From Frugal Foundations to Fortified Family Future

EssexHebridean

well fingers crossed to your future millionaire status Greying!

I have to say that while I was miffed at the loss of points on the card from food shop with all the co-operation, I do still seem to do OK there as the member discount on milk can be combined with their frequently given "20p off milk" option which actually makes it slightly cheaper for me than it would be elsewhere. We happen to walk past one semi-regularly when out and about too, so not even any extra travel to get there. 

You are certainly doing better than I am in relation to washing getting even partly dried outside. Although we DID manage to get the load that went out last Friday pretty much dry before it came in, the couple of loads I've done since have been destined for the airer! 

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Morning MFW'rs!

EH - it t'ain't happened yet........🤣 Plus I ended up spaving yesterday, well, kinda. I bought a load of yoghurt as hB had the sort we use and it was dated until the end of the year, so I bought up a load (no room in the fridge now 🤣) to "save" having to go hunting for it in the next couple of weeks.  hB tends to be one of the shops that gets 'heaving', so any excuse to keep away is welcomed. But I must update my siggie to reflect the expenditure.

I purposely keep off social media sites to do with school because I know that school gate politics fries my head.  But the down side of this is that I often think "such and such a situation" is down to my (odd) way of interpreting it, and there will only be me thinking like that.  We had a rare occasion in the last 12 hrs that messages sent out by the school were extremely vague, and left several parents confused as to what actually was required/permitted.  Considering english language is part of the natty curricucumber, there are alot of people running schools/classrooms that can't communicate........  

Anyhoo, it was funny that I asked DH last night "do you interepret this, to mean this" when the missive came through, and he said that he agreed with my interpretation, but also agree it was extremely vague and open to misinterpretation.  The school 'open' mail system (ie not social media, so everyone behaves), contained messages from perplexed parents - so I could see it wasn't just me.  

Ho hum.  Just what you need at this busy time of year..... 🤣

Right, well I must shift a tail feather.  I am going into Greying Town to try to get another clothing item for LG.  They liked what I bought last week, and there is still supposed to be stock available, so I will grab at least one more if poss.  Because we didn't go to activity on Monday, I have a little spare CHB to throw at clothing.  But it's been a monster 6 months for new clothes/uniform purchase 🙄

The washing yesterday came in 'cold' damp if you see what I mean.  So not dry, wearable, but not wet either.  I was (pleasantly) surprised at how much it had dried, as whilst the breeze was stronger yesterday, it wasn't as continuous as Monday, so I didn't think we were going to get as good result.  1 hr dehu and a night on the airer, and I have been able to put the clothes away this morning.  Today's weather is still and grey and nowt would dry.  So I'm counting my blessings that I managed to get done what I did.  I am also grateful that I can get the washing in before the temperature drops and night falls - that makes a tremendous difference I think, as the cold can make stuff as wet as when it was pegged out.  

Right, siggie and then best get shifting-a-tail-feather.

Ta for popping by.  Greying X

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Afternoon, 'tis me.... Greying......

Shopping done.  I did get some clothes for LG.  M&$ did indeed have as many items in store as it stated online, but now that they are using (presumably) eco vegetable dyes (I get they're kinder to the planet, and I'm certainly not against that), the one item was so wishy-washily dyed that it looked like it was a hand-me-down from about 5 generations.  I appreciate that clothes go to look like that very quickly these days, but new-and-with-tags-on was a bit much to accept, so I only got 1 the same as last week, and picked another colour/version off the shelf.  I then went into prymarni and found a similar product, but the sizing might be a bit 😬 So I bought that too, but may well have to take it back.  I've only had one or two items from that shop (actually bought in chazzers), and the quality has been good enough (for whatever use the garment was intended), but size is usually on the small side.  We'll see.  To be fair, their returns policy is good and there is no silly nonsense about credit notes!

