Living richly; simply and debt-freely

Tilly_MFW_in_6_YRS

Evening Greying, l truly love reading your diary. Thank you for sharing and allowing us travel along the road with you.

Best wishes Tilly xxxx

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Morning :hello:

Thank you, as ever for your support. It means a great deal

With the shopping thing, it's about 'transport' (in its loosest term) as much as anything. I used to be about and around the metropolis much more and could nip into x, y or z shop and pick up bits as I went along. Less if I was walking, more if I was in a vehicle. But that's changed, and I can't (yet) get the distances in if walking and can't really have access (easily) to the car. It'll sort itself out just now. We've been told all along, that most things/situations to do with 'babies' don't last very long, so it's just part of the process isn't it? And hopefully the balance of shopping in a range of places to get the best overall prices (by careful planning of being in the vicinity of that shop - not jumping in the car and haring off wully-nully) will begin to fall back into place just as (although ideally just before) the balance of Baby Greying's costs begin to outweigh the family allowance........... Then we can all be rich again without breaking the bank

Last night's tea was a load of junk from the freezer - getting to the bottom of the bag at last! and only half a bag of mushy peas left :j I have no idea what will be for today's tea - the weather is supposed to be hot isn't it? However, i will only have myself to please, so it may well just be a sandwich. We have been gifted more runner beans and courgettes.

I must get and start menu-planning for the weeks in September. I'm going to try for a hybrid approach - say a 'bank' of 30 meals, but flexibility as to which week they appear in, and flexibility for if we get gifted produce, or spot bargains etc. Menu planning does make life here much easier - I just need to get myself some time to do it. I'm not helping myself at the moment - doh!

We had a planning meeting (of sorts) last night. DH is getting better at bringing suggestions to the table, but I do tend to be the driver Hoping as we progress that will develop into a 50:50 situation - as I can't think of everything all the time.

'tidying' is still ongoing. There are times when I just wish there was a skip out front and we could just stick most everything in it

Right, I need to get up and at it. I need to wander off out and if it is at hot as they are predicting today, then an early start will be preferable.

Thanks, as ever, for popping in, reading and commenting. It is always, always greatly appreciated. By Me

Greying X

Eager_Elephant

I know the thread has moved on slightly and I did mean to post over the weekend but time flew by but wanted to comment on the 'not doing anything to make your child different for fear of being bullied'

I was not bullied as such but I was teased all the time about being poor - my mum and dad have 6 children and I think this made us a target.
Our surname began with a P so it rhymed brilliantly with Pauper which is what we were always called.
At the time it did not even bother us, we were very confident children and also our family were not what I would call poor - we were just working class.
My dad has worked all his life (in a factory in the same village) and my mum brought the children up - of course they claimed Child Benefit and Family Tax (as it was) but we had more than a lot of people. We did not have a car and relied on public transport, we did not have holidays but I did not see that as being a problem. We lived in a council house but then so did everyone in my street.

However my best friend who lived a few doors away was genuinely poor, her Dad had not worked for years and he was financially abusive. All money was controlled by him, he did the food shop and he had 'his' food and they have 'theirs' - his being bacon, sausages and meat etc while everyone else lived on basics.

My best friend was never bullied and I could never understand why - I am thankful that she wasn't as she was a quiet little thing and I don't know how she would have coped with it.

Also my brother was in the year with the main people who teased us so I'm guessing that's why they picked on us.

My parents did the best they could by us and I can't see what they could have done differently to stop us getting teased?? Perhaps your acquaintance could let us know?

So, basically this is to say that making your child stand out from the other children can't be stopped necessarily, I agree with another poster who said bullies pick on people because they can, they are obviously insecure themselves and it is the bullies who need the help.

Also wanted to say that you are doing a wonderful job of bringing up Baby Greying and I love reading your thread every day.
It made me laugh (in a nice way) when someone mistook you for a grandparent - I had the opposite problem, I had my son at 15 so have always been the youngest parent by miles. When my son started school they thought I was his sister!!! What can you do but laugh about it!!! (DS is now 19 and I don't seem to have done too bad a job of bringing him up!!)

