Saturday 30th/ Sunday 31st January - what small DFW things will you do this weekend?

foxgloves

Maria - If you don't have spare money for more chickens, then stop this right now! You sound like how I used to be with vintage fairs, boots & the Clinique counter. Just say no. You know the people who run those 'D.A.R.E' courses in primary schools to empower kids re resisting drugs? That's what you need.....only for resisting chickens! Be strong. (Actually, am jealous. Would love chickens. Have lots of space, but nobody to tend them while we are away......so my strict stance on your chicken buying addiction probably stems from poultry envy!

DNMS - Hmmm. I'd be in 2 minds about it too. If it was me, I'd have 1 'con'.....the fact that I was really looking forward to staying in, & 2 'pros' - a) The £60................& b) Some points in the 'Goodwill Bank' with your employers for giving up your evening to help in an emergency. Might work in your favour sometime down the road, who knows?
F X

foxgloves

Morning Money Savers,
Ally - sounds like you are rejoining the human race today, lol! It was the Norman Lamont eyebrows that got me......as long as it's just the eyebrows & not the politics!
Well, a laid-back kind of day today. Not much money saving, but here goes with what there is:
*NSD. mr f has had to work so I don't have the car & don't need to go into town where temptation lurks, as am going on shopping trip tomorrow.
*Will get my vouchers stash ready for tomorrow's city centre trip, also cash from the Presents Piggy to buy birthday gifts for nephews.
*Will make quick packed lunch to take tomorrow too. Happy to have coffee out (have an M&S Sparks card deal) but not to waste around £15 on very mundane supermarket cafe-type lunch for two.
*Dinner as per meal plans - turkey chilli from the freezer.
*No downstairs heating on until much later.
*Free entertainment - did the Big Garden Bird Count first thing.....very relaxing although saw bird I haven't been able to identify. Not in our bird books or on RSPB online identifier. Think will have to put it down as a redwing, as that's nearest thing......but it wasn't, & it isn't cold enough for them to be here anyway.
*More free entertainment - will be drawing up a new section of family tree which I've been researching recently, reading library book, reading the lovely huge book of Ted Hughes poetry I received for Christmas, knitting more of my purple sock & playing Mousie with cat as a reward for eating all his breakfast today without all the usual drama-queen stuff. Will also watch another episode or two of those scrummy vikings :-) have theory that those of us at the younger end of being at a 'funny age' should be offered this box-set on prescription instead of HRT!
OK, must go & sort out the very untidy kitchen. neither of us cba to wash the pots last night & I still haven't done them because I've been counting feathered friends.
Have a good day all,
F x

foxgloves

DNMS - I thought I detected some sock-shaping anxieties creeping in this week. Let m know if I can help. I frogged my beautiful purple sock. I was trying a new pattern where you have spirals of lace & textured ridges going around the sock right the way down. It wasn't at all a tricky pattern to knit. I don't know if there was an error in the pattern, but every pattern repeat of 14 rows, I found I was 2 sts short of what I should have. Had big strop & frogged it. Am now knitting the same pattern I sent you. have just turned the heel & picked up to shape the instep, which is how you get the sock to start going in a different direction to fit the foot. I'm guessing you are somewhere around this bit too. I don't mind how many times you have to ask me.......I had trouble the first time I knitted socks too, but once you have sussed the shaping, it's like riding a bike. You won't need to learn it again.
f x

determined_new_ms

Thanks Mrs F! Re the sock yup fear of failure is stopping me and I've put it down since I finished the leg bit. Going to dig it out today and give it a go and if I'm struggling I will type out the bit I'm struggling with and ask your expert advice!

