11.29.07
Christmas Gifts
In order to finish the Christmas gifts for my mum and sister I just need to made some bath bombs and some fudge. I’m leaving the fudge until closer to Christmas, but I plan to make some this weekend as I’ve never tried it before and want to have trial run to ensure that it tastes OK.
I tried to make some toffee a month or so ago, but I couldn’t quite determine when I was at the “soft ball” stage. I obviously I didn’t reach this stage since it took ages to set and then it was still only a soft set. This time I shouldn’t have this problem since I bought myself a jam thermometer so I can tell exactly what temperature the ingredients are at, and will not have to guess this time – hopefully it shall make for better results!
Then the only item left to make is some bath bombs – I ran out of baking soda last weekend so I couldn’t make them. I have just been on eBay and ordered a BIG packet so this should mean I have plenty and can make a few extra for myself.
I doubt I will receive the soda for the weekend, but I have next Friday off work so can always make them then.
11.27.07
Meal Planner w/c 24 Nov
A bit late, but better late than never…. I plan to post my weekly meal planner so that I can review the meals that I plan to cook alongside those that are actually cooked. By planning my meals I can also help to keep within my grocery budget:
Saturday – Deep fried pork with sweet and sour sauce and egg-fried rice
Sunday – Roast beef, roast potatoes, yorkshire pudding, carrots and peas. Rice pudding for dessert
Monday – Spaghetti with prawns in a chilli and lemon sauce
Tuesday – Chicken tikka pieces with garlic mayo in wraps
Wednesday – Pork and potato curry with rice and naan bread (from the freezer)
Thursday – Macaroni cheese with pork and leek sausages
Friday – Green Thai curry with wild rice and naan bread
Money Reclaim
I took out a loan a few years ago, and with the help of MoneySavingExpert.com I have now realised that I took out payment protection completely unnecessarily – I was told that I needed it in order to get the loan!
I sent off one of the template letters a few weeks ago to the company that I got the loan through only to receive a letter saying that they were only a broker and I would need to contact the actual money lenders.
I resent the letter yesterday re-addressed to the “real” lenders, so now I’m just waiting for a response in order to figure out what happens next.
There are a few people on the site that have also dealt with the same company – but as yet no one on the forum has posted whether they have been successful or not reclaiming the PPI from this company; as yet it appears to be a bit of an unknown so fingers crossed – I could do with the money, but then couldn’t we all….
Soap Update
Well I checked on the soaps last night; I removed one from it’s mould but it was still a bit soft (in fact it was one of the heart shaped ones and when it dropped out of the mould it got a little squashed…). Therefore I’ve left them in the moulds overnight and shall check on them tonight to see if they are ready to come out yet.
11.26.07
Soap Making
Eventually I managed to get around to making some soap yesterday to put in my Christmas hampers. I was going to make some sunflower and marigold soaps but then realised that the moulds I purchased from eBay contained some pretty rose shapes and heart shapes so at the last minute I decided not to put any marigold petals in the batch, but to put in some red lake dye 9to make the soaps pink) and use rose essential oils instead.
I was in two minds whether to put any rose petals in the soap, but then thought it might be over-kill and so left then out. They look really pretty in the mould and hopefully should have set so that I can take them out tonight ready to store them.
The trace on these soaps should have been approx 40 minutes (ie when they start to set) but it took about 2 hours – I really hope they turn out ok, I suppose I’ll find out tonight when I check them.
I’ve left them on the dining room table so they don’t get disturbed; my OH says it smells of turkish delight in there….
11.25.07
Bath Salts
The method was really simple:
1 cup of Epsom salts
1 cup of baking soda
a handful of either rose petals or lavender
a few drops of either rose oil or lavender essential oil
Mix everything up together and pour into a nice jar
I worked out that these cost around £2.50p each since I had everything except the jars and Epsom salts.
I was going to get started on the bath bombs, but realised that I used all the baking soda making the bath salts. Hopefully I can nip out and buy some more today but it doesn’t matter so much if I don’t; it’s more important that I get the soap made today!
