The land of the eternal stripey list returns.

Pippilongstocking

Hi there MSE life

Just finishing work in a bit but a time for a cuppa as I'm flagging and a catch up.

Greying - hey up me duck. The manchild has found a flat on his own, I got very confused as he was supposed to be sharing with the ladies - all to do with HMO (House of multiple Occupancy) needing a special licence (which you need for more than 3 occupants but not 2) so the lasses had to find a flat themselves and he's found one himself.

It has a lovely kitchen (gas hob) and large enough airy and spacious even with a table in. He's currently packed up half my kitchen, half my linen, all the good towels and we had a minor frickar about my le crueset pots.

Not that I'm precious about my pots but now that I've given him most of what I own, I think I'd like to keep my pots. although I may cave in, they aren't int the best of nick and they were wedding presents (for his father and me) so actually they're sort of his anyway.

Now I've been robbed he's stroking furniture (this is an unfurnished flat) and putting labels on things.

After the robbery I think I have to aid and assist by driving my stolen goods to his home.

The joys of parent hood.

Glad the parsley banter was sufficient.

Wombling can indeed be hazardous (and helpful if a child is moving into his own home ) - this weeks hazard were a lovely white porcelain wash set (bowl and jug) which may yet end up on the wedding table.......

KC - hello lovely such lovely bargains. Milk freezes beautifully you just have to give it a wee shake when its defrosted. I did indeed pickle those veggies - cooked the beets during tea

I got some 17p bread last night. Long time since I've seen it that cheap.



The ex-cellist (she gave up in the summer, grade 7) soon to be medic is now firmly in the grasp of her aunty. I would like to have gone but I've a trip down in a week or two (again) and its not work so I'm paying, its just too expensive.

I'm sure she'll have fun and she's got appointments with all 4 uni's she fancies. The capital with the fine rock is her first choice, granite city her second, land of the jute/journalism third and weegieland is forth, so we'll see.

Today's exploits aren't up to much. Just a work weekend.

I'm at a car boot sale tomorrow for work, we'll see how that goes.

I MUST NOT TAKE MONEY (for second hand wonderful bargains).

Pippilongstocking

Ok so I didnt' make it home as a nsd but it was a lsd. Lunch was cupasoup and cardboard (ryvita) with marmite. I did buy some more reduced bread as it was only 23p but I didn't go crazy with the reduced bits at all.



HM mac and cheese for tea with stores stuff and work milk leftovers and home grown tatties.

I really need to update my budgets and do some welliefest admin.

The girls found bridesmaid dresses today. Not exactly frugal but they are both well under budgeted monies for them which means I have to shift things about a bit to pop that money back into 'available' funds.



An evening of TV or book reading tonight I'm working tomorrow.

I've made enquiries about our local Food Bank. I don't think its up and going yet but I'll find out and see if I can work with them in my professional capacity (s) Or just volunteer/donate things.

I had a sobering moment when on a training course earlier this week. I work with the Love Food Hate Waste campaign via our charity.

In other regional area's to ours 'waste food collections' are starting. And there was feedback that in certain areas of Scotland folks won't use the food collection bins anymore. It seems (and its been verified) that folk and mainly children are using the collection bins to find food to eat. Which has escalated during the school holidays. We all sat their shocked.

Now I feel poor when I can't afford to be warm or keep the house heated.

My belly is always full and whilst we're not rich in any way, my life is abundant in so many ways.

So this month coming its definitely an eat out the cupboards month and get the food mountain here a bit under control.

Toddles off to find something to do for the evening and catch up on a few diaries.

Thanks for reading the waffles of a mad plant lady.

Pippilongstocking

Well enough of my food witterings.

So this next two months is a heavy spend month due to several known about trips down south which cost c£200-300 each time.

Firstly students returning to university who live a goodly long way away 367 miles to be precise.

Students checking out universities, needing to apply for university and generally being busy.

Planning trips to pow/pow for wedding feasts, others have hen nights, I have a planning evening pencilled in.

A rehearsal with the celebrant in said forest.

I need to combine these trips - DS trip and the planning trip are currently conflicting weekends - I need so somehow move these into ONE weekend and ONE trip saving a goodly amount.

And of course aside those trips in September, in Oct we also have a wedding, a conference and a 19th birthday to provide for.

Although I am only responsible for 1/3 of the wedding budget personally as Mr Me to be is paying 2/3rds. I am however treasurer to the whole event and responsible for the smooth running of the budget.

So the budget over the next two pay cheques will be squeaky and elastic.

So here's the thoughts.

AP to myself - Use up the cupboards for Sept - my normal food budget is £200 - wonder if I can survive on £50 or less.

