From Frugal Foundations to Fortified Family Future

rtandon27

@ladybird1106 - Do you know if there is an age limit for youth hosteling?  Neither of us is particularly young anymore!

ladybird1106

Nope no age restrictions 
love 🐞

Greying_Pilgrim

RT - I don't think for one moment there is an upper-age limit for youth hostelling.  There used to be a lass on MSE - who went on to become a famous budgetting blogger in her own right, and she youth hostelled - and lets just say, she was 'well into her retirement'.  She was happy to use the dorm rooms, which is certainly one way of keeping costs down, but the YHA has modernised and family rooms are much more prevalent in hostels now.  The last time we went to a hostel (prior to LG even being a twinkle), we had a room with 2 bunkbeds and an en-suite shower room.  It is something I have considered 🐞- the last time was prior to the pandemic, LG was still a toddler, and the room was going to cost as much as a PI, but the bathroom was shared (I think there was a washbasin in the room, but that was all).  The hostel was in a much nicer location - fishing village, versus industrial estate on the edge of a town - but the price differential was so narrow, we went to the PI - albeit that the YH would have offered (shared) catering opportunities.  I know some chums went to a hostel a month or so ago - they paid iro £70 per night for their room, which was in a tourist location, so still cheaper than PI.

redo - hAv3n keep sending me through details of their offers - we were due to go to a park in Dorset, but then everything closed down due to the pandemic - but I never seem to find deals in places that we want to go, or a weekend stay is fairly priced, but you'd spend most of the time travelling there and back because the location is so far away.  

Well, DH and LG had a spiffing time at the museum.  They were out of the house for most of the day 😁 It is a good museum, and the volunteers are so committed and knowledgeable, but one was telling DH that they are worried about viability, as the visitor numbers are well down 😕

We had plant balls, HM tommie sauce, rice, broccoli and mixed veg for tea.  We had had black olive pizza and boiled new potatoes for tea last night (can't remember if i said), and the other week, DH had very kindly boxed up the remainder of the tommie sauce I had made, into 'pizza topping' cartons.  Unfortunately, he didn't realise that you don't need that much sauce to top a pizza, and had filled each of the freezer cartons full, so there was some tommie sauce left over from last night's tea. So having de-frosted it, I needed to use it up and so incorporated it into tonight's tea.  Clean plates all round, and a meal that was just right for the weather, as it's been overcast for much of the day.  

Right, well, we may not have booked to go away anywhere this week, but we're into the holidays now, and I need to pin DH down and see what plans we can come up with for tomorrow.  It's difficult having a discussion in front of LG sometimes, as whilst I value their ideas and opinions (we are 'Team Greying' after all), sometimes LG interprets discussion as 'we are definitely going to do.......'  And as you know, plans always need an element of flexibility and adaptability.  

Thanks for being here, and for relating your experiences about holidaying in the UK.  It's sad that it's a similar situation for us all - but at least it means that I'm not doing something 'obviously wrong'.  Costs have just risen.

MSE'rs are the kindest bunch - whether we only know each other 'virtually', or if we're lucky enough to have hooked up in RL too.  I really feel very blessed to be supported by this community.  Thank you.

Greying X

Greying_Pilgrim

Best laid plans.....  I managed to pin DH down to some sort of decision about what we might do today, and then LG was up in the night, unwell, so we've had a disturbed night.  DH has (I think) gone back to sleep, but will be grumpy 🐻 and will not want to fire up the jalopy to go anywhere, so that's today's excursion up in the air 🙄 I think LG is going to be fine - it was just one of those things, they'd had a long, exciting day.  All will be well.

What was I saying about flexibility......

In other news, I can't think of anything particularly MSE that is occurring at the mo.  Both cc bills have been settled, and the majority of DD's will have exited the account.  

I will need to fire up the washing machine just now.  I have been extremely lucky in the past few weeks in that everything that has been put out on the line has dried fully within the day.  I must remember this in the depths of winter when stuff is as sodden coming in as it went out, and I've to fire up the de-humidifier 🤔

I'm currently re-reading "The Long Winter" by Laura Ingalls Wilder.  I rather think life is peachy with us now compared to the 1880's, so I've plenty of blessings to count.  Although every time she describes the 'snow filled cuts' on the railway line, my imagination defaults to Ivor the Engine and the story of the sheep rescue - and the guy who'd been stranded in the next town along...... "I've got new teeth, you know".... '🤣 Focus Greying!

Right, let's seize the day, we'll have some sort of adventure for sure.  

Ta for popping by.  Appreciated.

Greying X

ladybird1106

That’s a blast from the past, loved Ivor the engine.
love 🐞

Cheery_Daff

I was thinking the same about washing just yesterday 😂 I did a load yesterday afternoon to take with us today, and another one I put on the line about 3pm! Mostly dry, although the hood of my hoodie is not quite as dry as it could be... but yes, it'll be a whole different story in the winter! 

