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

Willowtree222

carbootcrazy wrote: »

Love the idea of the matching pyjamas:T

There are plenty of board games specially for children. You might have to cheat a bit so she can win:rotfl:. All good experience for her though, getting used to playing board games whilst young. What about Ludo or Snakes and Ladders? You can always buy older-geared games as the tradition grows. I'm no longer up to date with what games are currently popular. In my opinion the old ones are the best. We always played Monopoly and Cluedo sometime over the Christmas period but I don't know if they make versions for children as young as 5. A 5 year old would probably find Monopoly really boring though:(

We play snakes and ladders. I hadn't thought about that! We have the usual hungry hippos etc. I know she is getting pie face from my mum, so I suspect that will be played over the Christmas period. I must remember to buy squirting cream to go with it otherwise she will not be happy.

The pjs were only from home and bargain so not very expensive at all. We have an Xmas eve box too with our name on it that I fill with things for her. (reindeer food etc).

This year is going to be very different for us both, but I still want it to be magical.

Last weekend, I took her to the shop so she could pick out three decorations for our tree. That was nice as she looked at everything and when we decorate the tree, she will know they are hers. She also wants a small tree in her room so I will get her a table top one. x

Willowtree222

Sorry HHOD. Just taken over your thread!

in_need_of_direction

Nicnak could the two of you bake santa's cookies on Christmas Eve?

Willowtree222

in_need_of_direction wrote: »

Nicnak could the two of you bake santa's cookies on Christmas Eve?

Yes, perfect x

[Deleted User]

Nicnak wrote: »

This year is going to be very different for us both, but I still want it to be magical.

I'm sure it will be magical, nicnak:T. Sounds like you have some lovely ideas lined up for you both:A.

HairyHandofDartmoor

Nicnak wrote: »

Sorry HHOD. Just taken over your thread!

I don't mind Nicnak .

Childrens' versions of board games is a good plan. We used to play Consequences with pencils and paper at my Granny's house which we loved, and simple card games.

Christmas eve could be a time for watching a Christmas film in your matching pjs under a Christmas blanket, whilst drinking hot chocolate from Christmas mugs and eating chocolate reindeer, or snowflake biscuits .

Boxing day could be baking or a winter walk or both.

HairyHandofDartmoor

My Saturday saunter was good. It's sunny and warmish out. I met my stepdad for coffee for about an hour and a half. Then I wandered around the charity shops. I bought two books. "1222" by Anne Holt in hardback for £1, and a brand new copy of "A Trick of the Light" by Louise Penny for £2. Some bananas, fruit stall grapes and cheese later, I was on the bus home. So a LSD.

I donated two exercise dvds and a metal storage cannister to the charity shop, so a bit of de-cluttering done too.

I need to clean out the furry moron (sigh), empty the bins, and I should really clean the bathroom. I feel quite tired for some reason, so I'm glued to the sofa at the moment.

HairyHandofDartmoor

Onebrokelady wrote: »

Hi,I have just spent the last week or so reading your diary and have subscribed,I just wanted today how sorry I was to read about your lovely mum, you have had such a lot of stress over the year and have managed to come through it all so well

I'm another Devon dweller

A few posts ago you were talking about new traditions for Xmas,when I found myself on my own with my two daughters we decided to start new traditions at Christmas to cheer us up,so each year we started buying a new board game to play as we don't really watch the telly,we have quite a collection now that come out each year,then when my eldest DD moved out and it was sometimes just me and DD2 at home we started going for a walk on Xmas day and if we aren't seeing anyone on Boxing Day we often got to the cinema then home for yummy food,there's usually a new film released around Xmas time so we go and see whatever it is,sometimes I'm working but we always manage to fit something in

I also wanted to say how impressed I am with your food budget,I can't get over you feeding 5 adults on £74ish a week,you have inspired me to try harder with my food budget becasue I only buy food for me but spend about £30 a week sometimes,I'm a vegetarian too

Thank you for reading all my blatherings Onebrokelady . It's nice to meet another Devon MSEer .

