The land of the eternal stripey list returns.

Pippilongstocking

Greying_Pilgrim wrote: »

WHOOP! to clever DD's exam success - you knew she could do it and she has. Wonderful news - first step to Dr 'medicine woman' Stripes. Hurrah! :T:T:T

And WHOOP! to restrained, pootled straight on home to eat lush food straight out of my cupboards/fridge Dr 'Woman of woods and plantlets' Stripes. Bravo :T:T:T

Thanks for sharing such fabulous news Pippi :D:D

Greying

Clever DD indeed - she might be able to swap her cello for a stethoscope if she really does stick in this year. She's such a hard worker - I've never been so proud of her. I often worry about them, and being dragged up by a single parent of flowery persuasion. But just shows, she came good anyway

I'm liking this new title of mine thank you!

This NSD's malarkey is hard for me - I've often thought (and sophiesmum I think pointed it out once) that I'm seriously addicted to buying food. Reduced or otherwise. She's always been right! Its hard to just not buy food - prob a throw back to my little island days.

You're all ace. Thanks for the continued inspiration.

:A

Arms shredded from tying tomatoes in, still good fun though. And plenty free tomatoes munched enroute to shredding.

7_week_wonder

First time out of lurkdom on your thread, but I just had to say well done to DD with her exams!:beer:

Oh, and I definitely recommend pink fizz for weddings - guess what we had at ours!

lucielle

A big well done to your DD!!!! Whoop Whoop
L

mum2one

Pippilongstocking wrote: »

Jelly and icecream - yum yum yum

And we're officially food twins. I found the children in the reduced section, its not their fault.

add me to the jelly an icecream xx

mum2one

Pippilongstocking wrote: »

EH - well here's hoping eh! and how rude of the train folks.

Mushy peas are epic, they deserve some mushy love.

Pacing paid off. Clever DD - did well in her exams. So I did a happy dance.

I use to have to take mushy peas across to Tunisia, when my friend worked out there as a rep, those, gravy granules, oxo cubes, heinz ketchup, baked beans!

xx

mum2one

Massive congrarulations for DD xxxxxx

Pippilongstocking

M21 - thank you - she's worked really hard. and that's some interesting luggage

L - thank you too - you know how the pesky kids keep us on our toes - this brilliant news also means that the next thing she needs is travel for a week trip to Shetland for a work experience thing. There goes another £100 - but this time I think she gets free accommodation, the last thing in Aberdeen we needed to pay for the whole thing travel/etc.

but you'd do anything for them eh?

7wk wonder - hello and thanks for popping out and saying hello. All congrats for her hard work and brilliance much appreciated. and yay to pink fizz.

The Tesco offer was not valid in Scotland which was a humumgous pain but hey ho. Something to do with our laws on alcohol. Bah.



Finance alert - planning required.

Right well I'm off to Bedfordshire in a mo but I need to start planning some finance stuff.

I've just had my new wage cheque (its more than I've had before yay - study hard and eventually in 100 years you do get a job and nice people pay you good money) so my household budget is generally a bit squeaky but improving.

I need to plan out the expenses and see if I can cut any down at home

I need to wait and hear what my new WTFC review brings - I'm not likely to be entitled to much I dont' think which is fine as I'm now earning a decent wage and other folks need it more than I do, I'm grateful that I've had support but I'm not sure where we're at.

OK so its likely we'll be better off over all - how weird is that, but that requires planning as I've only 11 months left here with a job.

But I'm now effectively full time overall. So time needs planned to not go crackers, buy too much shopping and compromise our 'good life'.

My 'other' job at the 'learning factory' also involves working towards a qualification so I need to get that sorted before I leave - that needs time planning into my now busier week with work.

When I move I probably won't have any work initially - so I need to plan to save. But I have started updating cv and getting in touch with a few recruitment agencies. You know, like a grown up.

Car will be paid when I move so that's not a worry.

OH will have accommodation I can share (who knows where that might be - not sure if we'll be moved out of his flat by then)

DD will have applied for uni - where will that be and what will she need aside money and mothering

DS should be at the end of his 2nd year - not sure what he'll need either, he's had an ace first year and is doing so well financially. I'm really proud.

When I move in with OH finances will obviously change but I need to plan for that as it effects uni money etc so I might have to find extra funds in the longer term.


So whilst things generally tick along and I'm earning good money now- I do need to plan.

Oh yup and pay off some pesky debts before I get saving or at least be either debt free or seriously heading in that direction when I move.

In eleven months - no pressure eh! We can do that can't we.



Seems pretty sensible to be eating out the cupboards when you think of it like that.


And so said Zebedee - time for bed.

Mulling whilst I sleep will be most economic too.

Cheers for reading!

