An extra mouthful!

 Now you might be forgiven for thinking that as it's 31st January this would be Month 1 - Bite 31....

I did though say, right back at the start, that I wanted this to be a useful tool for me to revisit and that I might then not start it in a month with 31 days. The solution I've gone for is writing 30 bites for each month with extra mouthfuls of suggested activities to boost the organisation and finances so that the whole collection will add up to 366 days worth of ideas. (366 makes it ready for a Leap Year too...)

The first of these 'bonus' days was mentioned way back at the beginning of the month.. I know Christmas 2022 seems a long way away... however a few simple tasks will help when the time comes.

I'd forgotten what I'd set myself to do and was very chuffed when I went back to my first post of the year to find I'd completed it!

To celebrate, here's another quick activity to add to this mouthful.

I found some scraps of Christmas fabric while packing stuff away so cut them into tree shapes using pinking shears and added a star and hey presto - cards ready for next time...

Voila!!

Next step February.....

That's Entertainment

Month 1 - Bite 28

Today will be difficult - not because the task is hard, but because I know I'm going to get sidetracked!

The bookshelves are groaning, despite owning an e-reader and borrowing from the local library I've still got stacks of books.

Many of these I've read and enjoyed, but won't read again so the next job is to look critically at all the books I've got and to decide what makes a book worth its place on the shelves. I'll probably start reading the odd one or two 'just to check' but a bit of self control is needed here.

Bit of checking required as there may be one or two that others in the family might enjoy - they'll  need to go in a bag for redistribution.

Month 1 - Bite 29

And so to the DVD and CD collection... Now having piles of DVDs lurking is madness as we tend to stream endless stuff to watch and many of the films I like are free to view over and over and over and... What's even dafter in keeping physical copies of them is the mountain of CDs evident around the place as we longer have a CD player. In fact the only place I can play CDs is in the car! They'll all need gathering in one place ready for action.

There may well be some that can go in that bag with the books to go out.

Month 1 - Bite 30

The final job for this month is to collect all those bits and pieces of stationery littered around the house. This might look like a tidy little store....

If only it was the only one! There's at least half a plastic box of pens, pencils and notebooks in the loft along with paper on the bookshelves and in drawers. Yet another sorting and gathering day. At least there won't be any new writing equipment bought for a while.....

 

Best Foot Forward with energy!

Month 1 - Bite 25

Energy bills are big news at the moment. I suppose they always are at this time of year when we need more heat and light and so on. All the more reason to be on top of useage.

Today's task is to check the meters and locate the last couple of bills so that the amount of energy used matches the totals given on the bills. This will need to be a regular check to ensure that the energy company's records are as accurate as possible. It's all very well knowing that overpayments will be refunded, but it would be better to nip this in the bud before the extra money is taken!

I'll also need to check on the dates for reading and submitting the figures so that there aren't any of those nasty estimated bills....

          

                                           

Month 1 - Bite 26

The next bit of paperwork and information gathering for that ever expanding box of mine concerns all those official bits and pieces that might need to be updated, especially now travel and getting about are loosening up.

Collecting such things as passport, driving licence, bus pass, EHIC/GHIC card and so on and keeping them together makes tracking them down when needed much easier. While collecting them it's worth a check on expiry dates and new documentation needed. I already know that my EHIC card is due to run out and needs to be replaced with its newer cousin before we plan to leave the country! It's only a couple of clicks on the laptop to do it so why not update now?

Month 1 - Bite 27

Diary/Calendar out and in with all those screening checks, dental check-ups, foot appointments....

All of these need to be noted, attended and followed up. It becomes all the more important now I've recently had a call back from a mammogram - all clear thankfully, but even if something was found it would have been nice and early for any further treatment. The cost of catching up on any conditions in more ways than just financial far outweighs the amount to be paid in regular checks.

                                          

A Transport of Delight

 Month 1 - Bite 22

I'm definitely guilty of running out of time and then grabbing the car keys and the lockdowns/pandemic only made this worse!

