From Frugal Foundations to Fortified Family Future

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Evening MFW'rs

So I wasn't happy with a little bit of the garden and the amount of gravel-like stones that were left after yesterday's efforts, so I had another bash at it again this morning. I spent 3 hrs hoeing and stomping and stone-picking, and finally got to the point that I really was satisfied. I hauled one large bucket of stones off this morning - it doesn't sound alot, until you look in the bucket and it's full of gravel-like stones. That's alot of picking.

Anyway, when LG came home, I could tell that they were itching to help with sowing the grass-seed. And although we were supposed to have rain all day today (we didn't), the forecast did give rain for this evening, so I figured we could sow the seed, with the hope of a helping hand from mother nature. I weighed the seed out so that we would put equal amounts on each 'square' I had mapped out and I had a bowl, and LG had a bowl, so that they could follow me, and do any bits I had missed. We did broadcast sowing, and LG was under strict instructions not to throw the seed over me or them, on account of how blessed itchy grass seed is - and yes, we did both wear gloves, as I have no idea what chemicals my have been put on the seed to stem germination whilst in the packet. We did a reasonable job between us - I know that I did a couple of patches where the seed all congregated together, but I think we got reasonable coverage. As we started, there were a few bits of bloppy rain, which stuck the seed to the bowls 🙄but it stopped almost as soon as it started.

LG felt included, we got the job done, but we're still waiting for the rain…….

Club tonight, so LG had their tea of pasta and lentil bolognese. DH and I had baked potato with lentil bolognese sauce and the last of the frozen broccoli.

No money spent today.

I put the second load of washing on the airer in front of the dehu. Yesterday's load has been put away. It's not ideal to use the dehu, BUT, logically, even if we'd had contractors in to do the garden, I would still have to use the dehu/launderette for the time the grass seed had been sown. A few quid is one thing. A few quid on top of a couple of thou in landscaping costs, is quite something else.

Ta for popping in. Greying X

beanielou

Well done to you both.

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Morning MFW'rs

Bright and breezy start with us. I think we might have had a little rain overnight, but not much. I was watching the rain clouds last night. They went to the south of us, and they went to the north of us, but overhead? Not so much ☹️ I ought to have hung some washing out - they would have diverted then, right?

I need to finish off yesterday's drying today, and work out the priority washes going forward. I am caught up on our 'holiday' clothes, but of course we're back in the swing with uniform and workwear again.

N*ctar is it's usual carpness. Out of the 10 'specially selected for me' price reductions, I can use one with certainty, one maybe, and the rest are rubbish, and stuff that I can get cheaper elsewhere - even at n*ctar price ☹️ Both MrL and MrS loyalty cards are now rubbish in terms of 'personal' benefits. They are useful only for the occasional SEL promo that you have to have the app/card for. I'm certainly not getting any of the '£4 off a £50 shop' or 'free' anything that is talked about elsewhere, with MrL.

I think I may make pizza for tea with wedges. I am kicking myself, as I left the YS'd mushrooms in their packaging, not realising that it was plastic, with zero holes, so yesterday the mushies had started to disintegrate ☹️ I've removed the plastic, dried them, and hopefully they will be useable today to cook up. Entirely my fault for not removing the packaging - but MrS go to the trouble of using cardboard cartons over plastic, and yet don't do vented plastic coverings 🙄

I don't seem to be 'saving' much money at the mo, but then to be fair, IF the garden begins to look better, we will be adding to our home. I'm not going to say 'value', I think at the moment all we are doing is 'normalising' it - from telly-tubbie land, to a square patch of green, like is expected for these type of homes. As I've mentioned before, we got the house "cheap" because the kitchen, bathroom, windows and heating system were so dated, but we've got to be careful that we don't spend too much, certainly not on 'personalising', as we'd never get a return on our money. I still don't think we would have been able to secure landscape contractors to do the back garden, as they would not have done it by hand, as we've done, and it was virtually impossible to get machinery in - without taking a wall of the garage down, which would have thrown up all sorts of extra issues. But contractors would easily have cost £1500 - £2000 to get it back to a green square…..

Right, best push orf and do summat.

Greying X

peb

That's so odd with the lidl code not being offered to you. I have another one (monthly i think?) But with also having a asda code i plumped for that this week

greenbee

You may not feel that making the garden more usable is adding 'value', but it is adding value to you, as a family (and who knows when/whether you will sell it) and even if it doesn't increase the selling price, a nice garden will make it more attractive to buyers. Ultimately this is your home - so make the changes that provide value to your family and don't worry about the impact on 'sale value' as who knows what the housing market will be doing by then anyway!

