A Productive Day Off (For A Change)

Thursday, was one of my days off this week, and for the first time in a few months, I felt that I actually had a productive day off.

It started with sending LB off to a festival for a few days with a friend and her family.  She'll be gone for 4 days, so I thought I'd use the time to do some cleaning at home, on the days when I'm not at work.

After walking the dog, I was booked into a class at the gym, after which I had to do a bit of top up shopping to see us through to the weekend.  When I got back home, after having lunch, I spent some time on my personal finances (and blogging), due to it being the month end, before finally getting around to some of the housework later in the afternoon.

There was washing to do, hang out and take in, laundry, washing up and other things to put away, bins to empty for collection tomorrow morning and a few other small things that I've put off doing for a while. By the time I'd done these, it was getting quite late, so I only managed to vacuum a couple of upstairs rooms and part of the stairs before supper was ready.  I didn't continue later, as the couple next door have a very young baby and I didn't want to disturb them, so it will have to wait now until the weekend.

After supper, I turned my attention to pickling some beetroot that has been in the fridge for two weeks now (I've missed having any to put in my salads this week), and making some small apple crumbles from some of the apples that OH's mum gave us last week when we visited.

Unfortunately, some rhubarb that I'd harvested a few weeks ago and wanted to make jam with, was way past it's best and had to be composted.  I hate wasting food, but jam making takes quite a while and I just never found the time to do it.  I've still got some rhubarb left on the allotment though, so I might still be able to make some in the next few weeks.

Finally, I had a shower and washed my hair ready for work the next day.

Not a mega blitz, but I did a lot more than I've done for a good while, possibly in part because of it being much cooler outside, which helped to make me feel a bit more energised. Getting on top of the house again is another reason that I'm looking forward to cooler weather this autumn, although I think we've got a few more weeks of warm weather still to come here.

Anyway, I felt better for not collapsing in a chair, getting lost down a YouTube rabbit hole or binge watching Netflix on TV and being unable to motivate myself to move, so progress was definitely made.

Earn/Save and Extra 2018 in 2018 - August

This month I have managed to save/earn extra money as follows:

1) I saved £4.50 by utilising some Tesco Club Card and other vouchers this month, when I did a grocery shop. 

Although I've previously mentioned not using supermarket vouchers, I meant this mainly with regard to Waitrose vouchers, on account of the store being much more expensive than other supermarkets for many items.  I do shop at Tesco from time to time, as Lidl doesn't sell some items that I buy on a regular basis and these therefore have to be bought elsewhere.

Total saved at Tesco this month - £4.50.

2) I sold a few more items on eBay and made £18.83 after fees and postage had been taken out.

Total earned on eBay - £18.83

Total saved/earned this month is £23.33, which when added to the total at the end of last month of £807.31, means that I've now earned/saved an extra  £830.64 so far this year.

With four months to go on this challenge, I am still hoping to get to at least the £1000 mark for the year, which would be a good enough achievement for me.

I may start trying to ramp up eBay sales in the lead up to Christmas, if I can get my act together, as I'd like to earn enough money to buy some new sofa covers in the next few months. (More in another post)

Monthly Roundup - August 2018

It's been a strange kind of month really.  Expensive in some areas and not in others, but overall the budget fared pretty well for once. Here's how it all panned out:

Food - This came in at £16.95 under the usual monthly budget of £400 which was very good.  Possibly because we went away for three days, whereby family members kindly fed us, but I was never the less happy with this result.

Household - This budget was one of ones that came in over, namely by £8.05 over the £50 budget.  Not bad though, as this is usually one budget that gets well and truly busted each and every month.

Miscellaneous - This budget came in at £27.99 under the £50 budget allocation.  I'm not sure why this was really, save that there were no birthdays and I had less cakes to buy at work due to the fact that most of the interns left whilst I was on leave for a week.

My Personal Budget - This went over the £25 allotted by £15.15, which isn't too bad for me.

LB's Budget - This was the major overspend this month at £90.16 over the £25 allotted, mainly because I bought her some new school skirts and socks and I also got her hair cut properly for a second time, after the previous hairdresser was frightened to cut as much off as she wanted.

In addition, LB was going to a music festival at the end of the month with a friend and her family and needed a few things to wear/take with her, so I obliged and also gave her some cash to spend whilst there. Not a big deal, as she doesn't ask for much these days.

Home - This budget also went over by £17.75 over the budget of £20.  I did treat myself to a new docking station for my iPod which cost £16 from the CS though, plus some other bits and pieces for the house and garden.

Travel for Work - This budget came in under by £14, due to the fact that I had put £10 on my travel card at the end of last month which saw me through the first week, plus I was absent from work for a week.

In all, a good result, but I needed to be a bit careful this month due to having less income.  OH usually gives me some money towards groceries, but he had a large credit card bill after our holiday, so he put it towards that instead, which was fine by me, as he actually paid for the groceries when we were in Portugal.

