Big Shop #4

 As we had run out of bread, coffee and were almost out of milk, we decided to do the last 'Big Shop' today instead of Wednesday.   This is all the stuff we bought with the remaining credit on the Asda gift voucher......

.....plus just 11p cash.  For that we bought salmon fillets, bacon, 2 pizzas and a ready meal for G which has gone into the freezer for the weekend after work.  For a quick lunch we shared one of the pizzas with some of the free salad and tomatoes I was gifted yesterday.  Sorry but I forgot to take a photo until I had eaten some of it! The salad is perfectly fine to eat, I just washed it well before eating.....

As you can see the total cash spend for the month so far is £3.38 and I don't think we will will need to buy much else during this last week other than a TV guide.  Now I need to write a meal plan to be on the safe side....

I notice that I have a couple of new followers, so welcome Deborah and Pam!

Thanks for popping in and stay safe wherever in the world you happen to be x

Funds:  Nectar points £32.50 spent 

            Asda Gift Voucher £50 (G's gift from work)spent 

            Boots Loyalty points £14.77/ spent £13.29

            Tesco coupon     £1.50  (found a bit tatty and neglected in my purse) spent

            G's Nectar points £7.50  spent

            Cash spent £3.38

A Productive Day

I've managed to get quite a lot done today. It started with a small sale on eBay last night. When I realised that the buyer lived just 10 minutes away I asked if she would like me to drop her purchase off at her home. I was driving that way anyway and it not only meant that she would get her item quicker than through the post, but that there would be no risk of it getting lost or damaged and it would save me £3 plus in postage too.  She was very happy for me to do that. She was a lovely lady and invited me to help myself from a box of veg and salad stuff she had just put out for Olio customers. I took some tomatoes and a bag of salad. Although past the best before date they both look perfectly good to eat...... 

I will use the tomatoes for grilling for breakfast tomorrow and the leaves will make a salad. I'm sure I've seen people use them in soups too? Any ideas? 

After lunch I spent a couple of hours finishing more cards for the Hospice CS. There are 28 so potentially £28 for the charity once sold..... 

Ready meals from the freezer now in the oven. That makes for an easy tea, then a bit of TV tonight. 📺☕😁

Thanks for popping in and stay safe wherever in the world you happen to be x

Funds:  Nectar points £32.50 spent 

            Asda Gift Voucher £50 (G's gift from work)spent £20.38

            Boots Loyalty points £14.77/ spent £13.29

            Tesco coupon     £1.50  (found a bit tatty and neglected in my purse) spent

            G's Nectar points £7.50  spent

            Cash spent £3.27

Fancied bananas & got a bargain

 For some strange reason I woke up at 3.15am this morning with a dicky tummy 😓  I took some Buscopan and Paracetamol to try and settle the pain but struggled to get back to sleep for some time.  I finally awoke at 8.20am to brilliant sunshine and a very sharp frost. I did a lateral flow test, which was negative,  ate a bit of cereal with half a (tinned!) pear and a dollop of live yogurt then decided to have a walk in the fresh air in the village and join G at the allotment later.   I took my library book back and put my car through the carwash too.  Not being able to face lunch, I decided to buy a banana for later but had to pass the YS fruit and veg.  12p for potatoes, albeit wonky, and 17p for salad was too good to pass by.  The bananas cost 26p so a total of 55p cash spent.....

I noticed that the Sainsbury's magazine was half price @ £1.50 the last time we shopped there and I had a Nectar coupon for 26p which wouldn't scan at the smart shop checkout.  I tried it through a normal till point today and yes! I got my mag for £1.24...paid for from my pocket money of course 😁

Thanks for popping in and stay safe wherever in the world you happen to be x

Funds:  Nectar points £32.50 spent 

            Asda Gift Voucher £50 (G's gift from work)spent £20.38

            Boots Loyalty points £14.77/ spent £13.29

            Tesco coupon     £1.50  (found a bit tatty and neglected in my purse) spent

            G's Nectar points £7.50  spent

            Cash spent £3.27

Little 'Big Shop' #3

 We had a change of plan.  Today we were meant to shop at Asda and use the gift card but G didn't fancy going there.  He wanted Sainsburys 👀 Ok...Sainsbury's it was ...... but that meant I had £5 to spend and G had £7.50 (rolls eyes) I got these for a total of £5.40. The Linda McCartney pies cost me £1.13 instead of £2.20 and will make us a nice meal with mash using 2 of the potatoes, peas and gravy, the pasta bake will be another meal served with garlic bread from the freezer, and that leaves 2 potatoes for jackets with cheese.....

I even got a red velvet cake which was reduced to £1.  It's best before date is today but it will last another couple of days.....

I had to pay 40p cash.....

G spent his £7.50 differently, spot the treats!  But he did buy 2 chicken portions which will make us 2 meals this week.  He spent £9.00 so £1.50 cash to be added to the total....

To sum up:  £2.72 cash spent so far , leaving a reasonable £29.62 for next week's shop in Asda.

