Matters of Nectar and Bugs

Isn't it strange how you can go for months without feeling at all off colour then it's one thing after another, after another? OH picked up a nasty cold virus which he has very kindly passed onto me. Now he's back to being boing-y and energetic (well as much as a 67 year old can be) and I feel like death warmed up.  I felt it coming on, on Saturday evening when I developed a stingy feeling in my throat.  I was the emergency help, due to take GS to his football match on Sunday morning so I had to hide my feelings of lethargy and stand for 2 hours on the cold and windy pitch.  I expected to feel like cr*p but the match was exciting (and I don't really like football!) GS played brilliantly and his team won 5-0 so I quite enjoyed it.  I simply don't get all this shouting and yelling instructions and with a sore throat it was as much as I could do to hold a conversation, but it was very enjoyable.  I just hope I haven't passed my cold onto GS or anyone else :/

On matters of Christmas shopping....

A couple of weeks ago Sainsbugs had a Nectar points giveaway so I went to their service station to put my £10 worth of fuel in my car and look what I got....

I was amazed and delighted to win 5000 points worth a whopping £25!!  I popped into the store to buy a few items and to scan my winning points voucher and got another 200 points worth £1!

This made over £55 worth in total....

 

 

I have since spent £12.50 of my points on two lovely small gifts to take off my Christmas list, so effectively another 2 FREE gifts although I can't say what they are as someone might read my blog and it will spoil the surprise.  I still have £43 left and I will spend them carefully.....

 

 

Back on the subject of teabags, I bought some Mr M's every day tea and when I counted the teabags (yes, I know I lead a very sad life) there were exactly....40 !!! Hooray!!

Well my headache is subsiding a little, my cough is rattling but No sore throat, thank goodness.  It's time for PJ 's and Autumnwatch on the telly. 

Have a lovely evening and thanks everso for popping in x

I'm Excited!

I'm excited! I want to shout out loud.....

I have my first Christmas Presents!

Boots have begun to stock their shelves with Christmas stuff and I just happened to see some suitable gifts when I popped in with DD for something else.  I got 2 lovely gifts for women and one for a man which had a potential total cost of £18.50  By using my points and Boots' 3 for 2 offer I got them for FREE and I still have over £1 worth of points left on my card...result!

On Sunday morning I put the kettle on to boil for my first cuppa of the day, opened a new box of teabags and idly counted them one by one into my airtight jar....37...38...box empty! WHAT?? A box of 40 teabags contains only 38?  I tipped them out and tried again.  Still only 38. They are the cheapest Sainsbugs Fairly Traded teabags but I still felt cheated so I sent off a very polite email to Sainsbugs to query this.  By Monday I had received a very nice email to say they will be looking into this issue and that they will credit me with 400 Nectar points (worth £2) by way of compensation. I just checked and they are already in my account. Thank you! In all my 46 years of wedded bliss I have never before thought to count the teabags in a pack.  Have I been missing out all these years? Do some packs contain more?  Is it a hit and miss issue? Has anyone else ever checked theirs? Or am I completely nuts?  Answers on a postcard please ;)

Regarding Nectar points, I checked at the weekend and I have points worth £25.87 so far....

Add to this my free 400 points and I have £27.87 towards more gifts (jumps up and down in excitement! )  Today I received another email newsletter to say that from Friday to Sunday this week Nectar card holders will receive free prize draw points if they spend £10 or more and swipe their card.  It's well worth doing because the top prize is 5000 points worth £25 and you will get at least 200.  Go people! ;)

By the way, OH loved the sausage casserole.  He said it tasted slightly sweet but absolutely delicious.  It didn't need any extra liquid and served him 2 enormous portions.  If I had been a bit quicker I could have stretched it to 3 and frozen one of them.  Never mind I'll know for next time ....

Thanks everso for popping in.  Stay safe x

It's October! Foodie Post

Thank you all so much for your comments on my last 2 posts. It seems that many of you can't help but notice the price hikes in the shops either and I can't see things stabilising in the foreseeable future.  A lot of belt tightening to come, I think....

Today is October 1st and the good news is that my food spends have stayed just within budget this month (12p left)
I have checked my store cupboard and freezer and still have the makings of:

Evening
Sausage casserole (slow cooker),
HM veg curry (I have never made one from scratch before so it will be a bit hit and miss!)
Quorn fajita wraps.
A few frozen prawns which OH can have smothered in Marie Rose sauce on a baked potato
 so potentially 5 evening meals if the sausage casserole serves OH twice.

Lunches
 Leek & potato soup (twice)
Cheese on toast
Baked potato with baked beans
Sandwiches (egg perhaps)

My tasks this morning have been prepping sausage casserole for OH tonight......

 

 

2 sliced onions and 6 browned sausages (cut into chunks when brown)

 

 I only had 2 carrots left....

A jar of sauce 86p (I haven't bought this before so I hope it will be ok)

 

 



All put into the slow cooker to work it's magic. It should give hubby 2 good portions.  It might need more liquid but I'll see how it goes as it cooks.  As you know, slow cookers tend to create steam which adds to the liquid level anyway.  I'll let you know how it tastes in another post....

 



There were just 2 leeks left so soup is now bubbling away for my lunch and there should be plenty left for tomorrow....

 



 

Monday is' big shop' day so I need to get fresh salad stuff, veggies, fruit, some fish and not much else I hope :/
October needs to be a frugal month too. If I can spend as little as possible at the beginning of the month I might be able to keep some cash in reserve towards Christmas food.

Have a lovely day everyone and thanks so much for popping in x