Charity Shop Bargain, Books and Sunshine....

 Yesterday, I went to drop off another batch of handmade cards at the Hospice shop.  I was so happy to find that there were only 3 left in the basket as they had all sold quickly ☺️ I double checked the price and, yes, they had sold for £1 each so £22 for the charity within a week.  I added another 7 to the basket and hope to make more cards for them this week.

Whilst we were there Gray spotted a body warmer for himself.  It looked brand new and fitted perfectly.  At £4.99 it was a bargain not to be missed.  It's only from Matalan but I  popped it on a gentle wash and dried it in the sunshine.  It will be perfect for the allotment. ¹

I finished reading the latest Milly Johnson in bed last night and I wasn't disappointed.  The book is about women: their friendships and mutual support in times of crisis. As usual Milly rounded the book off well with a satisfying happy ending.  I was sorry to finish it and will be reading it again at some point......

In the nick of time I received an email from the library to let me know that the book I reserved was in at last.  On the warmest day this year I  collected this.....😂🤣😂

I know lots of you have enjoyed this book so I'm looking forward to it.

Right-o I'm off to do a bit more crafting 😊

Thanks for popping in and stay safe and well wherever you happen to be.

Angie 💗

A Hospital Visit, Sell & Save Update......

 I hope all mums in the UK had a great Mothers Day yesterday.  Mine was spent taking Graham for a hospital appointment, yes, on a Sunday 🤔at 1pm.   The bonus was that the hospital car park was pretty empty so I parked easily for once.  We made our way to the department shown on the letter only to be told that the appointment was cancelled 4 days before 😒and we had no idea.  No idea why either.  The total time we were there was less than 15 minutes so, at least, we didn't have to pay for parking.  Graham had psyched himself up for the appointment (he gets really stressed) so to say we were not pleased is a massive understatement. In the end McDonalds was our 'go to' lunch venue 👀

A phone call to the hospital this morning confirms that it was the hospital which cancelled the appointment and another one will be issued at a later date.  Gray has only been waiting a year to see the consultant......

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On Saturday I made another eBay sale for my Sell & Save challenge in the sum of £10.93 after fees and postage.  The new total is now £17.04

Today is bright and sunny so I've stripped the bed and pegged it all out, and another load is in the machine, even as we speak.  Gray has gone to the allotment, so I can do the ironing and then finish off another batch of cards for the Hospice shop in peace!

Thanks for popping in and thank you for all the lovely comments on my last post.  I appreciate every single one.

Stay safe and well wherever you happen to be,

Angie 💗

A Confidence Boost, A Lovely Weekend and a Sell & Save Challenge .....

 I mentioned in a previous post that I have been donating my handmade cards to a charity shop for them to sell and that they didn't seem to value them as they were placed on a shelf just above floor level where they could not be easily seen.  I took a new batch into a different Hospice shop in the village and my reception was totally different.  I placed a basket of them on the counter and immediately a customer said " Oooh,,, are those handmade? May I take a look? I LOVE handmade cards!"  She immediately bought 5 of the 25 I had taken in 😀 Both the manager and I were very happy!  It has given me a confidence boost, the charity an immediate £5 and inspired me to make another batch to take in next week.  The photos below are not very good, I just snapped away at a few to remind myself what I had made.......

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Our weekend was really lovely.  It was our Daughter's 50th birthday on 24th so she, her hubby, Gray and I had booked a meal in a nice pub on Sunday to celebrate the occasion.  There were no kids ( Granddaughter working, Grandson off on a jaunt with his girlfriend) so it was relaxing and chatty.  On Monday DD, Son-in-Law & Granddaughter came to us and we had a nice sunny walk to the pub for a cheese cob and a drink.  It was another beautiful day and I slept like a baby that night because of all the fresh air 💤💤💤 

Oh... and our Daughter loved her special gifts 👍

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Speaking of birthday gifts:  my next Sell & Save mission is for our Grandson's 18th birthday at the end of July.  I made the first sale yesterday of  £6.11  Not a fortune, but a start 😉

Thanks so much for popping in.  Stay safe and well wherever you happen to be,

Angie 💗

Eye Watering Rises in Costs.....

 

We are almost at the end of March and into proper Spring at last.  As well as spring cleaning the bungalow I like to spring clean the finances too.  Our year is calculated from 1st April to 31st March  to roughly coincide with the UK tax year. And what a year of massive increases in everything this will be...... 

 Council tax is up by almost £100 this year

Rent up by £177 per annum

Broadband up by £36 per annum

TV licence up £5

Water bills are increasing by 22% (no actual figures yet but on previous consumption it could be around £128 p.a extra)

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Food prices are still on the rise so I'm planning even more carefully and avoiding waste at all costs, batch cooking and freezing portions.  Thank goodness our energy prices are fixed until next year (June 2026 I think) and my mobile phone is pay-as-you-go @ £10 per month with unlimited calls and texts, so no nasty surprises I hope.  I have insurance on my washing machine at the moment @ £6.99 per month but when it runs out in June I'm thinking of cancelling the payment and putting the money into an emergency repair fund instead.  