Cherryfudge

I am excited to hear about the first green shoots appearing in your garden some time soon! In a few months it will reward you and the family for all that very hard work and persistence.

Re the mushrooms - I can't undo the deterioration, but did you know that if you put them in the sunshine for a couple of hours, they will make extra vitamin D for you? Like humans, they can make their own, but once we've eaten the (boosted) mushrooms, it's ours and stays in the body around 3 months. Mind you, I love mushrooms and would eat them even without having sat them in the garden first.

ladybird1106

That’s interesting cherryfudge about the mushrooms 🍄‍🟫.
love🐞

kayannie

It must be very disappointing not to get any useful L!dl coupons. I had £5 off a £40 shop 2 weeks ago. I did wonder if I'd spend the £40 that day, but easily did without trying- my shopping list included olive oil!

A couple of days ago I used a coupon for free Alesto nuts or dried fruit - after scrutinising the prices for the best deal, I chose a pack of apricots which were £3.29. Yesterday I received another £5 off a £40 shop but as it expires on the 9th, I'm not sure if I'll be shopping before then, especially as it involves a round trip of 20 miles. Although I hate not using a useful coupon, I dislike being blackmailed into spending!!

Well done to you all (& to you in particular) on the hard work you have done in your garden.

KAx

Greying_Pilgrim

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82024003#Comment_82024003

No, that is the point I was (clumsily) trying to make greenbee - it's not adding monetary value as in we've constructed a desirable garden 'room' or gained extra land. But what we've done it restored it to 'how it was' (ish) when the houses were built, 40 years ago. The utility value to us has been raised - by doing this lawn work ourselves. I honestly don't even think we can say we've 'saved' £1500, we wouldn't have been able to get contractors to take it on. I'm not bothered about 'making money' on this house (although I would prefer not to lose money, after we've put up with the dust and inconvenience of plumbers, window fitters etc). But neither will I be fitting a high spec designer kitchen, nor a jacuzzi spa bath etc etc - these houses just don't warrant that sort of input. Would I like a better laid out kitchen? With drawers and cupboards more tailored to what I want to put in them? Sure. But h0wdens and a communicative chippy/builder can provide me with that. This is our home, not an investment.

Cherryfudge - I did know part of what you've written about mushrooms and vitD, but I didn't know the longevity of the benefit to humans. As it happens, I did put them in the window yesterday to dry off, as I couldn't be bothered to wipe each one. I will have to process them today though.

I'm excited to see the 'green' appear too 😁And yes, it will be good to use all the garden again - even if we do promptly cover it with sheds 🤣 (joking).

Anyway, I had a brainwave! (stop giggling at the back!). I was looking out of LG's bedroom window and my eyes fell on our near neighbours whirly gig, washing line. Which was full - they are a good barometer of whether to put your washing out or not - and I was thinking to myself, goodness how I wish I had a chum/relative to ask to help me out with a washing line/whirly gig/garden at the mo….. And then it struck me, we still have the original whirly gig that was in the garden when we moved in…… Now whilst I prefer washing lines myself, a whirly-gig has it's uses, if only to get stuff outside in a breeze/sunshine. So I dusted it down, it could really do with a re-stringing (oh how I miss wilkos for useful things like replacement whirly gig lines….), bashed the pole holder into the ground, and then bashed it in some more when the whirly gig started to lean……. 🤣 So - fingers crossed - I now have a washing line in the garden! It will probably not take the heavier garments in it's temporary position, but even if I could get all the smalls and tops dried on it, that would help lessen the burden on the dehu. Naturally, it has now clouded over, and looks like it's going to rain (not forecast), but I've put a wash on, and fingers crossed it will help with laundry until we can go back to stomping - on grass - in the garden.

I had wanted to get rid of the whirly gig - I don't think it's branded, but it's solidly made thing. I was going to give it to a 'furniture' charity that helps people setting up home etc, but both charities that I was thinking of closed down. For once, my inability to declutter has paid off.

Do you know what - it's blessed raining……. 🙄

Greying X

greenbee

Like you, I prefer a 'line' to a whirly BUT they do have their uses. My mum has always had both - even though she no longer has a houseful of family, the whirly does sometimes get called out of retirement when she's had lots of visitors/has a backlog. So I think I might bite the bullet and get one - although I have to decide where to move the line to first as it gets too much shade where it is, blocks access to the shed, and is too close the flowerbed/shrubs/trees when it has sheets/duvet covers on it.

Hang on to the whirly - it'll give you options :)