June round up

 Again no craft spend, other than cross stitching, I'm not doing much, in the garden there is so little required, I'm splitting plants and setting seeds. BUT, I ordered a table green grape vine, and then all my spring bulbs from Farmer Gracy, with a 10% discount, expensive month. 

My half year figures are good, I managed to stay under £500 for the first half of the year, hopefully I can do the same in the second half and come in under a grand, in other years I have always spent more in the spring and early summer.

9 Books read this month.

I wish Blogger would sort out the issues with our reading list, so many of my favourite blogs are not shown as they are published, some show hours or even days after being published. 

Just a pair of shorts no other clothes, I did get acrylic nails for my sisters wedding, I'm already wishing I had not had them, they look good but hinder me when doing anything, I have started filing them myself and using my own colours. 

It was an expensive month for our credit card, all the extras for the sunroom, plus we needed a new microwave and hubby got a new humidifier, it's all paid now, then new ladders and a BBQ, nothing else required for the house, we now have a local internet provider, much cheaper than Virgin and tied in for two years. We don't stream an extra channels, we hardly watch TV.

We have purchased new mugs, 2 each, they are smaller than our others, I drink 3 cups of strong black coffee each day, hubby drinks 2, we are cutting back, drinking smaller amounts, probably saving a good spoonful of coffee each day.

Kitchen waste goes into garden composter daily, I'm not keen with the council food waste, we don't put much in, it used biodegradable bags, we never fill them, I don't really want to use one bag a day, I'm worried about flies and smells in the summer heat.

My weight I lost 5lbs over the weekend I was ill, I've kept most of it off, living on salads helps. 

May round up

 Just one cheap ball of yarn for a pair of socks, nothing else for crafting, I'm doing very little inside, garden was another low spend month, we have not visited many garden centres this month, I don't record the bigger project spends which come out of our household budget.

2 Books read this month

The car has had a new clutch, it's 12 years old and mine, I purchased it new, I really don't see the need to renew it, it's a great size for the two of us, locally we only use it to go shopping, to daughters house or a garden centre, to go into town or Portsmouth we use our free bus pass. We trust the local mechanic, who works here, or in the case of the clutch took it to his garage at home. We have a good list of local trades people who we can call on, it's helpful as we age and hubby not able to do so much, plus their cost are way below any national companies.

The garage conversion cost was mainly the new doors, we did all the other work together saving loads, still cost involved as we made it look good, we did reuse loads of our own stuff.

I did get a few bits of clothing, I don't have a clothing budget, just trying to keep a low spend, the quilted jacket was a bargain not to be missed, I've already worn it a few times.

Again food waste was almost nothing, most of it went into my composters, which are working well with the added garden greenery. We do put a few bits into the council food waste bin, just stuff I don't compost, knowing our portion sizes help to stop waste, we only cook what we can eat.

We have dropped my portion size again, I have for most of the month avoided bread, biscuits ect, and potatoes, I am feeling much better for it, sadly the scales show no improvement.

April round up

 A bigger spend this month, I am using my stash for my cross stitch and knitting, but I required a bigger sewing frame, just a few plants and two pots for the garden, I also got the small water butt, my garden spend this year is way down, which is very pleasing. I also added the £20 for the plant hubby paid for.

6 Books read this month

I got my state pension increase same as everyone else this month, half of it was taken in tax, my tiny private pension puts me over the threshold. 

We had a mobile mechanic out to check our car, the gears were a bit stiff, he came well recomended, we did not want to take the car to main dealer, they would just swap out the gearbox, it's now much better, he did suggest we would require a new clutch at some point, we have decisions to make. No other big household spend, hubby was looking to renew our toaster, the top was marked, I rubbed it with a ball of cooking foil, now it looks like new, nice saving, saw the tip on TV. Our London trip was paid for last month, we did not spend much on the day.

I did sell a few of my spare ceramic pots, made £24, and reclaimed loads of storage space, the few left, I can keep.