Admittedly at the beginning there was plenty of time and no distance to go so the car stayed firmly on the drive and walking was the order of the day, but it didn't take long for bad habits to resurface!

The next few tasks concentrate on assessing the how and why of using forms of transport.

Firstly then - what transport options are available? As I say, with enough time and forward planning there's usually options from walking to taxis, buses to car shares, bikes - well probably not for me, my last entanglement with a bike was exactly that - even on a nice, safe, empty car park while practising, and I had the bruises for ages to show for it!!!

I need to gather all the timetables, contact details, routes, maps, fares and length of journey together for the travelling I do and get them all into one place....

Month 1 - Bite 23

What about the car?

Well, knowing exactly what's in there and whether it needs to be would be a good idea. Emptying the boot (why am I carrying four empty egg boxes when I pass the egg farm on a regular basis and could just drop them in?) and the glove compartment (parking stash - don't imagine I need that much change as I usually use a swipe card - hello piggy bank). Any extra weight will add to the fuel consumption.

I need to take the service book out too so I can record the dates for the service and MOT on the calendar before replacing it. Finally I can add the insurance renewal date to the calendar too....

Month 1 - Bite 24

Having broached the subject of car insurance and the calendar it's an opportune moment to move onto the next task and note other 'whens'.

What are my known times, dates, regular appointments and are they recorded?

As well as listing these I'll make a note of what's needed for any appointments - details/addresses/contacts - that should make keeping on top of it easier and more convenient, stopping those panic moments that eat into my time and force me back into the car.

Month 1 - Bite 25

Finally while in 'sorting out where the time goes' mode there needs to be a list of all the regular tasks and jobs that make up daily life.

What do I NEED to do - food shopping, washing clothes, cleaning, regular maintenance tasks that keep the household running. I can then see where these best fit and think through a schedule to get them all done.

This Little Piggy... and a few quick bites

 Month 1 - Bite 19

Today I've tracked down a piggy bank. It didn't have to be this little chap, a box or tin with a slit in the lid would have served the same purpose, but as I had a ready made money box why not use it?

This needs a place near to the front door where coats come off and pockets get emptied. That's so that any loose change I find has a home.

Month 1 - Bite 20

I know this won't take long as I had a prune of all the household linens not long ago. Time to empty the airing cupboard and sort through all the blankets, bedding and towels - I know there's still more than I need in there and with some looking a bit past their best a sort out is on the cards. Any unnecessary spares are going into a box for the loft - I've got plans for them!

Month 1 - Bite 21

While near the front door, piggy bank in hand the outdoor 'stuff' rather loomed into view. This isn't all of it either!

There are more coats, scarves, gloves and other outerwear than can all be worn in one season. Rationalising this is called for. The spare items can go off to new homes (our local library has a rail for people who need them to help themselves).

Before parting company with any of these or replacing them in a more orderly fashion checking all the pockets is essential. As with the bags there's bound to be tissues, old face masks and so on that need to be sorted. Who knows, there might even be some coins for that piggy bank?!

The heat is on .... perhaps that’s the problem!

 Month 1 - Bite 18

This is one to focus the attention, especially now we’ve had a couple of hard frosts. It’s time to work out how low we can go! Obviously it’s not a good idea to let the home get completely cold or damp so some heat is needed, but how much is the question.

Today’s task is to check the temperature throughout the building. What will trigger the thermostat to fire the boiler? Can we cope with it a bit lower? All the radiators need checking as each of them have thermostatic valves so there may be some that could go lower than others or even be turned down to the frost setting.

The presets need looking at too... now’s the chance to look at the schedule for when the heating and water are programmed to come on and see if that tallies with the times we need them the most. Do the two tie up?

A fairly quick task then, as long as I can remember how to use the system!

Getting the picture

 Well I guess this first month has all been about getting the picture of what's all around the place.

One group of items that surfaced while in the loft was pictures.