I got a few bits from hB (the little town centre one, not the one I went to yesterday), and found myself roped in to help a lady who was struggling to find an item.  She had found one version, but it was too fancy for what she required.  So i asked her where she had got it from, accompanied her back to the relevant shelf and we had a look together.  I managed to find a much simpler version of what she was after, and as it was 39p, instead of £1-something, she was happy.  I thought that was my 'public service' for the day, but as I was wandering into a chazzer, I noticed a chap coming along the pavement with a very heavy object.  I figured he might be coming to the chazzer (we weren't in Ireland, and it wasn't a fridge - but think along those lines), so I shouted to him, and opened one of the doors and held the other for him.  Off to polish my halo now........

I did pop into another couple of chazzers - and of course spotted a set of the outdoor gear that I needed a couple of months ago....... Same brand as I got in "that bl0o*y shop" with the crap returns policy...... sigh.  Half the price I paid and didn't look worn 😭

Greying Town was very quiet again.  I was a bit surprised.  I mean we have late night shopping etc, but there just wasn't the 'buzz'.  Mind, if it means people aren't getting stressed either, well then that is a good thing, isn't it.  

Better rustle something up for lunch.  it'll be school-run time before you know it.  

Greying X

beanielou

I just think people just don’t have the money this year. 

Greying_Pilgrim

beanielou said:

I just think people just don’t have the money this year. 

Quite so beanie - and if they're putting their foot down and prioritising spending on what they need then all power to their elbow. And I sincerely hope Martin's messages about reciprocal gift giving are getting through to people, and they are having the courage to say "stop".  We did it well over a decade ago now (possibly longer 😬), and it was relief all round.  Perhaps we were just lucky.  Although an ( now ex)-in law did still insist on gifting, but that was their choice, and it only lasted a little while anyway........... 

Greying X

Greying_Pilgrim

OK, so you said don't do it.

But I didn't listen.

You said, "if you buy that second-hand supermarket jacket, even though it's warm and cheap, you'll never get your shopping done"

**sigh**

I may as well have had "happy to help" tattooed to me forehead today. I got stopped that many times.  It started in Mr L (no green boxes), with someone (no laughing at the back), asking me to reach down some meat pate from the chiller shelf.  Then I was asked to check the use by dates, then I offered to look to see if there was anything longer dated....... Then at the till, the same person was having difficulty loading their shopping onto the conveyor and some items fell on the floor, so i picked them up.  Then as they were leaving the till, and I was getting ready to load, I noticed they had dropped a substantial amount of cash, so I picked it up and returned it to them.  Then as I was at the packing shelf, someone became flustered by the speed of the cashier and dropped their phone, so I picked it up for them.  Then as I was exiting the store, the original person stopped me and claimed they were having difficulty booking a taxi, could I help.....

No one bothered me in MrS 🤣

Then as I arrived home, a couple approached me for directions as they were out walking and had become disorientated in the estate cul-de-sacs..........

You couldn't make this stuff up 🤣

I managed to spend £63.75 in MrL and MrS today.  Bit surprised, as there wasn't that much, and nothing super expensive - although I did get 2 blocks of cheese in MrS and that made a mess of £10, so......  There were a couple of 'too good to throw away' veg boxes in MrS, but they do tend to put 'very tired' veg in their boxes, and whilst 1 of the 2 boxes had a more interesting selection, it wasn't really worth £2.  

MrS was heaving.  

LG has club tonight.  No additional costs, at least for that.  

The clothes for LG from M&$ fitted, the item from prymarni didn't (to be fair, there was only the one size available and I thought i was taking a risk with it), so I must return that - probably tomorrow now.

We have an event afterschool tomorrow night and that is paid for, and one after school next week, and then that will be Christmas activities over and done with I think.  

I managed to pick up a cheap and cheerful calendar yesterday, and the christmas TV listings guide, so that is sorted.  

No washing done today, as the weather is still and foggy/mizzley.  Nowt would dry outside.

