I cannot help myself..........tales of a waistcoat, jelly mould and barbie!

Have managed  one of the things on my list so far! But did nip out after dropping off the Weeny Roo with her 'other family' to help a chum with an application form! On the way back drove through Morpeth and told myself would only call in at the charity shops for a perusal  if I could find an easy peasy high street parking spot!!  not easy in Morpeth High Street on a Saturday. I Kind of did just as I was on my out of the main shopping drag opposite the Relate shop!!! Now I can walk away from most goodies but not a waistcoat - Black fitted, plain (- not the leather or special variety but a cheap one in good nick from the high street), a small jelly mould - just enough for 2.3! and a winter coat for 2.99 for Roo aged 4-5!! Full length, very pink made by........ barbie  - boooo (Am not a fan of the out of proportion plastic moulded thing with a waist the same width as her neck!)  Couldn't turn it down though -  in too good  condition! It has barbie written on the back and on the front. I have a cunning plan however to tart it up ( as if it needs tarting up with that name on the back!)  Daisy, flower and other style girly  patches!!!!  I have a goodly while to find said customising items at a reasonable price - very very cheap other wise could have bought a coat from primarni new!!! And if I don't it will be fine for playing and daycare and getting grubby!!!!

Waistcoat - 3.49. Cheaper than the ones I saw on ebay with postage which were nonetheless equally plain and black and nowt to shout about. Dinky knobbly jelly mould 1.49 and coast 2.99!!!  Put away for next year.

Have managed one of the work tasks, have a few more to do - OK 2 items to put onto a database online and then an article to read and make notes on and a skeleton job application to draft! (I have a hand written application to complete! Boooo much prefer online.) 


My left leg is missing, my heart beats slower with a dull thud- I miss her lots. She didn't want to leave me this morning and has been saying that she does not like her dad's girlfriends son. He is about 7, her half sister is also there and is 7 as well. She has an older cousin 9ish who often goes over as well. The entire crew were there today which is nice in a way but they are older than her and I think they get a bit tired of the small one spoiling their grown up games. I know that the kids will be left to amuse themselves while the adults do adult stuff- watch telly and smoke fags. I hope she is OK. Time will tell. She comes back tomorrow at 5pm. Sigh
I know he was going out to work and leaving her with the entire crew of kids and his girlfriend. He  was outside with his work van and in work clothes. Shame - he only sees her every other weekend for approx 30 hours and she spends 12 of them asleep ( OK closer to ten as she sleeps light)


OK I look for excuses not to work!!!!!!!!! Biggles back tomorrow afternoon. Mother Biggles liked her birthday pressie from us and from Roo and the cards. All good. Now I really really must get on!!!

Thrift by choice or not..... being grateful and thankful of the option of thrift!

Called in to source some vouchers for the residents weekend and had to have a  scan around Lidl.

Fabulous bargains but unfortunately am not in a position to stock pile anymore. Sigh. This is where thrifting is falling short these day. Previously thrift was a choice. I had a slightly above average wage but have never been able to shop a the upper end of the high street and to be honest wouldn't have wanted to anyway. I could never afford expensive moisturiser, budget versions of cars new to me was fine.  It  is difficult and there is no financial freedom in sight for me now. I look back and am not proud that I was a smugly virtuous thrifter who said no to consumerism from the moral high ground. I have been knocked off my perch unceremoniously. Now when I look around a charity shop I see 'types' - the smug middle class greeny, the arty type and those who are there because its all they can afford.  I am embarrassed to say I was once one of those smug types. I didn't appreciate the best bit that I had choice to get out of debt and chose frugality as opposed to  frugal living being the the only option available to me and as such not being able to really  benefit from it - ie financial freedom shall not be mine, my savings will not increase and if I stray from the frugal path its a disaster not a slip up I can correct next month and get back on track. I have at least 12 years of repayments I figure.... unless something drastically changes.  Last year when thrifting by choice I never knew I had it so good!!!

Chip shop curry Thursday and a job interview!!

Ahhh another day - and another indulgence. Three quid for a syrup brown leather handbag with a flower motif - Its lovely and I love it - not good as I have a plan but.............