Month 1 - Bite 17

Before we moved to our present bungalow (16 years ago yesterday!) we lived in a three storey townhouse. There were lots of walls and hanging spaces for pictures. Once we'd moved most of those had to be stored in the loft and that's where they've been ever since. In fact even more went up there as we acquired or I created more like this one.

The next task of finding out what we've got to establish the size of our elephant is to unwrap all these and more to decide what we want to keep and move a few round.

One or two could be reframed, but many I suspect will be on their way out. Over time some will have faded and the frames may be available for me to play with too.... More excuses to make stuff beckon.

Still it's out with the duster, off with the bubble wrap and time to ship some of these rather large clutterbugs out to new homes....

What's Aloft, Attack that Attic - What's in Your Glory Hole?

 Month 1 - Bite 16

Things are getting serious now. It's time to address some hidden horrors!

I'm not attempting to dig into our shed or motor into the garage - largely what's in those isn't in my remit (hooray) - tools, lawnmower, endless bits of wood, plant pots... Those I leave to other very organised and tidy hands!

My walk of shame will lead me upstairs into the loft!

It's the day of reckoning for all the boxes and suitcases hiding above.

Thankfully the photo is awful so you can't see all that's up there - the worse part is that's only some of the haul.

Now's my chance to rummage in the boxes and find out exactly what is in all those boxes, bags and suitcases.

I know that there are manuals I used in my former working life that I now have on my hard drive that can be recycled and a stack of cardboard boxes that I was saving to use in the post - but even I don't have that much to put through the Royal Mail! So those are two piles that can come down immediately.

I need to know just how much yarn, beading, fleece and fabric to name but four categories of 'stuff' before I'm further tempted into adding to.

Nothing for it, but to just grasp the challenge and go for a day of exploration...

End of the Week Catch Up

Spending recorded - tick

Receipts filed - tick

Bag completed to hide battery pack on lights - tick

This is some fabric from a fat quarter that’s my sister gave me. To try and brighten up a fire that isn’t working we’ve got twinkly lights round it, but the battery pack isn’t that decorative! Over Christmas we had a festive gift bag concealing it and now that the other decorations are packed away it doesn't look right.. enter my sister’s gift!

And while on the subject of bags...

Month 1 - Bite 13

All those handbags, evening bags, holdalls, purses,etc. scattered throughout the place need sorting. They need to be gathered together and the collection surveyed.

First I need to remove all those that have reached the end of their life with me and decide if they should be scrapped, donated, recycled, swapped or dumped. The same rules apply as to clothes - they are only to stick around for a very short time if they are going out.

Before saying goodbye to or packing away any bags, each one needs going through. Contents need checking and any scrunched tissues, dried up lip salves, fuzzy looking sweets (sorry, but it happens) and so on need binning. Mind you there’s always the possibility of finding the odd coin or two.

Month 1 - Bite 14

Okay, after that rummage through the wearables have I created any space?

I need to hunt down or clear a corner or two - a drawer hopefully, or a box to go in the bottom of the wardrobe or even a suitcase, it needs to be easily accessible and convenient.

This is where to store some clothes later in this sorting and saving process so I can really get to grips with everything that gets worn - really gets worn, not just hung onto because it cost a lot,or I’ll be that size one day (I won’t) or, well, just because.

That should be a quicker and easier task than the last few!

Month 1 - Bite 15

No recording or filing to do today as there's no spending going on... or is there?

There are, however, some expenses that are invisible (think electricity) or won't crop up this month (the TV Licence for one). Good idea to start a list of these so that when a review of spending happens next month (as it will when the elephant meal moves onto its second course) these other bills can be taken into account.

So what's paid for over a longer period of time? Well as mentioned there's the TV Licence, then insurances, land line rental, subscriptions. On the list go the other utility bills - those invisible ones that just come out of the bank account leaving no trace, but a financial gap! - council tax, mobile payments, thankfully no longer rent or mortgage. At the moment I've no loan repayments, but there might be in the future who knows? Finally there's the car - servicing, MOT and so on.

The list once it's as complete as possible will go onto the financial paperwork box to be added to as something occurs to me that I've forgotten.

