Friendly Frugaleers Ambling into Autumn, watching our wallets and the weather!

[Cagliostro]

Hello! All welcome as we continue trying to use our money wisely!

take thats very kind of him. But I'm confused. Are you buying some uber swish machine? Only dd2 has a clarinet she doesn't play anymore (y7 stress!), and it is a better machine than the school basic model, we paid about £175 new for it. £500 seems excessive for 'just' a decent thing. Dd1 for example has a Yamaha flute that is just under a pro model (would take her over grade 8 easily) that was £675. Their starter flutes were £125. This is independent music shop prices, not tinternet. I'd not trust online to buy music machines.

Where you live, you must have heaps of nice cosy music shops where you can get advice and try outs? Ime most music shop owners do it for love and want nothing more than to help and match each person to their ideal instrument.

I have sneaked the last night of the proms on! Dp said the Carousel tune was shite but he's not complaining too much. Most unexpected. Loved the Strictly launch show. Knitting not painting.

And very well done curvy !

That’s brilliant Curvy. Have you been following any particular diet or just eating clean?

Well, that was an extraordinary night at the theatre! I saw ‘Wasted’, a modern rock musical about the lives of the Brontës. It wasn’t exactly full of memorable tunes but the small cast was excellent and although it was bonkers I really rather enjoyed it. Had a fabulous burrito beforehand in a brilliant street food market that I didn’t even know existed. Bought my friend a couple of drinks as the tickets were free, but it was a really fun evening for about £25.

That said, I’m not home yet and am about to try to find the rail replacement bus again...

I’ve taped Strictly but haven’t even seen this week’s Bake off yet!

Awesome curvy!

Lonely how impossible is setting up some kind of silk screen printing frame at home? Just a makeshift sort of thing?

(I think the iPad is trying to tell me something - it autocorrected possible to impossible 🤔😳😡)

Take my piano doesn’t play concert pitch either and hasn’t since before I even got it (22 years ago, and it was built in the thirties). But it’s like my fourth child so I don’t care. ❤️

I had a fabulous evening with some friends round, sharing a curry and chatting. Awesome that I can host such things now.

DH doing a 10k tomorrow then we need to pack for our trip. Eek. Including printing out vouchers and such. DH has booked the train tickets already. £££ But accommodation is free at least! And it is our only holiday of any sort this year.

Sea pleased you enjoyed your evening out.

We're going to chessington today. Dh paying from his overtime.

Well done curvy

Have a great day wreck

Glad you had a good time seacow and hope you got home safely

Yesterday spends
£55 Tesco
£32 TKMaxx

I fell asleep watching tv last night, and I'd already had a nap during the afternoon I am struggling a bit with my new working week routine. Must go to bed earlier! But then woke at 6am today. Currently enjoying breakfast on my own

Today will be a tidying, cleaning, laundry and roast dinner day. Have a good day everyone.

Where are you going to cag?

Body Worlds is back in London we went years ago (when it was cheaper) and it's amazing! Highly recommend if you can afford it/can get there.

Morning all,

A better nights sleep for us again here thank goodness. Just need to sort the early rising again now. She’s up about 5.30 but so far I’m convincing her to stay in bed til 6 albeit with intermittent whinging!

Treated myself to a child free lunch out yesterday £7.20 and did online supermarket shop which should be £56 which seems a lot considering I already had some things in and I’ve realised I’ve forgotten to add dog food and pasta! I’ve also spent a lot more than I budgeted on fuel this week but nothing I could have done to reduce that. I’m looking at buying a cheaper and more economical to run car in the next couple of weeks anyway so that should help.

I’ve also done a plan of my week to build in work time and allow me quality time with the girls and even a couple of child free hours one evening with the help of family so that feels good.

My self care list for this month is going to be;
Drink more water / less caffeine
Min 5 fruit and veg p/day
Aim to get 7 hours sleep a night
Read my book every night
Get out of work every lunch time and pop home to walk the dog - exercise and a bit of me time every day
Sunday night pamper evening every week to prep for the week- eyebrows, face mask, gel nails to help me feel good about myself for the week ahead
Spend less time on my phone and more time being present
Update my diary by booking in my to do items for a specific day/time to try and stop myself feeling overwhelmed by things

lonely I'm not sure tbh. I went to the shop and they said my instrument wouldn't tune but they'd sell me a plastic one for nearly £500. I tried it in the practice room and it didn't sound anything like as nice as my current one. This fella on the internet says he's found a scruffy but beautiful sounding wooden instrument for me though and that's the very best that I could possibly wish for. It comes with built in sentimental value, after all. Another fella has offered me a mouthpiece for the cost of postage, which is really very kind of him.