11.23.07
Pamper Baskets (Presents)
I received the materials I’d ordered on Saturday night a few days ago ready to make a start on my mum and sisters’ presents this weekend.
I also ordered some bath bomb and soap moulds off eBay last week and they have just arrived. I’ve been waiting for them all week, hoping that they would arrive in time for the weekend since I need to make the soaps now so that they will have cured by Christmas ready to use (I don’t really want to give presents and say “oh but you can’t use the soap for another few weeks….”. I had arranged for them to be delivered to work so if they had of arrived tomorrow I wouldn’t get them until Monday, anyway, they are here now so now I’m all set to make a start on everything on Sunday.
I would have liked to get started tomorrow since my OH is watching the football at lunchtime (he’s a Newcastle supporter!) and it would mean that I would have guarenteed peace in the kitchen, however I promised my DS that I would take him swimming this weekend – I hate going to the swimming baths so I would prefer to get this out of the way first! I don’t mind swimming, but it’s just the fact that there’s no sun and everything you touch is wet – plus the cubicles are tiny and with my growing bump I’ll have even less space….
Homemade Cider and Gardening
I spoke to the OH last night about my plans for making wine and that we could also make some cider to see what his thoughts were on the subject. He was really excited at the prospect of making his own scrumpy (as he calls it!) and thinks it is a great idea – especially when I told him about the cost saving in the long run.
He also surprised me by asking if we could get a greenhouse for the garden when we move….. this is surprising because he has always said that the garden it my domain; I can do what I want in it as long as he has somewhere to sit in summer and drink his beer! I am slightly concerned as to why he wants a greenhouse – maybe he thinks it will be his refuge when it all gets too much for him with screaming kids in the house; he can sit in the greenhouse drinking his homemade cider!!
Still I’m glad that he wants a greenhouse because I want one as well. We’ve planned to take next year reasonably easy with the garden (and spending) and then to invest in a greenhouse the following year (or towards the end of next year) so we can get a head start on the years crops.
11.21.07
Budgeting and Meal Planning
Budgeting
I have received some excellent advice from MoveToPortugal (http://www.movetoportugal.blogspot.com/) involving budgeting. This involves keeping a “Price Book” which is basically a complete list of all the items that I buy, where I buy them from and how much they cost (along with quantities). Once the Price Book has been built up for a while I will then be able to work out the best quantities to buy in; to get the best unit price, and also found out if there are specific times when supermarkets discount their goods; for example if they sell tinned tomatoes at half price every 8 weeks, then every 8 weeks I should buy enough to last my until the next offer (move info also at http://organizedhome.com/make-price-book-save-money).
I aim to start this tonight but emptying my (more than overflowing) purse and making a record from all the receipts that I must have lurking in there.
Meal Planning
Last night I started work on my meal planner for the month of December. This may seem a little premature since we still have another week of November left, but I get paid on Friday so I need to check what I need for next weeks meals and through December until next pay day. Since next pay day is due to be 25th December (but will be earlier) I thought that it would be easier to plan for the whole month and just get it done with. Also I has allowed be to figure out exactly what food I need to buy for Christmas without being impulse when I get to the store.
I have decided this year that I will buy both a Christmas cake and Christmas pudding since with moving (and not knowing when I’m moving) I don’t know when I’ll get the time to doe this and also don’t have to worry about decorating the cake! I did work out though that it is much cheaper to make mince pies than buy them – if costs about 18p per pie to buy compared to about 4p to make!! Since I love mince pies I will be making them this year and hence at least saving some money.
Using the Price Book that I will start tonight, I can then also start working out how much my weekly shopping should cost (I plan for the month and then break it down into weekly shops for the stuff that goes off like vegetables and the stuff that if you have in the store are used like Alcohol!). I only started using a budget last month and set myself a target of £220 broken down as £100 for the first week to buy everything that would last a month and then £40 for the following three weeks – I came in about £12 under budget so am really pleased. Now I can re-arrange meals if it looks like I will go over budget one week so this will be an even better way of ensuring that I keep the shopping under control
I am aware that with Christmas stuck in December I am unlikely to stick to my £220 budget but I want to get ahead now and work out how much it will cost to see where I can trim down elsewhere in the month to try and keep as close to budget as possible – or at least not get carried away and over spend.
