Frump to Fab - Summer Solstice Sizzler

lessonlearned

Building on Pod Person's post about her friend whose only source of entertainment was playing computer games - here's a new challenge.

Spring is just around the corner, brighter days and maybe some sunshine on the horizon.

Let's chip in with ideas for frugal fun, days out, holidays etc. What's worked for you, what have you tried and enjoyed. What was free, cheap as chips or good value for money.

Here are a few I've enjoyed.

Freebies

For adults and children alike. Museums, art galleries, parks, beaches, walks in the countryside, bike rides etc - all are free although some exhibitions do charge.

Games of footie, cricket, rounders etc on the village green or rec ground, on the beach.

Beach-combing, crab-fishing (just a net and a bucket), nature walks, bird watching, kite-flying, sledging - don't need a posh sledge, a tin tray or a sheet of plastic works just as well. Puddle jumping when it's sloshing down with rain.

Churches - brass rubbings, looking at gravestones (quite fun not as morbid as it might sound). Going up bell towers and looking at the view from the roof. Some cathedrals do of course charge entry or ask for a donation.

Picnics, midnight games of lurky-lurky in the woods, just need a torch. Bonfires in the garden, telling "ghost" stories and tall tales.

Libraries - the joy of lying on the sofa on a wet afternoon just losing yourself in a good book. My boys would spend hours.

Tents in the garden, when wet indoor "tents" - sheets and duvets over the dining table.

Board games, card games etc, scrabble, crosswords, soduku, quizzes, games of boules or skittles (old washing up bottles).

Cheap as Chips

Swimming, municipal leisure centres, cinema, sometimes theatre or concerts., theme parks. Look out for deals and vouchers, two for 1 offers, take your own food and drinks.

Many cities do free concerts throughout the year, bonfire night displays etc, (OK technically not free - your council tax pays for them so why not enjoy them). Christmas light displays.

Value for Money

National Trust, English Hertiage etc - pay an annual fee - go as often as you like.

Zoos - if you love the zoo, an annual ticket is amazing value, allowing unlimited visits.

For £20 or £30 you can "adopt" an animal for a year. Children love the excitement of visiting "their" tiger/monkey or whatever.

If money is really tight grandparents could buy this as a birthday gift - much better than yet another rubbishy plastic toy.

Holidays

I have to confess I'm not a happy camper - I don't like roughing it. However, I have tried and loved the cheap "Sun" holidays. I can thoroughly recommend them and have been all over the UK on them. Chalets and caravans are fine by me.

I'm sure there must be heaps of things I've forgotten. So come on ladies - what else??

Let's make 2012 a year of fun, frolics, excitement and adventure.

True Story

I once worked with a bunch of lads who wanted a cheap weekend away. Their budget was £50 each. Their immediate thought was London, that is until they looked at train/coach fares, prices for the underground and a cheap hotel.

They went online, bought Easy Jet flights £0-99p each way (plus £15 total taxes, no luggage) from East Midlands to Madrid. Didn't bother with a hotel because they knew they would be up all night partying. Quick visit to the Prado museum, a bit of sightseeing and then just hit the bars, cafes etc. They had a whale of a time.

Molly41

LL - just wanted to send some supportive hugs to you. I totally get where you are coming from with DWP. I have two ongoing issues atm and seem to be getting nowhere fast with them. I only write to them and send recorded so I have a record of what I said and when.

Still Fabbing. I am following you all and read everyday xx

Everhopeful09

Morning All, Thanks for the advice given, will try a little bit more pampering and being nice to myself , this morning was lucky to have time for shower before running out door, had a few vino's and moaning session last night with couple mates and did me good. Lots of water today though
Right time to start work
EH xx

podperson

Morning all,

LW - it is harder work when there's another person in the house Last night OH came to bed about 12.30am and I was in bed but not really at the 'able to sleep' stage yet so had the tv on. He wanted to turn it off as it was disturbing him so ended up lying there in the dark for at least an hour unable to sleep and feeling crabby about it. I mean I could have got up but then I would have been fully awake and I should really have been going to sleep but sometimes I need something on in the background to drift off to - it kind of distracts my mind from overthinking, if that makes any sense?

LL - feel your pain with DWP - just a thought, some benefits have a 4 week 'run on' when they end so maybe they meant they had stopped your benefits from now but would 'run on' for the 4 weeks to the 22nd March? Don't know if carer's allowance is one of the ones this applies to.

