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From Frugal Foundations to Fortified Family Future
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Good Morning MFW'rs
Snap is made and packed up.
Uniform ready to go.
Not too sure if I'll go to the market town over the way today. I was going to seek out a hair cut. The weather isn't too bad with us - not as bad as forecast anyway. It's just what the state of the roads might be to actually get to the bypass. Probably better to leave it for today.
Tea tonight is going to be Afghan Carrot Hotpot, rice and shredded Brussels. The hotpot recipe is from Sally Butcher's 'Veggiestan' cookbook. I don't have any channa dhal/split yellow peas, so I make my version with ordinary split red lentils. Still tastes yum 😁
I can't think of anything else MSE to add at the mo.
Greying X
Grocery Spend May 2026 £195.52/£200
Grocery spend April 2026 £199.95/£200 +5pence
Non-food spend May 2026 £58.44/£80
Bulk Fund 2026 Month 5/12 - £5.98/£93.54 (reducing balance - start £120 pa)
""Mother Nature don't draw straight lines
The broken moulds in a grand design
We look a mess but we're doing fine
We're card carrying lifelong members
Of the union of different kinds..."
"Union of the Different kinds" - R Christie & T Gilbert, Fisherman's Friends5 -
I've just had the most lovely catch up here remembering the books of my childhood :)
Made it to mortgage free but what a muddle that became
In the event the proverbial hits the fan then co-habitees are better stashing their cash than being mortgage free !!4 -
Likewise Watty - I'd completely forgotten that Pat Smythe had written books until that mention earlier! And yes - I can well see how the Hickstead "Derby Bank" would stick in the memory - having been up close to it on the ground there I can confirm it looked even more terrifying in real life, and it was bad enough on the TV!
I too remember Milly Molly Mandy, and will throw "Just William" into the mix also - oh, and "The Worst Witch"!
🎉 MORTGAGE FREE (First time!) 30/09/2016 🎉 And now we go again…New mortgage taken 01/09/23 🏡
Balance as at 01/09/23 = £115,000.00 Balance as at 31/12/23 = £112,000.00
Balance as at 31/08/24 = £105,400.00 Balance as at 31/12/24 = £102,500.00
£100k barrier broken 1/4/25
Balance as at 31/08/25 = £ 95,450.00. Balance as at 31/12/25 = £ 91,100.00
SOA CALCULATOR (for DFW newbies): SOA Calculatorshe/her6 -
Ha - lovely childhood memories and chat 😁
So this morning is going well. I probably - degree in hindsight - could have got to the other town safely, but hey, I made a decision, and I must stick with it.
I put a full load of washing on. We have a bit of sun (doesn't really hit much of the garden/for long), and there is a gentle breeze - so fingers crossed.
I decided to head across Greying Town to return the kit from MrL. It was the same branch as I got it from, so naturally they were fine and efficient in their refund. There were boxes, and there was probably £2 of stuff in them, but again, there was 'lots' of just a couple of things - mostly tatties - so I left them there.
As I was that side of town, I popped to FF. Folk have cottoned on to the pulses and spices being in stock 😁 So there were no black eyed beans, and they were all out of red lentils too. The bagged paprika was clearly a popular choice too. I did however, get some frozen broad beans (99p for 500g), some Linda Mc veggie mince - 99p a 350g bag x 2, some chopped coriander 99p x 2 some plant based 'nuggets' £1 a bag (15 pcs), and a 4 pack of pineapple pots for 79p. £6.74 total spend on food/food like items. I could have done without the UPF veggie food, but the mince is handy for an 'emergency' (or CBA'd) bolognese, and the nuggets do work well when we have a wrap boofay. Secret is to have plenty of veg shoe-horned in with them I guess.
I then went to see if I could get a new washing line prop. I went to dunh31m, and although the first prop I spotted was £7, I'm glad I persevered and looked all around the 'household' bit of the shop, as I found an add1s brand one for £3.50 - which will do for us. I also picked up a set of 3 wooden spoons as my small spoon has wandered off into the 'camping/self-catering' box and I can't be bothered to remember to swap it around each time we go away. I also bought a rack - I think it's actually designed for pan lids, but I needed something to keep the laptrays, sheet pans and various chopping boards etc upright in the cupboard. It works perfectly - YAY! So that's another storage solution accomplished. I spent £11.50 on NF items.