AAarrrgh! Clothes Mountain Alert!

 Month 1 - Bite 12

Still recording my spending (even if it is a bit high on the craft side - but it was for a tool to put fasteners into fabric AND was paid from a Christmas present voucher so maybe it doesn't count!), and remembering to file the receipts along with a written slip for any small amounts that don't come with a receipt ready for when the credit card bill arrives and I have to recall what all the little payments were).

Okay - deep breath - clothes....

Now if you can Marie Kondo your life (I wish I was that sort of person) then great - otherwise here's another route.

All the clothes are coming out of their various nooks and crannies - wardrobe...

drawers...

it's too frightening to show you all of it...

and then being organised into piles. The storage - wardrobe, etc. will need hoovering out and generally cleaning before hanging, folding and replacing stuff. This is the point to weed out any obvious contenders for donating, recycling, swapping or otherwise disposing of. Those items put to one side for swapping can only be there for a limited amount of time - if a swap party/opportunity doesn't come up (more about that to follow) within a decent timescale they will have to go.

Hopefully seeing everything that's there will help making good decisions easier about what might be needed without wasting money by buying something similar to what's already there because it hadn't been noticed before.

There will, I know, be some things that need trying on for size as well as others that have running repairs to be made. These need storing (again for a short time) where they can be easily got at as time allows.. (something else to return to - don't worry I've made a list...)

Right, action stations - oh and in case it seems I'm only ever tidying or buying craft stuff.. here's something actually finished! 

Mind you I might have got it done more quickly if I hadn't twisted the collar round in a moment of inattention and had to undo three seams and resew them in the right place! Ah well, butterfly brain moment....

One step at a time..

 Month 1 Bite 11

This series of tasks will cover the next few days as uncovering what's lurking in the wardrobe, drawers and cupboards is long overdue.

As I'm taking this in small steps where better to start than with the shoes? (sorry)

How many pairs do I have? Well, sadly this isn't all of them, just the ones most regularly worn. It's necessary now to face the issue and gather all shoes together from around the house and consider them and where they are kept.. is it logical? convenient?

I'm expecting some surprises as I open one or two boxes.

As they get removed/replaced/repacked decisions will need about repairs (putting them ready to go); cleaning (surely they wouldn't have been put away without that); use-ability (trying them on for fit, comfort, look and deciding if they are keepers or on their way off to a new home - passing on/recycling/binning before putting them in bags to go).

Once I know exactly what I've got perhaps the temptation to shop with the heart rather than the head will be dimmed - you never know.

Scrub, polish and clean..

 Month 1 - Bite 10

Recording the spending and filing the receipts followed the supermarket trip which led to a decision after trying to put everything away.

Today's bite means digging out all the cleaning materials - bathroom, kitchen, garage - wherever they are stored -under the sink, behind the basin - everything.

Time to put all of them on one work surface and take a good look. What's there? Spares? Doubles? Half finished items?

I need to ask myself - Do I need all of these?

The next task is to clean up where they are stored in whichever location they belong. As they are replaced it's high time they were grouped together so that any part finished and doubles are used up before any new items are bought and any questionable or no longer items are dumped. (There were some cleaners that definitely needed disposing of as they didn't smell so clever and had obviously been hiding for far too long.)

It may be an opportunity to slimline the stocks, especially if there's more than one product doing the same job. There's definitely the chance to reappraise the cleaning solutions being used, especially if there are more economic refills or choices or eco-friendly alternatives that would be an improvement.....

Short task today as the next few days could uncover a whole heap of work!

Following Instructions and maybe then again not...

 

Very happy to have only had to record £1 spending for the day and putting the receipt away, but I think today's task may well challenge the size of box I've chosen for finances...

Laying hands on all the manuals and instructions for the gadgets and machinery around the house is long overdue. Now's the time to track down as much of it as possible.

Some appliances and equipment have paper details whilst some is only listed online.  In gathering it all up it's surprising how much information there is for 'stuff' we no longer have - guess you know what I'll be doing with that!

