From Frugal Foundations to Fortified Family Future

Greying_Pilgrim

redo - I like the idea about 'present' money being amalgamated into entry tickets, unfortunately our wider family is so small, that LG receives very little in terms of gifts.   At the risk of sounding like a one-woman pity party - which is absolutely not my intention - we don't have any relatives who gift money to DH and I - so for example, that we could put it toward NT/EH membership or theme park passes or zoo passes etc.  I don't mention that to paint a sob story - but I mention it from the point of view that many of our peers do receive that type of help.  It's an option I would pick over 'less useful' gifts if you see what I mean - if the option was open to us, which it's not.  

We do have a couple of relatives, who are so, so kind and remember LG at birthdays/Christmas and their financial gifts are for LG to spend as they want - in fairness to LG more has been saved than spent over the years (although that is beginning to change 😉).  I also like your 'local play park' idea.  There are actually quite a few dotted around - of varying age levels - so that is something to definitely explore, especially the ones with equipment for slightly older children.  I shall add it to the list, Thank you!

Allied to the play park idea, there is no reason why the seat can't be put back on my bike.  It's taken off, as DH insists it's easier to load onto the bike rack (back of car) that way, but we won't be using that with the new car until a tow-bar is fitted, and DH has vetoed any further expenditure for the time being.  All that is to say, we could go cycling around Greying Town to various play parks during the holidays.  LG would love that.  Again, thank you for the knitting of ideas in my brain! 😁

The washing put out yesterday dried well - I put it on the airer overnight and it needs putting away.  

Tea last night was a salad bowl.  I used bulghar wheat, the last beetroot diced up, the YS'd cherry tomatoes chopped up into a tommie salad with oil, vinegar and herbs, some grated carrot, some fried, smoked tofu cubed, a yoghurt/mayo/tahini dressing, and celery and walnuts sprinkled over.  It all got eaten anyway.  There was just enough yoghurt left for DH and LG to have with some fruit.  

Right, mustache.  Bit behind this morn.

Greying X

Watty1

I love reading the ideas on here for child themed things to do, there are some fabulous fun MSE ideas popping up, what a creative lot.

themadvix

When I had my niece on Friday, we did exactly that - we baked some biscuits (necessary fuel) and then cycled to one park for elevenses and a play. The intention was to come home, pack a picnic and take it to the next park, but we actually opted to eat at home because it was so hot, but then we cycled to the other park and niece was off like a shot, made a friend and I didn’t see her for half an hour. By all accounts she thought it was an excellent day - any excuse to cycle! (And we’re really lucky with the cycle paths in our town - no interaction with roads at all for the most part, which was amazing for her.)

Sunshine_girl2

I use Groupon and Wowcher deals for my grandchildren's days out as well GP. There are some that don't include funfairs etc. we live close to an RHS garden and the kids go free on my membership that has a outdoor play area and a wood walk they like going there as well. We go swimming as well that's not to expensive . 

Have a good day GP. 

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Morning MFW'rs

Damp start with us.  

I have been shopping, but only did a quick trip into MrL and hB.  Which one of you was it I was having a discussion with in our MrL, about stuff never being in stock?  They had a fair point, that MrL doesn't have somethings in for weeks on end - and yet they are available elsewhere (so not a global shortage issue etc). 

I did purchase a green box today.  The one was just about worth it to me, although I am entirely dubious about the punnet of mini-doughnut peaches - I shall be amazed if I get any fruit out of them - best only for cooking probably.  I did also buy 2 packs of YS'd (50%) white bread baps.  I don't routinely buy them, but they are useful for when we have soup and you need a 'mopper-upper'.  For 22p for 6, I couldn't argue. 

hB still didn't have any yoghurt in - they didn't yesterday either - and the stuff I bought to try is just bl00dy awful, so I wasn't going to be getting another pot of that.  They are another shop that has stuff one minute and then it disappears without trace for months - and I'm not really talking about 'seasonal' items - just building block groceries. 

I spent £6.25 in MrL today.  I spent £2.58 in hB on food, and 58p on paracetamol, plus I need to add in yesterday's shopping spend, I went to MrAl and hB.  And it seems like MrAl have de-stocked a flavour variety of the snack bar I went in to purchase - we've been looking for weeks, but I noticed yesterday that they don't even have the flavour listed on the SEL now, so that's them gone for now.  MrAl spends yesterday was £6.46 and hB was £1.98 food and £4.79 non-food.  I need to get that in my siggie, quick smart before I forget.  