No waste here, we plan to put our food bin out every other week, it will never be full, just getting into a routine before the hot weather comes.

My weight is no change, I am becoming more active, which should help, nothing more to say, I have been suffering with more bloating, so I am trying to avoid too many carbs, maybe I might have a better comment next month..

March round up

 Still no craft spending, I am enjoying knitting my scrappy blanket, garden spend was good. I did purchase two new pairs of shorts.

8 Books read in March.

Lilly had her visit to the vets, almost £100, its not cheap having pets, we had budgeted for it, no issues, she is a good weight.

I dug out 2 bags of compost from one composter this month, there were a few woody bits in there, I'm really pleased with the quality, I always need compost.

We did purchase a new steam floor cleaner and a separate handheld, I had steam mops before, this time we chose a floor cleaner, slightly sturdier, I struggle cleaning our wooden floors, my knees and back are complaining. Nothing else required, we managed to save a bit extra this month.

We are the same with food waste, we have popped the council small bin close by, for all the bits we don't compost, I had to remind hubby to still use my compost tub, he was putting bits in the council bin, I am again saving coffee grounds, I only save them in warmer months to use in our garden. 

I'm still struggling with my weight, I have put on 8 pounds over the winter months, gone up a size in trousers, I have not changed much, maybe not as active as before. 

February round up

 Nothing on craft, I started my garden month well, Fridays garden shopping boosted the total.

 I did get a couple of new soft jumpers for the spring season, no reason other than I liked them and some underwear. 

10 Books read this month.

This month is always expensive, car MOT, insurance and tax, we had budgeted for it, the insurance was the same as the pervious year, so we stayed with the same company, tax is only £30, it's not increased since we purchased the car. MOT just one advisory for breaks not unexpected. 

We have made a good saving, our internet contract ends in a couple of months, Virgin has doubled their price for the second year, so we have gone with a local firm who is receiving loads of great comments, they have done all the installation and its working well, they give us free connection until our Virgin contract expires, we always requie a mesh to boost our signal inside the bungalow, the new firm has been really on the ball, the customer service desk have helpful people who we can understand. It's great when things go right and at a better price. Another bonus I can now see all post from Chris at Always Smiling.

Just a few bits of food waste, having the children here made a huge difference. We have  been sent the council food waste bins, I won't be using them much, most of our peelings, egg shells and other kitchen bits go into my composter, I already have a covered container I use in the kitchen, I will put teabags, onion skins and pepper bits, which I don't compost, we are going to keep the bigger bin outside. Daughter is apprehensive about the system, her kids waste far too much food, it's going to be a shock for her, hopefully she can try and reduce amounts. 

My weight is stable, small portions are working, I am walking a bit, not everyday, it's been too wet for that. It did wobble over Valentine's weekend, we did have Prosecco and chocolates.

January round up

Just one crafting spend, the brushes for needle felting, bigger spend in the garden, I am ahead of myself for preparations for spring sowing. The red corners are to show comments, I always add notes showing what I have purchased.

9 Books read this month

Having to purchase a new air-fryer was not the start we planned, and a plumbing bill to fix our shower, lastly a new desktop for hubby, it became an expensive month. 

We took our eye off dates and a couple of food items went into the bin at the start to the month, we don't have so any Christmas bits left and are back to watching dates. 

The extra pounds I put on over Christmas have almost shifted, I still have more to go, I'm not on a diet, I am just cutting back on portion size and treats, I will keep it up in February, I hope to be able to get out and walk more as well. 

December round up

 December is always a good month, I am busy with other things, so stash spend is always super low, just 1 plant and 2 packs of reduced bulbs in my garden.

 Here are my full year figures, I had hoped to spend under £1000, I almost made it, my purchase of the second composter took me over my spend, this excise is purely for me to see how I spend on my crafts and garden and never to save money, my garden is a pleasure to both of us.

