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

I agree Girlie, throughout this whole thing is I've been wondering why the news about handwashing seems new to some people. I wash mine thoroughly, many times a day anyway. Always before eating/preparing food, always when I get in from anywhere. I hardly ever get sickness bugs. I hope everyone gets into the habit of handwashing for good now and maybe we would get ill a lot less in general.
I'm also hoping that now many employers realise people can wfh perfectly well that people will feel less pressure to drag themselves into work eith colds and coughs and things and just stay at home away from everybody else.

We've been for a walk. Ds still in a mood.

Frugal win washing hung up outside

Afternoon all.

Happier the small amount could be an issue . I have always started with 50g of each, 100 the next day, throw away all but 100g and refresh with 100g Flour & water per day on subsequent days. It is really flour intensive. PM me your address & I will put some in the post. I will put it in a piping bag with the date on it. After 3 days (to avoid any bug transfer) snip the end of the bag and refresh as you would above. Store it in the fridge in a flip top jar & you will just need to refresh every few weeks ( I have left mine for several months & it came back).

I have done naff all except a short run, washing on the line and making tea.

I am not doing the wash the clothes as soon as they make it into the house thing... I can't see where the transfer points would be as I am standing up when out and not rubbing against things. That would be odd, even for me. I do however wash my hands a bazillion times a day. At the food bank I clean all the boxes, switches, and leading edges on the way in and on the way out. All food is kept in a quarantine area for at least 72 hours, only touched by the person delivering or me. A lot of our volunteers are in the over 70's bracket & I would feel awful if one of them got ill because I had been lax in my hygiene.

Frugal lunch - fried eggs on toast with hot sauce and some sandwich ham that was open and won't keep until next week.

I've put some bread crumbs (very crumbly crust on the loaf) our for the birds in reward for their very impressive chorus today

Unescorted I increased quantities last night I'll continue with this for a few days I'd like the sense of achievement!

I also wondered when I read about you cleaning shopping snuggly but as I'm slovenly at normal times figured each to their own. My take on it is I'm not eating the packaging snd washing hands before during and after preparing food as I always would that I'll be fine.

Annoyed with bf as yesterday he went for a spin in his brothers van, his brother is still working, bf is high risk and then just takes stupid chances like this

I just woke up! On a chair in the garden. Dh also fast asleep on garden chair. Dcs playing nicely with brooms and things luckily.

We're having a day of rest today. No chores for me and no school work for DD. So far we've made Mary Berry's chocolate chip cookies, did some Harry Potter Lego and did a bit of a 1000 piece jigsaw. The jigsaw was a Christmas present from DD. I'd put it away and forgotten all about it until DD reminded me. Such good timing!

The cookies were taking forever to cook until I realized I'd set the oven to 140 instead of 170/190. Oops! They were ok but they were a bit thin and insubstantial. DD's school recipe makes better cookies. We're considering blueberry muffins or walnut tea brack for our next baking session. I had a look in Centra and they're now fully stocked with Odlums flour (well known Irish brand) again. So I shouldn't have a problem getting baking ingredients.

We were planning a walk later but the wind has picked up and I think the weather's changing. It might be a night for a fire instead. I was reading something about people sunbathing on another MN thread and I was a bit .

Girlie what's DNS? I'm guessing NS is Nursing Service but D? I'll check out Raganork. Very impressed with your baking.

Unescorted I've also skipped the clapping. I'm in total awe of anyone who is working on the front line as a HCP. I'm not sure how we can ever repay them for their service - at the very least, they deserve medals for their bravery. But I don't see the point in standing at my door clapping. I live on the edge of a small rural town. I don't think there are any doctors or nurses in my housing estate. The only people who might see or hear me clapping would be my immediate neighbours and perhaps the odd passing car. I thought it was a lovely gesture when I first heard about it (I think it was in Italy) but it's a bit contrived now. A bit like the 'Pray for Paris' posts on Facebook - touching at first but then they became meaningless through overuse.

Mrsmad Bob doesn't sound too good at all. I do hope it's nothing serious.

Wolf my vanilla essence was BBE February 2020 but I couldn't be arsed going to the shop to buy more, so I used it anyway.

Disappointing about the take away Snuggly

I’m feeling absolutely wiped out. Bit of a headache. But haven’t drunk much water today.

Trying very hard to get a rest. Not happening.

