Gloriously pink hydrangeas
The weeks seem to be accelerating at mach speed towards the school summer holidays. Eek. Somehow I have to shoehorn a bunch of work into the remaining days before the children skip out of school on the last day of term!
In the mean time, here are the five frugal things we’ve managed this week.
Teeny tiny garlic bulb
Cooked with home-grown garlic
Anyone remember when I planted some garlic cloves? I just stuck them in the herb patch, marked with bamboo boles from where we hacked back the clump of bamboo by the side wall. I was afraid they’d been frazzled in the recent heat wave, as the leaves dried up, so I pulled one up. Despite the small size, I was able to use half a home-grown garlic bulb in our spaghetti bolognese this week. So please to be cooking with food grown in the garden, even if it was a tiny amount!
The offending door. Looks fine, opens wonky.
Rang before the cooker guarantee ran out
Much as I love our new cooker (bought after much research and angst), it has a wobbly door. I think it’s just a screw missing from the door to the grill, but we haven’t managed to mend it. This week my husband leapt into action, and rang the cooker company before our free guarantee runs out. A repair man is due to visit on Monday – fingers crossed it’s something easy to fix.
Marvelled at the returns on the children’s Child Trust Funds
Back in the days when the Government handed out free money to babies, I invested the £100 Child Trust Fund (CTF) vouchers for both my children with the investment company Foreign & Colonial. The kids can’t touch the money until they turn 18, so I figured over such a long time frame the money would be better invested in stocks and shares than earning next to nothing in cash. (Nowadays it’s all Junior Isas rather than CTFs, but I haven’t switched the accounts over).
We’ve topped up the accounts here and there, splitting the money between two different investment trusts: Foreign & Colonial and F&C Global Smaller Companies. Last week a statement showed up, and F&C Global Smaller Companies is up 28% in a year. Admittedly it was an incredible year for the stock market, but it did remind me that it’s possible to make much more of your money by investing than saving, if you’re willing to make more risk. I’ll celebrate 28% while I can, because it’s not realistic to expect more than 5% to 7% over the long term – including any years when the stock market plummets!
Camping stuff, ready to reuse
Reused camping equipment
A recent highlight for my children has been heading off on their Beaver and Cub camps. I try not to take it personally when they are champing at the bit to spend a night or two away from home, and rush off to the minibus with hardly a backward glance. I am certainly eternally grateful to the Cub and Beaver leaders for all their hard work in whisking my offspring away to have such a great time.
When it comes to the equipment list, I also thank my lucky stars that my daughter doesn’t insist on all things pink.
This means we’ve been able to buy one set of camping stuff in neutral colours, which can then be used by both siblings, rather forking out for two of everything. We do all have our own sleeping bags for family camping trips, but can get away with a single (red) cagoule, one (blue) sleeping mat, and just the one (black) LED torch. We’ve even co-opted an ancient travel bag, from one of my husband’s trekking trips, to carry it all in.
Photo as an excuse for a quick breather during a run
Kept on running
I’m still plodding away with running as a frugal form of exercise, after somehow ending up with a place on a half marathon. I even packed my kit during a flying visit back to Leicestershire, and ran a circular route out to my old village and back. Had forgotten quite how hilly the roads were…
Recently I had to report my progress along with the other Great East Run competition winners, and then promptly hurt my foot. Such an embarrassing injury – I stubbed my toe on one of the children’s bikes! It’s quite worrying because I’m due to attempt my first 10K run next weekend, but currently I’m limping along with a fetching green and brown bruise. Anyway, I’m still hoping to stagger round the Chelmsford Race for Life on 23 July. If anyone fancies supporting breast cancer research (and I do appreciate that everyone has their own favourite charities), and encouraging me at the same time, this is my fundraising page.
Now over to you – any frugal tips to share? Ways you’ve saved money in the last week? I’d love to hear, so do share your ideas in the comments.
I’m linking up with Cass, Emma and Becky in this week’s ‘Five fabulously frugal things I’ve done this week’ linky.
Well done on the growing – it is fab isn’t it! You can plant them out sometime in winter I believe then they would be MASSIVE by now…
Ours weren’t huge either, but hoping to do better for next year. Still had 150-200 cloves to freeze (I freeze them whole).
