From Frugal Foundations to Fortified Family Future

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Morning MFW'rs

Thanks for asking KajiKita, not 100%. DH and I both woke up just before 4am. He decided to go downstairs to avoid keeping me awake, but I don't think I fell back to sleep properly.

Before I woke up, I had been having a weird dream. There was a familiar theme about train travel - it's not an actual route, train, journey that exists, but I think notionally I am travelling to/from London - I've had similar dreams before. This time I was more au fait with the route, where I had to change etc (the return journey was the focus of the dream really). This time although I knew my 'way', I was late, and possibly hadn't left enough time for connections etc (none of the places/stations actually exists). Although I didn't appear to be carrying anything, I had spent too much time in (a version of) M&$, I got deplorable service at the tills, and the 2 male members of staff on separate tills that I'd gone to were laughing at me. And although I "knew" - in the dream - it was M&$ (it wasn't anything like any store I've ever been in), the staff were (at best) in a "version" of uniforms that staff had donkey's years ago - not their current uniform. The staff had really weird names - I suspect I have been watching too much 'T0y St0ry', as the names were in the ball-park of something daft like 'stinky pete'….. which is preposterous. As I was pushing my trolley out, fuming at such poor service, I came across a person and I deduced they were the store manager. I started voicing my complaints at such poor service, and they airily brushed them aside, but I persisted, and followed them to their huge office/meeting area, which was set out more like a university lecture hall/gladitorial coliseum. It was very dark, and there were other people there. Everyone in the room was female. I started whanging on about the poor service again, and the manager asked my age. I was truthful, and everyone else claimed to be younger than me, and then they all burst out laughing, manically, simply at me being older…….. And then I woke up.

I've realised now how to remove the 'blurry filter' off food pictures (it's not obvious "where" on the phone screen), so if I post any future pictures of 'us tea', at least there will be a better view of the components.

Fair do's, DH has an appointment for a scan, but it is at the hospital across the way, with the dreadful parking (and no park and ride service, I don't think), so we will drop DH off/pick him up tomorrow. I don't mind, although there isn't a straightforward dropping off system either ☹️ but it will alter the plans that we had for tomorrow. Not wholly in a bad way, by any means, but we will be going in the opposite direction to where we'd planned. I don't know how to play this fuel business. I mean, we can't fund unlimited price increases, but what is worrying me more is future shortages. Do we conserve now, and have 'something' for a bit longer, or do we say to heck with the morrow and pootle about with gleeful abandon now?

A towels wash is on.

Hopefully I will get hold of my prescription today.

Tea will most likely be soup, and I'll try and think of something for a pud. If I have the oven on, I know LG will want to make biscuits.

Too many background worries going on at the mo.

Greying X

Watty1

Background worries are just so draining. Hope a resolution appears quietly and quickly.

Jellytotts

I didn’t have access to a car during school holidays as DH needed it for his commute so it was either days at home/within walking distance or hop on a bus (sometimes to the train station and then on further afield). Luckily the train used to be only £1 per child during the hols and we’d pootle off into London with our packed lunch, do the free museums/galleries and a run around in Trafalgar Square to burn off some energy before the train ride back to the coast.

A good opportunity in planning routes and reading bus timetables for all involved.

in_need_of_direction

this may be the reason I ended up as a dfw but I’d say worry about the fuel after the break. You will rapidly run out of holiday time when lg is happy to be with parents so make the most of it. There will always be a worry to consider. Look at this as managing upside risk - what memories and experiences could you miss out on if you don’t proceed as planned.

Greying_Pilgrim

True inod - a good point, well made.

X

themadvix

From all I've seen no one is telling people to do differently to normal currently… I've definitely seen the RAC saying to carry on as usual. So I'd keep topped up, but not worry too much - aside from the rising cost, of course. Plenty won't even consider it an issue until they can't fuel up, so I wouldn't lose out on the basis of being too sensible when others certainly won't be at all sensible (trying to strike a balance here between being selfish and being a martyr!).

greenbee

Apparently there's no issue with fuel supplies at the moment (other than those caused by panic-buying), and we are pretty much self-sufficient for petrol. Diesel and aircraft fuel are the potential issues, but not immediately. The price, of course is another matter entirely…

beanielou

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81944099#Comment_81944099

Absolutely agree with this. I miss my time with my wee DS so so much.

