A frugal life is an easy life!

Day fourteen:

I don't go out with the intention of Christmas shopping, but when a real bargain comes along, not just the old "Now half price" offer thats been doubled in price the month before and returned to it's original price in the "sale," then it can save a fortune.

I ask myself these questions when buying Christmas presents, more so if it is for kids:

• Can it make noise without the need for batteries or be turned off?
• Can it make a mess?
• Is it something they would not normally get?
• Is it clearly well below its regular price?

If the answer is yes, then I will buy it.
I picked up a selection of acrylic paints, different size brushes, plastic mixing pallets, for just £3 - put it together with a pack of cheap printer paper, alibongo! One Christmas present all ready to go.
Think back to last Christmas - how much would it cost for an art set of various brush sizes, acrylic paints, mixing pallet, all presented in a snazzy box? £10 at least I bet!
Not only do I get to give Christmas presents to annoy the parents of children, but I save money... little victories people!

Around the house, seeing as it is raining still, we have progressed on to lifting floor boards, to check the heating pipework, ready to cut into it and move the radiator in the back room. Just got to measure up for some lats and then fit them in so I can run the pipes along them, then lay a new floor, so it's level with the old floor in the main room. Sounds complicated but it really isn't.
The van's not available this weekend, I've lent it to our neighbours, who are moving to the other side of town (saving them £80) they are attempting to lift a suite out of a first floor window without ropes... the wife (who is a riot) thinks they'll be able to have one person lowering it from the top and one person stood on the ground to support and lower it down. It's clearly not going to happen, but it would have been fun watching hehe.

Sprog2 and I are on the road tomorrow, or maybe even tonight.
A two and a half hour drive to Sunderland, then a brew and eats, then a four hour trip down to Derbyshire, then a two hour drive back home.
The wife will be off work for two weeks after Sunday, so I'm hoping for better weather and the chance to go places and get things done.

I have always wanted to visit the Lowry, I've been once but didn't manage to see a single painting. They have an exhibition on at the moment, showing his most famous works.
I've got a plasterboard to cut to size and place on the false wall, so I can hang a radiator in the kitchen, ready for the new boiler coming (which once in, will mean I can take all the old pipework out of the front room, move the cooker into it's new position - ready for the range to go in - remove the fire and back boiler and get the fireplace bricked up and the chimney swept, so we can put in a coal fire, in time for Christmas hopefully?)

I have two kitchen wall units I picked up off a neighbour the other day, they are having a new kitchen fitted, but I wanted the two hardboard cupboards for our "utility room" (for some reason I keep calling it the outhouse hehe) to fit in, moving the old plyboard units to the shed to store my plant stuff in, that is currently living under the sink.
Add to this, two doorframes to build and two doors to hang and mixer shower pipework to put in, there's always something to keep me busy.

Have fun in the rain gang...