From Frugal Foundations to Fortified Family Future

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Evening MFW'rs

We ended up being lucky with the weather.  It rained a bit - we got a little wet returning to the car in MrS, but for the rest of the day it's been dry - despite clouding over several times.  But I put the washing out and it's dried, and I've just got it in, folded it and put it away - and the rest of Fam. Greying were tasked with putting their items away too!  

We did pop out to somewhere different for our 'picnic' lunch.  It was somewhere I wanted to explore - although it's not going to sound frightfully glamorous, but it was a local-ish picnic stop/lorry park that is about a 10 minute drive from the house.  It borders some lovely wildspace, and I had never been there, despite it being in existence for well over 10 years.  Anyway, we arrived, found a parking spot in the shade, and had a bit of a walk to explore.  It wasn't as easy to access the 'wild' bit as I had hoped, so that will be left for another time.  At this point, although it was breezy, the sun was beating down, so we went back to the main bit of the spot and found a picnic bench in the shade.  There were quite a few benches - and although there is a cafe on-site, the seats for 'cafe use only' were quite clearly marked.  LG had been suggesting various places to go for lunch - 3 of which we visited last week 🙄- but in the end, although it wasn't quite the picturesque spot that would have added to the whole experience, it was sufficiently "different", we were outdoors and we did spot one or two things to tell Daddy all about later, so for a 20 minute round-trip drive and putting what we would have eaten anyway, into a box, I would count that a win.  It was 'lunch out', it wasn't a day trip excursion.  

I've felt a little 'flat' this afternoon - I am pointing the finger firmly at hormonal shenanigans I think.  There's absolutely nowt else wrong.  I did think this would lessen now I'm firmly in the 'transition' phase, but clearly not 🙄  Anyhoo, all is well, so I'm just defaulting to kicking myself up the bum, and getting on with things.

Tea was a bit boring, I resorted to fish fingers (MrS cod ones), and oven chips with the last of the HG runner beans we had been gifted.  I also had one (bought) salad tomato left, so I quartered  that up, and LG ate up their quarter - with absolutely no fuss, nor moaning!  Result 😁We all had a MrS dark chocolate choc-ice for pud.

I happened to notice that the house that we rented up until recently has hit the market again.  I don't know if there has been a void, or whether the last tenants didn't work out.  The people that rented after us only appeared to spend 6 months there.  It is now well over £250pm more than when we were renting it, and both DH and me are just soooooo grateful we got out when we did.  There is just no way that we could afford that rent now. Rent and CT alone would take up 50% of the monthly household income.  Although it was a 'modernish' house, it had shonky windows and was awful to keep warm in winter - even with the mild winters we had there.  

Very much counting blessings that we're here I think.  

Greying X

themadvix

Your outing to the lorry stop sounds like the sort of thing I’d do - intrigued by something nearby I’d not been to and happy with a different view for lunch. Sounds like it definitely ticked the box for LG’s desire to go out! 

Hope you’re feeling more your usual self this morning.

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Morning MFW'rs

Thank tmv - I am feeling better this morning, which does point more to hormonal fluctuations.  

The moon was pretty spiffy this morning.  Not too sure if it was red-tinged anyway, or whether the sunrise was hitting it.  It had set by the time I actually got out of bed - which was before LG so they didn't even get to see it 🙄

DH had been busy making plans for him and LG for the weekend without consulting me 🙄  His line of thinking is that he'd take LG out for a few hours and I would have some peace.  My thinking is - what if I want to go out somewhere as a family??? Not too sure what we'll end up doing.  DH was thinking about an outdoor event - which to my knowledge is firmly outdoor, with no shelter/buildings and has taken no regard to what the weather may be doing.......  I'm not too sure it will be LG's cup of tea - lots of potential for standing about and waiting. I've just looked it up - there doesn't appear to be differentiated entry pricing adults/concessions/kids - so it would be quite a chunk of change to go there too.....  especially if LG got bored after half an hour in the rain...... 

I'm hopeful to use up some more of my YS'd courgettes today by making Madhur Jaffrey's Courgette Dalcha for tea.  I think it is in her...... Curry Easy Vegetarian cookbook?  I can rarely find a link for it, but it is an easy recipe that enhances it's simple ingredients.  

We are definitely in the quiet zone regarding bills and money shuffles at the mo.  The credit card bill should come along in the next week or so - spending on that isn't massive, and is mostly covered by CHB as it is clothing for LG and petrol for the car which is budgeted for monthly.  

Right, I need to get a second cup of coffee and do some planning - we need some activities to look forward to - today and for the rest of the week.

Greying X 

debtfreewannabe321

Can I just ask what shop HB is? I can't figure it out.... 🙈 Those stock cubes in Mr S sound interesting and I will go and see if I can get some of them next time I'm near that shop. I've never seen those flavours before!

