Live on £4,000 for a year - 2009, Part 3

taka

Well done on the sign language results bails! :T I've only every learnt to say my first name... (and my best mate at the time's too - I was ~7 I think!)

cw18

((hugs)) to all who have poorly family -- and to those who just want/need one

well done on the sign language Bails. I did that at night school a few years back, but totally flunked the exam despite feeling I didn't do tooooo badly in it



Younger DS due back from dog walk any minute. He took elder GD with him which will have slowed him down a little...... and which gave me time to sort out a party tea My "baby" is now 18 :eek:

We're having pizza, garlic bread, cocktail sausages, cheese cubes, pineapple chunks, silverskin onions and bread rolls with ham, chicken or cheese. And to follow that up we have double choc muffins, mini jam & vanilla swiss rolls, bakewell tarts, battenburg and jaffa cakes. And the final piece is a rich fruit cake with 18 candles

Totally blown my grocery budget for this month I expect - especially with the cake that was pennies under £8, but DS isn't a fan of sponge cake so I decided to go the whole hog with it being a special birthday :rolleyes2

I'm sure GD will have let the cat out of the bag about us having a party while they've been out, but he didn't have a clue before he left

bails

Aah, thanks guys, that's cheered me up! And Happy 18th to your son CW, hope he enjoys the surprise party and DG hasn't spilled the beans

sophiesmum_2

Have a great party Cheryl, Happy Birthday to DS:beer:

cw18

DD and GDs have been run home, and DD now has the lovely task of trying to get two sugar-laden youngsters to bed an hour past their bed time

DS asked if GD knew about the tea, as she mentioned his party while out with the dog - and insisted she didn't mean us going out for a meal on Saturday (my parents have been invited to that one, so I've 5 adults and 2 youngsters to pay for :eek: )

Actually had DS's company for a couple of hours - which is probably more than I've had in total over the last month :rolleyes2 Tea seemed to go down well, and his eyes lit up when he discovered the cake was a rich fruit rather than sponge - so I'm happy I splashed out on that :T

bails

Well done Cheryl, glad it was a success :T

Right Frugallers, any idea how I might raise the rest of my new Dream Pot target before we go? If I can persuade OH not to spend loads on food this weekend (friends coming) we could have some money left from the Grocery budget, but where else to find the rest of the £250? I think it's probably unrealistic but worth a shot eh?

Can you tell I'm watching Build a Home in the Country?

lyndasharp

Bails - anything else to sell? How about asking your OH's friends to bring some food - you could probably get a few extra meals out of the left overs....

Good news about my Nan, she's been feeling a bit better today and was sitting up chatting earliier. It's such a relief. I'm celebrating with some greengage liqueur and a triangle of T0blerone. I shouldn't really be eating the chocolate as that's H2B's, but he shouldn't have gone away and left it in the fridge if he wanted to see it again...

savingfortravel

patchwork-the parents at my school get very emotional when their children leave. Your feelings sound very natural. Kate Garroway is very lucky to get pregnant at that age but she didn't have a happy first marriage so I'm pleased for her.
kittykins/lynda-hope your relations get better soon.
Bails/bb/nyk-Thanks for your messages/pics to cheer me up.

I've been a bit quiet because my 'illness' was still with me until today. I think it was stress to be honest. But I was determined to go in for the last few days of school. Didn't have difficult conversation with parents as the Dad has contracted Swine Flu. Was sad to say goodbye to my class. Got some lovely pressies, including a beautiful book about Costa Rica, New Zealand wine and £120 worth of Theatre Vouchers. Rested yesterday and felt much better today-was in school from 7.30 to 5.45pm today and got loads done. Tomorrow getting my innoculations checked, including my Yellow Fever injection. Also must start taking my malaria tablets as we leave for Panama next Saturday.
My finances are in a poor state. We aren't in the red but not sure we'll have much of our bathroom money left as Ab Nat have not sent us money they owe us (£1600) which is needed for Mr SFT's credit card and our new carpet..so the bathroom fund will have to pay for it.
Our cottage looks great with the new carpet now and we are so lucky to be living here. Got given a lovely standard lamp stand..now looking for a plain lamp shade.
The wheat in the field behind us is now golden yellow and we continue to go on lovely walks. Will pop down local pub this weekend to show our faces. Also taking my mum and dad out for a posh Sunday lunch to say thank you for putting us up. Will try to give them some money too.

Have a great evening. Sorry for the long post

sft

Blairweech

Hi all,

((((Hugs))) to those with poorly relatives, sending get well asap wishes

Just made cookies and they are nom nom nom...not that I'm eating them already or anything

Just about to make an Approved Foods order - can someone just tell me about the delivery? Do they give you a 'slot' or do you have to be in all day?

sophiesmum_2

I didn't get a day just an e mail to say it had dispatched, then I tracked it on the site from there and guestimated it's arrival - think they have changed carriers now so it may be different.