A Comping update

You may remember that back in August I won a £500 fashion voucher.  I spent about half on me and half on Christmas presents.  The presents are considerably more costly than I would normally buy but the recipients know this is a one-off and their chance to share in my good fortune.  However, that's a nice chunk off my usual Christmas shopping bill, I've got most of my presents bought now, and I've got some special clothes for the Christmas season.

Today I visited a friend who is in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease and sadly it is beginning to be more evident so I came home feeling rather sad.  Nothing can take away that sadness but I was cheered a little by the news that I have won another competition, this time for a sturdy pair of winter shoes.   I had quite a choice but these will be very useful.  

Back in the summer I won a rather nice hotel break which I gave to a friend and her husband.  She is coming to stay with me for a few days and she is treating us both to a spa day while she is here.  

Not bad this comping lark!

Small habits

Small habits.  We've all got 'em.  You know, the little things you do which save money but they're so much part of your nature that you don't even think about them.  I haven't always been a thrifty gal but since I've retired I've acquired new habits which are now second nature.  

Small habit number one has to be budgetting and tracking.  I use budgetting software (which I won!) and every purchase is recorded.  At the end of each month I do my personal financial report, telling myself what I have spent on the house, the car, treats etc.  Just being aware of what I spend has a restraining effect on spending.  I set goals each month, some of which I share on this blog, and review my success or failure and why I got the result that I did.  I also keep a spreadsheet called "Essential budgetting information" on which I predict cashflow so I can move money into the current account if needed.

Small habit number two again involves this laptop quite a lot.  Many people can save money by growing things, using public transport etc. but disability means I can't.  However, when I sit down for necessary breaks I always pick up the laptop and do a survey or maybe a few competitions.  Neither brings in a huge income but together they make a small but significant contribution to the budget.

Habit number three involves not a laptop but a good old fashioned notebook.  In it I note my shopping needs thus avoiding unnecessary trips to the shops.  I also note guide prices so that I can stock up when I see a staple (eg laundry powder) at a good price.  I also write down things to research before I buy.  Yesterday, for example, I was looking at plants in a garden centre and almost bought a skimmia but noticed that there were several different varieties available.  I don't trust the glowing terms which growers use to try and get me to buy so I noted the varieties available and will check before I invest my garden tokens.  Hurrah for notebooks of the use-with-a-pencil kind.

It's the little things

Yes, it was more than a little crazy to have two rooms decorated at once.  The problem is, I can't do it myself so I have to "get a man in".   It is cheaper to get him in once to do two rooms than to get him here twice.  

I need help with quite a few jobs (not just decorating) which a non-disabled person would do easily, which means I have to be careful with my cash.

Last year I was very happy with my water bill, especially when I compared my consumption to the national average for a single person household at https://www.ccwater.org.uk/households/using-water-wisely/averagewateruse/.  The UK average this year is 66 cubic metres  with 45 cubic metres per annum being considered low.    My consumption was 25 cubic metres and I really don't know how I did it.  I have needed next-to-no water for the garden this year (I have to use a hosepipe as I'm not safe carrying buckets).  I am naturally careful with water.  I keep a jug by the kettle and boil only what I need.  I take navy showers  and never take a bath.  I'm careful in my usage of the washing machine and dishwasher.  I've got a water filled bottle in the cistern.  However my house is clean, I don't go thirsty and (as far as I know) I don't pong!

These seem such small things though.  But they do show that small things add up.  Next year I shall pay £7 per month less for water.

And I could have wept at the amount of water which the plumber had to drain off before replacing the tank!

What a week!

This was never going to be one of the best weeks of my life but oh dear!

I had decided that I wanted to get some decorating done.  The "dining room" in particular needed a little help and I decided to have the hallway done at the same time.  My dining room is rarely used for dining but it is often used for sewing, sometimes used as a bedroom and I have previously called it the Room of Shame on this blog.  

Anyway, I had to empty the room for the decorator to do his bit.  Add to that the stuff from the hallway and my general untidiness and you will see that even at the start of the week I had a problem.

I decided to sacrifice the sitting room.  

Anyway, the decorator moved in and I went out as much as I could.  Until he said, "Did you realise that you have a large bulge in your hot water tank?"  No I hadn't realised and once I did realise I was rather uneasy!  Phone call to the landlord and visit from plumber.  I had to empty the linen cupboard.  The tank was replaced.

The plumber and the decorator have now gone their separate ways and I have my home to myself.  Not that I can relax exactly.  This is my sitting room this morning.  The plus side of this photo is that I know I can find my vacuum cleaner and Father Christmas is giving me a cheery wave.  

I may be some time.

Went the month well?

Yes, I know, it's six days into the new month but I still want to review September.

By 25th September I had spent 

Coffee              £10.44

Apples              £1.80

Potatoes            £1

Dried apricots   £5.50

Bread               £1.10

Ham                £2.80

leaving me £7.36 in the budget.  I spent a further £4.80 on fruit and veg so I ended the month with £2.56 so I was within budget.

Food waste was definitely minimal last month.  There was a little - apples. lemons, and a bread crust.  I regret the lemons  which should have been cut into wedges and frozen in ice cubes.  The bread crust too should have been made into crumbs and frozen.  However, the apples - c'est la vie!  I was given quite a lot of fruit which was lightly damaged and although I cooked and froze quite a bit there's no point in freezing too much.  Damaged fruit won't keep without cooking and preserving.

My freezer is a bit emptier but I still want to eat down a little more before I start preparing for Christmas.

So, this month.

I had a Tesco delivery on Wednesday but spent only £20.21 on groceries, the rest (to use vouchers etc) was booze for Christmas presents

My budget (including the Tesco stuff) is £100.  Yesterday I went to our local market and to Wilko and spent £11.30.  I have a fridge full of very usable goodies and £69.48 in the kitty.  No problem.

In other news, postie has just delivered the clothes I ordered with my £500 comping win!!!!  Who's a lucky girl?