Bimbling around Binbrook

Don't you just love a good paddle in the mud. This was a mucky start to the walk, three ploughed fields, ha ha. Me and my walking buddies, Paul and Paul set out from the car park at the Village Hall in Binbrook , not far from Caistor in the Lincolnshire Wolds. Paul had chosen the route and when he emailed me the map I noticed that I had done a lot of it before. In fact my map of the Wolds has that many coloured lines on it from previous walks, I would struggle to find any new paths. 

Mud mud, glorious mud., follow the tractor lines.

Lots of snowdrops covered the ground alongside this babbling brook.

Here we are at Stainton le Dale. Time to peel off a layer or two, it's warming up. There is another photo of this scene on the blog somewhere, I passed this way before.

We came down a long track and passed through a sprawling farm with lots of out buildings. It was eerily  quiet, there seemed to be no one about and all the doors were secured with large pieces of timber nailed across them. I looked back and saw a big sign on one of the buildings, All enquiries to ........ Looks like it is for sale. After some digging on the www I have found some details. The Manor House at Kirmond le Mire was on the market, in August 2013 but was withdrawn. I've also found it on a blog called Wreck of the Week. And if you want to take a look around a spooky old house, someone has posted a video of it on yoootooob.

A bit further along we came to some fishing ponds.

By this time we were looking for somewhere to sit down for lunch, and came across a large house at Thorpe le Vale, with some outbuildings. This one was obviously occupied, there were parked cars outside. Quite a lot of these grinding stones were propped up against the wall of the driveway.

Paul tried to pump some water but there was none.

Plastic birds nesting in the centre of the wheel. 

This is the front of the house, the garden is terraced with a variety of bushes and shrubs to add interest to the stark white paintwork.

Walking down the driveway away from the house we found some large tree trunks lying on their side, just the job for a sit down and eat our lunch, break.

A little bit of road walking, and more bridleway walking, brought us back to Binbrook. One last photo, of me and Paul, with the church behind us.

It was a smashing day. The weather was fine, hardly any wind, and ok to walk without a jacket. We did ten miles, and was back home just before 5pm. That's taken my walking miles up to 128 since Jan 1st. There are some people who have done more than that. keep it up ladies and gents, no slacking.

A bit of news for tomorrow morning. I am due to be on Chanel 5 The Saturday Show. Not sure what time it will be on, but we are going to link up on Skype at 9am to record a chat with Matt. Think I had better have a tidy up and put my best clothes on, maybe a nice frock, ha ha.

Thanks for popping in. Catch up tomorrow. Toodle pip.

There's a bit more wear left in them yet.

Hello. It's a shame to throw things away when they can be repaired. These slipper boots were given to me, my friend was going to throw them out. I have no scruples about accepting freebies from friends. I've been wearing them around the house, they come up to my calves and keep my ankles toasty warm. Now they both have a hole in the bottom, but the rest of them are good for a while longer. I feel a mending job coming on.  

In my crafting store room I have some soft leather pieces, picked up from the Scrapstore. First I made a cardboard template, then cut two pieces of leather to make new soles. One side is in dark blue and has a shiny surface, the other side has a fabric backing and has a rough finish.

Stitch them on with some very strong string like thread.

Perfect, lots more wear in these.

Does anyone remember these granny slippers I bought from a charity shop a couple of years ago, or was it three? They are still going strong. Not very fashionable but who cares what they look like. They do the job of keeping my feet warm. 

I've had a little dog out for a walk today for the first time. Meet Poppy. My friend had to go for some tests at the hospital and she didn't know how long she would be away. I see them out most days, so Poppy knows me. Isn't she a sweetie. She is a happy little soul, wanting to stop and meet and greet everyone she sees.

I was nearly on the radio again today. I had a call from Radio 5 Live, they were doing a feature this morning on supermarket offers which confuse customers, so they couldn't work out which was the best buy. The practice is bent in favour of the supermarkets by making customers spend more than they intended to. The man asked me if I bought the buy two get one free type of offer, and would I be tempted to buy things just because they were on offer. I said I would buy them but only if they were something I normally buy, I don't buy things just because they are on offer. He arranged to ring me back at 10.30am.