The up-to-date information will be needed later on in this elephant eating process so there needs to be a good place to store it all together along with a note of the web addresses for other non-paper based details. It could go into the box of financial paperwork, but I'm thinking that the box I chose is too small for all that so maybe a file with clear pockets or a separate box. Now when I come across anything else I'll know where to keep it.

As for not following instructions .. it never fails to astonish me how much I hang on to old ways of doing things even when (if I were to think about it) there's often a better way.

I was at my spinning group last week grumbling away while I took time away from my wheel to sew up a finished jumper... I hate sewing up! After a while of listening to me drone on Bob, one of the other members asked why I was sewing the sleeves when I could have knitted them in the round, using double pointed needles like I do with socks. It honestly had never occurred to me. Not only does it remove the need for sewing up the seams, but it a) looks much neater and b) feels more comfortable as there isn't even the tiniest ridge to rub on the skin.

Why haven't I done it before? Partly because I never thought of it and partly because I'm far too used to following the instructions far too closely. Yes, I had to adapt a bit with increasing (Bob put me right on that too), but really it was sooooo simple and made much more sense. Much of it though is about the confidence to try something different in case I mess it up - all it would have meant if I'd got it wrong was a bit of undoing and re-knitting.

I wonder what else I can change instructions for to make life easier?

A mouthful of bites

 

Good Morning!

Today's mouthful of bites comes as I somehow didn't make it to the keyboard for a couple of days so here's three more progress updates in one (and a small sort of backslide on the financial front, but one I'm sure you'll forgive..)

Month 1 Bite 6

So as we approach the end of my first week I've actually remembered to record my spending and file the financial bits and pieces which are practically all receipts so far.

Following my foray into the inner depths of our food stores it's time for the bathroom. What's the state of the bathroom supplies? Well there's only one way to check out the toiletries.

The easiest way to see everything is to get it all out of its hidey holes - bathroom cabinats, under the sink, drawers, bottom of the wardrobe - wherever it is.  

This is only the tip of the iceberg from one windowsill!

At this time of year the stocks are pretty high - especially as I love getting bath and shower stuff for Christmas.

Now just like the food this needs listing and sorting weeding out any useless mascara, out of date sunscreen whatever. As you can see from the small selection above there's some doubles and spares - all started in this case - they need using first. There's also a stash of freebies and samples in a drawer - time to use those up too once the opened items are gone... that'll release some space and put off the day of having to pay out for more. (The only reason for saving them was to take on holiday - but will I remember them once I finally get to go away? and will my destination merely provide even more? Perhaps the easiest thing will be to same a small container or two and decant fresh items at the time!)

Month 1 Bite 7

While searching my purse to track down a receipt I struggled to close it, mainly because of the bits of plastic inside. On closer inspection many of these weren't in current use and simply getting in the way.

How many cards were there? Not just credit cards, but loyalty cards, discount cards, coffee shop stamp cards.. then there's all the apps and so on loaded onto my phone.  Some serious pruning is needed.

Do I use them all? Are there duplicates (especially where an app has taken over from a physical card)? Do the stores still exist? Some even had duplicates with two or three stamps on each!

Time to collect them all together, including those hiding in the 'in'll be in here somewhere' drawer, coat pockets, the car, bags, gym stuff - wherever they may have nested. They can all go in the financial paperwork box so they all share the same homebase and no longer have to be hunted down.

Now all that's needed in my purse will be those I use regularly - the idea is to use them and, if appropriate, fill them up as I go along to reap the full benefits.

Month 1 Bite 8

Today is the day to consult the diary/phone/calendar/app for information. I think I have a complete list of everyone's birthdays, anniversaries and celebrations that happen on an annual basis, but now's the time to check it out and update it.

Next task will be adding in anything extra that might require a card or present or message - I can come back to planning for these later, but the list needs to be up to date and in month order so I can add any other events as the year progresses.

Finally to find a safe (and memorable) place to keep this information so that it a) doesn't get lost and b) doesn't go unnoticed.

