From Frugal Foundations to Fortified Family Future

rtandon27

I'm loving that the MSE Aunties have differing opinions as to the urgency of replacing the PB!

GP - would baba LG accompany you for a walk if the missing PB was the reason for the walk?  or is the store too far?

Greying_Pilgrim

rtandon27 said:

I'm loving that the MSE Aunties have differing opinions as to the urgency of replacing the PB!

GP - would baba LG accompany you for a walk if the missing PB was the reason for the walk?  or is the store too far?

In theory, the store isn't too far rt - I'm guessing something like a 5 mile round trip, but LG expressed no interest in walking today.  When I came in from my walk, they claimed they would have come if DH had, but as DH is still feeling under the weather, that was never going to happen.  I managed to walk 4.26 miles in 1hr 8 mins - something that wouldn't have happened if I had had LG with me - or DH for that matter!

I'm amazed at how well the clothes had semi-dried.  Far better than I anticipated.  I got them in as soon as I got in from my walk (just before 3pm).  Collars and cuffs were still damp, but the bodies of tops and trousers were touch dry.  They are now on the airer, and will benefit from being in front of the radiator.  Nothing is required expressly for tomorrow, but if it all dries overnight, then i'll be on schedule with Mt Washmore.

Soup worked well for lunch.  I pureed some red onions, celery and garlic.  Put it in a pan with some oil.  Cooked it out and then added a tin of condensed tomato soup and another tin full of water to rinse out the tin.  I added in some chopped bell peppers, diced and 2 tins of borlotti beans.  Then I got the pack of noodles - I was wrong they were ramen, not udon, but soft rather than dried  - and chopped them up and separated them.  Cooked everything through and then added some paprika, a few dried herbs and a dash of Henders0ns rel1sh and the soup was ready to serve.  It went down well, although LG would have preferred me to have left the noodles longer - but I could see that in 'slurping' we were going to have tommie soup splashed all over the place, so there is method in my madness.  But according to LG, I can "make this soup again" 😁

Greying X

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Morning MFW'rs

Monday morning again - wow.

School run was easy this morning, the gate was actually opened early - unknown for this particular member of staff to be so on the ball.  LG was laden down like a pack-horse with all the 'stuff' they have to cart in to participate in 'education' these days.

Meter readings submitted.  Higher useage this month - naturally - but I am amazed that we are still a little bit in credit.  We have had the heating on more because of the cold weather and the dehu has been used more.  If we end this month with any surplus in the grocery budget, I am minded to put a little towards February's shop* and some towards building up the energy bill buffer a little (not too much, better in my account than theirs).  

*  Depending on how we do this month groceries wise - and assuming that we don't munch our way through every food item in the cupboards (which are emptying, slowly), I am minded to set myself a challenge of buying next month's groceries with MrT vouchers and any spare cash from January's food budget.  I also have a little bit of cash built up on my n*ctar card, but that can only be spent in......was it £2.50 ? increments ?  (tmv told me, and I think , iirc, it's £2.50, not £5).  I would obviously have to have an amount divisible by £2.50 to do any shopping in store at MrS.  So, minimal shops in MrL and MrAl in that case - although I have got the snap components from MrAl up until half-term, so there will be less need to step instore there anyway.  February does contain half-term, which does always seem to affect the grocery budget, and there is one week of school at the end of Feb to factor in, so...... thinking cap on!  I also like to do meals in keeping with the Six nations opponents (We enjoy all the games, and like all the competitors - and hope for fair and safe matches, but notionally support England and Wales).  All this is dependent on how we end Jan of course, and we're not 2/3rd thru yet!

Tea last night ended up being sarnies again!  DH was feeling very crook and hadn't moved much all day, so didn't feel hungry.  We had a sarnie, a bag of crisps and some apple segments.  LG and DH had yoghurt to follow.  DH has gone to work today, so I'd better have 'hot' meal for tea prepped.  I'm thinking something along a sausage casserole vibe, with either pasta or rice.  

Activity tonight, so need to have the subs ready for that.  

Other than that, I can't think of anything else on an MSE vibe at the mo, so I'll shuffle orf. 