I did break my garden spend down again, I spent 51% on plants, seeds and bulbs, 10% on compost, grit and other soil improvers, 19% on helpful and pretty stuff, 20% was spent on one off larger items to enhance my garden.

This spread sheet shows my spending by craft, I am not crafting as much, and using stuff from my stash, slowly its shrinking. Here you can see a few years of spend, sorry if you are bored I am a queen of spreading sheets, I definitely have too much time on my hands.

I spent more on clothes which does not bother me, I needed to replace items which had worn out, I don't like to feel scruffy, next year should be a low spend, I do look after my clothes, so they last, my spend was still under £40 per month.

82 Books read this year, which is less than last year.

December is never an expensive month, we like to finish most of our Christmas shopping in November, so we avoid all the madness in retail, no huge household bills either. 

We have been very good on kitchen waste, we don't waste any cooked food, all the peelings, teabags and coffee granules go into the composters, we only bin onion and pepper bits. From March we will have food waste bins, our council has joined this worthwhile scheme, it won't change much here.

We did not get our wooden floors sorted this year, its top of the list for next year, along with a new sofa, no other planned outlays.

Don't know what to say about my weight I'm 5 pounds heavier than this time last year, overweight but not uncomfortable, I will have to figure something out in the new year.

November round up

 It's been a really cheap month, no craft and no garden spend, but a couple of house plants, I did spend £30 on a pair of cord trousers, not needed, but I know I will love them.

4 books read this month

We were gifted a huge bag of cooking apples, most have been sliced and placed in our freezer, we sent some to our neighbour as thanks for more eggs, plus more fresh eggs, being away meant we had a much cheaper household month. I did have an eye test and new glasses ordered, I was expecting an upgrade, so the cost was not a huge surprise.

The cost of the trip, spending money and the family meal came from our savings, we had been putting a bit more away towards the week. I did very little shopping whilst away, so no surprise spends. Hubby received his £50 gift card for the local Co-op store, his old employer, very handy this time of year. 

We have finished most of our Christmas spend, we have cut back on the treats, we should not need a big shop until January, we hate the crowds at this time of year. Any extra cost came from our savings, which we can replace with the lower spend next month.

The only black Friday deal I used was for printing my book, same as previous years 50% off.

Not going to say anything about my weight, I did have a good birthday treat, I am walking more.

October round-up

 No crafting spend same reasons as before, not much needed in the garden, the flower beds are still full, most of the work done outside was reusing items I already had. This time of year my garden spend drops dramatically. I have spent £63 on two pairs of trainers a great bargain as they are Clarks. 

7 Books read this month.

Our heating stayed off most of the month, only using an hours boost a couple of times, it's on now but often the temperature inside is too high and delays it coming on, our home is much warmer these cooler days.

Slightly more expensive month, we have booked another show in December, and started purchasing Christmas gifts, also a few birthdays in November, it all mounts up, a new monitor for my computer, house hold spend was good. We are trying to save a bit more than our regular saving for a couple bigger projects next year. 

I think hubby needs reminding about looking at what we purchase, he got an expensive pair of jeans because his were no longer comfortable, he's still not worn them, he got a couple pairs of trousers, which he now does not like, he also got a couple pairs of joggers for wearing at home, these he does like. He popped both pairs of trousers in charity bin, which is good they will be reused and uses that has his excuse for buying them as they won't go to waste.

I've had my annual blood test results, I am still pre diabetic, it's been 6 years and I am so pleased with myself, everything else was normal for me, I have not added anymore weight, I am still heavier than I would like, but struggling to change anything. 

September round up

 Small craft spend this month on art books, other crafts are same as before what little I am doing I use what I already have, garden spend was mainly spring bulbs and a few winter bedding plants, I have loads of new bulbs for display around the patio, giving early colour. I did purchase another pair of jeans, these as so comfortable and a T shirt which was a great price from M&S outlet store.