Right I'm away to update my siggie and then sit on my hands, lest anyone else should require help.  What is the universe trying to tell me?  Should I take that job in the care home? 🤔 I'm a tadge worried as 'no good deed goes unpunished....' 😬

Greying X

rtandon27

GP - your story did give me a chuckle!  - Don't forget that every good deed you do will be multiplied 3x over & come back to you...
...'Tis the season and all!

PS - one of my work mates is reading this book - says it is a good dose of xmas reality!

FrugalHedonist

There was an interesting phone in on bbc 4 you and yours all about Christmas spending, a variety of opinions and refreshing that not everyone feels the need to spend, spend, spend. I often have the parental guilt of is my child missing out and then i have to hava a word witj myself

Greying_Pilgrim

FrugalHedonist - I think it's really easy to feel that kids are missing out, but interestingly, LG isn't telling me of any 'must haves' that they feel they need.  I hope that isn't too much about "there's no point in asking", and more about that they already have plenty of 'things' and 'experiences'.  I overheard a convo between 2 parents the other day, which was along the similar lines, and the kids weren't coming up with 'huge long lists'.  One of the children had ventured one option, which was a 'hard no' for that particular family's circumstances, but otherwise, the parents were not getting inundated with requests for this, that and the other.  And speaking entirely personally, I do think it is OK for families to have 'hard no' areas.  It might be a gaming console, or a dog or a cat, or a mobile phone, or a bike - and the reasons for the no are many and varied, and not always about the money.

I walked into Greying Town again this morning to return the item I bought to prymarni.  Simple, straighforward and service with a smile and pleasant conversation.  Bravo prymarni. 

I bought some nuts (not specifically for Chrimbo, we eat/use them year round), and some r1bena from hB and some tissues, mouthwash and children's paracetamol from sooperdrug. I will adjust my totals accordingly.  

I have frogged the blankie I was knitting for the charity.  It was giving me no joy to knit it, and I think it important that the finished item is done to the best of the crafters ability to give some comfort to families at an extremely difficult time, so I'm going back to the drawing board and selecting another pattern - one I've knit before perhaps, or a new pattern - but something that will obviously work and give a good finished blanket to send off.  I now don't think I will meet the 6 blanket target by the end of 2024, which is disappointing, but I changed my focus early on in the year to work with more natural fibres (but do less items/more complicated work), and the acrylic yarns are no longer encouraging me to knit.  But I have re-wound the yarn I have, and I have enough to make 2, maybe 3 more blankets, so I will commit to using up that yarn, making nice blankets, appropriate to gift to those who need, and then I will move forward with working with more natural fibres.  I still consider the baby blankets entirely knitworthy, and will consider making more in the future, but I no longer need to have charity blankets as a hook to 'make' me knit.  

No washing today - more damp and grey mizzle.  I haven't checked, but I am hopeful of a small window of dry, breezy weather tomorrow and more of the same on Sunday - DH will be in need of me making the most of any and every opportunity to get laundry processed, as he's running low on 'essentials' 😉

LG is out at an event with club tonight.  We have to get them to the meeting point across town during rush hour 😬  DH has foregone his Christmas shin-dig to collect LG later.  Here's hoping the coach doesn't turn into a pumpkin.....

I think it will be lentil bolognese for tea.  Always a crowd-pleaser, and we will be eating at different times, so it'll be easy all round.  

I splashed out on a lottery ticket.  No need to be suspicious about Friday 13th, we never win anything anyway, so it's probably just this month's stoopid tax paid......

Can't think of anything else MSE worthy, so I shall push orf.  Ta for popping by.  Greying X

FrugalHedonist

@Greying_Pilgrim very true, i actually think the 'keeping up with the Christmas joneses' is more about me than the child, the child gets very excited by the rituals of Christmas which dont have to cost much at all. I think too much Christmas stuff whether that be presents, food or obligations becomes an excess that stresses with my brain so a stripped back Christmas is what we will have