From Frugal Foundations to Fortified Family Future

rtandon27

Morning GP - How about a Mama & Baba date on Saturday? 

Personally I relish the memories of the scant days we'd spend together!  Mine was a career Mama, so many of my memories involve sitting under her desk while she worked on a Saturday!  The days we got outside to the park to play are definitely cherished!  Picnic blanket, board games and a munchie meal

Greying_Pilgrim

Back from shopping.  A total of £44.36 spent in MrL and MrS.  Siggie updated.  Half way through the month and 2/3rds of the way through the money - mmmmm, methinks it may be me that is busting mine own budget! 😕  But still, the freezers are now full-ish, and we have got food to munch on.  

Mind, food must be more expensive, as there was a customer being served in MrL and there was some kerfuffle over payment - I suspect the method in which they were trying to pay had a limit amount, and they were just over it, it got solved by paying in 2 transactions.  The amount was just over £100.  Whilst they did have a slightly wider trolley, it wasn't even really half full.  I realise that there could have been gold-plated chocolates contained there in, but at a glance, it didn't look like £100 of food - iyswim. 

I did benefit from a 'cheaper' cucumber in the PoTW.  Got it from the normal section tho, as the ones that were in the PoTW section looked to be about ready to draw their old age pension 🙄I did also get some YS'd small corn tortillas.  We've not actually tried them yet, but as I was going to use the pack out of the freezer for tea anyway, I thought I would take a punt and buy a second pack.  Nothing thrilling bought in MrS, although i did manage to get 2 tins of chickpeas from there as MrL was oos.  

 Greying X

Greying_Pilgrim

Sorry RT I didn't see your post there. 

Yes, we'll try to do something on Saturday.  Trouble is, there isn't really anything special being with me - it's more of what happens in the week.  Whereas last week, when LG got to go to the community cafe with their beloved papa, it was a bit more special, because it doesn't happen that often.  Lunch with me - even a picnic, is a little bit 'everyday'. Hopefully we will be going out on an adventure tomorrow to deliver something to a wider family member, so that could prove a little more interesting, and I'll certainly pack a picnic.  

Greying X

kayannie

Morning Greying! Just been catching up as we had a day out yesterday & got back fairly late. Nothing exciting, just a visit to the closest big town to purchase a new microwave as mine died a couple of days ago. 

Sorry to hear about the so-called friend that upset you. As others have already said, those 'friends' are not worth having around.  Thank goodness that you hadn't mentioned in to LG!  I once had one of those 'friends' that was really horrible to me, quite out of the blue & I couldn't help dwelling on it for days. I discovered later that this particular person had upset several others including her family, some of whom are no longer in contact with her. At least it wasn't just me!

You're doing a stirling job with LG, who I'm sure will look back on their childhood with happy memories.

I popped into MrL on the way past yesterday, but no green boxes. I bought a couple of bits which took me over the £50 threshold for a free bakery item. Of course, I will choose the most expensive loaf of crusty bread! I also have 2 free bakery items to collect within the next 7 days so I'm well happy with that.

There's no MrM store near me, but I went into the one in the town we went to yesterday. I had 3 MrT items on my shopping list. All 3 were on offer in MrM so no need to visit MrT. When I paid, the machine gave me 2 vouchers, one for £3 off a £30 shop & one for £1.50 off chocs or cakes.  I gave the £3 one to another customer as it was only valid for 7 days,  but bought my DH a large bar of choc that I only paid 30p for! 

And we found a microwave at a reasonable price with a £20 reduction!

It was a beautiful day yesterday, today it's very wet. No 2 days are the same just lately.

KA

Greying_Pilgrim

Ay up kayannie - sounds like bargainacious shopping - even without the MrL box, although that would have been the cherry (or satsuma, or banana or potato) on top, wouldn't it?  Yeah, I think it may come out that there is some 'bigger picture' to this person's behaviour.  I can't say it was completely out of character, but it was still 'odd enough' to floor me.  Still, 'tis done and dusted now - onwards and upwards! 😁

We took a pootle out to return the sportswear to MrT that was too small, and got our money back.  We then popped to a couple of other shops 'that side of town', and popped into fArm f00ds too for a look.  I didn't spot too much tremendously bargainacious, but I can't remember if - when we were first all chatting about the La1la foods offer in MrT, whether we decided that the La1la Basmati rice, 10kg, green bag was good, bad or indifferent?  I happened to notice that FF had the 10kg bags for £14.99, which is certainly £2 less than MrL charge for their basmati sacks - although I'm happy with the quality of MrL basmati.  Was it La1la that someone mentioned was apt to be broken and bitty?  Or was that another brand?  Anyhoo, I spotted it there.  I did buy some tinned pulses - black eye beans and chickpeas 39p a can and some gherkins.  I will update my siggie just now.  

Greying X

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Evening MSE'rs

Tea was a success.  It never ceases to amaze me how entranced with a "Hiya-cinth BooQay Buff-ay", LG is.  I mean it's the same stuff, just deconstructed, so that you can re-construct it again..... 🤣 I used the corn tortillas.  Can't say I was super taken with them.  Think I will stick to the wholemeal ones in future - and the plain flour ones if they're YS'd 🤣  I cooked up a bit of ditali pasta and combined it with the l/o ratatouille from last night and that made portions for DH and LG to have - I put them in separate bowls, so it added to the buffet-vibe 😁 So good use of 'bitsa', 'bobs' and YS'd stuff for our meal.  Yoghurt for pud.  

