From Frugal Foundations to Fortified Family Future

Greying_Pilgrim

Oh rt I feel your pain.  Part of the reason why I had a go at trying to dry "something/anything" outside yesterday is because with 3 of us in the house, there is literally nowhere to easily run the dehu.  It either disturbs reading/talking/TV/radio or whatever, or clutters up entrances to rooms/doorways/the landing etc or has to run in a space where the moisture in the washing is secondary to moisture in the room - so 1 hr running time will achieve nowt. 

And you would have laughed at me earlier.  The computer model had showed rain passing by 10am, but at 10.20 it was still spitting, but showed signs of brightening, so I stomped out into the squelchy garden and started pegging out!  I nearly slipped on my rear end as one foot slithered along out of control, and was cursing as the rain kept coming 🤣 However, the breeze had got up, so I was hopeful that it would offset the rain.  We've got breeze and intermittent sunshine now, and when the sun is out, it feels so different.  My next gamble is whether to bring the washing in - it's kind of mostly touch dry now - before we go off to activity, or whether to leave it until we come back.........  And here's me thinking I'm no gambler...... 🤣

Greying X

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Evening MFW'rs

Well, I made the decision to get the washing in this afternoon - most just before the school run, and the remainder just before we went out to activity.  I was delighted how 'dry' it was, given that it hadn't had more than 5 hrs outside.  The constant breeze was the saviour.  Everything is now on the airer in front of the radiator.  I am expecting to be able to put everything away tomorrow - which given I washed towels, is no mean feat.

Activity went well and it was nice to be travelling about in relative light.  In addition, we were able to come back our usual route as the road works had been completed.  At least a section of (really bad) potholed road had been resurfaced.  

Tea was a simple re-heat of components, and filled tummies.

A successful day.  No money spent and a washing load washed and all-but dried (I doubted it would even get past still damp when I was pegging out in raindrops! 😁).  

Greying X

Staffordia

With regards to the weather app showing a rain percentage. It isn't a 50% chance of rain, it refers to 50% of that particular area getting rain. Not overly helpful IMO.

Greying_Pilgrim

Staffordia said:

With regards to the weather app showing a rain percentage. It isn't a 50% chance of rain, it refers to 50% of that particular area getting rain. Not overly helpful IMO.

Ha ha - the beebeecee's 8% was right over my house then yesterday!  🤣  The msn 'graphic' kept changing, and one minute it would show rain clouds going overhead, and then the next minute  around the town.  And I still couldn't see why clouds couldn't be "seen" and tracked - rather than one minute they were there and the next they weren't. 

Lovely morning thus far and a wash on.  School run impending, so I'm outta here.

Greying X

teapot2

This popped up on my faceache page a couple of days ago GP and I thought of you Weather apps: which are most accurate? - Which? News  x

Greying_Pilgrim

Thanks teapot2 - shows I'm not being stoopid when I trust a bit 'o seaweed over the beebeecee....... 🤣

I've just been to the local retail park.  I was  very good and walked there - so about 4+ miles banked i think - even though I was tempted to jump in the car.  Of course, it takes longer to walk there, but given I had to go to 2 different shops at opposite ends of the site, it actually wasn't quite as straightforward to take the car.  And of course, once I'd got myself out of the door, I thoroughly enjoyed moving and being amongst various bits of nature.  

I did spend on food - £2.49 on yoghurt and apples that will (mostly) be consumed this week, so it will come out of my £6.30 balance.  I also got DH some work socks - it's proving difficult to source cotton rich, socks that can withstand the riggers of being in a boot all day 🫤  and picked up a top for LG.  It's the summer version of their winter coat, and will be just right for spring and autumn wear.  Fingers crossed it will fit.  