Bitsy - hope the headache is a bit better, could you maybe put some handcream next to the sink and stick a bit on after washing your hands? Think you can get quick absorbing ones so won't end up with dog hair sticking to them

evilsquid - it is an awful system, I remember counting down the days until we were 25 and could get tax credits, yet we were supporting ourselves on a low income from 18 so why could we not get any help then unless we had kids?

Willow - hope the induction went well, would love to pop by but a little far for me for furnishings

Adelight - don't feel silly hun, we're all human and have off days, sometimes it helps to have a vent or a good cry and get it all out rather than things building up. Hope you're feeling a bit better today x

Molly - glad you're still with us, hope things get sorted with the dwp soon.

EH - sounding more positive already Nothing like a good moaning session to get it all out - hope you're not suffering too much today though.

Loving the idea of free/cheap things to do and days out. I think a lot of the time we don't appreciate the things we all must have on our doorstep, eg I know there's lots of museums and art galleries close by but haven't been to any since probably last summer - which is a way is a little silly as should be saving them for the winter months and doing the outdoor stuff in summer

Me and OH will try and get out during the summer when it's nicer weather, I'll take the camera, we'll pack up some lunch and it's great fun. Last year we took some of his student friends, hopped a bus and went to a beach about an hour away, were out all day, they rolled down sand dunes, made sandcastles, jumped in rock pools - basically reverted to being big kids :rotfl:But it's something they wouldn't normally do and they were going on about it for weeks after - was nice but made me wonder why they didn't just do that all the time rather then sitting in on lovely summer days and watching tv or playing the computer.

I love graveyards as well, find them fascinating. Plus I'm lucky enough to be in a place basically loaded up with history so can be fun just wandering round the centre looking at the statues, monuments, landmarks etc, reading the little plaques that you never notice or hiding at the back of a tour group Local parks and gardens can be lovely if it's nicer weather, love the Botanic Gardens we have here.

When we were little we used to have 'make shift' tents as well, my mum would put two dining room chairs in the back garden and hang sheets over them, remember spending hours out there -we would play house, explorers, Indians all sorts and often end up with half the kids from the street dropping in. Free to make but hours of fun I think there's such an expectation these days that you need to spend a fortune on kids for them to have fun - but most of the things that stand out to me from my childhood are things that were cheap or free.

Have to agree with you LL on the camping, have never enjoyed it (probably not helped by the fact that every time I touch a tent then torrential rain starts!) Haven't tried the cheap Sun holidays (though think we may have done a few when I was little) - have you been on any lately LL? It probably sounds bad but the thing that puts me off is that I imagine them as very 'family' oriented and therefore the sites being really noisy and chaotic, which is fine if you're there with a family but if not might be a little annoying

Feeling a little under the weather today, think I have an infection or something in my eye, has gone all horrible and red and quite painful. Trying to rest it as much as I can (was sat in the dark half of last night) but bit harder when am on the computer all day at week - am sat with it closed doing a weird squint, think it's a good job am not in an open plan office :rotfl:

maman

lessonlearned wrote: »

Here are a few I've enjoyed.

Picnics, midnight games of lurky-lurky in the woods, just need a torch. Bonfires in the garden, telling "ghost" stories and tall tales.

:eek::rotfl:

It's strange but we all seem to neglect what's on the doorstep. Reading pod's post I remembered thoroughly enjoying things in Edinburgh as a tourist. I loved the galleries and museums and hot houses at the Botanical Gardens are certainly worth a visit at this time of the year. Where I am, we have the sea and New Forest on the doorstep but I find at this time of the year I get really down and can't motivate myself to do much. If I've promised someone else, I'll go but left to myself I won't. I think that's why we get so many requests for the proverbial 'kick up the bum' on the thread. We know that we should be doing something but getting motivated to do it is a different story.

Went out to lunch yesterday with some of DH's family. It was a bit of a duty thing to celebrate an uncle's birthday but enjoyable all the same. Got nice compliments on both weightloss and my lovely (£1:D) CS rust, velvet skirt. So, I'm keeping up the fabbing at least.

Glad your induction went well willow. Is it next week you start proper?

