From Frugal Foundations to Fortified Family Future

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Afternoon MFW'rs

Well, the good news is that I have finally finished off blanket No.6 for charity.  I have one more to knit (have the yarn for it - started a blanket and then frogged because the pattern wasn't working), then I think i will have 3 or 4 to send off (i'm reasonably sure I have 2FO's  lurking in the yarn crate).  I did send some off last year, as well, as part of the target (failed to hit, miserably) that I set myself.

We have spent no money on groceries.  And I've managed to get washing dry on the line (today's might not be bone-dry when I get it in, because we have had one short, sharp shower, which set things back a little).  

The bad news is.... it looks like our main car will have to be scrapped.  We will get a second opinion, but we're pretty sure that the initial diagnosis is correct, and even if it could be fixed, we're talking alot of money, and it's already gone past economic repair.  Ho hum.  At present we have my little car - so we're not marooned - but that is in need of repair, and whilst it's ok for pootling to the shops, it t'ain't the sort of car you'd want to tackle the NC500 with, know what I'm saying..... 

Sigh.  Never mind, it still comes in the category of 'first world problems', and I see it as such.  DH is upset about it, and in turn it has upset LG to see DH upset, but I'm trying to be practical about things.  We knew we were on borrowed time with it, and for sure, it would be better to be looking for a new car whilst you've still got a functioning vehicle, but sometimes the stars don't align like that when you're looking in the affordable secondhand market.  Is it a nuisance - yes, for sure.  Is it the end of the world, no.  We'll figure out something.  2 years/18months ago we would have been in a sticky situation, but at least - through frugality and saving and budgeting, we at least have some possible options.  OK, so we can't go round to the Porsha/behntlee/lambohogeeny dealerships and order one in every colour, but we might be able to drop on something.  Moving to this house, buying what we could afford, hasn't immediately solved all our problems, and you know that the house is far from perfect and still requires dragging into the 21st century, but at least we're no longer in a position where every single penny that comes into our home goes directly out on rent/CT/Leccy/gas etc etc. So, whilst I know I've moaned about this place, I do acknowledge how our lives have changed for the better by being here, and how we've regained a little control over how we live/what we buy or how we can at least save up to buy.  

OK, so we may have to walk/cycle to places for a while, we might have to cancel a little overnight stay we were planning, but we will eventually get back on track by our own efforts.  For some reason, the incident of the washing machine going kaput at the rental house sprung to mind earlier.  It was a built-in model, and was the landlord's responsibility to replace.  They dillied, and dallied and made up spurious reason, after spurious reason as to why they couldn't replace it.  They eventually delegated the task to the YTS trainee at the land agents to order a new one.  Said trainee clearly hadn't a home of their own and didn't know the first thing about washing machines.  They ordered the cheapest one - with a spin cycle that got less water out than my auld gran's mangle - and had some 'odd job' person fit it.  The fitting delayed things for another week.  No amount of pleading and pointing out that we had a small child in the house, made things move any faster.  Things do break/wear out, but coming from a position of having some say in how we go about getting a replacement car, because we've done the hard work of budgetting etc, feels comforting - does that seem odd?

So, please, Dear Reader, know that we are OK - please don't pm me with any offers of your spare l0tus eletre, Lambo-ho-greeny or Del Trotter's Robin rel1ant, cause I'd only have to politely refuse    We were going to have to replace the car anyway, we knew we were kicking the can down the road, trying to keep it on the road whilst we got back on our feet financially, we just ran out of road before the ideal replacement turned up.  In mentioning our car woes, the point I'm trying to make is that we'd be in a real pickle if it weren't for MSE and MSE ways.  

LG is at a birthday party, having fun by all accounts.  DH is on leave this week (grateful for that small mercy, at least) and all is well.

