'supporting each other through really tough times'

fuddle

Definitely spoilt weather wise today. Sat here at 9.20pm with all the windows open and enjoying the night breeze.

DH effectively did some gambling today. He gambled with £6 of yesterday's fishing winning to enter another competition. It paid off as in e walked with a further £30 £44 in te house keeping. I feel so much better as we get a little tax credits on Thursday and DH is paid the following Wednesday. Lets hope it doesn't come to that but at least I can see a way through it all now.

My MIL has given me £10 to put in the car for petrol just so I can do the school runs. That'll last a little while as its only a few miles there and back again.

Packed lunches are all sorted.

Hey though, as I'm using all in the cupboards/freezer it's a good chance to see what I've got and need to replace etc.

I'm looking at this withholding of wages malarky as a bit of a savings scheme... How much of it would I have spent this weekend if I had it on Thurs like I should?

Hope you've all had a lovely bank holiday.

Popperwell

Nice to see some good posts...

From my blog...

I've found approx 15 litres of long life milk(skimmed and semi skimmed)to use up. OK its past its best before dates but I know that it will be fine...so that will save some of the shopping budget. Its because lately I have been managing to buy four pints of fresh milk for £1(less if reduced in the bargain area of the supermarket)

Also I have been using some powdered milk in tea/coffee which is fine.

I always make certain I have all types of milk in the house for all eventualities suddenly being caught short but also for easiness. That also includes but rarely used condensed milk. Its decades since I had that. Brings back childhood memories. Many seemed to have fruit and evaporated milk for Sunday Tea.

So I had a look out and spent money but it was a good one today...I purchased some flour at Aldi's Self Raising and Plain is 70-80p cheaper than Tesco's for 1.5kg bags. Allinsons strong white is 30-40p less, and Wholemeal is approx 25p less in Aldi's. Its all quite a saving.

I hovered around the reduced section of the supermarket and had collared some bargains and was quite happy but went back on the off chance that something else might be reduced or put on the shelf.

I found a couple of items in my trolley had been reduced further to the price I had secured. So I said to the person reducing "I know I'm being cheeky but any chance you could reduce what I have to match the price you've reduced the same item on the shelf" I mentioned I am on my own and had recently lost Mum. He did and said all he was bothered about was getting everything sold.

I ended up with approx £20 of food for approx £2. That included two steak pies with ale worth £4 for 32p. A couple of fancy chicken pies with cheese/spinach(I'd never pay the original price of £5.50)I got those for 44p. A selection of sandwiches worth £6 for £1.50(I bet he'd have reduced them further)but did not push my luck, some boiled gammon ham worth £2.05 for 10p, blue cheese worth £1.50 for 7p. I forget what else I managed to find...

You know with bargains like this if I done this when Mum was alive what she could have enjoyed at bargain prices. To be honest if pensioners could hang around what meals they could enjoy and make the money go further.

Whether I have health problems or not anything you can do to try to stop or slow down their progress has to be good so I'm doing my little bit with diet. And losing some weight is a good thing but I must have lost a fair bit as my trousers I can hold away from my waist and have space but without a belt holding them up they'd drop...perhaps I should invest in some braces. In some ways I am reluctant to have them taken in still further in case weight goes back on or water retention returns...

monnagran

See my dear Fuddle? It all comes right in the end, just have a little faith. Fingers crossed that your money turns up very soon and that one of your job applications comes up trumps.

Hasn't it been a glorious day? We went out with our 2 old friends and had lunch in a lovely pub overlooking the sea. Then we pottered home through beautiful countryside. Tonight I have been packing as we are off to Symi tomorrow. I made a comprehensive list, which I lost, so ended up with my usual method of packing for holidays, i.e. wandering round the house tossing odd items into the case that look as if they might be useful. When the case was full I fastened it, locked it, put the bright orange strap round it that identifies it quickly on the conveyor belt, picked it up to weigh it and discovered my list underneath it.
Never mind, it was under 18 kilos so no excess baggage to pay. Great. Went back into my bedroom and found that I have packed the clothes I was intending to wear tomorrow. I am NOT opening that case again.

I will miss you all for the next 2 weeks but will try to put a brave face on it. I hope you have some sunshine here and have the time and strength to enjoy it.

Yours smugly,

x

fuddle

Enjoy your jaunt across to foreign lands dear monnagran. I hope your crocheting is a success (1st and second row the hardest, 'tis a doddle once those are mastered ) I shall miss you!! Take good care of yourself and relax away from the constant go that is your life. Xx

kidcat

Monnagran have a lovely break

[Deleted User]

Morning Toughies, what an amazing amount of really positive posts I've just read through on here, So much achieved, so many good things happening, so much innovation and inspiration from you all, it's great!!!

FUDDLE I'm so pleased for you that you've had a lovely weekend, also that Mr.F has been a winner in a fishing competition yet again and added to your cash flow that's wonderful. I hope the stupid accountant at your former place of employment gets a move on and sends you what you are owed very quickly.

POPS you have really turned a corner in life haven't you? all your posts of late are upbeat and positive and it feels as though you have a purpose in life and are enjoying the challenges in making your pennies go as far as they possibly can, it's so nice to hear, well done you!!!

Mrs Chip and GQ both of whom have been out and reclaiming bits of growing space and clearing mountains of debris, how right that is, not sitting back and wailing (not that either of you ever did) about the world but getting on with things and making it better, brilliant, more strength to your digging feet!!!!!

All of us do the best we can and it's always nice to have a positive start to the week, so here's wishing each and every one of us good things and achievements which make us content from now on, have a good one folks, Cheers Lyn xxx.

