From Frugal Foundations to Fortified Family Future

VintageHistorian

I lot of the stuff I used to get on Prolific (which now requires photo ID so obvious privacy issues there now too) didn't ask too many personal questions beyond age, gender and household income. Quite a few of them were more about behaviour (do you like this photo or this photo) and decision making. Most recently they've done more on AI training, which I refuse to do, but my Dad is also on Prolific and does their AI ones and has been getting around £3.50 for 15 minutes work, which is pretty good going in the grand scheme of things.

rtandon27

@VintageHistorian - I've also stopped Prolific for the same reasoning and the haphazard manner that they introduced the new requirements.

@Greying_Pilgrim - Still doing Pinecone though I am far from the type of person that consumes what they are researching - it's still 3 pounds a go though & I rarely get screened out - not lucrative by any means - 30 pounds over the past 12 months, but it does pay for the odd coffee when having a meeting off-site!

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Morning MFW'rs

Bright and breezy start with us, so a wash is on.

LG has started trawling the NT handbook to look for places to go today. We've only got the little car today, and their first pick was somewhere down a long country lane, over 30 miles away. The property is only open for a few hours (although to be fair Monday is one of the days it is open), and it isn't one of the most interesting houses. I mean, don't get me wrong, there are some beautiful parts to it, but I think the NT struggles to get volunteers to staff it, and iirc it doesn't have the 'bells and whistles' gift shop that LG is possibly hankering over.

A general clothes wash is on, and I'm hopeful it will dry. The forecast is for no rain, although there are ominous clouds coming in from the west, and I want to try to make hay whilst the good weather is with us. March is definitely going out like a lion though.

We watched a very good (although the CGI got a bit OTT at times), film yesterday afternoon, 'Togo' starring Willem Dafoe. It was based on a true story. We munched our tea. I used up all the random potatoes from the bottom of green boxes and the share table. I just cut each potato into 4, or if it was bigger, I cut it in half, and then each half into 4. The pieces were all roughly the same size and cooked well, even though I don't think they were all the same variety. We had fish fingers, and mushy peas with the 'wedges'. I was surprised the mushy peas were ok. MrL have changed the tin label on their own brand, and that sometimes signifies that they have altered the contents too. Which isn't always a positive, and now the tins are 39p each…. Anyone remember mushy peas war? Didn't they go down to 4p a tin or something? I used to make the WW or sl1mm1ng w0rld mushy pea curry in those heady days. Not a cheap meal these days 😕

Hopefully tea tonight will be a sort of salad bowl, using up some of the YS'd falafel from MrL. I haven't got any lettuce, but I do still have the sprouts, so could shred them.

My goal today is to get through the day without spending any unnecessary money. I will have to chase up that missing prescription, as I still don't feel right, and think it possibly is the infection lingering. Although I rarely take anti-b's and dislike what they do to the gut biome 😭I think I need to take the medicine in this instance. I shall endeavour to have the meds sent to anywhere other than the shoe pharmacy tho.

We currently have a trip out to the cinema with a chum booked, and to look forward to, but entertaining LG for this week, without compromising the budget for next week, isn't going to be easy. As it happens, there wasn't any holiday clubs to sign them up for this holiday anyway.

Ta for popping by. Greying X

Greying_Pilgrim

OK, so I forgot to mention that DH and I had the last mango (from the green box from 2 weeks ago) chopped up with yoghurt for pud last night - delish. Luckily, we have 2 more to use that came in last week's box. Also, for tea I opened a new MrS own brand tommie ketchup (not the cheapest Stam. St but the own brand above), and wow, although they've kept the carton the same size, they've tinkered with the recipe. It now runs out of the carton 😕It used to be a good alternative to the expensive branded stuff. Now…….🫤

LG has gamely been coming up with more suggestions as to where we could go 'out'. I've had to gently broach the subject with them that we perhaps shouldn't be hopping in the car wully-nully at the mo, as not only is fuel increasing in price, but there are starting to be shortages. I know locally that 2 supermarkets (perhaps at different times), have been out of diesel at the pumps, and that is now. I did also gently raise the possibility that it might affect our holiday. I'm already thinking that it might be best to ditch the purple hotel add-on at the start - but thankfully LG doesn't know about that, so they won't be disappointed. I booked it under flexible booking, so won't lose any money. I should imagine electric charging points on the motorways will be full up at all times, even if the petrol stations are empty.

Naturally, I don't want to cancel the main holiday - we'd lose our money, but then getting stranded could rack up costs too, so…. Adulting sure isn't all it's cracked up to be.

Greying X

Jellytotts

I went off surveys for a few years but am loving Pr0lifik, I’m averaging about £40 a month, DH around £30 - although last month he took part in 2 zoom style meetings on various local topics and got £15 for each - he had a good month!

Because they are professional studies rather than consumer studies I find them far more interesting, especially the game theory ones. I like to know my ineptitude at some of these things is keeping it real for some people’s dissertation results.

On the subject of charging cars if there’s shortages, you can bet your (well anything and everything) that the price to charge will sky rocket too. We have several long trips to do next month and luckily we can get there on a full charge from home but will need to shop around for the cheapest recharge home.

edinburgher

I'm not particularly bothered by privacy concerns on Prolific. That's possibly because I was one of the first generations to grow up (just about) with the internet as a concept. Legislation around data protection has become much clearer and more helpful since GDPR, I dread to think what was being collected without consent before! I do the odd survey that would include personal information (for example, a recording). These, however, come with a privacy statement, and it's my job to digest this and see if I'm ok with it + the person/organisation collecting the information. Sometimes these are fine and the surveys are well paid (such as a recent one about a popular national telethon that gave me £20 for my opinions). As regards providing ID, I'm fine with that, there would be more invasive checks if I started a new job 🤷

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Evening MFW'rs

We've managed to get the washing dry and it's on the airer. No money spent today.

I've been feeling marginally under par today, not sure if it's the weather, or something else. So for lunch I made a quick red pepper and tomato soup, using one of the red peppers from last week's box. And I made us a grilled cheese sandwich. LG ate it, but was indifferent about it, it hit just the spot for me.

Tea was a use-up exercise. I had the 50% YS'd falafel from MrL to use, part of a bag of edamame, the remaining grape tomatoes, part of the red onion from the green box, half a lemon from the green box, the rest of the sprouts and the last scrapings of the honeyed tahini jar. I ended up making Edamame Bean Salad, and ran some cooked giant couscous through it. Then I made a Pugilese beetroot salad, and shredded/steamed the sprouts. I cooked up the falafel and made the tahini/mayo/yoghurt dressing, with some added lime juice. I then sprinkled toasted sunflower and pumpkin seeds over the top.

The falafel were ok, but a little bit claggy. I'm glad i only paid half-price, especially as there were 9 in one packet, and only 8 in the other. The edamame bean salad was good, and a keeper, and the giant cous cous addition, made it the main component of the meal. I was chuffed that LG tried a little of the beetroot salad, as they don't like beetroot, but tried it (and liked it), with the apple. A nice meal - and as it happens a complete contrast to lunch 🤣 And I'm happy that I met my own self-imposed challenge to make something out of what I have and limp on to the end of the month, before spending any more on groceries.

LG has amused themselves today, has done a kind thing. Not a super-spiffy start to the hols, but the weather, and one or two other things slightly conspired against us.

Greying X

Cheery_Daff

Glad you had a good day, and that LG has both done something kind and amused themselves 😊 A triumph all round I say! 😊

Baileys_Babe

Dinner looks splendid, I hope your family appreciated it.

KajiKita

How are you feeling today GP?

KK