From Frugal Foundations to Fortified Family Future

themadvix

RT, that sounds like a lot of fun! And I'm with you on celebrating anything (with the exception of Halloween - entirely because of what it's *become*!). I love a fire to celebrate the pagan festivals, and I'll make a plaited fruit loaf tomorrow to celebrate All Saint's Day (it's a German tradition and one I co-opted as an alternative to Halloween).

Cheery - with you on having to embrace autumn to stop resenting the end of summer. I am not someone who naturally enjoys autumn unless the summer has been super hot.

kayannie

Ouch to your ankle GP - I'm always bumping into/knocking into things & always seem to have a bruise somewhere!  Hope your ankle recovers soon.
I took an early bus ride into nearest town this morning, hoping for a L!dl veg box, but no, none there - it's at least a month since I got one, but as I usually only go food shopping once a week, that's probably why. This town is 10 miles away, so not worth getting the car out to go more often. The next L!dl is about an hour's journey away so rarely go there.
I had an awkward job to do yesterday, replacing the lining in my front door curtain. The lining had gone mouldy & I didn't want to waste money on a new door curtain as that would have gone the same way in our damp house! I bought new lining material, removed the old & replaced it. Of course, I had to remove the heading tape too, which sounds easier than it was. Then I had a problem with the bobbin on my sewing machine! I got it done in the end & it looks much better now, but there were a few choice words being said!
KA

Cheery_Daff

KA, those types of jobs always turn into a whole host of little jobs, don't they?? The trick is persistence, and not giving up when you're 80% through - but that's usually easier said than done! 

Glad your kitchen is finished Greying! But so sorry about your ankle, what rotten luck 😕 Hope the bruising and pain is going down. Have you got the frozen peas on it? Xx

EssexHebridean

Oh OUCH to your poor ankle Greying - I'm glad it seems to be a little better than feared today, and good plan to move the mat! 

No halloween type celebrations here - having grown up rather before some parties to the thread, halloween was a thing, but not yet A Thing when I was a child - and we'd have got our ears clipped had we even suggested going from house to house "begging for sweets"! round our way it seems that generally as was said before non decorated houses get left alone by the littlies with Mums and Dads, and we don't seem to get the teenagers coming round either, although that might be a lot to do with the front of the house being generally pretty dark on weekday evenings. (And even darker once I have pulled the curtain across the front door! ) 

redofromstart

Much sympathy on the ankle GP.

carolbee

Ouch to your poor ankle 🙁

beanielou

Ouch to the ankle. 

Greying_Pilgrim

Wow!  So many visitors!  We're a candy free zone y'know....... 🤣

Gosh, so much to unpack.  Cheery, Yes, apple bobbing was a feature of my childhood - although I am not entirely sure anyone in the household much enjoyed it.  I don't remember turnips ever being carved, and my dad didn't start growing pumpkins until I was 17/18.  I do remember though that he grew them for the 'fun' of growing them and gave them to the children who lived next door (we'd moved at that point), who's dad was very, very clever with carving pumpkins - they made really good use of them.  

At school (primary) I don't remember much being made of 'all hallows eve', but it was a church aided school, and I seem to remember that we had a church service (if a school day) at the local church on the 1st, but this may have been more about it being an 'all saints' church.  Presumably if associated with a saint that had a 'day', we would have had a service on that day.  I remember going to church other than for Harvest Festival and Christmas, so maybe that was it.  

RT I was watching a vlog the other week (US based) and the presenter was talking about their child who had taken the initiative to get themselves seasonal work at a 'Scare-farm' - they were the 'chainsaw massacre' feature 🙄(but of course, the point is about them getting p/t work and earning $).  I thought, 'whatever next' - only to click onto a UK based vlogger yesterday, who in their 'Vlogtober' episode at the weekend, showed them going to.......... a scare farm!  In the UK.....  People must do what they want of course, but it did appear that (possibly) quite a bit of cash was spent, and maybe not too many smiles were generated.......  But if we all liked the same things - well it'd be a dull old world, wouldn't it.  I too like the sound of your office event RT.