Off to amend my siggie figgie.
Greying X
Grocery Spend May 2026 £195.52/£200
Grocery spend April 2026 £199.95/£200 +5pence
Non-food spend May 2026 £58.44/£80
Bulk Fund 2026 Month 5/12 - £5.98/£93.54 (reducing balance - start £120 pa)
""Mother Nature don't draw straight lines
The broken moulds in a grand design
We look a mess but we're doing fine
We're card carrying lifelong members
Of the union of different kinds..."
"Union of the Different kinds" - R Christie & T Gilbert, Fisherman's Friends8 -
- We too have duplicates in our self catering/camping box, it saves me so much time and head space 🏕️
Fashion on a ration 2025 0/66 coupons spent
79.5 coupons rolled over 4/75.5 coupons spent - using for secondhand purchases
One income, home educating family3 -
So glad it's not just me - and I know £1 or £2 is not to be sniffed at, but yes, the saving in time and headspace is so worth it! 😁 Thanks for your post hun.
Greying X
Grocery Spend May 2026 £195.52/£200
Grocery spend April 2026 £199.95/£200 +5pence
Non-food spend May 2026 £58.44/£80
Bulk Fund 2026 Month 5/12 - £5.98/£93.54 (reducing balance - start £120 pa)
""Mother Nature don't draw straight lines
The broken moulds in a grand design
We look a mess but we're doing fine
We're card carrying lifelong members
Of the union of different kinds..."
"Union of the Different kinds" - R Christie & T Gilbert, Fisherman's Friends5 -
We also have a diy box in the boot of the car - ours is more of a picnic box which we renew quarterly. (We are not campers, though OH used to be a scout leader!) The box has bamboo cutlery sets, reusable picnic plates, wet wipes, disposable paper napkins and a roll of loo roll, water bottles & energy bars. In the spring/summer/autumn there is also a picnic blanket and in the winter instant hand warmers and spare socks. We don't keep our hiking boots/shoes in there as they come in after every use to be cleaned off. We like to rotate out/in all the items so that they are fresh and we don't end up with not-wet wipes or germy expired water. Guess my days back across the pond come into play, as a 'snow-box' is where this idea came from! Back then, breaking down in a blizzard was a real concern!🤗
4 YEARS 10 MONTHS DEBT FREE!!! (24 OCT 2016)(With heartfelt thanks to those who have gone before us & their indubitable generosity.)...and now I have a mortgage! (23 AUG 2021)Original End Date - Sept 2041 New projection - Sep 2038 (reduced by 3 years)7 -
Oh goodness, definitely have separate kit for camping - otherwise stuff that gets forgotten will just cost more to replace and probably be discovered at a time when getting to a shop just isn't convenient!
🎉 MORTGAGE FREE (First time!) 30/09/2016 🎉 And now we go again…New mortgage taken 01/09/23 🏡
Balance as at 01/09/23 = £115,000.00 Balance as at 31/12/23 = £112,000.00
Balance as at 31/08/24 = £105,400.00 Balance as at 31/12/24 = £102,500.00
£100k barrier broken 1/4/25
Balance as at 31/08/25 = £ 95,450.00. Balance as at 31/12/25 = £ 91,100.00
SOA CALCULATOR (for DFW newbies): SOA Calculatorshe/her5 -
When I started school, my teacher would read Milly Molly Mandy to the class. I loved hearing about 'Little French Susie', she sounded so exotic! I was so disappointed that, when I was able to read the book for myself, I discovered she was little friend Susie, not French at all!
KAx
6 -
Oh, I remember Josephine Pullein Thompson… but also (very American) the Saddle Club and lovely stories about a pair of performing Shetlands. Milly Molly Mandy was one of our favourites too - I still haven't forgiven my mother for (kindly) giving our copies to some distant cousins 😔.
Mortgage free 16/06/2023! £132,500 cleared in 11 years, 3 months and 7 days
'Now is no time to think of what you do not have. Think of what you can do with what there is.' Ernest Hemingway5
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