From Frugal Foundations to Fortified Family Future

kayannie

GP - I'm always willing to share! If there's something in my MrL box that I know we won't eat (aubergines ugh! or coriander, ugh!ugh!!) I try to pass it on to someone else as soon as I leave the shop. Most times, I just get a funny look from whoever I'm offering it to! I asked in the shop if I could put something I didn't need in another box, but apparently that's not allowed!
KA

Greying_Pilgrim

If anyone needs me, you'll find me lingering outside the MrL across the way, awaiting distribution of random aubergines............ 🤣

RT - love it when we munch the frog and know that our future selves will thank us 😁👍

LG and I just walked into Greying town.  I had to do another money shuffle, as the cc bill is in and will need settling.  Luckily it was pretty overcast for much of our walk there and back, so it was quite pleasant - the sun is back out again now tho.  We bumped into one of the teachers from school on the way back and had a natter.  I'm always conscious that it is their holiday too, and it must be a nightmare to bump into your pupils all the time, but they said they were happy to chat 😁LG hasn't had them as a class teacher - and is now unlikely to - which is a shame, as they are a good teacher, and one of these people that really loves kids, and wants the best for them.  

Washing is pegged out on the line - whisper it - I'm more or less caught up.  Mind, having pegged it out, there was smoke wafting across the estate just before we set out to town, earlier.  I don't know what was on fire.  It must have been more than someone burning their garden waste or de-carbonising the BBQ, as it was in the air for much of our walk into town, so not actually confined to 'just' our bit of the estate - and surely not a neighbour.  So I'll have to take a punt that it's not cloyed to the laundry.  

On our walk back we noticed some ripe blackberries - we walked the same way the other day, so either I am an ignoramus, or they have literally ripened overnight.  Someone had already flattened the weeds in front of the brambles, so I picked a couple of berries - which looked plump and were dark purple, but unfortunately, mine was sooooooo sour 😕  What's the betting that if we'd not have been able to reach them, they would be the sweetest, ripest..........  A person walking their dog laughed at me, 'not being able to resist temptation...', but at least the brambles were on common ground, not along someone's garden fence.  

Right, best crack on with getting the cc bill paid, it'll be time to get ready to go out before I know it.

Greying X

ladybird1106

Ours blackberries are quite sour despite looking plump and ripe. I’ve put it down to lack of sunshine or the shear amount of rain we’ve had has washed all the nutrients out the soil.
 Love🐞

Greying_Pilgrim

Ay up 🐞I think you're right - I would plump for lack of sunlight over a period of time, I'm sure sunlight must transform the natural sugars or something.  If the brambles invading our garden are anything to go by - along with some errant ivy, then I think the rain has made them into triffids! 🤣

Well, it's been a funny auld time.  I made the mistake of ordering something online yesterday for click & collect in the nearest metropolitan city along.  I didn't have access to my email, and we'd set out by the time the company decided to cancel our order, as the item wasn't actually in stock in that branch......  They didn't bother updating the text message - despite the fact that they claim that is how they keep you abreast of your order status.  Time and petrol wasted......  And the needed item still not sourced 🙁

We were going to go on a mini-adventure today, but I ended up pulling the plug on our bed for the night at Sir Len's gaff, as it was too much stuff to gather together for a relatively short amount of time away.  Self-Catering is a pain - especially when you're not somewhere with a basic kitchen set-up.  Anyhoo - grumble over, it's no good me wishing DH would take over more of the planning/prep for trips, he won't/can't - it's not his forte.......  

Anyway, degree in hindsight, it turns out that there are 2 huge events happening in the locale of where we would be - one at the start of the week, and the other towards the end, so everywhere would have been heaving and it makes me wonder just why we managed to get a hotel bed within a 20 mile radius......... 🤔  As it was, I was miffed because DH dithered over whether to agree to go, and the room rate went up £10 from when I'd initially looked into it......  Something to leave for another time of the year though, I think.