About 20 mins later he rang back and said they wouldn't be needing me. I was a bit baffled because I was very clear about my thoughts on special offers. I tuned into the programme on my computer to listen to what they were saying. Then I got it, the reason they turned me down. The agenda was to have a go at supermarkets, accusing them of dodgy practices, deliberately confusing people so they spent more money. My answers to his questions didn't fit in with that. I said I ignore all the offers unless it was something I usually buy. I would not buy items just because they were on offer, and I would pass them by. What they really wanted was someone to slate the supermarkets, and I didn't do that, instead I put the onus on the customer to work it out for themselves and make the right decision.

I tend not to get too hung up on trying to unravel the mathematics of different pricing. Yes, I always try and get the best for my money, but if I make an error of judgement I think, oh well, swings and roundabouts. It's impossible to be 100% right all the time.

Talking of Supermarkets, I'm popping out to Aldi now. I need some dog food and a few bits and bobs. I'm not walking tonight because I am out with my walking buddies tomorrow, we are doing ten miles I think.

I'd better get a move on, thanks for popping in. Nice to see some new names appearing in the comments, welcome everyone. Catch up soon.
Toodle pip.

Jo Brand - book review, and other stuff.

Hello. What a disappointment today. I was all ready for the BBC with my notes and I got a phone call saying the interview on the Jeremy Vine Show was off. Too much going on, couldn't fit me in. I got shunted into the sidings. Oh well, that's how it goes. In the meantime I have been communicating with someone from Channel 5 television, they want me on their magazine programme on Saturday morning. I am not able to go to London so they asked if I have Skype. I know I deleted it off this big computer, but it is still installed on the small laptop, and after testing it still works. They are going to let me know if they want to go ahead with that. 

In the meantime.....here is my breakfast. The bran flakes and moooozleee (can't spell that word), topper is swamped by the rice milk. I have some strawberries left from Saturday night shopping and they are still fine. There are some left to finish tomorrow. 

There you are, I do put some heating on sometime. Bugsy snuggled close to the gas fire in his suitcase bed, getting some warm rays on his back. I must check his age, he will be about 20 now.

I had to use some mushrooms up so here is tonight's dinner. Garlic mushrooms on a microwaved spud with a bit of salad. All yellow sticker except for the blob of cream cheese I put in the mushrooms. I just lurv garlic mushrooms, this is how I make it. Slice mushrooms into a smallish pan, add butter, margarine, or oil, or all of them if you like. Add garlic powder and vegetable granules, half a teaspoon of each. Add soft cheese, I use the Value 49p one. When almost done add a couple of spoons of plain yogurt. Sorry it looks a bit messy, I didn't take the photo until after I had dived into it.

I've just finished this book, I started it ages ago. Things got busy and I had to put it to one side. This is the story of how Jo started off in the entertainment industry, how she became famous, and how she managed to persuade someone to marry her and have some children. This is the second volume of her memoirs. Her take on life is really funny, and as I read I could hear the words come out of her mouth. She writes as she speaks and it was just like watching one of her stand up routines.

The book is divided up into lots of short chapters and the format is ideal to pick up if you only have 20 minutes to spare.I found one chapter particularly interesting, entitled Ladies and Gentlemen of the press. It's  what she has learnt about dealing with the media. Pity I hadn't read it before my little dabble into the world of minuscule celebrity. She says she thinks it doesn't even occur to a lot of people how obsessionally selective different papers are about what is 'the news' and how they present it. At least we have something in common, we have both been ripped apart by a Daily Mail journalist.

Jo talks about the comedy circuits, the stand up gigs, writing her material, finding a man and getting married and having children, her charity work and her telly work. It's a very entertaining book, she says it like it is, with some colourful language thrown in for good measure. Pity I didn't take it with me and get her to sign it when I met her.

I sent a link to my trucking story to Leicester Heavy Haulage, and had a nice email back from Paul Rodwell. The company is run by four brothers, who's father Brian, my boss, started it. Sadly Brian passed away in 2014. He was a smashing boss, I'll always be grateful to him for giving me a chance.

I'll just copy part of a recent comment here, which arrived on a previous post. It has cheered me up no end. She found the blog through the Daily Mail article and lives in the south of France, and is now following.

You give lots of important information about how to save money when shopping for meals. The thing that helped me the most is to adapt your meals to the bargains in the supermarkets. I bought carrots and potatoes at a very cheap price, and I include them in my meals this week. I never did that before, I used to make a list first, decide on a menu and then go shopping...now I go shopping first, get the bargains and then prepare my menu. 
Very valuable information, mainly for me, I'm a single mother with 3 children and it's difficult to make ends meet. Marce. 

