That's The Way The Money Goes!

 I like October - I also like the other 11 months of the year!  But October feels like the month to start preparing for winter so I got the heating oil tank filled, there was more oil left  than I thought so it was less than I'd originally paid giving me a refund and the total was £548 spent in a just few minutes to keep warm for several months (6 months + with luck) I hope.

The dentist visit started off the October spending  and there was also all the usual expenses of Council Tax, phones and charity direct debits, monthly electric bill, food, diesel for the car and the usual household necessities  and I used a £10 off voucher  to stock up on some kitchen things and Christmas stuff from Lakeland. 

Then there was all the threes..........

3 birthdays that needed presents all within 6 days  and I got tempted into a special offer of 

3 patio fruit trees from Thompson and Morgan and spotted a nest of 

3 pine tables from our local second-hand furniture place. The smallest one was just right to go in a space between the bookshelves for my lamp and radio, the biggest was exactly right for between the new sofa and the wood-burner, with room for the kindling basket underneath while the middle one's gone in the spare bedroom as a bedside table. 

Personal spending was more than some months but all good as I bought the two items that are my only Christmas food treats and a ticket for "an evening with" event at a theatre -it will involve a 45 minute drive in the dark both ways in November but I'm determined to go as it also involves a free book! I'll write about it next month. Compared to those expenses,  swimming and exercise group are both much cheaper.

Thank goodness I can think of a few frugal things that make up (in a very small way) for the spending

• Mended some tiny holes in two pairs of leggings.
• Turned the top over and threaded new elastic through one pair of  loose leggings.
• Bought a giant Savoy cabbage from a car boot sale for £1 and by wrapping it tight in clingfilm and cutting off wedges and re-wrapping it was used in 7 meals!
• Found some double sized tins of grapefruit segments at Morrisons reduced from over £2 a tin to £1.29. I stocked up on 6 tins and they last me a week each as one of my fruit portions.
• Made red onion 'marmalade' chutney, with two jars for the Christmas hamper presents and also bought jars of local honey and bottles of local apple juice so that the two hampers (actually they will be in a Christmas themed jute bag bought for 50p each from a boot sale this year) are finished.
• Reading library books for free
• Mixing milk and water
• Using courgettes and leeks from the garden and a few late Autumn raspberries .I even found a handful of late and still edible green beans when I cleared the leaves, vines and canes.
• Haven't had to use the tumble dryer all month by picking the right days to do the washing.
• Only using 2nd class stamps (did you know 1st Class are now £1.25! good grief)
• Sorting out what car boot finds I have for Grandchildren's Christmas presents - only a few more bits needed for 4 of them and something for youngest grandson.
• Deciding what food treats NOT to buy for Christmas!
• Cheap hair-cut.
• No magazines, newspapers (other than the Radio Times subscription) make up, alcohol, jewellery bought. There never is!
• Daughter in Law kindly put the pine book shelves that I no longer needed on the facebook selling page for me and they went for £40. Sadly so far no one wants a chest of drawers or the table I no longer have room for.

And also a help was the government letter telling me that as I'm old and alone I'll get £500 Winter Fuel Payment including Government Pensioner Cost of Living Payment in November or December which will certainly be handy - very kind of them!

A bag of no longer needed 'stuff' went out to the charity shop this month including a few books, old clothes, postcards and a few kitchen bits I've not used since moving here.

And that was October gone

Back Tomorrow

Sue