11.19.07
Personal Projects List
I need a list to remind me of the things that I need to do, or get around to working on. I have to write it down, because currently its going around in circles in my head and sooner or later I’m going to forget something!
I’m due to move house sometime before Christmas, but not sure exactly when so I can’t really start any of these projects yet – but I have them pencilled in to work on next year.
Home Grown Vegetables
I want to grow as much in the way of vegetables and salads as I can, but before I can start I need to work out what the best things to grow are, where I shall be planting them and when they need to be planted. Basically, I need to sort the planning stage out now so I don’t rush into it and find that some of the things I plant can be bought for less in a supermarket and that I don’t plant too late to get a crop.
Homemade Wine (maybe Beer/Cider)
I want to make my own wine, and possibly, OH dependant, brew my own beer. I checked up some options earlier today (buy a kit vs. buy everything individually) and have decided that it is more cost effective to buy a kit initially. For wine this works about (depending on kit purchased) to an initial outlay of approx £60 which will make 30 bottles – so about £2 a bottle – half price compared to my usual £4-£5 a bottle.
The initial outlay for a beer kit is approx £55 for 40 pints – or £1.38 per pint, compared to an average of £0.60 a pint for canned lager. However this is for the first batch, subsequent batches work out at £0.21 a pint. Cider works out around a similar price.
I just need to confirm with OH whether he would be happy to drink/try it since otherwise there is no point. It’s OK with the wine since this would be for me anyway 
Homemade Bread
I have to say, I have noticed the price of bread slowly creeping up – it’s now over £1 a loaf and I need around 3 loaves a week to keep the family going. I could opt for the cheap ones, but I find they go stale far too quickly and to be honest I don’t like the taste. Occasionally I have made my own by hand but I find it rather time-consuming, mainly because of the hours I work and the time that it needs to prove – I only remember at the last minute that I need bread!
I have investigated the options and found out that buying a bread maker is economical in the long run, the cost of a homemade loaf is much cheaper, and even if I “forget” that I need bread, I can set it running at night and wake up to a freshly baked loaf (currently there is no way that I would set my alarm early so I can cook bread at the crack of dawn. I get up at 6:30 as it is, I am not getting up any earlier!)
Currently I’m keeping my eye out on eBay for the model that I want to see if I can get it was a reduced price since full price it is approx £80
Other items:
1) Learn how to make simple clothes like skirts and trousers; my mum is donating to me her old sewing machine (she’s waiting until I have moved to give it to me) so I thought I could use it to make simple linen trousers for work and maybe some skirts as well – It has to be cheaper than buying and I can make them fit, whereas I often have a problem getting my size, shops just don’t make things small enough!
2) Knit more; I’ve started on this but need to prepare more so I have jumpers knitted in time for the cold weather instead of think about starting them as a cold spell hits!
3) Reduce my reliance on conventional cleaners; I have the information now, I’m just using what I have got before I can start using baking soda and vinegar – plus I need the pump action containers to mix and store the goods in
4) I already make my own soap, one of which I make specifically to wash my face in the morning (I use a cold cream to get off all my makeup at the end of the day), I just need to expand this to making other health and beauty products. I also need to reduce my reliance on cotton wool, since I use too much of these and could make my own to wash
5) Meal plans; I started this earlier this month – I just need to keep at it and make bigger batches to freeze (following move since trying to empty freezer at the moment)
6) Budgeting; need I say more!! I have worked all this out, but since my OH and I are going to get a joint “bills” accounts once we move, and our monthly outgoings will alter very soon, this is kind of on hold since everything is due to change
7) Reduce satellite subscription in the New Year (see previous post)
Get eyes tested and at the same time find out what the direct debit cycle for my contact lenses is so that I can cancel and buy in bulk (following eye test in case prescription has changed) since this will be cheaper – not worked out the benefit yet
