Frugaleers March On!

[CremeEggThief]

Hi All,
New thread time. I hope you all see this and join in. Newbies are always very welcome too.

Exciting times ahead Em! :) Do you have to learn some of the language when you travel with work?

Right, DH has taken DS to Beavers and DD went too so I have some time to myself... I am procrastinating rather than doing all the stuff I should be doing! I have a lot of things I need to get done before the trip. When I need to do something that really makes me not want to.

The really REALLY freaky thing is, I am so determined to procrastinate over that I actually want to do more tidying. Like right now. I think I have undergone some kind of personality transplant.

Oops just realised that DD's pass expired. Need to get a 3 month one this time so will do that tomorrow. Bus driver charged DH totally wrong for her and DS, what a waste of money - but too late to argue it now as they're nearly there.

Hello Ipsos! I was wondering earlier where you were. Hope all OK :)

Oh no! Not another dose of fruflu going round I hope?
Day #1 of workman was fine but that's because I was at work and DD was at nursery. I now have 2 days at home with her. I'm thinking that toddler + wet paint = potential for a big mess so I'm going to try to stay out of the house as much as possible!
NSD today, supermarket tomorrow.

Good plan, Pointless. Hopefully they will get the work done quicker if you're out.

Eek that does sound stressful. I really hope the weather is good for you!

creme as others have said, you've been doing loads so skipping Pilates tonight was a good idea.

I'm tired, late nights followed by broken sleep plus 11km walked doing my errands today = I misread girlie's post as hamster ectamy

em it will be fine which ever result you get I won't say how quickly I was upduffed after stopping the pill

fuzz the cous cous - tonight I did it with toms sauce and tuna. Not the best result but I think it will in work typical type cous cous recipes. It's Tesco Free From Maize cous cous. Needs a little cooking as opposed to just letting it sit. Add to boiling water, sit 2 mins, return to heat and stir 3 mins.

need how did your surprise dinner party go?

oh God, this thread moves !! read back 3 pages and thats only yesterday!!

Had a good (and hectic) weekend with DGS,(3) he went home today, and I am just catching my breath..( just finished tidying up and putting stuff away).

Am also trying to catch up on my budget ,has been a really spendy month so far ,

Em hope you get the result you want..

hope to catch up later..

Evening.

I am sorry for the poorly folk.

creme You've done loads, it catches up on you. Have no guilt at chilling.

Em OMG!!

pointless Having work done in the house is incredibly stressful. Keep thinking of the end result.

The unexpected 'cooking for 12 extra people did actually go well, if not the most restful! I put soy sauce, olive oil, maple syrup, orange juice, lemon juice, citrus peel and a teaspoon of umami paste in a bowl and covered chicken breasts with this, marinated for a few hours then cooked. Served with roasted new potatos, green beans, carrots and parsnips with honey. Chocolate torte made by DSIL for desert.

Everyone cleaned up and did their share and we all drank too much wine and had a giggle

Today I paid a debt for DH of £1.99, total spends. There's no milk though....

ipsos I don't have to learn the language. All of our clients speak English but I'm researching local customs etc. I know that I'm meant to say shallom (which means hello).
Hotel has a pool and I'm going wine tasting. So that'll be nice. life of luxury again I'm excited and a bit nervous about going as its somewhere I've never thought to go before.

I have stuffed the stealth panic bought tests in a drawer. I'll look at them later.

Em also the first thing I thought of before I POAS the only symptom I had was sore boobs and feeling light headed! About a week after a BFP I fainted in a patients house slightly embarrassing!!

Pointless I was the same while the bathroom was getting done, luckily it fell mostly on the days I was at work but on my day off I hung out at my friends house most of the day and then went to Asda for tea

Fuzz was thinking of you earlier as was sorting out some of dds clothes, its a shame you're not a bit closer as would be happy to pass them on! It did make me think of a new friend I have whose husband has ME (she is his carer) and they have a dd a few years younger than my dd so might offer them to her, although wouldn't want her to feel like I was offering charity iykwim. What do you think? I am always really grateful if someone offers me clothes but I know not everyone is the same!

We had a quick tea tonight of pesto pasta with tuna and peppers. Was very nice

Aw that's sweet of you to think of me Girlie :) and I don't think there's anything wrong with offering clothes to someone with a smaller DC. Happens loads round here, it's not something that's seen as patronising or charitable :)

Em if you do decide to test, the best time is your first pee of the day. I'll shut up about it now though!

