From Frugal Foundations to Fortified Family Future

redofromstart

@beanielou It's basically free to register for emailed alerts to any future changes to your property on the English/welsh land registry so a free early warning system for any scams, naughty fellow residents or granting or discharging of mortgages on your property, (and/or your parents property as you can add up to 5 I think) as long as you register up front. I dont think it works for Scotland as the system is different.

beanielou

redofromstart said:

@beanielou It's basically free to register for emailed alerts to any future changes to your property on the English/welsh land registry so a free early warning system for any scams, naughty fellow residents or granting or discharging of mortgages on your property, (and/or your parents property as you can add up to 5 I think) as long as you register up front. I dont think it works for Scotland as the system is different.

Thank you 

greenbee

I'm not sure i'll be upset if someone pays my mortgage off for me... 

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Morning MFW'rs,

In the words of Dame Mary, "we've the possibility of having a soggy bottom" in Greying Town 😕 Glad DH has heeded me and not made plans to go out with LG today - even if the event is on, it would be m.i.s.e.r.a.b.l.e to be out in the rain 😕

Tea last night was HM black olive pizza and potato wedges.  There were 2 portions of pizza left which are now in the freezer.  I also made a spiced pear & apple crumble - utilising the 3 pears that I'd got from MrS last week and 1.5 apples out of the fruit bowl - the 0.5 apple was because one had developed a rot spot on the side you couldn't see.  That was served up with a ball of vanilla flavour ice-cream.  There are 2 portions of crumble left for today.

I prepped and froze 10 of the YS'd pears I got in M&$ yesterday.  I had a tiny lemon in the fruit bowl, so I juiced it, put the juice in a bowl, and then as I took the core out of the (washed and dried) pear, I popped the pieces cut side down into the lemon juice.  I chose to leave the skin on, as I always leave it on for crumble anyway - there seemed to be some debate online as to whether leaving it on altered the texture, but I will be cooking the pears anyway, so I suspect it won't matter too much.  If it does, then I'll know for the future.  Each pear was cut up into 8 pieces and dabbed dry, before I popped the pieces on a tray and put them in the freezer.  I have just bagged up the pieces this morning.  They have pretty much retained their colour - not gone unappetising brown - and they are individually frozen, so I can use as much or as little as I need.  I haven't weighed the bag, but for 60p, represents a bargain for frozen fruit I think.  There are 2 pears still whole - they were quite green (in relation to the other fruit), so I want to see if they will ripen further and may just use those as 'fresh' fruit, rather than freezing.  

I suspect soup will be on the menu again today  for lunch - 'tis the weather for it, for sure.  And boring as it may sound (perhaps not to MSE'rs/MFW'rs), it's the 'everyday ordinary' that enables you to save that 'penny here/pound there' isn't it?  To be able to make a mortgage overpayment, or save for the extension, or the new windows or whatever.  

I only saw spits and spots of the first half of the Ireland vs England footy game.  Glad I didn't spend anymore time on it, as the score line stayed the same in the second half, seemingly.

DH popped a couple of clothes hook racks up on doors yesterday afternoon, after schlepping across town with LG  to get them from a big box DIY store - they actually spent more time in traffic jams tho 🙄We should have been a bit more organised about that, but at least the hooks are in the house now.  LG's are fine, and are at a useable height, but I didn't supervise, and for some obscure reason, DH has put the hooks in the bathroom at the same low position 🤔 So first job today is to relocate those.......  Also, I asked DH to buy a doorstop (one of those ones you screw into the floor or onto the skirting board.  The first place he put it in LG's room (to stop the hooks damaging the wall if LG barged into their room), was the equivalent of "slap bang in the middle of the room" (not quite, but you get the gist).  So I pointed out that the door stop could do the same function located much closer to the hinge side, behind the door, taking up less useable space in the room....... To be fair, it has been moved, but I just checked, and if you barge in through the door, the hooks still bash the wall......... 🙄  And yes, I know you shouldn't barge in/slam doors, but the whole point of getting a stop was to protect the walls........

Making curry is definitely on the agenda for today.  As yet I don't know whether to have it for tea or whether to make a batch for the freezer.  I think it depends on how dreich the weather gets, as to what we end up eating.  I'm certainly planning on using some of the frozen BNS today, anyway.  I don't know if I said, I also bought a swede on Thursday, so I am looking forward to digging out all my recipes for swede again.

Best go in search of a second cup of coffee.  Ta for popping in and joining in the conversation - so appreciated.  Thank you.

Greying X

rtandon27

Greying_Pilgrim said:

...And boring as it may sound (perhaps not to MSE'rs/MFW'rs), it's the 'everyday ordinary' that enables you to save that 'penny here/pound there' isn't it?  To be able to make a mortgage overpayment, or save for the extension, or the new windows or whatever....

Indded Greying you are very correct in this observation. 

It's Sunday in our house which we all know means Sunday chores before all else.  If we don't do Sunday chores then the rest of the week is a struggle!  Today in addition to Sunday chores we have a few leftover Saturday chores, as the torrential rains meant that less laundry got completed than usual.  OH has also decided 'we' (he) need(s) to do a few bits of food prep which will set us up nicely for the week, especially if/when my trains run late!  Not only do these things save us the pennies, they also save us the stress of not being prepared!

Greying_Pilgrim

Good evening MFW'rs

Not alot to report today - although I haven't spent any money, so that is something I suppose.  Although thinking about it, there are now 2 things that school have sent the flyers out for today, one is a trip, the other is a themed school lunch.  The trip only requires the bus fare, which is something I suppose, and then I gave LG the option of having the school lunch - as it was something a bit different, there is a veggie version and LG has been quite good about taking in packed lunches on the whole - so this is a 'sort of' little treat.  So I had better get on and pay for those things, it'll come to less than £10, so not as bad as it could have been.

