Frugaleers chatting and saving in the April sunshine.

[SunnyLikeThursday]

Welcome to the new thread. This is a support thread for chatting and discussion of family budgeting.

Thanks sunny

Blimey! we are chatty! Thanks Sunny

I have made a vegetable curry , with leftovers lentils and spinach.. It is a bit sludgy looking , but tastes yum!

I also have made a 'Bicicletta' - Campari, vVermouth , ice and soda. I need to put that Aperitivo book away! .

em its moving stress , but you know this eh?

Thanks sunny

I'm really not looking forward to love's bug doing the rounds here. Yikes!

Just a quick check-in on new thread. NSD, for first time in awhile. Did not sleep particularly well last night, so a bit down. I would like to have more NSDs, but Mon I go to hairdressers, Tues to London for work thing, Weds more travel, possibly NSD, but at some point I must food shop as I am running out of store cupboard creativity!
Is anyone else worried about Facebook? I have been deleting what little personal info I have, told all “friends” I wasn’t going to “like” any posts, cleaned out apps ( these lurk on your feed, unbeknownst to you). Some “friend” (who I actually unfollowed as she clogged up the newsfeed with trivia) has been logging into some gambling site to play a game! This means it can access all her friends data! I asked her politely to stop. Even before this latest scandal I was paranoid about data mining. Only reluctantly got Nectar card last Nov -had to to get best CC deal

Thank you Sunny

I don’t use fb.

Hello all, I’ve been hiding away for a few days. Just not in a chatting mood

Thanks so much for the kind messages re. DDad, I read them all and really appreciated it. (And a special mention for North for remembering his shared football allegiance 😉). I am hoping this week he’ll see the oncologist who will be able to tell us how much time he will have. And hopefully offer some symptom control. Parents and sisters are supposed to be coming here on Easter Sunday (assuming DDad is well enough). I can’t shake the feeling that it may well be the last time we will all be together. I cry a lot at random times.

Things have also got slightly worse in that my Granny (93 and physically a bit limited but mentally sharp as a tack) has just been diagnosed with bowel cancer. I am especially sad for my mum who now has a very sick mother and husband, a few hundred miles apart, and will probably lose them both within a few months. DH and I are taking the dcs down to Devon at Easter to see Granny. Mum can’t leave dad. What a mess.

So, £280 to book three nights in a Travelodge in Devon in a family room. I can’t see how dd and DS will manage in one room as both wake in the night so heaven help us... if the first night is a disaster we’ll end up paying for another room! We’ll try to have a nice time but again I think it will most likely be the last time Granny sees the DCs.

Other spends - mixed. I checked our credit card bill for March and it was pretty low (I buy everything on it then pay it off each month as we get rewards on the card). So we did well on food spends and not really buying other crap. So then I felt a bit reckless and went on the Book People website and bought some books for both dcs. About £42 iirc. But includes some books on feelings/behaviour for DS which I mentally allocate to his DLA. That’s what the money is for. I also spent about £45 on the JL website on some clothes for dd. I bought a really pretty dress for her to wear on her first birthday. Not really necessary but she’ll look lovely in the photos. And £14 on tights in Jojo.

I think this is all emotional spending but I don’t really care.

Love I hope you feel better soon, that flu thing sounds awful. Sorry to hear about your DM too Laska.

Thanks sunny

Thanks for the thread sunny.

Curry nearly ready for tea, I am getting really attached to using the slow cooker on a Sunday, it was absolutely a necessity today as I’ve spent the last 2.5 hours on the sofa shivering under three blankets, very frustrating as I thought I was starting to feel better.

Washing out on the line in the sun which makes me ridiculously content for no reason and I finished my book.

Still need to make the bed before I get in it.