You made me check the library app for a Little House on the Pararie audiobook for our drive but sadly there isn't one.

redofromstart

And how many of us have you now set off making Ivor the Engine noises? 

Love all of the Prairie books but have none on kindle and I can't see to read my hard copies. 

Greying_Pilgrim

redofromstart said:

And how many of us have you now set off making Ivor the Engine noises? 

Whaaaatttt??? 🤣 Don't blame me - you're all young things who aren't supposed to know what the heck I'm wittering on about when I'm wallowing down Nostalgia Way 🤣 ***Waves*** to all in the top, left-hand corner of Wales......... 😁

Heavens Cheery I'm surprised there aren't audio versions of classic books like that.  I have two of the 'new reprints' now - The house in the big woods and The long winter.  I don't know if they have been 'updated' for a modern audience, they don't appear to be.  

Well, we're back from our little adventure. We visited 3 historical sites, one staffed with volunteers, the other 2 open 24/7.  We didn't stay long at the first venue, as one of the volunteers was clearly on a power trip.  It was a shame, as the location was nice, and there were picnic tables - we had packed a picnic - but we decided it wasn't the place to hang around.  We would have bought some ice-creams at the village PO at the last venue, but unfortunately it was only open a day a week (Tuesday), which was amazing in itself, in a village in the middle of nowhere.  As it was. we stopped off at MrL on the way back home and bought some cheese (nearly out) and a box of double raspberry ice-creams, which are delicious and 4 for £3.29.  Given DH bought LG an icecream yesterday (with a flake) for £4.50, I thought it was probably best to try to economise a little.  

Interestingly, there were 3 - yes THREE green boxes in MrL... I did have a peek, but immediately saw why there were still boxes left in the afternoon........  there were about 6 items in each box - yes, 6 individual items.....  even if they had been perfect, it would have been a stretch to see how they were worth £1.50, but given there was some browning, some shrivelling, and some bruising and squidgeyness, it was patently obvious why people had not bothered to part with their hard-earned to purchase them........  Anyone feel that sometimes retailers take us for fools......

As it was I spent £9.68 - which I need to add to my grocery budget.  

The washing has dried well on the line whilst we've been out.  It's not bone dry, but then we've only a breeze, not much sunshine today.  But if I can leave it out for another few hours, it will be good enough. 
 
So, we are officially in 'holiday mode' as we have played tourists, had a picnic lunch, and abandoned the household chores for another day....... 😉

Greying X

rtandon27

So lovely that family Greying are supporting their local museums.  You have inspired me to put a visit to ours on the list for this week, it is only 5 mins away (walking) & even closer to us than the docs office & the pharmacy which I popped into this morning

Haha - you are not the only one to abandon household chores today!  I'm not interested in doing laundry and OH is not interested in putting the hoover round or doing the washing up.  So we have both declared it a strike day.

Instead, we went on a 2.5 hour jaunt around town to do various chores, including picking up prescriptions, a b-day pressie and grocery bits from small shops that needed restocking (for our Staycation).  MrAl shocked me with the price for (EVOO) olive oil!  I think we shall be stretching out the end of our bottle for salad & hummus dressing only and sticking to British grown rapeseed going forward!  What used to be a 3.99 bottle was now almost 8, and given that it was the only oil fully stocked and the rest were only 1/2 stocked I think the rest of the town has bypassed it too!  Sadly the (international) Variety store has amended it's hours and is no longer open 7 days a week - they are now closed Monday so our planned treaty Staycation dinner of Momos & stuffed Bao will have to wait until another day.  Leftovers will feature heavily on the menu tonight, and our grocery budget pot will be happy that we are being frugal!

After putting away all the bits and bobs, we moved one of our other planned outings to this afternoon.  A country drive to a newly renovated country pub for afternoon drinks and a couple of small nibbles to go with it.  Yummy grilled things on sticks and a drink each, very frugal and now we can say we have been to the "in" place to be & be seen 🤣😉 - Neither of us have ever been trendy but it will be a fun conversation for a couple of very boring get togethers we have been invited to.  Nothing worse than two happy introverts subjecting themselves to extrovert activities willingly! - at least this way we won't seem to be the bores that we are!

Little house on the prairie was a firm favorite as a child!  My grandfather thought the show to be good wholesome family entertainment, so it was one of the few shows I got to watch. (I was sent to bed by my grandma the minute Benny Hill or Are you being served made an appearance!)  I also remember reading the books holding my small Holly Hobby doll.  I must check out if our virtual library has an electronic or audio version of the series, it would make for a lovely commuting activity!

Cheery_Daff

I'm sure there is an audiobook version,  just not through our library.  Although I keep forgetting that I am actually a member of THREE local libraries (in different counties) so I must check with the others!