Early night for me I think.

Yea I managed to get some plain flour so a banana and walnut cake in. I'm doing the bero choc chip cookies.

I've got the pesky cough back I had early last week. This better not be round 2 as feeling much better today.

Clearly you both needed the sleep sea.

Yy to early night em.

DH been for a walk. Said they're loads of peeps about

We have had a lazy day today. We've been very good about keeping the dcs busy and not having too much tv in the week but I think they've made up for it today! TV was on most of the morning although they were playing and in and out of the room so not glued to it. Been in the garden all afternoon. They are now watching Frozen while I make tea (cheese scone pizza and sweet potato wedges).

Unescorted I've got bubbles

Calorie free obv

I've finished 3 books in as many days, like I'm taking the gong for laziest frugaleer

Got drowned out on my cliff walk every stitch had to go into wash basket I could actually feel the water sloshing in my runners, but I knew it was raining before I went & came home & had a hot shower, blow dried my hair & put in my contacts, now out buying dog food & chocolate

Debating takeaway

Ooo share the recipe Life they look good

You're improving your mind Happier

Tayto DNs = district nurses, I'm a specialist wound care nurse now but have been redeployed back to the district nurses because of covid 😕 I don't clap either, I saw something on fb along the lines of 'don't clap for the nhs just don't vote Tory' which I completely agree with!!

We've had a lazy day as well, dd is really grumpy as her hay fever has been quite bad and I think she is due on 😐 We have taken the dog out and I finished my book but that's been about it!!

Ah of course! I should have guessed. The Irish equivalent is PHN - Public Health Nurse.

Tayto doubtful with the quality of the reading but sure I'm keeping it exercised anyhow!

Takeaway phone just ringing out, I'll try again in ten minutes & otherwise I'll have pasta & meatballs that's already in a bowl ready to go

€13.50 on dog nuts pack of bars & a small Easter egg, had some of dds last week so needed to replace it.

Finally out of the oven. Paul Hollywood and his cooking times. Pft.

They are the bero ones, standby. Quite cakey imo not too gooey. Htf do you spell gooey

Look ace life

Afternoon
Pidgy is still with us . We tried him up Mum's this morning but we couldn't get him to fly. Back in the cat carrier for another day
Am looking for a rescue place or someone who knows what to do with them.
It's a needle in a haystack 😂
Bob is better today thank God 🙏
Did a little bit of cooking cottage pie and an old fashioned trifle with Birds dream toping on th etop
Hey ho home now hay fever has kicked in here eyes & nose running , bit of a headache , not CV for defo at least l hope not
Supposed to have a Tesco delivery tonight , half will be missing l expect supposed to be £85 but we shall see
Happier go for it ! Takeaway sounds a brilliant idea
Life Lovely cookies yummy hope this isn't round 2 as well
Snuggly Cheese scone pizza sounds delish , we have come home from Bob's and done nothing since except bit of cooking , watched Poirot & Miss Marple fantastic telly , we forgot how good it was
Em hope you are ok , get some shut eye tonight if you can
Tayto thank you for the Bob concern he seemed much better today bless him, thank God
Unescorted l have not clapped either , l feel that l am caring for Bob and Mum and l should have somebody clapping me for all l have to put up with
No honestly l would just feel so embarassed because my street are so anti social they would think l had two heads if l did it
Wolf fried egg is one of my very fave things to eat , white all crispy and the yolk runny
Girlie you are so right , l always use my skirt to open the loo doors when out
Hope everyone is ok , take care

Think you've spelt it right

This is my Guinness & Treacle brown bread adaptated recipe

Oops l forgot the cooking pics 😂

Happier that is a splendid cake ! Well done m'dear

DD thinks they are too rich. Which they are a bit so I need a white dough recipe now.

150g plain flour
25g Coco powder
110g butter or margarine. I used cake spread
75g soft dark sugar
2 tbs golden syrup
110g chocolate chips. I used one package of milk I had in the cupboard
2tbs milk

160fan oven
Cream fat and sugar until light and fluffy
Stir in all other ingredients and mix well
Spoon into a baking tray, flatten slightly
15-20 minutes. I did 20 to shelf.
Leave to cool for a couple of minutes on baking tray. Then transfer to cooling rack.
Use spatula to rap knuckles of people trying to steal them while still hot