From Frugal Foundations to Fortified Family Future

Greying_Pilgrim

Thank you Blackcats - and for the recipe link Cherryfudge. So glad that you enjoyed the dhal Blackcats - the 'base' recipe for the MrL dhal isn't overly dissimilar to the one I make - although mine is with water, not coconut milk, and I suppose - like anything that you've made over time, I have 'made' the lentil dhal recipe my own, simply by putting in a HM spice mix (actually from a R1ck Ste1n book), rather than the spices from the original recipe. I originally got the recipe from a book by Linda Co-burn (not how you spell her name but I don't think the filter likes male chickens…..) who is from Australia, and was one of the original exponents of 'buy nothing for a year'. I think she moved to Tasmania and lives pretty much self-sufficiently/off grid.

Dhal has become a favourite in our house simply because (minus chilli), it was something that LG would eat early on 😁 Funnily enough I was looking out baby pictures yesterday, as DH thought we'd been to a NT place (where we went last week), with LG before. I can't find any evidence that LG was with us. But trawled through the pics as I went down a rabbit hole….. The one thing I regret not finding was the 'Blueberries and Yoghurt' video - where DH and I were in hysterics, and poor old LG was looking at us, bemused as to why their blueberry/yoghurt plastered face was causing us to laugh so much 🤣 At least I was able to prove to LG that they were eating egg sangers from the get-go, as there is a picture of them sitting in a NT property garden, literally shoving a (small) egg sanger into their face sideways 🤣

Shopping day today.

Ta for popping in. Greying X

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Morning MFW'rs

Back from shopping. £33.39 spent. I went to MrAl, MrL and MrS. No green boxes, and not alot of YS'd stuff anywhere.

I overspent in MrAl - I went there for school lunch box stuff for now - end of term. But spotted some vac pac beetroot for less than MrS sell it, some courgettes that will be useful to make a pasta meal today, and a mArm1te dupe that I never notice in MrL nor MrS - although I think MrS do have one, I've obvs not searched hard enough. I went off piste in MrL and got some milled flaxseed (I would have preferred unmilled, but can store this in the fridge/freezer), and some giant couscous. I haven't noticed the giant couscous before - but accept that I could have missed it, and whilst it said 'new', we all know the tricks MrL play pulling products and then bringing them back as 'new' 🙄 MrS shop was limited to YNP and points purchases, and was a very small shop today.

I'm pleased that my shops are veg/fruit/whole foods heavy, but gee, eating is getting expensive ☹️

I put out two small washes. We have sun and a barely there breeze 🫤 but the whites have gone out and DH's particularly soiled workwear, which can't be washed with anything other that workwear, has been done too. DH has been awarded a pay rise - you only need one finger to count it on - and I can see that changing work practices will mean it will all be gobbled up with laundering costs….. and I ain't talking about photocopying fivers!

Right, I need to update my siggie figgie and then get into the kitchen to get on with the pasta sauce.

Ta for popping by. Greying X

Blackcats

thank you @Cherryfudge - that is indeed the recipe. I was quite freestyle and bold with the spices for the carrots but was a bit intimidated by cooking the lentils and so I stuck more or less to that part of the recipe. I'm now proudly in the "I buy and actually cook with lentils" gang. Luckily I proof read my post because lentils had been corrected to entrails which would be very intimidating to cook 🤢

badmemory

Mr Als version of marmite is very good - it is a little bit runnier than the real stuff but I find it easier to use. As for the price difference - immense.

rosewoodspa

I always read but rarely comment but just wondered if you ever claim any tax back for the costs of laundering the work wear. As a teacher on PAYE it never occurred to me that I could have claimed a fortune back in all the stuff I bought for school and it was only after getting together with OH in later life who was self employed that I ever realised it was a possibility that I had never thought about.

Rose

rosewoodspa

Also if you are eligible you can backdated for four years

Greying_Pilgrim

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81910720#Comment_81910720

Thank you rosewoodspa - DH is indeed entitled to a small annual amount for uniform laundering, and he has been told to claim it, on numerous occasions……… It still remains unclaimed 🙄 So he is his own worst enemy. But yes, you are absolutely right, he could at least get something back - not much, and if we were using the launderette every week, it would get about 3 washes and a dry……… 😉

Thanks for popping in though - and for commenting. Mucho appreciated.

Greying X

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Morning MFW'rs

Damp start with us - it was raining before 6am, but has stopped now.

badmemory - thanks for the validation of the MrAl yeast spread. I remember having some a few years ago, possibly a dupe, and after the initial 😖 I got on with it fine. Interestingly, from the get go, I haven't found it 😖 this time - so either my taste buds are changing/wilting, or I've remembered my tolerance of it - we used to have it at home a lot as a kid (the branded version was the only one available I think - heaven knows how mum afforded it). And I've looked things up, and the dupe has all the B vits in, although they are spelt out differently in the ingredients list.

Tea last night was as slated, and we all had the same - lentil ratatouille (or does it become ragu if you put lentils in? 🤔), pasta and broccoli. Yoghurt and banana for pud.

I'm not too sure what will be for tea today. I'm keeping the italian theme for tomorrow's tea - I shall probably do some sort of pasta bake in the SC whilst the rugger is on. Although I'm resisting the temptation to use mozzarella cheese this time, after the Christmas fandango ☹️

Other than that, I'm not sure what else MSE I have to report. Although I've noted I'm 1/3rd of the way thru the grocery money and we're not yet quarter of the way thru the month…… 😬

Mmmm, off to ponder recipes, tea possibilities and plot a route to keeping within the grocery budget.

Greying X

rtandon27

…amazingly, that sandwich I've not eaten since late summer of '25 has FINALLY dropped off my nectar points offers! - miracles do happen!

…I'm now wondering when the semi-skimmed that I never ever buy will do the same?!

beanielou

I’m now getting them for birthday cake!! I don’t buy birthday cake every week 🤦‍♀️