Greying_Pilgrim

Aw, Eager_Elephant thank you for that post. There is much wisdom in what you have written. And I so agree about the 'indiscriminate' nature of bullying/teasing. And sometimes children who outwardly had 'everything' or slipped under the radar, have a far worse time of it than others. You've reminded me of someone I was at primary school with. To all outward appearances, the girl (the oldest) had everything. She was a 'proper' little girl IYSWIM and had every dolly/outfit/toy you could imagine. We thought she was spoilt and were jealous of what she had. But one day, I was at the house of another friend, who happened to live next door to this little girl. There was shouting and rowing coming through the walls, and this was in the daytime. My friend shrugged her shoulders and said that T's parents were, 'always shouting'. The family moved pretty soon after; and then split up a few years later. There was probably (in 'grown up' hindsight) money problems, as the 'dad' ran a business. It was based on his hobby/passion, so I suspect he was a better 'X' than he was a business man. After hearing that rowing that day, I could no longer be jealous of 'T' and all that she had. No dolly was worth that.

'Poverty' is a difficult one. At school - most especially primary - the working class poor were in the majority. I can think of only a handful of 'rich' children. 'T' was snooty, and they probably didn't have much money, just acted like they did. I think the mum had been a model for 5 minutes or something. Another 'T' was quite down to earth really (well, at primary, she got snooty at secondary) and they were only 'rich' because they went to Spain, for their holiday. 'R' was the doctor's son and probably from the most wealthy household (the millionaire's son was only in our school for 5 mins before he got packed off to board, but he was nice too, and still says howdy when he sees me to this day ), but R was a lovely lad and you wouldn't know he was from 'money'. The rest of us were poor as church mice. We played games that didn't need 'stuff' - 'house', kiss chase and french skipping seemed to fill our days I think Has 'stuff' become more affordable, so that more people have it, or do we all get sucked into consumerism to 'fit in'? I remember my nephew being in trainers in primary that were nearly £100 to buy. That is out of my concept zone of understanding. But, his parents could (notionally) afford it, so why not? And perhaps I'm biased, but he's actually turned out pretty well and is a nice lad

__________________________________

I had to pay 'stoopid tax' today. And I've not even got a blessed lottery ticket to have a 1 in 148 gazillion chance of winning a £1 I instead let 2 library books - regrettably adult titles, not BG's story books, which don't attract fines - go 5 days over due. £2.50 duly handed over

I have got some frugal 'thermos & sarnies' meetings with an old friend and then a newish 'mummy' friend lined up and coffee with another 'mummy' friend later in the week pencilled in. So our social life has tripled overnight I am delighted Especially at the embracing of the picnic option. Alot of parent meet ups seem to involve going for coffee out..........

I've still not decided what's for tea, but its a bit hot and I'm not that hungry, so....... I did bag some YS'd stuff in mrW. 6 oranges for 10p each, some fresh herbs and mushrooms

Right, best go. Baby Greying has woken up and is wriggling on my lap. Typing sis getting difficult.

Greying X

beanielou

2.50 for a few days is daylight robbery :eek:

I was bullied. Horribly.Is all.

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Morning :hello:

Today is going to be a good day

'Purple Rain' - the LP edition is playing on the radio

I am going out for coffee with a mummy friend

I went out for a picnic lunch with an old friend yesterday, and had a wonderful time without spending a penny nor a £

I've done everything and just need to get dressed

YAY! Go me! :rotfl:

Greying X

in_need_of_direction

Enjoy the day.

Upsidedown_Bear

Greying_Pilgrim wrote: »

I've done everything and just need to get dressed

YAY! Go me! :rotfl:

Greying X

Upsidedown_Bear

Greying and all Pilgrimers x

rtandon27

Greying_Pilgrim wrote: »

YAY! Go me! :rotfl:

Greying X

Awww Greying you lovely lady - you do know how to make us giggle!

HAVE FUN!!!!!