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

HairyHandofDartmoor

Thanks Nicnak . We've have had to pay for acommodation too so the whole thing would have cost a fortune for five of us.

We worked this morning but went out after lunch. We had a great time after an unfortunate beginning! We went to a NT place but realised when we were nearly there that DS1 had forgotten his wallet with his NT card in :mad:. Then we got there and found out it shuts on Fridays :mad:. I asked DH before we left home to check it was open and he said "Yeah it shuts at 5.30", however he neglected to check which DAYS it opens... rolls eyes... DH had one job... rolls eyes again.

Luckily there's a country park nearby so we went there instead. We've been before but never approached from that direction, so we found a whole new section we didn't know existed with a cafe, craft shops and gardens. We had coffee and then a lovely walk . I really enjoyed it and it relaxed me no end as I was quite tense before we left .

It was free to get in and so we only paid for parking and coffee. I took bananas as I knew we'd be hungry after the walk, so a reasonably frugal afternoon. We'll need petrol tomorrow though.

DS2and DS3 were on an all day excursion today and DS2 sent me a video of a beautiful waterfall with a double rainbow. It looks like they're having a great time :T.

Now we're relaxing after a frozen pizza dinner (well I cooked them first obviously :rotfl:).


I hope everyone in diaryland has had a brilliant Friday .

beanielou

Glad that you enjoyed your day :j :j

HairyHandofDartmoor

Well it's the wedding day and my niece is married now, the first wedding photo has appeared on Facebook and she looks lovely .

I did my Saturday saunter and got a book called 'The Chalk Man' by CJ Tudor. She's a new author to me but the blurb sounds really good and I was drawn by the cover artwork. It was very busy in town (payday?) but not too crowded in Costalot. I enjoyed my latte so much I was tempted to buy another, but luckily I couldn't face qeueing up again .

I was lured into Millets by big sales signs in the window and succumbed to a half price sun hat for only £11 . Well I burn easily and too much sun doesn't agree with me (excuses excuses). It's showerproof too with a wide brim, perfect for country walks and it will make me feel like Indiana Jones :rotfl:.

Apart from that and the book (hardbook £2) I got some fruit from Mr T and the amazing value fruit stall, and then it was just my bus fare.

DH and DS1 went to see Solo at the cinema (£4.99 each) which they really enjoyed. I personally wouldn't want to sit in a dark room for three hours on a warm sunny day, but each to their own .

Since then I've cleaned out the furry moron and emptied the kitchen bins. I put some blankets on to wash for the second time because they didn't look clean enough after the first wash. I read an article recently which said that the quick wash doesn't wash or spin laundry very thoroughly but a lot of people use it most of the time. I'm guilty of that so I must use the full length wash more often (a shame it takes three hours :eek:).

Now we're relaxing in front of Have I Got News For You.

Happy Saturday everyone .

System

I read the same article about the washing machine , I am guilty as well . Today I used a longer wash for everything. I always do bedding and towels on normal wash.

Your trip out to the park ended up being lovely, maybe it was meant to be. The DS will be home soon , so enjoy some downtime . My neighbour has gifted me 2 books today , so I will start reading those soon.

Enjoy the rest of the weekend.

HairyHandofDartmoor

Thanks Cumbria enjoy your weekend too

redofromstart

Another one who read the article, the thing is things are rarely very dirty. If they are (muddy trousers for example) I pre-rinse on the 15 minute cold wash, and then put them on the 'quick' wash which is still faster than the full 3 hour wash and does the job.

HairyHandofDartmoor

It depends how dirty they are. My blankets are a pale colour and still looked a bit grubby, but if it's a top that's been worn once and just needs freshening up then I agree that a quick wash is sufficient.

I noticed that my laundry got a lot cleaner when I started using powder instead of liquid, and the powder is cheaper .

beanielou

I am back to powder too.

please-let-me-be-lucky

I’ve had no washing machine for a week, so have been at the mercy of Mum and MiL letting me use theirs. Mum insisted I just use her powder instead of taking my own liquid etc, and I’m amazed how much cleaner and fresher the things she’s washed for me have been. Next time I need to buy some, I’ll be buying powder too! Xx

HairyHandofDartmoor

Yes it's a noticeable difference. I first starting buying powder because it was cheaper and tben was pleased when I realised our clothes were cleaner .

The wedding photos are starting to appear on Facebook. I have very mixed feelings. I'm happy for my niece, mum and sister that they had such a lovely day, but feeling a bit tearful this morning that I wasn't part of it .

Anyway we are going out to a NT place today and it's lovely and sunny, so that will take my mind off weddings. We just need to wake up DS1 and then make sure he has his wallet with him!

D1 sent me two lovely photos of Iceland last night, one with DS3 in the forground. I'm so pleased they're having a great time .

Have a good day everyone.