Frugal friends follow each other frugally through Hallowe'en, COVID all welcome

[Happierwithouthim]

Here you go life

Yes meant to say cute photo em. Was your Saturday better this week?

life yes. Saturday was a bit better thanks. Dh got up we had breakfast and he went to the gym. He hath decreed Sunday’s are for family time so he will noweth be going to the gymnasium on a Saturday hence forth. He was back before I went to the stables.

I did have to suck it up and take both kids in the bathroom with me while
I showered though. Sigh.

I went riding. He went to see fil.

I came back (1225 so I was gone less than 2 hours) to a quiet house. They were still out. So I had a sandwich (vom site of a kitchen told
Me theyd already eaten) and pottered about. Laundry filled dishwasher etc. Watched some YouTube videos

When they got back I took ds to b&q as he wants outdoor lights on our tree. We’d literally just got there and dh called because Dd was awake. And he wanted a nap. And he was struggling and needed support.

I took ds home. Only to find that Dd had gone back to sleep. I was a bit cross.

Ds helped
Me make dinner (satay veggie stir fry). He loves choosing the veggies and washing them and deciding what shapes to cut them into. Also loves stirring too.

Dh and I have spent the last couple of hours doing an online escape room type game.

Sounds lots better except for nap gate. Enjoy thou family time.

Dh back to work today. No car. May have to pay for a taxi for dd to the stables. Saves me spending £££ at the country store this afternoon

Thanks Wreck I will let her know. She loves cheese.

em that does sound better for you. I have just seen the weather forecast.... you are in for a wild one today!

Today is put the decorations up day... I am looking forward to this because it means the bikes need to be relocated.

Em that sounds like a good, balanced Saturday (well, apart from having to come home from B&Q ), I love time in the house on my own, even if I am unloading the dishwasher!

I've been up for a while. Got up with littlies, made breakfast and sorted the kitchen, meal-plan etc now back in bed with a cuppa and Mumsnet whilst they watch some tv. It's not actually my turn to get up but I've been suffering with terribly dry eyes over the weekend. So bad this morning that it woke me up. I've been getting lots of sleep generally so don't think it's tiredness and haven't drunk alcohol for a couple of weeks so not related to that. Think it might just be age 😂, that and not wearing my glasses enough and too much time on my phone!

I'm setting myself a mini-challenge this week to eat from cupboards and not spend any more than what I can find in cash in my purse/the house. I've found £13 in my purse so far. It's a bit of a tight month as we pay our annual subscription to our nanny payroll service (£230 inc. pension admin), and it's my mum's birthday so I've sent her various lockdown treats. In addition to this, from our initial phone call with the mortgage company about borrowing more for the new house, monthly mortgage payments will go up by £400pm so I've decided to start putting aside that £400 so we start getting used to living without it now. A week with minimal food spends will help get us through to the end of the month.

We definitely have enough in, it just means thinking about how to use what we've got. Meal plan is:
S: egg fried rice with prawns, ham, peas and red pepper
M: mushroom stroganoff with rice and green beans
T: veggie burgers with salad and hm coleslaw
W: lentil and ham soup
T: freezer food
F: pizza
S: bolognaise from freezer
S: chorizo and red pepper risotto

I also need to make packed lunches. We've run out of bread but do have a pack of wraps and the girls are happy to take pasta salad. Will probably need a bit of fruit later in the week and we've got loads of milk.

Going on a bike ride this morning and a 'I'm a Celebrity' themed family zoom later.

Happy Sunday all!

unescorted it’s already wild wild wild here!!!

I have just woken up and am enjoying tea in bed. I was up once with dd last night. And was aware of ds waking up earlier. But Dh got up with them and apparently brought me some tea. No idea when. It’s warm still though. Yay!

I'm going to finish the lifestyle today as much as I can alone, book a tip slot and bake a banana cake as clearing out the freezer.
Rock n roll here

Morning everyone 😀
I am off to MumBobs 😜
Honestly they are so good together. He is so kind to her. Their relationship seems to have developed into a very affectionate one. He kissed her on the lips yesterday in front of us all , just a quick peck , just bent down of his own volition, spur of the moment and it was so nice to see them happy. I don't feel bad toward my Dad because they were left without their beloved partners and they were floundering without them. So l said 'it must be love' because Mum looked a right fright with no teeth in 😜😂😂
Anyway must say Em your DH was a bit of a ninny yesterday but vast improvement on other weeks and it sounds like you had a lovely time 😀 so glad for you 😘
Madden cracking meals 😀👏

I forgot to say last night I did this prawn & tomatoes with spaghetti for dinner. Not overly frugal but cheaper and quicker than a takeaway or a meal bag. I used the frozen prawns because I can't be faffed with the prawn peeling thing.

Life well done on all the jobs you are cracking through it

Unescorted if she's paid for meals in halls is she able to opt out to save money?

Happier yes but we haven't had an episode of that since May

Em your weekend sounds much better although nap gate would have pissed me off

Tayto quiche looked lovely, glad it improved on reheating. My quiche test is to slide a butter knife in the middle of it (like testing a cake) if the knife comes out with no wet mixture on it (it can have some soft pieces) then it's done

Happier the toy show sounds like quite an event. Well done on your clearing out

Madden good plan to practice on a reduced budget whilst also building up a little cushion

Mrs I might have to have a look at those boxes

Napgate did annoy me somewhat. But. Pick your battles.

I did ask when I get my nap.

But then I had a lie in this morning.

Just been for breakfast £30.40. Kids breakfast, pastry basket, eggs bene, three coffees (2 for me one for dh) apple juice.