Now haven't I been saying that all along. Don't menu plan then shop, do it the other way round. Buy the best you can afford at the lowest prices, then plan your meals around that. YAY, go Marce, and I hope you save lots of money doing it that way.

Thank you all for your comments, I love to read them. Crikey, look at the time. I must get off my backside and do my three miles. Thanks for popping in. Catch up soon.
Toodle pip.

Stop Press

Hello. The BBC has postponed my radio interview today on the Jeremy Vine Show. Pete says they are so busy they can't fit it in. Re booked for next Wednesday 17th, same time, 12.30pm. Sorry if you are waiting for it.   Ilona

Remembering 1989

Hello. Let's do something different tonight. I've been looking through my diaries to see what I was doing on this day, sometime in the past. So, going back to the 9th of February 1989, it was a Thursday. On this night I was sleeping on a ferry boat crossing the channel from Felixstowe to Europort. 

The entry in my diary reads......Start work at 7am. I went to Cliff Hill Quarry which is near the new service area at the junction of the A50 and M1. It wasn't far to go. I had to move a crusher, then I had to take a 50 foot conveyor to Thurmaston, and bring another one back. I finished this by 2.45pm so I went back to the yard to get the lorry ready for the Rotterdam job. 

I was booked on the 10.30pm ferry so I left as soon as I was ready, and arrived at Felixstowe at 7.10pm. While I was waiting for boarding to start I chatted to the driver parked next to me, and he was helpful. Once on board I found my cabin and had a shower. Then I met the driver, Brian, and his mates in the bar. All the food was included and we chatted and played cards. I went to bed just after midnight. We are due to land at Europort at 7am. 

Friday 10th February. I got up at 5.30 am our time and put my clock forward one hour. I had breakfast and got off the boat and headed for Rotterdam. I found the centre OK but then had to park and ask the way, and found the place. 

It was difficult to back inside the building and get under the crane. Loading took all day. It was printing press machinery which was covered in black ink. I had to keep shunting the trailer backwards and forwards to get under the crane. After sheeting my load I eventually got away at 6 pm and found my way back to Europort quite easily. I retraced my route and went out of the city the same way as I went in. 

Back at the port I met up with the same gang and we crammed into Brian's cab to play cards while we waited for loading. We boarded at 10 pm and sailed at 11pm. Shower, drink, and dinner again. I am pleased to be on my way home, all I have to do is get through customs tomorrow. They say it could take ages, we will see. 

Saturday 11th February. Breakfast then disembark at 7.10 am. It took two hours to clear customs. The paperwork was ready from the clearing agents. I saw Ginger on his way out while I was waiting. I drove straight back to the depot at Ellistown Coalville, without stopping, 3 hours 45 minutes. After I parked my lorry I drove home and walked in the door at 3pm. I felt tired so I had a nap on the settee, then went to the paper shop. I stopped in tonight. 

This is the lorry I was driving, but not the load I was carrying. I picked this water filtration plant up from Gloucestershire and took it to Goole docks where it was loaded onto a boat. It was 13 feet wide, 17 feet high, and the total weight was 70 tonnes. The lorry is plated for 75 tonnes gross weight. I had a mate with me and it was a Police escort all the way.

I remember it well, my first trip across the channel in a lorry. I was very nervous about driving on the other side of the road and when I got off the boat I went very slowly so as not to make a mistake. A convoy soon formed behind me, I hope they weren't mad at getting stuck behind a nervous driver.

We went over with empty trailers as we were picking up loads for a British company, to bring them back to Preston. I say we because there was a lot of loads, they stripped the print works bare and removed every last nut and bolt. We were spread out at intervals and went one at a time because there was only room for one lorry under the crane at a time.

The camaraderie at the docks was great, the other drivers treated me as one of them. They knew it was my first time and they gave me lots of useful information. I went back several times for more loads, and also went to Amsterdam and  later on to Germany. By the end of it I was feeling great, now I could say I'm a continental driver. More experience to add to my CV.

Aaaaah, they were good times, Leicester Heavy Haulage was the best job I ever had. It was a brilliant time to be a lorry driver.

Thanks for popping in. Catch you soon. Toodle pip.
PS, don't forget the Jeremy Vine Show Radio 2,  tomorrow at 12.30pm.

Keep popping up.