Having an easyish day at home today. Back soon.

maman

Something I meant to say about the 'interview' clothes. I don't watch Mad Men so had to google to find out what the dresses looked like. I was delighted to see that they were very much like my purple, jersey dress from Tesco! This has probably been my best buy of the year. I wore it to a wedding with a velvet coat over the top, I've worn it to business meetings with a short jacket and to look a little less formal with a small cardigan. Unfortunately I've never been anywhere yet that was warm enough not to need something over the top! I like it best with black opaques and pumps but I wore purple, suede heels when I went to the wedding. I think it's important to wear shoes you can walk in confidently for an interview. Heels are good if you can walk well in them. I think they can help posture (literally walk tall!) but nothing looks more silly than tottering and tripping over your shoes. Unless Colin Firth is on hand of course!:rotfl:

Willow92

We start stocking the new store from tomorrow until the 7th March, it opens on the 8th. It's going to be mental with about 70 of us working literally 24 hours a day for the next two weeks. I can't wait to see it finished though, coz I'll know that I was a part of it.

lessonlearned

podperson wrote: »

Morning all,

Have to agree with you LL on the camping, have never enjoyed it (probably not helped by the fact that every time I touch a tent then torrential rain starts!) Haven't tried the cheap Sun holidays (though think we may have done a few when I was little) - have you been on any lately LL? It probably sounds bad but the thing that puts me off is that I imagine them as very 'family' oriented and therefore the sites being really noisy and chaotic, which is fine if you're there with a family but if not might be a little annoying

Not been on any Sun holidays lately but noticed they are still going strong.

Re the sites they use, they are usually Haven holiday sites so usually good quality accommodation. You can chose larger busy sites or smaller quieter ones. Even if you chose a larger site which will have a clubhouse and bar, you don't have to use them - just do you own thing.

Rather than "Sun" holidays if it's just two adults you may prefer something like a Holiday Inn or Travel lodge. The problem is you then need to eat, which is why I suggested the "Sun" holiday option for self catering. Just use it as a base and for self catering to keep the costs down and for something a bit more luxurious than camping.

I've never tried Youth Hostels so can't comment about them.

Re the interview - my son's new girlfriend is a Solicitor and I've noticed that she rarely wears a suit. She sticks to tailored dresses and looks lovely, smart and businesslike and yet still feminine.

On the DWP front - fingers crossed I might be making some progress at last.

A lady from the benefits team came this morning, ostensibly to do a "Fairer Charging Assessment" for OH's previous care package (the one we had in place before he went into the nursing home). I had already cancelled this meeting by telephone telling them that he had gone into a home.

Of course the appt hadn't been cancelled and the poor women turned up on my doorstep. Luckily for me she had checked our files and noticed that the Council Tax forms now needed to be transferred to my name because, to all intents and purposes I am now classed as single

As soon as she mentioned she needed to go through things with me I simply broke down into floods of tears - I just couldn't face one more interrogation.

She realised what I was going through and was horrified at how I've been treated, the misinformation I've been fed and the total lack of help and guidance.

She very kindly sorted out all the council tax stuff and rang the benefits office for me to try and sort them out. They have just rang me back and gone through it all so - hopefully - it will all now get put right.

They've also given me helpline numbers etc and advice centre numbers if things go wrong again or if I need further help.

Fingers crossed - the worst may be over.

I have to stay in today - am awaiting delivery of my new coffee table so am going to just potter about, re-organise my CD's & DVD's, and do a bit of filing and shredding.

I'm about done for, I'm exhausted and feel absolutely drained and good for nothing today. My neck glands are huge lumps and my body is a mass of aches and pains. So lots of rest for the next few days - just going to quietly potter about, visit OH now and again and try and regain some strength and energy.

The physio said I needed to laze on a beach Unfortunately I just can't get away yet, maybe will manage a bit of lazing when we I go Spain, in between visits to Solicitors, Notaries, banks and God Knows Where Else we'll have to go to get things done.

Maman Don't worry about feeling down in the winter, I think this is very common. As long as there is nothing physically wrong you should "perk" up a bit - Spring's on its way, the clocks go forward at the end of March, so more daylight, and hopefully a bit warmer.

Roll on some warm sunshine - I can hardly wait - I'm hanging on by a thread.:rotfl::rotfl:

lessonlearned

Willow92 wrote: »

We start stocking the new store from tomorrow until the 7th March, it opens on the 8th. It's going to be mental with about 70 of us working literally 24 hours a day for the next two weeks. I can't wait to see it finished though, coz I'll know that I was a part of it.

Willow that is so exciting - especially as you are seeing it all from the "ground floor" so to speak.

I love Dunhelm - I could spend a small fortune there. My next door neighbour works there. Her house is beautiful.

I'm so glad you are enjoying it all.

lessonlearned

PP - just noticed your location is Edinburgh. I adore it, it is a beautiful city.

My SIL - the one who will be taking FIL to live with her, lives about 30 minutes south of Edinburgh. It is my intention to go a-visitng at some point. Easy Jet do flights from East Midlands to Edinburgh so I will be looking out for cheap flights come summer.

We can meet up for a coffee whilst I'm there..:j:j:j

I'm going to add that to my Fab things to do this year list.