Author
Wow sounds like you had an amazing garlic harvest! Great plan about getting them planted early. I should have kept a better eye on how dry the herb bed was getting. Live and learn!
My parents recently fished out the camping gear that they have hoarded for years since we were kids! The highlight for my kids was a rubber dinghy – it regularly gets filled with water as a make shift paddling pool at nana and grandads!
Author
Love the idea of reusing the dinghy as a padding pool – probably a lot for durable than many of the ordinary pools.
Your frugal things are fab. Keep on running! Thanks for joining in #5frugalthings
Author
Thanks Becky!
So impressed with your running hon. And yes feeling the same as the summer hols, one more week eekk. Except Jack has already finished school….so its sunday and Im working;-)
Author
Woah tricky if Jack has already finished. I need to get act together and book a few sessions of holiday clubs.
Oh no, sorry to hear about your toe!! Hope you can get to do the 10k still.
Author
Thanks Katy, I’m determined to get round one way or another, and really appreciate your support.
The information that you share with us helps us get the necessary support that each person needs.
It is truly a great and helpful piece of info. I’m glad that you simply shared this useful info with us. Please stay us up to date like this. Thanks for sharing.
I truly enjoy reading on this internet site, it has got wonderful posts. “And all the winds go sighing, For sweet things dying.” by Christina Georgina Rossetti.
I lost my job, my spouse left me and there was no way to get income for my family, things was so tough and I couldn’t get anything for my children, not until a met a recommendation on a page writing how Mr Bernie Doran helped a lady in getting a huge amount of profit every 6 working days on trading with his management on the cryptocurrency Market, to be honest I was skeptical at first but I took the risk to take a loan of $500, and I contacted him unbelievable and I was so happy I received a profit of $5,500 with an investment of $500 within 7 days of trading , the most joy is that I can now take care of my family, i am just sharing my testimony on here. I don’t know how to appreciate your good work Mr. Bernie Doran, God will continue to bless you for being a life saver I have no way to appreciate you than to tell people about your good services. He can also help you recover your lost funds, For a perfect investment and good return on investment contact him on Gmail : Berniedoransignals@gmail.com or his whatsApp + 1 ( 424 ) 285 – 0682
tell him i referred you
Some really nice and useful information on this web site, also I conceive the style and design holds superb features.
Do you mind if I quote a couple of your articles as long as I provide credit and sources back to your webpage? My blog is in the exact same area of interest as yours and my visitors would genuinely benefit from a lot of the information you present here. Please let me know if this okay with you. Regards!
Thanks for sharing superb informations. Your site is so cool. I’m impressed by the details that you’ve on this blog. It reveals how nicely you understand this subject. Bookmarked this website page, will come back for extra articles. You, my friend, ROCK! I found just the info I already searched all over the place and simply could not come across. What a perfect website.
Hello. impressive job. I did not anticipate this. This is a impressive story. Thanks!
Thank you for some other excellent article. Where else could anyone get that type of info in such an ideal means of writing? I have a presentation next week, and I’m on the look for such info.
Wow that was odd. I just wrote an really long comment but after I clicked submit my comment didn’t appear. Grrrr… well I’m not writing all that over again. Anyway, just wanted to say great blog!
Hello there, I found your website via Google at the same time as searching for a similar topic, your website got here up, it looks good. I’ve bookmarked it in my google bookmarks.
I very delighted to find this site on bing, just what I was looking for : D as well bookmarked.
I’m still learning from you, but I’m trying to achieve my goals. I definitely love reading everything that is posted on your website.Keep the information coming. I enjoyed it!
It?¦s really a cool and helpful piece of information. I?¦m satisfied that you shared this useful information with us. Please stay us up to date like this. Thanks for sharing.
Do you mind if I quote a few of your posts as long as I provide credit and sources back to your site? My website is in the very same area of interest as yours and my visitors would definitely benefit from some of the information you provide here. Please let me know if this ok with you. Many thanks!
Very interesting details you have remarked, regards for putting up.
When I initially commented I clicked the “Notify me when new comments are added” checkbox and now each time a comment is added I get three emails with the same comment. Is there any way you can remove people from that service? Appreciate it!