Top cous cous tip if anyone is interested - massage olive oil into dry cous cous then soak in water/stock as normal. When the water is absorbed dot the top with a little butter and whack it in the oven covered for 10-15 mins (I use a covered Pyrex casserole)

Wolf can I admit to trying Cous cous for first time last week was at a work event a v healthy one not a crumb of a muffin or biscuit in sight but this was roasted veg cous cous and was delicious

Hope all those feeling poorly recover quickly.
Em as already said, hope you get the right result for you
Somebody asked earlier in the thread what ds has the chest braces for. It's for pectus carinatum or pigeon chest deformity which is relatively uncommon, mainly affecting men but starting in teenage years. It's correctable by surgery (v drastic) or bracing (only available privately in 2 UK centres). It has been so worth it, still a way to go but ds is over the moon with the result.

Super frugality here today. Spent a few hours on the PC searching for car insurance for dh (due Friday week), also chased up some missing cash back on topcashback & moneysupermarket. Sold 2 items on eBay last night, got them posted today, £70 net made. Had a haircut today which always feels quite an extravagance but today it was better as I had a Valentine's 20% voucher to use.

Just to add. That I will update once I know. as I know you're all nosey and want to know...

And that I felt like this (a bit dizzy and coldy) at the beginning of February. Before I'd dtd with dh. And before I had that horrible sinus infection. So I'm more leaning towards that. Because that's what I know. That and my throat hurts again...

Hello from Athens! We got here yesterday - yes, on Mother's Day. Here till Friday. Saw not as many refugees but saw some people rummaging through bins. Heart breaking. I had a bun (wrapped in plastic from the BA flight) so I gave it to someone. I have some old clothes etc that I've brought. Trying to figure out how to get them to some people.

V v sad..

Adora thanks for reporting back on the couscous! I looove it with mediterranean veg and halloumi. I wonder if it can be frozen once cooked?

Wolf that sounds interesting, what does it end up tasting like?

fuzz you've just reminded me I froze a small amount of cous cous a few weeks ago as an experiment. I shall defrost it and report back (but not right away, have just got into bed!).

:o I look forward to reading the results :o

NK goodness that sounds sad. It really puts stuff into perspective doesn't it. Hope you find a new owner for your clothes - such a kind thing to do! x

Em I have been a poas addict before. A few times! good luck with the result!

I just spent £1.60 on a Boden t shirt for DS. He's growing fast and I was just checking eBay and then suddenly remembered I had a £10 Boden voucher that came in the post last week. So I used it on DS and I consider that a frugal win. Bless him he has a big head so we need to get tops with side poppers.

Hi em that was my first thought too! With dd1 I was on an all-inclusive and was suddenly super dizzy (had been drunk all week, but I knew this was different), then had fluey type symptoms (in the carribean ffs), poas as soon as I got home. Must gave been actually pregnant about 9 days! I try not to think about all the cocktails I sank before I was dizzy, dd1 is 13 now, and seems normal!

Quiet few days, nsd yesterday, though dp did buy me some new fish for the tank (I chose while he herded assorted dc).

Today £6.25 locusts in pets at home, £2.57 b&q on some seed trays (would have bought potting compost but they had run out, will use multi purpose with some sand mixed through instead). Did make a £200 amazon order, but that is all dd3's birthday presents (mostly lego elves and a watch she asked for, she will be 8 this week), plus all the things I had in my basket dolce milk pods, sweets, dvds etc.

Super clear sunny day here (bloody freezing), but the sort of pre spring day that makes you all optimistic and excited about the year to come.

IKWYM about the optimism due to the weather. Lots of fresh air for the DCs today, think it helped them sleep better.

Got 1.75hrs editing done but eyelids keep mysteriously closing. So I'm calling it a night.

Sunday:
£71.25 Tesco delivery

Monday:
£2 medicine on clearance/staff discount
£3 Iceland
£3.25 bus fares

And frugal win, I rescued some videos from Dad's flat a while ago. A few were geography based and I fondly remembered watching one when I was young. Turns out one is all about the country that the DCs are studying for a group activity :)

OK maybe that's not so much 'frugal' as 'see, sometimes clinging onto old stuff pays off'

Update from me ds is to carry on with antibiotics, doctor got a great laugh out of me bringing the stinky weird nappy with me. Dd will be fine with paracetamol/ibuprofen. I got a sick cert for rest of the week & prescription in case but only to use if my throat gets infected. Doctor said she never sees me ill so was happy to give me a cert, we usually only get 1-3 day ones

I'd the strangest dinner-rice mixed with mixed veg, chopped up rashers & black pudding & some Parmesan cheese it was delicious.

Nk that was nice of you to give some food
Girlie most people I know are delighted with a bag of clothes except dsd

fuzz it's good, it makes the grains all nice and fluffy and separate, no damp stodginess at all. We usually have our with roast chicken so I add roast carrots and squash to it with a little garlic and either chilli or lemon when it's cooked

Oh dear, didn't quite manage an NSD yesterday after all as I bought DD a tangle teezer on Amazon.
Woke up to find the cat had been sick everywhere, great start to the day!