Hello again. I wondered if that article would surface at some point. As it's been two weeks since the first one  was published in the Yorkshire Post. I thought the Mail might have ditched this latest one, but no, there I am again popping up all over the place. Strange how they haven't used any of the photo's they took though. The man kept having trouble with his camera not flashing, maybe that was the problem. I've also been on the Take a Break Facebook page as well, funny how they all want to get in on the act. I haven't spoken to them so they just cobbled something together from other articles. Tons more comments have been flying around as well, a lot of them negative, I replied to some of them, but it really is a waste of time.

I did get to Crafty Club this morning, and I've been on the phone a lot this afternoon. So what did I have for my lunch today? Here it is, tuck into three different boxes, salad, pasta, and mixed bean salad. Couldn't be bothered to put it on a plate. Save on washing up, ha ha.

Me walking the streets in the dark, doing my three miles. Woolly hat to stop the wind blowing my hair in my face. Cold, red, wet nose that needs constantly dabbing.   

Contrary to what the trolls say, I am not mucky, I've had a bath tonight. A lovely soak with a book. That's me well scrubbed up.

Another big pan of stew is made, cost of this one is 35p. There's butternut squash, sweet potato, carrots, onions, broccoli, and mixed beans in it. I will eat another bowl of it tomorrow and freeze two portions because I have to eat some mushrooms next, then more broccoli.

I've had a conversation today with Pete, a researcher from BBC Radio 2, and I am booked to go on the Jeremy Vine Show on Wednesday, at about 12.30pm. Now progressing from local radio to national. I'm going to enjoy that. Also I am booked to go on Radio Coventry next week, on Tuesday. It's all happening here. I need my calendar on my desk now instead of hanging in the kitchen, to keep track of what I am doing.

I see the page views are shooting up again, I wonder if they will go higher than they did before. It's amazing.
Thanks for popping in, and thank you for your smashing comments. Winding down now. Catch you soon.
Toodle pip

PS. Just checked the page views for today. They have gone WAY WAY HIGHER than before. Almost 17,000 Golly Gosh.

It's all kicking off........again, ha ha.

Hello. Here we go again.

Another story out this morning.

I thought they might have dumped this as it's been over a week now since they interviewed me.

Off to Crafty Club now. Back later.
Toodle pip.

Looking for luck

Hello. I've been a bit lucky. I believe a lot of good fortune is down to luck, and working hard of course. But to be lucky you have to put yourself about, luck doesn't just happen, you have to go out and find it. Making things happen brings luck, do nothing and you don't find luck. That's my theory anyway. I'll come onto the luck bit in a minute. 

First here's the meal I made yesterday. Chop three onions and soften them in a pan with a slosh of oil. 

I buy Quorn when it's half price, this bag was £1. Chuck a handful in the pan with the onions. Then I added spices, chuck in anything you have. I put in a teaspoon of wholegrain mustard, garlic powder, and a few other bits and bobs. I also added some frozen peas. By this time it will need water, I put some lemon juice in as well. Stir and simmer over a low heat, add more water if it is a bit dry.

Served on a bed of wholegrain rice. It was smashing. I had it twice yesterday for lunch and dinner. Today I have finished it off. There was too much rice so I have frozen two portions in margarine tubs for future use.

I did my three mile walk yesterday at about 5.30pm. The same route as always. I didn't really feel like leaving my comfy chair and braving the gusty winds. What I usually do is jump up and say, right, let's go, on with the trainers, grab the torch, and put the jacket on. I'm out of the door in a few seconds. About half way round something caught my eye in the middle of the road, it sparkled in the streetlight. I walk in the road because the pavements are a bit bumpy, and there isn't much traffic on the side roads. The shiny object stopped me in my tracks and as I stooped to pick it up I was amazed to see it was a £2 coin. Well that's a bit of good luck I thought. Then I saw another shiny object, and another, and another. They were spread over quite a large area. Goodness knows how they had got there. I kept picking up the coins, it kept me busy for a good five minutes. £7.58. It was stroke of luck that I happened to be going down that road at that time. 

Luck was with me later on when I went to Tesco. Most people would prefer to go out socializing on a Saturday night, or stay at home snuggled up on the sofa with a glass of wine watching the tele, but no, I got off my backside and went to Tesco. Lucky for me that there wasn't many people shopping at that time, the young lad was marking down the fruit and veg, and me and another shopper had it all to ourselves. I haven't bothered to work out what I saved, but I did manage to get it to £30 so I could use a £4 off voucher. 

There are some prepared vegetables here so tomorrow I cook them up into stews. I gave my neighbour some, and I will be inspecting the condition of my stash over the next week, making sure everything gets used. My treat was a rhubarb pie at 43p, and two bottles of wine at £5 each.

