Pretty Thrifty - ways to save money and (hopefully) not notice

Well, this week we've been reviewing our finances and have found we should have more disposable income than we actually do have. Slightly concerned about this, and a bit sad, as I'd love more money to spend so have entered a new money saving, thrifty living phase.

Our fixed costs are quite high, including mortgage, council tax, utilities, debt etc etc. And these can't be changed, much anyway. However our variable costs, like food, and entertainment, and communication can, and will be changed. Plus, I guess clothes and shoes and beauty budgets...

Firstly food budget; I'm going back to menu planning. It's the only way we ever save money, and stay healthy, as it avoids freezer food temptations and makes sure we (ok, me) plan around protein and vegetables. We've also had retro breakfast of real oats and golden syrup all week, which is far far far cheaper than cereal. In fact, might go as far as most 1970's mums used to and ban all branded cereal, sticking simply to the basic (yucky) varieties. Or oats, which are delicious.

Secondly, entertainment and communication costs. Sadly in Hastings, we don't have cable so can't do cheap cable/TV/phone and broadband deals. After extensive research we've gone back to sky now. We've managed to get all three for £28 a month, and that is no more than without the telly. We did not really want the extra channels, because apart from the movies, which we have not got, its pretty much all dismal.

However, we do have, gasp, gasp, Sky Plus, which was (almost) free last year. This wonderful device has revolutionised our family television watching, so much so that the month we did not have it even four year old Ol was despondent for pausing telly. Course when people do happen upon our planner they find it hilarious that we Sky plus (or record) such a lot of rubbish. But I say loud and proud, its blooming great to have the whole Desperate Housewives series on there, or um, Holby City! Even random Monday nights can be wonderful telly nights with Sky plus. Ok, free ad space over.

The other free entertainment we have is via fre DVD trials. Yes, I am a DVD whore. We nip from service provider to service provider and I find that as long as I write the end dates of trials on my calender I always cancel them before we pay. Saw Hook with the children last week, and loved it, despite the annoying Robin Williams, and the wonderful Son of Ranbow. Don't feel guilty about these free trials at all either, which is a bonus.

My other big saving news, is changing my phone provider, as well, I just can't get a decent signal with current provider in my house and rather than getting a new phone, tempting as current one is same as Stacey off Eastenders, simply getting a SIM. Have to find dodgy person/shop/market stall to unlock old one but they are usually about somewhere. Very delighted with concept that I can save £120 a year with this, and be green to boot.

I'm also going to start freecycling and friday-ad ing all our old bits and bobs like crazy. There is nothing like a good clean out to make you feel all frugal and fresh. Plus saves on Mr Sheen and dusters.

Dancing and Drinking

I've had a great weekend, spent most of Saturday wandering the shops and bought nothing. Which was disappointing but on reflection probably good. As it left more money for red wine and lager. Which I drank together, well not exactly in the same glass but you get the picture.

We went out on the town for the first time in ages, with grandparents babysitting so no need to worry about children. Popped in to an indie pub for a drink, which was pleasingly like being twenty again. Lots of earnest faced indie girls with no make up on drinking pints or too much gothicy make up on.

Then on to an opening and party, in an actual place, that was not a house. With an actual DJ. And people that we met and talked to. It was great. I do feel a bit guilty about menacing the poor DJ to try and get him to play dancing tunes. Can almost remember the words Steps coming out of my mouth, but think that was a joke. Definitely Abba and Wham were mentioned. And I definitely clocked the gallery owner running away from me at one point. Not sure why.

Possibly I then hugged the school governor and his wife who were at the party. Then there was lots of dancing with my new best friends. Guess music got better.

Sadly we left, and sadly took a wander around historical Rye today. All went well until we got trapped in a small gift shop with Ol buying a Dancing Robot, that he planned to use as a fighting robot. We got stuck behind a lady buying picture frames that needed a lot of wrapping. And it was hot. So then I was sick. By a wall. Ol decided to chant; 'Mummy's been sick, Mummy's been sick'. In front of three generations of my family. Hate indigestion. I had to miss my Sunday lunch but remarkably recovered for fish and chips by three.

Will never drink red wine with lager again. And will remember that I get shocking indigestion when drinking and keep stocks of chocolate milk cure in the fridge, if I ever attempt drinking again that is.

For now I'm sticking to water.

Tired, dizzy and excited

It's Halloween tomorrow, we've made some scary wreaths, put the Skeletons up in the window and are ready...all bar making some crepe paper pumpkins.

I'm tired out from all the crafting and decorating activity, on top of frugal bread and biscuit making so intend on spending the rest of the afternoon lying on the sofa.

However, if you live locally, be prepared for a visit. The witch in a handmade hessian dress, and the ghost pirate will be mine! And don't ask why hessian, let's just say I had a problem with the previous more witchy material.

Happy Halloween

n.b. must remember to take Halloween frozen marrows out of the freezer later.

Cocaine for the masses

No, we haven't been taking drugs, but we have been drinking Stella. All eight cans I bought yesterday because they were on offer. In our defence it was between three of ourselves, and we did not beat any wives. It is strange stuff though...

