Cherry takes the reins

Cherryfudge

Well, that was time well spent but wearying: everyone except the driver fell asleep in the car on the drive home!

Our friends treated us all to fish and chips for lunch, and hot drinks and cakes later in the day. We've enjoyed exploring lots of little shops and buying bits and pieces, including a few gifts to put aside till Christmas/birthdays. I found coasters and a greetings card for J and L which closely resemble their dog (£10.97), a book on vegan mug cakes which might help as H and DH are currently dairy-free (£2.99), a necklace from a charity shop (£2.95), three pairs of socks (for me and for a gift) (£3), cinder toffee (£1.99), a Christmas ornament for DGD (£1.99) and a mug as a gift for DS2 (£7.99).

We also had a wander along the shore for DH to try out his metal detector. He only found the line of a pipe but gave me a piece of shell that looks like abalone, and I found some sea glass.

The day's spending:
e-book £1.99
Gifts: £22.95
Clothing £3.95
Housekeeping £1.99
Book £2.99

Things to be thankful for: time out with our friends, being able to say 'no' to things I liked but which either seemed a waste of money or for which I have no space, time walking by the sea and the sound of the tide on the pebbles, new recipes to try.

in_need_of_direction

Sounds like you had a memory weekend.

Cherryfudge

in_need_of_direction said:

Sounds like you had a memory weekend.

We did indeed.

Our guests left this morning and it was beautiful weather, so laundry was done and a little bit of tidying around. I went to the shops and in the 'middle of Lidl' I found garden sets. They seem sturdy so I bought some for DH for Christmas, not so he can do gardening but to take with him when he goes metal detecting.

One large spend - £214 I think - for a ladder so we can take care of our gutters. Apart from an infill of leaves, they aren't set up properly so there's a cascade of water over the back porch every time it rains. We should really have offset the cost of the ladders by charging people to stand under the waterfall, but it's a bit late for that now. One or two uses of them should cover the cost by saving in paying for workmen. Yes, I'm nervous because I don't like DH going up there, but we can't get people to come out to a job that size.

I haven't managed to solve the 'things' mountain, but the yarn stash is very slightly less. I've made most of the crocheted pumpkin requested by H.

Work was quiet, and I now have two days off.

Spending:
Gift £7.99
Household £2.99 + £214.00
Housekeeping £8.84?

Lots to be thankful for: glorious sunshine, a restful shift, cinder toffee among many other things.  

Cherryfudge

All quiet today: I felt I deserved and probably needed it after last week. I didn't even go out till this evening, when I had a meeting.

Meanwhile I did a bit of clearing (30 paper decisions) and completed two crocheted pumpkins, started yesterday. They are fun to make but are destined for DGD so won't be cluttering up our house.

On the way home from the meeting I called into L!dl in search of late evening bargains and found plenty: bakery items, blue cheese melts, salmon, lamb and cod all reduced by a third. They aren't out of date for two days so most are now in the freezer, and we will eat some tomorrow. There are five meals' worth of 'treat' protein, though admittedly we eat salmon often so it's not such a treat. I checked my receipt which is just as well, as I found the discount on the lamb hasn't been applied. Another trip tomorrow, I think.

That was quite expensive but saves DH buying full-price salmon elsewhere!

DH had both his Covid and flu jabs yesterday so he's a bit under the weather now. Mine are booked for next week. Oh, and work has given me the day off on Sunday as DD and DS2 are both in a marathon. DD has trained and should be okay but I'm concerned about DS2 who had forgotten he was entered and has only done a half-marathon before.

Spending:
Housekeeping £17.02

Decluttered: 30 bits of paper

MS stuff: about £5 saved on the shopping, and cooked from stores tonight (lentil and chorizo soup).

And things to be thankful for: rest! Food bargains. Useful meeting tonight. Day off tomorrow. Pumpkins crocheted. Meeting a friend for coffee tomorrow.

