Managing Money Mindfully in March with the Friendly Frugaleers

[Happierwithouthim]

Last Thread

All welcome on this thread, we're a friendly bunch who like to get bang for our buck, and manage our money as well as we can.

Pet pics very welcome too

Thing is Em, places might still be allowed to open but that still doesn’t make it a terribly good idea. The risk to you guys individually is probably still low, so it’s up to you . And this is not a flaming but the overall population risk of indoor places staying open, at this stage, is not good. Better to ‘meet’ in the open air and stay 2m apart. That doesn’t really work easily in restaurants and you all have to touch surfaces that others have touched / will touch.

I am staggered that they’ve only just closed pubs, restaurants and cafes in England. After schools were closed, fgs. Around here the locals are very keen to support our high st and especially local businesses - Thursday was like a flippin’ festival and everywhere was busier than usual with people swarming to make the most of their freedom while they still could. People just don’t do the sensible thing until they are made to do it! Meanwhile, the hospitals are getting worryingly busy and we haven’t even scratched the surface yet.

Anyway, I’m on my soapbox because I can see what is already happening in my hospital. It is really worrying. Healthcare professionals are properly scared but still going to work because they have no choice, whereas when it comes to social stuff we all do.

Moving on... £6.20 in the bakery this morning, 2 loaves of bread. Haven’t been able to get any for a few days so I got there super early. We don’t have much freezer space so I will probably have to make some bread at some stage. I have a bit of flour but it won’t go far. I really hope the shops revert to some sort of normal soon!

I am going to buy some cherry tomato plants online today. I bought a grow bag last year and didn’t use it - it can be a project for the DC and this year I might actually manage to keep them watered! Other than that, I’ll be organising the house to ensure it is as clutter free as possibly for cleaning, and that we’ve moved stuff around between our master bedroom and the spare room so we are sorted if either of us has to isolate (We’d use that bedroom as it’s got an en suite).

Glad to hear you are getting some help North. How’s morale with the DC?

Girlie do you know whether you will be deployed in the acute sector or not?

Local village are doing drive in cinema, €5 per car in aid of local senior citizens. First two showings booked out so will try get to that during the week.

Au pair looking for broadband to be installed in rental and to pay half. I've told her to get the info and we'll see. I don't think it'll be a cheap option as we're remote.

That's great value life

Sea it's actually crazy how little people are restricting their movements

So ds clearly stole and are a shed load of food while I was out this morning. And lied about it. I am absolutely fuming.

North I think I've added you back to the Skype group. Please let me know if it's worked. If not will pm you a link

If anyone else would like the link to join our Skype text chat (no camera needed) give me a shout

What age is he wolf sorry I know I should know this

Ds ate 5 penguin bars on thurs asked him to put last 2 back and he wouldn't so said I'm not buying chocolate in next shop, he's also eating cream out of bourbons & leaving biscuits

He's 6

Happier he's 13. He is very firmly in the doghouse right now.

Oh no wolf. What prompted that.

I've told mine once it's gone it's gone. They've seen the shops

We went for tea. It was lovely. Hotel is closing for the summer season next week. Next Friday is their last trading day. Staff all unemployed.

Summers usually so busy.

It was nice to do something “normal” amongst all this chaos.

I do get the severity of the virus. I really do. And I’m actually a bit frightened about it if I’m honest. But I need the relative normality now while I still can. Selfish as that sounds. And it is selfish.

They’re talking full nazi occupation style lockdown here soon. So that’ll be fun.

No one in. No one out. Only goods in if the ferries run.

We have one hospital with 7 icu beds. For a population of probably 150,000. All appointments have been cancelled until October.

I've had a nice afternoon chatting to my mum through the glass of her porch. I don't think we have enough food. Particularly bread and milk. Our kids eat so much! We need to get out of the mindset of being able to pop to the shop for things. Don't we take a lot for granted?!

Hi everyone,

I'm in better spirits this weekend. I was in work from Wednesday - Friday. A very eerie atmosphere in Dublin with deserted streets and shops/businesses/restaurants all shut.

My Dad is finding the isolation very hard so I'm ringing him every second day. He was saying he went for a walk the other day and "just popped into Dunnes for something". This is despite the fact that my sister brought him enough groceries to feed an army so as to encourage him to stay indoors! I'm afraid to call to his house as I'm still working and mingling with my colleagues (even though we're trying to practice social distancing - not easy in a busy office) and travelling by public transport etc. I'd be afraid of picking up the virus and passing it onto him before I start showing any symptoms. My sister and brother call to Dad regularly but he's missing his usual social outlets - mass, grocery shopping, trips to the cinema and meals in restaurants etc.

DD's been off school since the 12th March. The teachers are setting work for the pupils and then the pupils send back pictures of the completed work. I've been leaving her chores to do as well. She's bored but understands that she can't see her friends until all of this is over. They're having long Skype conversations. DD is in an exam year (the equivalent of your GCSEs I think) but I don't know if they'll go ahead. They cancelled all the oral exams which were due to take place before June and said they'll award all pupils full marks for those.

