Monday 11 December 2017

December 11th and Snow in Mid Suffolk

Although the snow and ice put paid to plans to drive to Addenbrookes early yesterday, at least it has filled a page for my daily December posts.........I was short of ideas for a few days out of the 31 needed. (They had more snow further west in Cambridge and Col told me to stay at home, he has everything he needs and is spending his days dozing, we communicated by text instead.)

We rarely saw snow over at the smallholding close to the coast, always a degree or two warmer than inland. I think perhaps maybe 4 or 5  years out of the 23 we were there.

It started as rain here  around 7am but soon changed to snow a while later, it didn't settle at first but after a couple of hours we had a light covering.

The birds flocked to the feeders....................I stayed indoors and lit the fire early.

 


 


Then the camera battery went flat!

The snow didn't last long past 1pm when it turned back to drizzly rain and quickly disappeared from the trees and hedges and left everywhere slushy and icy.

There was more snow on TV.................for me one of the things that always signals that winter is really here is when Ski Sunday begins on the BBC. I've never skied, I wouldn't want to, the thought of me on skis is hilarious but for some reason I just love watching it. The programme is 40 years old and the title music is iconic



As I was unexpectedly at home I did a bit of blog surfing (or maybe that should be skiing?).........that is  following links to other blogs that I don't normally look at and I came across one with a link to an ad for a "Mindful Budgeting 2018 Planner". This was on a frugal blog somewhere and I thought it would be something to print out but no, it is a hardcover diary type book and has all sorts of helpful ideas for budgeting, recording spending and outgoings and also has "Motivational quotes".  But it's is $45................ I'm not sure what that converts to in £ but it sounds quite a lot of money.
Will people spend $45 dollars to start budgeting .....sadly probably some will. I hope they find it useful, it's certainly helping the budget of someone! I've managed with an ordinary notebook for years.
My blog began as Frugal in Suffolk, but has had to change to follow what's happening in our lives, but I'm still frugal in some areas so that I have money available to spend in others. It's all about taking control, knowing what money comes in, knowing what will be going out and deciding what's important and what isn't.
Balancing the books

I don't know how I got to here when it started with a snowy day at home so had better finish.

Back Tomorrow
Sue






35 comments:

  1. the snow stayed all day here, and is still clinging on. There was a freezing fog last night, so I bet it's nice and icy out there today!!

    Totally agree with you about saving money in some places to spend on others. I have long hair because I can't be faffed with hairdressers. I only have a trim a few times a year. I'd rather use the loot elsewhere, on candles or a nice bottle of wine.

    stay warm. Hope Col is feeling good today. x

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    1. Monday 11.30 am and it's blinkin' snowing again - wet and icy everywhere

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  2. We are further west to you and had quite a lot of snow (for mid Essex it was quite a lot, anyway). It looks nasty out there this morning and I'm glad I can stay in this morning instead of braving the ice.
    I'd never pay that much for something that is supposed to inspire frugality but I guess some would say 'spend to save'. Hopefully, those who spend will find it worth the money.
    J x

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  3. It snowed here non stop from late on Saturday night until lunchtime yesterday when it turned rainy.
    However, that gave us plenty of snow for our little Grandson to play in! We all thought he'd be really excited about his first snow (he's 15 months now), but he was a tad unimpressed. He ran about in it, and threw a few tiny snowballs at his mum and dad, but there was none of the super excitement we expected!
    Hope Col's feeling well this morning! X

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    1. Perhaps they get excited when they are older and know more about what it is. I remember being excited aged 11!

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  4. A wise decision not to travel yesterday Sue. I'm sure Col was happier knowing you were safe at home rather than out on the roads. The photos are brilliant, shame the battery went dead. I could definitely spend the equivalent of $45 on something else. A notebook does for me as well and if I want motivating I'll just look up a few quotes on line! xx

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    1. Yes, he said stay at home, he has all he needs and is spending the days dozing and feeling sick! So is quite happy not to have visitors

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  5. A good post, the basic is the same for everyone, matching spending levels to income, such an easy task.

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    1. Shame it isn't simple for many but that diary/notebook sounds a bit OTT

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  6. Sorry that you couldn't get to see Col, but at least you could text him. Here we have no signal unless we stand outside (!) or hang out of the attic window. We had a similar snow situation to you. We've had a few flakes more overnight - enough to give the grass in the paddock highlights, but the paths are wet and hopefully the lanes between us and the A40 will be too.

    $45 for a frugal notebook doesn't sound very frugal to start with does it?!!!

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    1. He has got no internet in hospital now at all but can phone and text on his mobile, The over the bed phone is free but only for 2 minutes! just time to say hello how are you!

