Frugaleer Festive Fun

[Unescorted]

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

old thread here

Bring the sparkle on....

:o I’m a classy bird me.

Must get DH and DD1 to do a freezer inventory before we shop. I think we will include some very easy food though. Been extra dizzy today and now have a fever myself - trying to order my own test now 🙄

Oooh schnapps! 😂

About to beat dh at words with friends again. Woopah!

sing I can feel your temperature from here & you were saying that you can't smell anything.....

tight in normal frugal world I would say refund, but if it is a service that you want when this ends and you can afford it then defer. I live in an area that is in T3, has been in T2 with neighbouring T3 since July... if you can buy local, defer refunds and cross your fingers - you and your community comes out of it almost intact. Look after your neighbours is my motto for 2019 -20-21

Thanks unescorted 😂

It’s easy to be eligible for a test it seems? All I’m doing is ticking a box saying whether or not I have one of the three. And then at the end it says you can only order tests for household members if they have symptoms too (so I didn’t - they have had cold symptoms but not the all holy cough/fever/loss of taste 😂)

None available tonight though so will try again in the morning. Such fun. (Recently binge watched Miranda with DD1 🤣)

I finally remembered to edit the shopping so I’m doing that now. Turns out I was wrong - I’d reserved the slot with kopparberg. 😂

When friends have gone, so long as you have a QR code having self declared the symptoms you are golden even if you do a drive through. If they post it out how are they going to know that you had an intermittent or continuous cough?

No idea! DH has been to the drive through one at the hospital a few times before his procedures (DSS took him) and did one postal test but that was for the research study so no need to prove anything I guess.

Shopping done. £95ish thanks to Christmas things, some convenience food, and various treats for DSDs (one of their presents is a box of random nice things - they moved into a flat together earlier this year - and I figured we won’t be able to go to the shops in time now)

unescorted that’s such a tough situation, I’m sorry💐

tight we don’t have tiers here, which I suppose is lucky, I think they might be introduced soon though as it’s not looking good where I am. My DH is the same with trainers/clothes etc, £100 could get me a new wardrobe, it’d get DH a pair of jeans🙄

I’m off to bed, DS2 is asleep again after waking me up at 11:30. I can sense a sleepless night.

No tiers here. We’re just fucked. That’s the official line. Apparently the only place worse than us per 100k people is the USA. And they’re super fucked.

774 cases apparently. Loads in care homes (increased testing here as vaccinations started on Monday in care homes....).

Anyway. Just done my food shop. £64. Inc £5 delivery and £3 gst. If I’d been in the shop I’d have spent way more than that.

em is yours the new variant or common and garden COVID.

I am about to throw the radio out as I listen to endless vox pops about how hard it is in T3 ..... as if the people who have been in T3 / Lockdown since July never existed. Yes it is hard and I feel sorry for them and their communities, but you get used to it and London is not unique in having to go into T3. And breathe.

No idea unescorted

that would drive me mad - similar here with the "just lock down properly" or "christmas will be ruined because of the selfishness of people" i jumped in on a facebook comment the other day (i know i know) and just said to the commenter that they could lock themselves down. as we are doing, and just limit contact with people. the response? "but my kids need to see their mates and have their Christmas parties..." no arguing with stupid.

not sure if i mentioned this, but i bought dh and i a christmas present the other day. a fancy pants barista style coffee machine. it cost £89 and will be delivered at any point from 28 December to 5 Feb (thanks amazon....!) we worked out that we need (like its a legit need we won't possibly survive without it) lovely coffee on a daily basis. so instead of the take away coffees we were having - stopping at he coffee shop next to nursery and bringing it home (like i have done today) - we will make our own at home. machine has a milk steamer too. am very excited about this!!!

just heard a thing on bbc2 about a guy who crossed the irish sea on a jet ski to visit girlfriend breaking covid restrictions. not sure how big the irish sea crossing is, but even though he broke restrictions, that's surely something to be marvelled at isn't it? irish sea/jetski/winter.... isn't the irish sea a bit choppy chops on a good day?

