Thank you everyone for comments on Thursday when two posts got published by mistake and Big apologies for not replying..
I was so pleased that my spotting of a Reed Bunting was confirmed and others had had them in their gardens too. Maybe the very cold winds we had brought them into sheltered gardens - Mid Suffolk is not well known for it's reed beds, so no idea where they would normally be in the area. I'd been thinking that buying the bird feeders had been a waste of money but now I shall persevere...... just in a small way, as it can be a very expensive hobby.
Which leads me onto talking about the way prices of everything are going up by the minute. Being old enough to remember the same sort of thing happening in the past means it's not such a shock and as far as I know there are just two ways to cope with any price
rise crisis........... either you have to earn more or spend less
(guess you could rob a bank and then get free board and lodgings for a
few years but probably not a good plan).
Our
way through all the various spells of rapidly increasing prices in the
past was to spend less as I'm basically lazy so working
more to earn more has never appealed.
The best thing to do is to make a list of everything that money is spent on each month and then look at each area in turn work out a way to spend less.
The Money Saving Expert website is a good place to start. I wrote a list HERE of my outgoings in January 2019. Since that list moving has really helped to cut some expenses - even if during the actually moving process I began to wonder!
(and I'm now planning an alteration to the bungalow that will take a chunk of the downsizing money but will save in the long term)
It's the fuel prices at the pumps that have been immediately noticeable for me....... I took a short detour on my way home during the week to fill up with diesel where I thought is was still cheaper but that had gone up too, otherwise there is only one garage within 5 miles - not a lot of choice.
Better stay at home then ......which I mostly have done because I wanted to save fuel for an adventure today.......and it's not a boot sale!
So it's been a quiet week - not much to write about - and that's the second quiet week but next week there's something in the diary almost every day. Unfortunately the first of those is a dentist visit - just a check up - but he's sure to do X-rays and find something. When I had all the appointments last year he said that several of my old fillings will need replacing sometime.
This week I'm grateful for
- Living in a peaceful country (it's not looking any better for Ukraine - just heartbreaking)
- Wonderful Spring sunshine
- The seedlings are still alive
- Being able to choose what to watch on TV and what to read
- The magnificent Magnolia
Hope you have a good weekend, clocks changing ready for Sunday and forecast for next week is cooler.
Back Monday
Sue
A stunning magnolia and the greenhouse in the background looks very promising! :-)
ReplyDeletexx
Oh - and have a great adventure today! xx
DeleteReport about my trip out on Monday and Tuesday. It was lovely weather - warmer where I was than at home
DeleteYou're absolutely right about the things to be grateful for, my list is very much the same as yours.
ReplyDeleteI am off shortly for the first supermarket visit in a couple of weeks and to fill up with fuel, I suspect it will be an expensive trip.
Yes, you'll need more than a tenner to fill up today!
DeleteJust too much stuff to have us wanting it today. Years ago they sent their children out to work to put food on the table. Cost cutting measures being implemented here at the moment. x
ReplyDeleteCost cutting needed everywhere unless you are the Chancellor of the Exchequer!
DeleteWe are lucky we live on a great bus rout between Portsmouth and Southampton, so we now use our bus passes to go out locally, the journeys take longer but we do have plenty of time. But like you we are not going out so much.
ReplyDeleteVery few buses pass through the villages around here. There were more in the 80's when we were in the area - used to go on the bus every week for shopping but mostly all gone now
DeleteI have always been careful with my money (I'm cheap!) so I do not worry about it too much when the prices go up and down. I am grateful that I can afford what I need as I know there are many who cannot.
ReplyDeleteIt's the fuel prices that are hitting rural areas hard and heating oil too
DeleteLiving comfortable but within our means is important. I like making savory soups and stews with lots of vegetables. This is economical and tasty so I'm happy.
ReplyDeleteWe avoided debts apart from the mortgage and paid that off early which helped a lot now
DeleteWhat a beautiful Magnolia. I have a diddy one planted last year, so I am looking forward to it blooming.
ReplyDeleteWorrying about how much the heating oil will cost - will check the price before asking them to fill the tank up, that's for sure! We may have to just have 500 L and hope the price drops before next winter.
Eating my way through the freezers at the moment.
Loving both the Magnolias - never had one anywhere before.
DeleteNoticed an email from Boiler juice that said it had dropped back to 99p litre.
The magnolia is magnificent. I think the way prices are rising will take a lot of people by surprise. It hasn't been like this for so long, most people can't remember how it gets.
ReplyDeleteI worry for my children and grandchildren, I've warned them about how tough things might get - don't think they understand
DeleteYour new header is beautiful and so is that Magnolia! I have to make some major changes in my grocery shopping as it has gotten out of hand for just two people. I love your grateful list. Seeing the horrors in Ukraine makes me appreciate my many blessings even more.
ReplyDeletePrice increases certainly are a world wide problem, I dread to think of how the poorest countries will survive
DeleteYour magnolia is so pretty. I have one too, it is a Black Tulip magnolia. Prices are high for food and gas, I am a senior and don't drive far but it is still a shock to fill a tank.
ReplyDeleteI hope fuel prices stabilise soon - it's a worry
DeleteYour magnolia is beautiful. Mine still copes with snow!
ReplyDeleteOh no - hope your snow soon goes so spring can arrive
DeleteGas is the USA is more expensive but it's not too high yet. I decided to change where we were going on a spring vacation to spend 2 nights on coast instead of Southern Oregon that takes 4+ hours to drive and drought still going on. We've seen a lot of geese flying over lately. Hope you have a good spring. Our time changed 2 weekends ago. God bless.
ReplyDeleteFuel has always been more expensive in the UK than the USA but now the price is silly
DeleteWe are being very mindful of our spending here too, but concentrating on the many good things like the Spring flowers that cost nothing but give great joy. Arilx
ReplyDeleteI hit the big 60 a few days ago. Like you I remember high prices and it was a case of just buying the essentials. Treats really where a treat and not expected every day, we didn't have central heating so we put another layer of clothing on. I know some people are really struggling but for some it's their mind set that needs to change.
ReplyDeleteIf I have any money extra I'm helping out our girls with practical things like groceries, donating to the food bank and even sharing my vegetable seeds. Learning to sew has saved me a fortune in repairs and altering clothes.
Hopefully having the patio leveled this week, so mo more tripping hazards, fingers crossed we don't get snow. Have a good week.
It seems to be a really good year for Magnolias, we have seen some brilliant displays of them both around our town and on the way to Mum's in Manchester.
ReplyDelete