Dear Diary July 17th

Monday..

Goodness how on earth do these weeks go by so fast? 😊, This week despite my very best efforts, has turned out to be a little on the expensive side,. I know full well around this time every monthly, I have these two fairly large bills that need feeding,,(they remind me of hungry baby birds, mouths constantly gaping, just not as cute) it is actually fine though as I’ve factored this into my monthly accounts, but then there’s those things that will creep up on you, like important big birthdays to buy a gift for., My store cupboard choses now also as a good moment to join in, doing it’s best impression of old mother Hubbard’s cupboard, (apart from that is a rather impressive stash of tinned chopped tomatoes),. I had somehow grown low on certain things you always need in., especially those essentials, like herbs, corn flour and tinned soup,,. In all honesty i felt somewhat overwhelmed even panic stricken. Im unsure why as it wasnt anything I couldn’t handle, it’s just I finally have my spending under control, i think if I were to analyse, it theres almost a fear of sliding back and falling into the abyss of the old habits of yestermonths 😊..(Then there’s the other part of me that worries is this in fact becoming a whole obsession.(this frugal lifestyle

Have I? in my extraordinary effort to save where I can, took frugality to a whole other concept,. And i honestly can say with hand on heart, whenever I have to make any purchases other than food or pay those oh so evil but necessary bills😊, I find myself very ill at ease, I check my bank account more regular, mind working overtime trying to conjure up a way to write off some of this expenditure.

Other months when this has happened I’ve paired down my grocery shop to its lowest, even going to the extremes of going without items,. Falling into other bad habits along the way, like eating just once daily again, drinking coffee to stave off any hunger pangs, knowing this isn’t healthy or indeed the answer, but doing it anyhow, its a trap I’ve allowed myself to walk into many many times before,. I’m thinking I may have yet another fight on my hands, thats not to allow this to take over.

Sunday was a prime example of what can happen when things like this occur, I had been awake since fairly early, wanting to get my washing dry before the predicted heavy yellow weather warning, sent storms my way,(as you know I hand wash and this takes far longer to dry) so line drying for me is at a premium, I need to take advantage of every hour to its fullest, if this means early rising then so be it., I soak the first lot of coloured wash while I drink a speedy coffee, this is gulped while just a degree or two off molten😊, by 7am on that Sunday morning, whilst most sane folks relax in bed, having that well earned lie in, Im pegging out my third load of washing, bells peel somewhere in the distance bought clearer by the ever thickening deep bed of cloud cover, birds sing in the now swaying branches and a rather plump bumble bee decided to land on my freshly washed undies, I grabbed an obliging twig, using this to persuade my new found friend that in fact a late blooming pink BlackBerry flower was a much prettier and sweeter proposition. signs of predicted storm are gathering menacingly, but though the sky’s dark and foreboding, there’s also high winds great for drying,

After doing some more much needed chores i note it is still early, my stomach begins to growl, so I made myself another coffee, it normally works for a while, the pangs of hunger delayed for now, I carry on with the day, but it’s not long before I’m reminded I haven’t eaten since the evening before, by now it is lunch time though. I could have a bacon sandwich, but it’s Sunday, and Sundays are actually mine and Jesse,s pizza night(fake away style of course) I still hadnt bought any wheatfree pizza bases running out the week previous, so opting to use bread. But because pizza night is a big deal for us, I chose not to eat much, making myself a pack of instant porridge instead, the thought here was it would hold me over till nine o’clock that evening, (good thought)😊

It did work up to a point, where it no longer did😊, I distracted myself by reading a book on my kindle, it was one of those rare bargains, next to nothing to buy, but a gripping read, (The Rabbit Girls by Anna Ellery) I lost myself in its pages, it’s thought provoking paragraphs take you back in time, while losing time for you.

We make pizza around the nine o’clock time, hunger hasn’t taken a back seat now, my mind still full of the story I’ve been reading, . As I said earlier I had to use bread again this week, which is no hardship as I really enjoy it, still using the pizza base sauce, garlic, cheeses, and sausage, …Soon as the smell of warm cheese drifted from the kitchen, hit my nostrils, I felt my stomach strirring awake once more, I was ravenous…

The minute the oven pinged, I spring off my place on the bed and shot out into the kitchen, there gloriously golden slices of melted cheese topped bread awaited, cooked to perfection, to make it easier to eat I cut it into fours, …As I ate the first slice in seconds I realised just how intensely hungry I had in fact been, barely chewing the hot cheesy mouthfuls, and it was this that got me into trouble, one piece slid down my throat, and as it did a hard sharp piece of crust scratched all the way down…I didn’t choke or anything but if you’ve ever done this yourselves you will I hope share a sympathetic thought, …each swallow after this was worse than its predecessor, the scratchy raw sensation only intensifying, ..I thought it would possibly pass after a few mouthfuls of water, only it didnt. In fact by bedtime I was having even more difficulties, my throat felt like I was having one of my many tonsilitus infections, swollen and painful…I’m now on day two and despite, salt water gargles, icy drinks, and taking teaspoons of honey it’s still hurting..hereby ending this lesson do not ever wait until your overly hungry to eat in future 😊.

The other much more positive lesson of the week is how to eek out ones favourite shower Gel, . I love the Source range, normally either buying the Mint Source of the lemon, both have powerful scents that linger in the bathroom long after you’ve left. But the only downside if there is any to be found, is it’s cost,. I have rectified this in my mind over the months by telling myself it doubles as a minty airfreshner, (well it does) but still I was torn by the price, I tried watering it down a little to drag it out longer as frugalers have on youtube, And although it smelt ok still it had for me anyway lost some of its potency, …So it was while doing an online shop last week I stumbled across a bottle of on sale teatree shampoo for just a £1, . It dawned on me suddenly that I could use this to top up the half empty bottle of mint shower gel, it’s cheaper by far but still really strong scented and sudsy, with this, making my own icecubes, foregoing pizza bases I’ve saved nearly £10, ok I’ve a sore throat to boot, but maybe this will in effect give rise to another saving….Jesse’s ears 😳😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁, whatever your up to folks take care out there and look after you 💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛❤🌹