From Frugal Foundations to Fortified Family Future

beanielou

When I did my windows a while ago now I did them a couple at a time as I could afford them. 

Greying_Pilgrim

beanielou said:

When I did my windows a while ago now I did them a couple at a time as I could afford them. 

I will keep that as an option beanie.  My reasoning for aiming for a 'whole house' approach is that it is sometimes cheaper proportionally to have a firm in to do the work in one go.  But the windows at the back are in a far worse state of repair, so it may well be that we tackle those at the back of the house first and then see where it gets us.  

We have finally put the tree up!  Later than I wanted, but we seem to have been doing 'stuff' right up until now, and there is still 'stuff' littered about awaiting a 'forever' home to be found.  But LG helped me and declared the tree 'beautiful' as we popped the final bauble on.  They have always loved the tree at Christmas - and I for one would not want that simple pleasure to be lost, so I am glad that we're decorated today.  Better a bit late than not at all.

DH has been busy putting up coat hooks, so no excuse for a 'floordrobe' greeting visitors to the establishment now 👍

Greying X

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Morning MFW'rs

Well here we are at Christmas Eve.  We're still a bit dis-com-box-ulated, in that several boxes (and their contents) seem reluctant to find forever homes, and there is definitely no room 'Inn' the various cupboards that we do have.  Whilst it is true that we should have a good decluttering session, some of the stuff will still be needed, we just don't have the same cupboard numbers that we did in the rental house.  Still, it is only us here for Christmas, so even if we end up sweeping everything under the carpet (can you imagine a comedy 'bump' in the middle of a room 🤣), it's only us that has got to look at it (and walk round it 🤣).

I shall rustle up some sort of soup for lunch today, and make sure that the (plant-based) balls and tomato sauce are popped in the slow cooker this afternoon so that we can have an easy tea.  There is garlic bread to accompany and I am sure LG will request pasta.  If I have time I will rustle up a 'no fail' fruit cake (it's the boiled fruitcake recipe, but pretty sure I got it from the grocery challenge recipe list on here 🤔 - it's the one that uses crushed pineapple anyways). I won't bother with marzipan/icing.  DH likes a slice or two of iced cake, LG isn't so keen on marzipan and doesn't like alot of icing - and as I'm indifferent to both, it's better to concentrate on a tasty fruitcake which we do all enjoy.

Rightly or wrongly, and possibly because we are a vegetarian household, we have tried to do 'traditional' Christmases in the past, and it didn't always work for us - and sometimes led to waste (food, money etc).  Over time we've tended to do things on our terms - and then had to adapt again when LG came along.  I am more than sure our attempts are 'not Christmassy' enough for some folk, but it's more suited to our way of living.  If LG feels stinted, or unhappy about anything we do/don't do, then of course I would look to see what we could change.  Certainly this year we haven't been as able to do the 'view the Christmas lights in Greying Town'/'visit a NT or EH property'/'Go for a walk/bike ride' - due to all the work at the new house.  That's one thing I would like to rectify going forward, but thinking about it, I did manage to get all the 'things' done - the Christmas cards posted, getting a Christmas jumper (a bargain from a chazzer at £2.50 when the MrA panic buy - since returned and £12 reclaimed - proved too small 😕) and providing an 'interesting' packed lunch for school xmas jumper/lunch day, attended the school Christmas concert etc etc. 

There will be gifts under the tree for LG and a stocking.  A couple of relatives and a family friend have remembered LG and sent gifts, so there are things to open.  A couple of close relatives appear to have not included LG on their present list, although disorganisation does always play it's part with those particular individuals, and gifts may yet appear.  One particular (close) relative no longer seems to factor in gift giving to LG at Christmas and Birthdays, which is just plain sad, but their choice. 

We have a roof over our head and food in our cupboards, we are blessed. I have a few small presents to wrap - just to make the stocking contents a bit more exciting - and then I think we can just enjoy family time.  LG is still buzzing about the tree being up, and keeps on talking about the various ornaments and picking out their favourite ones etc, so I remain hopeful that our Christmas will hit the right spots, and good memories can still be made.

I'm pretty sure I can legitimately stay out of the shops today.  I don't think we've forgotten any 'must haves' and whilst I appreciate that there may well be YS'd opportunities, we would struggle - particularly with fresh foods - to find storage for them at the moment without processing for freezing, so I'm choosing to prioritise time over savings today.  When we run short of food during the long, cold months of January, please feel free to call me out on my cavalier approach to bargain shopping! 🤣

Greying X

redofromstart

Your story of LG and the Christmas tree made me smile. My parents didn't put the tree up until the last possible minute so it was always an immediate excitement that it really was Christmas. I have stuck with this tradition. 