As today didn't go entirely to plan, I did some batch cooking.  I do sometimes buy sweet potatoes with the feeling that I "ought" to cook with them, but then dither as to what to make.  Same with BNS.  Anyway, I made up a batch of Ethiopian Sweet Potato and Lentil Wat, and then I made up a (bigger) batch of veggie 'Bobotie'.   I made up a batch of 'Berbere' spice mix too.  We had some of the Sweet potato and lentil wat for tea, served with fine bulghar wheat, broccoli, sweetcorn and mixed veg.  There is enough left over for another 3 tea portions.  There was enough veggie bobotie for 7 portions.  All this has been cooled and stashed in the freezer.  I have now used up all the sweet potatoes that I bought in last weeks PoTW in MrL.  There is enough berbere spice mix to make 2 saucepans of the meal again, another time.  Pud was yoghurt and tinned fruit cocktail.  

The energy company have forecast that we would be in slight arrears by March if their projections of our energy use are correct, and they suggested a small DD increase.  As the amount simply took the DD back up to where it was a couple of months ago, I have amended it upwards again, and will keep an eye on it.  Whilst I would never say that we couldn't cut our energy consumption, we can't massively reduce our use.  Tinker, yes.  Save gazillions, nah.

LG got a 'good job' (or somesuch) sticker for the homework that we all all did a version of on Friday night - so I am pleased about that - it's nice that having set the task the teacher has at least provided some feedback.  And, I have to say, I do smile when I think back to us all trying our best and sticking us tongues out in fully-absorbed concentration.... 🤣  Precious memories 🥰

Today I am grateful for being mindful about my stress levels and for not getting het up about a situation that was not in my circle of control.  I know I have got stressed in the past - and it doesn't change anything, and is just injurious to health; mental and physical. Maybe I should award myself a 'good job' sticker..... 😉👍

Can't think of anything else that is MSE/MFW flavoured, so I'll push orf.  Ta for popping by.

Greying X

Cheery_Daff

You should definitely award yourself a Good Job sticker! ⭐ My sister frequently does the hoovering in a plastic tiara from a dressing up kit, and in my old job I actually made us a crown for the office (of fabric etc) which we could either be awarded for some minor (or major!) achievement, or could wear when we needed to do something slightly intimidating, like make a phone call (wouldn't work quite so well in these days of video calls 😂 but I do keep planning to make another one 😂)

Greying_Pilgrim

Oh Cheery - how I wish wearing a tiara would make the vacuuming a more attractive activity 😕 I am no domestic goddess 😕 🤣

So today I have already spent money 😕 But at least it was just ordering the school meal/activity for LG that I mentioned in yesterday's post.  

I will go shopping today - with a tightly curated list, because for some obscure reason, we seem to have gone through 3 pints of milk since Sunday!  I have no idea why, as no-one likes milkshakes/very milky drinks per se and I've made no custard puddings or cream sauces. Most odd. 

I need to sort out freezer space.  I'm pleased that I've made some progress with batch cooking (long overdue), but I want to check out what I've actually got and how much space is actually left before I embark on cooking up something else.  

Right, least procrastination, soonest started!

Greying X

Greying_Pilgrim

Back from shopping.  The one downside of shopping in different stores is it takes sooo much time.  

But.  £34.87 spent on food and £2.74 spent on non-food.

Greying X

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Morning MFW'rs

Cold but bright with us this morning. Probably not worth putting a wash on as both the Met office and beebeecee reckon it'll rain before too long.  Otherwise it would be perfect conditions to dry....... 🙄

I've sewing/mending to do today.

Tea last night was a great success.  It was only a (very old) made up recipe for stew - which I bought mushrooms for specifically - that I'm not sure LG has had before.  Anyway, i made enough for 2 family tea-time meals, and whilst the boxed up version was cooling, I whipped up a batch of dumplings to go with last night's stew and microwaved the last of the broad beans to accompany.  LG is not a fan of broad beans, and I must admit, these haven't been the best (MrS??) and have been a bit tough, but of the handful they were given, they ate them all up without complaint.  I was also relieved that the dumplings were light and fluffy.  It is sooooo difficult to get something so 'simple', right.  It is so easy to add slightly too much water, and have the resultant dumplings resemble curling stones....... In addition - and frankly, whilst I was on a roll - I made up a mushroom/chickpea murgh makhani.  It made enough for 2 meals for 2  (with rice and dhal) - as LG isn't mad keen on mushrooms, I'll use each batch when it's just me and DH for tea.  The curry sauce was a bought pouch from hB.  

I didn't get round to organising the freezer, I shall ensure i do that today.

I did watch the football, but again, was left wondering why I bother.  At least Finland weren't a pushover, and made the match more watchable.

Not too sure what will be for tea tonight.  I am weighing up whether to use the eggs I have (still well in date) and use the oven, or whether to do something different.  I think it best if I do the freezer shuffle first, and then see where I'm at.  We're in an enviable position of having quite a bit of choice at the moment, but sometimes I let this work against me.  I'm ashamed to admit I had to waste some food recently (I'm not fessing up to what 😢 I feel bad enough as it is).  It's no good me moaning we're struggling and then wasting food because I'm dithering over how to cook it or whatever, is it?  Lesson taken on board.

Right, not too sure I have anything else MSE to add, so 'orf to the North Pole (aka our freezer) I trot!

Greying X