The Friendly Frugaleers: Saving and chatting as the heatwave rolls on.

[BestFootForwardAndThenSome]

Now that I've put that in the title, we will almost certainly get snow. LOL!

Welcome to nearly-August.

Morning all. Spendy day yesterday as I used some downtime whilst ds was watching a film yesterday afternoon to order all his mandatory school dictionaries, stationery, scientific calculator etc £32 Amazon. I looked in Wilkos in the morning and couldn’t beat the amazon prices for the stationery and one of the dictionaries was half off. I also ordered him a branded rucksack in regulation size and pencil case but these were bought in the sale £35. This is an extravagance but both H and I have terrible memories of being bullied at school H because they hadn’t money for anything “trendy” and me because my parents refused to buy anything like that and I didn’t get pocket money to buy my own at that stage. I want to save him from that but he will be under strict instructions that if they are damaged through carelessness or lost he will have to buy his own replacement.
Taking ds and friends to a cafe this morning and then will probably take ds out for a picnic this afternoon or we may just watch a film. I am nearly at the bottom of the holiday wash but have an absolute mountain or ironing to do

Just ordered the DSs school uniforms. Can’t believe how expensive Marks and Spencer is in comparison to Asda. Have ordered some from both and will keep the best fit. It’s all about the super skinny trousers

I'm eyeing up those shoes too Lonely.

I just made play dough! Really easy and used ingredients we already had. It was a good opportunity to use some ancient food dye too. It made absolutely loads so I split it up and made 3 different colours. So much cheaper than buying it. I'm making my own from now on!

Wolf DS2 is already pestering for a new rucksack for school too. And branded of course. As long as it’s not taken for granted and looked after that’s the main thing.

Hairdresser coming to sort my mop out in a bit. Loads cheaper than going to a salon. It’s not been touched since Jan time. It’s thick, curly and needs taming! I want lot s of blondes through it as well. I used to spend well over £100 a time at the hairdressers before kids. Ah, the luxury of time and money back then!

Can't beat hype rucksacks imo. Pricy but ours are going into their second year. They is usually a code about our a sign up deal. Free pencil case at the minute

Hi all, I finally stopped working for two whole weeks Ystd was insanely busy with lots going on so walked out of work feeling gaga!!

Spent the evening at a friends house watching dirty dancing which was fun, dd had spent the day with my friend and her kids and had a brilliant time.

Ystd spent £11 in the coop on wine and food to take round to dfriends house.

sunny what symptoms have you still got? I wonder if you had a bug which triggered ibs, in which case you just have to try and manage the symptoms but unfortunately rest won't help. I've managed ibs all my adult life and just get on with it, spending a month in bed would never be an option. Sorry if that sounds harsh, I understand you do seem to struggle more than most.

I've also struggled with anxiety which causes physical symptoms so I do understand how hard it can be.

Today I am going underwear shopping. I wasn’t planning on this but my bra just broke. I’m at work. And it snapped. Ffs. 🤣🤣🤣🤣😱😱😱😱

Have you safety pinned it? I'm sure your colleagues are being sympathetic

LOL! Girlie I'm having that discussion with myself very sternly right now, and have been for days.

I do think it's is a flu-type virus though. I've has stress-IBS stuff before and I've had real flu several times and this is definitely the flu kind of thing. It's become worse because I soldiered on for a couple of weeks at the beginning, when I should have stopped.

The symptoms are weird - apart from the constant nausea and not being able to eat, the biggest problem is that I can't breathe properly. My breathing is totally bonkers and I can't control whether I breathe in or out or how big or small a breath I take. My head hurts, my muscles all over my body ache and I feel as heavy as lead. It's classic flu stuff really.

The flip side of this is that I know that if I am stressed then I don't fight viruses as well as I might, so I'm trying to do lots of meditation and process all the stressful stuff that's going on at the moment, to try and lighten the load. Two of my best RL friends are ill at the moment and I'm not able to get in touch with them to ask how things are going, which is really weighing me down.

Thanks for asking, and I do completely know what you mean. It will get better though. It's just going to take a little time I think. Ds is still in pain from the same but after 4 weeks, so I guess it's a bit of a stinker.

I just counted and I've been in bed for 10 days if that helps. That would be pretty normal for flu I think and I am on the mend now. The previous 18 days of the bug I was working.

I need to look up these shoes. I think R will need some soon. She's been standing unaided a few seconds at a time so I'm not sure we have much longer before the toddling begins.

Need to get some chunky cutlery too as she was insisting on grabbing my fork and eating whatever was on it, rather than using her hands to pick it up. There's some really good brands now that are easier to grasp.

