From Frugal Foundations to Fortified Family Future

Greying_Pilgrim

I take it back - the 3 for 2 veg offer WAS applied correctly to my shopping in MrS.  I thought that the way it was presented on the receipt was referring to the other frozen veg that I bought, but it wasn't.  I have received the correct discount, and it did apply to what I bought.  I have edited my post above, as MrS were not in the wrong.

I just popped to the PO to pay in the cash that I would have used in MrS, but I had to use my card as I did the smart shop.  There is also a DD going out for a club activity for LG so i have put the remainder of the CHB back in so that is covered.  That is one of the 2 Christmas activities, with club, paid for, the balance is needed by 1/12, but I will have the next CHB instalment by then, and it's been factored into that.  

And still not a pot put on the stove!

Greying X

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Morning MFW'rs

TGiF.

This week seems to have whizzed and stalled in equal measure.  

I've a wash of school polo shirts on, and DH's work tops will be next.  Today isn't forecast to be a spiffy drying day, but at present it's forecast to be dry, which the rest of the weekend is not 😕I am expecting to get stuff 'a little drier than it was pegged out', anything more will be a bonus.

Snap is packed. Uniform set out.

I whipped up a batch of bell pepper/tommie sauce yesterday, and cooked a batch of brown lentils.  We all had lentil bolognese and pasta for tea yesterday.  There was tommie sauce and lentils for the freezer, and a small portion of bolognese with pasta leftover (think lunch portion), for the freezer and I cooked up some pasta to portion for quick meals for LG.  This year (particularly), LG's willingness to 'eat more of the things' and for us to be able to eat "all the same meal" at the majority of opportunities, has meant I've had to rely less on having cooked pasta/sauce ready to use.  This has meant the freezer has had a tadge more space, and we've not had pasta so often.  However, the calendar is fast booking up towards the end of the year, so I have done a little bit of prep, so that there won't be a time when there isn't "something" for a ping meal - just in case.  

I haven't really given consideration to what will be for tea tonight.  LG has a bit of HM pizza in their snap, as school lunches always feature pizza on a Friday, so if we have some, I pop a bit in LG's snap pail.

Right, washing to peg out, and the school run to navigate.

Ta for popping in.  Greying X

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Afternoon MFW'rs

Right, so I finally got my big bum into gear and sorted out some more stuff to go to the chazzer.  It was all stuff that we hadn't used much/not at all in the last 5 years since we moved out of Greying Towers.  Some of it has been moved twice, and the bags not opened in the interim, so we clearly don't need it.  I was slightly ruthless, but if I had asked DH, he would have dithered.  

It's all gone.  

Whilst I was in the chazzer dropping off the things, I noticed that they had a load of Christmas themed 'Thank you' stationery.  Now, whilst I don't want to jump the gun, and assume anything, LG often receives gifts off very kind friends and wider family members, and I have always been very hot on thank you notes being written as these people don't have to give owt to LG.  They've grandchildren, nephews, nieces, family of their own to gift to, and yet they think of LG, which is doubly touching as LG has never had an extensive family network, and of course, the numbers are dwindling year on year......  Anyhoo, the packs were priced at £1 a piece.  I retrieved my purse from the car and purchased a pack.  In the interim, one of the things I had donated had immediately been put out for sale, so I hope someone purchases it 😁

I did the rounds as I was that side of town.  FF was heaving but I didn't spot too many cracking bargains.  I must admit, I tend to rely on 'close to sell by date' stuff to get bargains there now, but there were no chopped tommies, or passata particularly bargainacious today 😕  But I did get a couple of tins of black beans, some frozen garlic and some of those red round cheeses, so beloved by kiddos.  The cheese was a good price (albeit it it remains an expensive way of buying cheese), because it was packaged up for a certain american 'holiday' that has just passed.  Hopefully LG wunna get teased too much if they appear in lunchboxes for trips and excursions up until the end of the school year......... 🤔 I braved beeandM, again, I was aghast at their prices.  I left with a couple of flapjacks and some cupcake cases with christmas decs on them.  Again, they may come in handy for any little cake that may make it into a lunch box on an excursion.

I dropped into MrA, as they were supposed to have something on offer, but our branch didn't carry that particular size. I picked up a pack of avocados, a chocolate figure that may go in a stocking 😉 and a stocking gift.  

I am more determined than ever that we chose much more wisely as to what comes into the house in future.  I want it to be much more about the 'consumables' - and that doesn't mean 'carp', but if we can't eat it, or use it (preferably to destruction), then why are we giving it house room?  I realise that some things are seasonal - like wellies or flip-flops, and with LG they often outgrow some thing rather than wear it out.  But there is too much 'storage' of items that we don't use (or don't use often enough).  They are taking up space, and we've not got room to store the stuff that we do need to have to hand - whether that is clothes, toys, books or saucepans.  

I am delighted with the washing on the line.  No, it isn't dry - although DH's tops have faired better than the school tops - but the breeze, watery sunshine and temperatures in double figures (just) has helped it along marvellously.  The clothes will probably be touch damp, but not dripping when it's time to bring them in.  

Right, I best go round and do a few more chores before the school run.  I still haven't had any thoughts on what to do for tea 🙄

Greying X

badmemory

Talking about shopping for the c word, I have just seen out usual xmas plonk, it is the only time we drink wine.  I had to laugh at myself because (again to myself) said oh its gone up by less than 8% great.  Why was that so good when the cost of living has gone up by so much less??  I just feel conned so much of the time at the moment.  I mean look at the ones that are already putting up prices because of NI which isn't going up until April.  I do hope Martin's next programme comments on this.

in_need_of_direction

Isn’t it amazing how transport costs were blamed for increased supermarket prices but the 30% reduction from the highest point hasn’t been passed on.

rtandon27

@Greying_Pilgrim - a thought about the little red cheeses - could you just remove the cellophane with the offendinc images and send the small wax covered truckle in the lunch pack-up. - the reason I say this is that I am a big fan of the cheeses as one of my supplements needs to be taken with something fatty, but I can't be bothered to struggle with the wrapper so cut it off at home with a pair of scissors before it goes into my snack pack-up for the day!  Just leave an easy to manage wax cover to get off!

