Frugaleer Festive Fun

[Unescorted]

I went to post and realised we had nearly run out of room.

old thread here

Bring the sparkle on....

Thank you mrs.

I love the Potato Pie film.

snuggly this govt are showing themselves to be totally incompetent. The schools are doing their best with a fluid situation. I don't think that I am alone with that view.

Hi Onward - that is a bit shitty of your employer. Are they going to pay back the reduced wage when we are all back to normal or have they just used it as an opportunity to reduce the payroll?

Thanks Unescorted.

It’s so wearing snuggly, all the unknown. DH got up at midnight last night as his brain was worrying about it all.

Welcome onward

Welcome onward lots of friendly support & encouragement here
I've got the Potato Pie film recorded too. Read the book a while back.
snuggly you are victims of the incompetence of this government who aren't fit to govern imho. I saw a tweet from a respected, left leaning political journo yesterday who said as far as he is concerned, Williamson is the worst of a poor bunch of ministers. Some parents will always give teachers a hard time, but equally there are lots who won't and appreciate the challenges you face & have respect for you. I'm pretty sure I couldn't do your job!

£9 on coffee and brunch/lunch. I didn’t have have time to eat before we went out, local tip, supermarket for top up shop. DH did the supermarket and I gravitated to the coffee shop.

Our tree is staying up for a few more days. DD2 has decided to return to Uni on Monday. No idea yet when DD1 will return.

Main grocery delivery due on Wednesday. No other spends planned.

Dsis teaches as does someone I ride with. They’ve both said that it’s just shambolic.

Schools here were meant to go back tomorrow. Then the 6th. Now the 11th.

Teachers are in. But no kids. This was announced late in the evening on New Year’s Day.

Gcse exams are happening on 7th (but it’s not ok to have people crowding but ok for exams....)

Teachers are in school but aren’t sure what they’re doing as in online teaching etc. No guidance apprently.

And no kids in schools. Including key workers kids. So people here are in uproar. Because whilst school isn’t childcare some people cannot work and take care of their kids. So there’s been a lot of chatter on local Facebook pages.

Both teachers I know have said that its awful as our gov have had time to sort something out. But again last minute knee jerk reaction to the U.K.

Riding yesterday £35. Dh did a shop at Iceland as we needed things like frozen fruit etc.

I took Christmas decorations down and packed them away.

Today will be riding for DD, food shop for us. Meant to be going for a walk but it's torrential. Will pack the Christmas stuff and sort the garage. Do charity and food bank drops

The teachers don't know if they are coming or going. My good friend is a teacher and they are really feeling it

No walk. Hideous weather.

A "fun" black ice hour and a bits drive dropping ds off at his dad's. Colour me not amused

It is icy grim over here too. I am walking down to the local cafe for a take out Coffee to drink with a friend as we walk back up to the foodbank.

It is going to be busy around here today - a woman went missing yesterday morning & has yet to be found. Mountain rescue had their air scent dogs out until late last night and helicopters up this morning. I feel for the police & MR because they had to spend half the night rescuing stranded drivers b/c of the snow and now they are out searching. As we are in T4 and all of them were from not soneighbouring areas there is a lot of local anger.

Hello and happy new year to all. Commiserations to those whose plans for return to school and work are all shot to shit now. We're having to recalibrate a bit, but it's nowhere near as disruptive to us.

Frugality-wise - have spent next door to nothing on topping up food supplies, as my Christmas supplies appear inexhaustible. I have treated us to two new duvet covers and pillowcases in the Heal's sale (£120, half price) and I have my eye on a runner for the hallway from Habitat to protect the floor from the inevitable muddy/gritty traffic.

I"ve done my monthly budget for the forthcoming year, (based on today's information, eek) and set various financial goals. Monday mornings are going to be financial admin hour, and I've already got some tasks diarised for the first three! I'm determined to increase my income and diversify my sources, even if only by a small amount, and I've been looking at some good blogs/YouTube/podcasts for ideas. Will let you know how it goes!

Home is going to be a big source of pleasure and expenditure this year - boiler guys come tomorrow, then I'm booking the electrician and the decorators. Christmas decs start to come down today, and I've signed up for The January Cure from Apartment Therapy.

£100 food shop. Big bag to food bank. Some uniforms for uniform shop.

Decs & tree down, now to deal with the needles!!

About to take our decs down after a very muddy, slightly snowy walk this morning.
Thanks for the support everyone, agree the government is totally incompetent. Why do they leave everything until the last minute? It is impossible to prepare for anything at the moment!

Nice frugal/use it up toasted sandwich for lunch with some ham that goes off tomorrow, a sad end of cheese, a tomato that was on its way out and some green tomato chutney.

Took the dc for a walk/bike ride. Then I walked home. It took me about 45 minutes. Nice walks. Dh drove the kiddos home.

Ds decided we were having fish fingers for lunch. So they had those while dh and I had veggie sausages everyone had sweet potato mash peas and carrots. And gravy! Yum.

Dd napping. Dh in her room with a book. Ds and me are under a blanket and are watching tv.

Thanks for the welcome. My work is complicated in how we get paid and the normal extras just not available.
Totally unreasonable people needing rescue when they are where they shouldn't be..
Today done huge dog walk, freezer audit and meal plan.

Will catch up later

I just joined a virtual book club! €12.50 including treat & postage every 8 weeks & gives me 10% discount on usbourne books too. She's also starting children's clubs in the near future so think I'll join dc up then too.

€56.01 in homestore & more, stuff I needed was on sale too, double bonus.
Fire grate, ash pan, brush & shovel set for fireplace, double electric blanket so dd & dm can stay in dds room, coldest room in house.
Glow in the dark unicorn & dinosaur stickers, will put away for new house. Picked up a little stick on led light thing, going to put it in shed for light in there when getting coal or putting out rubbish

@Happierwithouthim

Will catch up later

I just joined a virtual book club! €12.50 including treat & postage every 8 weeks & gives me 10% discount on usbourne books too. She's also starting children's clubs in the near future so think I'll join dc up then too.

Ooh I like the sound of that!

Decs down, feeling really sad now Christmas is really over and the house isn't all twinkly anymore. Quite nice to have had a proper dust and vacuum though!

£5.95 on vegetables and £7.40 buying coffee for myself and friend to drink as we walked around park.

I need to do some work admin which I keep putting off, French homework, meal plan and 30 mins on the peloton. DH is cooking dinner so should be doable.

€10 on kindling last batch bought on October 22nd.

€12 on pjs for ds
€79 on groceries spent €4 to bring me up to next voucher and got a new book with that voucher. Can't remember author but it's called paper bracelet and is about a nurses memories of her time on maternity ward years ago in Ireland.

I tracked my books read up to April or may last year but going to do full year this year.