From Frugal Foundations to Fortified Family Future

greenbee

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81912382#Comment_81912382

Maybe you should?

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Evening MFW'rs

rt - inspired by your post, I checked my prices/offers. Marginally better - nothing too left-field or wot i got 2 years ago……once. But this week, to be fair, I've had better luck with n*ctar prices on the SEL - that all card holders can benefit from.

Oh beanie - what a waste of an offer. I mean, yeah, cake is lush, but every week for birthday cake 🙄

🤣 greenbee

So we've munched tea. I went for a wrap 'boofay' in the end. Wholemeal wraps, lettuce, grated carrot, cucumber, quick pickle radish, beetroot, lettuce, garlic sauce, roasted potato chunks and qu0rn nuggets. The potatoes were scrapings out of the bottom of the wilja bag. Allowing for discards, I think I have one more meal's worth left. I think there is a wrap, it's called…… Sabichi? It's falafel, and pickles, and salad and has french fries in it too (I think). That was my inspiration - and I get the 'textures' thing. I was lucky with the tatties, they crisped up lovely (I par-boiled the potato chunks). Clean plates all round and all wraps, nuggets and veg eaten up. Win. And delicious. And a whole heap of veg consumed 👍

I can't think of anything particularly MSE spiffy I've achieved today. Ta for being here.

Ta for popping in. Greying X

peb

Sainsbury's, glace cherries for me. Yes, I did make three Christmas cakes but that was last October

Greying_Pilgrim

Oh peb - that's rubbish, isn't it. Perhaps we all need to club together and donate a penny to MrS to upgrade their ZedX spectrum to a blackBerri in the n*ctar offers department……. 🤣 #showingage #stuckinthepast

Wash is on, although it's not going to be a spiffy drying day today. But you gotta try, right. School uniform + is on at the mo, and residual workwear will be on next.

I did enjoy the rugger last night - it was at least a match all the way thru, and although they didn't win, I thought Wales had a better match. Ireland are a formidable opponent.

I need to pop into Greying Town this morning. We will be watching the rugger this arvo. Tea will be…….. I'm sticking with the pasta bake I think. I remembered that I had the Arancini from fArmf00ds but that would need to be incorporated in more of a buffet type arrangement I think - and I want to be watching the rugger, not fiddling with cooking.

I can't think of anything else MSE/MFW relevant at the mo, so I'll push orf. Ta for popping by.

Greying X

in_need_of_direction

you know I’ll always be for the men in green but I agree regarding Wales’ performance

Greying_Pilgrim

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81913070#Comment_81913070

Precisely inod - and that's what I love about this space, we can acknowledge "good work/play/sportspersonage behaviour" without diminishing our support for "our" favoured team/company etc etc. Wales have improved as the tournament has progressed which is great - but Ireland have held on to their excellent play - the result (whilst not in Wales's favour this time) was great rugby, and a pleasure to watch.

So I pootled off into Greying Town. I have ensured that the money is available to pay the balance of our holiday - and have subsequently done that. I popped into the library, as the website just won't work for me at the mo. It must be my pooter, as it worked ok in the library. Anyhoo, they haven't got the book I wanted, but at least I now know. I did pick up a few things in hB. I will have to dissect my receipt, as there was a mix of food and non-food items. I did have a wander thru the sparks&marks foodall, but there was nothing of any use today. Although, having said that, I did take the opportunity to have a good gander at 'pizza' takeaway offering. You know we've nattered about this before on this thread, but I'm wondering if it would be worth a punt. There's no way you'd get a takeaway pizza for less and as an occasional purchase, I think it might work for us. The fridge was quite well stocked, so I took it all in 😉 I need to compare it to any other offer like that - I know the c0op sometimes do something similar….. for £6? or has it gone up? Although I can't see me (easily) getting past "but it would be cheaper to make myself……." 🙄

I just remembered the Women's footy is on. Far more interesting that the fellas (sorry any fellas reading).

Right, best go and rustle up summat for lunch.

Greying X

VintageHistorian

I find the pizza meal deal in M&S quite good as it includes two decent-sized sides (rather than just garlic bread and some kind of dip for the pizza crusts) which I put in the freezer for future picky teas. If I can get two meals for two out of a deal then that's good value in my book.

rtandon27

We've not done MnS but have done the Waitflower version which does the two of us two or three meals. I do usually add carrot and celery sticks and a Greek yogurt dip with cucumber to boost the nutritional value. OH likes to add olives or shallots before we cook up.

Greying_Pilgrim

VintageHistorian and rt - thank you both. I must admit, I didn't think it was too bad VFM wise, and I thought that the selection of sides was pretty good - to the point where perhaps you'd be in a selection dilemma 😁 Thanks rt for mentioning MrW, as when I was considering perhaps going for this deal, we might have access to a MrW, so it's good to include them too. I will look to see if MrW list their offering online?

Lunch munched. Carrot, rice and white bean soup. The carrot base was a bit thin - I didn't add enough veg - but it was edible, and 'different'. There is a splodge left over.

I've been doing some totting up of our current 'bridge' (to retirement) figure. It's what we currently have - rather than what we might need for 1, 2, 3, 4, 5+ years. I'm probably going to start measuring 'what we need' from the new financial year. But what we have already, which doesn't currently include pension figures, isn't too shabby a figure, and would cover a year's salary - and naturally, with careful marshalling could stretch further (particularly as early-retirees point out that it is possible to live well, 'cheaper' once 'costs of work' are stripped out). It's a safety net, although whilst not instantly accessible from the cashpoint, is there. I shared this with DH, as he's been getting himself wound up like the town hall clock about work again this week. And for once, he seemed relieved, and said "thank you for telling me". Sometimes you just need to know that if you need to 'walk' you could, the world wouldn't collapse around you. I'm sure DH wouldn't ever just walk anyway, no matter how bad things got, but he now knows that he could - and would have some breathing space before having to decide 'what's next'.

We're of an age when peers and people around us are starting to inherit - quite large sums of money. I wouldn't swap places with any of them, to be honest, as mixed in with the 'six figures' is an awful lot of sorrow, family drama - and an unenviable amount of serious illnesses of loved ones. I've also seen enough duping of older relatives to last me a life-time. I just couldn't stoop so low. At least what little we've got is legitimately ours, and I'm glad that DH is starting to change his outlook a little. Whilst I couldn't give you a hand on heart figure of what we 'need' for retirement - or even 'bridge to', I know that we (for example), don't need £1m. Mind, if any philanthropists are reading this, we could always use £1m, ever so wisely……… 😉🤣

Greying X

beanielou

I like the m & s pizza deal & we have it occasionally if DS is coming ‘home’.
I thought of you today as I pegged out my lovely new towels.