17 June 2026

I Was Duped .....................

 I picked this craft box of card making bits at a boot sale a few weeks ago and when the lady selling said she wanted £10 for it I quickly put it down again. 

Then last weekend I saw it again and asked the price and got it for £5. I thought £5 for the makings of 24 cards wasn't too bad and they looked quite unusual to make. The lady said it was new - never been opened and it was certainly sealed and looked new.

You can guess what I'm going to say..........BUT when I got  home and found a way into the box, I discovered it HAD been opened and the only things inside were three lots of different sized card blanks and envelopes - six of each and some coloured paper and card. There should have been a whole lot more - I'm so cross with myself.


I wasn't even meant to be buying anymore card making bits anyway!

Ho Hum!

Back Soon


16 June 2026

Stinking Rose!

 What a wonderful name for a cheese!

Here's another from Croome Cheeses - a company based in Worcestershire, that I wrote about earlier this month .

150 grams for £3.65

The Co-op had 10 of their cheeses (I counted!) but I  passed on all the fruit/cheese combos and avoided that Hop one tried last time and landed on this 'Mature Cheddar with Garlic and Parsley'.

It's rather good, a lovely creamy texture with good strong garlic flavour. 


I ate the first piece with the Aldi multi-grain crackers plus cucumber and fresh cooked beetroot. Both of those were good too as I'd not bought either for months........... Not a massive salad fan through the cold months. The next cucumber I eat will - hopefully- be from the greenhouse.

I was glad I'd not bought either beetroot or strawberries from the car boot sale on Saturday as both were much, much cheaper at Aldi half an hour later. It pays to sometimes be wary of car-boot 'bargains'.

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15 June 2026

Halfway Through June

 Well, the weather didn't warm up much for the weekend, which was the promise earlier in the week, there was  a really cold wind on Saturday. Maybe by the end of the this week it will be better.

 I hoped for a fairly low spend June and at  half way through, how's it going?. 

The garden waste bin had gone up £2 for the year but thankfully the Car Tax was still £20 - I had visions of them moving more goalposts from it being free two years ago to anything they fancied charging!
So all the main expenses have been paid and the total spend including charity donations, dentist, garden waste bin, phones and broadband, car tax, one lot of diesel for the car, incidentals including multi surface cleaner for floors, sunflower hearts for the birds and a new stool for the hallway (for sitting on for all ages to put on shoes) plus the one big food shop (and the two fancy cheeses and taking YD and EGD out for our regular Sunday lunch).And that totals just over £600. There will be more odds and ends of course and Electric bill at the end of the month.

Then I did  the second food shop of the month at Aldi on Saturday after a quick tour round the car boot sale where all I found were some Maltesers. (There are some Eastern European guys who somehow seem to have a stock of cheap chocolate every week!?)


After the big shop at the start of June I didn't need much. From left to right...........Salad Leaves 65p; Strawberries £1.99; 4 Nectarines £1.39; Bunch Beetroot £1.39; Cucumber 99p; Pack 6 Mini Apples 59p; Pack Fruit and Nut mix 59p; 2 x  Peanuts @ 59p = £1.18; 1 Kg Onions 99p; 6 Eggs £1.49; Tin Peach Slices  45p; 4 Pints milk £1.65.
Total £13.35

During the rainy weather last week I got around to looking at some of the 'Frugal' youtubers again. I really can't understand why some people go food shopping every couple of days - and it's not because they don't have a car to use. It's mid month and I've only food shopped twice - apart from buying the special cheese last week.
And some people picked up on one frugal blogger who seemed to have a real muddle in the kitchen cupboards so had no idea of what was there, but reckoned she was a 'prepper'! The comments recommending she sort her cupboards and write a list were soon deleted. 

Of course I have no right to criticise - as I haven't the patience to be a you tuber myself! Better shut-up!

At least the weather was fine for the women's tennis final at Queens Club yesterday. Emma Raducanu played well - but only in the second set, but she still lost out. I've looked at the weather forecast for the week ahead and there shouldn't be rain which is good as I'd really like a few afternoons of watching the Men's matches. There will definitely be one Brit in the second round because Arthur Fery  has drawn fellow Brit Toby Samuel for the first round. Cam Norrie has the hardest first round match against the  4th seed.

Back Tomorrow.