Blackcats

dreams are so odd aren't they and when we remember them they are so vivid. I had a dream about MrBC's ex wife where she was showing off about her superior knowledge of atoms (in real life I am unaware of her having any interest or knowledge of atoms). I was so frustrated because I knew I knew more than her but I couldn't prove it to anyone.

I agree that your holiday should go ahead despite the issues with fuel.

Is there anything going on at your local leisure centre for the school hols? Ours has swimming sessions for a £1 for kids - perhaps LG and a chum might enjoy a swim?

I hope that the stuff you have going on is resolved swiftly and satisfactorily, particularly the health related stuff.

Greying_Pilgrim

T'ain't over yet, but it's been a …… funny auld day.

Because of tomorrows change of plans, I decided to follow LG's request to go to the market town along the way for a hair cut. Tomorrow would have been better, as the hairdressers could have been combined with the share table and supermarket shopping, but we've to go in the opposite direction with DH now, so….. First thing was that we came across queuing traffic. We queued for half an hour, to get through 200 yards of roadworks…… where absolutely nothing was happening, no operatives, no machines…… When we'd done all we needed to do in the town, we drove out (I'd done us some snap), to a beauty spot. We came across 'Road Closed' signs, but that transpired to be road works, that were passable with traffic lights. But, just as we approached, a lorry with soil/tarmac pulled out, and proceeded to block the lane for about 15 minutes, dumping it's load 🙄 Then when we'd waited our turn and watched the traffic lights cycle through about 23 times, and could pass, we missed the turn to the beauty spot, so had to carry on along a twisty turny country lane, with no turning spots and a 'local' kissing our back bumper because they knew where they were going 🙄

The beauty spot was lovely and we enjoyed our picnic lunch with a wonderful view and birdsong. I had a travelmug of de-caf tea. I'm not a fan of tea, and not a fan of tea in flasks, but it was quite good, I'd have it again. Returning home, I decided to go down the country lanes route, rather than wait in traffic for phantom traffic works again. It seems everyone else had the same idea, as we met that many cars….although everyone was polite and acknowledging each other for giving space or stopping to let each other past etc. The worst bit was when we came across the bus 😱 which I didn't realise now goes down country lanes between 3 villages - thankfully we saw the car in front anchor up, and we were in a section with quite good passing places.

When we got home, we then popped out to the Drs surgery and the pharmacy. The saga of my "illness" rumbles on. I received a message this morning saying I needed to have more tests due to a snafu with the previous tests 🙄So I went to sort out a new appt. That got done by a very nice receptionist, and I put the last of my donation bras in the 'bra box'. We then walked to the nearby chemist to finally get the pills and potions I'd been prescribed. They gave me what they had, but I've got to go back tomorrow to pick up the rest, as they hadn't got enough…….🙄

T'would be easy to think something or someone is conspiring against me 🤣

I've got to sort out the figures, but I did pick up one or two bits in h3r0n, hB and bee&m today. I did also give LG the choice of an Easter egg, and as they chose one I wouldn't have chosen for them, I'm glad I was able to do that, especially as they were happy with a £3 one from h3r0n - and had a £3 one as a back up choice in £land, had we not found any in h3r0n.

When we finally got back in from tracking down appts and drugs, LG accepted my offer of an ice lolly out of the freezer. I'm so glad that I didn't de-frost some lollies that I bought last year, and which have taken up space in the freezer. LG has steadily worked through them in the last week or so, as an afterschool cooler.

I am very glad that we got out today - even if it didn't seem like it, when we were stuck in traffic. At least we couldn't speed around - although, as you can imagine, we got passed at every opportunity in any other part of the road - so as tmv says, other folks aren't bothering with fuel conservation tactics.

Greying X