Greying_Pilgrim

rtandon27 said:

@Greying_Pilgrim - a thought about the little red cheeses - could you just remove the cellophane with the offendinc images and send the small wax covered truckle in the lunch pack-up. - the reason I say this is that I am a big fan of the cheeses as one of my supplements needs to be taken with something fatty, but I can't be bothered to struggle with the wrapper so cut it off at home with a pair of scissors before it goes into my snack pack-up for the day!  Just leave an easy to manage wax cover to get off!

Hey RT - I was thinking along those lines.  LG saw them when they came home and was thrilled at the pictures, so..... but yes, the red wax is protection enough, isn't it.

INOD & badmemory I think pricing is an issue, and I do think that retailers try it on to see what they can get away with.  Hysteria is whipped up by the press, and people think nothing can be done.  

I think we'll have burger baps and chips for tea.  Plus I will use some of the apples DH & LG picked up from a 'please take' box when they were out on their bikes last weekend.  It was the same box as they have had apples from before, but they only take enough for a crumble.  I suspect we will finish off the last of the vanilla flavour ice-cream with it too, so that will be useful.  

DH isn't working tomorrow, so that's good.  

Right, best get rubbing me fat & flour together.......

Greying X

EssexHebridean

I thought the same about the lack of chopped toms or passata at a price I was prepared to say when I was in our FF yesterday Greying - I nabbed a couple of tins of chickpeas, a box of assorted J@cob’s crackers (at 99p they are nice to set aside for Christmas) and a few other odds and ends, plus one of the mahoosive jars of a certain branded yeast extract as that is cheaper than the equivalent price per 100g of thr smaller jars available anywhere else. It’s interesting that you say the store you visited was rammed though - ours is always quiet - clearly they do enough business to stay, but I have no idea when as there is rarely more than a single till open and rarely a queue at that! 

Greying_Pilgrim

EH I was surprised at how busy the FF was - like you, most times I visit, it is quiet, and at most there is only one till open - and most of the time that is temporarily closed, whilst the employee stacks shelves etc, opening when they see someone waiting.  But there were 2 tills open and queues.  Perhaps I hit the 'sweet spot', for a Friday morning, as when I went through the till there was one open, and only one person in front of me.  But, for sure it's a shop that has got 'busier' this year.  And indeed, I too am amazed that it is still open, to be 'busier'.  

I am just about to peg out a load of DH's workwear.  It's cold but breezy.  It may get dryish before the forecast rain starts.

Tea last night was a 'made up' dish but the inspo was definitely school canteen 'chicken fricasse'.  I cooked it in the slow cooker, and used onion, celery, garlic, quorn pieces, frozen mixed veg and 2 tins of condensed mushroom soup.  Served with mash and broccoli.  DH and I loved it, LG ate it, but wasn't enthused.  Actually, I think it was just the brocolli that offended.........  They both had the l/o apple crumble with yoghurt for pud.  I snaffled a fake magnummy after LG went to bed, and then promptly got busted, as LG came down stairs to ask me a question......

DH is doing DIY, prepping the hall and landing for painting.

Quieter week at school coming up this week, nothing 'extra' to take in/pay for etc I don't think.

Although thinking about it, there was mention of raffle tickets for the school fair, so although they've not landed yet, some £'s will have to be magic'd out of a purse for that.

Right, pegging out.

Greying X

Greying_Pilgrim

Right, spiced fruit cake (just the bero fruit cake recipe with spices randomly thrown in), is made, baked and is now cooling on the side.

Washing pegged out, moved it around a bit to chase the watery sunshine, but the sun is behind houses now, so I'm reliant on the breeze, which had picked up a bit, but isn't as consistent as I had hoped.  I still thinking that as long as I get the clothes in before it starts raining, I should be ahead, with washing drier than it was pegged out. 

DH and LG are currently squabbling about how to do DIY 🙄I think LG is winning, but ultimately, they will get bored in 5 minutes and skip off to do something else, and DH will be left to correct any work and try to finish off/tidy up.......

I've come up with another idea for presents for LG at the end of December.  Whilst I have no qualms buying second hand/chazzered, I have not seen these couple of items at all.  I have found a way to get them 'the cheapest' I can, new, so I am wondering whether to press 'buy' and then work out how many hankies I shall need if I discover the same in any chazzer between now and the 24th........  🤣

Thinking about it, there is one 'extra' event on at school this week.  It won't attract any cost (hurrah!), but will mean that LG will need PE kit on a different day.  I wish now that I hadn't listened to the beebeecee weather forecast yesterday, as it didn't start raining (as forecast) for us in the a.m. and I could have got a batch of school clothes washed and semi-dried.  Blooming chopping and changing of activities........ 

Lunch will be soup.  Summat made up, as I shall try to incorporate the leftover lentil and BNS soup from yesterday's lunch.  Mea Culpa, but I really must get into the habit of checking the frozen prepped BNS from MrS for lurking seeds, as LG discovered one in their soup yesterday.  The outers are exceptionally tough, so it's not a nice sensation to bite into, and I really, really don't need LG to be put off eating BNS/pumpkin because of it.  But it is my fault in a way, as I just tipped the rest of the bag into the soup pot, without checking for pips/seeds. LG likes pumpkin seeds, but obviously hulled.

Greying X