And perhaps I am just going to have to suck up the type of charges for hotel rooms/chalets/static caravans etc that are being charged these days.  Someone was telling me about a booking they had made in a school holiday period - very nearly £800 for a self-catering let, within the UK.  There are 5 in their family make-up, so I suppose for a week, the price pp isn't too bad - although i don't suppose it would be much less for 3.  I find it very difficult to consider spending that amount of money, and then adding on food, fuel, additional entertainments etc.  How I wish I was much more of a pack your credit card and a spare pair of nicks in yer handbag and jump on the plane, kinda gal....... 

DH and LG have gone out on an adventure together this morning.  They like going to a local-ish museum and having fun together.  They request a pack-up lunch (the catering at the museum is notoriously expensive), and usually get a good few hours of 'together' time.  Museum entry is free, but you do have to pay to park, which isn't too onerous.  As we had no cake/biscuits in the house, I whipped up a small batch of Welsh cakes this morning.  Always reminds me of my late mum, making Welsh cakes. 

Right, I best shift a tail feather, otherwise I'll have done nowt and the adventurers will have returned, and I'll have made no hay.  

Greying X

kayannie

GP - Welsh cakes remind me if my mum too. She wrote the recipe on a scrap of paper many years ago & I came across it when clearing her house after she passed away. I tucked it inside one of my recipe books (together with her recipe for apricot jam). I think of mum every time I make either. 

In our neck of the woods, £800 is less than the going rate for a week's holiday let. The place next door to us is double that during school holidays, & it's a very small bungalow. I can only remember it being unoccupied once since Easter, some people book it for a fortnight. 

KA x

Cheery_Daff

Self catering has got SO much more expensive! 😱 Used to be a relatively cheap way of having a weekend away but not any more 😕

Greying_Pilgrim

Cheery - it has got expensive hasn't it.  And given that we  prefer to self-cater, as it quickly gets expensive eating all meals out, I feel that we're between a rock and a hard place.  Although I was just thinking that when we use Sir Len's gaff, we need to think in the future about maybe purchasing the breakfasts.  I know kids eat 'free' with one (?) paying adult, and LG has now started to be much better about eating a range of foods, so it could represent better value for money - and take the pressure off a bit.  And again, had I booked the PI room when I first saw it, I would have (notionally) had £10 extra that could have been put towards those breakfasts.  So.  Note to self - just book it in future!  🤣

Thanks everyone for listening to my grumbles.  All is well, and all will be well.  We've still holiday left to 'play' with, and people have been kind, so we've actually plenty to look forward to as well.  We are very blessed.

Greying X

redofromstart

We tended to go May or October half term but those same cottages got into silly money in peak time. Worth looking at short stays in H4ven caravans (bronze) which can be reasonable. 

Also worth looking at less obvious places like the edge of the Lake District. 

rtandon27

GP & Cheery - may I join you in the lament about Vacationing away! 

I almost cannot believe just how expensive it is to vacation in the UK.  It's actually cheaper to get a last minute deal to Europe and pay for a week's parking at the airport than staying here!  We costed out a trip to Italy on a last minute deal, and all in (including food at cafe's & grocery stores) it would only cost 300 to 400 for the two of us for 7 to 10 days!  How can this be possible?  It's a moot point atm as I'm not medically able to get on a plane, but the cost difference is truly horrifying!  Last April we went to Kent for 4 days to meet up with family who had come over from across the pond, and our budget friendly trip cost us 400!!!  We did nothing extravagant, bought food at MrAl's to self-cater and the only (frugal) meal we had out was covered by the relatives!

We have not been away since the end of August last year, though I have had a lot of leave from work!  We've been Staycationing, spending only on food & petrol, making use of mostly free or NT venues and saving on accommodation, travel and expensive food out!  It's served us in that we have kept the funds in our pockets, as at some point a trip back across the pond is due and that is NEVER cheap even pre-pandemic.  Though we may stay with family & friends we do have to reciprocate with meals out & gifts.  I think the path forward is to tell everyone I've become a hermit and not go anywhere!

ladybird1106

Have you thought about youth hosteling, our kids used to love going. It’s not as cheap as it used to be though.
love🐞