Thrifty Thursday | Credit cards.

Sometimes it can be useful to borrow money, but paying interest goes against the grain for us thrifty and frugal ones. A credit card can be useful for emergencies, but borrowing on one can also be useful for small investments. I have to buy some food in bulk and so need a freezer. If my freezer broke down and needed to be replaced, I would consider buying a new one using a credit card. There are some that have a interest free introductory period like the Barclaycard Platinum purchase card that offers an interest free period for 15 months and  balance transfers with a 2.9% fee, but the interest rate is 18.9%, so make sure it’s paid off within the 15 month period!

I went shopping at Aldi this week and picked up a few bargains, chicken for about £2.00 a kilo and I had some pork minute steaks for 2.69. I had 5 of those in a pack and they cooked quick and were nice. Eggs are still 1.25 for 15, they tend to be all different sizes unlike Lidl where I had 10 medium for 85p. I really go for the seedless grapes, I think I’m addicted to them and at 1.19 for 500 grams, I can just about afford the addiction.  I’m going through another alcohol free period, but I still  bought a few bottles of beer for 99p each. I might pop down there again today. I need sugar because I’ve run out; I have  a little on my cornflakes. I also need fresh vegetables and fruit.

That brings me nicely onto the latest medical research that says cancers are caused by a variety of factors, environmental, genetic and infectious. It seems our 5 portions of fruit and vegetables a day really can prevent nasty illnesses like cancer. Some fruit and vegetables are considered super foods because they contain the right vitamins (antioxidants) and minerals. You need water soluble vitamins as well as the fat soluble vitamins that are found in oils like sunflower oil and olive oil. Blackcurrant juice is loaded with vitamin C and so that is great, as is orange juice. Green beans, like runner beans have lots of vitamins and minerals too. Poultry in moderation contains fat soluble vitamins and carnosine that is said to slow down the aging process. I’m eating more salad now and tomatoes are said to be a super food, but I suspect home grown ones have more vitamins than the ones from the supermarket; they taste a lot nicer anyway!

The weather has improved in Britain and it looks a lot like summer and so we can eat much healthier food. Salads are great and I have been eating fishy salads with prawns, oily fish like sardines and salmon. I do throw a few oven chips on though! My waist line in getting bigger, but I have a way to go before I need to stop the chips! I will be testing the oven chips from Aldi this week, I paid just 82p for a bag, nearly half what they are in Asda.

If you are eating well and picking up the bargains too, you have a better chance of avoiding illness, but do be careful of the sun. If you are out in it a lot, then use a sun block and cover up, wear hats and so on. You don’t want any nasty diseases and it’s also a good idea to avoid looking like a shrivelled up prune! A tan can make you look better, it can also make you look like an idiot; especially if it’s a fake tan and you have complimented it with dodgy false eyelashes.

I was going to a nature reserve yesterday and didn’t make it so I might go this afternoon. I’ll let my satellite navigation lady lead me to greener pastures. The bridge over the river in the picture is about a mile away from here, but a few more miles and I can walk around a large nature reserve and take photographs. It’s a fairly frugal afternoon out. I’ve been checking the petrol consumption of my car and it should cost me around 1.50 to got there and back if I drive frugally. No hard acceleration and drive smoothly, gentle on the accelerator and the brakes. I will get some photos to use on my blog over the next week and so it will be a productive and relaxing afternoon.

Enjoy the summer, all those tee shirts I bought for 4 pounds each at Matalan are coming in handy now! They have straw hats there too, if you need to cover up. It’s worth looking at George at Asda too, I bought some shoes that look like shoes but are a little like trainers from there. They are great because they have a lot of grip like trainers and so great for canal tow paths and places where I don’t want to slip; but don’t look scruffy as trainers often do. They are black leather and for 25 pounds, well worth it.

I popped in Poundland this week too and spent more than I intended to. I did get 3 cans of Coke for a pound, Heinz salad cream and ketchup. I tested a shower gel called Lacura for men this week, I like it. I think it was from Aldi.

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