Ds has contact this morning followed by his regular activity as a consequence I am running round like a blue arsed fly
Mischief glad you managed to get a better night’s sleep
Sea hope you got home ok on the replacement bus

Winchester love so only a couple of hours away. DSD has been at uni there for a couple of years but we haven’t been what with the baby etc. Will be staying in her house (they take turns while it’s mostly vacant over summer).

I’m really intrigued by that body worlds thing. I remember when it was out the first time but didn’t get round to it. In a way it’d be great to take the Caglets but I’m not sure if they’d be freaked out by the fact it is real dead people! I’ll have to show them the website/YouTube.

It’d be ideal because we are planning to start human biology in great detail as it is one thing we could manage to go above their age for - it is something they are very interested in.

The website makes it seem as though it’s mainly about health inspiration though? Would it be good for seeing the workings of the respiratory, digestive etc systems do you think?

Aww thanks everyone
sea, I have done C25K and a bit of exercise every now and again, but I took a long hard look at my diet and decided it wasn't doing me any favours, so cleaned it up.
Today should be a NSD with tidying, laundry and ironing.

Seacow hope the journey home was ok and glad you enjoyed the play. I recommended numicon to a new home ed mum the other day and they messaged me to say how their 4yo is already loving it and making their own discoveries with it. Yay!

Lazy morning planned. But must do things like print off clubcard tokens.

Yes cag I think so. The only thing I didn't like seeing was the mum with the foetus in her tummy still but I think that might go over their heads. It's very easy to forget that they're real people

Morning all.
Girlie glad your pain is easing a little. I just read back a bit & saw your X-ray showed degenerative changes. My advice would be to stay very open minded about the cause of the pain. Lots of people your age (and probably nurses more than most) will have degenerative changes on X-ray, it doesn't mean it's that causing your pain & may still be something much more reversible. Most hospitals now have extended scope physios in post who will see ortho referrals first to triage, order investigations, scans etc. Hope you're seen soon
lonely that yarn looks lovely. Do you have a selling page for the nativity figures? I'd like to have a look as it would be good to put in dnephew's advent calendar.
unescorted the bike bits project sounds interesting. Great to help get rid of some clutter too. Dh has so much stuff in the garage waiting for a world shortage of wood, usb leads, plastic containers, to name but a few. He keeps saying he's going to sort it out, but it doesn't happen.
Curvy 2 dress sizes down is fab
Seacow hope you got home okay.
Em spin dryers are indeed fab, apart from when your dopey teen son forgets about it, leaves it on too long & the engine burns out!

Yesterday wasn't particularly frugal. I took dd for lunch as the cricket was delayed. Dh went to the rugby with friends & drank far too much. The cricket happened in the end, ds was called up to the first team & they won the game meaning that they avoided relegation which Is a fantastic achievement. Ds didn't bat or bowl, but he knew to expect that & it was just a great game to be involved in. Dd scored & was paid £25 so she was very happy too. There were big celebrations at the club last night & ds had already had a few drinks & then has stayed at a players house. I'm not worrying too much as he is with a player friend who is a couple of years older & I know will keep an eye on him & look out for him. This growing up thing is hard!

Today will be mostly about study for me. Last week was good, but so much information to try to absorb. I'm okayish with the level of work, it's more the volume that worries me. I have a day off tomorrow so will be using that to plan for the week ahead. Dh's parents arrive on Thursday for a few days so I need to get ahead of the game.

I would love to go see that body worlds exhibition Cag - I would definitely show the videos first to see how they react though. What ages are the children?

Did you know theres a clubcard app where you can see and convert vouchers etc? Was news to me!

Take I wish I was musical, how lovely to be able to play an instrument to a high standard

We are off to a free fun day from DHs work today so should be good fun. Will likely buy some goodies but should be all.