Pippilongstocking

PS
In most exciting 'wellie-fest' news - the slate table matts I wanted for our wedding tables (to be kept and reused in the marital household) have been acquired by legal (Free) foraging on a farm in Islay. a dozen or so slate matts (roofing tiles) are now safely with a chum to bring to me. Ace - these will be laden with HM decorations foraged for free.



The frock is now with a very handy chum who's mending a bit of the beading which was loose and has sorted the bits where I took the hideous buttons off.

I'm paying her in carrots and beans.

And I love my frock - £20 for cancer research well spent.

Our paperless 'FB' invites are being accepted. Money well saved on our invites etc - a clever chum is doing me a drawing pdf of the forest to email around for folks.

A chum has agreed to make two lovely cakes for puddings for the knees up.

The knees up venue (a charitable trust) have quoted plate/glass hire at £75 (without linen, I've checked the tables out - we don't need them) which is much less than the £250 (with linen) - I'm happy with that and my total budget (£3k) has just got a boost of a goodly amount. put back into it.

Enough of this - it really IS time for bed.

Greying_Pilgrim

Pippi - epic lists as ever

You will sort out the using up of store cupboard foodstuffs, because the prize is so worth it And if that isn't incentive enough, then the fact that you don't want to have to be paying to move 13 bags of flour and 6 bags of macaroni elbows etc etc etc should be incentive enough to keep inventory :D

I'm loving that the wedding plans are all coming together and that the budget is working for you. I think you are making it such a unique event that it is really interesting hearing about how bartering and re-using and borrowing etc etc are coming into play and working for you both.

Pity about the pink fizz

Have a good day, and keep us all posted on the wonderful world of Stripes. It's great to hear your news and your 'wins' along the way.

Greying

Pippilongstocking

Greying_Pilgrim wrote: »

Pippi - epic lists as ever

You will sort out the using up of store cupboard foodstuffs, because the prize is so worth it And if that isn't incentive enough, then the fact that you don't want to have to be paying to move 13 bags of flour and 6 bags of macaroni elbows etc etc etc should be incentive enough to keep inventory :D

How very true that is - and the amount of noodles we have is quite frankly disgusting. Even if they only cost 11p AND ARE STUDY FODDER FOR THE YOUNG BRAINIACS:T

I'm loving that the wedding plans are all coming together and that the budget is working for you. I think you are making it such a unique event that it is really interesting hearing about how bartering and re-using and borrowing etc etc are coming into play and working for you both.

Well of course - what I didn't specifically write there was I don't need linen thanks to :A who are offering to make my napkins too - and being one of those I thank you very much for your utter kindness.:A I think most people are very kind and when faced with the challenge of reduced budgets and 'quirky' requests you kinda sneak around them unawares and appeal to their lovely side
Pity about the pink fizz

Perhaps I should have logged in and seen that the offer wasn't valid in the land of Scots - I assume when offers are up that they apply to the whole of the UK. But being on an island where things are often inapplicable, I really should have known better.

Its unfortunate but something will turn up and as I keep seeing Which reporting another supermarket as the one of the year - perhaps I need to stretch my search away from the 10% discount I can have via Mr T.

Good things always happen when a door closes. Unless you catch your toes.

Have a good day, and keep us all posted on the wonderful world of Stripes. It's great to hear your news and your 'wins' along the way.

Greying

And a good day to yourself dear Greying.

Interestingly - just to be one track wedding minded for a moment. The wedding venue chap said they'd never had any 'cater yourself' weddings until this year and they've had three.

Both at the same time said 'Recession and food prices?' I think so. Folks cut their cloth to meet their means these days I think there's so much less stigma attached to it.

At school my kids when challenged/asked about free school meals have always been given (aside these past year and the year coming) said 'we're poor' and even kids seem to get it - now we're not in the starvation house by any means (I've many noodles) but there's no stigma in my mind attached to having a lack of money or prioritising where you spend what you have. Its just life.

Funny how it turns around - for years we did charity shops and really hard core budget cooking with my mum and I was so embarrassed - these days I'm so glad I actually learned those skills. My dress from the charity shop is just a great example - I don't shop in normal shops first I always check out the charity shops before I buy anything - OK we did the 'proper' shops too and I *could* afford a new dress in the budget but like a faithful old chum - something turned up - it always does :T

I lived outwith my budget for years and it really took its toll, when you are faced with £35k debt and an income worthy of a mouse through your own life style choices its time for a stripey lady to wake up.

And that's why I'm so glad I found MSE and all you lovely lot.

The narrow and a bit squinty path I now walk.

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:


Oh dear where did that come from? Normal service now resuming....

Todays delightful breakfast was porridge and hazelnut milk with a hot choc with coconut powder in it.

Its actually quite nice and low calorie I guess. Amazing what you find in the back of the cupboards, behind a mountain of noodles.