Re the work thing decided after posting that if I can get a sitter I will go. Am planning to meet up with my childhood bff on Tuesday for lunch and am going out for my current BFF's dh's birthday on Friday and wouldn't mind something new to wear so will suck up the loss of an evening to myself to cover those. But if my babysitter can't do it then c'est la vie!

determined_new_ms

Ok after making most of the posts this morning I'm ready to work out my small plans for the day:

* do a load of washing & hang up
* put away yesterday's washing
* [STRIKE]have swept downstairs already[/STRIKE]
* all meals from stores
* get a slice of cake out of freezer for dgd's pudding
* [STRIKE]put morrocan beef & chickpea stew in sc using lo beef from roast a couple of weeks ago[/STRIKE]
[STRIKE]* call ds and organise him coming for dinner next week[/STRIKE]
* vacuum stairs and upstairs
* maybe go to local zoo with dgd using membership card - will take snacks and drinks with us
* if not playing games and knitting at home
* will call babysitter in an hour if she hasn't called me
* if I go to work I will get to take home lo milk & bread
* gave colleague my receipt for supplies bought yesterday
* [STRIKE]iron mine & dgd's clothes for today. Will turn off iron for her top & cardi[/STRIKE]
* wrap godson's birthday gift for party tomorrow using paper from stores
* if going to work will need to get petrol and pay for sitter. If not will get a bottle of wine
* chop & freeze bag of ys peppers and 1/2 a pack of mushrooms
* [STRIKE]froze 1/2 a jar of pesto in the fridge[/STRIKE]

Ok that's all I think I need to do. Have a lovely weekend guys x

Scrimps

Re the working. I would probably not work but do something else very productive to make myself feel better for not working. Then relax and really enjoy my evening off.

allydowd

foxgloves wrote: »

Morning Money Savers,
Ally - sounds like you are rejoining the human race today, lol! It was the Norman Lamont eyebrows that got me......as long as it's just the eyebrows & not the politics!

Most definitely NOT the politics!

determined_new_ms

La E have you wated that Making a Murderer? OMGT so good but unbelieveable what that man has been through definitely worth the investment IMO

La_escocesa

Oooh, I've not watched that one yet - will need to check it out.

If anyone is interested I installed the free Momentum extension for Chrome. It's awesome - every time I click for a new tab up pops a lovely picture, quote of the day, a 'to do' list option and a 'what's your main focus for the day'. https://momentumdash.com/

So...kitchen down, bathroom to go, then I'm going to make a start on clothes... - wish me luck!

xxxx

Baileys_Babe

Jonno thank you for the start this morning.

I got to 4pm yesterday and I suddenly felt so tired that I could of just gone to sleep where I was, thankfully OH made dinner and the children behaved, I unpacked our bags from our dyeing workshop and a few other little bits that needed doing and after dinner I went to bed with my book which I barely read before going to sleep for the night.

The weather here is very strange, sunny/raining/snowing/very windy/still, the snow keeps changing the type of flakes, which is the strangest part of all. The overriding feature is it is cold.

Myself and dd are off to a friends child's birthday party later on, its a 30 minute drive each way, a mutual friend who is also going has offered us a lift

Today I have/ plan:
LSD
Post on this thread for support, motivation and inspiration
Open curtains fully
Close curtains before it gets dark
Turn off lights and appliances not in use
Take meter readings
Submit meter readings
reusable sanitary ware
Stick with the meal plan
B/L/D from stores
make bread
Check and reconcile bank accounts
PAD into saving £3.66 -1p
Soak porridge overnight
Set DW to run overnight
Set WM to run overnight
Unpack bags
Pack snacks, for our journey it's about 30 mins drive
Make packed tea for us to eat whilst at our evening activities
Freezer inventory, keep up to date
Check FPL
HWB for children’s beds instead of heating
Educate children for free
Entertain children and us for free
Wash hair and leave to dry naturally
Walk everywhere, except when my friend is giving me & dd a lift to a mutual friends child's party
Dry washing on airier
No heating, we have jumpers and blankets
Light the stove, burning free wood
put kettle on stove for free hot water, put water in flasks if boiled before ready to use and refill kettle, water used for making hot drinks (we drink plenty of these, cooking rice, pasta etc, washing up etc)
Cull 100 emails
10 minutes shredding

DNMS Regarding work, if was me and I could get a babysitter I would work but plan to take a night off at a future date to either spend with OH or to have me time.