Greying_Pilgrim

redofromstart said:

Your story of LG and the Christmas tree made me smile. My parents didn't put the tree up until the last possible minute so it was always an immediate excitement that it really was Christmas. I have stuck with this tradition. 

It was precisely the same with my parents redo.  In fact my dad made something of a virtue of not starting Christmas until as late as possible on Christmas Eve 🙁 In my childhood home the tree was in the hallway.  The house had no central heating, aluminium framed, single glazed windows and the hallway was on the less used side of the house, so there are no 'warm' memories of childhood Christmas trees for me 🙁

Whilst I (personally) am not minded to be starting decorating in November, I had been keener to have the tree up about a week before the big day.  And as LG is so delighted by the tree, I figured this was a good thing to try to keep as a tradition.  But we've been thwarted this year - although we've achieved alot of 'non-festive' stuff that will actually help family life - all year round, not just for Christmas........  But LG is still a little young to be able to see that, so I figure that of all the things that LG could get interested in at Christmas, the tree and decorating is relatively simple and we're keen to try to make that happen.  Just a little later than planned this year.  But LG's delight fills me with delight, and has contributed to my good feelings/precious memories about Christmas in  recent times 😁

Greying X

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Evening MFW'rs

We've had a bone-fide no spend day today! YAY!

DH took some toot to the tip, fixed some coat hooks and replaced the last of the hinges on the kitchen cupboards.  We also put the cooker into the correct position - well, as good as it is going to get. I managed to wrap the last of the pressies, bake a cake, tidy round and set up the last of the decorations.  So we're set.  

Tea is bubbling away in the slow-cooker, the thrifted two-pound tablecloth is atop our table and the cake is cooling.  So I'll sign off and say thank you once again for popping by.  It is always greatly appreciated.  



Greying X

beanielou

Enjoy.  ☺️ 

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Morning MFW'rs

We've had an interesting 'eve into day.  LG had a panic last night that perhaps they really were going to receive a lump of coal off Santa and announced that they were (finally) going to compile their 'list to Santa'..... 😕  We  persuaded them that this probably wasn't such a good idea, as the radar showed that Santa had already set off.......They went off to bed, but then woke up again, and again, and again....... DH resorted to reading (more) bedtime stories at midnight.......  Finally they fell asleep.... only to wake again at 4am 😬 They accepted that Santa had been delayed by bad weather over Finland and that they should go back to sleep......  Then they were up again at 7am 🤣  Anyhoo, they were very good about their gifts and their principle gift has absorbed them for 2 hours already👍  

We had a 'big' breakfast of YS'd crumpets (giant - 1 each), branded orange juice (but shortish dated, so a steal) from H3r0n, baked beans, the last couple of veggie burgers in the box, and eggs scrambled or as an omlette, depending on preference.  We no longer have our branch of H3r0n in Greying Town 🙁 so the crumpets and juice had been picked up in a nearby market town a few weeks ago. Although H3r0n wasn't quite as bargainacious since it was taken over, there was the occasional bargain to be found, and I miss having it as one component in an arsenal of frugal foodstuffs foraging.

After breakfast the rest of the gifts/stockings were opened and all the right noises were made.  We managed a couple of 'surprises', and yes, both were amongst the least expensive items.....😉 LG was lucky enough to receive gifts from a family friend that 'hit the spot', and they have also received some cash from relatives, which was very generous of them.  We certainly have much to be grateful for - people's generosity towards LG and the fact that they were remembered at this time of year.  

There hasn't been excess, but there has been joy - and personally, I couldn't wish for more. 

We're surrounded by a chorus of small birds cheeping and tweeting - I've just watched a blackbird gobbling berries off a rowan (I think), and the sun is trying to filter through the (grey) clouds.  We are so blessed.

Greying X

carolbee

What a wonderful post. Just what Christmas should be, no excess, a pleasant sufficiency.

I'm so pleased to see you posting again.

a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all

Greying_Pilgrim

carolbee said:

What a wonderful post. Just what Christmas should be, no excess, a pleasant sufficiency.

I'm so pleased to see you posting again.

a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all

Aw carolbee thank you so much for your support - today and throughout the years.  It means so much to me to have the support of fellow MSE'rs.

Greying X