Settling in for the long haul

ArtyJ931

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81942585#Comment_81942585

I had 11 years between my eldest and youngest so I know what you mean! 30 odd years of bustling around with lots of children and then suddenly it’s so quiet - I have a bunch of dogs now so that helps adjust lol

ArtyJ931

I remember the snacks situation. A plague of locusts hahahaha

in_need_of_direction

my adult children have reserved the right to peruse cupboards for goodies when they are home

ArtyJ931

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81942617#Comment_81942617

home is just their original home to be treated always as their home lol

carboot_karaoke

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81942629#Comment_81942629

Awwh, so true.

We have 11 years between our eldest and youngest and although we currently, have a very full nest l know it wont always be like that.

I wont miss the food bill 😂 to combat there insatiable appetite for snacks, l brought the younger children individual tubs which l fill up weekly with about 10 things (some intended for school lunches). They can eat them whenever they like but once there gone, there gone until the following week.

l still buy a few communal things like popcorn and ice cream but it has made a big difference both to the costs and the kids controlling there cravings. Before this Young Ck could eat a 10 pack of chocolates in 1 sitting 😱

Dakota_Rose

This was my saving grace during Covid when eldest two were raiding the cupboards. A small basket was laid out each morning with the day’s snacks in to be eaten as they chose. No carry overs and a mixture of healthy and treats. They still talk about them now with fond memories 😂 Mr D thinks we should bring them back during school holidays which isn’t a bad idea.

Dakota_Rose

How frustrating. I’ve received a small cheque in the post from my tax refund enquiry. There’s just enough for a premium bonds purchase but the thing will not scan into my bank app 😠 I’ve tried all three online banks and none of them can read the cheque so there must be something wrong with it.

jwil

That's frustrating about the cheque

Dakota_Rose

Payday has arrived and has been welcomed with open arms! Had a lovely, relaxed pot shuffle this morning and everything is looking as it should.

We need to do a food shop today and I may attempt to pay my cheque into a local branch to see if it will clear that way. I have though asked the tax refund company to issue another one as there seems to be a problem with the bottom code being obscured by a grey line causing the online scanner to not be able to read it.

In other news, I have just finished Yellowface by Rebecca F Kuang and really loved it. I didn’t really know what to expect but was pretty much hooked from the start. I couldn’t relate to all the subject matter involved, which was part of the point, but the central storyline of a selfish, slightly deranged writer had me hooked. It was addictive and my first 10/10 of the year. 

26 books for 2026

1.You Are Here (easy read) 9/10

2. The Seven Murders of Evelyn Hardcastle (time-travelling murder mystery) 9.5/10

3. Love Untold (ending made a middling read worthwhile) 8/1

4. Way Back (engaging easy read with a farm theme and a few typos) 8.5/10

5. The Cuckoo’s Calling (first of the Strike detective novels) 8.5/10

6. Yellowface (‘too awful to look away’ page-turner) 10/10

Other than the food shop, today’s plans include trying to find my Easter tree decorations and making a start on listing the items in my selling box. These went to a car boot sale with me last summer and didn’t sell, but were too new/valuable to take to the recycling centre afterwards.

I will pop to mum’s to make her dinner later on too. It won’t be long until she can manage this herself as she’s much more mobile and relaxed now. She still can’t manage outside her bungalow though and I don’t want to pressure her to move more quickly than she is able to.

RhiBi

I read Yellowface on holiday last year and thoroughly enjoyed it too. My first book by that author.