The weather is a bit dreich here.  I had done a couple of quick washes of some of LG's new clothes to just avoid colour coming out/get rid of the manufacturing aromas, and they were drying quite well in the breeze, but as we were out when the showers began, they got a bit damp.  Not too bad considering, but I've had to break the clothes horse out - it's been on vacay for 6 weeks + and boy, have I loved having our space back.  Ah well, the clothes really won't take long to dry.

Hopefully we will go for a pootle tomorrow, take a pack-up, see some different places - and (maybe) some different faces.  

DH has just started the washing up, and the boiler is making a strange noise....... 😕😬  It's not showing any 'codes' 😬

Today I am grateful that the day was pedestrian.  Just what was needed.

Greying X

redofromstart

I vaguely remember bad reviews of the entry level green one, and bought the gold version from an online monster. It is very good indeed, and randomly stands upright in very long strands in a fascinating way once cooked. 

My pair remember very little of what we did in the holidays. They remember the hated childcare bits but not the ongoing boredom of home with be with little money. They both still say the best day out ever was jumping in every puddle round the reservoir and driving home in underwear sat on carrier bags . Not the expensive trips to theme parks etc that I carefully saved for, or the annual tickets to the local zoo and museum that they had for birthday gifts.  Mr Redo was never there - he was hard at work earning the money which allowed me to part time stay at home. 

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Morning MFW'rs

I've just been to Icelund.  Unfortunately, the store, not the country (what an adventure THAT would be 😁).  I did only go for a look, but honestly, it's more expensive than MrS!  I think I somewhat surprised the lass on the counter where you could exit the shop by cheerily saying 'bye' without stopping a trolley with her, or hoisting up a basket onto belt.  Even the few bits of YS'd stuff (more cakes than vegetables), weren't that cheap, and in the case of the cakes, we can live without them.

Anyhoo, I just wanted to check I wasn't missing out, we had to be in the locale early doors, and as they open at 8am it was actually nice to wander around whilst it was quiet.  Perhaps all the special offers were on things we don't buy, but I'm grateful it's not my only shopping option.  We then came back via the big HB and picked up some yoghurt, apples, sunflower oil and - ironically, a packet of biscuits, what was I saying about healthy eating??? 😕🙄

We've a trip out planned today, so I must get on and prep some snap.  I'm thinking veggie burger baps and oven chips for tea.  

It was right autumnal outside this morning when DH left for work.  Season's changing......,  The condensation was bad on the front window - not entirely surprising, given the clothes horse is located by it, but I was surprised to see a house across the way with very steamed windows - surprised because they have modern double glazing, and it's always looked clear, even in the depths of winter.  Perhaps there was laundry drying in that room too, who knows.

Right, let's get today's adventure started.

Ta for popping in.  Appreciated.  

Greying X

kayannie

Greying_Pilgrim said:

Good Morning MFW'rs

I've just been to Icelund.  Unfortunately, the store, not the country (what an adventure THAT would be 😁).  I did only go for a look, but honestly, it's more expensive than MrS!  I think I somewhat surprised the lass on the counter where you could exit the shop by cheerily saying 'bye' without stopping a trolley with her, or hoisting up a basket onto belt.  Even the few bits of YS'd stuff (more cakes than vegetables), weren't that cheap, and in the case of the cakes, we can live without them.

Anyhoo, I just wanted to check I wasn't missing out, we had to be in the locale early doors, and as they open at 8am it was actually nice to wander around whilst it was quiet.  Perhaps all the special offers were on things we don't buy, but I'm grateful it's not my only shopping option.  We then came back via the big HB and picked up some yoghurt, apples, sunflower oil and - ironically, a packet of biscuits, what was I saying about healthy eating??? 😕🙄

We've a trip out planned today, so I must get on and prep some snap.  I'm thinking veggie burger baps and oven chips for tea.  

It was right autumnal outside this morning when DH left for work.  Season's changing......,  The condensation was bad on the front window - not entirely surprising, given the clothes horse is located by it, but I was surprised to see a house across the way with very steamed windows - surprised because they have modern double glazing, and it's always looked clear, even in the depths of winter.  Perhaps there was laundry drying in that room too, who knows.

Right, let's get today's adventure started.

Ta for popping in.  Appreciated.  

Greying X

I started a reply to you this morning but managed to lose it! I sometimes pop into that icy shop on Tuesdays as they give oldies like me a 10 per cent discount then. There are a couple of things that I go in for - sugar has been 2 bags for £2 so with the discount it works out at 90p a bag. The other offer I take advantage of is 3 for £3 on certain bakery items (£2.70 after discount). Warburton's 9 pack of crumpets is included in this offer & as you can mix & match, I'll buy something to put in the cupboard for when I don't get round to baking. 

It's been a glorious day here after a very wet one yesterday. I managed to fill a large container with blackberries on my afternoon walk. Just got to try & squeeze them in the freezer
KA x

greenbee

Your neigbour’s double glazing may have condensation in the outside. My north-facing bedroom window (left open overnight) certainly does today.