Pay off mortgage and start having even more fun 😁

themadvix

I think you’re underestimating how much what you did wasn’t ‘necessary’! You always go above and beyond for your children and their partners and it’s lovely to hear that DIL recognises this - not all parents/families would be so welcoming as you! It sounds like you all have a great relationship, which is so lovely.

newgirly

Thank you for the very kind comments everyone 😊 

Well today the grocery pot is standing at £226.60/£350, I need to buy a whole load of fresh chicken, veg and other it stuff to make a massive vat of Thai green curry for tomorrow nights visit to ds2’s with ds1 and girlfriend. Initially we offered to take him for a curry but he’s very busy and his brother wanted to see him too, so we are going there and I’m taking food which is a big financial relief. They wouldn’t expect us to pay if we went out, but some of them maybe wouldn’t be as keen on coming and shelling out for a meal just before Xmas, plus money seems to have run away from me a bit lately and the £1 a day savings have gone now - kids December hampers, mc d@nalds, meal out with old work friend etc. so home cooking it is and ds2’s requested I make lots more for them have the leftovers 🤣  

Tomorrow I have great Aunt over for lunch, no mum as they are (more on mums part) not really talking still - after a year and a half 😒 honestly in my 50 years I’ve not EVER known a family fall out, it’s just not our family dynamics usually. But this year it’s been so strange, there’s mum and great aunt, mum and aunt at one point (during our family cruise) dh and my brother (that’s still awkward but we went out Friday) and currently ds2 and dd as well - I’m sorely tempted to run away from home and leave them all to it! 

Anyway, moving on to nicer and more festive things 😁 



Today plans :

L!dl shop for to tomorrows food and some salad and fruit for me - diets starts today! 

Get birthday card and wrap gift for friend whose birthday is New Year’s Day ready to drop off 

Text friend who has had op to see when I can drop her gift off 

Clean house as great aunt over tomorrow 

Maybe buy Xmas flowers for dil and ds1’s girlfriend if I can find some nice and reasonably priced and maybe even some for me 😁

take mum for coffee at shops 

Collect parcel 

South_coast

newgirly said:

diets starts today! 

Are you absolutely certain??? I seem to have gone the other way 🤣!

newgirly

🤣I’m  the same , that’s why I need to start now or I’ll be another half a stone heavier by next year  😩 I will be having a few days off Xmas week but that’s it, which is an improvement from having mid November to the end of January off when I insist on eating everything as it’s Xmas 🤣 

newgirly

Stressful week so far, bit worried we will have Ww3 come Xmas day family tensions wise 😩 

Had Great Aunt over for lunch earlier in the week, also saw ds1&2 and partners where I took dinner and then last night had dd, sil and DGD round for pizza (shop bought 😬). That’s pretty much it now, dh is out for his Xmas do tomorrow - I imagine this will wipe out most of the weekend as it will be very heavy drinking I imagine and he will attempt to keep up 🤣 plus I’m meeting friends for breakfast Saturday in town. Might need to visit the inlaws before Xmas day but other than that I’m hoping for freedom to do what we feel like without having too many plans. Mostly cinema trip and tv probably knowing us 😆 

Finances are strained a little as I’ve bought extra food for seeing the kids this week, plus stocked up on a lot of tins and jars on a big shop early on. Grocery budget is at £73.47/£350 until Jan 4th. Personal spends are dwindling too after my Xmas day put last week and buying a jumper this week 🙄

newgirly

Oh dear I’ve bought yet more food! £18.83 left now /£350. I did a big cheap veg shop yesterday and then spent the afternoon roasting bags of potatoes and parsnips as well as blanching sprouts that dh has refused to eat, plus lots of carrots and shallots. It’s took so long to peel, cook and freeze that I’m seriously doubting if it was worth the effort 😆 if it just been the veg it would have been a very cheap shop, but it was also flowers for mum plus more normal food, dh then had the cheek tonight after dinner to say there’s nothing to eat- we are bursting at the seams 😳 no Xmas treats I guess he means! 

Brunch with friends today was enjoyable but not great value, we went to the trendy breakfast place where best friends teenage son has a weekend job, he dressed up as buddy the elf today (without being asked) 🤣 so that was quite funny, over £22 for my vegan grill which was small and one coffee plus tip wasn’t brilliant though. Then round ds2’s to board the loft or in my case sit with the cat drinking tea and listening to music for hours, very nice. A quiet one this evening, tucked up in bed nice and early and about to watch “The holdovers” film which I saw at the cinema when it first came out. I quite enjoyed it so I fancied a rewatch. 

skint_spice

I quite enjoyed The Holdovers too

themadvix

That is a pricey veggie breakfast out NG, quite agree with you there!

newgirly

Our town is 50% restaurants, many of which do brunch now and they are still always full, crazy! 

Well dh is ill, came down with what i thought was man flu a few hours ago, but has since been thrown up -sorry if tmi 😩 he’s staying downstairs (I did of course offer!) and I’m upstairs tonight avoiding him. It’s always at Xmas isn’t it, every single year. So his plans to take dd to see his parents tomorrow has been postponed, I shan’t offer either just incase 😉 

Ds2 popped by today, he drove ten mins from where he lives to get dil’s favourite hot chocolate from our local shop, he’s done an advent for them to do different activities everyday and that was todays. Of course he couldn’t leave empty handed and took a bag of my freshly frozen roast potatoes and a bag each of the prepped sprouts and carrots 🤣 i’m sure they will vanish fast now he has found them! I also had a “roast in a bowl” for dinner upstairs- hence the bowl, it’s not easy eating a roast sitting on your bed 😆. Bit of everything I froze the other day, with a couple of veggie sausages and shop bought yorkshires and gravy, very nice indeed and the shallots made it even better. I may even venture out tomorrow if I’m bored and get some more to freeze….

Jessy103

Wishing DH a speedy recovery and hope you stay lurgy free! X