From Frugal Foundations to Fortified Family Future

Greying_Pilgrim

oooh, Ay up RT - I was typing when you posted - sorry!

Thanks everso for your support.  I don't want to come across as 'doing frugal for fashion's sake'.  There is a purpose to my budgeting - particularly at the mo, with needing replacement windows.  The grocery budget remains the only budget where there is 'some' element of flexibility - although I think we're all finding that that has been eaten up by rising costs and shrinkflation.  

You 'know' me well enough to know that 'this is me, this is how I operate'.  I haven't lost sight of the fact that we are incredibly lucky to own a home.  Previously I was trying to squeeze the food budget in order that we definitely had the funds to cover the rent each month.  At least we're 'working' for ourselves again.

Greying X

mumtoomany

Greying, when I read debt free diaries and somebody blows pounds on, what others might seem to be, unnecessary things, I don't pass judgement. How could anyone pass judgement on you for not spending? We each have our reasons for spending or not spending, and following everyone on these journeys is what makes this forum what it is. You never need to explain yourself. 

Mushroom, not the ones I froze, are all now finished. The last few went into a chicken and mushroom pie, half for tea, half tomorrow. Served with potatoes, carrots and cauliflower cheese. I opened a, land of the giants, tin of nacho cheese sauce to put on the cauliflower. Now I need to find recipes for what's left of 3kg of nacho sauce! In my defence it was only £1 and made good cauliflower cheese. For afters I made parkin cake, it sank in the middle! 

Hugs to all, mumtoomany.xxx

redofromstart

@mumtoomany please do share the Parkin recipe, I've never found a suitably sticky one, and shop bought is awful. 

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Morning MFW'rs!

mumtoomany - I thought Parkin and gingerbread type cakes were prone to sinking in the middle?  Or is it just the ones I make..... 🤔🤣

So after paying the CT yesterday, I was going to ring the council to get a DD mandate - as last time I spoke to someone, they said they would send one out with our amended account details for this house (when they finally got it right).  Naturally, one wasn't sent, and I realised that if I didn't shift a tail-feather, there won't be time to set one up.  Yesterday, I discovered, purely by chance, that there is a copy of the form sitting on the Council website for you to print off/download.......  I wish to heavens the CSA had mentioned that, I could have done this several weeks ago 🙄Anyway, popped into town and printed off the form in the library.  Had a quick squizz at the cook book section - no dice - and then walked back home.  Filled out the form, got a stamp from the local PO and sent it off.  If all else fails, I can still pay "manually" in April, but setting the thing up is what matters.  I got a dollop of free exercise anyway, as despite forecasts of driech weather, we had long spells of dryness, a good drying breeze (albeit a cold one) and weak sunshine.  

I hadn't done a wash because the weather forecast had been for precipitation of every kind, all through the day....

Dentist visit went OK.  Interesting how different dentists take a different approach.  This one put the fluoride stuff on LG's teeth - and had all but done it as they asked permission.  Rather annoying, as they referred to it as 'toothpaste' when it's a sort of coating/resin.  Because we have rarely seen the same dentist (I suspect our surgery is a bit of a 'fledgling hatchery' for newbies), there hasn't been a consistent approach to application and no accompanying explanation.  Now I've done my research, I shall ask for a better explanation of aftercare next time. £25 paid for my appointment.

DH has gone into work again for the overtime.  Double-edged sword really, money over time at home.  The dehumidifier has been on overnight, as in addition to condensation, I noticed that the shower screen has been leaking and there was a heck of a puddle of water around the door frame outside the bathroom on the landing 😮This is in part due to the proximity of the shower to the bathroom door - it's not far for a leak to 'run' IYSWIM.  And yes, the screen is still the original one that we identified as leaking not long after we moved in, and no, I had not chased up the plumbers merchants for a price for a replacement.  But also, I am not too sure why the leak is now much worse.  I "seem" to be able to shower without a significant leak.  When DH and LG use the shower, there is usually at least a water dribble - but now this significant leak........  I need to get onto the plumbers merchants again, and see what our options are.  It is no good mopping up after - we need to stem the leaks in the first place.  And whilst the ideal would be to replace it all with a shower cubicle and dispense with the bath, that could cause us to be without a shower/bathroom for X days/weeks, and I'm not sure how we could negotiate that.  Has anyone else ripped out their only shower?  How did you manage in the interim - assuming your plumbers came when they said they would/completed the job from start to finish etc.  DH needs to shower each day when finishing work.

Tea last night wasn't lentil bolognese per se.  I dug out a pot of the lentil stew and gnocchi that I had made in the slow cooker a couple of weeks ago.  LG had most of the left over gnocchi in their portion and DH and I had a baked tattie (Arran Pilot from MrL) with the lentil mixture.  I threw in a tin of baked beans to eke it all out a bit as well.  Although the potatoes didn't hit you with a 'potatoey flavour' like some varieties do, they did bake well, and made a nice floofy tattie.  