Cherryfudge

I've enjoyed my day off. I had coffee and cakes with my friend this afternoon (my turn to pay but a timely meeting and the cake and mango iced tea were delicious so the money was well spent).

I wandered round the shops afterwards... olive oil from the market for £2, a planned purchase of some moisturiser and an unplanned one of some charity shop yarn, then home via Tesco. The price on the shelf was less than the price at the till, which I queried. The assistant confirmed the higher price which I think is wrong. Surely if a price is on the shelf, that's what the goods are being 'advertised' at? It was only 20p difference but not good practice. I think I may feed back via the online survey. Then I remembered to go to Lidl and presented my online receipt and a photo of the lamb I bought yesterday (meant to be 30% off but scanned at full price) and they refunded me. It's the second time I've asked for a refund where something has gone through their till wrongly, and both times had a no-quibble refund.

Our new ladder arrived, it's massive. DH has padlocked it into the trees at the end of the garden.

DH was a bit under the weather last night from having his Covid and flu jabs, so I offered to cook today. We had salmon and used up some bits of veg and cous cous. After that it was out to a church meeting, then home to start trying to crochet an orange hat for DGD.

Spending:
Hobbies £2 (yarn)
Gift £3.25
Toiletries £7.49
Housekeeping refund £2.93 (I'm sure that's wrong! I think that's what I should have paid not the discount that wasn't applied... back to Lidl tomorrow).
Housekeeping £4
Entertainment - can't find receipt - about £19.

MS things: refund from supermarket, bargain yarn (but do I really need it?). Heating off most of the day, but it came on this morning, and I put it back on for a while later. Moisturiser buy one get second half price. Olive oil much cheaper on the market but still has several months before end date.

Plenty to be thankful for: see above.

Cherryfudge

I was too tired to write last night, but it was a good day. Nothing spent, nothing decluttered that I remember. H brought the baby round in the morning and we had lunch together (finished up the lentil soup). I had the heating on for about two and a half hours while they were here.

Work went very nicely largely thanks to a new colleague who pulled out all the stops to focus on the client everyone is concerned about. Her experience and dedication really paid off.

I'm sure there was more than that, but it seems to have evaporated overnight.

Cherryfudge

It's been a full-on three days, mostly due to something at work that necessitated extra hours. By this morning it was hard to get going but DS2 and J were running a marathon so we went to cheer them on. We couldn't get tickets for the bus which is what we did last year when A ran it, so we drove to the half way point (probably saving about £24). The app showed we'd just missed them and I was so disappointed, but suddenly we spotted J, well and truly in the zone, turning round the marker. We yelled but she didn't hear us, then along came DS2, who we also yelled at. He saw us and acknowledged us - I think being cheered on must help.

We then had a picnic in a bus shelter (weather was lovely but benches were rained on) before driving to the finish. By this time I was more fully awake (!) I had texts so we knew A, H, H's parents and the baby were coming, and that L and his parents were going to the finish, so it was a gathering of the clans. Pulling up in a side street, another car drew up behind us - and it was A, H and family! Very odd coincidence, nearly two miles from the track, but it meant we could keep each other company.

Arriving at the track just before J came past, I got a video of her running strongly: she's been training and loves distance running. We got a wave that looked as though she was just out for a leisurely jog. Very proud of her for this. The app said DS2 was close behind but he just didn't appear and as he hadn't trained for the distance, we were getting worried. In the end A handed over the baby and ran back along the course, finding him a couple of miles back. (A ran it last year and got a good time but was exhausted and said he wouldn't be doing it again). Eventually we had a text from A to say DS2 was okay but would take 30-40 minutes to cover the rest of the course, which meant he was walking but at least still on his feet. We went to the bridge that crosses the track beyond the finish line and eventually DS2 came in sight, running again. By this time there were nine of us and an excited dog, and we cheered and whooped such a lot that the radio commentator who was greeting the runners commented on it. DS2 was worn out but okay - and his brother, who had been running by the track for the last couple of miles, appears on my video apparently completing the race in jeans!

