Frugal Friends, planning, saving and considerate spending through July and August

[Wolfcubisthefemalenominal]

New Fred frugal friends

I'm drinking a cup of coffee while I read just @Unescorted and it still made me want coffee! How do you make yours, machine or cafetiere (not sure about that spelling)?
Need to catch up on spends for past few days.
Yesterday was £23 in supermarket and £54 in supermarket delivery (had a rare chance to wander around supermarket on my own so made the most of it).

Wolf my dd is 13 now and just this summer has started lying in until 9am ish but the down side is she is also staying up later til 10pm ish!!

We had a lovely day Ystd, the flower show was fab and we really enjoyed it. I spent £15 ish which wasn't too bad given how much temptation was there!

Plan today is carry up catching up at home, a pets at home visit is required as only 2 days until we bring the puppy home and I need to buy some food.

That's I have a Giotto machine and a café style grinder so after much faffing I have the grind perfectly matched to the machine. I am particular about my coffee. My dad very kindly gave it to me - it is his old one. It needed to be fixed, but because it takes so long for the parts to be sent over he bought another one. When this one came back he dropped it off at my house - I went ballistic at my DH b/c I thought he had gone mad on eBay. It saves me a fortune because I know how good coffee properly made with love and kindness can be, which makes walking past coffee chains very easy.

Girlie I am first to bed now.

Also drinking coffee here. Although the instant millicano stuff. Dh loathes instant coffee. But this is the nicest stuff I’ve found.

Had a chat with dh yesterday. Told him that I was worried about how hes coping with everything. He said he’s finding things difficult. (Well duh).

He’s taken ds to the park now. He’s better equipped at present to deal with him as I’m still not as mobile as I was. They went swimming yesterday afternoon. I’m gutted I missed it. But no swimming for me until I’ve healed. I thought about going to watch but then remembered how hot it is on the viewing gallery so decided against it. Apparently they had a great time!

Ds slept through too last night the first time since Dd has been home.

Frugal news - my mat leave payments have started. Yay. I get £216 a week for the next 18 weeks. Am throwing £116 into savings so it’s there when I’m on the unpaid bit of my leave - end of Nov Dec and jan annoyingly.

wreck ah the naughty drunk ciggy. I quit smoking 12 years ago. They brought the ban on smoking inside here back in 2007. I cba to go outside so just quit. Best thing I’ve ever done. Although occasionally I have the odd one.

wolf I’ve heard about the orange gin. Have asked dparents to pick me up a bottle the next time they’re over visiting grandma.

Dsis bought me this. It’s our local vineyards pink gin. Looking. Forward to trying it.

I'm having coffee too. We have the Nescafé azura.

Whilst I’m tempted by the coffee I’m having tea sat on the garden step. Been doing little bits of garden maintenance on and off since Friday so enjoying the fruits of my labours. Those super cheap Thomson and Morgan baby plants are giving me a riot of colour. Mind you every time I think I’ve done deadheading my roses I find another one!

Cheapy plant pics attached hopefully

wolf what are the yellow flowers? So pretty!!!

We’re off to dparents for dinner today. Ddad is opening a lovely bottle of red to have with DMs special meatballs and pasta. For the next month or so if we eat with them she’s only making dinners dh and I can eat one handed just in case one of us needs to have ds with us at the table. So instead of meatsyballs with tagliatelle it’ll be pasta shells. 👍🏻

They’re having ds tomorrow (for the morning at least) as dh is heading back to work for a couple of days. I’m staying home with dd for the morning then am going to meet them at lunchtime I think.

Hard to believe this time last week I was still pregnant.

Lovely flowers wolf.
Pleased things sound better em

DD wants to go into town with a friend. I've said not today as going to IKEA and decathlon. This will be her first time in town. Eeek what have others done about managing it, rules in town and money.

I think I might be around too in a coffee shop and money for chores.
Any top tips?

Just back from the garden centre. Apart from weeding, I've done little or nothing in the garden in recent months. My pink daisy plant from last year almost died from lack of watering . I'm happy to report that it's coming back to life now and I'm watering it religiously.

Anyway, I spent €75.03 at the garden centre. I took advantage of the 30% off all containers offer and bought three glazed pots and three colourful plants, so I'm looking forward to bringing a bit of colour and life to my back garden. I've discovered that I enjoy watering plants and weeding and tending to things. I also got some plant tie.

I also spent €4.15 on milk, bread and sausage rolls. It's very hot out but there's rain and thunder due later. Must hang out my bedding and see if I can get it dry before the weather changes.

Wolf your containers are so pretty. I love the orange flower (kind of like a big daisy) - I was admiring it today in the garden centre. Maybe next time.....

Plan for today is to plant my containers, clean the kitchen and clear out the fridge. My DSis is calling over at some stage this afternoon and we'll either go to the cinema or stay home and watch a movie.

