From Frugal Foundations to Fortified Family Future

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Morning MFW'rs

LotsofTea - MSE/MFW/DFW is always such a two-way street, and it's very kind of you to say I 'add', but my mind is constantly blown by the generosity of posters, I mean, I've learnt so much about solar energy - that no glossy brochure, nor slick-suited sales agent could impart, in the same understandable way,in a month of Sundays😁

Thank you Jellytotts - I understand the strands you are outlining, and it seems that it's horses for courses - and at least you can operate (for example) without a battery, but presumably add one in at a later date, if the household needs change?

In the interests of research, I looked out of the top window this morning and I can see a house across the way, that had solar panels fitted last year - I think I may have mentioned it on here - and whilst they would benefit from panels both sides of the roof (get enough sun), there are 6 panels on the roof, so I would assume (width-wise) that we could only have 6 on one/both sides too, although our north(ish) facing side probably isn't worth having panels on.

LG has just made us N1gellas American pancakes with blueberries in. They didn't burn anything, and they are showing such improvement in technique (breaking eggs isn't such a drama these days 😁), but they remain a messy cook 🫤 But the pancakes were lovely, and DH suggested a blob of yoghurt on the side to serve. Clean, blue-stained, plates all round 😁

It's a dreich start with us today - such a contrast to yesterday! I'm so lucky with having got theworkwear dry yesterday - it can be put away today.

Lunch - not that I'm thinking about it, having been stuffed with pancakes - will most likely be soup.

Ta for popping in. Greying X

thriftmonster

I've not been on for a couple of days but wanted to add my appreciation of your writing. I've been following your efforts since well before LG/BG and have always appreciated them.

We're all in different positions but the constant is the fellowship of our efforts to achieve our own frugal goals. And the reasons for my frugality all those years ago are very different now with the curveballs life threw at me (and at us all) but all my MSE reading and doing still helps me now as it did then. Different viewpoints are helpful.

greenbee

GP - I had different installers come up with different options for the number of panels they could fit on the roof. So you may be able to have more. Plus panels being installed today are more powerful than the ones I had installed only two years ago! You should be able to get at least 3kW from 6 panels.

themadvix

We have 4 panels either side on our east-west facing house - it was more scaffolding of course 😏

Greying_Pilgrim

Thanks both - I think technology moves on at such a lick, that it is great that you can get more output from smaller panels. I don't know if the house across the way had panels on both sides, it's not easy to get to the back of the property to look, but I did see a worker walking all over the roof (no harnesses or safety nets 😬), so it is possible there are 12 panels on the roof.

At the moment, I have been looking into the grants system - and I appreciate I may have understood this incorrectly, but I'm not sure we'd be eligible on EPC grounds? I will have to dig it out, but I have a sneaking feeling we're B - or maybe C rated?? That would be on the basis of the old windows too - although sometimes 'double glazing' is revered just for being DG - never mind the quality of it (another item that has been transformed by technology - and the 1980's stuff wasn't a patch on the windows we had installed recently - as greenbee said they wouldn't be😁). I seem to think that the house EPC said that we could get up to better energy efficiency by doing things like external installation, that's why I think we're out of the 'improvement' zone. It took no account of the orientation of the house and the fact that the back of the house is 'degrees' different to the front - something that has improved, but not disappeared, even with new glazing.

I don't know if asthma counts as a disease that can be improved by warmth (I thought it was), and I am not sure about children - isn't it usually for pre-school age children to count as needing a warm environment?

However, even if we didn't have panels installed (I'm not sure we could fund it wholly ourselves - and whether this would be the right house to invest in?), the 'future proofing' thought is a good one - and I'm grateful to greenbee for mentioning it. Even if roof panels aren't a thing, maybe a portable system might offer us something. It's all worth looking at. And, as ever, is a component of a 'patchwork' approach, that seems to be a feature of the MSE way 😉😁

The snowboarders have just got GOLD for GB - YAY! - such teamwork!

Greying X

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Morning MFW'rs

Lunch yesterday was the leftover tomato pasta soup from Saturday, padded out with another tin of tommies and a tin of baked beans. With the 'soup' adjusted for tartness with a speck of sugar and some seasonings, 2.5 bowls were served up - I was still full from the pancake brekkie!