I caught up with my near-neighbour walking home so have put in the query about free fruit for kiddos from the c0oP in school holidays.  They though the branch had done it in the past, but weren't sure if it had been operating recently, but they are going to double-check for me 🥰

Greying X

rtandon27

So handy to have a neighbour who's part of the 'in' crowd! 😄

We have one like that who is the partly retired receptionist at our surgery!  When I was needing constant appointments, she made a habit of checking on her way to work and slotting me in where she could!  She's also fabulous for dropping of referral letters on her way home so that I don't have to rush home to pick them up!  Such a Gem & a good old-fashioned neighbourly neigbour!  We've a few like that on our street which in a weird way makes me feel at 'home' in our neighbourhood, as it reminds me of the neighbourhood I grew up in back across the pond.

Greying_Pilgrim

Too right rt - good neighbours make all the difference to life quality.

So LG's new top fits and they like it - YAY!

DH seems happy with his socks.

Tea was OK.  I use the l/o veggie Irish stew that I made the first weekend of the six nations.  You know how stew tastes better if you leave it a day, well this version tastes even better for having been frozen too 😁  I used the MrL purple stout and it had developed a really nice malty taste - it was fine at the time, but seemed even tastier today 👍I added in some black-eyed beans and a tin of tomatoes to eke it out a bit, and then added in some dumplings.  I served it with brocolli - guess who forgot to cook it up yesterday - and 3 clean plates resulted.  Made a space in the freezer and kept the family fed for another day.  Win. 

Ta for popping by.

Greying X

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Morning MFW'rs

I was reading newgirly's thread and she was talking about employees who are offered new contracts/working conditions that mean when commuting costs, [or purchase of tools (to do the job) or workwear/safety wear (to do the job)] are taken into account, time-served, skilled workers are on little more than minimum wage, irrespective of whether they've been in the company/industry for long-enough to collect their gold clock........  That is DH's situation to a 'T' (although it's a 'new broom' rather than a new company/contract/site move).  And is causing him great anxiety as he worries about providing for his family - and no matter how much I tell him we're capable and coping, he still worries.  Naturally the 'new broom' is not time-served at the coal-face, and relies on 'book' efficiencies to set (unmeetable) bonus targets etc etc for the 'minions'  - which of course, nets significant management performance bonuses for them........... Ho hum. 

And I noticed that DH is currently on an emergency tax code.  Initially I panicked, as of course, that means more tax is being taken - but then it dawned on me that DH had a letter from HMRC stating their intention to claim tax back on interest payments from last year.  Our house sale balance, finally came out of the bank (to purchase this house), and the interest accrued was added to the balance, for the X years it had been stowed away.  That took us - for one year only, I'm quite, quite sure - over the allowance, so a bit of tax is required.  I need to check how long the re-claim process will take, as I wouldn't trust HMRC or the employer to re-set hubbies tax code once he's repaid what he owes.  

In other news, snap is packed up, homework completion has returned to the schedule, and despite cloud and rain being forecast, the sun is currently shining 😁

April is going to be an awful month - we, along with many, many other people, are likely to be hit with the majority of price rises for all the bills that will be going up.  Energy, CT, water, phone/BB, road tax etc etc.  How I wish I could bring the grocery bill down to £150 a month from hereonin!  However, it's unrealistic and there would be no 'stocks' on which to rely to keep the monthly spend low.  All I can do is try my best to do my best with what we've got.  

Tea tonight is going to be a curry plate.  I figure enough time has passed since we last had curry........ 🤣 Not overly sure LG will agree, but it's all good food.  Although, I will have another rootle through the cupboards to check I can't knock up some sort of pudding (unlikely as i have no eggs), to have soup & pud.......... 

Right, no sense in sitting here wallowing in self-pity, I've a shopping list to prep - I need about 3 items to take us through to the end of the month (which can't add up to more than £3.81!), and then March's initial shop, and dried laundry to set away, without thinking about any other chores that need attending to.  

Greying X

rtandon27

@Greying_Pilgrim - so funny that you mentioned no-egg puds - this link landed in my e-mail in-box - all eggless desserts as I understand there is an egg shortage across the pond!  I use many of her recipes & the wacky chocolate cake is quite good. Just a word of warning - she cooks for a clan and most of the recipes are HUGE north-american size ones!  Great for putting extras in the freezer though, cook once and eat not just twice but several times.