I'll double check anything coming up soon too that needs something bought, made or sent - preparing it now will make life easier than waiting till I'm too close and busy!

Finally that bit of backsliding...

Well, having just typed the above, perhaps it isn't so much backsliding as planning for later in the year, much later.

While I was doing some essential shopping I found these at half price...

Too good to miss out on I thought - fabric ready for next Christmas' presents and decorations... How to use them, well that might have to wait until I've caught up with a few tasks or two - there's a jumper waiting to be sewn up......

Food, Glorious Food

I thought we had a lot of electrical stuff, but doing yesterday’s task has really shown me how much stuff! When I think of the house I grew up in and how little we plugged in then.. in fact we had an electric fire on the landing and if the washing machine went on while that was on in it blew all the fuses so controlling what was live was pretty crucial. 

I was convinced that I would just look around and then feel that it was fine with everything switched off; but I found a laptop, a tablet and two radios still plugged in and on standby along with a phone charger switched on with no phone being charged... oh yes, and some underfloor heating on too!  Suffice to say they were switches were speedily flicked!

So, Month 1 - Bite 5

Having done the shopping yesterday (and recorded the spend and filed the paperwork) I did stop and look at the state of the fridge, freezer and food cupboards.

While shopping lists are duly made and (largely) stuck to here some items seem to have slipped the net and catapulted themselves into the food stores!

I do remember reading once of someone wanting to shop and spend less when they discovered eleven  types of rice in their cupboards (I’m not sure I could name that many). Anyhow, before I had the chance to get smug I found sugar - lots of it.. this is just some...

In my defence (sort of) it was built up during the lockdown when my husband was baking lots and we stocked up, only to store it in places I forgot to look later - if you get what I mean…

Today, though it would seem timely to ask myself the questions:

  Do you I know what’s in your kitchen cupboards?

   Your fridge?

   Your freezer?

(The obvious answer being no, I guess.)

A good day then to take the time to go through all the food stores and note what’s available. Depending on the time of year it could be quite a bit.

I think you can guess the time of year even without the date on the page by this lot!

As each area is checked what’s hiding there? Anything lurking forgotten (apart from the sugar)? Doublers or spares of foodstuffs? Out of date food that needs to go? Near to expiry ingredients that need using up? High shelves with hard to get at supplies? (No I don’t know what’s on the top shelf.)

Doing this checking and listing exercise might avoid some shopping or limit what goes on the next shopping list. There might be the wherewithal of tonight’s meal or tomorrow’s, well who knows?

As items area replaced it’s time the storage was properly organised with the older, need-to-use-first nearest to the front so they can be easily seen and used rather than forgotten and wasted…..

I’m off to get the steps out to check what’s behind that tin for corned beef!

A Bright Idea for Bite 4

 

Okay so spending is recorded - a princely sum of 20p for tennis to cover balls and coffee. I know there'll be some more in a while - we need vegetables at least - but not bad for a morning's entertainment. No paperwork to file either so a quick and easy start.

Now to take a walk around the house to check out exactly where power is used. It's time to go into each room and register how many electrical devices there are, where they are plugged in, how many are on and which are charging. A check on what's on standby and whether it needs to be is called for.

It's difficult with a wall-mounted TV with the plug hidden behind it to remember to switch it off between uses, there will also be other devices that are left switched on by habit. These may well still be using electricity and costing money so it's time to find out which need to actually be permanently connected and which should be off.

Each room needs a double check - even the bathroom. Does the shower only operate when the switch is on or is it using energy all day? There may be something I can turn off right now to save money - excuse me while I rush off and check it out!!

Day Three brings a Confession!

Having recorded today’s spending and filed the receipts in the box for financial paperwork I have a confession to make. 

The main spending today was food so that’s okay, the second stop I made was for yarn.... I know, only a couple of days into the plan and I’ve been seduced by craft!

Actually it’s all the fault of this particular yarn....

