From Frugal Foundations to Fortified Family Future

Cheery_Daff

Ooh, both camping and walking sound like excellent adventures, well done you!

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Afternoon MFW'rs

We've had an OK wind-down to the end of the summer holidays.  

On Friday we pootled over to a near-by market town.  I went specifically to peruse/possibly purchase something from an artisan maker who I've spent "missing" all throughout this year, by one day - almost irrespective of where they have been setting out their stall!  Anyhoo, caught up with them, but then LG plunged in feet first, picked something they wanted and that was that - my purchase was that, rather than what I had originally been looking for 🙄 Ah well.  I will still get to use the item - it's just that I had a project I had intended for it, whereas I'm having to make something up for what LG bought 🙄 

We had a look thru h3r0n f00ds, bee&eM and a couple of chazzers.  Not alot doing, but I did get a book for LG from one chazzer and a dozen FR eggs, still a week in date for £1.40 in bee&eM.  We had to get a bit of school uniform from MrS, as LG has grown during the hols 🙄  I managed to use some of my n*ctar points, so only had to pay a £1.  Naturally, the clothes are now too big 🙄but they should do the first bit of term and then should come in again for summer term next year.  Now onto sewing in name labels.....

We had a quick walk into Greying Town on Friday afternoon.  They weather was cool and overcast, and LG really didn't want to have to walk anywhere 🙄.  We got what I'd gone in for, but on our walk home the sun came out and boy...... was it HOT 🥵

DH had asked to work yesterday, but both LG and I had moaned and said, "but it's the end of the holidays...." so we were planning to go out - DH decided we were going to do a certain cycle trail.... but then the weather forecast said that it would be wall-to-wall sunshine with high temperatures in that location.  I pointed out to DH that as we are prone to burn, it wouldn't be much fun, getting frazzled, as the route is quite exposed and open.  We had this conversation at 5.30am on Saturday morning, so he decided to go into work anyway!  As it turned out, the weather wasn't quite as hot as forecast, but I still think we probably made the right call.  

Today we went out to our 'goto' cycle route.  We just took a flask and a biscuit and set out early doors.  The weather was shonkier the nearer we got to our destination 😬 and we were driving through mist 😬 But whilst it wasn't brilliant, it wasn't raining, and we actually had a nice-ish ride, along a 'quieter' country road.   Certainly it was nice to listen to all the bird life and all the joggers and fellow cyclists we came across all said 'hello', so that was nice.  

I've got a couple of ideas of things to perhaps do with LG tomorrow, before we're back into the swing of it all again on Tuesday.  

We've been using things out of the freezer for meals.  Lunch today was Omlette with beans on toast as we ate when we came back, rather than wake up at dawn making pesky sangers.  We don't often have a cooked lunch, so it made a bit of a change, and came together quite quickly.  I think it will be YS'd pizza for tea and I might make a crumble out of the green box apples and maybe a pear out of the bag from MrS.

I was thinking the other day, this has been the best summer holidays - really since LG started school if I am honest.  It's not been perfect, we haven't done some things that I would like to have done - partly due to weather and partly due to circumstances.  LG is growing up - and that brings it's own challenges.  In fact hormonal shifting has alot to answer for - whatever your age!  Not every day has been peachy, but neither has the summer been a total wash-out.  We will have had more than some, less than others.  It has ever been thus, so I don't think we've got things wrong.  Most of the time, we do try our best.  

Right, I'm off to rifle thru the freezer for that 'inexpensive' pizza.

TTFN, Greying X

Greying_Pilgrim

So I did the maths and sorted out what money needed to go where as DH has been paid.

At least the o/t did make a bit of a difference, but actually a wodge of money will to go to pay the CC bill, which was hit with car repairs mightily in August.  But, we have a car repairs pot - and so at least the expenses were covered.  But I'm grateful that budgeting means we can add to these various pots over time, and the money is there if needed.  

A bit more money has been added to the windows pot.  

We're working to a £300 food budget again this month, but gosh, I wish I could squish it.  Oh, I was a bit annoyed to see that MrS have got discounts on some of their world foods, and I could have got 10kg of basmati for....... £13.99 ?? (n*ctar price).  I think it was tr0phy brand - I haven't had that in a while, but I have used it before and found it to be OK.  I shall try not to choke on my £16.99 MrL own brand stuff 🙄  So realistically, I will be doing well to keep it anywhere near £300.  Thinking about it, I have just, just managed to keep August's budget under £300 - by £1.91???  Allowing for forgetting to note something down - I could easily have spent £300 - again 🙄 On what??????  I know you are all reporting the same about grocery prices, and food shopping.  It just gets me down that it's all changed so quickly, and everything costs so much.  

Tea was a combination of the YS'd pizza (thin crust, chargrilled veg) and a couple of pieces of HM black olive pizza with a few oven chips.  As I had the oven on, I whipped up some crumble topping and chopped up 2 slightly bruised (but tasty) apples from the green box, 2 pears (very, very flavourful) from a MrS 'stamf0rd st bag' and the remainder of a tub of frozen blueberries that have moved home at least once, and were in danger of drawing their old age pension.  I put some mixed spice in the crumble topping, and a very nice, very 'autumnal' pud was made - served with  a ball of vanilla flavoured ice cream from MrS.  There are 2 (small) portions of crumble for tomorrow.

I'm very grateful we were able to get out of the house today, and for a chance to just listen to the birds and get a bit of exercise.  

Greying X

beanielou

I am eternally grateful that I now live alone & only have myself & two moggies 🐱🐱 to feed. 

kayannie

Your crumble sounds lovely! I made a blackberry & apple one today, using blackberries picked yesterday & windfall apples that I came across on a stall outside some allotments. They put surplus produce out & although nothing is priced, there's a cash box for donations.

I always make extra crumble & freeze - it doesn't take much longer to double up the ingredients & is handy when I need to make a quick pudding. 

KAxx

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Morning MFW'rs

kayannie, I often have crumble topping stored in the freezer, great for a quick pud.  We're only on 1 count crumble featuring blackberries so far 😕

Last day of the school hols 😕  LG has just said they are going to miss 'not being with you doing interesting things' 😢 All my plans to end the hols on a high today will come to naught as the weather forecast has changed and we're in for shonky weather for a large part of the day.  Since I got up this morning is has become foggier and foggier and you can hardly see a hand in front of your face now 😕  We're due rain - potentially heavy, and possibly thunder storms - and of the 3 destinations i had thought of to visit today, all are exposed/at height, so not a good idea to visit, even if the travel there was unaffected by downpours 😕

I'll make something LG likes for tea - probably lentil bolognese and pasta.  

Some of our DD's go out today - the money is all in place.  I will have to pay the CC bill too.

Hmmmm, off to consider my options.  

Greying X

Cherryfudge

I think you can count your summer holidays as a success if LG says they will miss being with you doing interesting things. The mist is lifting here and it's not cold so I'll count that a win, but if you get spectacular rain, that can be an 'event' for LG too. Or perhaps get them to make homemade pasta - something to talk about back at school and takes a while to do.

Watty1

Well I would count the summer holiday as a resounding success with that compliment.  Well done you!

beanielou

That’s the sweetest compliment from LG. Sniffs. 

It’s all so fleeting. 

kayannie

Just shows what a lovely holiday you gave LG -  the stuff memories are made of! Well done, I'll bet not many of LG's school friends got out & about as much!
KA