5 Books read this month

This month has been expensive, hubby got a couple new pairs of shoes, and I got a couple bits of clothes. We have booked a couple nights out in the coming months, and taking Molly pottery painting, birthdays this month, it all adds up. Food shopping was expensive with all the cake ingredients, rich fruit cakes are not cheap to make. The prices in the supermarkets have soared again, we were looking at joints of meat, even brisket of beef was expensive, we both agreed we would soon need to have more meat free days per week, because we agreed it was wicked to pay the prices shown, mainly because the farmers are still struggling to make their farms pay any living wage. 

A good month in the kitchen, no food waste, all the party foods and birthday cake leftovers daughter took home with her, her three enjoyed having them. Normally at this time of year I'm stocking up the pantry, but not this year, I will maintain our usual levels, and maybe get just a few treats nearer the big day.

Nothing to say about my weight, I am steady at my new higher level, I have packed away all my smaller trousers, I am still pre diabetic (since 2019), and know loads of people who lose weight once they become diabetic, so I will hang on the them. 

August round up

 No crafting spend as I've done very little crafting, it's gardening and reading time, just a few bits for the garden, mainly spring bulbs and flowers. I have not added the cost of water feature, it was hubby's purchase, I probably would have not bothered.

10 Books read this month.

Nothing in the house, just normal bills, I did spend whilst away with daughter and children, we have also been giving them more treats whilst they are on school holidays and helping out with uniform cost. It all mounts up, but I feel it's part of being grandparents, hoping these memories stay with them.

My stats here have gone crazy like so many others, I have no idea, it does not bother me, I can't see anything malicious it this, just another satiation where our modern digital world encroaches into our lives. 

No food waste, we have a few bags of produce homegrown in the freezer, my second composter is almost full and working well, the only food waste which goes in our bin is onion peelings and the seeds from peppers. I always pop the rind of lemon and oranges along our shelf by the seating area outside, they do help to keep flies at bay.

I have again added a couple more pounds, I am more active than before, but the struggle is becoming harder as I age, I flip between got to knuckle down and at my age should I bother.

July round up

Nothing again on craft, hubby purchased all the cushions requirements, the garden is mostly sorted, I did get my seeds all half price and then the cost of my second composter, a necessary purchase, I also got a pond oxygenator to help keep the water clean.

I got 4 T shirts from Weird fish online, all in the sale, plus an extra 15% off, all pure cotton.

7 Books read this month.

We have had a good household month, got a second parasol for the seating area, if we sit out in the mornings our existing one only covers half the seating area, it will also help give extra shade when the little ones are here.  

No food waste, our portion size is perfect, we are not popping to the shops so often, you know the scenario pop in for bread and come home with a bag full of food. I am freezing any extras from my home harvest, often only small amounts but over a few days it amounts to a portion for us both. 

I've put on weight this month, sat watching tennis for 14 days and munching on lemon sherbets, I now need to get going and work those pounds off, for sure it will be harder to get rid of them.

June round up

 Very little on craft, I have not included the cost of the tunic material to make the cushions, hubby paid for it. I have credits shown on my garden list it's for the raised bed and metal table and chairs I sold, I managed to get new hurdles for my raised veg beds and a couple low metal fence edging panels. 

I got more new clothes, 2 pair of shorts and 4 T shirts, all on sale.

My half year figures are better than expected, selling two items helped bring my spend back to where I wanted it. I have loads of nice clothes, I don't need sandals, so again I'm happy with the half year figure. 

3 Books read this month. 

We managed to turn a 'no spend month' into another expensive one, we did sell both our wooden and metal furniture sets for a decent price and we got 10% discount off the new set, it was always planed to get new, just not yet. Plus a few things inside.

We are eating small harvest, a few bits have gone into the freezer in order not to waste anything, we have been enjoying the strawberries this year, they are huge and so many of them.

My weight has settled at the lower end, still too high, I am more active and tired most evenings. 