Club tonight, so we will be eating different things at different times.  Although what LG will eat will remain a mystery, as they spent last night claiming they were going to be sick every 2 minutes, and then they woke up again at 4.30am saying the same........  They finally did go to sleep, cuddled in the crook of my arm at about 6am, and then DH woke us up 20 minutes later......  Naturally, I don't think they have stomach ache, or sickness, it's just all kicking off at school again 🙄 Kids have always been cruel to each other - I don't think that's changed.  Possibly what has changed is the nature of 'pile ons' now.  I'm sure that is rooted in SM culture and it's crossed-over into school ground peer culture.  Plus I think everyone offers their opinion on every.little.thing.  even the school information messaging system has a 'likes' function 🙄

Right, off to calculate how much of my budgets I've used up.  I may be some time...... 🤣

Greying X

Greying_Pilgrim

I stand corrected.  The punnet of mini-doughnut style fruit are actually nectarines, not peaches, and are actually far more tasty than I anticipated.  I still regard them as an utter waste of time, but at least the 3 or 4 chunks of fruit that you can get off them, taste nice, and can be paired with yoghurt or icecream (although we currently have neither 🫤).  But they are not the cotton-wool, fleshed pillows of air that I had anticipated at least, although there is quite a bit of waste on them, they have a base like a quince or a medlar, which is tought and unuseable and which is not apparent on a typical nectarine.  Because they are 'mini' and the punnet is 500g, there are quite alot of them, so I'm actually even more pleased with today's MrL box. 

Greying X

EssexHebridean

You have reminded me of my plan to try getting to Lil's early tomorrow to see if there are boxes...

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Morning MFW'rs

Very damp with us, not too sure how to tackle Mount Washmore these days 🫤  First World Probs.

Tea last night was pasta and l/o sausage casserole for LG with yoghurt and fruit for pud.  DH and I had a baked potato each with cheese, beans and the last of the burgers.  The potatoes were 2 from the pack of 4 in the MrL box.  They were from MrL's...... 'deluxe' range of veg (?), they were British and were..... 'Bella Blonde' or some such variety???  I'm pretty sure (although will stand correction), that the little tatties of this variety have been the Christmas tattie offering before now - the variety name seemed familiar.  Anyhoo, I put 2 in the microwave and blasted them, and then popped them in the oven to finish off with a batch of orange sponge buns I made up yesterday.  When we came to eat them (I re-heated them for a minute or two in the microwave), they were the most buttery, yellow fleshed tatties that tasted quite well of 'potato' and were really, really nice.  I expect as a pack of 4, British baking potatoes, they are not cheap to buy, but I was glad to be able to try them.  The two that are left are smaller, and are just starting to show a green cast, so will need eating up sharpish.  

I made some sponge buns which were just orange and vanilla flavoured, using the zest of one of the (large) oranges that was a 4 pack in the MrL box.  I ate the flesh of the orange at lunch time - it was lovely.  

I will need to do some more shopping today.  I'm on a yoghurt hunt for one thing.  

Can't think of anything MSE to add at the mo, so I'll shuffle orf.  Ta for popping by.

Greying X

Greying_Pilgrim

Shopping done.  Now a painful activity if what you want isn't in stock (and hasn't been for days), or if your price-watching 🙄

I went to MrS and 2 branches of hB, but only actually spent money in MrS.  I did a smarty shop - only because there were 2 items cheaper, but MrS stopped giving me 'interesting/varies or useful' discounts a long time ago ☹️  Because I bought a packet of bread sauce mix at Christmas, it's been offered at smartyprice every week since 😏

I did manage to accumulate quite a few points today, so I am into £2.50 'voucher' territory, plus points for the next 'voucher'.  I shall not do anything rash - unless I need to buy emergency groceries - and will consider if these can be 'saved' for another spending challenge.  As you can all attest, spending challenges - particularly if you're tied to one shop - are increasingly difficult to achieve.  

£31.23 spent in total in MrS.

Greying X

redofromstart

I have had those Blonde potatoes before and they make very nice baked potatoes.  I think I had them as my 'free' veg from the App.