From Frugal Foundations to Fortified Family Future

lucielle

Yes one end fitted to the wall and the other end to the actual door.  The only issue we had was the curtain did end up tucked behind the door handle, so you had to remember to flick it back out. 

L

Greying_Pilgrim

It never ceases to amaze me how helpful and informative folk are on the MFW & DFW diaries.  Thank you to everyone who contributes to this diary - so helpful, and I usually learn summat new everyday 😁

Tea has been munched.  I put some homemade tomato sauce in the slow cooker and then added a tin of tomatoes and some herbs.  After a while i popped in a couple of packs of ambient spinach and ricotta tortellini and just before dishing up I popped in some chopped up mozarella to oozey melty 😁 I microwaved some mixed veg and served both up on a plate.  LG isn't mad keen on oozy melty mozarella, but they did eat everything up, and had a little bit of fun twizzling and 'trying' to find the end of the string of cheese 😁

The dehu is currently on because clothes came home dirty from school 🙄We're not going to be in a position to line dry anytime soon, so I've just got on with washing, with the hope that it'll dry enough to not saturate the house overnight.  

Can't think of anything MSE to add, but apart from the washing machine/dehu use, I do think that we've kept in line with economical living to get us towards our savings targets, today.  I have just had a conversation with DH about time versus money. We'll never be the richest, but within reason - as long as LG isn't missing out - we are able to live within our means, and I'm not particularly keen on DH being out of the house all the hours of the day, just to earn thruppence ha'penny more.  I just need to keep on keeping on.  It's all very well being keen on day 6 of the month, but you've got to be as keen on day 31 as well, haven't you? 😁

Greying X

badmemory

My back door has a curtain on a shower rail to see if it works.  The temporary curtain has now been up for over 10 years.  I didn't want to drill holes & then have to fill them if it didn't work.

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Morning MFW'rs

Work wash is on - apparently we are going to have a useful breeze today, despite low temps.  

Heating was on for a little while and the dehu is on low to clear condensation - I don't honestly think there is "that" much more from the washing, the windows get sopping from the cold.  But removing the damp makes the room warmer, so the temp in the front room is a balmy 17.5 degrees even without the heating on now.

The school stuff has dried overnight and I've put it away.  

Snap is packed, clothes set out.  We're ready to greet the day!

I've an idea of something for tea - using up stuff from the freezer, but I need to double check I have things for substitution - I'm thinking of Anjun Anand's spinachy, chickpea hotpot (not sure that's the right name 🤔), but i know for sure I haven't got any aubergine.  It will be made in the PC, and I'm determined not to buy anything for it.  I need to keep a handle on groceries this month, so need focus one day at a time, to not let the rot set in.  We have ENOUGH.

I might throw some things in a bag and whizz them round to the chazzer - I know me, and in trying to do a "big" declutter, I will never get around to doing it.  Probably better to do little and often.  

Right, better get a shift on to get out the door on time.

Greying X

Cheery_Daff

We're doing little and often too, and quite often drop a single carrier bag at a charity shop, or just a few things at the tip. Feels less of an upheaval than doing a giant load at once.

greenbee

Having done two car loads before Christmas I'm planning on moving to little and often. Although that's in relation to how often I actually go near the CS... 

EssexHebridean

I too try to do charity shop drops as we have stuff, these days. And having done a mahoosive car load from Mum's loft on Sunday I'm reminded of quite what a pain massive tip runs are too! I probably should cast an eye across books again at some stage to see if there is anything that can make it's way charity-shop-wards - as I keep reminding MrEH - just because we CAN now keep books as we have space, that doesn't mean we SHOULD keep everything we read! 

FrugalHedonist

@Greying_Pilgrim will you be subbing the aubergine for anything, i have this recipe saved but never attempt it as i only have aubergines in occasionally 

Greying_Pilgrim

Hey FrugalHedonist - yeah - swede probably 🤣  I tend to make it without aubergine or with, or with whatever I do have, sweet potato, courgette even parsnip one time.  