I need to make lunch and something for tea just now, as LG and I are going to the cinema with friends this afternoon.  It was an impromptu invite, and I'm trying very hard to say yes when I can.  My chum is tuned into getting the value prices, so it's actually not going to be an overly expensive experience.  I haven't been to the cinema - particularly this one - for years.  

Right, best shift-a-tail feather.  Ta for popping by,

Greying X

FrugalHedonist

I'm so glad you are back @Greying_Pilgrim, I always love your diaries

I'm having a go at hm veggie 'meatballs' as I have found a recipe on you tube which uses a large amount of mushrooms which I do have to use up. 

teapot2

Hope you and LG enjoy your cinema trip x

badmemory

I would be wondering if someone had changed the angle of the showerhead.  It doesn't take a major change if the place it is leaking through gets more water touching it.  Luckily mine was still under warranty unlike the toilet leak which had been happening since it was installed 7 yrs earlier according to the plumber who stopped the leak.  You would think I had employed cowboys.

Greying_Pilgrim

Hi FrugalHedonist, teapot2 and badmemory - ta for popping in.  

badmemory - that is part of the issue with contemplating a change to a shower cubicle.  It would be frankly remiss of us to not also change the toilet that is in situ, as it is a stupid design - possibly has been 'bodged to fit', and I'm not convinced that it doesn't leak - although there is an issue with condensation on the cistern dripping too, as the cold water is soooo cold.  

Curry made for tea.  I have made Turnip & Red kidney bean curry and made the Kashmiri Garam Masala powder for it too.  I use swede as my 'turnip' rather than the white and purple turnips that are more expensive (unless you garden of course).  I also put black beans in, rather than red kidney beans, as I had a load I had bulk cooked sitting in the freezer.  I intend to serve with lentil dhal (made a batch this morning) and plain rice - I have several l/o portions in the freezer.

LG wanted to help a bit, and grated the nutmeg - without grating their fingers off, WIN!  They put the spice mill on - which is progress for them, I remember when they were a baby, the food processor going used to scare the bayjaysus out of them.  They also spooned the made garam masala into the jar without too much spillage......  

Prep has taken longer than I hoped, and I still have to make soup for lunch, but I keep on reminding myself of the reason why we live like we do.  I thought that the local takeaway had fired up early yesterday afternoon as I went on the school run, and thought "mmmmm, that smells nice......", but then realised that one of the ground-floor apartments that I was walking past had their kitchen at the front and they had the window open 🤣  At least that realisation has saved me spending money in being tempted to try out a takeaway...... 😁👍

Right, soup to make!

Greying X

Fortune_Smiles

We had a leak under the shower screen for our over-bath shower in the Annexe.  I think the seals at the bottom perish and go hard with age.  We just bought a new, generic one from the big river site and it solved the problem immediately.  Sometimes the silicon around the screen can lift too.

Fortune x
 

Greying_Pilgrim

Thanks Fortune - I'm pretty sure that the bottom seal on the 'foldable' screen is waaaaaaayy past it's use by date and it's gone brittle and that is the primary cause - I'm just at a loss as to why it has got so much worse so quickly 🙁  But I've looked online and although I need to double check I'm ordering the right thing, I have found a replacement seal - for not too much money, and if it's right, will go ahead and order it.  I suppose that it was too puny an order for the local plumbers merchants to consider - but I wish they would have just said, 'sorry we only deal with trade' or 'minimum order value £100' or whatever.

So I made Potato Soup for lunch.  I have never made potato soup, in all of my years of concocting things to munch and for all the time I've been living within my means.  I had intended to give a crock pot version a go, and had purchased a can of evaporated milk to try out.  But I thought I would go for a stove-top version today.  I used Ree Drummond's (P10neer W0man) recipe for inspiration and the majority of ingredients.  But obviously I left out the bacon, and didn't use flour/a roux.  I just fried off the veggies, added water and the potatoes and some seasoning.  Cooked until the potatoes were fork tender then partially blitzed with a stick blender.  Added thinly shredded cheese, a couple of dessert spoons of greek youghurt and stirred.  I added dried parsley at the end.  The only thing that I did 'wrong' was to be too lax in adding the seasoning powder - I had forgotten how salty it is (from the eastern european foods selection in MrL), and the resulting soup was on the salty side.  But otherwise.... what a revelation.  Who knew something so simple could taste so good.  Both DH and LG declared it delish and would have it again (with less added salt).  Result.  I will try a crockpot version on another day.

Greying X