A cheap day out

Its Tuesday which means mother and daughter day out - this may stop as from next week as she is going to college and isn't sure what days (and you can guarantee it will be Monday and Tuesdays as they are my days off!) - got my hair cut this morning.

Popped to the pictures to see The Sorcerers Apprentice (well, I just wanted to see Nicolas Cage for 2 hours!) - took our sandwiches and crisps into the cinema (bought with luncheon vouchers earned from Pinecone research) - dd paid for the cinema as she owed me pennies and we indulgently had 2 Frappes outside Ocean Terminal on the terrace overlooking the Royal Yacht Britannia.

Meatballs (bought from Aldis) and Smart price paste for tea with a Lloyd Grossman sauce (£1 - normally make my own but always have a couple of jars in for quickness)

Nice day....

Well I am back blogging! thanks to my friend Caroline (thanks for the meal - it was fab!) who misses my blogs I am up and running again......
I vanished for a while as I turned 50 and was having a major re-think about my life (special birthdays always do that!) so I have bitten the bullet and sent off for my provisional driving licence and am going to take lessons - never driven in my life but think its about time I did - I have just over £500 to put towards them (birthday money and a lovely cheque from Scottish Power as all my moaning over the winter about not putting the heating on until really necessary paid off!)so lets see if this old dog can learn new tricks...
I will re-start my outgoings on 1st September - oh wants to have a 2 week holiday next year touring in our caravan up to the Orkney Islands and around the top of Scotland so that's a goal I can be saving up for (I find I am quite happy being frugal if I have a goal) Also, as oh points out, if (sorry, when!) I pass my test I would like a wee car so have to save for that and insurance etc.
Did make a start by making my own soap powder - got the idea from Frugal Queen - grated up 2 bars of Morrisons household soap and mixed with equal quantity of Soda crystals - whizzed up in the food processor and use 1 dessert-spoon per wash. So far I am very pleased with the results - more pleased than using the Asda smart price soap powder! Have now completely given up using fabric conditioner and use 2 tablsps vinegar which makes everything really soft (my towels are fab!)
Also tried out Aldis own make dishwasher tablets which are really good - I am going to try and break them in half to see if that works.
I have routed out all my nearly empty bottles of shampoo and mixed then together (its amazing how much you can get out if you leave them upside down when you think they are empty) and put them in a pump dispenser I bought for 50p at a car boot - considering I have to wash my hair every day it doesn't really matter what shampoo I use.I also added the collection of shampoo sachets I seem to have acquired!
So that's a start!

Vets bill

Heaven help us! our bunny (a cute dwarf lop eared called Bonzo) has been "off" recently so took him to the vets last week - they thought it was his teeth and gave him antibiotics (£26 thank you) and he had to go to the bunny dentist today - he had his back teeth filed down and is now a happy bunny - that will be another £58 thank you! Thank heavens for savings!

Otherwise - breakfast at Asdas (my eldest dd and me as we had to have the bunny up at the vets at the crack of dawn!) - £7
Visit to the pictures to see Wild Target - a British comedy with Bill Nighy which was quite good - £5.60 for both of us
and £4.60 on stationery for youngest for school.

June housekeeping - £90.27 left (might be able to put this in the holiday fund!)
Extra Holiday fund - £28.50
My allowance I have left - £12
Entertainment - £24
Household - £68.60
Spent with money paid back - £423.63

A few bargain buys

Again - been too busy to blog! I sold my dining room table and chairs as they were really too big for the small alcove they were in. Got £100 for them and the set I wanted were in IKEA for £89 so off we went.....and of course, didn't just stop at the table set! in total spent £157 but included a wire basket set to put my fabric stash in. The ongoing saga of the back room mess has now been resolved and I have moved things round - hopefully it will stay tidy now (have pictures on my camera of before and after and when I find the lead to put them on the computer I will post them on the blog) I also took piccies of my old table and the new table and will get them on.

Been doing very well on the meals out - only 2 this week - IKEA (£11) and a fish supper between myself and eldest dd at the market today (£6) Bought 5 new cushions for my sofa for £5, 3 books at 50p each (quite dear but I really wanted them!) and 5 nice poppy table mats for my new table for a total of £1!

Also been doing well on the grocery front - stuck to my menu and shopped today just enough to last me until my next on-line shop next week (£44)

June housekeeping - £90.27 left (might be able to put this in the holiday fund!)
Extra Holiday fund - £28.50
My allowance I have left - £26
Entertainment - £24
Household - £64
Spent with money paid back - £423.63

Another grandson....

Baby Kaidan - born last night - 9lbs 6 0z

Busy week

Hence no blogging! Went away for a few days in the caravan on the spur of the moment down to Lauder to visit friends - had a smashing time - cost £45.50 for the site, spent £26 on groceries for the van. Went down to the Common Ridings at Hawick and spent a grand total of £6!

Took packed lunches to work (only worked 2 days this week) so spent no money there...

Did the Race for Life today up in Edinburgh in the pouring rain! Walked 5km to raise money for Cancer research - did it with youngest dd (13) and my pal Linda and her dd Lisa - my eldest (the one who beat cancer) came to see us despite being full of cold which was nice. Didn't think it would cost anything (apart from £2 bus fare) but we ended up buying some wonderful Angus Aberdeen beefburgers cos we were starving (and didn't fancy carry a picnic on the walk!!) so that was £12.



My menu plan is working brilliantly - no more popping into the shops for bits so saving quite a bit at the moment. Added to the 21 meals I had planned are meal 22 - barbecue at my pals stuff with burgers/sausage/rolls from the freezer and meal 23 was shepherds pie made with left-over lamb from the lamb dinner and meal 24 was just cheese and crackers as my mum and dad came up and bought a big lunch!

June housekeeping - £134.27 left
Extra Holiday fund - £28.50
My allowance I have left - £43.50
Entertainment - £24
Spent with money paid back - £423.63

2 jumble sales....

Off we went yesterday to a big scouts jumble sale at Gullane.....find I'm being very discerning in my purchases - I just love looking at other folks stuff!!!! Bought.....

Box of 43 magazines - quite old ones called Out and About which gives reviews of areas in UK to visit, and reviews of motorhomes and caravans - hours of entertainment for £2

3 paperbacks for £1

Cute summer bag with cherries on it - 50p

Came back and went to our neighbours for a wee barbecue as it was such gorgeous weather (I took along beefburgers and sausages I bought with this months on-line Asda shop for such eventualities!)

Woke up this morning to rain but didn't dampen our spirits as another jumble sale this time up at Garvald which is a lovely wee village. Spent £4 on 2 bacon and egg rolls and 2 cups of tea.

Bought - 4 paperbacks for £1
Fleece cosy toes for new grandsons pram (hes due this Saturday coming)
Babys first blankie (with a blue teddy rattle)
Thick Reebok coat for gs no 1 for the winter
Bag of brand new school socks (around 10 pairs) for gs no 1
(all above for £2)

So had a lovely weekend!

June housekeeping - £134.27 left
Extra Holiday fund - £100
My allowance I have left - £43.50
Entertainment - £4
Spent with money paid back - £423.63