Finally Debt Free After 34 Years, But Still Need to Live Frugally

HairyHandofDartmoor

Oh dear sorry about your washing machine problems Delichon ☹. It's lucky DH was able to fix it. 

I'm delighted you've finally managed to get a delivery slot for Mr M though, that's very good news🎉🎉🎉. I actually prefer Mr T but we did well today so I'm not complaining 😁.

HairyHandofDartmoor

I actually found my trip to Mr M very stressful ☹ as although they have staff ensuring a socially distanced queue outside and at the tills, the aisles had people wandering all over the place and it was very difficult to socially distance. DH found a decorating mask in the shed which I wore and I wore my fleece gloves, which made me feel a bit calmer, but I do find shopping in actual shops makes me feel very anxious since the virus ☹. When I got home I put the mask aside to quarantine for 72 hours and I've put my gloves in the washine machine, in between much hand washing!

I've just given the bath and the tiles around the shower a good scrub and they look a lot better now. I've also washed the shower curtain and it's currently soaking in a bucket of diluted bleach to get rid of the mould. It always looks like new when I hang it up again 🙂.

DH has had a spurt of energy and got DS1 to help him move the bookcase upstairs to his office. The living room looks much more spacious now without it and DH is now collecting up all his sci-fi books from the other bookcases around the house. When he's finished I can organise my crime fiction collection better and get some more books out of boxes. So that's all good 😀.

After this I need to fold up yesterday's clean washing and put it away. I always want to re-arrange my books once DH has sorted out his. Plus I want to re-start the ten minutes a day of helping DS1 tidy and de-clutter his room. We started doing this when I was at school part-time but it fell by the wayside when I was doing the cover full time. Then once the current wash has finished I need to hang it in the garden in the sun ☀️. 

So if I get all of that done then I'll be pleased 🙂.

[Deleted User]

HairyHandofDartmoor said:

I actually found my trip to Mr M very stressful ☹ as although they have staff ensuring a socially distanced queue outside and at the tills, the aisles had people wandering all over the place and it was very difficult to socially distance. DH found a decorating mask in the shed which I wore and I wore my fleece gloves, which made me feel a bit calmer, but I do find shopping in actual shops makes me feel very anxious since the virus ☹.

Oh dear. doesn't sound good. Good that you went prepared.  DH has some of those masks, he uses them if he's sawing up anything that produces dust or hazardous particles. The very last time he ventured into civilization before this lockdown I made him promise to wear one when he was face to face with anyone in a shop .  They hadn't installed screens by then.  I gave him the 3rd degree when he got back and he admitted he felt stupid and OTT putting it on so didn't.  Men, eh??? They think they know best!.

I suppose actual shopping arrangements depend on the individual branch's layout and size etc.  My main worry in supermarkets now is the number of people who touch loads of items and then don't actually buy them. I've been guilty of this myself in the pre-virus days, digging out the longest 'best by/use by' date item from the back of the shelf.  I also think the shopping experience can be very stressful if it's a supermarket we aren't all that familiar with.  It's bad enough trying to locate items in our usual store when they are forever moving things around to attract the customer but in 'strange' store I find I have to walk twice as far as in my usual ones just finding what I want.  At least now there aren't those irritating knots of people standing in the middle of the aisles chatting and getting in the way.

Well done to DH moving the bookcase.  Sorting your own book collection sounds like a nice task to do.

Sun_Addict

Sorry you lost your slot, at least you'll be more vigilant next time. Sounds like you had a productive visit to Mr M.  I always have a bag of those frozen wonky berries in my freezer.  They're great in overnight oats, I make mine with fat free natural yoghurt instead of milk.  I had an extremely stressful visit to Iceland this morning, social distancing nightmare in the aisles. I'm trying so hard not to go out unless I really need to. 

elizabethhull

HairyHandofDartmoor said:

We lost our Mr T delivery slot through our own sillyness 😥. We'd hadn't got £40 of items in the basket so it expired after 24 hours . Our own fault so we'll know better next time.

Whenever I get a delivery slot, I put a bottle of expensive champagne in the basket, so it triggers the £40 requirement.
You just have to remember to take it out again the night before !!!
Still, it worked out really well for you this time, HH - brilliant !

I went to the Asda website today, to add some items to my delivery for Sunday, and found I can now only do this from 2 days beforehand. It's not a day of the week I would choose, but everyone has to be grateful for what they can get these days.

My girls and I decided we would each buy our own Easter eggs this year (I'd already got DH's from me), so we've made our own choices and had them delivered from a variety of places, taking the opportunity to get exactly what we fancied. I got a chocolate engine for DGS again, as he's probably going to be our only grandchild, so it's nice to treat him.

HairyHandofDartmoor

Thanks @Delichon @Sun_Addict and elizabethull

I hate going to shops because people come so close to me and this makes me feel really anxious. I'm acting like everyone has the virus because I think that's the safest thing to do, but many other people seem far more laid back about it and go really close to me and others. I only saw about five other people wearing masks and hardly anyone wearing gloves, but I felt much safer wearing mine.

Your easter eggs sound lovely Elizabeth 🙂. I felt very rebellious buying easter eggs and plants 🤣 but I was buying stuff like milk and bread too.

milann

Sounds like a productive shopping trip 👍

HairyHandofDartmoor

DH has put all of his sci-fi books in the bookcase in his office and they fit in nicely, so he's pleased 🙂. I've exhaused myself by bringing down some books from my bedroom to fill some of the gaps. Why is carrying books around so exhausting (especially hardbacks 😩)? There's lots more book re-arranging I could do but it's too exhausting, especially after scrubbing the bath and shower, so I'll do a bit more tomorrow.

I still need to hang up the washing in the garden when it's finished, fold up the clean washing and put it away, and hang up the shower curtain when it's finished bleaching.

My list of jobs never seems to get any shorter 😭, but I am making some progress I suppose 🤔. At least we don't have a big bookcase in the living room any more 😁.

HairyHandofDartmoor

milann said:

Sounds like a productive shopping trip 👍

Thanks Milann 🙂. They seemed to have plenty of food on the shelves which was good 🙂. I didn't see any empty shelves at all 

Sunshine_girl2

Very  productive day you have had HH. I had to call to Mr M today for a neighbour . I feel like I am in the dodgems , all the moving and circling I do. Good to hear the bookcase had gone out of your lounge, more room for you to move about.