I'm through the mid life transition now (just)...and the hormones, mood swings and crazy crying for no reason, feeling hot for no good reason....it's enough to drive someone mad. Sage tea is supposed to help I think I found out about it too late though and it didn't make much difference to me. 

Hope you have a great day ❤️

Greying_Pilgrim

👋 to dfw321 - Hun, HB is my shorthand for h0me bargainz - hope that helps.   I don't use those branded stockcubes very often at all, but at £1 for 6, and for use in certain dishes, I thought I would indulge.  Where I can, I usually use half or even quarter of a stock cube in dishes (depending on what it is and how much I'm making).  My symptoms are definitely tapering off (about blooming time!), but i don't think I'm quite out of the woods yet.  Although feeling low isn't nice, it's the mood swings I detested the most, as I can't contain bad moods 😕 hopefully things are getting calmer and calmer as time goes on.

Greying X

EssexHebridean

I had cause to visit the flats we used to live in last night - a lovely pal had some food items they couldn't use and left them for us to collect when they left to go on holidays - having gone round there, I feel all the more grateful that we no longer live there. It most certainly isn't the same as it was when we originally moved there over 20 years ago, and it's not changed for the better! 

debtfreewannabe321

Oh of course!! All I could think of was the health shop h&b! That makes more sense now 😅 

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Morning MFW'rs

Yesterday turned out a bit meh!  Unfortunately LG had their stubborn head on, and when I suggested taking our lunch out and about - they came up with a gazinty million reasons why they shouldn't participate, and then when I said, "Fine, we'll stay put", naturally that wasn't right, and they wanted to go..... 🙄  So I drew a line and said no, on the basis that, by the time we'd got snap organised etc, time would have been ticking on.  LG has a propensity to say 'No' and then change their mind after considerable deliberation, and expects everybody to fall in with what they have deigned to agree to 🙄  We are not raising a spoilt child.  So this morning, we're going shopping, LG has been told in good time, and is aware of what they need to do and where they need to be.  

Tea last night was omlette (used up the last mixed weight eggs) that were close to date, mashed potatoes (used up the last 6 potatoes) and baked beans.  Yoghurt for pud.  The courgettes I have in the fridge are still in perfectly good nick, so I will make the Madhur Jaffrey dish at another point.

Other than food shopping today, I'm not sure what excitement the day will hold.  

We had blustery weather in the night, which actually was as forecast.  Today is not going to be brilliant in the weather stakes (which is why I had wanted to get out and about yesterday...... 🙄), so I doubt any clothes washing will get done.  

Right, I best get on myself and get ready to go shopping.  Got to be a good role model!

Greying X

Greying_Pilgrim

Right,  Back from shopping and it's all put away.

We were actually a smidge early and the store hadn't opened 🤣  Took me back to c'vid days when you had to queue to get into the store due to limits on in-store shopper numbers.  Anyhoo, I suspect it is due to the time of the year, rather than being super early, there were some YS'd things to be had.   I picked up a large punnet of strawberries 60% off, so £1.10 instead of £2.75 (I think).  They smelt of strawberries, and looked in good condition, so that is pud sorted for this evening.  I also picked up some YS'd mushrooms.  There was one 'family' punnet, which was 72p, along with the closed cap 400g punnets for 48p, and I think some of the sliced mushies may have been YS'd too.  I ended up plumping for 2x closed cup (there were quite a few YS'd), as the family box did look a bit tired.  800g of mushrooms for 96p.  YAY!   I got a net of onions from the PoTW.  The cheap and cheerful lower abv beer we buy has gone up 10p again 😕And I think the 6-pack of ready salted crisps has gone up 4p.  I suppose neither the mushrooms nor the strawberries were on my list, so I could have saved myself £2.06, and not had room to moan about 14p in price rises, but I thought the YS'd purchases offered vfm, and YS opportunities are increasingly few and far between.  And I have to say, that whilst i like to purchase the green boxes (when they offer vfm), I do sometimes prefer being able to get to choose what I would like to eat/cook with, but get it at a better price.  

There were no green boxes, but there was an operative putting f&v into a trolley, which may have been to make up the boxes, but then again, it is Thursday, and the food waste diversion charity seem to pick up on Thursdays, so whether there would be boxes later or not, I couldn't say.  

I then popped to hB to finally pick up some kitchen roll!  I am not going to admit to how many times I have been in or near that store and forgotten what I needed 🙄  I also picked up some baking parchment.  I may have a go at cake baking with LG as something to do.  

Total spends; £37.82 on food and £7.15 on non-food, so I will amend my siggie accordingly.  

Ta for popping in.  Greying X

kayannie

No f&v boxes for me today, either! I was early & have noticed recently that they've been put out later than usual.  I suppose the store is busier too,  with the self catering holiday makers doing their shopping. Never mind, can't win them all! I did get a free pastry (maple & pecan plait) which I'll be kind & let DH have. 

Off to pick blackberries if the rain holds off.

KA x