Friendly Frugaleers Festive Preparations and Financial Accountability

[Wolfcub]

New Fred

Sea leave dh to do bedtime. That sounds like a wonderful afternoon. Do you think ds might like a christingle service if you have one nearby?

sea the Irish passport website is really helpful. You will need to get on the foreign birth's register first - get armed with birth, wedding certs and name change docs & a friendly priest / dr/ police officer. It is taking about 9 months atm for them to consider applications. I have travelled on an Irish passport since birth ( was put on my mums until 16) - mainly because it was cheaper and than an Australian one. Also they are the only passport office in the world to be really nice & welcoming. My passport was up for renewal just after the referendum & they ran out of forms.... someone must have hunted around the office for one - it came with a tea ring on it.

Wolf it would be lovely to have you as a neighbour. I will buy a lottery ticket.

Penrith Booths - off the Motorway take the road to the station (from the South it is the 3rd - go past the station & Mc Donalds, take left at the next roundabout, 2nd exit the next and it is on the left. It has the advantage of being really close to the Aldi - so basics in there and posh scran in Booths. Best of both worlds.

Thanks for all the info. I’m not in a rush Unescorted, just want to keep my options open. I am sure I don’t have all the paperwork so that will take a while anyway. But my sisters might want to do it too so we can join forces!

Christingle is an interesting idea Wolf. I never know if he will cope with quiet sitting /attention so it’s a case of finding somewhere friendly enough to give it a whirl as he might be quite distracting if it doesn’t hold his attention. I’ll ask around.

I did the stories so am about 30 mins behind. Probably too much of a gap to vote, I imagine that’ll be a short window. I found some Baileys that only expired last month so I’m tidying that away while I watch. So festive!

We come across the a66 but I know where Aldi is. Thanks.
Christingles are lovely. We are Catholic but they are much more child friendly.

The snow is getting closer Unescorted, up to a nearby town now

We do Christingle as a cub/scout thing Sea as well as a community thing so there are always kids of all ages and therefore always some disruption, no-one bothers and it's pretty relaxed affair.

Oh I hope it comes to us and footy is of tomorrow. I suspect we are to far north for tonight

It's just raining here. Again.

So annoying about your mirror Em but scrapyards are a great idea.

Friends have just left. Such a nice chilled out evening. And loads of leftovers. 😀

I didn’t watch strictly but know who won.

Quick check in for a Booths boast, my nearest is a 10 minute walk away! I split my shopping between there and aldi. Apparently the Penrith Booths is the best performing even though it's next to aldi, they seem to work well together. Life next year I'll post you a Christmas book.

Thanks North.
I have booths envy though I suspect it would bankrupt me if I lived nearer one.
I might take the DC to fountains abbey without DH and make a detour in the holidays

life I'm very focussed when I'm there and stick to my list. Some things are vastly overpriced, but I love that so much comes from local suppliers.
I now have the tree in the bay window with lights and baubles, decorated by dd. I love it and it's cost £40 in total so not bad. The real tree is going to go up in the living room today (£43) along with its patchwork skirt (pic to follow).

Not sure what’s happening today. We were going to dparents for dinner. But dh doesn’t want to drive the car without the mirror.

I’m planning on tidying wardrobe and under bed today.

Em Am I right in thinking that it is the passenger side one?

I am heading out to the shops in a mo - wish me luck.

I have just had a really horrible thought - do you think they will use the post election euphoria / new MP naivety to crash out in the new year?

Yep unescorted passenger side.

No snow here just rain. I think it bypassed us and turned north.

Life I can send you my booths Christmas book if you like

Feeling very disorganised my house is a mess I'm not yet sorted for going away with work tomorrow. Gah.

Might walk to the postbox later and stick my Christmas cards in (written in November) so I feel successful at something

The car will be fine to drive em.
That's ok wolf but thank you. I think DH may go orbital if more Christmas articles come into the house this year.
Full house today about done. Beds stripped.
Our duvet set we got 15 years ago when we got married has finally worn out. .
Lovely sunny day today so might go to a Christmas market this afternoon. Also for an IKEA unit to put together

Sorry I haven't posted much lately. I've been busy with Christmas preparations and legal/financial stuff. I'm pretty much sorted for Christmas presents but I'm wondering if I should get something for exMIL and exFIL - I've a feeling they'll give me a Christmas present. I need to do some wrapping today and write my Christmas cards. It's probably too late to post the European ones now .