I got this a while ago as I thought it would make a comfortable jumper for my niece’s oldest, which it has. The only problem is that it sort of looks like pink flowers, which isn’t quite in keeping with his usual Fortnite/Superhero type choice of clothing. Although his sister rather likes it and is happy to receive the jumper when it’s finished, she had already chosen some pink yarn for her jumper. That leaves her with two jumpers and him with none (other than the fetching sparkly red and green number I’ve shown before that meant I had to do a sparkly lilac one for her in the interests of balance).

We had a conversation about this recently and he asked for a grey, blue and white mix. Having found some grey there was the small matter of finding the blue and white as well as the yarn for something to give him when the pink one reaches his sister!

Luckily I found what I needed, hence the spend, but it meant that I couldn’t wedge any more into the craft cupboard I’ve been filling up so I had to empty it all and tidy up!  Good thing today’s ‘bite’ was another quick and simple one.

At this moment in time I'm just bearing in mind the fact that my other niece's girls in Italy will need to be treated to something too ... I think I might just have the yarn for that.

Month 1 - Day 3

Check bank account.

Since I’ve put my banking app on my phone it’s proving to be easy to check. When money is an issue it’s often easier to ignore this, but it’s not a good idea!

First to check how many accounts are held with any providers and whether they are all active. Ensuring you know the available balances as well as when any next payments (either in or out) are due is crucial to avoiding charges or unpleasant surprises.

Taking a look at all the direct debits or other regular automated payments that go out means I’ll know if they are all relevant and correct.

By finding any unused subscriptions or payments that are no longer relevant it should be easy to see if any action is needed. I’m happy to keep the tennis club subscription - I was only there this morning so it’s well used....

But I have seen a sports channel that neither of us has watched in a while so it seems a good idea to cancel hat.. No point in money going out for no reason!

Job done!

So Far, So Good!

My plans are always fine in principle, but often fall apart somewhat due to lots of factors.

This last Christmas I was going to scale back on what I made and start early, but then..

My neighbour kindly passed on a whole pile of dolls for my two nieces' girls. They were great dolls - however they were clothes-less... So the whole Christmas making couldn't start till I'd got them dressed and ready, especially with the little clan from Italy due over in November. 

I was quite pleased with the finished articles (I'll only bore you with one photo as there were 6 dolls all with endless wardrobes to be created obviously!) as I didn't have any patterns and so made all their collections from odds and ends and creative thinking!

Cards were next on the agenda and so I did get on pretty well with those until.....

                            

I was asked to help out by doing a craft stall at a local event. As I hadn't got much made because I'd promised myself no more craft fairs it meant a mass production of decorations, gift bags and bunting.

Sadly, due to Covid happenings and the venue not being ready, the fair didn't go ahead - still if I'm asked next Christmas I've got some stock!

That meant that I needed to crack on with presents - coasters, socks, jumpers - you name it.. Thankfully all but one pair of socks got finished, wrapped and given. The final pair of socks got to its new owner on Friday!

Perhaps this year I need to start even earlier. You'll forgive me, I'm sure, if Christmas and making stuff interrupts my elephant parade here and there. I'm determined to get ahead....

All this demonstrates how my best laid plans can go astray, but I have made it to the laptop for my second 'bite' of the new project.

Month 1 - Day 2

First Task - record spending!

Now I've got my app I've been able to do this - a very onerous task as it consists of recording 50p for inflating the car tyres!!

Now to find a box. 

Yes, I know that's two, but I haven't decided which one to use...and just like the app for recording spending they cost nothing as I found them lurking in the study; even if they'd been some random shoe boxes that would have been okay as they didn't incur any extra cost.

I have a sort of system for keeping all financial paperwork together, but it's time to restart and refine it.

The final system may not end up looking like the box I start with as it will be added to and fine-tuned as time progresses. The important thing is to have one definite home for all those bits and pieces relating to money and bills so that when the time comes to go through them they are all in the same place.

Mind you, this isn't an excuse not to open any envelopes or avoid dealing with them. If they need dealing with or paying that needs to be done as we go along and a note added to each to say how it was dealt with and when. This then gets 'filed' in the box. 

