From Frugal Foundations to Fortified Family Future

Greying_Pilgrim

Good afternoon MFW'rs

Well, this morn has passed in a blur, but at least I have got some things accomplished.  

I wandered into Greying Town to return my library books and move some money around into longer term savings (for EF & annual bills).  I owed 50p fine to the library for not renewing a book - Dr Rupy's!! - soon enough 🙄 Entirely my own fault as I can do it online and had been aware of the renewal date and then it just passed by and.... Anyhoo.  I'm no longer in debt to the library service. 

As I entered our street on the way back, I encountered a worker from the water board 😁  He was checking out a stoptap/water meter, and had just finished, so I asked him if he could work out for me where our stoptap was (it really isn't obvious), and explained about the charges, and wanting to change to metered useage.  He was most helpful, polite and explained lots of aspects to me.  He's identified which stoptap he thinks is ours - and it does tally up with something that the seller mentioned when we were viewing the property.  He's also highlighted some issues that we may encounter, and how best to approach those.  I am so glad that I asked for his help now, as things have moved on and although it's not entirely straightforward (and might even turn into a fandango), at least i now know what to expect/what questions to ask/when to stand my ground.  

And at least the water bill DD has gone out for this month - I checked this morning - as we have had issues with setting up a new account for this property as it is 🙄

I managed to not spend a sous in Greying Town.  I did have a ganders in several chazzers.  One had no new stock in, and the others either had nothing interesting (I was primarily looking for reading books for LG) or have implemented a similar pricing strategy to the chazzer nearest home.  I'm not sure I approve of high prices for children's books........  But as it is, it's no pressing matter, as I do have a huge, massive, stock of books for LG to read alone or to have read to them. They do not want for books.

I did also wander through M&$ but wasn't tempted by any of the YS'd things.  

A crocodile of school children going into one of the town's attractions did make me smile.  I suspect they were possibly Yr1 children.  The accompanying adults looked ever-so-slightly careworn, they probably had had to negotiate the crocodile from the coach drop off point 🤣 The children were chattering away to each other, oblivious to their surroundings, bobble hats on squew-wiff, coats hanging off their shoulders for want of buttoning or zipping up, clutching a paper bag with school lunch in it, or their own butty bag - it was very funny to watch.  Conversely, a group of..... possibly Reception age children were being taken down the escalators in the retail centre - and I don't know if any of them were scared, but the carers/teachers had just marched them all on and expected them to stand still and enjoy the ride!  😁

Right, I don't think there is anything else MSE/money-wise to report.  I had better get on with prepping tea, which is most likely to lean in the direction of swede curry....... are you surprised? 🤣

Ta for popping in.  Appreciated.

Greying X 

debtfreewannabe321

Jackfruit- we had a scrummy burger out and about one day it was done in a 'pulled pork BBQ' type way but with Jackfruit! I have been meaning to make it ever since but like you I am a bit unsure what to do with Jackfruit myself in the kitchen
Water- mine went up to £62 was a bit miffed- that and the electric bill are what sent me running back to MSE and making a new budget. I have since been online and changed the DD amount myself to £52 which I still think is ridiculous but more manageable than £60+!! Everything costs so much money these days I end up sounding like my mother ranting about it to anyone that will listen 'I remember when......back in the day.....I can't believe the cost of things these days' the kids sigh and wander off now lol. 

Greying_Pilgrim

dfw321 - I had the exact same thought about becoming the 'Moaning Myrtle' of the pricing crisis 🤣  I don't know why I seem to see charity shops as different - they are businesses afterall - but when it's a 100% price increase on a secondhand children's book, it just seems worse somehow, than a 50p rise on the price of a cauliflower because of blizzards in Cornwall, or water-looged fields in Lincolnshire preventing much picking happening or something.

The water board guy correctly guessed the ball-park figure I would be paying on rateable value, so it must be what they charge - not that they have necessarily loused up our account again.  What i find extraordinary is why the previous occupant didn't want a meter installed - he must have been paying well over the odds.  

Greying X

mumtoomany

Hello all. Just in case anyone is interested. I opened the first labelless tin earlier. It was sweetcorn, 10p. I immediately thought of your comment earlier about the price of corn, @Greying_Pilgrim. OH then wanted to open another, what an exciting life we lead, kidney beans. That's more of them then, checked the code on the tin, two more still left. Beans now in the fridge. Corn for tea with chicken, 75p whole chicken Christmas eve 2022, thought I should use it up. Tinned potatoes, 10p and cauliflower, three for £1 at veg shop. 

Hugs to all, mumtoomany.xxx

Greying_Pilgrim

mumtoomany said:

Hello all. Just in case anyone is interested. I opened the first labelless tin earlier. It was sweetcorn, 10p. I immediately thought of your comment earlier about the price of corn, @Greying_Pilgrim. OH then wanted to open another, what an exciting life we lead, kidney beans. That's more of them then, checked the code on the tin, two more still left. Beans now in the fridge. Corn for tea with chicken, 75p whole chicken Christmas eve 2022, thought I should use it up. Tinned potatoes, 10p and cauliflower, three for £1 at veg shop. 

Hugs to all, mumtoomany.xxx

Love, for heaven's sake - get and open an 'ownlee fanz' a/c - 'Opening labelless tins - the jeopardy edition'.....🤣  Seriously, none of us can afford to go out and dance round us handbags - so watching someone opening tins with 'unknown' contents is what we'll all want to be doing on a Saturday night from now on........👍

Greying X

mumtoomany

Haha, greying. Some of us can't even afford handbags, not anything to put in them. Hugs, mumtoomany.xxx

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Evening MFW'rs

Well after spending quite a while up at outpatients this arvo, LG has been given a clean bill of health - if they remain sensible - and 'discharged' in the sense that if all goes well, we needn't go back to the clinic, but they are there if we need them anytime in the next 3 months.  Isn't it interesting, as a nation we natter about the weather at the drop of a hat, unless we're in hospital, then we swap ailment horror stories.......... 🤢

Tea this evening was a success in frugality 😁  I'd discovered a new to me recipe that included swede and lentils - so figured it was my sorta thing 😁It was easy to make, didn't have any weird/wonderful ingredients, and was really tasty, so for me, Swede and lentil jungle curry is definitely a keeper.  LG fair gobbled it up, and when asked, both DH and LG declared it nice and said they would definitely eat it again 👍  The only thing I did was to use lemons over limes (as I had lemons but no limes), and added in a potato as I only had one carrot.  I served it with a portion of l/o chickpea balti out of the freezer and steamed basmati 👍Pudding for those that wanted was the l/o steamed pudding from last night.

Today was a nsd as I intentionally parked in a back street and walked through a short-cut to the hospital clinic, and I hadn't spent anything in town earlier.

Today I am grateful for these 3 things;

Help and advice freely given by the water board employee (who's actually done the type of work we'll need doing)
For LG's recovery and everyone being so nice at the clinic
finding a new recipe that uses inexpensive ingredients, and tastes so nice

Ta for popping by and joining in - appreciated.

Greying X

beanielou

Good news for LG 

Fortune_Smiles

Glad to hear LG is fully recovered.

Fortune x

redofromstart

That curry looks spot on. I now wish I had picked up one of the enormous swedes! I used to make a good root veg curry when they turned up in the veg box. 

Glad LG has recovered.