The Final Reckoning !

So I have tallied up all our spending for 2017 and was wondering whether we had hit our goal of living on eighteen thousand a year and in actual fact we have smashed it, with the final tally for all spending, including utilities etc. coming in at £17.073. This is a lot lower than we spent in 2016 and with prices rising was definitely a challenge !

There were several months where we have gone over our target spending but this evened up over the year with some months where the spending was very low. I think that this shows the value of making an annual budget as well as a weekly or monthly one. It also shows the value of tracking all your spending.

By looking at our annual spend over all the categories in the budget I was able to see areas where we can cut down next year and also areas where we will have to increase. Something else that was really interesting was that a budget in such detail also showed me where earning/saving money also involved some costs. So I have now decided to claim some petrol expenses for the work I do, as on average this has been costing me £40 a month, quite a little sum !

With the amount we have left over from last year's budget I'm going to pay the accommodation costs for 2018's holiday. We always wait and see whether we can afford a holiday and do not any longer have it on the basic budget. We know, depending on income, we can always have a great time with a 'staycation' ! However, with so much left over we are going to try and go to Scandinavia, traditionally a very expensive holiday destination, but we think that our frugal ways can bring this destination within reach, so I'm pretty excited !

Our 'buy no new to us clothes' challenge has worked very well this year, with only MasterShoestring getting new clothes, as he grew and grew ! I got a few things from jumble sales at the start of the year but otherwise, nothing and MrShoestring and I still have plenty, so I think that challenge will continue in to 2018 ! I've got some ideas for other new challenges which I'll tell you about once January arrives, but in the meantime, I hope you have had a similarly successful, frugal 2017 !

A Little Repair

MrShoestring has already been putting his soldering iron, which he got for Christmas, to good use. Our digital radio, which we use in the kitchen had a frayed flex and hasn't been safe to use for several months. We do have another radio which we can use in there but I like the ease of the digital tuning and it makes switching programmes so easy when I'm cooking. The radio has been sitting in the workshop waiting to see if it could be repaired.

Yesterday Mr Shoestring soldered all the frayed wires together and then wrapped the cord with insulating tape. He needed to solder the wires because the little plug which fits into the back of the radio to connect the power was so small he couldn't fit them in otherwise. We could probably have bought a new flex and power supply but there is something so satisfying about fixing things yourself.

There was much rejoicing when the little radio re-appeared in the kitchen and we tried it out and it worked ! Lots of thanks to MrShoestring, now he's looking for something else to fix !

Frugal Friday

The last Frugal Friday of 2017 ! I have so enjoyed doing these and keeping notes over the week to know what we did has been very useful, so I think I will carry on doing this in 2018. I also love reading other people's posts about what frugal things they have been up to over the week as it often gives me new ideas.

We ate leftovers all week and still have plenty left, I don't think that I shall have to do much shopping in January. This was also helped by picking up a few more yellow stickered bargains over the week including 2 boxes of mushrooms for 25p and 8 packets of yoghurt for the same price ! The yoghurt came in very handy as MissShoestring has tonsillitis and can't swallow very easily so she has been eating soup and yoghurt since Wednesday !

I found a few coins on the ground and added them to my change purse. I also got books and magazines from the library. I saved wrapping paper to iron for reuse and reused tissue paper and gift bags for packing local gifts. I gave USAShoestring his birthday present to take back with him, as his birthday is early in January this saved on the postage.

I made turkey stock from the turkey carcass and froze it for making soups later. I made a turkey stew with leftovers and many turkey and cranberry sauce sandwiches were eaten. I washed out freezer bags for reuse and made some breadcrumbs from stale bread.

I used free stamps from the Royal Mail to post the 'Thank You' cards and am looking forward to starting the survey again in January so I can replenish the stock ! I also used free parking all week and got a few gifts fro Christmas 2018 in the sales !

Altogether a good week !

A Visit to the Sales

After my meeting yesterday I thought that I would have a look around the sales. There was very little left in most shops ! I did buy a diary at Poundland for a £1, which I saved by not paying for parking ! When I go to town I park in the free Matalan car park, so on the way back thought I would have a little look at their sale too. I had some Love2Shop vouchers from the Royal Mail survey and knew that I could use them in there.

Well, this was the best shop yet as I was able to get 2 pairs of fleecy pyjamas, a wash bag and 5 Christmas tea towels all reduced by more than 50%. Using the vouchers meant that I only paid £12 for all of it and that money came from selling books to Ziffit just before Christmas began. This effectively meant getting some very nice gifts for Christmas 2018 with no out of pocket cost.

I think I shall make it a 2018 challenge to try and make gift giving spending neutral and see how I manage. I think I was helped by the fact that it had been snowing hard all morning and there were not many people in town, so I was able to have a nice chat with the checkout lady as well since it was quiet.

So, I'm off now to pack the gifts away in the present cupboard and add them to my gift list !

Turkey Leftovers

Yes, we still have a few turkey leftovers ! MasterShoestring wanted fish and chips last night before he went back to the USA, so we indulged him ! We were also given some rather fine wholegrain mustard and some honey, so this recipe uses those as well !

2 onions

1 apple

2 tbsps sunflower oil

1tsp sage

2 tbsp flour

300ml stock

2 tbsp wholegrain mustard

2 tbsp honey

500g leftover turkey

350g leftover vegetables

Fry the onion and apple together in the oil and when nicely done take the pan off the heat and stir in the flour and the sage. Gradually add the stock to make a smooth mixture and then place back on the heat and stir to thicken. Take back off the heat and add the honey, mustard, turkey and vegetables and then place back on the heat at a simmer for 10-15 minutes or until all the leftovers are piping hot.

Serve with mashed potatoes or a grain such as cous-cous.

Now to  plan for the rest of the leftovers, since we had a fresh turkey this year, some of them might go in the freezer to join the turkey stock I made and froze on Boxing Day !

Boxing Day Sales

Today is the day to make a list of what you will need for celebrating next year and go out and get it at a discount. Whether it is cards, wrapping paper, stocking fillers or decorations, all will be reduced in the sales from today, either in the shops or online. But be quick ! It used to be that the discounts just started just now and that things came down further in price towards the middle of January, however, I have noticed over the past few years that retailers have their stock much more carefully controlled and only sell off small amounts of stock which they can't save for the following year. Wilco always has good discounts and a few other stores as well, so make a list and a budget and see what you can find !

I already checked our Christmas shelf and we do not need to buy anything for next year. I have been looking for a few household items, but I have a target price in mind and so far the discounts online have not been low enough ! Tomorrow, I have to go into town for a meeting so will take my list along, but if I don't see good quality at a substantial discount I won't be buying ! A sale only saves money if you would have bought the item anyway, so go well-armed with  common sense !

Good luck in the sales !

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas from the Shoestring household to yours ! We shall be singing the following around the Christmas tree today and wish you lots of fun and fellowship too !

1 On Christmas night all all Christians sing

to hear the news the angels bring;
on Christmas night all Christians sing
to hear the news the angels bring:
news of great joy, news of great mirth,
news of our merciful King’s birth.

2 Then why should we on earth be sad,
since our Redeemer made us glad?
Then why should we on earth be sad,
since our Redeemer made us glad,
when from our sin He set us free,
all for to gain our liberty?

3 When sin departs before His grace,
then life and health come in its place;
when sin departs before His grace,
then life and health come in its place;
angels and men with joy may sing,
all for to see the newborn King.

4 All out of darkness we have light,
which made the angels sing this night;
all out of darkness we have light,
which made the angels sing this night:
“Glory to God and peace to men
now and forevermore. Amen.”