From Frugal Foundations to Fortified Family Future

Greying_Pilgrim

edinburgher said:

While experiences vary, it is also worth keeping in mind that the relative freshness/how produce is stored quality varies greatly between shops. I have nothing but bad luck with Mr L, to the extent that I expect soft fruit to last a couple of days (max) and even things like potatoes turn much quicker than the alternatives. Similar fruit bought from Mr S (or Mr M) will often last 5 days or so, and I regularly buy reduced potatoes from Mr S because I often get a fortnight out of even their YS taters before they turn. While avoiding waste avoids additional cost, it also makes me feel better about myself

Actually ed - that is a point in my thinking, that I didn't bother mentioning in my post, because I do think stores vary - and not even between brands, I think you could go to a 'MrL' (for example), in one part of the country, and have top notch F&V at all times, and you can go to other stores in that chain and not have that experience.  Potatoes from MrL I've been (mostly) 'ok' with, but carrots.............completely different experience ☹️.  Having said that, this year, easy peelers - from whatever store, discounted, full price, YS'd - hasn't mattered, they've had a propensity to rot the minute you've got them home.  No one store to find fault with - they've been rotten from wherever.  

I agree with you ed, overall my experience of MrS veg has been positive.  All the tatties ( 2 different varieties), I got today are Scottish produce, so thank you Scotland and Scottish Farmers!  👍

Greying X

beanielou

Yah for Scottish farmers. Mine will come tomorrow & hope they are Scottish too. 

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Evening MFW'rs

LG has gone to club, so tea needed to be quick and easy tonight. I did mash, omlette and baked beans - and we all had the same, even though we did eat at different times.  I used some of the MrS "Christmas" tatties - variety Elland, which are slated as mashers or chippers, and I have to say that they mash beautifully.  I wish now I had stuck to just getting those, as the other variety (Amanda) are more useful for roasting, chipping and....... (given this was from a industry to industry site)..... "dried potato products" 🤔  Anyhoo, I've not test-driven them yet, so that may be a load of old bunkum.  But I found Perthshire grown 'Elland' tatties perfect for mashing 👍

I managed to finish off knitting a beanie for DH this afternoon.  So when I've woven 2 threads in, it'll be ready to pop in the stocking.  Just as well really, as DH's stocking is extremely lean this year ☹️  Not by choice, but everything he's needed this year has tended to be car-sized, or tool-sized.  We don't really do 'knick-knacky' - haven't for many, many years, but LG knows DH has a stocking, and likes to set it out with theirs 🫤

I need to get clothes washing done tomorrow, as we are supposed to be dry with a good breeze, but this is the only forecast dry day until past Christmas 🫤  I shall have to choose my loads very carefully, as they're starting to stack up ☹️  And yes, I know that uniform won't be needed, but I want to get that laundered and dry, so that I've not got to think about it for 2 weeks.  

I think we've achieved a relatively calm run into Christmas.  A couple of events haven't run this year, so that took the Christmassy vibe down a notch or two, but then we attended a tractor run for the first time, so......  School has pivoted away from 'tradition' - which....... I don't necessarily have a firm opinion, one way or the other about.  I do think there is more that they could do - which doesn't cost money - but does embrace aspects of the season - songs, poems and stories can be secular, not indoctrinate, but, above all, can be fun to learn/sing/perform together - and you don't need to hire the Albert Hall, these things can be done in the classroom, dining hall or even the playground.  It's interesting that the adoption of 'elf on the shelf' hasn't been universally applauded, so i'm not alone in my feelings about that.  On a domestic level, I think we're heading towards the type of Christmas we like.  I like to hear about people's family/friends gatherings, but know that it's not for us - I always think it's fine if you all get on, and are all on the same page about expectations, or what 'shape' your celebrations will take, but that is actually very hard - in practice - to achieve.  

I can't think of anything else MSE to add.  Ta for popping by.

Greying X

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Morning MFW'rs

🙄  Not a good start to the morning, DH and LG bickering at each other and DH left  for work under a cloud 🫤  As per usual, work worries/issues make their way into our home, and whilst LG needs to amend their behaviour and they were at fault, DH needs to stop making everything about him and his reaction to colleagues, or work place policies 🙄

DH is too old to change in someways, but he's never been one to instigate things - see moving house, getting work done to the house, organising swopping service providers etc etc.  Now, whilst I accept to an extent, that is more my forte, I'm not very good - nor confident - at it, when I do do things, it niggles me that DH starts to nag - "have you done this, that or chased up Y?".  And heaven forfend if anything goes wrong 🙄

Anyhoo.

I've one clothes wash on, the next ready to put on, and I have one more and a whites wash to consider.  

