I am such an idiot! When will I learn?

judi24

Thanks Ampersand - freezer challenge it is! I do have a number of unidentifiable tubs so that should be interseting!


Definately going to investigate hedgerows at the weekend - I have discovered some rose hips in the front hedge - no idea what I can do with them but there must be something!


The more I think about the birthday the more I don't want to go - just need to let DD2 down gently! Its easy for kids to camp on someones floor - done it many a times but really I am getting a bit long in the tooth for drunken sleep overs and bad hangovers!!!


Already got a dodgy board game for Christmas - picked up in a sale earlier in the year - we always get a new game (recently is has been one of the many varients of Monopoly - we have about 10 different versions now - everyone loves it!) oh an found a travel scrabble i bought for last Christmas so that should be a laugh too!


Mum loves the idea of doing Christmas PJ's - so thats great - when she comes to mine on Christmas day the kids are that busy with other things they don't even notice her gift usually - so this will make Christmas eve special for her and them!


Fuel is cheap - I have an eco car that uses about a tank per month for just running around - I work 4 miles from home so don't drive much Mon-Fri - I don't pay road tax either!


Today I made some low fat apple and banana muffins - they are 'intersting'! sent my mum home with a couple - I hope she doesn't drown in the bath - they are a bit heavy!!! was trying to use up over ripe bananas! I wanted to impress my study group tomorrow with some home baked goodies (MSE as I would usually stop enroute and pick up some cakes!) not sure they are fit for sharing though!!!


I bought a voucher for nails and eyebrows before my holiday but couln't use it - so going to ring salon tomorrow and see if they will swap it for a hair cut - I don't need my nails doing as I can't have painted nails in my new job - but I desptately need a hair cut before I start next week!


Going to investigate this YNAB to see if it might help me manage things - although I think simplifying accounts will help me see what I am doing

[Deleted User]

judi24 wrote: »

Definitely going to investigate hedgerows at the weekend

Plenty of Blackberries about.

There's also field mushrooms, but only if you are certain you can identify them.

judi24

Love the sound of the blackberry brandy on one of the links Ampersand posted! Just need to go and find some blackberries


Also fancy the apple jelly - but never seen wild apples near me! Not sure I would be brave enough to pick mushrooms though!


Just retried the muffins - for quality control purposes you know!! and they are not that bad! Might take some tomorrow!

ampersand

All super-duper good stuff judi.

You're 'sounding' better, more tigger-bounce in your voice:-)

Any old apples do - forgotten wrinklies, windfalls, all excellent.

Great if salon will swap appt type. At College salon today: £17 for long hair de-badgering. full regrowth, trim ends, re-do my subtle red streak[1" wide, full length, nape of neck.] Any College near you? They have training restaurant too - v.g. , v, raisonnable.

rosehips -brilliant: They're hairy messy mush when strained for jelly. Syrup is wonderful.
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=rosehip+recipes&rlz=1C1GGIT_enGB308GB353&oq=rosehip+recipes&aqs=chrome.0.0l6.5381j0j4&sourceid=chrome&es_sm=93&ie=UTF-8

dktreesea

judi24 wrote: »

I am going to try to get out of going to the birthday party - although I feel I would be letting them and my DD2 down - it is a friends daughter's partner's 30th so it will be full of young people who I don't know and his family - who again I don't know - but my DD2 really wanted to go and has got the weekend off work ( a rare occasion as she works in retail). But I would have to drive (at least £25 in fuel), pay for hotel and pay for drinks at the party - so all in at least £100. (that would be much better spent elsewhere)

Not sure I agree with this. If you really wouldn't enjoy it, fair eonugh. But on the other hand it's a chance to do something together with your DD2. It might be quite nice, sharing a hotel room just with her for a night. Who knows if or when the chance to do that will ever come again.

judi24

Well been a busy old day - but nothing MSE wise - was on a course for work all day!!!


Tried ringing salon - but no joy! said voucher has expired and is non transferable to another treatment - suggested asking the voucher company if they would allow it to be extended but said swap not possible!!! you would think the salon would want new custom (hence the reason they are doing vouchers!) will try voucher company tomorrow but not holding out much hope! Not sure about a college but will investigate - your hair sounds great Ampersand (love the red streak!) I do my own colour mine is the nearest to pink you can get away with as a public facing senior manager in health care! But it badly needs cut - the same salon has another voucher for a cut for £10 instead of £25 (my normal salon is £35!!!) but it annoys me to have not been able to use the other one!!!