Sorry to hear about your dm laksa.
And your rellies sea. It's tough when it's last times as there is extra pressure to make it a good time iyswim. Go and see what the trip brings, if it means another room so be it. The whole point of frugalling is to spend money where it counts.
Emotional spending it may be but some of it is budgeted. It's April next week can you jiggle things round to have a treat busy for this kind of thing?
Most importantly be kind to yourself.
Nsd.

Thanks Life. I don’t feel too worried about the budget as we’ve not been spending too much in general recently. But then things like a trip to Devon blow it a bit anyway! We’ll try to do a couple of little outings locally while we’re there. DS loves the beach so it’ll be a treat for him to dig about a bit if the weather is okay. Must pack wellies...

As for last times, I’ve just got to try to enjoy the moment without getting too caught up in the emotion of it. Easier said than done. I’ve become such a cryer since having dcs. My skin became a lot thinner once I became a mum - I think it’s a common phenomenon!

Apologies for having lost the thread a little but have you had a flu thing too Moan? They sound nasty this year.

Thanks All, I have spoken to DM on the phone now, she was asleep on the sofa when i rang this morning. She is not that chirpy, but at least is talking and is all there mentally . Like i said, she is not ill as such , just very frail now.. I dont think she is any immediate danger , but just slowly fading I think..

I have made plans to go over next weekend just for lunch (which I will take with me.) .. I had hoped they could come here for Easter ,and would venture out more as days got lighter , but increasingly it looks like they wont come over to mine again, which is sad. DSF and DB both drive but its hard to get mum to go out.. ).. I hate to think of it , but i supposed i need to consider that one day (and that could be quite soon) she will just go to sleep and not wake up, if so at least it would be peaceful, but i am not sure how my DSF will cope he is really the type that comes over all very Alpha male but underneath is just scared ) .. ..

Anyway . enough f that , it may be a while , its just that today listening to her and to DSF this time I have began to really consider the inevitable may not be too long.. She has always been such a very healthy active feisty type though , but gradually over the last few years as does everyone has declined . ..

Christmas , your gran is 93 and so is my Mum! (I always forget I am so old myself!!)

Also christmas I can really understand how you are feeling , about your DF, DGM and the family gathering at Easter.. I am sure you will make it a happy time for them, but yes these calendar events are hard to negotiate..

Sea LaskaAudit* hope you are ok
Its just so bloody hard isnt it ?
Being honest here I feel sandwiched between generations -all demanding my time/presence /needing help but its never been reciprocated (all far too busy/not interested when my DC were small/pull yourself together etc)
I feel like walking out some days and just keeping walking .
Strawberries planted

Empathise, I mean, of course no one can ever really understand how some one else feels , Sorry..

So sorry to hear about your Granny seacow, your poor family and your DM

I promise I am trying to contain this flu/throat thing to my house sunny . I wouldn’t wish this on anyone

I think we all feel like that sometimes Quite!

My lot think i am the 'just get on with it' one, or the 'water off a ducks back' one.. ! and they can be, have been and often are quite hurtful but its Ok because is just 'saying it how it is' or 'home truths' !

I think a fair few of us are in the same situation Laska
I dont post much about it but its there .

.. or even better, 'For my own good' !! when of course it doesnt matter as i could never be good enough,even if i was the effin Duchess of Cambridge! Sigh
Families ...

is the answer quite ( but I am on the water again now !!)

THAnks sunny

Dh has just apologised. Largely prompted by my dad. Bless him. Dad said something to dh over dinner about how I’ve done so so much re moving and I’m not being appreciated.

That's good Em.

Christmas sorry to hear more bad news. Your poor mum too.

NSD and 2 loads of washing dried on the line. It's a shame the spring like weather isn't set to last.

I'm confused. It seems everyone has had lovely weather today apart from us?!

Seacow really sorry for all the bad news you've had recently

Cheers for the new thread, Sunny.

Really sorry to hear about your grandma, Seacow, and about your mother too, Laska.

Glad your DH apologised, Em. Hope he's got all his stress about moving out of his system now.

NSD.