Hidiho Winslows or whoever you are.... feel welcome
Today I decided to write before nightfall, mainly because a got a bit of tea on my favourite easy chair, and the cleaning solution has to sink in, so I can't sit there. Therefore I sit on my computer.
This is my reflection or "general ranting" day, when I go over the week. So what did I do? I worked off not only a considerable negative on my time account at my employers, which will be in the plus by Tuesday, but I also got a lot more done, than usually. So both good things. Housework was reduced to straightening and cooking, but I can live with that for a good cause.
Than I have found a lot of inspirations for my minimalism and frugal life changes and found two things out.
1. about a year ago, my parents gave me my Grandmas cherry-stone-picker.
On Monday I found out, that it is very usable to cut out Olive-Stones as
well. Now it only has to be able to cut out Gall-Stones and I spare me per-
haps an op. But I don't think so. :-)
2. also on Monday I found out, that the cooling mask that I had purchased last
year (thinking it was a sleeping mask) can actually be used like a cooling
pad for food. That's great. I had been so annoyed with myself for not only
buying it, but also for not beeing able to return it, as I didn't take a receipt
for that purchase.
So that was very good. Now, those are two things I bought, that at least in one case save me money. The Picker not so much, as I still have to purchase the Olives to pick them. On the other end: the Olives I like best have Stones and they are cheaper than others. So ultimately I save too.
On YouTube there are Vlogs in which people tell of the ten things they bought, that save them money. I am more of a blogger, so I write my 10 down. No particular order:
- the picker
- the cooling mask
- my tea egg, because I use my tea leaves for several loads of tea and I don't use
so very many tea bags that way
- my battery charger, as I can charge and recharge my batteries for years
- my energy saving lamps, as they lower my electricity bill
- my fridge/freezer-combination. I bought it with cash late 2014, it has 3 freezer
compartments so I can buy normal-sized packages (that are sometimes cheaper
than the smaller ones) and freeze half of it.
Also it has a special compartment in the fridge for each produce and fish/meat
and that means, that I can do my shopping every two weeks and the food stays
super-fresh. I only use up ground-beef on the day after buying it at the latest.
- my prepaid handy, that I have recharged, when it gets under 5 €. That will take
me about three month, because I only have it for emergencies or for my family
to write in a What's App Group
- my i-Pod because although it was way to expensive, I can use it to watch You-
Tube Videos, research online, calculate costs, listen to music and audiobooks,
check the weather, use it as a calendar or notebook and a lot of things I do not
need, but they don't bother me. So I do not have to switch on the computer so
often and that saves a lot of engergy as well
- my blood pressure- measure, as I do not have to get it done, I can do it at home
- my Brita-like water-cleaner or however you call it, because I do not have to by
as much water, as I used to do.
- my to go cups and bottles and boxes, in which to transport hot and cold drinks
and food for the office
That's already 11 and a bit and there is one more, that will save me money: on Thursday I have to go to town to get a couple of things and I thought to reward
myself with a cappuccino and a carrot cake at Starbucks. BUT only yesterday I found a carrot cake recipe on www.AndreaMills.tv and so I will not spend about 7 € on a drink and a cake, but bake it at home. As far as I could see, I have everythings I need for it at home, so I do not have to buy the ingredients. Or only those for the frosting, but that'll still be under 7 €.
So, I am getting on better. Also on Wednesday the technical devices in our offices were tested and now we keep the Microwave and the fridge and that means, I won't have to eat my warm meals at home, but can eat them in the office again. I just have to walk a little further, but I don't mind that. I had lost almost
3 kilos and due to eating warm in the evening, which I am not used to really, I gained some of it back. So this way, I can eat as before and won't have to worry as much about gaining weight.
My parents have been on a winter holiday and they had a grand time, but they sure took a long time getting home. BUT they got home save and well and happy and so everybody is happy.
I have found a "Total Money Makeover" Audiobook and now I am listening to it while knitting. I had it as an e-book, but stupidly deleted it. Not even, because it didn't help, but because I thought, that a paperback would be better and I'd by that. But I found, that Dave Ramsey has a lot of his tools on his websites. Those are featured in his book as well and so I can still use them.
Also I found, that my bank offers a budgeting book and since that is organized in a way more fitting to the german bank system, I shall be using that. I can do it on my computer or - as I prefer - with pen and paper. So I'll do it that way. I have to go to the bank anyway so I might as well do that in one go. For January I shall be using my selfmade budget-book and from February on I'll use the other one. So this is going up.
Other than that I have almost finished the first of the six books I mean to read this year. The one over Georgian London. Now this took so long, because I do
not read much at home, as I like to watch videos or knit and then an audiobook is more helpful. So I read while commuting and in my lunchbreak. But ever since I decided to read six books (or more) this year, I read for an hour before I got ready to go to bed. Thus I got it finished earlier. Next up will be a paperback by
Penelope Fitzgerald called "The Bookshop". I will write a review, when I have read it, but not before.
On Thursday I will use my giftcard and buy a book by Ben Aaronovitch, with the title "The Hanging Tree". This is out of a series I like a lot about a London Wizard Copper and it is great fun to read even if you are like me: not into thrillers or Science Fiction. It is Fun. Ben Aaronovitch even used to write for the Dr. Who Series, that you might know and like.
Also I will buy some paper to go on in decorating my style of Bullet Journal. I need some paper, maybe some extra pens or decoration gadgets. Now I have a
giftcard for 20 €. The book will cost me 7,99 € which leaves me at least 12.01 € for other things and I won't even have to use it entirely in that bookshop, as I can also use the card in other shops of the mall. So I might get some things from the drugstore as well. :-) And I do get points in both shops that will add to the 857 I have left from using points for shopping. Plus I have multiplier vouchers, so that I might even get over 1.000 Points without having spend one Euro. Great.
Then I can go shopping on Friday morning, print out a 10 € voucher and hopefully reduce my costs in the grocery store. It's a win-win-situation, as my boss would say.
On that happy note I leave you to check the offers in the grocery store to make a meal plan for the next two weeks and to make a shopping list from that. :)
Cheerio!!
Keine Kommentare:
Kommentar veröffentlichen