May round up

 Nothing on crafting, most of my time is outside, gardening spend was much better, over half was for landscaping and compost, I don't have much room for new plants, but already in 5 months I have spent almost £500, I was hoping to keep my spend under £1000 this year, which I think is a lost cause. I did purchase a new pair of shoes, a modern design of deck shoes, plus a couple cotton T shirts and 2 pairs of shorts, a similar amount was sent to recycling bins, hubby was commenting I was looking scruffy. 

4 Books read this month

It's been an expensive month, our bedroom is huge so the carpet was expensive, plus the cost of the rendering of our outside wall, this was all planned in our budget. We also got a new floor fan which links to Alexa, for our bedroom and new curtains. Hubby also got a modern electronic wall calendar, he does love his tech.

We are starting to eat small harvest, I only pick what we need, our freezers are full, so we have saved as we are using the meat and fish we already have, I am reluctant to run them down, there is so much uncertainty in our world.

Hubby and I have started walking again, we both need the exercise, it should help me tone up. My weight is much the same as last month. I am moving much more, gardening does keep you fit, I'm outside everyday.

April round up

 One small spend on craft, I got a reel of tape for my garden bunting, I already had the fabric. Another high month on garden spend, with loads of plants regrowing, I have few spaces to fill. I also got myself another fleece in the sales.

Books, 6 read this month

The car was expensive this month, it has been cheap to run over the years, so we are not complaining. It's been expensive month inside, we changed a bathroom cabinet and window blind, both have been up since we moved here in 2009, we also got some wall panels for behind our bed. Most of the paint we already had, deciding to keep the colours the same. Expensive time having fun with the grandchildren, but making memories is so much fun. I have passed on loads of things we did not want to return to our bedroom. 

No household food waste, my compost bin is working hard, the only two items I don't compost is onion skins and bits of peppers.  

I'm happier with my weight, lost a couple of pounds, not huge but the scales are going in the right direction, I am moving more and feeling good.

March round up

 Just a tiny craft spend, but it is the gardening season, I had not planned for the £30.99 spent on netting which hubby got me, I did add it to this list. March is always expensive, so many lovely plants, it's shocking how quickly these smallish amounts together become huge.

Nothing on clothes, I'm hoping for a nice low spend year. Hubby got me a jumper for Mothers day.

I have read 12 books this month.

Household spend was good, we already had all the outside paint left over from last time, expensive time at vets, Lilly is now sorted.

All's good in the kitchen no waste, watching what we eat, it's all normal for us. 

Weight, not shifting any pounds, I swing between I need to lose the pounds and at my age should I worry, I have lost a couple of pounds this week, I am going to try harder through April, in hope I can get back into more pairs of my trousers. 

February round-up

 I purchased some new linen for my cross stitch, I do have loads, sadly none are white, I spend most of my time reading, garden spend not too bad, nothing on clothes or footwear. 

I have read 10 books this month

We needed nothing for the house, car had it's MOT, it passed no issues, just the cost of two new tyres. We looked at our finances this month, with so many prices rising, we wanted to ensure we were on a good path, firstly because hubby changed broadband, our mobile phones and joined a price held gas and electric contact, our bills have not gone up as high as we feared, we are saving money on the mentioned contracts, it really does pay to change suppliers often. We did have an extra expensive, daughters windscreen on her car has a huge crack, which is not covered by her insurance policy, to replace would take a huge chunk her savings, so we paid half. 

No waste food at all, my focus on food is now what is in the little processed food we purchase, looking at labels and trying to avoid all the different oils and sugars/sweeteners added to prolong shelf life or to make ingredients cheaper. Swapping to better choices, I have never drunk fizzy drinks, I dislike any type of cola and eat very few snack bits, so a huge chunk of the market we already ignore.

The couple of pounds put on in December are lingering, I am trying to be good and a few pounds. I am becoming more active again, and trying to cut back on chocolate, which is always my downfall.