Right, I had better get on with snap and get load 2 of the washing loaded.  I shall perhaps be back when I have something MSE relevant to add.  Sorry to whinge, I know in my heart that we've many, many blessings to count.  And even though I'm not very good - certainly not at 'Ninja ed' levels - at MSEing, I am running our household at or below the income level for the home.  We don't live like monastics, and we can have the heating on..... occasionally.  Whilst DH would be rash to tell colleagues/bosses exactly what he thought of them, and incur the sack, we are able to live well on a lot less that some households.  And whilst I've bust my December  grocery budget, it was quite tight to start with, and we're still having a good December - which DH wailed we 'wouldn't' due to Novembers pay packet.  And yet, you MSE'rs will know, that this is because we've worked hard to try to make it that we're not living pay packet to pay packet, we're many years into that way of being, and you have to remain constantly vigilant - it's not a one-time done deal to get EF's in place and have budget pots set up.  Don't mind me - I know you all know this stuff, but DH won't listen to my 'workings', but then nags 'have you done this, have you done that'.  DH is a lovely bloke, and I'm lucky to have him in my life.  Ignore me.

Greying X

themadvix

Oh Greying, we won’t ignore you and you are entirely entitled to have a moan/rant on your diary!! We all have days when it’s necessary to let off steam about our loved ones, however wonderful they are normally. And you do indeed work very hard as a financial and operations manager in your household (saw an IG post about how women’s work is never given the proper names it deserves) - and I’m sure Mr GP knows this deep down. He’s also probably glad you’re better at the arranging stuff side of things - he probably has no more confidence than you - I’m convinced this is true for 80% of the population!
You’re doing a brilliant job and we all know it.

Sunshine_girl2

Oh GP you rant all you want , I have a rant to myself most days and I live alone 😂. My DGC finish at 1.30pm today which I never understand but it is what it is . I think the best thing the school have done this year was at the carol service where all the teaching staff, catering and office staff did the 12 days of Christmas. They were dressed up and I laughed a lot. Obviously there weren't enough people to have the correct number for everything but it was well done . The whole church was in uproar . 

I have Mr S potatoes to put on my shepherds pie later, hope mine mash as well as yours did. 

As for Christmas I have a very small family so my Christmas will be very quiet after seeing the DGC but it's how I like it. We did years of big family Christmas get together and I disliked them . 

Anyway off to HB soon so better go. 

in_need_of_direction

Thank you for your mini rant. It helps so much to know it’s just not me feeling that way about dh.  I’m on the verge of singing the band aid song on repeat as impending Christmas will only be recognised when work finishes and he’s not sure when that will be

Greying_Pilgrim

Sunshine_girl2 said:

Oh GP you rant all you want , I have a rant to myself most days and I live alone 😂. 

Sunshine_girl2 - goodness your comment made me L.O.Loud! 🤣  The Carol service sounds like just the ticket, and how good that the whole site staff were included 😁  I'm quite pleased - in a way - that I've never really had to do the 'big family Christmas'.  When we were kids, it got tried once - albeit on Boxing Day I think.  We had to go round my gran's with all our cousins, and our respective parents.  The house wasn't that big, we didn't see our cousins enough to 'get on', and our cousins had the moon on a stick for presents all the time.  It was never going to work, and it was never tried again!  But if it works - especially if it's 'chosen family', then I'm all for it.  

tmv - thank you.  DH definitely doesn't have the confidence, and yet sometimes, he's done stuff and it's worked out OK.  Occasionally he's got things resolved, where I know had i taken up the cudgel, I would just have lost my rag and not got the situation resolved.  But at the moment he's let himself slide into a work, eat, sleep routine and there's never anytime to discuss things with him, or get his opinion, or agreement to do things.  I suppose I feel I'm in a bit of a vaccuum making decisions, financial or otherwise, and I know if I get it wrong - or it gets messed up by an organisation, I'll get the blame too.  Harrumph!  🤣

Anyway, the school run provided an 'eye-popping' situation this morning - I won't discuss further, as it wasn't my rodeo, but suffice to say that with that, and your kind and supportive comments, the morning has taken on a brighter hue.  Thank you.

Greying X

KajiKita

Again, another one here who is definitely not willing to ignore what you are saying. This is important to you. 

This isn’t the time, but maybe over Christmas, as Mr GP hopefully resurfaces a bit into himself, you could talk this through with him. He sounds a bit depressed and like everything as a result is falling on you. It’s definitely not fair that he then nags or criticises your actions, but I can understand why it would happen.

I would also say that it’s not that long since he was properly ill and if he’s anything like me he won’t be fully recovered (ongoing exhaustion especially if he’s doing a job he doesn’t enjoy) and that will be feeding into his mood. Is there any chance that he could change role or workplace? 

Sending hugs as it’s never an easy dynamic to negotiate x

KK

rtandon27

Dearest @Greying_Pilgrim - you are not alone with having an OH who elicits a rant!

A quick share from me this morning, I got home last night after another 12+ hour day to be asked by OH if I could wash his jeans.  I was not best pleased with this request to say the least!  This morning I dumped an entire bag of laundry on his footstool and asked him to prepare them for going in the machine.  I had to listen to him grumble about having nowhere to but his feet...and hunny you well know that none of this was met with meek and mild silence on my part!  We all have things that niggle in our households, but remember my dear that it's better to have the ups & downs rather than not to have them! 

ETA - The laundry is in and i'm still feeling cross but I'm drinking a coffee & eating toast made lovingly by OH, despite his barely being able to walk.  Partnership is not always equal, but it is equitable xxx