Ten reasons I should remember not to touch the delicious reassuringly expensive lager again:

1. It makes me have a Stella glow, which although amusing gives way to a Stella rant quite rapidly.
2. Stella rants are quite like any other slightly boozed up rambling, as you truly believe you have access to some amazing knowledge that others don't have. For example if you are friend S that sheep just exist in the south east on reservoirs to mow the lawns.
3. I think I have some unique talent to drink a lot of lager and not be very drunk.
4. We are all too noisy, no doubt embarrassingly so on a Monday night (albeit it is half term).
5. I think I have a special knowledge of fashion, apparently men should never ever wear sports trainers unless they are engaged in sport. They should source retro trainers, or at a push wear sort of skater style. Course L thought it was ok he wears sports trainers, as otherwise he'd look like a thirty something Dad in skater sized ones.
6. We argue with our best friends about fashion.
7. I think I am more intelligent than lots of people (apparently more intelligent than people who work hard) - but not as intelligent as others.
8. I spend some minutes, rather hours lamenting my rubbish education, farmers comp followed by old poly. This is therefore the reason I am not as intelligent as other people, rather than the fact I've never done any academic work apart from when I fancy it.
9. Arguing with best friends about fashion brings up critique's of me and I'm not good about this, and in fact disagree that trousers over dresses is only visible on the South Coast and Would Never Be Seen in London.
10. The hangover from Stella's special mix of chemicals hurts quite a lot.

Why did they drink Liebfraumilch in the 1970's?

I've discovered why Liebfraumilch and probably Blue Nun were popular in the 1970's. Remarkably it is not because our parents generation were uneducated wine quaffers who knew no better. It is because it is cheap. Really cheap.

Yesterday we gave ourselves a frugal treat of a fiver between us for some booze. Got tempted with a nice bottle of Chardonnay, but knew we'd want more...so we bought wine at under £2.50 a bottle. Sadly, or gladly Sainsbury's were out of their economy wine, just not sure what that would be like. So we bought this. And you know what, after every mouthful I did have a pull a sort of sucked a lemon face, but it cheered us right up.

Hip hip hooray for recession busting wine!

n.b. Met a right idiot 'artist' yesterday who claimed the credit crunch was rubbish, if I had not have been in a public place would have let rip. Also met a silly snobby woman who was rude about the fact some cool t-shirts were for babies only. Both times kept mouth shut, needless to say silly snobby woman, you might not know who I am, but I know you. Won't be talking to you again, that is, if you ever talked to me in the first place!

Think I need to climb a tree and drink lager

Feel really cross today, too grumpy to go to playgroup, and too moody to think of anything more productive to do than make bread which did not rise.

Would love to go to the Common in Kings Langley, find my favourite climbing tree which looks a lot like this and drink some lager. Lots of lager, and smoke some fags, real ones, not poxy roll ups.

Chirpy, Chirpy, Cheep Cheep

Discussing how we wake up cheerful sometimes, saying; 'Ooh, what shall we do today, playgroup, swimming, the library'. K has decided not too be that cheerful anymore as her son doesn't always appreciate smiley happy mummy. Then we worried for some time that we are quite annoyingly chirpy and cheerful generally in a middle class way. Did not think too much about it at the time, but came back to haunt me last night.

Really hate the idea of being super chirpy, like a jolly Radio One presenter. In fact for absolutely years my worst insult for someone was that they sound like the above. Now its me. And to make it worse, although K and I are fairly well educated we do spend our days discussing the, um, less intellectual like children, or sometimes hair, or even on odd occasions our favourite cereal.

Now I am concerned about this blog, is it full of jolly hockey sticks chirpiness, and is my worst nightmare true - am I actually less clever than everyone else? Possibly in my defence I don't blog when I am truly miserable, but seriously must always be lacking in brightness.

Hooray for Eric - the gas man

Our heating and hot water broke last night, the boiler just made some hideous cranking noises and passed out. Spent the night planning how we could manage without it, as we do have an electric shower.

Mat wasn't keen on shaving in cold water, but I was almost gleeful about the exciting heat less adventure - well we'd still have the woodburner. And thought we could get a couple of electric heaters. And hot water bottles, and um, warm socks!

No need though, lovely Eric, who has now visited us at least five times, the gas man, came out this morning, and fixed it. Apparantly it was jammed and think he actually mended it by hitting it with a hammer. Good job! I'm now delighted and less gleeful about the 1970's heating adventure - just happy to be warm.

Suspect heating broke as I un-frugally had it on during the day yesterday when we had some friends here. Too much luxury for our house maybe.

Thanks Eric.

School is great.

I love my son's school, in fact I love school all together. I'd forgotten how lovely it is for children to all play together at lunchtime, to have almost unlimited number of friends, to have coat pegs with their names on and to enjoy some freedom away from their parents.

I also love the reading books, they are actually funny these days, and the children enjoy them. No more Peter and Jane, or ITA (the evil 1970's reading scheme I grew up with), learning to read is all about fun and enjoyment. They can choose their own books, move up shelves to harder books, and learn them by rote, or recognise words.

So glad did not give in to tiny part of self that wanted to home educate children, so they were socialised how I want them to be, not to be factory made so to speak. The children's school is part of the community, it teaches them about the area, manners and behaviour and how to be a generally lovely person. I love it. Couldn't spend too much time there though, a morning last week was enough, as have to admit just can't muster enough enthusiasm up for chase or jumping in puddles, or the letter 'p'.

Comments please

Firstly can I just say the bugs are still there, watching and waiting and plotting their new house lifestyles within my window. Make them go please. (Too scared to do it myself).

Secondly, very surprising night last night we had people playing guitar and singing in our living room. Sadly, their favourite song was that; 'Nothing ever happens, nothing happens at all'. Which, along with that bloody Baker Street song gets in my head and gives me murderous thoughts, if the singer and the world is that bloody miserable then they should just hop on the Met Line to hmm, Uxbridge which must be even worse and stay there.

Liked it when they did Summer of 69 though, and if had taken some confidence pills, and could sing would have joined in. Sadly, neither had happened so kept myself busy in the kitchen putting vegetables away.

Right, but am making a comment plea, just to say I really love them, so more more more.

Have a good weekend everyone, we're off shopping, then to a party then to see the alarming Fire Night of Hastings, with boyes who Have Flames.