Your Christmas traditions sound really good. I wouldn't have thought of the cinema on Christmas eve. DH and DS1 love TV so no chance of that not featuring, but I'm determined to drag them out for a walk on Christmas day and Boxing day (as long as it's not pouring with rain :eek:).

I achieve my low food spend by buying a lot of value food, which wouldn't be to everyone's taste. No salmon, red meat, olive oil, or anything more pricey. Just vegetable oil, value chicken, lentils, potatoes, value baked beans, frozen value veg, etc. The only fruit I buy is bananas and satsumas, unless I can get the £1 grapes from the fruit stall. As I say, it's not to everyone's taste. We're not eating well, but we are eating . We don't really have a choice as we can't afford to spend more.

Do you have a diary?

badmemory

You say you are not eating well but you are eating reasonably healthily, which is much more important. Not eating well is KFC on monday, mcdonalds on tuesday, delivery pizza on Wednesday, takeaway curry on thursday etc. After a couple of local bins got blown over a few weeks ago spilling their contents I confess to being a little shocked. The really annoying bit - not one of them is overweight. How unfair is that?

[Deleted User]

badmemory wrote: »

You say you are not eating well but you are eating reasonably healthily, which is much more important. Not eating well is KFC on monday, mcdonalds on tuesday, delivery pizza on Wednesday, takeaway curry on thursday etc. After a couple of local bins got blown over a few weeks ago spilling their contents I confess to being a little shocked. The really annoying bit - not one of them is overweight. How unfair is that?

Reminded me of when I was delivery BT Phonebooks in a very upmarket enclave of a nearby town. Really big detached houses, long driveways:( with 2 or 3 latest model/numberplate top range vehicles parked there. The refuse collection for that town is not the same as ours, we are in a different local government authority with a different recycling system. These posh houses have a plastic box system for recycling, different coloured open boxes for different types of recycling. I'd hate that, open to the rain and taking a lot of room up:(. Must have been collection day when I was there because they had all put their filled boxes just inside the entrance to their driveways. These houses don/t have a footpath/pavement, just a wide and steep grass verge. between them and the road. I couldn't help notice as I walked past (nosy, moi?) that the boxes for jars and tins at several of these 'mansions; were full of 'value' or 'own' brand packaging. They weren't too proud to let people see what they bought. No sign of any luxury items anywhere:rotfl:.


No wonder they have all the outer trappings of success, they are savvy with their grocery shopping. Nothing wrong with value and own-brand foodstuffs. Independent tests show they are just as good, if not better, than the brands or regular supermarket offerings. The value ones often cut down on salt, sugar and additives to keep costs low.


I doubt anyone on strict budgets would be buying salmon or olive oil anyway, unless the budget variety or when yellow-stickered, so don't feel bad that you can't afford them, HH. I do buy salmon sometimes because we have a local fishmonger who is very reasonably priced and often has offers on especially towards the end of the day. We eat very little meat these days and a chicken lasts us for 3 days' meals. I certainly don't buy olive oil andI don't use vegetable oil now, or sunflower either, but have discovered rapeseed oil:j. Not sure it's locally grown though. Very mild tasting and good for all uses. They grow a lot of oilseed rape round here, brilliant yellow as far as the eye can see, the colour really hurts the eyes when driving past it in brilliant sunshine:(.


What always worries me is if I'm paying for petrol at a garage that has a big Spar shop attached and men come up to the counter laden with sausage rolls, pork pies, cans of drink, crisps and nothing nutritious in sight. Obviously grabbing stuff for their lunch. They are usually workmen and many of them in their 30s and 40s so I assume have wives and kitchens. Why the heck don't they bring sandwiches or something from home? The calorie, salt and fat content of these foods must be horrendous when totted up for a few days, not to mention the cost:eek:. A lot of these men are overweight and I dread to think what they are doing to their health if they keep this up long term. Sorry, rant over:o