AP to myself - See if I can send DS's stuff down via courier or if its cheaper to hire a van or just take the basics and then buy second hand when down there - I have to do the sums.

Welliefest is progressing in a frugal manner. Dear husband to be has organised a band (himself, his SIL and a few others) to supplement the entertainment. We need to organise some music/etc and the party entertainment will be sorted. I need to finalise buffet with wik. decorations via a chum who's a head gardener and Wik's dad has tidied up 20 slates for the table centres, I just need to acquire twenty recycled jam jars (bonne maman?) for the foliage on the tables

Our theme is 'RUSTIC'.

Budget cuts can be made in the food/petrol department to help pay for DS trip down.

Pips_Mum

Found you again I keep losing you!!

So excited for wellyfest

Pippilongstocking

Pips_Mum wrote: »

Found you again I keep losing you!!

So excited for wellyfest

Dusts self in luminous paint. :j

Waves hello.

Wellyfest is indeed approaching at an alarming rate, its quite scary how fast these things move.

We've only been engaged for about 10 years. Soon I will be Mrs Mc-Flowers - I think we'll double barrel

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

In most exciting news the bridesmaids dresses are now paid for and enroute.

I didn't need to be there either - that's win win as far as I'm concerned.

Whilst I love food shopping - frock shopping has me stone cold.

I now need to purchase wellies in a lovely deep red colour resembling autumnal berries to match said frocks, I know I can use my luminous work yellow wellies but I think its worth buying something new (insert sheeky blue face) just this once and I can reuse them after, they're not disposable wellies after all.

:T

Pippilongstocking

GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOODMORNING SEPTEMBER.

I'd thought I'd start the month off with a ta-dah.



Its now officially 50 days til acquiring a husband.

I'd stop reading now as it probably going to get a bit 'wedding-ish' in here.

And, its the first day of 'can we eat the food we have rather than the food I keep buying'.

September will be interesting that's for sure.

I'm working today.
I must pay the rent
I must eat out the cupboards until we're Old mother hubbard
Dogs to walk although the weather is grim
Doing a garden visit later to give someone some planning and advice probably need to draw up a plan and monthly to do list for them which will be interesting (paid)
Must chop some free wood
Try and make a 'sort of' meal plan
Wedding admin stuff

lucielle

OOOh its getting exciting on here. Sits back to enjoy the countdown.
L

Pippilongstocking

Hey up L hopefully - how was the isles?

So today I've scored

1 doz eggs
1 cauli and one cabbage

from a chum with excess of all - swapped from my tomato stocks (who'd have known two fish boxes of tomatoes would be so heavy yielded.

So brekkie was a banana and second brekkie was a reduced sandwich in the fridge and another banana

(the banana's are black are you spotting a theme here)

Came home with egg bounty thinking of pancakes for lunch as its horrific out there (gales and sideways rain)

Problem

Flour has mites - not good.

So a ginger bit of cutting of some bread with blue spots threatening - a quick grate of some freezer cheese and dipped in egg - hopped into a pan - YUM

We had cheesy dreams for lunch

Which are both cheesy and dreamy.

Off to chop wood in a bit (free fuel)

And do some welliefest admin.



1/2 a day into the stores eating has produced something yummy and some unexpected bounty but we've lost the flour.

Never happened before and in date. Its a bit curious.

Karmacat

Hi Pipster! 50 days, oh my word :j:j:j

You know, I'm sure you can keep the food bill down to £50 monthly, between the amount you have in storage, and the stuff you grow or inherit at work and the college and whatnot. Plus DS will be off on his travels :beer:

Flour mites ... yuck! I do hear about putting the flour in the freezer - that kills them, but of course the bodies are still there :(:( okay, I'm vegetarian, I'm not *trying* to gross you out, but ... http://www.wildfood.info/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=7630 and even http://www.wikihow.com/Get-Rid-of-and-Prevent-Flour-Mites

Go on, I dare you

OTOH .. cheesy dreams. Great name

Pippilongstocking

Well you do live and learn don't you

A rather gross picture of the little blighters here

Normally I'd just crack on but it looks a bit brown and smells weird and finally I've reached my limit for grossness it would seem, the bag (s) are in the bin.

Washed out the storage jars by the sink and the next bag of flour will go into that.



Cheesy dreams are awesome.

And you're right by the time I've foraged from work gardens and swapped a bit I'm sure we'll be grand. DS leaves around half way through the month so forgot about that -

50 days indeed - I need to go wellie shopping.

Which I have to say will cost more than the frocks.

priorities and all that.

These are the current favourites.

I'll find them cheaper but I do like the colour (matches the bridesmaids frocks)