Next month, I don't think I've got any major expenses coming up.  I am, however, going to start thinking about Christmas presents and possibly start early buying some of them.  I suggested forgoing gift exchanges to one family member last week, but she really wanted me to continue to buy gifts for a couple of her children, so I relented.  The others I'm giving cash to though, which will simplify things a little.

I hope your budgeting efforts have rewarded you this month.

Relishing the Bank Holiday Weekend

It's been a very relaxed kind of weekend around here.  We came back to London from Yorkshire on Friday afternoon and have been settling ourselves back in.  There was the obligatory food shop and some washing to take care of, but other than these things, I've been able to do as I please and continue to relax on my week off work.

I haven't tackled the house yet, as I'm still not feeling it. I did venture into the spare bedroom/my sewing room in an attempt to do some decluttering, but I have to say that the whole process left me feeling a bit overwhelmed and depressed, due to the amount of stuff that is in there and that I am going to have to make decisions about at some point. A few things did find their way into the donation box, but this was just the tip of the iceberg.

Anyway, I've managed to catch a couple of classes at the gym this weekend, which has been good and has helped to shake me out of my lethargy. It was definitely necessary, as I'm back at work tomorrow and it's going to be full on, mainly due to the fact that we are down to minimum volunteers now all of the interns have left.

LB is going away with a school friend and her family on Thursday, to a music festival for three or four days, which is very exciting for her. I've been speaking to her friend's mum today about boundaries and such, which reassured me. Apparently, there are a few local families that go there together each year, so there'll be quite a few people she knows there.

I dragged our tent out of the shed yesterday morning for her to take with her.  It hasn't seen the light of day for quite a few years, since there was a camp out at her cousins house some years back. This afternoon, LB and OH are taking it to the park to practice putting it up.  I might go along with the dog just to watch the spectacle.

Needless to say, LB is super excited about the trip and can't wait to go.  She's been packing since we got back to London. As a consequence, I've decided to leave cleaning the house until she's away, but we'll see if that happens.

I feel very rested which is good and I'm slowly trying to psyche myself back up for returning to work. We might try to squeeze in a visit to the allotment this afternoon, to harvest more tomatoes.  I need to pickle some beetroot that we picked last week and use some cooking apples that OH's parents gave us from their garden.

I'm already enjoying the cooler weather and am looking forward to getting my winter wardrobe out and cosying up in sweaters, jeans and boots. I'm an autumn girl at heart, being born in October. It is probably my favourite season, what with the excitement of Christmas to come and the stiflingly hot weather behind us. After tending the allotment all summer it always feel great to gradually put it to bed for the winter and turn toward more home based activities.

I hope you're enjoying your Bank Holiday Weekend.

A Holiday Charity Shop Haul

During our few days away in Yorkshire, LB and I managed a bit of recreational thrift shopping.  I don't go into charity shops much these days, due to working in one, but we had an hour to kill before LB had a hair appointment, so we used it to scour a few local shops for bargains.

Here's a few things that I bought:

First was a new jigsaw for our next break. We've been working on one this break, which is a map of the world.  Unfortunately, when we finished it, we found that there was a piece missing from it, which is a pity.  It was new when I bought it, so we must have lost it somewhere on our travels which is a bit annoying. I have a suspicion that the dog may have run off with it. 

Anyway, I've bought us our next one which is this lovely jigsaw of the London skyline.  It's new and still in it's cellophane and cost just £2.99.  I really enjoy doing these, although I do get a bit obsessed.  Such a simple and relaxing past time, which always helps me to unwind.

I also bought this lovely cloth shopping bag for £1.49.  It has lovely large gold spots on it, adding a bit of glam and glitz to the often mundane task of grocery and everyday shopping.

I also bought a couple of items of clothing.  The first was this pair of harem pants which I have already worn and found really comfortable.  These will be added to my current work wardrobe.  Quite a bold print, but they are made of the softest jersey.  They cost just £3.49 and I can see me wearing these a lot, for work and then possibly the gym eventually. (The black fake fur lined skater shoes I'm wearing in this photo were a bargain from H&M in the sale the other week.  Just £6 and I'll be wearing them for work in the autumn).

Finally, I also bought this lovely grey/black spotted scarf for me.  It is new with tags and cost just £2.50.  I may do my usual of making it into an infinity scarf and I will be wearing it for work in the autumn winter. 

I bought one other item, which was a pair of white light up flashing trainers for LB to take to a music festival with her.  They were brand new and are chargeable using a USB cable. She was so happy to  find them as she's wanted some for a while and they cost £35-£40 new elsewhere.  I bought them for £6, which was a bit of a gamble, as I didn't know if they would work, but they charge up just fine.

A Week Off

Yesterday, was my last day at work for 9 whole days.  I'd booked another week off during LB's summer holidays from school, so that we could hang out together a bit before she goes back to school. To be honest, I was glad to get away.  Just recently we've had lots of shop lifters in the shop and it's starting to get me down. We work so hard to raise funds for the charity and people just come in and help themselves to whatever they want.

