Struggling along as best I can

Blackcats

I love your diary too nannygladys.  You are an inspiration with your food budget and sometimes when I'm about to buy some extravagant food item I compare it's cost to your weekly food spend and that gives me a sense of perspective.  I neatly spent £5.85 on a ready made bakewell sponge pudding to have after Sunday lunch .... I've got all the ingredients I need at home so I'm going to try and make one myself - let's see how that turns out 😱

carolbee

I too love you diary Nanny

poppy811

Pleased to see you back

nannygladys

Thanks for all the kind comments, they were lovely to read, thanks again.

Today, well I didn't get up until 8.30!! Lovely warm lie in which I really appreciated, but it made me a bit lazy the rest of the day lol. Took dgd no. 1 for her orthodontist appt but stopped in the car as its always cold in the waiting room, luckily she wasn't in there too long but I didn't get much of my book read. Dropped her off at her house, went home and then took pup on a longer walk than I intended so it was dark when we arrived back. I then went to see a friend and have a quick chat and coffee, and now I'm having a catch up on here. That's my day.

I'm still finding things to take to the cs, considering I didn't think I had much I'm quite surprised how much I do have, just goes to show how much stuff I didn't really see!! And I will keep doing it up to at least Xmas. Roll on the better weather and I'll start on the shed

Been reading the frugal thread, when I was much much younger, me and ex watched the good life and thought that's what we would like to do, but never took the plunge, scared I think to make the commitment.... life is full of what ifs isn't it, but since retiring, getting the lottie, having my house and no debt it's the nearest I'll get to it and do you know what I'm happy with what I have and do, I think at last I'm living how I want to, not being pressurized by consumerism - never thought I'd say that!!!!! 

Anyway off to read a bit more, take care everyone.
Nannyg

Sun_Addict

What a lovely positive post. To be happy with your lot is a wonderful thing.

nannygladys

Sun_Addict - I have done quite a lot of soul searching whilst away from the boards and I really believe I have everything I need in life (must have been the clearing out of 'stuff' lol). There's always going to be something going on and next year I have house repairs and updates to do but I can save hard, take time, source well and enjoy the process,  I don't feel pressured anymore, not sure why and I expect there will be some days when I do but on the whole I'm in a very good place!!!

nannygladys

Today has been busy, eldest dgd came and we went and did a bit of food shopping in t@sco and hb's and then went to get some milk from the farm, I decided to treat dgd and dgd that I have tomorrow, to a bottle of milk shake but as we were putting the milk into the syrup the machine stopped and we had to see the farmer who gave us a free litre of milk- win win!!!

The pup had a good walk over the fields and at the moment has flopped down on the heath rug, and dgd and I are flopped down on the settees!!! We all came back wet and muddy but felt really good, especially when we sat down with a hot drink and a slice of cake

I have £10.00 left to last until next Wednesday, but should be ok, well it's hard cheese if I'm not, I will have to manage. I'm out on Monday for dinner with some good friends as my Xmas present, so I don't have to pay for that, and they always add spoil me. We met as student nurses in the late sixties, (so long ago) and have been good friends ever since, we don't live that close so only see each other a couple of times a year (well pre cv) and keep in touch more regularly by writing letters .

I have made a meal plan for dinners and bought leeks to make leek and potato soup and I already have some sweet potatoes to make another soup, I have found an out of date bread mix in the cupboard, so I will be putting that in the breadmaker and I have enough of everything else in the cupboards, freezer etc. I have worked out I just need to do a veg shop before Xmas and that should be about it unless I treat myself to some bought biscuits and chocolate, but I may have missed a few bits out that I will need.

Off to fuss pup and do a bit more if the Xmas jigsaw.
Nannyg

CL21

We discovered a milk vending machine had been set up near us a few weeks ago and the milk is so much more delicious from there! We can get milkshakes as well (and there’s a horribly tempting cake and biscuit vending machine too). 

Dog cuddles and a jigsaw sounds perfect 🤩 

nannygladys

CL21 - at the moment I can only get full fat milk, but they are going to start semi and skimmed soon. They also sell different cheeses, butter, cream and local honey, all looks lovely but I have so far resisted. I like supporting local farmers and today we went to look at the new calves and ladies waiting to be milked. They also sell raw milk. My eldest dd uses the farm for milk all the time, it's only small and they are so nice there.

Toonie

I'd love to find a milk vending machine but there's nothing nearby to me. Every now and then there is a dairy stall at the farmers market on a Sunday, but it's very expensive (not surprising given how "affluent" the area is becoming-I can imagine the pitch cost is quite high). Every now and then I'll treat myself to a bit of cheese though.