It may be that the initial box needs to be replaced with a larger (or maybe smaller) one in time or a file, but that's for later.

Now each time a piece of financial paperwork arrives there's a home for it.

 

Happy New Year! A New Project and welcoming an elephant.....

 And so that was 2021 then!

As I've so woefully failed at my attempts to get this blog rolling properly on a number of occasions this is an almighty push to get some ideas I've played with over time onto the (web)page.

I'm aiming at getting 365 thoughts down, but not necessarily as 365 regular posts. I'm just going to start and see where it takes me.

I toyed with all sorts of titles and headings and pictures and introductions and... well, I was in danger of turning the whole process into another unfinished project before I even got started. I kept coming back to that saying - you know the one..

How do you eat an elephant?  

One bite at a time!

Say hello to my first elephant of the year....

Here's the 'why' bit....

It's been an expensive time - new drive, paths, wall, fence, car, lawn, electrics, bits of decoration, and on and on. So it's time to recoup a bit, well a lot really. I've lots of tips and hints and ideas that I've pondered, researched, read about, bookmarked and so on over time, but now's the chance to put them into practice in a more organised and orderly way. 

And the 'how' ...

In order to make myself a bit more focused and accountable I'm going to record my steps, one day at a time and see where it gets me. I wasn't meaning to start this on January 1st as I was hoping it was a timeless scheme that I could return to at any point and pick up again. However here I am with time to type so why wait?

My plan is to set a task for every day to tidy up and improve my financial elephant. I'm aiming for 12 months of 30 days with some 'bonus' days of ideas or activities - making something as a present for example - to create 365 (or perhaps I should make it 366  so I can return to the plan in a Leap Year?) daily 'bites'.

Of course, I'm sure that my easily distracted brain will lead me to photograph fabric finds or yarn I just had to knit or some craft project I won't be able to turn down, so no doubt those will invade from time to time too. Making 'stuff' is just too close to my heart after all.

I'm going to write this like instructions to myself so it might sound a bit strange - I'll change it if it doesn't work, but well - nothing ventured eh?

Anyway here's Month 1 - How big is the elephant?

Here's where we start the finding out. Before really getting to grips with saving, spending, budgeting - anything - we all need to know where we are and the size of the elephant waiting for us.

This first month is all about finding out exactly what the situation is as regards to finances, assets and opportunities. Along the way there may be some instant 'fixes' that are thrown up by the research tasks, but the main purpose of the tasks this month is to full paint the picture of what spending is going on, what's available for use already in terms of resources and to provide plenty of information for planning the next moves forwards.

With no further ado today's task is both quick and long term too! Today is a day to start recording ALL expenditure. It doesn't matter if it's on paper or an app or listed on the phone. There is just one rule - no buying a pretty notebook or paying for a flashy app. Just record what's been spent and give it a category - food, entertainment, utilities - whatever. This will need to happen EVERY day for EVERY spend so it needs to be quick, simple and easy or it'll never happen past the first week! 

Right, research that app or find some paper and start NOW.

As it's a quick and easy task - aided by the fact that I've been busy and not spending anything so will only take the time it needs to download an app I've been looking at I'm adding Bonus Day 1 too!

Christmas 2021 is now all packed up and sorted out.

This careful wrapping an packing helps me to make sure the decorations are all ready for next time with new makes...

and old favourites safely stored.

Any breakages can be extracted for surgery ..

While the cards can be re-read, enjoyed and sorted.

First I make sure to list who's sent cards this time to make sure I don't leave anyone out in 2022. Then I just date those I'm keeping for posterity, cut the backs from any I'm holding onto for inspiration, ideas or reusing. Then I detach any bits - like the stocking and star here- that I might use on cards next year, cut up blank sections for shopping lists or notes and only get left with a small pile for recycling.

All saves time and money for next Christmas.

Howzat I've actually done my first two steps.. Let's see how long I keep it up!