Thanks.

Thank you to everyone who sent me Birthday Wishes yesterday.

I had a lovely day. So many people sent me cards. One was hand painted by my friend. Isn’t it great?

I was a very lucky girl and got money, plants and gardening equipment, alcohol and makeup. All my very favourite things!

So tomorrow is a busy day. TC’s parents gave me a Marks and Spencer gift voucher for £70. So I can go and buy clothes without guilt. I am so looking forward to it.

My Aunt and Uncle also gave me a Boots Voucher and by my local M&S is a big Boots The Chemist, so I can have a mooch there too. Guilt free.

Then off to the Bank to pay in some cheques and the Post Office to invest my birthday money in Premium Bonds. Savings accounts are giving such lousy interest rates, I am going to see if this works better for the time being.

If you are not a UK resident, then the abridged version is that Premium Bonds are bonds bought from the government via the Post Office in multiples of £100 to a maximum of £30,000 per person. They are then entered into a lottery every month until you decide to  cash them in to win between £25 and £1m pounds. You can read more about it here. Some are never cashed in and if you were given some as a child as a Christening present, look them up then write to Ernie with your bond numbers and proof (i.e. photocopy of the bond) as I bet you will have won something. When I did this with my £25 of bonds I had owned from a baby, I found out I had won £200 over the years.

Then tomorrow afternoon I am going to plant everything up and tidy the front garden.

I know I am 37 now as I love gardening!

And finally, do you remember my awful journey from Durham back home to Staffordshire a few weeks ago? We were shoved in like cattle and shouted at, at each station by BR Staff

Well I complained. Yesterday I received at £25 rail voucher, which should pay for my next train journey. Just over 25% of my total ticket price, but at least it was something.

Frugally yours

Abigail

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