The food budget will remain at £2860 per annum ie £55 per week for the two of us. 

This brings the total household expenditure up to £13,881 per annum which takes up a hefty chunk of both our pensions.  Running our cars adds another £1,000 plus fuel costs to the total so, once again, I'm thinking of giving up my car at the end of this year.  I'll decide after the Summer whether or not it's cost effective depending on how much I actually use it this year.

Have you re-calculated your outgoings?  Any shocks?

Thanks so much for popping in.  Stay safe and well wherever you happen to be,

Angie💗

How To Make a Scarier Scarecrow.....

 How do you make a scarecrow scarier? Simple.....

......just add a face!

When our Daughter came to visit on Thursday, the sun was shining so we took the opportunity to go into the garden  and try to make a scarecrow for the allotment.  It was a bit tricky.  Straw ended up everywhere, to the delight of the birds! but the result wasn't too bad for a first attempt.  Graham said we ought to enlarge a photo of my face, laminate it, and put it on the scarecrow to make it scarier 😂  What a cheek!

Seeds are being sown, plantlets nurtured, potatoes have been planted, broad beans are in the ground under cloches, and the rhubarb will soon have some edible stems.  It's SPRING ! 

What are you planning to grow this year?  Pots or garden produce? Flowers?

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Thank you to everyone who has commented on my last post.  I'm sorry I don't always find time to reply but I'll respond when I have a moment.

Thanks so much for popping in.  Stay safe and well wherever you happen to be,

Angie 💗

Splashing The Cash For a Change..... & a Bargain !

 Wednesday was such a lovely day that we decided to visit Bridgnorth and stretch our legs a bit in the sunshine.  I always like a good browse around the charity shops there too, although things are so pricey lately that I rarely buy anything.  They have a Trespass Outlet shop too and I popped in there, not really expecting to buy anything.  However....👀 I spotted this fleece on the sale rail.....

There was only one left in my size and it fitted perfectly but crikey look at the price!  £68.99 😨

I checked at the till and the price came up as £27.59  Now that's more like it.  It's well finished and made from the kind of fleece which really keeps the cold out so it just had to come home with me.  I haven't bought any new clothes for ages so I had enough money to pay for it......

As expected, the charity shops had some lovely china and bric-a-brac but it was all overpriced and I wasn't tempted at all.  I did, however, spot this T shirt at the end of a rail on the way out.  It would be good to wear around the house with jogging bottoms for comfort....

It had been on sale for £5 but reduced to £2.50 so that found it's way into my purchases! I traced the brand online and their T shirts retail around £30.   Although the size label says XL it fits me and I'm usually 14/16.  I'm wearing it right now and it's very comfortable......

Have you found any charity shop bargains lately?

Thanks so much for popping in.  Stay safe and well wherever you happen to be,

Angie 💗

A 22p shop and a Thank You

 Thank you to everyone who followed my life story over the last three blog posts.  I'm amazed at your staying power! I appreciate every one of you and every single comment.  It was fascinating to read snippets of your own stories too.  Thank you 😊 

I've mentioned before that I complete online surveys for vouchers, and sometimes cash too.  Last week I reached the threshold for a £25 voucher and chose M & S.  They are a bit pricey but £25 worth of free food is not to be sniffed at so,  after a good browse around the food hall, I settled on the food shown here because it would make several meals.....

The chicken made 2 meals ( a roast dinner and fajita wraps) utilising veg & salad bits from the fridge, 

The sea bass made 2 portions served with little roast potatoes and some peas,

 The haddock fishcakes were eaten with chips and salad including half the tub of coleslaw

 and

 The pizza base made a meal  for two, topped with sliced tomatoes and grated cheese laid over tomato puree, then popped in the oven for 11 minutes. It was served with the rest of the coleslaw. 

I know the cherry pie was a bit indulgent at £4.50 but it really was delicious and served 4 portions.  The red seedless grapes were very tasty too and became dessert for 3 days.  Graham loves satsumas so I left them all for him to snack on.  I can't find the receipt but the total cost was £25.22 meaning that all I had to  part with was 22 pence for enough main meals for 5 days.  Now that is my kind of shopping 🛍 ☺️ 

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I hope you are all well and enjoying the last couple of sunny days if you live in the UK. It's been a gorgeous day today with a clear blue sky but, at this time of year, I guess that means frost tonight.  Wrap up the seedlings!

Thanks for popping in and stay safe and well wherever you happen to be.

Angie 💗