No spend November and 30 Ways to Save a £1 Revisited

 

 

How easy it will be to do a No Spend November while being locked down at home all month I thought (desperately trying to look for any silver lining through the cloud of depression that set in on Saturday night). 

But  then  realised that would mean NO library van and NO Swimming again - Oh B****R.

I don't know how to feel upbeat and cheerful through the next four weeks (and please God that it is only four weeks). November is often a dreary month weather-wise and gardening is finished and this time round I feel we are shutting down Suffolk (and Norfolk and Devon and Cornwall) just to save hospitals being swamped in Manchester, Liverpool etc etc. Well Done if you can be cheerful about it.

 Anyway......................

While trying to think of things to blog about I remembered that Way Way Back in April 2013 lots of bloggers did 30 ways to save £1 and emailed them off to Money Supermarket to earn £30. I searched back on my old blog to find my list.

I'm going to take a closer look at 5 ideas each day to see  if they are still relevant 7 years on.

1. Ask to pick up windfall apples if you see someone isn't using them.

    Still relevant for nowadays - although too late for this year obviously. In September I put several boxes of windfalls by the footpath gate onto the meadow and many went to new homes even though only a few dog walkers use the path. 2012 was the year of "The Great Apple Failure" at the smallholding but after putting a Wanted ad in the smallholders newsletter  several people offered their windfalls so we didn't go without chutneys after all.

2.Always try value range of supermarket brands most are good.

     Another that's still useful although I feel that supermarkets seem to have fewer Value brands than they did 7 years ago. 

3.Don't start pets on expensive brands, if started on a cheaper one they will never know different.

       This was the year  before we got Polly and unfortunately she didn't read this! I did start on cheaper stuff but she just wouldn't eat it.

4. Re-read the instructions for you washing machine, could you use a shorter cycle?

       My washing machine has two fast wash programmes a 60 minute 60℃ and a 30 minute 30℃. The 30 minute one gets used a lot - I mean how dirty do I get? This will upset Anonymous who said, when I suggested this as a way of saving money back in April, that this is dangerous in these Covid times. So I'll leave this idea out there for everyone to ignore but have to say personally I can't imagine that clothes that have been in the dirty washing bin for a day or two, washed, dried and put away for another few days before being worn again can still carry any infection?

 

5. Buy refill packs of things if you can.

      Are  refills available for things  now? Unless you are lucky enough to have one of those re-fill shops. After looking through the cupboards I couldn't think of anything except the 5L Ecover Washing Up liquid and 5L Clothes Wash Liquid which I decant into 1L bottles to use indoors.

 

My No Spend November

I thought about swimming yesterday but the sessions were nearly full (plus I was still aching after unblocking drains!) so instead went up to Diss specially for my favourite drinking chocolate from the Oxfam shop and to go the Bank.(Can rely on the Diss branch being open whereas since Covid Stowmarket branch keep changing their opening times - what's the betting that they never go back to 5 day week). Then I went to Morrisons and so did all the rest of North Suffolk and South Norfolk! It was crazy, I really only needed fresh fruit but some people had trolleys full to overflowing as if the world was ending. In the end I decided that if everywhere was going to be like this with a long queue to get out I might as well get the rest of the fortnights shopping done while there, so picked up all that was needed . 

Also picked up some printer paper ............something I've been forgetting for months. I printed out some Halloween Colouring and puzzle sheets for grandchildren to do  last week from the Orchard Games website which took me to the end of what was in the drawer. Maybe I'll see what other things I can find, print out and send to them while we are locked down again.

November Spending (rounded up or down to nearest whole £)

1. No Spend
2. Food  £33 + Cat £6 +  Diesel £18 + Printer Paper £4.          = £61    
   

 And not related to anything above.............................

I'm absolutely  Loving Monday night's TV ............Mastermind (many general knowledge questions correct), Only Connect (I can only do the missing vowels round) , University Challenge (my score 55)  and turnover to Paramount to see Kevin Costner in the US TV series Yellowstone........blimey it's violent. Are ranches in Montana really like this?

And for all my lovely readers in the USA I sincerely hope for a peaceful and non-violent election day for you all................whoever wins.

Back Tomorrow

Sue