 

In response  to this over spend I have had another clear out and will sell some clothes and curtains - its good to de clutter! Am also stock piling for a car boot sale! Car boots are great  when you are a seller you don't have time to buy!!!

 

I shall also post pics of the finds when I dig out the software for the camera!

 

Job interview is positive - its still about 10k less than I was on and less per hour than I am now but more if I work full time. Its with a local college which is good and only about 20miles away and I can get the bus however its only guaranteed till July 31st when the college is taken over by another college so I don't know if I can take the risk.... I shall go to the interview anyway - good practice.

 

Had the delights of chip shop home made curry!! You know school curry - makway curry sauce special  with onion, chicken and peas and sweetcorn thrown in for good measure with a naan bread and a bag of boil in the bag rice!  Biggles came over for tea again. He is on leave and considering the pressies of this lap top ( his old one) and a TV for looking after him when he was in hospital plus all the other nice stuff we do hes worth it!!!!

 

Small gorgeous one loves having him around too. Nearly time for weekend number two. Apart from another two job applications I may get one or two things from the list accomplished!

Projects: 

• Under stairs cupboard to sort and retrieve software for camera
• Kitchen draws to sort - numerous bits for boot sale
• Clothes to further sort with view to stuff to save for sister, stuff to recycle for cash
• Sewing projects - smock top thing to hem the sleeves, curtains to hem ( I feel a wonder web moment coming on)
• Curtains to re hang
• Car to valet - its disgusting - need to fit wheel trims
• Glass to recycle
• Upstairs floors to sweep
• Shed to sort out - I have a chest of drawers to revamp
• Plan the garden for this year - I have seeds to plant and pots to re pot and ferns to plant etc
• I have decorating also but am waiting for better weather (- prob the same for the garden and shed and car valeting )

TTFN

 Eeeeek

CAP = Highly recommended!

What a lovely organisation. Really understanding and very supportive. Technically I am not behind with payments at all but the savings are significantly depleted and I am not earning enough to deal with emergencies as they present and require savings.  CAP  ( Christians against Poverty) people were brilliant and will negotiate with my creditors (3 of them) on my behalf. I pay CAP and  CAP pays them. I agree to not take out anymore debt and only deal with CAP ( this is not an issue- really its not). Am still sour about things generally -  having to do this and not have choice in my life and that being debt free will take longer than I had hoped ( unless the house sells) but at least its manageable. takes the fun out of  thrifting a bit - as I always went for preloved and new to me on point of principle and green leanings. Will  keep you posted re the progress with CAP. Have a new bank account to open next week - they got the time mixed up today so only got bits of it complete.

Biggles paid for coffee and cake ( nice chap that he is) and Gorgeous one had an accident. I had to buy trousers from Oxfam £2 and socks and pants - not from Oxfam but M and Co which came to £9!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Should have made her put up with being commando and barefoot  in shoes but we had a while to go before home and she would have created big stylee!!! I will put the socks away for next year. No pants a larger size either only smaller or far too big so that was a bit of a waste too. Oh well and she is normally so very very good! And its one of the only high street kids shops in the town!!! ( Sainsbury's, a very posh shop, and a local one with outlets in the wider area - mostly school outfitters but not that much cheaper and closed half day on a Wednesdays!!) I really miss Woolworth's in cases like this! living in a small town this is a draw back not having cheap high street shops at your disposal in cases like this.

Quick tea this evening - oven chips ( they have to be used up and chicken/fish fingers/ beans etc. I may have egg as I am a fan of the family Friday classic of yesteryear! )


Saw a  fabulous blue Edinay Ronay short mac style jacket on sale for £20 in Oxfam - was really tempted and got as far as trying it on - was a bit too tight so I am really really glad!!!!! After yesterdays find I am unable to justify further  expenditure and it was rather lovely............ and another Paul Smith skirt that I refused to pay £15 for!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Gorgeous Day earlier - bit cold after 1pmish.. can't wait for warm spring days heralding summer!!!

I need to find my camera!!! Positive finds and 'new to me' kitchen stuffs!!

or rather the discy thingamybob that means I can upload photos of finds, gifts, fun stuff to the laptop nd illustrate the blog. Methinks it may be in the old standalone PC which is hiding in the back of the cupboard just in case!!!