This I have to share, He Who Knows lost his two front teeth at the age of 10 by swimming into the side of a swimming poole (don't ask!!!) has just come back from walking the dockling and said in a plaintive voice, 'I do so wish I'd remembered my teeth this morning', not it turns out because he has offended the general public with a gappy grin, but because he can't whistle his boy back properly without his teeth, Priceless!!! He's just gone off for a haircut wearing them, I wonder what he's going to whistle there???

fuddle

Good morning Lyn, good morning everyone

Another glorious day.

I found further headlice in DD's hair last night. I used the last of the headr1n and smothere her head only to find one live and kicking when doing her hair last night. Her hair shafts are covered in eggs. This solution isn't moving them. At a bit of a loss at what to do other than thoroughly comb through her hair nightly and wash nightly with tea tree added to shampoo.

In taking this headlice hard because I'm blaming myself for working those hours and not spending time on ensuring hairs were washed or brushed through properly of an evening and rushing about on a morning. Had I been at home I am damn sure I would have picked up on it earlier and we wouldn't have as much as a severe issue now.

Still it's there and happens to mams all over eh? do I use almost half the house keeping on some solution? What would my grandma do?

I'm baking baguettes today we're having cheese sandwiches with salad. Thinking about what cheapest salad items there are? Cucumber and tomatoes?

Going to walk to the library later (where will pick up salad items) as I have reserved nigelissima. I like Italian cooking, think its reasonably fair on ingredients and cost and perfect for tea of an evening in spring and summer.

Enid Blyton? I have reserved a copy on wishing tree or faraway tree for eldest. 1) in worried that Enid's beliefs at the time are not reflected today an may influence DD's thinking about social norms or cultures. I didn't read any of Enid's work when I was a kid so can't call it but... She's a classic and I know Seven Stories (fantastic children's resource in Newcastle) have/are doing an exhibition on her. What do you think? Oh and 2) she's asked for Michael morpurgo books so wonder if Enid may be too tame for her tastes!

So many little chores to do in the house today but thankfully not the ones that make you feel overwhelmed.

Also, concerned about eldest DD not being able to swim yet. Has anyone taught their children to swim and if so, how? There's no way I can book lessons right now but I'm wanting to put aside money to take her every couple of weeks or so.

Will be emailing a school office for another teaching assistant post late this afternoon too. Thinking of looking into next council area but may be too far again in terms of petrol, spending time with girls.

In a good place though. Quite calm and serene today and I'm like that.

alfsmum

Thank you Lyn for making me smile picturing MrLW trying to whistle his boy without teeth:rotfl:

I think the better weather is helping many of feel a little more upbeat. The heating has been off for quite a while, the washing dries quickly and there are signs of new life everywhere.

In a few hours yesterday I went from being very downhearted about the state of the allotment to being proud of it after some help from Dh mowing and planting. I feel I can keep on top of it now and look forward to my visits there. Hopefully it will be a pleasure again rather than a chore. Our DDs lost interest in helping out when they became teenagers and we thought about giving up the plot this year as we have so much on our plate, but I'm glad we didn't as we've put so much work into it over the years.

[Deleted User]

Hello FUDDLE Headlice can be an absolute nightmare to get rid of, your best bet is to talk to a pharmacist and maybe get one of the old fashioned lotions if they still make them. The old fashioned advice once they are gone is that they like clean hair, if you only wash the childrens hair once a week the natural oils on the hair shaft make it more difficult for the lice to get a grip, don't know if you could make yourself do that though?

When He Who Knows taught me to swim at the age of 30 he started me off floating around in the shallow end with an empty 4 and a half litre container (like you get big lots of vinegar or disinfectant in) to keep me up and as I got more used to being in the water and he taught me to use my legs to move around, as I got more confident he started to add just a little water to the container each time we went swimming, and I gradually gained confidence to the point where I could float on my own, don't know if that might help her, but maybe worth a go?

Enid Blyton can be quite dated, it depends on which of the stories are in the book, however the Wishing Chair and the Faraway Tree are such beautifully written flights of fantasy, magical in fact that I think most little ones will enjoy the adventures, mine loved them and DD1 still does!!!

Cheers Lyn xxx.

Most salad veg are still relatively dear at this point in the year, the cheapest would be a round loose leaf lettuce,carrots to grate if you all like them and maybe a head of celery to chop finely in mayo or salad cream ( celery keeps ages in the bottom of the fridge, and again if you like it a white cabbage (you know the really pale, solid looking ones) chopped up finely will go a very long way. In fact if you have the white cabbage, an onion and a carrot you can make Coleslaw for pennies, we run on it until our home grown is starting to be ready to eat, Lyn xxx.

Popperwell

Morning All(Just)
Sunny day so nice to not have to use the heating and get out of thermals and lots of clothes. Housework to catch up on still:p

Already eaten(officially all my calories for today)but will have something later. I went through six boxes of variety cereals and milk overnight:eek:but am only 6lbs of reaching 9st:Dwhich is an ok weight for my BMI. Then another 7lbs will give me a safety net that allows for eating more or less some days. Maybe the almost 5:2 diet has helped. Don't follow it religiously but it seems that I have been.

Thanks Mrs L. Of course we have worries and I know some will come this year but for now I do seem positive and ready to face them. I think I am doing most of it and am "Me" but the AD's could be working. If I thought it was I'd stay on them...I don't feel like a zombie and feel in control.

Wishing all a good day...its the music club tonight so will look forward to that...will have a salad this afternoon perhaps a yogurt and my main meal when I come in tonight...plenty to choose from:)