Ta for popping in.  Greying X

Cheery_Daff

Sorry about your presky GreyingMobile 🙄 I do quite understand what you say about being in charge of your own finances and replacement decisions though xx

Blackcats

Blooming cars do seem to chose their moments to give up but you are so right that you will find another car and it will be alright in the end.  You reminded me of when we lived in a rental home and the washing machine was leaking and not spinning.  Our landlord sent us patronising texts about how to work a washing machine and then sent their son's girlfriend's brother's teenage friend from the Beginners Plumbing YTS class to attempt a repair.
I hope your positive and philosophical attitude will soon make DH and LG feel a bit better.

rtandon27

ugh - replacing a vehicle can be a right pain in the posterior! - OH is constantly worrying about ours & I keep reminding him we no longer live in the middle of nowhere!

I did laugh at the very thought that any of us would have a spare car to offer up!!! That would definitely be in a slightly different reality to the current wormhole thread we currently occupy! ...but of course of any of us had a spare vehicle going, you'd be the first person we'd offer it to!

Greying_Pilgrim

rtandon27 said:

 ...but of course of any of us had a spare vehicle going, you'd be the first person we'd offer it to!

Precisely!  I have long known, and been on the receiving end of SUCH kindness and generosity from a wide range of MSE'rs - that I now know nothing is impossible   

Blackcats - your tale of woe did make me larf - sounds like JUST the person to send round to mend the washer.... not    I'm afraid I've more of a task on my hands bringing DH and LG round.  We've just had to cancel plans we'd made for the end of the week.  No other option really, but there are a lot of pouty lips dragging around on the floor here   

Ho hum.  Never mind, we're still here, and have each other.  Stupid blooming car.

Greying X

badmemory

Thankfully you are now in the position to be in charge.  Yes a (very, deep) profound nuisance, but thankfully no longer a disaster.

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Morning MFW'rs

After a rainy night, we've emerged into a showery day.

No washing on the go today.  I am sort of up-to-date.

Car saga limps on, one final test today that will probably confirm the general consensus of opinion.  

Potato soup is in the SC for lunch - I jest that we are in cucina povera mode, although it's not so far from the truth, but every little positive action will take us to where we want to be.  Made easier by the fact we all like potato soup 😁  I came across a tikky-t0kky 'short' where a chap in the US challenged a series of chefs to create a "budget" meal for US$20. The parameters were a bit vague, and for sure the portions varied, from virtually an individual plate, to a dish that could feed 4/5/6 people - certainly as a lunch.  I didn't watch the last chef who left the grocery store having spent well over 50% more than the challenge budget......  I think it's difficult to source ingredients for one meal (irrespective of how many/few it feeds), for a set amount of money.  It is far easier to purchase ingredients that can be used in several plates.  But the chefs were young, and they rose to the challenge, and I have to say, their efforts were extremely impressive.  Grocery prices differ in the US, as does the availability of stores.  Anyhoo, never was my May grocery challenge more needed!  So I'm even more determined to save the pennies, without starving us, or serving up endless gruel.  Also my interest is now piqued as to what Montreal Seasoning is like.  More learned folk than I, will be shouting - "it's a steak seasoning Greying" - at the screen, but I think the one guy used it in his Mac 'n Cheese sauce too.  

Right, enough wittering from me for the mo.  Ta for popping in.  Greying X

rtandon27

Haha - @Greying_Pilgrim - yes it can be used for meat, but I think of Montreal Steak Spice as a flavoured seasoning salt & love it on oven wedges or pita with olive oil (similar to zaathar) or in yogurt as a flavouring similar to chaat masala in a raitha.  It's usually a salty, peppery & garlicy concoction with some earthy coriander, a bit of chili/cayenne & I think something like parsley or dill for a bit of greeness.  If I'm not mistaken it is very similar to the brining spice used by Montreal Jews to make pastrami & smoked meat that goes into bagels or is eaten with sauerkraut.  I've even seen it used to marinate tofu fingers that are then grilled and served up as mezze in a vegetarian meal.

Greying_Pilgrim

Dearest rt - that's a fabulouso load of helpful information, right there!  Ta muchly.  My only other thought is.... how come it's taken me so long to find out about this spice blend????  😁

Greying X

rtandon27

I'd say my dearest GP that the spice mix is much like a welsh cake or a giant oggie - it's regional enough that it does not travel far from it's origins!  In this day and age of globalization, we are much more worldly than past generations & embrace unusual far flung food as our own!