3 May 2011 (Tuesday) - Skint



I woke feeling like death warmed up this morning. I suppose that’s the down side of drinking a gallon of Cardinal porter. I must admit I’m a bit cross with myself over the Jack in the Green outing. I wouldn’t have missed meeting up with my old muckers, and seeing my mate Stewart for the first time since 1984 was wonderful. But I went with the deliberate intention not to go drinking to excess; I went there knowing full well I was skint, and still spent fifty quid.

A week ago I started thinking about the current garden project. Having made my new gravelled area, all I now need is the mosaic to put in it. So far, we’ve not got quite as much broken crockery as I was hoping. If I’m going to get my mosaic, I might just need to start ransacking other people’s cupboards.
Mind you, now the ground work for it in the garden is done, it will keep. That’s the advantage of gravelling a garden. When you do gardening in a garden full of plants you come back a week later to find it looks like you never did anything. With gravel the effect is more permanent. The only problem is that it isn’t cheap. In two days over the last weekend I’ve shelled out for:

  • Nine decking sheets      £27.00
  • Two column posts         £19.96
  • Two griffin statues         £50.00
  • Two ropetop edges       £9.98
  • Two wavetop edges      £7.99
  • Two metres underlay      £3.00
  • Six bags chippings       £29.99
  • Compass paving stone £19.99
It all seemed very reasonably priced at the time. But it all added up to over one hundred and sixty quid I wasn’t really planning to spend. Chuck on top the money I frittered away at Jack in the Green, and I’ve found myself three weeks from payday and skint.

I really need to economise over the next few weeks. I’m afraid I shall have to miss out on the 1066 Rockitmen playing in Appledore, and also stay at home whilst everyone else goes to the British Library. Fishing is a cheap way to spend a day or so, as is kite flying. And I can get into English Heritage places for free as well. I shall revisit my plans for the next few weeks…

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