KA - ugh!  Heading tape is the worst!  Good on you for persevering with the removing.  And well done you for getting a 'new' curtain to put up.  There were no green boxes at our MrL (went to a different branch) either today.

tmv - I think it's the 'what it's become' that so messes up halloween for me.  I mean Christmas is along similar lines I suppose, but you can make Christmas what you want (from not bothering with it in the slightest, to having your house visible from space with fairy lights 😁) I've always felt more 'judged' (perception maybe?) for not bothering with halloween, and yet the original intentions of the 'celebration' (certainly in the UK) seem to not be hooked on much - certainly with no connections to chainsaws or consuming your body weight in sweets.  We are implored to not let our kids eat junk 364 days of the year, and then derided for not allowing them to consume a years supply, for one day...........  And it's me that is in the wrong 🤔

Bah humbug! 🤣🤣🤣

Thank you all, my ankle is Ok.  I have a bruise, but I can bend it, and walk OK.  It's slightly stiff if I don't move, but it doesn't otherwise hurt (well, as long as you don't touch the bruise).  

We went to MrL shopping.  DH went to the big orange box DIY place whilst I went into MrL.  The MrL we went to is a smaller branch than I normally use, but they had everything on my list with the exception of tea bags.  I noticed that MrL currently have an XXL offer on UHT S/skimmed milk.  6X1L cartons for £3.99 - which if you use it, I thought was quite a good price???  I know folk sometimes like to have some in during the winter - in case of bad weather or not wanting to go shopping with the Xmas rush.......  Also, I got a........ slight bargain.  I discovered a couple of 1kg bags of La1la brand chickpeas, orange stickered to £1.59.  Only 20% off, and not a huge saving, but I was only thinking I need to start looking out for red lentil and chickpea bargains.  I have a feeling that the MrT offers are better, but I had a conversation with myself (🤣) in the middle of the store as to whether a bird in the hand was worth 2 in the bush..........  £3.18 spent.  I did also pick up a 100g packet of paprika for 99p, 1ndus brand.  

£33 spent - I need to sort out the budget as nothing I bought today will be consumed until (at the earliest) November, so it is November's budget.  I need to amend my current figure - as I think the money I spent yesterday (not on school uniform) should come out of October's budget.  I will end on a (very small) surplus, but we've not eaten 'brilliantly' this month.  I think we need more variety.  So my challenge (to myself) in November is not to go mad spending, but to be much more creative with our meals.  

tmv - thank you for the information about n*ctar points - that makes perfect sense.  And I'm glad that there is no restriction on partner points having to be spent in partner shops.  

Thank you so much for popping in.  I do like autumn, and I've seen some exquisite decorations lately that just ooze cozy, autumnal vibes (felted mini pumpkin garlands anyone???), but halloween as and in itself does nothing for me - ever so sorry 😔

But i do love hearing about how you all do things differently,  there is much to be said for making things your own and/or doing 'mash-ups' - where all can dive in at any point that appeals.  

Greying X

Greying_Pilgrim

Ho hum.  We actually had a postal delivery today.  YAY!

But on opening, i received my cc bill which was unusually high..... because the breakdown cover had auto-renewed on my card...... 🙄  I have been whanging on to DH for weeks, asking when was renewal, could we get it cheaper, etc etc  I was told "it's not yet, it's not yet".  £164.99 😡  The only reason why we used my card was that we took out the policy online several years ago (we were still at the rental, I remember), and DH's card had been stopped or blocked or something because the cc company had really messed up the address change, or there was some reason like that, so we used mine.  But we've never claimed on it, and it's getting more and more money, for seemingly less and less coverage.  I'd wanted to investigate alternatives - not autorenew!

And then the other envelopes were the blessed HMRC wanting their overpayment of tax credits back.  Fair do's it was apparent from the paperwork that they would want money back, but this is the second repayment this calendar year.  I shall be glad to get it done with.  Paying forward based on past figures is such a stupid way of doing things. And of course, the language is draconian - 'this is now a debt' 'you must pay within 30 days' etc etc

On a lighter note, I want a job at the potato marketing board, naming potato varieties.  I bought a bag of tatties from MrL today that were produce of Derbyshire, and were apparently the variety "Fandango" 🤭

"Grumpy" Greying X (🤭)

Cherryfudge

That's a lot of money GP. Is it too late to cancel and get a partial refund?

One of the things I'm intending to include on my 'Life Admin' pages is the date insurances come up for renewal. It's so easy to let it roll over and get clobbered.

I'm dreaming up unlikely potato varieties now. 'Penguin'? 'Monte Carlo'?