Love that's hard when you know your dp is stressed & could do with time out. How is he today?
Curls clubbercise was somewhat out of my comfort zone, but I did enjoy it, dd loved it!
Life well done on the house work. The ginger pudding sounds lovely, think I may give that a go.
unescorted I'm with you on the approach to Christmas this year, but we will be green for go on Dec 1st!
Em that sounds like a better Saturday than last week, onwards and upwards.
Tayto my mum always warns against overcooking quiche as that can cause the egg to split. I use the Be-ro recipe which seems to be a winner
Mrs that's lovely about MumBob
Madden sensible planning and always love meal planning particularly when you limit yourself to what you've already got in.

Bit of an allsorts day here today, I've just had waffles, bacon & maple syrup made by dd as it's my birthday. She's also been birthday cake making. Dparents are calling round this afternoon for cake under the carport in a 2020 kind of way! I've said I'll help dd with mocks revision and ds with his essay which he has got a bit behind on......
I'm sending dh to Booths to get a few bits that we need, having a CovBrex food stash is great when you have a slight can't be bothered feeling.
Yesterday I helped dh start to declutter the garage which was an interesting experience. Boxes full of empty boxes which might come in handy. Lots of empty containers which might come in equally handy someday. More crates of random crap which may find a use one day, you get the picture! I was fairly brutal and it's not finished, but it's looking better already.
Have a good day everyone.

Happy birthday North.

Got more stuff from the loft. Loft not lifestyle stupid phone. Every thing up there is now bagged or boxed and ready to move. Just got filing cabinet to do.
Dh at work all day today.
We have that in our garage. Dh just shoves it into the roof space. It's gone now.

Banana bread waiting to go in. Banana and rasin flap jack in.
Apples to use up into crumble next. And 1kg beef to divide into Bolognese and.,..... Poss savoury mince for dumplings

Happy birthday @northender hope you have a wonderful day, it sounds like it's off to a cracking start

Life dh has loads of random bits of wood in the roof space, I've challenged him to make a couple of planters for the garden with some of it and then get rid! Thing is it is so cluttered in there that he can't even get to his work bench to create or repair anything!

Ds and I have made orange shortbread biscuits. So yum.

Happy birthday @northender hope you have a fab day love !
Thank you re Mumbob
Wolf there is a five pounds voucher for them too
www.hotukdeals.com/deals/festive-afternoon-tea-box-ps15-best-medium-christmas-hamper-ps20-festive-feast-with-best-trimmings-ps45-with-code-at-morrisons-3586923

Em your Ds is a sweet little boy bless him enjoy the SB!

Happy Birthday north 🎂🎁💐 hope you have a fab day and get thoroughly spoilt.

Mrs that's lovely that dm and Bob are getting on well. It's very sweet that he clearly thinks so much of her.

Life well done on all the sorting. I really need to do some of that myself. I'm off tomorrow and so is dh so think we might do a bit of clearing and a tip run.

Madden meal plan looks great. I need to get back into that as I'm only doing a kind of half hearted attempt at the moment.

Happy decorating Unescorted

Ahh thank you Born l know he is a darling man
Also thank you for reminding me to sort out a tip run for us this wek
Love l hope your Dh is ok today

Happy birthday north

DH is a bit better today, but I think this is going to bubble away until Christmas at which point he will give in and be really unwell . I had a call from a colleague too today, which honestly I could have done without, but I think it probably helped them though.

Trying to get the housework finished to start the week ok.

This was my fakeaway wreck
the cheese bake was extremely salty Unescorted and can be cooked in microwave but I had oven on anyway so cooked it there. Your dinner sounds yum too

Yes mad not for bottles & cans & tins but for cardboard magazines tetra paks etc you buy the bag in advance for€2.50 and take it back when it's full, rubbish then is €4.50 for a bag and paid when you drop it off. I've found out that bin lorry won't come down the road I'm buying house on & it's a km out mainly uphill plus costs more so l'll provably continue as I am.

Em sounds like a mixed bag yesterday

Life snap! I've been googling recipes for one banana while I've been out for a walk. Have no room to put it into freezer and not throwing it out.

Wolf that's good. I love the toy show you either love it or hate it, past two years my children haven't been with me for it so that makes this years more special

We've agreed to a tablet for dd it's a Samsung 10.1" and is reduced by €50 to €179 for Black Friday in a local shop.

North happy birthday

I stayed in bed this morning reading and am out walking dog now.

Bf was meant to visit last night and didn't, he was too tired apparently. He's had 50 years of putting himself first and seems like that isn't going to change. I know he had planned a few things with his dm today so will be interesting to see if I factor in today either. I worked out this morning that other than the 1.5 hours he came for ds's birthday last weekend we haven't spent decent time together in a month, restrictions are to blame too.

Tired now so paperwork only half sorted.
Banana cake and flapjack cooked.
Ndd though as couldn't go anywhere

Oh God Love can you get him to see someone or get something to help him. I am so sorry it sounds awful
Happier lovely meal
Hope you get to see your BF very soon
Can't get over how much your recycling is !
We would be bankrupt

I've lots to do today but I'm not getting very far. I drove to the nearest big town, to the pet shop, for cat litter. I'd checked the opening hours and they open at 10 on Sundays. So I rocked up at around 10.40 only to discover that they've changed their opening hours since Covid and don't open until 12 . There was no point in coming home and then driving back, so I got a take away coffee and croissant to eat in the car. I got a few bits in SuperValu and then headed to the pet shop just after 12.

I've spent about three hours working on the Affidavit of Means and Affidavit of Welfare (arrangements re: DD). Took me a lot longer than I thought. I never want to hear the word Affidavit again.

Spends

Parking €2.20
Coffee and croissant €4.60
SuperValu €12.03
Cat litter €23.60

Too lazy to tot it up but approx. €40 in total

Having a quick cuppa and then I'll start on dinner. Having chicken curry today and I'll make enough for leftovers for tomorrow.