Festive Frugaleering

[Unescorted]

[[https://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/credit_crunch/4340188-Savvy-savers-sashaying-through-September old thread]

Opppppps - we nearly filled the old one

Oh fgs em. Of course you can’t take ds out of school.
Oo thanks for the reminder wolf. I have a few to cancel and change on next banking day

Hope the hangovers have cleared by now.

gen hope you have a lovely time.

Pub lunch today, £40 odd, DH paid then we walked the dogs. We stayed in last night so cheap night 🤣

Happy new year all!
sing great that you’re enjoying the job, bet you’re fab
tayto nothing like a daytime nap, hope you enjoyed it
life you’ve reminded me I need to check smoke detectors
wolf hope it’s going ok with DS being back
gen have a fab time
humbug we went for a walk too in roundhay park in Leeds with my cousin and auntie. Unfrugal £40 on cafe but it was a lure to get DS1 and DS2 along to a family event. They behaved well to be fair although DS1 got out of bed 10 mins before we left. I read the ‘get out of my life’ teen book and am definitely taking comfort from the principle that even if they go along with things in a grumpy/ rude way, you’ve to take it as a win that they’ve consented to come along.
em was your DH looking for an argument…or just not being very practical?

Happy New Year!

Would you even want to go on a two month trip em? I think my DC would struggle with that length of time/change of routine and they are older than your DC. You’d probably also have to pay nursery to keep DDs place too.

We were going to have an unfrugal takeaway delivery for lunch, but no delivery drivers available. So had a fry up with some sad looking tomatoes/mushrooms and some cook from frozen sausages. Was yum.

Spent the afternoon doing e-learning sat in bed. The last one being the DSE one which basically tells you not to work slouched in bed 🤣

Re the trip. There are so many unknowns at this point. We need to get ds into school (he starts in September!) so once we know where he’s going we can hopefully get dd into the school preschool.

Once we know that. We can work out dates etc. my thinking was a week before Christmas hols. The Christmas hols. A week (or two) after Christmas hols. He’ll be reception. So won’t miss too much. We would go summer hols but it’ll be cold and rainy in nz then.

I’m not enthralled about going for Christmas. But. DH wants to spend it with mil and his brothers. Which I totally get.

He’s just not thinking practically

We had initially planned on going feb-March 2021. But covid. We were going to be away for 8 weeks. But covid. Sigh. He has this idea that everyone cares that his family are half way across the world. Whereas not everyone in the world does. My work certainly doesn’t.

But. I’ve said we need to get ds into school first. Then we discuss it when appropriate.

Thanks for the reminder Wolf.

Hope you have a great holiday Gen.

Just non-frugally ordered a takeaway!

Em is it possible you can get the children in school over there for 2 months? The school here may see it as a brilliant learning opportunity . My neighbours got around the same thing by doing that
Gen have a wonderful holiday
Love
Tayto You are very organised ! l have done my Mum's decs and put them away & l sorted our Christmas cards today. l am going to do a little bit every day because it's too much to cope with otherwise , am feeling a bit fragile , there is so much to do
Thank you Wolf
Had a look at the ASOS 22% off lure tonight but l restrained myself from buying Charlene Tilsbury pillow talk set l mean wth do l want that for

Thanks for that reminder Wolf - I've just put a reminder in my calendar to cancel Now TV before the three months runs out.

Martha did you go to the Butterfly House while you were there? When we lived in Leeds it was a regular visit for us. I think we will have to visit Dmil & take in the flutterbys while we are there.

em I am going to set my clocks to your DH having his annual moment.

So that ^^ was yesterday's post.... I got distracted.

Mrs you should make time for you. If I could make New Years Resolutions for other people yours would be more selfish. If that requires a Charlene Tilsbury Pillow Talk set then so be it.

Wolf thank you for the reminder.

I had a difficult day yesterday... I have been rationalising all the shit happenings this year as "it will be better next year". Yesterday I realised nothing has gone away. It was a shock, even thought rationally I knew it would be the same. I may have dissolved into a puddle. My dh turned back into the bloke I really like and I may have baked a lot. I will get through this year.....

My NY resolution is to do a drawing / painting each day this year in my sketchbook (as apposed to a meeting doodle) - even if it is just drawing around my hand. This is to make time for me and give me a place to put my emotions. I am going to get through this year.

mrs nope. Because it’ll be summer break there. Schools start again February there.

unescorted haha! Yep.

I set some ground rules yesterday though. I told DH that I wouldn’t be using all my annual leave to go. I told him that we’d only be going if they reduce the quarantine over there. If they don’t he can go by himself. I am not staying in quarantine for x days with the kids.

Unescorted you are absolutely going to get through this year and it's ok to dissolve into a puddle after all the shit you've been dealing with. Remember we are all in your corner and all here to support you in whatever way you need.

Not surprised unescorted with all the shit going on. Being a puddle now and again is understandable. We are here for you as wolf says

Well done on ground rules em. No reason you can’t meet them during Xmas break but he goes for the rest.

Over walked pup yesterday so he’s been a sickly doggo and refuses to do much. Rest day today

Need to meal plan and pop to shop for fresh stuff.

unescorted and glad DH has turned back into being a likeable bloke

I need to get off the sofa and get some jobs done. Maybe also get back on the job application horse too.

Hope you are ok Unescorted, I love your sketch book idea. Dh gave me a really beautiful notebook for Christmas but I haven't thought of a use for it yet. I thought I might try to wrote down something I enjoyed/achieved or that was funny each day.

Thanks peeps - I keep coming on here and getting so much support. I will be OK.

Humbug I find that having a book that is too special is inhibiting - I have one sketchbook that has beautiful hand made paper in that I have not used for years. I don't want to ruin it. I have belatedly realised the best books are the ones I have used to the very end.
This year I have in effect given myself permission to be really rubbish - it is the act not the product that is important. I suspect there will be days when I am so busy that I just trace around my hand or draw a stick figure.

Hugs unescorted 💐 I love the sketchbook idea and yessss to keeping a “too nice” book! 😩 I barely drew at all last year. I got given a nice notebook for my birthday and I’ve decided I’ll use it for regular maths rather than keeping it for something special that never actually occurs!

NSD yesterday. Today I’ve transferred £13.49 to DSS’ GF, as she added a birthday present for DH onto her order to save delivery costs. Shouldn’t have any other costs. Editing tesco later for tomorrow.

Good idea about the Sketch book. I’ve stopped saving my good note books and it’s revolutionary

£25 vets and £55 sainsburys

Humbug I was just reading the Guardian and saw this article about writing

£70 on petrol. £70 !!!!!! I mean wtaf

Pub shortly will be about £15

£90 coop. Stuck to list. Mostly bought fruit and veggies.

Petrol is crazy prices. £16 aldi

I nearly died of shock last time I filled up.

@Unescorted

Humbug I was just reading the Guardian and saw this article about writing

Thank you, that's really interesting and a heartbreaking story. I still haven't settled on a use for my new notebook but I agree it would be good to record things in some way.