So, two instances of being in the right place at the right time. I like it when I am lucky. If you want to be lucky, you have to go out and look for it. Sometimes you can turn an unlucky into a lucky. I have been unlucky in love, but very lucky that I have survived whatever life has thrown at me. What has been a lucky find for you? C'mon spill the beans, I want to know.

Thanks for popping in. Catch you soon. Toodle pip

I do my own thing.

Hello. I've been reading a lot just lately on the different methods people use to save money, on web sites, newspaper articles, forums, and blogs. It strikes me that there are a myriad of different ways to approach this living frugally lark, and no one has all the answers, me included. As a single person pensioner with a small income and no savings my ways are going to be different to those who are younger with a family. There isn't a one size fits all.

I know quite a few people who have no need to watch the pennies. Although no one likes to talk about their financial status it is obvious that they have managed to plan for the future and live in houses a lot nicer, bigger, and newer, than mine. I am assuming that as they drive around in brand new Chelsea Tractors, they must have been in good jobs to be able to splash the cash. I bet you are thinking that there is a touch of jealousy creeping in here, you'd be wrong. Anyone who has the cash to buy what they want can do so. It's when people spend money they haven't got and go into debt for it when the trouble starts. It's a downward spiral from there.

Money saving among the well off is different to the way I do it. I see wealth as a ball and chain around my neck. Ok, imagine you have accumulated £50,000 throughout your working life. What do you do with it? If you have won it or been given it, you wouldn't look on it in the same way as if you had earned it by sweating your nuts off in a job that bored the pants off you. There are thousands of crooks out there who are waiting to get their grubby hands on your nest egg, and I don't just mean scamming individuals as if that isn't bad enough, I mean the legitimate financial institutions who aim to confuse the hell out of you with their predictions, offers, accounts, investments, and personal finance advice. They tell you to put it in this account, invest in that company, buy an ISA or bonds, shift it around several bank accounts. What a load of faff just to hold onto your cash. Phew, I couldn't get my head round that, maths was never my strong point, in fact I am chuffin useless at it. I'm glad I don't have to worry about all that, my personal finances are a lot easier to work out. Juggling money about is one kind of money saving I don't have to bother with.

Extreme couponing has been in the news again. I was asked the question by a journalist, 'Do I collect coupons? My reply, no. Those who have a family to look after and buy a far wider range of products than I do, might save a few bob, but you have to remember, the only reason that companies give out coupons, is to make you buy more. The pictures you see of coupon shoppers pushing trolley loads of stuff back to their cars, then stockpiling it in their garage, makes me wonder if it is more of an obsession rather than an effort to save money. What I want to know is once they have accumulated all this stuff, at what point do they then stop spending altogether, and use up what they have? How do they decide when they have enough? The amount of time and effort they put into searching for the coupons would possibly make it pay less than the minimum wage. Another kind of money saving I don't want to bother with.

Cash back sites seem quite popular, whenever you want to buy something if you go through one of these sites eg, Quidco, they give you money back when you make purchases through their web site. I don't want to sign up to any more sites, and I don't want to do internet shopping because I don't trust the security of it. And what about that Groupon thing, is it still going? Sign up and get all these special offers. If I wanted something I would go out and look for it, I don't need another marketing ploy to get me to part with my cash.

Comparison sites, well they confuse the hell out of me. I want an easy life, if I am happy with what I am paying for goods and services I leave well alone. If I want to change and look for a cheaper deal I will first read Money Saving Expert, then go to the web sites of possible companies, and choose one for myself. Don't tell me to go to a comparison site, I can't be bothered.

So, I have my own methods of managing my money, and although some may say I go to extreme lengths to save a few pennies here and there, I have proved that over a period of time, those pennies mount up and make £'s. My simple way of thinking means that I buy what I need, and if there is anything left over, I can then move on to spend what's left on what I want. I will continue to search out cheap shops to buy food. I will not switch the heating on until I am cold,  it's lucky that I spent years working outdoors which got me acclimatized to lower temperatures. I will continue taking food and drink out with me and not buy it out. When I want or need something I will first see if I can make it, recycled materials are best, or look in a charity shop, or go to a car boot sale, and look in skips. I don't care if people think I am odd, I don't have to keep up with anyone, I do my own thing.

Right, off out to do three miles. There is a howling wind, should be fun.
Thanks for popping in. Catch up soon. Toodle pip.