Em that machine def sounds worthwhile! Sorry the situation is so dire over there :(

I can’t get a test. I assumed they’d just run out again but I looked properly this morning and it says I can’t order a test because I have recently ordered one for my household. That one was for DS and I didn’t add the rest of us as we didn’t have symptoms and it specifically said not to. But now I have symptoms it’s too late 😂 I guess I just assume I have the same result as DS when he gets his?!

seems like you're going to have to sing

its crazy here - they are testing more people which is why we have such high numbers. i think about 200 are asymptomatic so these are the people caught in workplace test ing i assume, or hospital admissions.

vaccinations started in care homes this week, and there are 40 cases n care homes (because all recipients have had to have a test prior to vaccines).

the sun is shining today. ds was insistant that he was going to go to nursery in shorts. i didnt have the energy to argue with him. so off he went (with a pair of trousers in his bag in case...) he's three. and clearly knows his own mind.

Ah bless him :o

I am glad there is some mass testing that picks up asymptomatic people, it does make me wonder if it’s spreading even more now because people who already had it early on are catching it again but having a much milder case and therefore more likely to pass it on without realising they’re ill?! Who knows. It’s all a bit unnerving.

Been to town spent 24 in Tesco , 11 in B&M need to pop to the library in a few mins ☺️
Hope everyone is ok 🤗

Em - you will kiss your coffee machine daily, worth it's weight in gold.

Unescorted - the tickets are for an exhibition at the National Gallery, which they can't promise will be open again before its scheduled end (24 Jan). I don't think the National is going to fail, so shan't feel bad about getting a refund if I can't get to see the event.

My Uniqlo jacket arrived and it's so not me, so will be going back. So I may be £110 up with today's refunds. Would rather have a nice jacket and a gallery visit though. Pout.

Big shop in Aldi - £107. Bought lots of Christmas extras and stuff that can be put into nice jars and boxes for presents. Was going to spend a load at the butchers too but they were closed - short staff! Back open on 22nd. Saw a nice young apprentice (an 'oooh, young man!' moment I'm afraid) who has promised me solemnly that I will be able to buy all my stuff on the 22nd.

Made an effort to buy British produce in Aldi - a propos our discussion upthread - was aware of noticing the origin of items anyway. Things looking a little brighter re. trade agreement though, d'ye think? Perhaps I'm deluded.

opticians done. £224 on the eye test and new glasses. specsavers so buy one get one free plus anti glare coatings. will be ready on 29th.

service was fab u lous. only me in there. the lady was super helpful and suggested frames which would suit my face properly (never had that in vision express...) she also kept the price low (although i think i can claim the eye test part back from work and possibly the glasses too. will look into this). i hadn't given it a second thought really until the lady at the opticians asked whether i wanted a detailed receipt so i could reclaim from work. there's probably a procedure somewhere. . .

also £75 m&s. winter candle, two pairs of jammies (me) and hats for the DC. and a present for cat face from the dc.

Picked up books and dropped some off . Had 2 vouchers for no 7 cream decided to leave it there. So money saving halo for me please 🤣 decided to save time but not money and send the cards (local cards) that l would have to take the car to . My Ch less hassle for me and suddenly it's one job less yay!! £4 in B&m in Napoleon's pasta & milk .

Napolina!

@ememem84 love the jet ski story 😍 I am from Northern Ireland and may take a leaf out of his book if they try to stop me going home next week

and thats me done for work for today. have to go pick up my littlies. and dh from work.

yay more driving !

On a total different viewpoint here to gensola, it is possible for me to travel to visit my parents at Christmas under current recommended Christmas guidelines, but I don't feel it's safe to do so.

Sunday NSD
Monday €1.80 on a bottle of water, hate spending on bottled water but i figured my lidless 750ml glass bottle might spill in the car on way to PT session!

Today I might buy Christmas tree decorations and lights, can't find my own ones as they're in the room of doom, nickname of room containing all the possessions from last house.

em sounds like money well spent on coffee machine, I've seen bloggers here with machines costing €600-€1000 #notgifted

Coffee machine sounds like a winner

happier oh yes we could have spent £££’s on a machine. But would it have made better coffee? No. I actually asked the barista in local coffee shop for a recommendation. They suggested this one. It’s a mid range basic one (if that makes sense). Apparently good coffee is all about the beans not the machine!

Yip Defoe about the beans and how you treat them
£90 on a selection of bras as mine really are not good enough

life I agree - fresh roast, fresh grind. Even in a stove top it is good.

Tight you are right there. They can threaten to sell a couple of iconic pictures and ask for donations. I promised DD an Art card for her 18th so she can go to all the exhibitions for free / reduced entrance, but have put off getting it for her until more is open. Maybe I will splash out and get her a lifetime one - if there is such a thing. We had penciled in a visit Titian at the National and Bruce Nauman at the Tate. Colours and Form day apparently.

sing that is disappointing - In the circumstances I would assume it is the same too.