Life the rules we had were - ring us to tell us when you get there and when you are leaving. Before she set off we kept asking her where she thought she might go and what she was thinking of buying - all in the style of being interested. Nothing to do with making sure we were satisfied that she was grown up enough to do the trip on her own. - honest guv .

wolf I am impressed - mine arrived dead.

em it’s a weird feeling isn’t it, knowing that this time last week she wasn’t even here! You have very lovely thoughtful parents.

My big freezer is now back up and running, so I sorted through the kitchen freezer which was full to bursting and moved some of it into the big one. Feel very organised, I now know exactly what I’ve got, which will help with meal planning.

Just compiling a list of what I still need to get for holidays next week. DS1 needs a couple of rash vests ( I have redheads so need to keep them covered up!). 3 more bottles of factor 50. Am hoping they’ve still got some in Aldi where it’s cheapest and still 5 star uva and uvb. DS2 needs a couple of pairs of shorts. Make sure we’ve all got enough deodorants, shampoo, shower gel etc.

We had torrential rain here last night and a bit of thunder and lightning. Had to do a mad dash into the garden to bring in my washing before it got drenched. Didn't manage a nsd as ended up with a takeaway which wasn't even nice.
Today wont be a nsd either as I need to order trainers for both ds for school.

Life I still haven't mastered the money thing for when they go out with friends. Everything seems to cost a fortune.

Girlie how exciting about the puppy!!!

I've stripped, washed, dried and put back on the bedding. Made keto bagels for the week and some taco mince that'll be part of my lunch. Dh has hoovered the house, strimmed the garden and is now mowing the lawn. We're both feeling a bit fragile nsd today though. I'm making Caesar salad for dinner but the dc won't eat it I don't think. Not sure what to do for them instead 🤔 maybe quesadillas.

Life the rule in my house is to keep find my friends on on your phone. This does not always work, sometimes because ds switches it off, sometimes because meh technology but essentially if I needed to I would always know where he was. Also like Unescorted a vague plan of what he intends to do/buy and who if anyone he is meeting

The fruits of my labour. My favourite is the lily - it was the most expensive. I may have planted the white one a bit lopsided

€20 10k race entry
€20 babysitter for said race
€15.90 on brunch for myself & dd & OJ for ds

Unescorted. Did you e mail them? I had this with some mini budlia (spelling?) I ordered last year when it was very hot. They just resent the order. No proof required.

Shattered again, more fetching and carrying for the bathroom work.

Such a small room, but such a massive amount of work to be done. DH has done so much in such a short space of time it’s amazing. Both of us ending the day stinky and knackered #attractive

Really missing DS1 now, he’s been away at scout camp over a week, and not back until Wednesday. Feels odd without him. Luckily they set up a Facebook page so we’ve had loads of photos to see to keep us going till they’re home.

I didn't right - they were only a couple of quid.

Need to fill the car today £50 ish. Drive too Chester, Travelodge paid for, dinner in Chester,. Zoo tomorrow paid for but will need food. Home tomorrow night

Dd has some serious wind last night. Poor babyboo. I walked around with her and simultaneously rubbed her tummy for a couple of hours before she started letting our some very unladylike farts!!!

I think she’s also cluster feeding (which I didn’t know bottle fed babies did...!).

It’s just me and her today (well for the majority of the day anyway). Dparents are coming to take ds for the morning. Dh is off to work.

I have to go to boots today and will pick up some pre mixed formula (to keep just in case and a new box of formula). It’s a 10/15 minute walk from our house. But I might drive as don’t want to overdo it.

Grey weather here today.

Spendy day Ystd in the end,

£22 Poundland various bits mostly food and toiletries.

£27 Morrisons top up shop mostly fresh stuff

£20 Pets at Home puppy stuff

£9 cinema tickets for lion king today.

Am going to raid the savings (again) today and move money about to pay for the puppy was also to buy a shoe rack for the hallway. It's a posh, cabinet type one which I'm thinking will be a good idea with a puppy about! Costs £80 but I have some vouchers and am taking something back so hoping to actually only spend £55!

Spendy day Ystd in the end,

£22 Poundland various bits mostly food and toiletries.

£27 Morrisons top up shop mostly fresh stuff

£20 Pets at Home puppy stuff

£9 cinema tickets for lion king today.

Am going to raid the savings (again) today and move money about to pay for the puppy was also to buy a shoe rack for the hallway. It's a posh, cabinet type one which I'm thinking will be a good idea with a puppy about! Costs £80 but I have some vouchers and am taking something back so hoping to actually only spend £55!

Spendy day Ystd in the end,

£22 Poundland various bits mostly food and toiletries.

£27 Morrisons top up shop mostly fresh stuff

£20 Pets at Home puppy stuff

£9 cinema tickets for lion king today.

Am going to raid the savings (again) today and move money about to pay for the puppy was also to buy a shoe rack for the hallway. It's a posh, cabinet type one which I'm thinking will be a good idea with a puppy about! Costs £80 but I have some vouchers and am taking something back so hoping to actually only spend £55!