Changing the subject, I think it's been quite cold today, despite the early morning burst of sunshine. It's 5.45pm and I'm sitting at the computer in layers of clothing and with a fleecy blanket over my knees.  Is it me?  Am I getting old? G has just dropped into the conversation that it's forecast to be even colder tomorrow 😏  Roll on Spring, I say......

Thanks for popping in and stay safe wherever in the world you happen to be x

Funds:  Nectar points £32.50 spent 

            Asda Gift Voucher £50 (G's gift from work)spent £20.38

            Boots Loyalty points £14.77/ spent £13.29

            Tesco coupon     £1.50  (found a bit tatty and neglected in my purse) spent

            G's Nectar points £7.50  spent

            Cash spent £2.72

Happy Times 1959

 While G was at work this weekend I had a bit of a sort out, going through the plastic storage boxes we had brought with us and came across my Sister's wedding photos.  My Niece had popped this photo into our Christmas card. It's of me, aged 10, and my Brother, aged 5, on the big day.  My Brother was very upset when he had to hand back the hired outfit, he loved it so much!  A few years ago, on a visit to Scotland, he finally bought himself a hand made kilt with the jacket, sporran etc  After all we do have Scottish blood in our veins 😄

During the clear out I bundled up a box full of bubble wrap from the move and took it to the charity shop in the village to ask if they could use it.  They were very pleased to accept it.  Whilst I was there I enquired about my donated hand made cards as to whether they had had any interest from customers.  Yes, they had and, I quote, were "selling like hot cakes and almost gone" so I'll make another batch and pop them into the shop this week.  At around £1 each they should raise some useful funds for the Hospice as well as reducing my stash and making a bit of room.

During February my next challenge will be Sell And Save. I have found a few things which are just stored in a box and what is the point of that?  I might as well sell them and add to our emergency fund.  I'll decide on the target and details in time for the beginning of next month.

Meanwhile I will carry on with the shopping challenge.  Next food shop will be Asda on Wednesday when we have just under £30 max budget.....

Take care everyone 😘

Thanks for popping in and stay safe wherever in the world you happen to be x

Funds:  Nectar points £32.50/ spent £27.50

            Asda Gift Voucher £50 (G's gift from work)spent £20.38

            Boots Loyalty points £14.77/ spent £13.29

            Tesco coupon     £1.50  (found a bit tatty and neglected in my purse) spent

            G's Nectar points £7.50  

            Cash spent 82p

Waste Not Want Not..... And a Promotion!

I'm trying to use every bit of a product before I throw it away or recycle and yesterday morning cut open the plastic tube of toothpaste to get at the bit I couldn't squeeze out.  I got two more tooth cleaning sessions for 'free' 😁

My favourite cleanser is almost gone too so I cut off the top to scrape the last bit out ....

Actually, there is enough for about 3 days of twice a day cleansing to be had 👍  When you think it could all have been binned.....👀

I have been informed by Nectar that I am now #4 buyer of tinned pears in my local store! Up from #7 that is definitely a promotion in my book 😂

Thanks for popping in and stay safe wherever in the world you happen to be x

Funds:  Nectar points £32.50/ spent £27.50

            Asda Gift Voucher £50 (G's gift from work)spent £20.38

            Boots Loyalty points £14.77/ spent £13.29

            Tesco coupon     £1.50  (found a bit tatty and neglected in my purse) spent

            G's Nectar points £7.50  

            Cash spent 82p

'Big' Shop # 2

I quite enjoyed a thoughtful shop on my own this morning.  I needed some household cleaning products which made a bit of  a dent in the budget at a total of £4.80 but I really don't want to run out.....

There were not many yellow stickers bargains to be had but I managed to get some tasty looking British tomatoes, some ham for G (I think it was wrongly priced because the use by date is a week away and others on the shelf were dated for tomorrow) and a ready meal for my lunch as G is away at the allotment until tea time.....

I spent a grand total of £25.06 which was made up of £25.00 Nectar points and just 6p cash!

I could have spent less but the idea is not to feel deprived but to spend as little actual cash as possible.  G has his piece of steak for tomorrow and the meal plan is complete for this week.

What I did notice is that prices are still rocketing; eggs up 10p per half dozen, fruit and veg up by a similar amount, a tub of Bisto gravy granules is £1.80 and I regularly used to buy it for £1. Most of the basic range of items has disappeared from the shelves.  There was no basic dried fruit, tinned fruit, cornflakes or pasta. 

What are you having to pay more for at the moment?  Don't even mention the energy prices 😕 I dread what will happen when the Price Cap is removed in April.....

Next week it will be the turn of Asda for a visit 😄 Watch this space!

Thanks for popping in and stay safe wherever in the world you happen to be x

Funds:  Nectar points £32.50/ spent £27.50

            Asda Gift Voucher £50 (G's gift from work)spent £20.38

            Boots Loyalty points £14.77/ spent £13.29

            Tesco coupon     £1.50  (found a bit tatty and neglected in my purse) spent

            G's Nectar points £7.50  

            Cash spent 82p