It had to be done. 😄
This weekend's little shopping trip included a twin pack of kitchen paper.
My roll finally ran out on Friday and as I had just one napkin picked up from a café left, so I thought it was time to make an extravagant purchase. I last bought kitchen paper in November or December of 2024, so picking up all the leftover napkins from cafés etc has really worked out well for saving me money and stopping wastage.
This photo appeared on my blog in May 2025, and shows the roll still looking very healthy then. I can understand why I ended up running out in May, we just haven't really eaten out as much and even our coffee stops on the motorway have not given me as many napkins to bring home, Alan spilt some of his coffee on two occasions and we had to mop it up.
Out of interest here are my May freebies ...
Two sachets of sugar from breakfast in Morecambe.
Brown sauce and two napkins from Booths.
Alan now admits to always fancying some brown sauce when he's ordering his bacon bun, but once he sees the bacon in front of him he can't bear to slather it on.
Napkins from the service station.
Alan said there was a wad of napkins on top of the dispenser and the lady handed them to him. I was over at Subway and just picked up two.
Free coffee from the Greggs app.
These are representing the two monthly free coffees we get from Dobbie's. I forgot to take a photo, we actually get a latte for Alan and a black Americano for me.
Sauce and a sugar from Booths.
From Burger King at the services, I fancied chips and they do the best ones, I did pick up two ketchups but one was more than enough, so the other came home with as well as the salt. I didn't realise that the chips come already salted.
A free steak bake for Alan from Greggs at the services.
Our two free coffees from Burnside garden centre.
Also a leftover Flora spread pot from my breakfast.
And then finally, a few napkins from the services yesterday ... so maybe I could have held out on buying the kitchen roll. 😄
Looking very full ...what's the betting this has to move house with us.
So I can keep tabs on it I have written the date on the inside ... a bit like when I 'dated a toilet roll'.
So my first shopping for June from Aldi looked like this and cost me £11.22.
The receipt for posterity.
I am now officially a UK pensioner as I received a pro-rate pension payment last Friday. My next payment will be in four weeks. It's so nice to have some money coming into my bank account again, but I'll still be watching the pennies as avidly, and collecting as many freebies as possible when we are out and about, you can count on that.
Sue xx
I am glad that I am not the only one to save the paper napkin if it remains clean, and rubber bands from the postman. I have a stash of paper bags from prescriptions, and paper for notes cut from used envelopes. I have clean cotton squares cut from old polo shirts for dish cloths and for mopping up spills.
ReplyDeleteWe both have membership at Dobbies, and have 4 free hot drinks a month. It is half an hour to talk, without phones or iPads. I used a voucher to buy dried yeast for our bread for months to come.
It just all makes sense doesn't it. As the old saying goes 'look after the pennies and the pounds will look after themselves'. Hearing that was a real turning point for me, many, many years ago. 😀
DeleteWhat a great relief to finally have your pension-you have done a great job eating well while you have been waiting. Catriona
ReplyDeleteI was so happy when I saw the balance on my bank account. I even treated Alan to a bacon bun, and paid the bill when we went for a coffee yesterday. 😀
DeleteHappy Being A Pensioner! You've done so well streytching your money this year. I don't think I've ever bought a kitchen roll but I remember my Mum used to treat herself to a Christmas themed one once a year! xxx
ReplyDeleteI only ever bought a Christmas themed kitchen roll once, they last me so long it seemed ridiculous to still be using it at Easter. 😄 Also I always go for plain white as I use it for food, and I don't fancy the colourings used. Although I suspect the white will have been treated with a bleach compound at some point. 🫤
DeleteCongratulations on joining the pensioners club!
ReplyDeleteIt's amazing how much stuff would have been wasted had you not picked it up and rescued it isn't it, Sue. Graham always has a pocket full of sugar sachets which he can't bear to leave behind. They would only have gone in the bin otherwise.
By the way, I love your little cup in the third photo, it's so pretty :)
Angie
Thank you ... AND I now have my bus pass too. Complete with bloody awful photo. :-)
DeleteWe spotted the tiny cup in the charity shop in Morecambe, it was only 50p, so it's another one to hang on my Christmas tree.
Congratulations on your first pension payment! You'll love the thirteenth payment each year. :-) xx
ReplyDeleteIs that the month when we get two payments in one month?
DeleteNo, but you can easily work out when you will get two in one month. You will get your pension on the same day, ie Mon, Tues, etc every 28 days, so the date creeps forward each month except in Feb. Take a 12 month calendar, start at your payment date, count forward 4 weeks, then another four weeks and so on. You will get to one month when you are paid on, say the 2nd, then again on the 30th.
DeleteThanks for the explanation. I've made a note on my calendar ready for the next one, which seemingly will be my first full, four weekly amount. 😀
DeleteI'm glad you received your first pension payment! It'll be interesting to see how long that roll of paper towels will last you. :)
ReplyDeleteAt least I've written the date on this one, so I won't have to go back checking my old blog posts. :-)
DeleteCongratulations on getting your New State Pension at long last. Those extra six years waiting were so frustrating.
ReplyDeleteIt must have been so awful for anyone that was right on the brink of getting their pension at sixty, when the goalposts were moved overnight. Think of all that lost money, compensation should have been paid. :-(
DeleteAbout £54,000. I was pretty ill and didn’t think I would get there, £8,296 a year when I was 60, would have made a lot of difference. I had no idea that the NHS had reduced our state pension, I used my savings to buy back the extra years they took. My reduced hours final years made my NHS pension small.
DeleteOh wow ... that is a LOT of money to have lost. :-(
DeleteFree napkins go into the glove compartment of the car for us. You are a pro at this!
ReplyDeleteThat's a really good idea. 😀
DeleteWell done for being so stoic about waiting for your pension.
ReplyDeleteI always enjoy seeing your different ways of looking after the pennies
Alison in Devon x
I had no choice really. 😄 Alan couldn't get over how happy I was when I saw my bank statement saying that the first payment was in. 😂
DeleteWelcome to pension world! Sorry I cant get the Google account to work so it is coming out anonymous. Viv, from where the journey takes me 2 blog
ReplyDeleteI'm in a good club. 😄
DeleteThat's some kind of miracle keeping a roll that long!
ReplyDeleteI couldn't believe it myself. I was quite sad to get to the last piece. 😄
DeleteI laughed at your 'dating a toilet roll' (pun included!!) If I did that, and measured the difference between when the grandchildren are with us, and when they're not, the results would amaze you! You do manage to live frugally, and with environmental care. Congratulations, you're an inspiration.
ReplyDeleteI laughed myself when I was checking my blog stats over the weekend, and someone was actually reading that post at the time. I had to go over and see what on earth I had meant. 😄
DeleteLove the idea of dating a toilet roll, but I am afraid Harvey might consider locking me up. Welcome to the pension crowd.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
It's a good job Alan is used to my wacky ways. 😄
DeleteCongratulations on getting your pension, you will have worked hard to get it like I did.
ReplyDeleteYes, I really did. Apart from a couple of years of credits for being at home with my children, I worked full time, paying a full stamp from every pay packet. Gosh, I've earned this money. :-)
Delete