Dusty's Frugal Fortnights

dustydigger

Mr Dusty came home very annoyed yesterday from the town. He had refused to buy salmon because it had gone up £1 ,and he swears the piece is smaller. I told him to go back today and buy it regardless,as almost half his meals are fresh salmon,his fave fish.I will just make the portions slightly smaller,adding a bigger portion of veg with it. Frugal living:j
I pointed out that since in a few days peoples pay rises and pension rises take effect in the new financial year,its naturally a cue for all the prices to go up:rotfl::rotfl:
About the fish,it was sad when the local fishmonger in our little town closed down,after 70 years or more in business.Once they opened an Asd@ 5 minutes walk away that was a death knell for his business.
I remember as a child watching fishermen come into that shop carrying lobsters and crabs,cockles and mussels caught barely 30 minutes before.(the sea was only 5 minutes walk away. That way of life has gone long ago,sadly:( Heaven knows how long the supermarket fish have been hanging around.We have to go 7 miles away now to get fresh fish(probably not much fresher either,but what can you do?)

redofromstart

It is sad about the fish. I noticed yesterday that our MrM had whole salmon at £5/kg and they are happy to prepare it for you.

dustydigger

I think Mr M has the best reputation among the supermarkets for fish and meat,but it takes best part of an hour travel on two buses to get there. All we have nearby is a smaller size Asd@,with no delicatessen,or fresh meat/fish counters,supposedly to protect the local businesses in our little town,but it didnt work I'm afraid.One of the butcher's,plus the fishmonger are gone. Also the Wilk* branch has closed down the two hardware shops,and several of the shops in the shopping street have gone too since they built the mini shopping precinct a few years ago.Add people shopping online now and the old traditional shopping areas of little towns are in dire straits:(

beanielou

Good news on walking further without the stick :j :j

dustydigger

beanielou wrote: »

Good news on walking further without the stick :j :j

thanks,beanielou! Certainly makes carrying 2 bags of shopping easier! No more bag banging off the stick and nearly making me trip up:rotfl:

dustydigger

Never got back on here yesterday. I went to the family history group where my kind friend had 3 £2 coins for my pot.That with the two I cheekily begged off shopkeepers recently brings the total up to £31 coins,£62 :j
We did very little research actually,we spent most of the time enjoying reminiscing about our personal family history,our town during WWII,and the vast changes to the town and its way of life over the years.
I have to get myself in focus as to my genealogy papers,its a mess.
I have a subscription to Durham Records Online,an excellent resource of local records,I have obtained an lot of info there.However life has been so hectic these last few months I have not even looked at the site. The subscription expires in July so I need to check every ancestor to see if I have as much info as possible. At the moment I can email any record to myself,so I am copying every record for every person then can examine them at leisure.New frugal me wont be paying £96 for a new subscription:DI have already refused to renew my Find My Past subscription,£98
Genealogy as a hobby can be very expensive,subscriptions to sites cost usually over £100,Ancestry in particular is very expensive and birth/marriage certificates cost about £9/£10 with postage. Now I have joined the history group at £2 a week I can search Ancestry,Find my Past and Family Search in group,and make photocopies. I will save hundreds of pounds this year,but I'll miss doing it for hours at a time at home. Mr Dusty was NOT impressed with the hours I spent researching.I've cut that down - and replaced it with MSE,another chronovore:rotfl:
Yesterday we got a whole salmon,and I cut it into 9 servings and individually wrapped them for the freezer.£16 for the whole fish thats £1.72 per portion. Of course the portions are more generous than those skinny little pieces 2 for £3 in the supermarkets,Mr Dusty would be scouring the pan to see where the rest of his food is if I gave him such a tiny portion!:D Mr Dusty would prefer fresh fish,but its a nuisance having to go 7 miles every few days for a piece of fish,so he has to have it from the freezer,like it or lump it if he buys a whole fish. :rotfl:

dustydigger

Not much cooking today. I did a lamb casserole yesterday,the meat literally fell off the bone. Still enough for 2 meals for Mr Dusty today. Roasties are cooking,only the veg to do.
I will be eating salad all day,Slimming World tomorrow morning. Never lost since February,and put on 2 lbs over the last 2 weeks - so salad here I come!
Stripped 2 beds this morning,and the bedding is all on the line flapping in the breeze and the sunshine. So uplifting not to have stuff all over the radiators!:T
Boiled water for Mr Dusty. Wont drink out of the tap,refuses those filter things like Britta machines,doesnt want the chemicals. So every 3 days or so poor old Dusty has to boil bottled water(he doesnt trust it,thinks its a scam straight from the tap like Del Boy's Peckham Spring water),so I have to boil it,then cool it enough to pour back in the bottle then cool it in the fridge. Should hear the grumbles if I forget to do it in time.:rotfl: Anyhoo,its there cooling on the window sill,while there is still half a bottle in use,so I am ahead of the game.
You must have come to the conclusion that Mr Dusty is a major fusspot on his food and drink,but it has certainly paid off healthwise. 79 and can run for buses, go up and down stairs without holding the rail,still does all the gardening,is rarely ill even a cold last only a few days - and he has all of his teeth with only one filling. I must be doing something right in the way I take care of him........of course I then dont have any time to take care of myself,hence the catalogue of illnesses!:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

dustydigger

I tried to get on MSE about half a dozen times today,but kept being told my ''token'' had expired.Glad to see things are back to normal,but I'm off to bed will come on tomorrow - if MSE lets me in!

dustydigger

Whew! Never had a moment to breathe today.Usual cooking/cleaning,then Mr Dusty had me setting up his new Fire tablet.He gave his last one to his daughter in Africa,and wanted an 8inch tablet and chose this.......What a carry on having to open an amaz*n account etc just to set it up,and then the annoyance of all those amaz*n apps filling the whole of the home page,when he wants to see his fave sites there on view. Now he's talking about sending it back,but dont ask me how to remove everything we have put on. DS1 was here but he had my granddaughter and my step great granddaughter with him,and said he'll come back tomorrow to try to sort it all out.Good,because I am fed up with having to sort tech out.:mad:
DS1 just left,and DD1,and my 2 great grandkids are due at 3.30 so I will just have a short while to update for this week.
On the frugal living side we are doing exceptionally well(mostly because Mr Dusty wasnt here best part of the first week),and I have a lot of stuff in the freezer for me, £26 left over when I cleared the purse etc:T And wont need to do a big shop this coming week:j
My Surveys netted me a £5 amaz*n voucher,so no buying any books with my own money for the forseeable future,I have over £25 in credit now.
Finally got around to spending some birthday/Mother's Day cash. New spring coat,£30,dark blue sort of silky material AND SIZE 18.Havent been in a size 18 for about 10 years. Wish I could get into size 18 tops,but nowhere near. I reckon I need to lose another stone at least before that happens without me looking like a sausage,but I live in hope.......;)
Also got some new slippers,mine were in a shocking state with doing chores.And a new purse because mine was SOOO tatty,even ripped. I spent forever at the purses stall checking every purse they had,I think.Too large,too small,not enough space for cards,no window on the outside for my bus pass,wrong colour etc etc etc.The lady was very long suffering but kept pointedly tidying up behind me. Finally got it sorted,and at home transferred a myriad of stuff from one to the other. Even enthusiastic decluttering couldnt get rid of much. I NEED all of it:rotfl::rotfl:Also got a new pair of earrings,shaped like a little rose,demure and pretty.
And the rest of the money bought me a new digital kitchen scale and a blender.DS2 pinched mine when he moved out,he's a juicing fanatic. I'm sick of hand whisking stuff!:)
Daughters think I'm very boring,they would have splashed out probably on one big impractical thing but I am happy(and frugal) getting useful things for no outlay
Completed 14/15 of my books for the month,only 30 pages left of the last book for March challenges I'll def finish it tonight.
Maintained at SW yesterday,relieved I didnt put on for a third week. Leaving a rotten month behind,lets see if things improve in April.
Ohoh,here come the tribe so thats it for now:D

dustydigger

:easter::easter:

Morning all,hope you have a good day........but its still freezing:D I will brave the icy winds later for a little walk. Need to because I am having an easter egg,dont want to know the syns:rotfl:

:EasterBun

I was very good yesterday,had about 12 portions of veggies in my big pan of soup almost no synsso I will enjoy my egg today.
Sunday is declutter day. I wanted to sort and tidy the cupboard under the stairs,and started early.I did it several months ago and was gratified that for the most part it was fine. I keep my TBR (To Be Read) books there,and it is bulging,so no more reserving books till I read down the pile. 35 books on there:eek:
Expecting my son to come to sort Mr Dusty's Fire tablet,and will be cooking of course,so I wont be around much this a.m.,but I will be sorting out in my mind what my plans are for April,and hope not to have many visitors so that I can get them down on paper. Once they are there in black and white I am much more likely to follow through!:)