This week’s money saving efforts

Welcome to this week’s five frugal things round up. I join in most weeks with several other bloggers to share our money saving efforts.

This doesn’t mean that we never spend any money. What it means is that we strive to buy only what we need and get the best value when we do make purchases.

Personally, I am spending very little at the moment. Covid has definitely given most of us fewer opportunities to waste money! Also, as I said in the post I wrote this week, Live Debt Free on a Small Income, we like to live within our means. Although my income has picked up a bit in recent weeks, we are still without a lodger. This is a handy source of extra income, so until we have a new one, we are being even more careful with money.

Making money on eBay

What exactly have I achieved this week? Along with my money saving efforts, I have been trying to make money. 

Mainly I have been listing piles of stuff on eBay. I have managed 50 items in the last week, which is really good for me! The fact that the weather has cooled down a bit has helped me get some work done. I was struggling last week. Heat waves aren’t for me.

I also hit the £1 charity shop and found some absolute bargains in there. You do have to search through systematically to sort the wheat from the chaff, but it is worth the effort. These have already been washed, ironed and photographed to sell.

Archie’s ‘new’ rug

Archie has been going to puppy training classes for a few weeks now. He is not a perfectly trained mutt yet, but he is improving.

One thing we are being taught is to settle on a towel or rug. The idea is that you can put this down anywhere and get your dog to stay until you allow them off. We are far from achieving this!

We talked about buying him a mat that we could roll up and take out with us. Then if we are visiting family or in a dog friendly pub or cafe, we can use it to get him to settle in one place.

Then Mr S found this fluffy rug that the old lodger discarded in the shed. Archie is treating it like a new friend, playing with it, chewing it, then cuddling up with it. It will do the job for now and cost nothing.

Tomato glut

The tomatoes are coming thick and fast in the greenhouse. We grew a lot of cherry ones this year and they taste so delicious. I am eating them like sweets! Most meals have a few on the side as well. 

Home grown tomatoes are massively superior to the mass produced supermarket varieties. There is no comparison. 

The courgettes are finally slowing down now. I always love them, but usually grow far too many. This year we seem to have got it just right.

Sadly, the slugs got the sweet peppers we tried to grow and the black flies killed the runner beans. Never mind – you win some, you lose some! We still have chard and kale to come.

Free food

We have also been given some free fruit this week from friends with gluts. We have lovely big Bramley apples for cooking and also greengages. 

Mr S likes the latter simply stewed with custard. In fact, he loves pretty much anything with custard. (Tomato crumble, anyone?).

I also noticed that our neighbour’s blackberries are out in force, so I must pick the ones that escape over our fence. They have cut the bush back quite a lot so we won’t get as many this year. We need to go and pick some on our dog walks.

Job hunting

Well, I am not really job hunting. I don’t want a permanent full-time job as I am happy working from home. However, it is nice to do some office based work every now and again. I enjoy the contact with other people.

Whenever there is an election I try to get some work at the polling station, and counted the votes at the last general election. I really enjoy this.

The other day I spotted an ‘as and when’ position working on the council’s helpline, so I put in an application. I also noticed an ad for the upcoming census, so I am thinking of going for one of their positions too. If you are interested, you can apply here.

So that concludes this week’s money saving efforts. It has been generally quiet apart from work, although I did pop over to see my parents with my eldest daughter one day. They are doing well and seem unbothered by how weird things still are. I guess that is one of the benefits of old age; you have experienced so much by the time you hit your 80s, nothing phases you!

How have your frugal and money saving efforts gone this week?

I’m linking up with this Cass, Emma and Becky in this week’s ‘Frugal Friday’ linky.