Thank god we paid the mortgage off

Watty1

Honestly Ladybird I think we all feel like that. I know for sure I do. Big plans and never get to them. I think the bit to remember is we are moving forwards. Sure we might not have what I sometimes think is an "instagram life" of time for self, an uncluttered house, gentle fitness, great food - but - that is unrealistic in the main, unless one has multiple helps around the place and a lot of cash .

Better to go forwards, be kind, support others and just enjoy moments in the day - and - you are smashing that!

Cherryfudge

You have to drink Baileys? What a hardship… I'm sure some of us on here would be happy to help you out!

I hope the cold doesn't turn out too heavy.

ladybird1106

You’re right KK I should focus on what I’ve accomplished rather than what I’ve not. It’s been a heavy couple of years.It’s been a lot, but I’m still standing and 😊.
Watty1 I think you’re right we are still moving forwards just not in the nice straight line I’d like. I just need to keep putting one foot in front of the other and be realistic about what I can achieve. I also need to learn to say no to people.
It’s a hardship cherryfudge, so I’ll take one for the team as someone’s got to drink it🤣.
Cc bill cleared, an eye watering amount of £742. This week has been an expensive. Sm shop £34 odd, diesel £55.89, cc £742.67 (holiday balance, new freezer, stuff for the allotment and shopping, all bought before decision was made about Mr🐞 job) and Mr🐞 share of his weekend away with a friend £114.50 (this has been booked for months). Hopefully next week will be cheaper🤨.
So that’s it Mr🐞 is officially done with working full time (for now?). Hopefully his physical health will improve or if not at least stabilise. He’s so relieved.💜.

FRUGALNESS FOR TODAY.
• last of my plants are in (a bit late) after hardening off for a couple of days. Lovely morning spent at the allotment soaking up some free vitamin D.
• lots of free exercise, bending, stretching and digging at the plot.
• harvested apples, kale and cabbage.
• came home in time to utilise the 2 free 🐙hours of electricity. Wm on twice (used home made laundry gloop), dw on, computers, wheelchair, toothbrushes charged, microwave used to heat my leftovers lunch, kettle boiled twice to fill up flasks and hoovered the house.
• used nature’s tumble dryer to dry 3 lots of washing.
• tea was veggie shepherdless pie that I made yesterday using veggies from the plot.
• sat for an hour cutting off the metal runners ( will take these to the metal recycling bin at the tip) off cardboard suspension files, that I re-homed from my friends mil house. These will be used under my weed suppressant material at the allotment.
• meal plan done for next week, shopping from the allotment and home.
• credit card paid off in full, so no interest accrued.
Love 🐞

Cherryfudge

*Raises a (very early) celebratory glass in the direction of Mr 🐞 and a less-stressful future

ladybird1106

Thanks cherryfudge.

Monday was a write off due to feeling rubbish ( head cold ) and yesterday was a day of realisation that mum is old and somethings are just beyond her now. Made me feel quite sad. What should have been lovely day was filled with joint pain and tiredness. We went to London to see the frida exhibition at the Tate. It was just too much and was expensive to say how much time mum stayed in the exhibition (be lucky if it was 40 minutes) and didn’t really enjoy it. Need to be looking at activities that involve me driving rather than the train, shorter visits and closer to home.
Today I volunteered in the morning and had a lovely visit from a friend who is getting married next year. Had the heating on because we had a visitor 🤣.

FRUGALNESS FOR TODAY.
• sm shop £54 odd.
• several items crossed out on said shopping list as we either had them in the cupboard or they are an extra but not essential to a meal ie breadsticks.
• tea was comfort food homegrown jp with cheese and beans ( just a sprinkling of cheese for me😢, as I’m trying to improve my diet again….)
• spoons put into both coffee jars as Mr 🐞 likes to shake an amount into his cup (the right amount by eye apparently). Hopefully this will make the jars last longer.
• water from showers saved to flush the loo.
• wm, dw and ev on to take advantage of cheap electric.
• my best friend has ordered us wreath making kits, mine is for my Christmas present 🎁. Thoroughly pleased with this as I won’t need to buy one or forgo having one.
Time for sleep 😴

Love 🐞

Greying_Pilgrim

hangs head in shame, and joins Mr🐞on the naughty step…… I too am a tapper in of coffee granules 😔 And I haven't even mended my ways when "sitting next to Nelly" came to bite me on the b.u.m. LG made me a cup of coffee the other week, putting the coffee in 'like you do mum'. 🤢I don't think 4 shots of expresso in the cup would have been stronger 🤢 It went down the drain 😔

Greying X 😔

ladybird1106

Oh GP I think with your immense mse ways you definitely shouldn’t be on the naughty step. Perhaps your coffee tapping needs a stern 🤨disapproving look but definitely not the step🤣. That did make me chuckle about LG coffee making🤢though.

Love 🐞

ladybird1106

We’ve started on the front garden, lots of pruning , weeding and dead heading. Only a small area sorted but the bin is full. Had a lovely walk to the local pond. Visited the plot. Had the most magical experience. A long tail tit had some how managed to get into the netted fruit area. Managed to catch it in my hands, released it and its family was waiting for it. Beautiful bird .

FRUGALNESS FOR TODAY.
• free exercise- yoga, walk, lots of stretching and lifting at the plot and more yoga.
• harvested my carrots, netting has done its job, no carrot fly🥳. Left them in the potting shed to dry and tomorrow I will put them-in sharp sand to store. Think I’ve got enough to last till Christmas. Harvested lettuce, couple of cucumbers ( having to peel the skin as it’s getting a bit tough), potatoes, tomatoes and beetroot.
• planted future meal ingredients-broad beans.
• free zen moment- long tailed tit rescue.
• tea- homegrown lettuce, tomatoes, potatoes, beetroot and cucumber.
• wm, dw and ev on timed to come on when we have cheap electric.
• used nature’s tumble dryer.
• not sure how frugal making my own Greek yoghurt is but I’ve had a go.
• started looking on FBMP for a kitchen. Ours is dropping to bits and really needs replacing.
• collect cosmos seeds for next year😊.

Not so frugal was letting Mr 🐞 go shopping on his own. He was shopping for his weekend away. Anyway when I checked his receipt, I asked him why he had bought 2 bags for life, at 40p each, when I given him reusable ones from home. He said he hadn’t. Anyway turns out the machine asked him how many bags he’d used so he tapped in 2🤦‍♀️, because he was using 2 from home. Had to explain this wasn’t what it meant. It’s going to be a long process getting him up to speed on how I do things in order for him to take over😮‍💨. 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣.
love 🐞

KajiKita

Awww … to the Great Tit moment ❤️ They are so magical when they happen 🤩

Well at least Mr LB tried even if it will take a while … 😉

Fabulous haul of carrots! 🥕 👏😊

KK

Greying_Pilgrim

Long-tailed tits are wonderful! And no wonder the Fam were waiting for it to come back to them - they certainly flock together. You always know when they're about, constantly communicating with each other 🥰 Well do for rescuing such a beauty - I bet it was light as a feather.

Urgh to self-service machines in supermarkets. I know some people love them for their 'speed', but I'm not one of them. Constant questions, and beeping and flashing lights, all whilst looking at a mirror image of your mug on TV right in front of you 🙄 At least Mr🐞's inadvertent purchase was based on some sort of logic - and what does the wording actually say? 🤔 "How many bags do you have?" or "How many bags to you intend to purchase to haul your shopping away today?" 🤔 I think Mr🐞 has a point………..

Greying X