Tea was a half 'n half pizza. Half mushroom and half cheese and tommie. LG had some of the cheese side and DH and I had some of the mushroom and there is some mushroom left that went into the freezer. I also cooked up the bag of salad tatties that had been in the green box, they did quite well as a cross between roasties and wedges, and I made an apple & pear crumble, using 2 of the slightly bruised jazz apples and 4 of the little conference pears from the green box. Whilst the pears were very firm, they oooozed juice when cut, had very little 'core' to remove, and were a great addition to the crumble. There are 3 pears left and 4 apples.

LG lost another tooth! I had forgotten that when they started to gain their 'adult' teeth first time around they all seemed to drop out together. A request to the tooth fairy was submitted and they obliged, £1 this time as it's a 'second' tooth. Tooth Fairy Towers would be bankrupt otherwise.

First day proper of half-term, and it's forecast to rain most of the day ☹️ Even Owain was saying on R2 that it's rained everyday in Wales this year (doesn't he broadcast out of BBC Cardiff?),and it's forecast to go on until March ☹️ LG has already started with 'what are we going to do today Mum?' 🫤 I think it's going to be a long week…….. I mean, yes, of course my preference is to get out and about, but when it's pouring with rain, it makes travelling a bind, as well as arriving at your final destination a bit of a let-down if you can't get out of the car without getting drenched.

We'll come up with something.

Right, I can't think of anything else in a MSE vein at the minute, so I'll shuffle orf. Ta for popping in.

Greying X

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Afternoon MFW'rs

Back from the Natty Trusty outing - and just about warmed up again 😂 LG and I had a lovely time. We went around the 'big owse' first, Which was nice, and the volunteers (presumably) change things around from time to time, so there's always much to see, and there were some 're-enactors' today 😁We then went walking in the grounds. We took the one route, as there were some interesting things to see, and then we joined some other routes, and by the time we got back to the car, we'd pretty much walked the perimeter of the grounds, so I was definitely chuffed, and LG was good company today - and their behaviour was good, so nice to be with. We did try to much our lunch on a bench, but it was far too exposed and windy, and it was no fun at all, so we just munched our sangers and then walked on. It's the first time in a long time that I've had a walk in anything other than urban area, and it was just so nice. I heard and then spotted a nuthatch in the forest walk bit. It's so nice to see those birds. It was quite high up in a tree, but such a lovely bird, that we don't seem to have regularly visiting here at home. There were any number of friendly robins, and one came really, really close to LG when we were looking at the snowdrop avenue. There was a little roped off viewing area and the robin was just bouncing on the rope, getting closer and closer to LG. Then another kiddo came running past and spooked the bird.

Returning home we were the right side of town for fArmF00ds, so I called in. There weren't any dried black-eye beans ☹️but I dropped lucky with the 3for£1 tinned beans today. They have been having Royal Cr0wn brand chickpeas on offer (and they are a perfectly good product), but today they had RC Borlotti Beans on offer, so I got 6 tins. I also got some JO branded….. Fajita sauce? I think you are supposed to cook your shredded chicken (or pork maybe?) in it, and fill your taco, but if anyone has used this product before, can you please advise? I got it because it was 49p a jar, and it isn't supposed to be hot (spicy). I am thinking that it would work with qu0rn, but if anyone uses it differently, then I'll all ears. I got some lentil crisps too. In total I spent £3.96, so will amend my siggie figgie just now. LG spotted something that they thought might be nice for our SC holiday. It's probably a bit early to get it (would have to find storage, and it's something that is on the shelves 24/7), but I was super-chuffed that LG is thinking about the holiday and how we might make it special with nice things to have.

Right. better go and have a brainwave as to what to have for tea,

Greying X

Watty1

Black beans in fajita sauce would work , or tofu, or those large mushrooms (portobello?) or roasted chickpeas or - and I think this might be nice - roasted halloumi slices?

I can be quite imaginative when its for others :) I had a curry again this evening!

greenbee

Jackfruit (not that exciting on it's own, but good for things with lots of flavour - shreds like pulled pork) if you can get a tin at a reasonable price.

KajiKita

Paneer might be another option?

KK