Yesterday ended up quite spendy overall but could have been worse

Library (free!) to change our books, we have started into roald dahl chapter books and DS(5) is loving fantastic Mr Fox, must look out for some for christmas

£2 parking
£7 DS haircut
£3.50 card factory for 10(!) cards, gift bag and a new 2019 diary I needed for work to keep track of my bookings
£5 the works on 5 gorgeous books for a gift I have to say they have a great selection at the minute of well known characters in the 5 for £5 selection eg wibbly pig, hugless douglas etc
£10 McDonalds on a quick lunch
£unknown amount owed to plumber he is going to text me on mon roughly £150 going by quote but there were some extras needed

enjoy your Sunday everyone

I did get home thanks! Bit tired but it’s DH’s turn to get up with the kids so I’ve had a lovely loll about.

Cag Winchester is lovely, have fun!

I saw the Bodyworks exhibition years ago. I found it pretty interesting but then I’m not squeamish - the only thing I didn’t really like was the foetuses.

I have stacks and stacks of cooking to do today. Batch cooking for the DCs.

Thanks Tinky. I'm not anything fantastic musically tbh. This orchestra is a beginner one where anyone can join who owns and instrument and can get two or three notes out of it. I'm reliable with about 6 notes on the clarinet. I can do a lot more but sometimes they make a really surprising shrieking noise. LOL!

Ds can play 8 notes on his French horn, and it doesn't ever make awful noises, which is a real blessing in a musical instrument (speaking as an also-violin player).

Morning all. We had the pleasure of a lie in until 7 today! Wahooooo!

Boiled eggs for breakfast - Ds loved it. Yay.

Today’s plans are to take it easy. I had the sorest of sore throats last night and still today. The “Dentist” aka ds hasn’t been cleaning his inspecting tools aka fingers before he shoves them up noses (mine his dh’s) then pokes around in our mouths. Super.

I’m back in bed. Ds is having a nap. Dh is chatting to Dm. Ddad has gone out for a walk.

Dh is taking ds to see fil later. I don’t want to go. But need to sort ds’ clothes. I’ve said to dh I can do that (and some premium bond research/setting up accounts) while they’re out. I can also clean ds’ room. All chores Dh hates doing.

Major self care day today. I have to be well for next week. Message came through on work emails yesterday (I shouldn’t have checked...) that the new plane is arriving here tomorrow and it’s first flight is Wednesday. I’m invited up with the client. Yippee. I hate to fly. But will push that aside for a ride on a brand new out of the box comfy private jet with champagne....

Today’s plan:

Long hot shower and hair wash with body scrub and leg shaving...
Moisturise
Blow dry
Make up (with lipstick....I have 4 so why am I not using...)
Nice outfit
Make bed properly
Lots of water
3 cups of tea (I’m on no 2 already...)
Start a new book this evening.

curvy well done that’s amazing!!!

Who was looking for book recommendations? I’ve finisbed Elinor oliphant is perfectly fine recently. I loved it.

Sea I expect you went to the same one as us.

Fuck fuck fuck. We forgot the fucking bear.

It was me em
Ive read that and loved it-since then have struggled to get into anything.

Oooh swanky -private jet !
How exciting .

Take thats rather ott that they suggest a £500 instrument if you are a beginner.
Dont they have a second hand section/refurbed ?

em I think your nasal explorer/dentist needs to find a new career before he infects all his patients

Wreck
Perhaps he /she was feeling poorly and had to stay home in bed?

Em I don’t fancy Eleanor Oliphant having seen some other reviews but I have two recommendations to share. Three things about Elsie and Little Fires Everywhere.

I’m sat in Starbucks having a maple latte and a mushroom croissant. Not a healthy start to the day. My sickness/headache bug thing seems to have morphed into the usual sinusitis- joy. I’m relieved not to feel nausea but sinus pain sucks.

Take I was in an orchestra for a short time as a teen. I didn’t last long as I can’t read music. Ds is learning the trumpet.

The bodies exhibition sounds fascinating. I think ds would be totally freaked out by it though even though he’s generally quite sensible

Wreck maybe you could take the photos from the bears perspective. Or photo shop her in later