Sell And Save

Firstly, thanks so much for the comments on yesterday's post.  They really were comforting x

My plan for February is to add to our savings by selling stuff I/we don't need even though we thought it essential when we moved to the bungalow a few short months ago.  When I went through the boxes in the 'understair' cupboard ( and, of course, we still don't have stairs!) I pondered why I thought some items were indispensable.  They are not.  They never get looked at let alone displayed so they can go! I can't face people coming to the bungalow to collect things so it will have to be fleabay sales.  I'm very out of practice but will give it a go.  I would like to raise £300 but any amount will be a result. I will update the total during the month if and when I have a sale of some sort.

I might try selling some of my craft work again too.  Before you-know-what I used to sell at a craft fair, a local shop and online but Covid put paid to all of that.  Now my cards are being donated to the Hospice shop but there might still be a market out there if I look hard enough.  If I can sell a few I will have the funds to carry on donating too.  When I dropped my latest batch at the CS I was told that they 'fly out' and people are sending friends in to buy some.  I must be doing something right 😃

We have the first home food delivery (since before Christmas) tomorrow afternoon so I'll begin the new challenge by adding the cost to the total below.

Stay safe everyone wherever in the world you happen to be x

Sell & Save:

£0.00

February Shopping Challenge:

£0.00/ £220

Feeling Sad

 I wanted this post to be upbeat and give details of February's challenge but.........I'm feeling so sad. 

 I heard a couple of weeks ago that my nephew and his wife have gone their separate ways after 10 years of marriage.  They have 2 small children of 4 and 5.  Yesterday I heard that her dad was diagnosed with cancer just a month ago and passed away 2 days ago.  I am gutted for her.  Why is life so unfair?

I'll be back with the post I had planned in a day or so.

Stay safe everyone wherever in the world you happen to be x

The Result! Cider Hotpot, and a New Challenge

 I am very pleased (and amazed!) to say that we spent very little actual cash on food this month: just £4.10 so £200.00 of the £220 monthly budget has been transferred to the savings 👍😁 leaving the surplus of £15.90 in the account should we need it next month for something else, like an  increase in the  energy bill 😓 

I  want to carry on with a shopping challenge of some sort during February, especially while G is still game to do it.  Our food budget for Feb is again £220 (a 4 week month) and I would like to spend less and save the difference but, at the same time, I want to gradually replenish our food store and freezer stocks, after all we still have a lot of Winter to come.  I know we will be close to the £55 per week allocated but let's see how we do.

I have been asked what cider hotpot on my menu plan is.  It's a bit of a faff but totally delicious 😜 I parboil 2 or 3 large sliced potatoes for 7 minutes then drain them and leave to dry in their own heat....

Whilst they are cooking, slice a couple of onions and a leek......

 ...chop a couple of carrots and a bit of brocolli or any other veg you have in ......

.....cook the onion and leek in a drop of oil until soft, then add the other veg. Cook for about 5 minutes stirring gently....

......add a pint of veg stock and 1/4 pint of dry cider ......

..... bring to a simmer, add plenty of black pepper and a heaped teaspoon of dried sage and tip into a baking dish. Layer on the new potatoes.....

......top with grated cheese and cook in the centre of the oven at 180c for approx 45 minutes....

It crisps up beautifully and serves 4 good portions......

Crusty bread is good to mop up the juices especially if you are extra hungry.  We ate a portion each last night which leaves another portion each for tonight just pinged in the microwave.  No cooking! Yay!

I  would like to do a Sell & Save Challenge in February and there will be more details in my next post. I am busy sorting through cupboards and boxes as we speak! eBay have regular offers on reduced fees at the moment and I would like to take advantage of that to keep a little more of the sale price in my own pocket. 

Stay safe everyone wherever in the world you happen to be x

February Shopping Challenge:

£0.00/ £220

Final purchase for January

Final (I hope) purchase of the month is a TV guide costing 72p... 

Hopefully, we won't need anything else until we get our Sainsbury's home delivery on 1st February which we are aiming to be within our budget of £55 per week. Start as we mean to go on 👍

DD came to lunch today unexpectedly so I jiggled the menu and we had pasta bake with garlic bread. It served the 3 of us admirably.  Thank heavens for the menu plan!  She did, however, bring us a millionaire's shortbread each 😁 Delish!

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 £4.10

To see the week out- meal plan

That's the food plan sorted and we not only have enough meals for the whole week but have a couple of alternative options if we feel the need..... 

Sue from A Smaller and Simpler Life has beaten me to the meal plan but I promise I had started this post last night.  I'm not copying, honestly! 😂  As before we might swap things around as the mood takes us but this is basically IT.

Breakfast will be cereal, porridge or toast

Lunches: sandwiches, jacket potatoes, or something on toast.

All we have left to spend in Loyalty points is £1.48 in Boots points and....

.....34p in Nectar points. Next month I will work on building them up again by taking advantage of special offers to ease spending later in the year. It's a fairly effortless way to get free food after all 👍

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

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