I really enjoyed the Strictly final last night, even though the show was very drawn out. I loved all of Kelvin and Oti's dances, so I was happy Kelvin won .

I'm meeting a close friend for lunch on Monday so that will be nice. She lives in a different part of Ireland so we don't get to meet up all that often.

Unescorted your list of jobs from yesterday sounds like the Twelve Days of Christmas song :-

4 loads of washing
3 dishwasher loads
2 loaves of bread
And some Biscotti for a treat

Seacow let me know if you need any help doing research for your Irish passport. PM me if I can help with anything.

Happier Lidl have a really good deal on Baileys - approx. €11 for the 700 ml bottle. I picked up a bottle yesterday but kind of regret not buying a second one.

DH is really pissing me off. I've paid for the whole of Christmas. As usual. I know he doesn't have much spare money but he has enough to get beer every week. I've just seen in the joint account he put fuel in last week and two day later took his fuel amount out as cash which means he pocketed it whereas when I don't use my full amount of fuel it goes on food because we can never keep in budget. I'm going to write a list of all the things I've had to pay for over the last month and tell him I just can't do it anymore. I don't know what the answer is though he will just get angry with me and say he doesn't have any more so what do I expect him to do.

I’ve just taken a chunk out of the joint account to cover Christmas wreck

Dh noticed and asked why and I told him I put it all on my credit card so need to pay it off. Apparently I should have just used the joint account to begin with says dh. no difference really is there

He’s done nothing so far for Christmas. No presents bought. No thought into anything.

Next week I’m going to buy myself some nice things so he has something to give me in the event he leaves everything to the last minute as usual.

He said earlier that Christmas should be about experiences and living in the moment. Not gifts. But I know full well if I forgot to buy him anything and just let him experience Christmas he’d be miffed.

I’m taking 20 minutes and trying to chill. I’ve done so so much today. Dh nothing. Apart from moan at me.

We only have enough money for bills in our joint account because we literally just don't have any money spare from our wages. I've managed to do the Christmas shopping by using money from the shop, credit card and the money from two weeks rent free we get in December. DH hasn't had much overtime this year and what he has had went on my repayment for being overpaid or a mixture of ds' football, schools shoes etc etc

That's rubbish wreck. What is the answer you want? I don't mean that in a arse way btw but for you to try and get a resolution. It's not on like if he's doing that. I wouldn't get him anything for Christmas but I'm petty like that.

£1019 oven Inc fitting. Will claim £100 back from belling. It's coming Thursday

We're not getting each other anything for Christmas anyway. I would just like him to acknowledge it really. Or say to me, a month ago, are you ok for Christmas because I really don't have any spare, can we work something out, if I use less than my fuel budget then I'll pass it on to to you etc etc. Or thanks for doing all the Christmas shopping and wrapping whilst doing everything else too. I know he works hard but so do I. He always makes comments when he gets paid about 'there goes all my money' as he transfers it to the joint account as if he's gifting it to me each time. But at the same time I know every time he gets a bit extra is goes straight to something for the children, he never keeps it for himself. Blah.

We had shepherds pie for dinner, mine with cauliflower mash, it was really nice.

Got our tree today and spent the afternoon decorating it. Great fun!

Just trying to meal plan for up until Christmas eve. My criteria are avoiding roasts or rich food like pastry as I figure we'll have plenty of that over Christmas and also trying not to spend much as the Christmas food shop will be expensive. So far I've got veg risotto, pizza and wedges, lentil and veg soup, veg and chickpea curry and macaroni cheese. Some of those will make enough for leftovers for lunch the next day but I'm running out of ideas. I think I'm just too tired for my brain to work.

Pasta pesto with feta, broccoli and peas?

Frittata and wedges?

Jacket potatoes?

I think in the week leading up to Christmas you want things that are nice and easy. Cheese quesadillas with crudités and humous? You could add some veg to the quesadillas for those that will eat it!