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31 October 2026

Spending Money ..............

 and then spending more money, it's been a very spendy month. (understatement!)

Income was the usual State pension and County council spouses pension and interest on savings (something that will more or less vanish after I move as I'm up-sizing after regretting downsizing for the last five years. At least I'll be paying less tax on savings interest!) The known outgoings were for direct debits for phones, broadband, council tax and charity, diesel for the car and birthday gifts for the family birthdays and the monthly electric bill, they all added up to £455.

Apart from paying some of the solicitors fees I also got around to getting a new mattress although it's not being delivered for 4 weeks. Blimey, decent mattresses are expensive now - the equivalent of two months state pension!! When I was in Ipswich for dentist back in June I went to the bed shop but it was the day after Ipswich had suffered from a torrential downpour and all the stores on that trading estate were flooded. Four months later the Dreams bed store still has part of their area roped off, waiting for replacement carpeting and ceiling. He said Halfords next door had their whole ceiling collapse.  That was the one rain event of the whole summer! My mattress in use is ten years old and getting a bit uncomfortable in places so I really needed new to see me out.

Another chunk of money went for getting the wood-burner flue swept and a new carbon monoxide detector to get certificates for new owner. The chimney sweep man put the new sensor in a completely different place to the other one which the wood burner installer said was the right place. Sweep man said "No! wrong place and anyway it's too old!" Ho Hum.

There were many, many other expenses this month but thankfully some were small and I even got new underwear cheap. The bra type I've been buying online for years are no longer available I discovered, and anyway had gone up in price a lot since the time they used to be available in the Co-op clothes department - something that hasn't existed for about 25 years! I found something suitable/comfortable for half the price of the other design and knickers from Morrisons are only £5 for 4 pairs - I'm sorted!

Food shopping - see yesterday, and apologies to those people who Hate With A Vengeance pictures of shopping! but I'm just not doing much here .......except tidying and packing........ to write about. I suppose it would be better to just blog less!

All in all it was an expensive month and November and December will be even more expensive in the house move column of the accounts book. In fact I'd better not spend on anything other than what I really have to for the rest of the year. 

Christmas is cancelled!! - That will shock the family! 😀

 


23 comments:

  1. I always feel reluctant to spend money on a new mattress, I know we should and it's better for our backs etc. When we go ahead and do it I'm happy with a new mattress and think we should have done this sooner!
    Penny

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    1. I kept putting mattress buying off but really needed a new one, bit of a long wait that I wasn't expecting

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  2. I think this is the 5th mattress I have had in 47 years. They seem to last us around 10 years. I rotate it every 6 months. Like Penny, i agree that back issues are definitely a factor.

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    1. I've been turning and rotating regularly for 10 years but still feels a bit lumpy in places!

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  3. I hear you! Everything is so expensive now -- even the basics like food and gas, much less energy-related costs. I don't know how long this can go on. Add to that hefty dental bills and it's a bit much. Hang in there! It's all we can do.

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    1. I shall be tightening purse strings for a while and hope all will be OK

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  4. My October was expensive too! Must have been in the stars or something. I did 99% of Christmas shopping though. All I have left are little treaty things.
    I LOVE food shopping posts, lol

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    1. I have no idea what to do about Christmas presents this year. Think all adult children will get money but will need to sort out things for grandchildren after moving

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  5. I wondered why you didn't wait for the move to get the new mattress so you wouldn't have to move it!? I bashed my tire over a curb yesterday and got a flat so I have an appointment with Discount Tires to get it fixed or buy a new tire. Stupid error on my part! I hate when that happens!

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    1. It's either moving the old mattress or moving the new mattress! Or be bedless!

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  6. Nothing is less expensive; everything is on the rise.
    Selling and buying a house adds a few costs too, but it is important to be happy with your home. Your move sounds great and being nearer to family is outstanding.
    I recently read: 9 Saturdays until Christmas!
    Ready or not, here it comes...

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    1. I can't think too much about Christmas yet - too stressful added to everything else

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  7. I agree that a new mattress is both expensive but priceless when you have back problems.(as I do) I dread ever having to move but I realise it will need to happen eventually as the garden is a lot of work. Catriona

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    1. I had no idea that mattresses had gone up so much in 10 years - double I reckon

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  8. I've bought new knickers in Morrisons today, they seemed decent quality. Looked in M&S yesterday and they had knickers in every colour but the one I wanted which was black. House moving is VERY expensive, and then you find some furniture doesn't fit or in my friend's case, her bed wouldn't fit up the stairs, so they slept on the mattress for 6 weeks! Xx

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    1. Thank goodness I wont have problems with the bed as it is a wood frame that comes apart and a bungalow!
      You are right about house moving - I really shouldn't have moved 5 years ago. Hindsight is a wonderful thing

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  9. Hi Sue, I love your grocery posts. Born and raised in London but living in the Toronto area the last 60+ years, I find your food prices interesting. Generally, yours are cheaper. But you pay twice as much for petrol. Thankfully I can still find Marmite here. But it’s cheaper to buy it twice a year or so via Amazon. It’s about £35 for 2 tubs, 625 grams each, sent from Hereford, Mariet

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    1. Not a Marmite fan - not a Marmite hater either but I'd rather have peanut butter!

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  10. I spent a fortune on a mattress about 18 years ago and it is still fine.

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  11. Gosh, that's an arm and a leg for a good mattress. Keith and I went for an Emma mattress, which we hoped would suit us and indeed, it's very comfortable.

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    1. I hope I've done the right thing spending all that money - oh well, too late now.

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  12. Getting the flue swept and a new carbon monoxide detector fitted just so the buyer has their certificates is such a typical last-minute selling cost – nobody warns you how many little bills arrive before completion. It's worth asking the solicitor early for a list of every agreement attached to the property, because things like wayleaves or land let to someone else can hold up a sale. Where a house or plot has a phone mast lease, it can even be sold separately to a specialist such as Telecom Infrastructure Partners, which buys UK mast leases for a single upfront payment. Good luck with the packing and the move!

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