Need a top up shop. Again.

Sunny I had a terrible flu about 3 months ago that left me feeling weak for about a month. I also didn’t shake the cough off for about that long either. Unfortunately for me a bit of nausea does not put me off my food - I just eat my way past it... Is your temperature high?

I think 10 days in bed at the start of flu is normal ( if you can ) but you are 28 days in and still too weak to be out of bed, that is not normal. I think you should be having bloods checked.

em.

DDs have gone to my parents for a few hours. I am desperately trying to have a tidy up/clearout as planning on going via the tip to collect the DDs later. Started with the spare room which is much better. I wish I could just throw some of DPs "stuff" away. I doubt he would miss it!!!

Need to clean the bathrooms. Then mop most of downstairs as DD2 did a massive puddle yesterday. And then tackle the Ikea shelves of doom in the dining room. I know how to have fun

born Yes I think it's just that sort of thing. My temperature is just a bit high, but it's usually low, so a bit high usually means something is going on iyswim.

Born, thanks, yes I had a really good chat about it with the GP I spoke to on the phone and she checked all the tests I have had recently (which is lots). She said only thyroid was low, so they're going to recheck that. I have an appointment at the chest clinic in three weeks so my heart and breathing will be checked then too. I think I'm in good hands.

Girlie Is spot on in a way though. I think the flu caught me hard because I am stressed, and it has triggered a few IBS/breathing things that are problematic with me anyway, so I'm working hard at getting those under control.

Thank ever so much for asking. It's very nice to be able to chat about it and not just be here pondering silently by myself. I do have lots of RL friends but none of them are bonkers enough to come near me when I have bug like this.

Hope you start to feel better soon @SunnyLikeThursday.

Yesterday was an NSD.

These are the shoes, I completely love them and would wear them myself! I can’t actually get them on her feet today as she curls her toes and screeches . I am sure she will learn to love shoes in due course

It’s fascinating driving right up the east coast of Scotland right along the coastline. We’ve been through glorious sun and thick fog, alternating. We are just turning inland to head to Thurso. Ferry to Orkney this afternoon, very excited!

Sorry you are still so crook, Sunny

Yeah they’re being super supportive....not.

I didn’t think to pin it actually. I tied it up.

I’m going to use my voucher though so technically itlll be a nsd unless I spend over £97...(voucher balance)

I didn’t want to use my voucher for this. I wanted to buy shoes. Or a handbag. But. Needs must.

Cag I think your DD might walk before mine! She cruises but seems pretty committed to crawling and is not really trying to walk. It’s annoying as we’re a bit limited for where we can put her down when we’re out and about. She’s talking A LOT though (must take after me ). She was sat in the front of the car with me earlier - we stopped for a milk break - and she was pointing at all the buttons in the car and shouting ‘press, press! Go!

seacow I’ve been to Thurso. There’s a memorial there to my dads friend whose fishing boat went down off the coast there back in 1995 I think. I can’t remember the exact year but it was when I was in year 6 of primary school. Ddad was asked to go on one last fishing trip and I begged him not to go. Because he’s been away for ages on a course right before Christmas and we’d hardly seen him. He stayed home. But it could have easily been him. It was a jointly owned boat. The other 4 crew were rescued but as he was skipper he went back into the wheelhouse raised the mayday call and apparently the boat blew up. They never found him.

When Dfriend mum died (their parents were my mum and dads best friends and my god parents) we all went up there and scattered her ashes into the sea so they’d be together again.

Happy tale from me this morning.

Life thanks for the Hype tip-off, will take a look.

seacow those shoes are just adorable! I always go gooey over girls clothes and shoes, having only boys myself.

Sunny sorry to hear you’re still not good xx

Oh my goodness Em! What a story. I'm glad your Dad didn't go on that trip.

Thanks for the encouragement Curls, Christmas and Book. I'm venturing out into the house today and drinking lots. Small missions into the outside world.

Christmas I love the shoes. That are just scrumptious aren't they?

£147 bras. One black. One nude. One white. £50 cash the rest was voucher. Ffs. Gigantor boobs.

Love love love the shoes!!!
I can't wait to buy DD's first pair .

Ah, I remember you saying your dad was a fisherman Em. That’s a sad story but it’s a high risk job, the sea claims so many lives. It must be hard for families to live with the risk of something going wrong, I bet you never completely relax when they’re away.

Thurso looks quite pretty actually, I can’t say the same for the port of Scrabster 2 miles away, from where we take the ferry. It’s very small and 100% ugly! We are just in the queue to board the ferry and DS is screeching because he wants to go on the boat (he loves boats) but doesn’t understand queuing 😬.