Thursday 30 October 2014

Rotations

As we move towards November, I'm reflecting on the success of my challenge to spend less and use up some of the stocks in the house in an attempt to save a little money this month.

The freezers are still pretty full, but I would attribute that to the influx of cooked pears which has been put into them this month - when UJ brings trays of Conference pears, one can't eat them all at once and it is necessary to peel, core and cook them, and then freeze them in a little juice in small 500g margerine tubs.  I think that there are about 15 such tubs now out there!  I love pears so they will not be wasted this winter.



The store cupboards are not too empty yet, although there are some stocks which are running down and I am not going to replace them.  The stash of pickles is slowing being given away to friends and neighbours now that the FH is not here to enjoy them.  I shan't be buying any further HP or Worcestershire sauces either, and gave the last bottle of each to the Harvest auction at the chapel.

So have I saved any money?  Yes, but I have spent it!  I have had a handyman from the village here this month and he has transformed my block paved driveway back to how it was 10 years ago when we moved in!  It was littered with weeds in the cracks between the paviers, and at the side were some hugely overgrown lavender bushes.   Some of the blocks had dropped and were uneven in places.  And it is a large area - there is room to park about 6 cars out there, so we are not talking about a small area.  He has cleaned it all up, pressure washed it and removed all the weeks, taken the lavender bushes out, laid weed membrane down on that area and put down gravel.  The dropped blocks have all been levelled out as well.  It looks great and is a huge weight off my mind now.   I am so pleased with it that every time I drive the car in or out,  I have a little look at it all!  Money very well spent.

The EFG spent the evening with the gang at the flat last night, and had a good time by all accounts, catching up with the YFG and chatting.  I started my new knitting project and I am quite pleased with my progress last night - I knitted solidly for 2 hours whilst I watched an Inspector Lynley mystery on one of the Freeview channels.  I shall reveal what it is when it is finished, as right now it doesn't look much like what it is destined to become!

2 comments:

Angela said...

I watched the Lynley too, whilst tackling the ironing mountain.But getting a little annoyed with all these unbelievable TV Revs![or is it just the Anglican vicars - when did you last see a Methodist or Baptist Pastor?]

Morgan said...

Ang - I think a lot of the revs on tv are rather stereotypical, but some of them are just completely unbelievable! There are loads of CofE and Catholic ones on tv but the other denominations hardly get a look-in. Quite like Sydney on Grantchester, but even he is a little thin on the religious side and seems to do more sleuthing than praying or preaching!