Greying X

EssexHebridean

Yes to Nectar spends being £2.50 increments as far as I know too Greying.

That was a nice speedy walk you got in there - and yes to there sometimes being an advantage to going on your own when a brisk "exercise" walk is what is required!

beanielou

Nectar is definitely £2.50 increments. 

in_need_of_direction

looking forward to 6 nations here. You know where my loyalties lie but can appreciate good clean games whoever’s playing.

rtandon27

@Greying_Pilgrim - MrS is indeed in 2.50 increments, but the balance can be paid in (spare) cash so it's more of a discount amount, unlike B00ts where the entire amount is paid in points, and no opportunity to pay cash in the same transaction iyswim.

badmemory

rtandon27 said:

@Greying_Pilgrim - MrS is indeed in 2.50 increments, but the balance can be paid in (spare) cash so it's more of a discount amount, unlike B00ts where the entire amount is paid in points, and no opportunity to pay cash in the same transaction iyswim.

So glad you said that about boots as I have to use my card within the next couple of weeks or they cancel the points.  I am not a fan, but I am not prepared to lose the points either.  Talk about first world problems.  I have H & B points about to do the same in a month.  Oh the brain strain of trying to figure out if it cheaper to lose the points & buy elsewhere.

Greying_Pilgrim

rt - thanks for the conformation and the additional info - appreciated.

inod - precisely, England play so badly sometimes that I refuse to 'blindly' support them - although will support the men's rugger team over the English men's footy team any day of the week.  

Well, I stuck to the MSE code - and ignored the implorings of some MSE Aunties 😉 and decided to combine an exercise walk AND some shopping.  I also wanted to see actually how far it is to MrL, in case I can ever entice LG to go there by means other than a car.  Naturally, it is a shorter, more direct route to go by car, but I decided to try 2 routes to see which was the quicker.  My route 'out' was scenic, but took me through a small section of a 'dodgy' estate, and then took me across a duelled carriage way, but using the pedestrian crossing - a toucan? Pelican?  I've discovered that this route is 2.29 miles.  I got the PB from MrL and then doubled back to the other side of the retail park and went to hB.  I got a load of cleaning bits, plus some more cough medicine for DH.  My backpack was quite full and quite heavy at this point.  I returned via the same pedestrian crossing, but then took the home route that skirts the dodgy estate, but goes along a very, very busy road.  Strangely enough, in skirting the dodgy estate, I encountered someone acting very strangely, and who set me on edge a bit - especially since I couldn't have run with my heavy backpack.  Luckily for me they stopped, and turned around and seemed to be looking for something or someone, so I put me foot down and carried on.  In total, I walked 4.85 miles, and was out of the house for 1.35hrs.  Which is pretty spiffy I think.  I wasn't in the shops long - i was lucky with minimal queuing and finding what I was after pretty quickly.  I don't think I walked that fast, especially on the way back, as the pack made a difference, plus it was a different route to yesterday, and although it's all pavement there are more inclines - particularly on the way back, there is a stretch, possibly 1/2 a mile, where it is a gradual, but ongoing climb.  If you hear singing, it will be my thighs!  Definite work out!  

I feel better for having got in a walk, and for not having expended petrol.  I did also spot a track that I didn't know existed that might make it easier to get to and from MrL, via the retail park - although I'm not sure if it does connect directly as there is a rail line in the way, and 'at best' it would be an crossing - rather than an underpass (I think).  At least you can see up/down the line clearly, but not having to cross the rails would be even better.  Worth investigating - by bike - though, I think.

Right, I have just spoken to DH.  He's struggling manfully on at work, what with him being so ill and all......  I've got to find something for lunch myself, update my siggie and then get and start the casserole for tea.  All go 🤣

Greying X

Greying_Pilgrim

Change of plan - we'll have curry instead.  I thought as I was going to cook rice, I may as well just defrost a couple of curries/dhal and make the rice.  I had come up with another thought for the sausage casserole, so will enact that another day (it's just using gnocchi in the slow cooker - nowt fancy).  

Also, inod - I hope it didn't read like I thought you were a supporter of Team Twickenham for the rugger - I fully realise you're Team Green 😉

Greying X