Fast and simple patchwork, tweet tweet.

Hello. It's been a grand drying day today. Bed stripped and washed, ready to go back on, sweats and teas put away in the cupboard.  

I'm still sorting the fabric out and have a bundle of small scraps of colourful cotton. I need to use them up. Remember the patchwork curtain on the small window at the bottom of the stairs, I'm going to make another curtain for the upstairs window at the top of the stairs. At the moment I have a plainish stripey green one there which I found in a skip, I will brighten the window up with some colour and give the green curtain to a charity shop. Good plan. 

I am making it the easy way, there will be two pieces to this curtain as it's a bigger window. I have a curtain liner which has been used as a table cloth, so this will be it's third re use. It's got a few marks on it but that doesn't matter because it will be covered on both sides. I have written about this before so some of you will know how to do it. First place a piece right side down just off centre. Sew it along one edge and turn it right side up.

Then choose another piece to go next to it. None of the pieces are measured, they can be any width but they must be the same length as the piece you are attaching it to.

Place it right side down matching the two edges, and sew it on.

The fold it over so the right side is on top. 

The next piece.

 Same again, lay it on top, right side down, and put a line of stitching along the edge.

Fold it over, right side on top. 

Same again with another piece.

See how it is growing, each piece added makes the patchwork bigger and needs to be longer.

Eventually you run out of long pieces so you need to join shorter pieces to make a strip of the right length. 

It's dead easy to do. As it grows longer strips are needed. Make the strips first then add them in the same way, right side down, stitch, then turn them right side up. Just keep adding until you reach the edges of the piece you are covering. You can iron as you go along, but I just pin to hold it flat while I add the next piece.

This is an easy way to make patchwork. I will cover the two curtains like this, then put a back on it. You could make cushion covers, or bags with it. A good way to use up scraps, why not have a go if you have a machine.

There's not much left in the fridge now. I'm putting off shopping, but I need to go before Sunday to use a £4 off voucher. Today I used the last of the yellow sticker potatoes, dated 20th January. Wash and trim off  the  blemishes, cut into small pieces. Boil in a stainless pan. Add spices.

Wash a handful of spinach, this was normal price 79p from Home Bargains. Add to the pan.

Zap it with a stick blender, serve with a wholemeal bread roll. A tasty two ingredient, warming soup.

I seem to have a few followers on Twitter, not sure how that happened, I only joined so I could follow Jo's progress on her walk. If people are going to follow me I suppose I ought to write something, or they might buzz off. I don't intend getting into the whole Twitter/Facebook/Instagram thing to promote my blog, it doesn't matter to me whether 20 or 200 read my wafflings. I will tweet if I have a flash of inspiration, but I'm sure no one wants to know every chuffin mundane thing I am doing. Oh, by the way, I washed my hair today and washed the kitchen floor with the rinsing water, I bet you wanted to know that, ha ha.

Got to do my three miles now, so I'll sign off. Thanks for popping in. Catch up soon.
Toodle pip.

Easypeasy food shopping

Hello. I've been reading about a new food store that has opened in South London, by Stelios of Easy Jet fame. His plan is to undercut Lidl and Aldi by selling everything at 25p during February, he calls it an introductory offer. Afterwards it is said that everything will double in price and be sold at 50p. Here is a link to the Easyfood web site, which lists all the items on offer, and here is a shopping list of some of the items taken from the Daily Mail.. Hundreds of bargain hunters descended on the store and it has had to close down due to selling out. There is a notice on the web site saying it will be open on Friday after re stocking. 

Looking at the list above, there is hardly anything I would buy. Biscuits no. Baked beans 24p Tesco Value. Salt don't use it. Chopped Tomatoes maybe. Jam never buy it. Tea bags nope. Cheap coffee definitely not. Ginger nuts nope. Pasta only buy wholemeal. Pitta bread only buy it if nothing else, and cheaper than that. Tomato puree might buy it. Mayo not a fan of cheap makes, would rather go without. Mini shortbreads might buy as a treat. Mini cheese thins nope. Peach slices buy sometimes. Tuna flakes for the cats. Variety pack cereal nope too much sugar. Tomato ketchup nope I can live without that.

The Cash and Carry that I go to has similar items on sale, a lot of processed and snacky foods. I am very picky about what I buy there. Only the odd items which I consider are part of a balanced diet. I reckon the largest part what I eat is made up of fresh fruit and veg with salads and dairy. My very small store cupboard of tins and packets only comes into play when I am running down the contents of my fridge, or for quickness when I fancy beans on toast.