We had plenty of time to take 'official' photos before everyone went their separate ways: DS2's girlfriend picked him up, L's parents went home, A, H and family took the baby back for her bedtime routine and DH and I went to a carvery with J and L, which was a lovely end to the day.

I've no spends to report for the last few days. Dh paid for the carvery for him and me. I've been crocheting for baby N and made progress last night and while travelling today. Really, nothing else seems to have been done.

It's been a super day and I'm very thankful for family and for the runners getting through it safely (J benefitted from her training: she said she was 'buzzing' and she certainly looked as though she could have carried on).

Sun_Addict

Well done to J and also to DS2 for completing the course even if he walked some of it. 

Cherryfudge

Thank you SA .

It's a glorious day today: 16C and sunny with lovely autumn leaves very much in evidence - and what the weather forecast describes as 'gusty winds'. In other words, hold onto your hats. The larder door keeps blowing ajar despite a doorstop, because the little window in there is still open. (The idea being that the fridge/freezer is kept cool so costs less to run).

Two loads of washing have been out on the line.

I've given DS a haircut and found myself a new shampoo. I've been reacting to shampoos to the point of only using baby shampoo but didn't feel happy with the result. It's amazing how few hypoallergenic shampoos seem to be available, but I've tried one that emphasises gentle on the skin.

I've done quite a lot of oddments of shopping, too. Comes of staying away from the shops for three days. Nothing too extravagant: I bought quite a lot of tuna as I had a voucher and added a tin of peaches to the emergency cupboard. I did come over dizzy while out, which is annoying as I thought it was almost over. Good excuse to buy chocolate though, as I hadn't eaten well at lunch.

Spending:
Housekeeping £28.33
Toiletries £4.29
Medical £1.99
Stationery £1.50 (an indulgence not a necessity)
Household £6.50

MS stuff:
DH's hair cut (rather pleased with how that's gone )
Vouchers and loyalty discounts used
Oven on tonight but plans afoot: using up bread in a spiced bread pudding, using the specially bought vegan milk towards a toad in the hole (due to DH's dietary needs), filling up space with baked potatoes which can then be frozen.
Clearance items from stationery.
Half price batteries £6.50 instead of £12.99)

And I'm thankful for the warm weather, for not losing washing off the line in the wind, for a nice shampoo after a week or so of problems, for a text from a colleague.

Cherryfudge

Is it really only three and a half hours since I last posted? Things have been going on.

The official marathon photos are up on the website and there are some great ones of our two. Everything's watermarked, of course, so I'm thinking of sharing a package with L, and possibly DS2 as well if he wants to. For a cheap hobby, running...isn't all that convincing. It's like buying a hamster. The hamster costs very little but then you have to get the cage and the accessories and the food and bedding and the vet bills and before you know it, you're looking at whether a pony would have been cheaper. So with running.

I've also exchanged a series of texts with DS2 - long ago I wondered if it would make sense for us to share ownership of a property (the older ones already have homes and when they were buying, I was less in a position to help). DS2 has till January in his current accommodation before his house share moves out and he gets all the bills and all the rent in his name. He must have listened to my hints because now he's asking if I'm interested. I suppose I ought to go and haunt the mortgage boards though my share would be as an investment in a percentage and when the house sold I would get the same percentage back. Seems like a reasonable prospect when the financial world is turning into a chocolate fireguard, but I need to take advice. I'm not about to agree to it without that. I also want to spread my share of my inheritance rather than go for all the eggs in one basket.

Talking of eggs, I managed an oven full as mentioned in the post above and now have to find storage for 13 baked potatoes. What can we have with a couple of them tomorrow?

I liked the fresh air so much today that I had a wander down to L!dl after the texted conversation, to look out for good discounts. I got some cheese, fruit and bakery items, then spotted the gingerbread latte is back in stock. I had some last year and liked it a lot, so I bought two tubs while it's available, and also a snack item for H's Christmas stocking.

Spending:
Gift £1.99
Housekeeping £9.12