From Frugal Foundations to Fortified Family Future

Watty1

I have a neighbour who I adore who has 20 or so Christmas jumpers - you need a neighbour like her as LG grows up   She wears them all from the 1st December onwards which is fun and part of her Christmas celebration.  I've asked what happens when she runs out of days as she gets one a year and she says she will need to start selling the least favourite - by her own admission it began as fun and got out of hand!

Greying_Pilgrim

Watty1 said:

....... by her own admission it began as fun and got out of hand!

Ha ha!  That's brill Watty and you can apply it to so many things - Christmas decs inside, Christmas lights outside 🤣  

I'm trying not to get niggly - this morning the weather is cold, and all the small kids had hats and gloves on at the school gates.  LG used to be the same.  But all the older kids now are in shorts, no hats, no gloves.  LG wouldn't wear their gloves, the hat has long since been dumped - as has their cowl.  The next thing will be refusing to take a coat, despite it being cold/raining/snowing 🙄🤣  Watching the kids walk to senior school just makes me 🥶

Anyhoo, I am going to go somewhere and try to wrestle back my mojo - I'm in danger of forgetting to bring it along, all because of poor quality nylon 'funwear' 🤣

Greying X

redofromstart

That made me laugh GP, I used to be exactly the same in my teens, and now I am permanently cold and rarely to be seen without many, many layers.  My DC were the same, and we compromised with an innocent looking thermal vest top under their uniform so that I didn't feel cold looking at them.

Greying_Pilgrim

You're right redo - these are all 'normal' stages aren't they 🤣  I didn't go without a coat, as I had to cycle to school and it was bad enough having sopping, mud splattered tights on all day long, never mind if I'd gone without a coat too.  But it's the way isn't it.  Although one of the boys who was wearing shorts and trainer socks did make me shiver just to see his bare legs 🥶 His mam had probably implored him to put long trousers on too 🤣

Greying X

themadvix

I'm surprised they're allowed to wear shorts at this time of year - when I was at school, once the autumn term started you were expected to be in 'winter' (i.e. standard) uniform - and thinking about it, shorts were never uniform, except for for PE... presumably he'll have had to change when he got to school  - what a pointless exercise! (Never mind the additional washing!).

greenbee

At least the shorts-wearing boys know they have a career path as postmen open to them in the future. 

Suffolksue

Made me laugh ,the no coats etc is a rite of passage I can remember doing it 65 yrs ago 
my mother made me leave bundled up like a Michelin man ,wonder if she ever realised what happened as soon as I turned the corner !

EssexHebridean

Have you checked out primarni for christmas jumpers Greying? I seem to recall that's where MrEH got the one he needed for a rugby thing a few years ago - and each year since it's been worn for "the thing" then washed and carefully popped back in the wardrobe. I've a feeling he paid around £10 for it - so even with inflation I'd not expect kids ones to be any more than that? 

Greying_Pilgrim

Hey - thank you all for popping by.

No tmv - shorts are permitted all year round.  I think when LG first started school, shorts were regarded as 'summer' uniform and could be worn from Easter.  I think the notional stopping point was always after the October half-term, but i could be wrong about that.  

greenbee - that was precisely MY thought! 🤣

Suffolksue - I was thinking to myself that at least LG had their coat on - it wasn't buttoned up, but it was on their person 🤣

EH - Had I gone near our local primarni today, I would have had a look.

Right.  At this moment in time, I might have sorted a jumper.  I decided to get off me bum, and take a bag of stuff to the local hospice chazzer shop we support.  They had their rail of xmas jumpers outside the shop.  I dropped off my donations and went and had a rootle.  There were..... 3.... that are MrL brand (I think).  They were £5 a piece 😱 but a) were the right size (assuming they don't size ultra-ultra small), b) were new/still tagged/unworn and c) had a design/were of a colour that might appeal to LG.  So, I picked one and took it to the till.  The lady at the till said I could return it if it didn't fit.  IF LG really doesn't care for the design, or it doesn't fit (it is considerably bigger than the jumper I got yesterday - which I'm convinced was mis-labelled), then I will - I promise - hand them my credit card with a budget of £20 to buy one that fits/they will wear.  I have to say, £20 is a ridiculous amount of money, and they better buy something that will last until next year as well, as I'm over this nonsense already.  

I was the right side of town to visit farmF00ds, so went in for a peek.  Anyone that uses dried beans, they currently have 1ndus brand 1kg pack of dried pulses for 99p.  They have;  red kidney beans, chana dhal, red lentils and black-eyed peas.  I got 2 packs of the b-e peas and the lentils.  Dated July and May 2027 respectively.  I also got 3 tins of chickpeas for £1 and a jar of ginger paste for 99p.  I also bought some olive oil - I've not had the brand before - fingers crossed it is OK, but it was £4.99L.  I did also pick up some tinned ham for the FB donation as a) it is on the Christmas needs list drawn up by the FB and b) it is an age-old brand, and c) it was 26p cheaper than I'd seen it in both h3r0n and bee&Em yesterday (dated into 2028 iirc).  So I need to add all that to my various budget spends.  

Having got all that home, I jumped back in the car and returned yesterday's Christmas jumper.  It was a dilemma as it was the market town across the way, but the money is back on my card now.  I picked up some more of the L1nda Mc - veggie sausages from h3r0n, and I also dropped into M&$ and got 3 x 6packs of finger rolls that had been reduced to 55p each.  I find finger rolls better when we have veggie 'hot dogs', there's sufficient bread to hold the sausage, without swamping it.  All that has gone in the freezer.  Again, I shall do my siggie figgies.  I did miss out (because I didn't realise the YS'd area had now become a shelf in H3r0n f00ds), on a tub of malt3sers hot chocolate for £1.  The person behind me found it - but it was the last one.  No matter, someone got a bargain 😁

Fingers crossed LG likes the new jumper design.  It's rubbish like this that sucks the joy out of events for me.  The only winners are the manufacturers who put cartoon or film or comic characters onto clothing that costs tuppence ha'penny and bang it out for mega bucks.  If it doesn't get returned, at least I can see the £5 - along with the clothing donation as my xmas charity contribution.  There was some good stuff in the bag, lightly worn and nearly new stuff that could still earn them some more dosh.  

I have had a look at the primarni website, so will certainly add that to the list of 'possibles' if LG doesn't want to keep this MrL (I think) one today.  

Greying X

Greying_Pilgrim

YAY!  Success!  LG thinks the jumper is 'ok', it fits and they agreed that as something to wear for 6hrs, "it'll do".  

I'm not sure there will come a time (as a child) where they will make great use of xmas themed tops.  I'm sure they will gravitate towards better, probably branded clothing, for socialisation etc.  I think it would be different if they had opportunities to wear Christmassy things - say, to visit granny in the sheltered housing complex, or to go to the company Christmas party for the kiddos, or carol singing with youth club type events. But as none of those things exist as opportunities, it's something that is a bit of a waste of money for them at the mo.  

We're not going to go down the matching PJ/Jumper route as a family - although the pictures can look cute - it's just not something we'd consider - and by admitting that, I don't wish to cast shade on anyone else's traditions.  You do you boo!  

The process of having a budget and selecting clothing isn't lost on me though.  LG does seem to vacillate between blowing their cash, as it's burning a hole in their pocket, and being quite a dedicated saver.  I'm wondering if thoughtfully buying things is the next logical step.

Thank you for all your help.  I really value your input, as I'm sure i get this parenting mularkey wrong much of the time.  And whilst I'm old and wrinkly enough to admit mistakes and try better next time, what I don't want to do is do any lasting damage to LG's self-confidence or self-esteem.  

Greying X