I would be interested to know how many items on the above list would you buy. How big is your store cupboard?

I'm not sure if Mr Stelios will be expanding his Easyfood empire. If he opens one in North Lincolnshire, I might pop in when I am passing, just for the odd item or two.

Thanks for popping in. Catch up tomorrow. Toodle pip.

On this day in 2002.

Hello. I've been checking the diaries to see what I was doing on this day in past years. I haven't gone so far back this time, can you remember what you were doing on the 2nd of February 2002? I can. Me and my boyfriend, Dave, not his real name, I'll spare him the blushes if he or anyone who knows him reads this, arrived at our hotel in Orlando at 5am. The journey had taken longer than it should have done, due to high winds at Birmingham airport. We couldn't take off and had to be bused to Manchester Airport and eventually took off at 11pm. We had a hire car waiting when we landed. 

We were keen to get started on our holiday so only had an hour in bed before we were off out. I'll copy from the diary. We first had breakfast at Denny's then we went to the Magic Kingdom and had the day there. There was a big firework display at night behind the castle. Tinkerbell flew from the top of the tower, we got a good spot for viewing. There was a big light parade, about 30 floats all lit up. Fantastic show, the best I have ever seen. We had a meal at TFI Friday restaurant. I am very tired tonight due to lack of sleep last night. 

Sunday 3rd February. Today we went to Universal Studios. I drove there, it wasn't very far. First we went to the Air Tours meeting, the reps tried to sell us tours, sun cream etc, they gave us a free breakfast. We got into the park at 10.00am, using the tickets that Dave bought from the two boys off the internet. We got in OK. There were only a few rides in this park, most of them were simulators. ET, Twister, Earthquake, and Terminator. Some of them were 3D. Back to the Future was brilliant, Terminator was best of all, Jaws was a boat ride and very funny. Later on we had a meal at the Pancake House. The waiter was a bit annoyed because we only offered the money on the bill. We didn't know that we had to add a service charge. We walked up International Avenue and called into Friday's for a pint. I was dead tired and my legs were aching.

Monday 4th February. We had breakfast at Ponderosa. Then went to Universal Islands of Adventure. The ride, The Hulk was great. A steel coaster sitting on top of the rail, four seats across. We went on it five times. The Spiderman ride was great, 3D, felt like you were really in a Spiderman film. The shows were great, flashing lights, plenty of action. We went back to Ponderosa for dinner then went on the City Walk. We went in a club for a drink, then back to the hotel. 

Tuesday 5th February. Today we went to Disney Studios MGM. Not quite as good as Universal yesterday but still OK. Rock and Roll coaster was inside in the dark, upside down, very good. We played Who Wants to be a Millionaire. We didn't get many questions right because they were mainly about America. The Tower of Terror was quite good. There was a fantastic light show on the lake, we had to get our seats early. Later, we went to Old Town to look round the shops and had our dinner at Ponderosa. Tired, a lot of walking.

Wednesday 6th February. Breakfast at Ponderosa. We went to Busch gardens, Tampa Bay, today. It was 70 + miles along Highway 4. I drove there. I had a headache so I kept off the coasters. I went on the Log Flume and got wet. We went on the Rhino Rally, it was great. Lots of animals at this park. I had a look round by myself while Dave went on the coasters. the weather wasn't so good, it rained, but we had our plastic capes with us. We had our dinner tonight at Pizza Hut, I had a veggie pasta bake.

Thursday 7th February. Breakfast at Ponderosa. Today we went to Sea World, it was mainly animals and shows. Saw the killer whales. I had a walk round so Dave could go on Kracken coaster. I went on Journey to Atlantis, a wet roller coaster. We looked at the shops later on and went back to Ponderosa for dinner.

Friday 8th February. we were late staring today, packed the cases and had breakfast at Ponderosa. Then back to Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure, for some last goes on the Hulk coaster. We arrived at the airport at 4.15pm . we were all in the plane and ready for take off at 7pm. Started to gain speed, got to the end of the runway and the pilot decided to abort the take off. The brakes went on and we taxied back to the terminal building. The pilot said there was a small problem, and the engineer came and fixed it. We took off at 8pm. I tried to sleep but I only dozed off for half an hour, watched a couple of films. The seats were awful, not much room. We landed at Birmingham at 8.15am.

