was having a bit of a banter about prices, how they are going up, and going down in some cases. We engaged the shy young man in our conversations, me saying how nice it was to see someone getting a nice treat for his lady friend for Valentines Day, and he must be in love to spend so much money. The checkout lady pointed to the cost of the flowers as she put it through the scanner. Good grief, £30. I kept my thoughts to myself, he'll learn, ha ha.

Yes, it's St Valentines Day today. I won't know if I have a card till later, as the post doesn't arrive untill about 3pm. I won't hold my breath though, ha ha. I wonder if my troll will be back today to have a gloat, they have already called me a bag lady spinster. There's only one thing I can say to that comment, I won't die wondering, sunshine. Been there, done that, got the teashirt. This spinster has seen it all, ha ha. Not pandering to men's whims any more. Unless you get a good 'un, which is quite rare these days, I'd rather not bother, thank you very much, and just be happy that I have some friends, oh, and my cats are a good substitute.
Toodle pip.

I can see the wood for the trees

The morning wasn't too good today, dull, overcast, and cold, so I stayed indoors and got on with the artwork. I must say it's coming together nicely now. I ran out of the yellow paint I was using, so had to continue with a slightly lighter shade of yellow. It looks quite good, so now I'm not sure that it needs any other colours. Have to think about it.

After lunch the weather picked up a bit so I carried on sorting the garage out. Here you can see what a mess it is, piles of wood everywhere, think I have a wood fetish, ha ha. A lot of this was collected from B & Q when I worked there. Some pallets were picked up from the back door of Wickes, the DIY store. They have a special pile where they put stuff they don't want, anyone can help themselves. If I see a nice pallet I can't drive past it without stopping to pick it up.

There is a paste table on the right, buried under stuff and about to collapse. Old kitchen cupboards come in handy for storing small stuff.

I've got stacks of blue plastic trays, retrieved from the skip outside the takeaway. They had mushrooms delivered in them and they are non returnable, so they get thrown away. 

Right, get some of the large items outside, so I have room to work.

That's a big improvement, long lengths of wood on the right hand side, lots of rubbish thrown out. Cardboard broken up and put in the recycling bin.

Timber sorted into lengths, oddments of pallets stacked up on the left.

Nice tidy stack of wood here, now I can see what I've got without having to shift a load of stuff.

The canes are stacked up on the right, ready for the runner beans. Now I can walk in without falling over things. Much better, job well done.  I must say I quite like my garage, well it's more a shed really. It's a bit tumbledown, but it serves it's purpose. I can do a bit of potting up in there if the weather isn't too good.

Library day today, so I took half an hour out to change my books. I'm a bit limited for choice in the van, as I only read non fiction, and they don't seem to get many new books in. Never mind, I managed to find four, just have to expand my horizons a bit more and read about new topics.

Dinner tonight was steamed brocolli, leeks, potatoes, and celeriac, with half a 99p cauliflower cheese Value ready meal. It was very nice, and oh so filling.

Thanks for popping in. Toodle pip.