DCats are also finding the self-isolation tough. We were advised to keep them indoors for 6-8 weeks so they understand that this is their home. DCat1 is due to get another vaccination before the end of March but I'm not sure if you'd class it as urgent? My normal vet is closed but their sister practice (further away) is still open. Maybe I should phone the vet there and see what they say?

I've been spending more on food but this will probably reduce as I start to use up my stores. I'm probably saving money on other things like the hairdresser. I normally get my hair cut and coloured every four weeks but my hairdresser has closed. I don't mind letting my hair colour grow out but I'm not sure what to do about my fringe. It's going to be falling into my eyes in another week or two.

I Spent €15.70 in the local fruit and veg. shop yesterday on a container of spring flowers (impulse buy but they're so pretty) and Flash wipes (also an impulse buy and hopefully they won't be needed).

Today I spent €3.40 on bread and lunch ingredients.

So, that's all my news. I'm attaching a cat photo to cheer you all up.

Our shops are almost back to normal...
The only things missing were meat (although plenty of the more unusual cuts), sugar, flour and pasta and the wine & beer was looking a little depleted but still managed to get the one I wanted. Looks like baking is the new isolation hobby.

Speaking of which.... my sourdough turned out proper well. King Arthur Flour no knead dutch oven method. It is crusty, well risen and a lovely golden brown. No leaden bread here today. We are eating it with a tapas supper tonight. Chicken wings with olive & garlic, Spanish omelette, baked camembert, asparagus with serrano ham.

Our village was absolutely rammed with people walking, it was impossible to park my car anywhere near the house so most of them will have driven over …. not much social isolation going on there. I feel sorry for the people working in the shops and the chippy.

Hi all. Posting from the sofa where I have dozed most of the day. 10yo DS coughing his little heart out now and then. Really not sure what to make of it - started totally like tonsillitis for both of us (and DD1 who had it first) but it’s progressed very differently, and worse

Oh Unescorted that sounds lush. Can I come to dinner if I promise to stay in the garden and take plates through the letterbox

Em I get what you mean, i had night away with my friend last weekend we could've cancelled instead we kept contact just to each other

Bread sounds fab unescorted
Wolf how inconsiderate of him, hope he has a pain in his tummy

€21 for 40kg coal bag of logs and two bags of kindling, have stove and open fire blazing

Just tripped on dogs lead & cut heel of left hand in three places

Snuggly have you room to freeze milk

Tayto love your cats 😍 They are beautiful.

I have to say there is so much I don’t understand about COVID19 and the way we are managing it. At the moment the advice is to isolate for 7 days if you have symptoms and people are not being tested unless they are admitted to hospital, therefore the vast majority of people have no idea if they have had it or not. At the end of the 7 days you can come out of isolation if you have no high temperature but yet people who have been admitted to hospital are nursed in isolation for longer than that indeed some of them don’t go into hospital until that point as that’s when symptoms for some get worse. It seems like the rules are different for those who test positive and those who self isolate. My period of self isolation should be up tomorrow and I still don’t feel well but have no high temperature but then I never did have 🤷🏻‍♀️

I have a real fear about being at work - not actually about catching the virus but just about the stress and awful pressure we will be under. I think those doctors and nurses who are working in the makeshift ITUs will have terrible PTSD and we might be not far behind them 😨

Brought my glass jars and bottles to the bottle bank but the clear glass bin was full so I had to bring most of it home again. I got rid of two green wine bottles.

We’ve had a lovely afternoon in the sunshine in the garden (but with jumpers and coats). Honestly the sunshine really made us feel better after this week, and weeks of rain. Cut the front grass and vacuumed the car.

NSD

Being outside makes it bearable - I know how lucky we are having a garden and fields and hills about. I have taken to going for a run first thing so I can have the whole place to myself.

Tayto they are beautiful cats.

Wolf when this is all over you have to come over and I will gladly cook tapas or maybe a meze... I have found my cooking mojo again now I have time.

Born I don't understand it either, especially the reluctance to test health workers. My brother is convinced he has it - his temperature has risen but is not yet over 37.8deg. I am flummoxed.

Born I think it's 14 days self isolation now. Hope you start to feel better soon

I am completely taking you up on that Unescorted

It’s 14 days for your family but 7 days if you are the original source, so my family need to isolate for 14 days in case they are incubating the virus but I should be ok after 7 days. I was told this directly by occupational health at work (NHS) I think I’m going to stay in a bit longer as I still don’t feel right.

Born definitely make sure you rest until you feel properly better, no point going back to what will no doubt be a really tough situation if you don't feel 100%

That bread sounds lush. I've googled the recipie.
Oh lane, do you still think tonsillitis. That can be very nasty too.
If you are not right you need to be off born. Hard as that may be.

We didn't go out much today. Might go tomorrow but not too national trust as they are rammed apparently. Maybe the beach or the Moors.

My fake grass has lifted and gone lumpy at the edge. Call put into company.