So there is my little trip down memory lane. It was a smashing holiday. My boyfriend was coaster mad, and this was one of many holidays we had visiting theme parks to ride roller coasters. Random pictures which are not brilliant, I haven't fixed the scanner up, so they are photo's of photo's.

Thanks for popping in. A bit late tonight. Catch you tomorrow. Toodle pip.

It's a lark, this money saving.

Hello. It's a bit blustery today, nearly got blown away doing my three miles. It was a case of pull my woolly hat down over my ears and barge my way through it. Crafty Club was a bit quiet this morning, and I visited the mobile library this afternoon.

It didn't take me long to sort the wool box out, I was checking if I had enough of the right colours for a project. I don't want to buy any, I want to use up what I have. Most of this came from charity shops. There should be enough for what I want. I am not a big knitter or crocheter.

What's this bag of cat litter doing here? I thought I would tell you how I reuse the bags. First I cut through the stitching with a pair of scissors, leaving the handles attached to the bag. I put the full bag on the floor on the right hand side of my little table, just outside the back door in the covered passageway. On the left hand side is an empty bag. The tray sits on the table and I transfer the soiled litter into the empty bag. When that bag is full, the fresh new litter has all been used to refill the tray. That bag then gets moved over to the left side, and a new bag is opened, and so it goes on. Opening the bag with scissors and not tearing it means it's easy to carry it outside and put it into the grey general rubbish bin. This Tesco litter is £1.55 a bag, same as Aldi, and other cheap supermarket own brands.

My lunch today. I had some pasta in the fridge, I made extra on Saturday. Put it into a pyrex bowl with a splash of water, and half a tin of baked beans. Zap in the microwave, stir and make sure it is hot all the way through. Grate some cheese on the top. Minimum cooking time, 12p for the beans, 10p pasta, 10p cheese. A cheap lunch. If you have access to a microwave at work you could easily take this with you, cheaper than buying lunch out. 

I am always looking for ways to save a few pennies, some may say I am a bit obsessive, but I can't see any point in paying more than I need to. As well as saving money on food I also like to be careful with utilities, gas, electric, and water. The money saving aspect of it is important but I am also aware of how much damage my actions might be doing to the planet. We are lucky in this country that we can just turn on a tap or flick a switch to get whatever we need. That is no reason to waste it willynilly. I am on a water meter, and although my usage is low, I still want to be careful with it.

I am washing pet dishes all the time, usually rinsing under a dripping tap in the kitchen. Today I came up with another idea. There is plenty of rain water out there, which I collect in buckets and bowls. Some of it is used to flush the downstairs toilet. Why not use it for cleaning pet bowls. So now I have a plastic bowl of rainwater outside my back door, and an old wash up brush. A perfect cleaning station for pet bowls, and no yucky food getting stuck in the plug hole in the kitchen sink. The water can be chucked down the drain and the bowl refilled. Perfect, a good idea.

Most of my money saving is about finding ways of saving only a few pence. Like not using my oven because it uses too much gas. I don't need to bake, roast, or casserole. I can make perfectly good meals on the hob or using the grill and microwave. Buying children's tooth brushes because they are cheaper than adult ones. Using diluted washing up liquid in an old spray bottle to clean everything. Get rid of the electric clock radio alarm and get a wind up clock. Cut up old greetings cards and use them for notes and making lists. Use the bath water for flushing the toilet. Give up wearing a bra if you have small chesticles. Use rain water to wash the car. Over a year, lots of pennies saved turn into £'s.  

There is a thread on Money Saving Expert called, 'Lots more sneaky ways to save the pennies'. It was started nearly six years ago and is still going strong. Even if you think some of the ideas are daft, it gets you into the mindset of looking for savings in all aspects of day to day living. I am pretty good at this money saving lark, but even I don't know everything, I am still keen to learn more. For me it's a challenge, I will not be beaten. I will get the most for my money, and I decide what I spend it on. 

Thank you to the Walking Group members for sending in your mileage for January. There are some impressive figures there. I am chuffed that so many have embraced our new fitness drive, and are hopefully feeling a lot better for it. We are only one month into it, so don't worry if your numbers are not as high as you hoped they would be. The main thing is that you are doing more exercise than you would have been had I not started this. Still eleven months to go, it isn't a race, no one is doing better than anyone else. It's a personal thing, you are doing it for yourselves with one aim in mind, to boost your fitness levels, to keep your body healthy, which in turn will be good for your overall well being. Everyone who exercises is a winner. 

Thanks for popping in. Catch up soon. Toodle pip.