Right, I got off my bumption and achieved the sort out for one charity drop.  It made numerous bags, but it was all crafting stuff.  I've made the decision that I don't want to continue with those particular materials, and whilst the 'sunk cost' is 😱 (and the reason why I haven't told DH that this stuff has exited the house), it's the right thing to do.  Having it sit, taking up space isn't going to get the money back, and I may as well bite the bullet.  I did it with cookery books, many moons ago, and haven't bought any since.  The materials will be of use to someone, it will raise funds for one of my favoured charities, it was all in good condition and I have no regrets.  The biggest pain was that in finding a nearby offshoot of the charity, I went there to find it heaving and a sign saying they were taking no more donations today.  So I jumped back in the car and went to the 'superstore' the charity has across town (via the back route - longer, but 'quicker' as no queuing traffic), and donated it there.  The 'superstore' was virtually deserted 🙄

I've made curry powders from scratch, for tonight's meal and for the store cupboard as I'd used it all up over Christmas.  

The washing is drying, and then we have a sharp shower, then the sun comes out, then it sleets, then the sun comes out...... At least time is turning, as the sun has been at least hitting parts of the washing line today.  Not for long, but it's helping a little, and instantly makes you feel better to see.  

Right, quick putting back the cupboard, and clearing all evidence of my shenanigans and it'll be time for the school run.  

Greying X

Greying_Pilgrim

So tea was fine, but I did forget......... to add blessed lemon....... into the Lemony Spinach Hotpot 🙄  Is there any hope?  Anyhoo, all plates cleared (I served it with rice), and a splodge leftover for a portion for another day.  I ended up using swede as my aubergine substitute.  Not authentic, but works perfectly fine.

I'm feeling chuffed with my charity de-clutter.  Wish I'd made the conscious decision to move stuff out of the house before, but now is better than never.  And I know it's a bit random, but the whole issue of - shall we call it 'Swedish Death Cleaning' is weighing heavy on my mind as we've already had experiences on the periphery of family members with hoarding tendencies, and much being left for 'others' to sort out.  

However tempted I am, I have set myself the target of not buying anymore knitting or crochet paraphernalia until I have completed the projects that I've held onto resources for.  Off the top of my head, that leaves at least 2 small projects (one underway), and 2 large ones (blankets).  The one blanket would be a test piece to see if the pattern would be worth making in natural fibres, which obviously would cost alot more money.  But if I can't do the stitch, or get bored, then there is clearly no point in investing in the more expensive materials.  I want to move to making less things, but making them from better quality materials, or perhaps making things with more complicated stitch patterns or whatever.  

That's the theory, anyway.

I did start to mither myself gathering other things up today to take to the chazzer, but stopped myself, and concentrated just on the craft items.  I will focus on the other things the next time I do a de-clutter, and, as it happens, they will probably go to a different charity.  It just shows how simple it is to sabotage your intentions, by immediately feeling overwhelmed because you've moved your own goalposts 🙄

The washing wasn't bone dry when i brought it in just after the school run.  It was never going to be, but the intermittent showers - I guess we had 3 - really set it back.  I'm still grateful to have been able to put stuff out at all, and will take it as a win, as it's not as though the clothes are dripping onto the carpet on a sagging airer, they were damp in places and 'cold dry' in others. 

I can't think of anything else MSE to add, but I do feel like I've taken a tiny step forward today.  I've completed a distinct task, which in turn is assisting me to get closer to living how I feel I should/I want to.  I don't think I will ever be a minimalist, but I think 'pared down' has a great deal going for it.  Less stuff, but better quality, or better made, or ideally - happiness through experiences without accumulated "stuff".

I am super grateful that I had access to a car today, which enabled me to complete my task, even if it wasn't how I'd planned.  Although we'll gloss over the fact that I still had trouble starting the car, which may point towards a starter motor issue.................

**sigh**

Greying X