From Frugal Foundations to Fortified Family Future

Humdinger1

May I say again @Greying_Pilgrim how glad I am that I follow your thread. It's illuminating. Thank you love Humdinger xx

Watty1

I do love your thread. You eat at a table and on the lap is seen as a treat. I love that! We ate at a table as children, and I've done so most of my life. VNM has settled into the idea a table is set with cutlery and candles and we eat there, however busy the day is. Even alone i eat at a table, former flat mates have been encouraged to do that on the basis we eat together so we eat at a table and talk.

kayannie

I've just been catching up with your diary & read that you've just rejoined NT.

Obviously too late for you this year, but joining NT for Scotland saves a few precious pounds a year & membership admits you to all NT properties in the UK.

KA x

Greying_Pilgrim

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81929336#Comment_81929336

That's true sweetie, but isn't there an issue……… correct me if I'm wrong, because I don't want to spread misinformation, but isn't there an issue with the parking with NTS - or has that resolved now you have to scan your card for parking? As it happens, some of the first uses of our memberships will be using NT car parks. When we were last members, it had begun to change, but your car sticker was important in car parks. That is lessening in importance, but I thought there was an issue. Or am I getting confused and thinking about NT NZ? I wouldn't be surprised, I am a daft auld bat.

Greying X

kayannie

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81929407#Comment_81929407

It's a good few years since we were NTS members but I cant remember having any issues regarding parking. You could well be right, things have changed so much in the last decade or so. We're members of CADW (Welsh Heritage) now as there are fewer NT properties in our area & after being members for 12 months, have access to EH properties too.

KAx

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Morning MFW'rs

What has today in store?

It was club for LG last night. They had leftovers - from Wednesday - for tea, and were delighted with it! I think it helped that it was pasta based, that gets it a thumbs up from the get-go, but I was pleased that a) good food was getting used up and b) there was glee not grumpiness about the same meal being presented, gotta love my kiddo 🥰 DH and I had baked tatties (from Tuesday's share table), baked beans and an omlette. I used up all the eggs for the omlettes, so that was a 'useful' meal too 😁

Cheery mentioned on her thread about running the washing machine at 90 degrees wash for the first time. Co-incidentally, I'd done the same yesterday as DH's extremely soiled workwear had had to go through the machine, and the next load was to be school uniform, so I figured the machine needed a 'disinfect' I used soda crystals and vinegar in the cycle too. I'm not thinking of the cost of running the machine, it was necessary……. 🫤

I suspect pizza will be on the menu tonight, I can do a half-n-half, mushroom and black olive, using the YS'd mushrooms. I will also use the tatties from the green box - I suspect (they were loose), that they are salad type potatoes, but should be ok for wedge style tatties. If I have time, I may either soak them like rt's Mister does, or may even parboil. We'll see. Oh, and we had a mango with our yoghurt last night - it was delish! LG has decided they don't like mango ☹️I think it is a textural thing - we had one, one time that was super juicy, but also quite……. slimey conveys the wrong impression, but I can't think of a word…… and LG didn't like it. Their loss - it was 'en pointe' ripe, and so perfumed. LG did relent and try a piece out of their beloved papa's bowl 🤭and declared it 'OK, but not my favourite'…. which is progress I think. We don't have to love everything do we? Or not even like everything, but the broader the range of stuff you will eat helps I think. Not only from a digestion/nutritional point of view, but also from a financial point of view.

Um, I can't think of anything else particularly MSE related, so I best push orf. Ta for being here.

Greying X

redofromstart

it's funny how our food memories work. I was lucky that my first ever mango was perfectly ripe and so I am always willing to try again to chase that memory.

Greying_Pilgrim

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81930435#Comment_81930435

Too true redo - I was unlucky enough to have a rock hard, dark green bell pepper 🤮 and an unripe avocado 🤢 as my first introduction to those fruits. You're right, ripeness is key to getting the best exposure to new tastes. I don't understand why LG didn't like the 'perfume' of the mango, it really is something else. Mind, we do only have mangoes if they are on a share table, or in a green box, so it's not so vital that they get to like them. I'll stick with getting them to eat potatoes in various forms, and carrots and other root veggies.

So, the energy bill is in for the month. Thankfully we've used a shed-load less than last month (phew!), and it cost a tiny bit less than for the same period last year - double-phew! I can hand on heart say that this month's reduction is entirely due to far less use of the dehu (thank you washing lines and blowy breezes!), and not having the heating on as much - and even not at all for the last week or so. The new windows will have contributed to that, but we are sparing users too. There isn't much wiggle room to have the heating on 24/7 as we age….. 🫤 Well, not in this house, anyway.

Greying X

Greying_Pilgrim

I took a donation bag to the chazzer. I combined a trip there with returning some nuts to fArmf00ds, which were just bl00dy nasty 🤮Refunded no bother, and bought a couple of bits and pieces in FF and BeeandEm. In total I spent £4.89 on tinned fruit, pasta sauce (holiday), pasta (m1n1on shaped, I couldn't resist - there are even little bananas!) and 4 more packs of the brew-woof smokey burger seasoning, as the offer (4 for £1) was still on, and I like it very much as an everyday seasoning.

Normal clothing and some school uniform is out on the line. We've not much breeze, but at least the sun has made an appearance.

I need to amend my siggie figgie.

Greying X

Greying_Pilgrim

Good evening MFW'rs

I've updated my siggie figgie - gulp!

I made mushroom (half) and black olive (half) pizza. The mushrooms were YS'd. The wedges worked well, and cooked nicely. They did have taste, they weren't the most tasty potatoes I have ever tasted in my life, but they did have flavour, so an other green box success 😁 There are 2 portions of pizza left, to go in the freezer for another day. Pud will be an icecream. We have a motely selection of 3 left in the freezer.

Greying X