I have loads of new kitchen stuff - well new to me! Biggles was having a clear out!! I have had a habit over the years, since my mid twenties of deserting, running for the hills taking only the cats after a relationship cohabitation break up. Even in non cohabiting relationships I never ask for stuff back. I just go - has always been me heading for the hills - I figure if you decide its over then off you go! Anyways my haul of kitchen equipment has never recovered! When I think about the gems I have left behind...... Proper hardy equipment built for longevity - stuff inherited from my mum and granny built in the 50's, 60's 70's to last!

Todays' donations are all  modern type things but am not complaining (- I do enjoy therapeutic cooking - doesn't always turn out how I want but I do enjoy the journey! ) Cake tins, pans, dishes and a deep fat fryer  to be used for special occasion chips!! I can make proper cakes now!!


(Later we christened the 'new to me goods' with cauliflower cheese  avec les bonuses- with added bacon, onions, carrots and broccoli and a few home made oven chips .............followed by pancakes for the Shroves of course)

We had some goods to donate to the Charity shop. - bits that no one needed. (That man had 7 frying pans -for example - I now have three and he has two) While donating  I found a find!!!!!!!!!!!! Brand new dark grey marks and spencer dress suit - for job interviews/course interviews for only £15 - the gods of finds and bargains hath blessed me. It is very 'boring' and only really good for interviews, funerals, serious work days. May be this is a sign of positive things to come...........hmmmm Will have to wait and see...............
 Can't afford it especially after the hike in bills but I really need to keep the good omens on my  side!!

Lots of  fabulous kitsch crockery and If I had the time and money to start a collection then........ahhhhhh sign. lol


Muchos lovos!

Eeek

Frugal living!

I have always enjoyed the challenge of being thrifty. I save everything. Food - I hate waste.  Left over veg - into soup. Fruit - frozen to be used in smoothies, pies, sauces, cakes.  I recycle t shirts - They become dusters and cloths. Other items of clothing recycled to charity shops or the fabulous enviro clothes who pay you for the weight of your items. From 11 bags of clothes (bin bags half full) I made £16.  Every penny counts these days so off it went to lessen the debt. (The debt - yes I once had a plan with the end in sight  now it is a distant dream, a tiny whoo ville like speck on the horizon. but keep chipping away I will. )

I free cycle, car boot, charity shop, scan sale rails for bargains and this includes the sale rail at primark! (Don't like to pay full price for their chat).  Focus on frugality  - where shall I start!

Kids clothes - I love hand me downs - who doesn't. Children play, Children get grubby, Play can be grubby.Clothes get grubby. Children grow alot faster than there clothes. Its really quite simple.  The gorgeous one wears Next, has a Little Rocha coat, pumpkin patch and other silly labels. She looks ace. She has play clothes and going out clothes. One thing I do fork out for is shoes - Clarks. I do not begrudge the £30 they cost however they can be sourced form Brantano and ebay for much cheaper once the feet have been professionally measured. The only problem is the upset child who is expecting new shoes! Once the season has got warmer I will cut off the arms of sweatshirts to make t shirts - a simple hem using a sewing machine- takes all of two mins. Hey presto more wear out of an item that would have been destined for the recycling journey (profit making or for charity or the ;duster drawer) or has horribly stained cuffs!

Na na na na na - My carbon foot prints less than yours!

I would do this even if loaded for sheer self righteousness! Being skint - its a bit less virtuous but hey h

Na na na na na My carbon foot prints less than yours!!!! lol

I also buy in advance. At the moment I am working on the 4-5 yr old wardrobe. I buy from sale rails  for a year in advance so the seasons don't really matter. I have a £2 rule for t shirts, long sleeve shirts, leggins etc Jeans, dresses and Coats obviously more. Today's bargains were long sleeved shirts for 75p - I bought 2. Woolen white polo neck 1.50. Woolen thick legging - pinkish colour £2 and a pink sweat shirt  with butterfly pattern also for £2.  All new all from Asda - £7 total.  Bargain!!! Not preloved and not as eco friendly but its not very often  we go new.

Cheers - speak soon
Love
Eeeek (as it eeking it out)