From Frugal Foundations to Fortified Family Future

Greying_Pilgrim

Sunshine_girl2 - here's hoping we find something - our car has definitely been a money pit for too long now, and this latest episode was just the final straw as far as I'm concerned.  For sure, I'm glad it's limped back into life (more learned people than me said it'd breathed it's last), but we need to be pragmatic now and swap it.  

Thank you for reading my old diaries 😁 I do try to link recipes where I can, although I'm the world's worst improvisor and 'splodge of this', 'pinch of that' type cook.  I find that we eat quite a varied and 'interesting' diet by trying new things/recipes.

Greying X

Greying_Pilgrim

Ah I see Suffolksue - our sign did only say carrots. 

Yeah, you've hit the nail on the head - it isn't about being envious of other folk - it's just about understanding how the figures add up (perhaps they just... 'don't'), because I can't make it work for us.  And yes, I'm hopeful that LG will recall, 'do you remember when we had a burger...'.  But whilst we may not be bothered about eating much for tea, I'm not so sure that one lunch can nourish us for much past today, so best not be planning to make whoopee with the house keeping just yet.........🤣

Greying X

beanielou

Wow. That’s expensive. Very glad my DS is now grown up! 

Staffordia

We were recently at a nearby garden centre at lunchtime and decided to use the attached cafe. I looked at the menu and was shocked to see they were charging £13 for a mozzarella, pesto and tomato panini, and £12 for a jacket potato. Needless to say we decided to head home instead. 

Greying_Pilgrim

Staffordia - I am afraid I am very much with you on looking at prices and just thinking "that's too expensive", and walking on by.  And I suppose because 99 times out of 100, we would do that, that is why for once we felt able to pay this time.  But increasingly, I can't see how eating out is anything other than a 'once in a blue moon' activity - perhaps places are still heaving because each individual's 'once in blue moon' coincides with a sufficient number of other folks.  

Last day of the holidays ☹️  It's been a bit of a different time, and things haven't quite worked as planned, but we've had time together, that's super important for me.  Several of LG's classmates were going on holidays this Easter - as in taking a plane somewhere.  In someways, I'm slightly envious.  Not so much of the destination - as it happens, DH and I had been to several locations mentioned (pre-LG), but I think it's the 'luxury' of just being able to go away, not having alternative calls on your budget. Never mind, we have had a nice time as a family.

I need to supervise LG doing a couple of small school-related tasks today.  I want them to see that getting them done today will free up the weekend, before school starts again.  It really shouldn't take long - and isn't exactly onerous, anyway.  

I will rethink what to make for tea.  I was going to do pizza and wedges, but I forgot (and it would have decimated the budget) to get a jar of olives yesterday, and we've had cheese and tomato pizza the last several times.  Ideally, I would be making something potato and carrot orientated 🤣  ........for the next 17 meals remaining in April! 🤣  But I've just had a thought about something else I can make.  Tomato sausage pasta, maybe using some of the fresh tomatoes I got yesterday.  It'd be a popular choice for LG, no doubt!

We didn't get LG new school shoes, so that'll need rectifying 😬

Right, best shift a tail feather.  Things to do.

Greying X

Farmers-wife_2

Greying_Pilgrim said:

This was a treat, I shan't say 'one off', but we certainly haven't had a meal out in an age (as a family), but I fail to understand how this is affordable 'more often'.  I keep on thinking we're doing something wrong.  I mean, OK, so I could use the grocery money to pay for a meal out - but then what do we eat for the rest of the week?  I'm sure it's me doing something wrong, as, after all, the place was heaving on a random Thursday in April.   

Greying X

Long-time reader, first time caller

You are not doing anything wrong. The difference is both my husband and I are in full-time employment. We have more money coming in, but less time together. When we are all off work/school, we make the most of it, which includes family meals out and cake in the garden centre. It gives me something to smile about in the middle of boring meeting on a Monday morning. 
If I didn't work, then we couldn't afford it - It is all a balance, but of the families I know, most can't survive on one wage these days, let alone accomplish everything you manage. 

Cheery_Daff

Indeed. You're absolutely not doing anything wrong. Other people are just in different circumstances. I don't think I know anyone else where there's only one parent in paid work. 

Different circumstances might be two incomes, or no kids (like us!), or a once in a while treat, or being treated by grandparents, or better paid jobs, or retired, or yes, just in debt and not knowing where the next washing machine is coming from. Please don't look at the whole rest of the world and find yourselves wanting, lovely Greying. It's like comparing your insides to everyone else's outsides. After all, for someone else, YOU were one of the multitudes in the cafe the other day (it is the Easter break too, remember, not just any old Thursday) so there may be someone else sat there wondering how you're managing extortionate cafe trips all the time! 😊

I know you know all this, and you're just having a wobble, so have a big hug ((((())))) You're doing a great job of raising LG, you're making good decisions about what suits your family, so please try not to concern yourself with what decisions other people are making. All the parents i know are just doing the best they can, and are doing a great job for their kids - that just looks different to different people.

Another big hug (((((((())))))))

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Afternoon MFW'rs

Farmers-wife_2 and Cheery - thank you.  Dearest Cheery, you're quite right of course, and anyone in the restaurant would just have assumed that LG was accompanying their grandparents to lunch 😉

One load of bedding is on the line.  We have a nice breeze and drifting sunshine here, so although they are winter weight fabrics, they should dry reasonably well.

The school-linked tasks have been completed - finally.  LG is growing up perfectly normally, and has human procrastination, as an act of self-sabotage, down to a fine art 🙄  All that was needed was 10 minutes of focus to free up the rest of the holiday.  An hour and a half later.......  

I've had another re-think about tea, and I'm going to combine my thoughts, and we'll have veggie sausage pizza!  I am going to derive inspiration from the ticky-tocky shorts i have been watching, and will try to do a pizza in the style of a Detroit pizza.  I'm not going for utmost authenticity, as I'm not seeking crispy cheese per se.  But I am using a different pan, so I will be moving towards a square, deep dish style of pizza pie!  I need to make a batch of tommie sauce in the PrC - so will use up some of my carrot stash, and I will do wedges or potato chunks to accompany.  So I'm getting back to using up stocks 😉 The pizza dough is made and is proving.  

Lunch was a cream cheese sanger (used up the last of the cream cheese), and a splodge of l/o carrot and coriander soup for DH and LG plus a bag of fakey mini ch3ddars.

The car is back and appears to be running - at the mo - a part has been replaced.  It may, or may not fix the (initial) problem - which led to the 'dead' engine.  Time will tell, but I will say this now, we've been given some sort of reprieve, and need to get our act together, as the maintenance bill is only going in one direction, and we'll still end up scrapping a completely rebuilt car, just 6 months down the line 🙄I need to drag DH onto this same page with me.  

Can't think of anything else to add.  Ta for popping by.  Appreciated - as always.  Greying X

Cheery_Daff

My sympathies to LG (and you having to deal with their procrastination). I have spent much of my own Easter holiday putting off writing a job promotion form. Probably 5 hours of writing, and five days of dragging my heels about it 😬 My plan was to have finished by lunchtime today so I can move on to other tasks, but... 😬

Greying_Pilgrim

Cheery_Daff said:

My sympathies to LG (and you having to deal with their procrastination). I have spent much of my own Easter holiday putting off writing a job promotion form. Probably 5 hours of writing, and five days of dragging my heels about it 😬 My plan was to have finished by lunchtime today so I can move on to other tasks, but... 😬

Sweetie - it's just human nature, and I'm as guilty as anyone of doing it myself 😔 LG was just being 'typical' 😁

Greying X