January round-up

 No spending on craft, nothing needed, I have been reading, I did get one pack of seeds for my garden, £10 spent on clothes and got a new pair of slippers. 

I have read 11 books this month, average 2 per week, I'm missing my garden. 

I finished off a great set of bargains this month, back in November I saw my favourite perfume at a good price at Superdrug, plus a offer of 4 points for every pound spent, I got the perfume and £20 in points on my card (hubby gave me the perfume as my Christmas gift), then my second favourite perfume was half price £30, so I got a bottle, used my points and paid only £10. Both bottles will last me all year. 

We have used £12.50 of Tesco vouchers, most of hubby's £50 Co-op gift card, and his blue light card 10% off the cost of our slippers, the customer in front of us used his card, so we did the same.

We got two radiator fans for the house, we are now much warmer even turned the temperature down one degree, we have changed our broadband and now have a saving each month with better download speeds. I have also changed my mobile phone provider, again making a saving. Our new phones were expensive, not the latest models, but over the next 24 months we will be making savings, plus we had a good price for our old phones, we are both loving the improved cameras. 

We have been nibbling through our Christmas foods, no waste, we did finish our Christmas cake, we both love rich fruit cake. We are eating out of our freezers, both were full, now we can see some space.

My weight recorded at the start of the month was higher than I wanted, but not as high as it has been in previous years, I was 7 pounds heavier in 2020 and 2018. I have since 2014 made a note of my weight on Jan 1st each year, 2016 and 2021 were my lightest starts to the year. My aim is to get rid of the extra pounds before the spring arrives, in truth I will be happy not to put on any more weight.  

December round up

 December is always a low spend month on my crafting and garden, I have loads of seeds from my monthly subscription to Kitchen garden, so for now nothing is needed. I spent just under £400 on clothes and shoes this year, which is pleasing, in December I did get a new pair of ankle boots from Clarks outlet online store, just the style I wanted, heavily reduced, two pairs of trousers and a new jumper for Christmas day.

This is my yearly total, I did hope at the beginning of the year to keep my spend under £1000, which I failed, but we both get so much joy from our outdoor space, and enjoy my small harvest. 

Here my totals by craft/garden spend, this is where I see how my crafting is changing, it's a true list of what I spend, but not what I use, as I have loads of fabric, yarn and embroidery items. Another expensive year in the garden, after the refit I did purchase more structural items, which should be a one off purchase.

We ignored Black Friday (which last for weeks), no impulse purchases, no spending spree on our recent trip to London, no Boxing day sales, hubby has been sorting and removing some of his stuff from the house. 

We had a few new white goods items for the kitchen and decorated loads of the house, we do have a few bits we want to change in the coming year. 

My weight is a couple of pounds higher, something I can deal with in January, I have been over half a stone heaver at this point in the year twice, so I'm happy where I am.

I do consider we have had another good year, most of our spending is under control, and we are able to save.

November round-up

 I am still using items from my craft stash, the extra balls of yarn for my brothers blanket are not on here, that was taken from our Christmas gift total, not much in the garden, which is often the case at this time of year. I have purchased a few Christmas bits, and being lazy I've not recorded my spend, nothing expensive,  just small bits, even the poinsettia blooms were only £6 each.

Household spending was OK, we had to replace our kettle, the lid was sticking and we did purchase a bigger speaker for Alexa, we both love music and our current model would not stay paired with our sound-bar, which meant switching on the TV every time we wanted music. I think we have all we need for Christmas, other than fresh bits. I paid daughter £50 for Lilly towards her vet bills.

No waste again, we even made pumpkin soup with the real pumpkin I had in my display, not many harvest from the garden, just leeks and parsnips, both are smaller. 

I've been without my fitbit, so I am trying to move as much as I can, my weight is much the same, I did have my pre diabetic and cholesterol blood test this month, both results came back the same as last year, which was very pleasing.