We try to keep an eye on people acting suspiciously, as much as possible and do sometimes deter or catch shoplifters in the act, but we also can't  be expected to catch or prevent every single one, especially when some are under the influence of who knows what and quite scary or intimidating to approach. It just makes me a bit cynical on the whole and disappointed in humanity.  After all, these people are stealing from people who have very little, not even basic human rights in some cases. It makes my blood boil.

Anyway, no more talk of work, I've got a whole 9 days of not having to worry about it.  The shop is closed for 4 days during my absence for maintenance work, which makes it easier for the manager in some ways.  The takings will be down, but it can't be helped. We start the shop sale when I get back, which should be interesting.

So, what am I planning to do this week?

We are heading up to Yorkshire for 3 days to visit family which will be nice.  It will be good to get out of London, especially in light of the way I'm feeling at the moment and just have a complete break, as it allows me to forget about work for a while and not wonder what's going on in my absence.

On the other days, I'm intending to do a whole new raft of decluttering around the house.  I've already pulled out about 15-20 books from the bookshelves in our bedroom that I'm going to part with, as I'm not going to read them again. I've also got in mind some items in the kitchen cabinets that I'm going to donate, some of which belonged to my mum, but I just don't use them. I will keep one, as a memento, but the rest can go and find a new home.

I need to get LB's hair cut before school starts again and before she goes to a music festival at the end of the month.  I got it cut a few weeks ago, but the stylist was frightened to cut it as short as LB wanted it, so bottled out, but this time around we both want a good 6 inches cut off for going back to school. It will be good to get rid of any split ends.  LB has lovely long thick hair, not at all like mine, but it takes quite a bit of managing, so getting it cut into a long bob will mean a lot less work for her and besides it will probably grow back in no time and a change can be a good thing every now and then.

I really need to try to do some cleaning around the house this week too, but I'm not sure how much of this I'll get around to doing. I've not really got much interest in housework at the moment, but it needs to be done so I am hoping to get around to cleaning some rooms.

Thankfully, the allotment is more or less taking care of itself at the moment, what with more changeable weather.  We harvested lots of tomatoes and beetroot last week and I need to pickle the beetroot, use up some rhubarb and continue to use the mountain of tomatoes in the fridge. I've frozen a few bags of ones that had split through being so ripe, but I may have to freeze more to get the best use out of them.

I'll try to post a few times during the week to keep you up to date with my progress.

A Much Better Week

After complaining of not really being very productive for the past few weeks, on account of the heat, this week I've managed to achieve a bit more, thankfully.  Productivity  has mainly been on the gardening front, but at least it's something.

On Sunday morning, on the way back from the dog walk, I dropped into the allotment to water the plot and harvest anything that was ready.  There were lots of tomatoes, beetroot, rhubarb, potatoes, more French beans and a couple of courgettes.

I ended up staying for a couple of hours and weeding the plot, as it was in total shade, thanks to the boxing club next door. This made it much more bearable and I was able to get up to scratch with keeping it looking tidy.

I didn't manage to get any photos, however, as I'd left my phone at home charging.  I'll try to get some the next time I visit.

Later in the week, on my day off on Wednesday, the weather was decidedly cooler so I ventured into the garden, which had been looking a bit overgrown since we came back from our holiday.  I nearly didn't do this, as I got it into my head that I would go to the garden centre instead, to possibly buy some new plants and have a mooch. Thankfully, the frugal part of my brain, which sometimes makes itself heard, told me not to bother and that it would be a better idea to stay at home and tidy the garden instead, which is what I ended up doing.

I gave some of the shrubs in the borders another chop back and also cut back some of the climbing plants that come from next door and start to smother my plants if I don't take control of them.  After I'd finished I was happy with my progress and proceeded to clear one of the raised beds and sow some more lettuce seeds into it for an autumn salad crop.

We're managing to use the existing cut and come again salad at the moment, but there's not that much of it left now, so I thought I'd better make arrangements to grow some more for when it eventually dies off.

I did a couple of other small jobs, including repotting a Date Palm, that I'm trying to grow as big as I can before I plant it in the border.  In the autumn, I'm finally going to remove some of the old woody shrubs and put some new plants in, as one of the borders is getting very congested now.  It will be strange and a bit sad to see the old shrubs go, but I feel it's time for a change and I'll enjoy sourcing some new plants for this border and seeing how they grow and fit in.

After sweeping up the decking, I moved inside to do some other jobs, the first of which was to boil up some beetroot I'd harvested on Sunday and pickle it.  It made a couple of jars, so that should keep me going for a few weeks or until I make some more.

I've currently got French beans drying on the window sill to use as seeds next year, green tomatoes ripening and sweet pea pods also drying, so it's a bit of a production line around here.  There's also lots of rhubarb in the fridge, plus gooseberries and blackcurrants in the freezer, that I need to make into jam at some point. I still have more than two jars left from the last time I made some but it's quite tasty and is a good way to use the fruit up that no one else in the house likes.

Finally, I also blanched and froze some French beans we've had in the fridge for over a week, as I didn't want to waste them by letting them get past their best. So, it's been quite a productive day all told.

I'm hoping the cooler weather continues for a while so that I can get more jobs done.  I'll keep you posted.