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  7. We've had a good five inches of snow here in our little corner of Staffordshire yesterday and it's still laying with more predicted for today.
    Isn't it funny how we like to watch sports that we would never ever consider doing. I adore ice skating.
    If I have calculated right your $45 notebook would be roughly £35. Not very frugal when you consider that a lot of people can do a week's shopping for that or less.
    How disappointing that you couldn't get to see Col. I hope his treatment is going well.
    Hugs-x-

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    1. I am totally unsporty but like watching most except football

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  8. I don't know how even a moderately intelligent person needs a budgeting book, Sue. All you need to know is your monthly income, and the outgoings which are fixed, such as council tax, insurances, mortgage (if you have one), gas, electricity, and so forth, and then mentally deduct that from your income and what is left is what you have for everything else. So you then work out what you need to live on including food, clothes, birthdays, Christmas, holidays, travel expenses, and so on. It isn't rocket science, is it?
    Hugs for afar, as you need them, not being able to see Col. And lovely to see all those birds feeding, this cold weather. We haven't any snow (as yet) here in South Devon, but I don't rule it out! I have the most awful cough and cold so won't be going out anyway, so it can snow if it wants to.
    Love the Ski Sunday theme, I could hum it even before I put on your little video of it. One very funny film was of a group going ski-ing many years ago, showing some on skis for the first time (one chap called Kevin made be scream with laughter) and some going up a lift (or whatever they call them), it was hilarious. I've never skied either, Sue, nor have ever wishes to.
    Margaret P

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  9. Well I'm snowed in even though I live only a matter of yards from a thoroughly gritted and clear A road!!

    Alan has gone down south in the 4x4 and my little car, although it would slide quite happily down our steep drive way would not be able to get back up again if I ventured out. So it's jobs in the house for me now that I've defrosted the chicken drinkers and cleared the snow off the roofs of the tunnels.

    Keep warm ... and texting with Col sounds like a very good way to keep in touch at the moment :-)

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    1. Sliding down your drive and out onto the busy main road doesn't sound a good idea!
      Hope you stayed warm and safe

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  10. We’ve had about 12 inches of snow since Friday. Our average is about 200 inches! It already feels like it’s going to be a looooong Winter. I’ve been staying in quite a lot, too.
    I’m using a notebook for finances, as well. Jan. Starts fresh and i’m Looking forward to it.
    Stay warm over there!
    Debbie

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    1. We had more snow today even though it wasn't forecast.
      It's going to be extra cold tonight

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  11. Snowed over the weekend, enough to make driving a little interesting then last night it absolutely freeeeeezing, the car temperature gauge said -7 this morning and all the snow is now crispy hard white ice - a day for knitting and painting and keeping warm!

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    1. I'm hoping for a bit of better weather during the week so I can get to the hospital

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  12. Snow seems to be happening everywhere in the northern hemisphere.

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    1. We get over excited by it here as it's such a rare occurrence

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  13. At the moment, the central belt of Scotland has no snow but is around -3C today all day. You were wise to stay safe at home when the roads are bad and some drivers make the situation worse. I have used a notebook for 46 years because I saw my late mother in law balancing her books every Friday I now use an electronic version but still write down lots of details in a wee cheap notebook. Glad you can use midern technology to keep in touch with Col-that's when yoy really appreciate how easy it is to keep in touch nowadays. Catriona

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    1. Can't beat pen and paper, doesn't vanish into space if I click the wrong button!

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  14. Here on the west coast of Canada I'm watching your snowy days with a wee bit of envy. Mornings are frosty, but the sun shines brightly and soon melts it all away. I'm always hoping for snow in winter, especially near Christmas. Rarely happens (just once in the 15 years we've spent here).
    $45 for a budgeting notebook is almost ironic.

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    1. I could send some snow if you want.....don't need it here!

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  15. Here in Calgary Alberta we have no snow which is so unusual for this time of the year. Parts of Alberta were the hot spots in all of Canada on the weekend! They are predicting snow for Christmas so we will probably pay for this nice weather in a couple of weeks!

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  16. No snow here, but my son has lots where he is at uni. It looks like it should clear before we go up to bring him home this weekend though.
    Arilx

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  17. No snow in coastal west Wales, again, but then what else is new? Fiddledeedee!

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  18. Always love it when Ski Sunday comes on...fond memories of local boy David Vine who presented the program for years. x

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  19. I also watched ski Sunday loads as a kid, with the rest of my non-skiing family. I have the soundtrack on my phone, it's great for running to. We saw a man pegging it up the road the other day, and my middle one said "blimey, mum, look at him... he must be listening to ski Sunday!" I couldn't stop laughing. Love to Col from all of us, kids regularly mention him xxxxx

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  20. Our snow is slowly but surely disappearing with our above normal temperatures. I do hope we get a bit for Christmas. I remember a few years ago we were having a green Christmas, but when we left midnight Mass it had started to snow. So lovely, the snow coming down and the bells ringing.

    Hope you get to visit Col very soon.

    God bless.

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  21. I hope your weather clears up and the roads cooperate so you can go see Col. We won't see rain or fog or anything with humidity till after Christmas according to the weather reports. You could always count of fog right before Christmas with all the flights being delayed or canceled. Now with fancy radar and weather systems, LAX runs 24/7.
    It's been averaging around 26C during the day and 11C at night.

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