The Friendly Frugaleers - Furtively planning Christmas, as August arrives

[StoogingOn]

Welcome one and all!

I'm liking the pony photo bombing on photo 8 life

That's nice life and a good price too.

The washing remains unfolded. I'll ensure I tell mil not to do it when she comes to look after the dc tomorrow.

I found one for £650,000 a bit nearer. It has a gym and a hot tub as well as 5 acres. It's within driving distance to the current schools.

Shall I start a crowd fund? Or can one of you lend me it on the never, never. You can come and stay in my annex.....

General rule is one acre per equine so you've room for a herd

That’s nice Life and it’s bloody expensive! Obviously not for the area but yikes!

Cam I come and live there too life? I only take up half an acre.

Oh I thought you were serious then again the two bedroom semi ex council house on my road is up for £350k.

That's fine breathe in sure we can fit you in.

Richmond is more expensive wolf.

Gosh no wreck. It's a pipe dream. Not serious at all.

Actually maybe em should relocate and I will do livery with her horse.....

Ugh! It's been hard work today. DD1 has been very difficult. She has days like this occasionally when she just won't listen or accept no means no. She's a good girl most of the time, I don't know what gets into her.
Anyway she did help me to make the most awesome delicious crumble ever. Pears, plums and blackberries that we picked a couple of days ago. Useful an HFW recipe for the topping. Much more butter and sugar than I normally use but sooo good. Enough left for tomorrow if I don't eat it and I've promised we can go blackberrying again this week.

Breathe are you feeling better? You seem you be up and about a bit more

life that’s lovely. That’s exactly what I want. Sadly something like that here would be well over our budget. I’m seeing one tomorrow though so hopefully that’ll be the one!

Made £21 selling on eBay today. Yippee. Will package up and post on Tuesday.

I do have to go to the post office tomorrow but to deal with redirection and to post a parcel to grandma. I’ve just realised I don’t have a utility bill. So will have to blog my way through the redirection with a lawyers letter, a paying in book and a payslip. Hopefully they accept one/all of them.

Things are moved into dparents. I’ve brought bags back with me so we can chuck the rest of our stuff in them.

Other things to bring:

• towels - we have enormous fluffy towels.
• bathrobes x 3
• bedding (were using our bedding and pillows)
• laptop chargers etc
• remainder of toiletries
• condiments - we are out of food. Except breakfast foods and stuff for dinner tomorrow.
• laundry basket.
• ds stuff. I’m going to chuck all of this into a laundry bag and haul it up there on Wednesday.
• catface and her stuff

frugal win. My hairdryer broke the other day. The on/off switch stopped working so it turns on the minute it’s plugged in. I was going to take to dparents and replace at some point probably using boots points (it’s 8 years old I think so has had a good run). However, Dm bought a new one to take to dgrandmas and to leave there. Turns out dgrandma has one. So Dm has one going spare. Same as my current one (but not broken and black not pink).

What a beautiful house life
Today's spends €9 approx on fizzy drinks for dc at christening, not such a wise move, no need for music on 3 hour journey home as they're wired
€5.10 on calpol for ds, who had a meltdown when we arrived at venue, got a look into his mouth and his tonsils are swollen
€3.29 on two kinder eggs and a pack of jelly tots
€50 in christening card
€10 cost of printing a tshirt for my friends hen
€3.80 on tolls

Ddad bought my only drink, drank water rest of time.

Snacks in car for journey home were cake from christening & things I'd bought in grocery shop

Have stopped at a playground in the semi dark for them to burn off some energy will change them into pjs when we get back to car

Work today and took a packed lunch. It was much nicer and healthier than shop bought sarnies and I appreciated the effort I made. I was working with one of my favourite colleagues. He is only 22 years old but for some reason we get along. He had me laughing like a drain.

I also really need to sort my wardrobe but I worry there will be nothing left to wear...

£0.99p cherries
£0.30p paracetamol
£1.00 tooth fairy

fluffy I love soup and usually make lentil and bacon or vegetable broth. I have never really thought about a soup maker, do you just bung it all in and leave it?

em think you need to come and sort my house out, sounds like you are a natural. I keep stuff “just in case” all the time but can never actually find anything when I need it anyway. Think I’m getting worse as I get older

It sounds like you are nearly there em ! Just a few days more.

life that is dream house territory! I sold my 6acre + farmhouse combo (with the same aga) for that 10 years ago. That was not my dream house, it was my shut-up-look-the-other-way prison.

I powered down earlier, and watched Dead Mans Chest. Such a silly funny but clever film. Easy visual comedy was just what I needed. £50 diesel and £24 Maccyd's for dc. I had a milkshake and an apple pie. So a full days calories in two items!

Does anyone know if refunds count towards minimum payment on credit card?

I am thanks snuggly. Much better. I'm up and stooging around and eating is getting better and drinking is good.

I'm sorry things are so frustrating for you. I found that phase with one so extremely difficult. I can't begin to imagine how it is with three. I wish we could come over and entertain your little people for half an hour so you could put your feet up. I'd gladly do it.

Thanks Breathe. I would love that. Since the school hols started the only adults I've seen have been dh and my mum. My friends are nearly all teachers married to other teachers and have all buggered off on holiday for weeks on end! Sadly my dh is not a teacher so we can't do that. Pleased you are feeling better.

Mammy no I don’t think they do but maybe ring the provider to check

Morning
Busy day here.

Work then house viewing at 1145 (so am taking an early lunch - dh isn’t coming with me as he has to go to the gym....) have to get the post office in too.

Then after work have to do some packing up and dh has an acupuncture appointment. So it’ll be me and ds. For an hour or so.

Pasta bake for dinner I think - haven’t got much left to use up!

Snuggly I know exactly what you mean about the isolation from other adults. All of my previous friends had been male computer scientists and bioinformaticians. The whole breastfeeding thing was just way too much for all of them, and they vanished in a cloud of dust, never to be seen again. It was a very isolating things for me, early parenthood. I'm glad you have your dm there.

Priorities em ** did you find this one to view perhaps?

This morning I briefly contemplated buying lunch out because I only went to bed at 11.30pm and got up at 6am and needed to make lunch for myself and dd today and supplies are low. Instead I stuck in an Aldi ready meal for lunch there's yogurt in work fridge, granola & snack pack of chilli & lime nuts in boot of car, and I took 2 eggs and a bagel & relish so I'm all sorted now. I didn't have money for lunch out anyhow
Dd got an Apple, cheese sandwich, crackers, marshmallows, some christening cake, and some Easter egg in her lunchbox for horse riding camp
Thanks for all the ideas of where to buy gear. Dd just got new rubber wellies for horse riding, must check out for horse riding socks as last pair are too small now

Two credit card payments to make today. For the first (and hopefully last) time ever I am paying the minimum rounded up to the nearest pound.

I totally get you breathe and snugg all my mates (mostly colleagues really, but you couldn't escape from them) were very male Merchant Navy officers. They do not mix with little babies!

Anyhoo, must get ready for work...

I'm working today too. Dh took the box of brownies to work instead of his lunch. 🤣 unfortunately he realised before he got to work