As for the birthday party - still undecided! It would be an oppertunity to spend time with DD2 and to be honest that doesnt happen often with other kids around! Its just so expensive to even go away for 1 night!!!


Resorted to putting heating on and hour tonight - DD2 has finally decided to do some washing after her holiday (ben back over a week!) yesterday the sun was out and a perfect drying day, today, rained most of the day and 3 loads of washing to dry in the house!!! I got home and the house was cold and full of wet washing!!! My DS back from school residential was cold and tired so I relented an put the heating on just to take the chill off the house and dry some of the washing!!! anyway off again now - found hot water bottles so they are now filled and beds warmed!


Had a look at the YNAB site - but struggled to work it out - might be because all my acoounts are in the red until payday!!! might have another go after payday when I say hello and goodbye to my salary as it fleets through my accounts to other destinations!


Was thinking today,as I drove up the M6, how much disposable income I will have when my debts are paid off!!!! and then that turned from 'what could i do with it - holidays, new car, new driveway etc' to 'oohh i wonder how quickly I could pay off my mortgage' - in 8 years instead of 18 if I can pay £750 a month overpayments!!! Food for thought!!!

asparagus1968

hi there,
just a quick idea for next time you need cake for the students-got a £1.70 toffee cake mix from mr S today, just add water and oil (and apples/raisins if you have any lingering) made a tray bake with it, will do 15 pieces. yum:)and they will love a, ahem, HOME MADE cake. (well, it is made at home..)

dorothyjeffery

your daughters contribution is pitifully low. she wouldnt ever be able to keep herself on THAT should she get a place of her own. but would expect to be able to!!!!! you maybe need to show her just how much it costs to keep her. i would suggest that she pays one third of the household needs (but not your debts). when my lot were all working but at home, their contribution was 20% of what they had after all the stoppages, tax, stamp etc.

and are you on facebook?? there is a really good thing on there 'feed your family for a week for £20!!' its brilliant,(sorry old-style posters on here but it really is good) as also are all the money saving recipes on here. you seem to be spending quite a lot on food and im sure with a little bit more thought, you can reduce that by quite a bit. maybe having takeouts etc rather more than you should???. good luck. been where you are. but got through it. and all the kids were amazing and helped no end. and the freezer challenge??? its great. i often pop stuff in the freezer without a label: cant find labels/i will know what it is by looking at it!!! wrong!!! meals are often a big surprise or pot luck. its fun. really!!!!

[Deleted User]

dorothyjeffery wrote: »

she wouldn't ever be able to keep herself on THAT should she get a place of her own.

I doubt she could pay her rent on that, let alone keep herself.

when my lot were all working but at home, their contribution was 20% of what they had after all the stoppages, tax, stamp etc.

Only 20%?

When I started work, I paid approx 2/3 of my take home pay, for my keep.

judi24

I know she doesn't pay much - but it has gone from £100 to £200 so its a start and bearing in mind she saves me around £50 a month in childcare (not including evening babysitting - although that is rare!) I am ok with that at the moment - her attitude and the amount of house help I get though is a completely different matter and that might end up with us falling out at this rate!!!


Managed to get a refund on nail voucher so just need to sort out a hair cut with the £15 before next Wed! will do my own colour.


We did all have a laugh about my money saving efforts with the elastic chicken when I served chicken cobbler for dinner! (chicken stew with a cake on top, according to the kids, is just wrong!!!) it didnt go down well and I can safely say it will not be a regular feature on our menu! Even the dog didn't look too impressed with it!!!


Well I have 2 days until pay day - and 2 days in my current job! Put in a mileage claim today - a bit cheeky really as I am leaving - but did it anyway! so that will be £100 that I didn't exepect next month - will make up for my slight pay cut at least for a month! I am quite pleased with myself as I have managed to completely avoid going anywhere near a shop since Saturday so still have £11 in my purse! ( no food in the fridge though!!! - but will have to manage until Saturday)