Frugally Forward To Autumn

[Wolfcub]

New fred

north thank you! 😊 I also moved to Somerset in my younger years for a work placement and it was amazing. The mix of countryside and being near other cities - I had the best time and deeply regret leaving.

So we have posh luxury towels (White Company), they were a gift years ago. BUT they're too bulky & plushy and retain too much moisture. I hate them. We can't afford to wash them everyday (they end up musty faster than a normal towel!) so I think I'll retire them and buy a few more cheaper standard towels that can air dry quickly. They'll be thinner and fit in the washing machine more regularly with other laundry. Omg look at me going on about towel thickness 🤣 what an exciting life!! Everyone seems to prefer the Asda towels anyway...

Sainsburys took my frozen brocoli off my shop due to unavailability but didn't substitute, saying there wasn't an alternative. Despite there being an abundance of fresh brocoli in store 😆

Quiet day here. DS has a play date and rugby has started again. So mud everywherrrrreeeeee and cannot keep up with all the laundry on a Sunday.

Feeling a little panicked about unemployment. I can't even get a WFH job so no idea why people keep saying "just get a wfh job" - it really isn't that simple.

NSD!

@Wolfcub well done with your finances, it's got to be hard to pull yourself out of a hole like that!

Love the quilts! Another quilt maker here (well I've only made two so I probably can't call myself that!). I made a big double one as my first project a few years ago when dh (then just boyfriend) lived in Italy for six months during his phd. I made it as a gift for when he got back and to keep me occupied so I didn't miss him too much, he loved it. I did patterns every other square and then plain ones in between which I embroidered person things on to (our initials, the symbol for his home county, my home county, some footsteps as we like walking, a paw as we're cat and dog people). I was so proud of it! I'll try to dig out a photo. Then when I was pregnant I made a mini quilt for ds again with lots of embroidery.

£6 in coop for milk, potatoes, cream and milk and hopefully that's it for today.

That’s another amazing quilt.

collie deep breath, you will get a job. Have you done the benefits checker to see what you are entitled to

need a few bits we have run i out of, taking dh to Asda to get blc discount and its next To matslan and stuff is needed there before my voucher expires

going to get my winter stuff from the attic and sell my sea salt tunics as I’m just too hot bodied to wear them, plus some other bits on vintef

vent away gran, that’s grim and wtf were the adults thinking

Gran very loud words would be happening in our house if that had happened, vent away

Collie I've been thinking the same, we only have supermarket towels but I've been considering swapping for Turkish towels to cut drying time massively.

Halfwoman that quilt is beautiful and Socanthe yours sounds lovely

I love that quilt!!

@HalfWomanHalfChocolate I don't have the Ninja but do have the instant pot vortex - I have made cakes in it. Loaf cakes are very successful but less so sponge cakes.
@Laska2Meryls Enjoy Scotland - we took the motorhome there this time last year - west coast, Skye and the Cairngorms. Weather was much better than expected. We're off again to Brittany on Tuesday for 5 weeks - epecting similar mixed forecasr - the first week looks pretty changeable. But we have waterproofs and a dog to walk so that suits us fine

Socathe that’s the only one I’ve ever made so not sure I can call myself a quilter! I have made quilted advent calendars for the DC too but that’s it. I did enjoy it though and have stuff already bought for another one for my DM’s room (she stays with us a couple of nights every week) and a Christmas one. No idea when I’ll get the time though!

would love to see yours, that sounds fabulous.

Gran 🤢. I hope he is suitable shamefaced about it.

I've got the instant pot vortex plus granny and absolutely love it. 🤢 re your grandson...

We've visited Scotland basically all our married lives and my childhood too. The weather has always been far better than the forecast. One local resident on Skye told us the best weather forecast for Scotland was to look out the window! In fact, we've had absolutely glorious weather there too. Enjoy Laska.

Sorry you DS is being difficult. You've been and are incredible.

That quilt is amazing Half, as is yours north and yours sounds fabulous too socathe

north, it's so bitter sweet when they go isn't it? Mine are now back, they do return and they grow for going.

jewish desert sounds good!

I slept well but was up early, so the dogs were walked early, washing on, and everything I need to do for when family come over is done.

I need a bit more wine, just in case, and a couple of long sleeved pyjamas for DH now it's getting cooler. I'll get them from Tesco.

collie - I bought DD some towels from Sainbury's when she started university and wow, they are absolutely wonderful. Might be worth checking those out.

I have a hair towel (micro fibre wrap thing) because I have long thick hair. Cuts drying time.

we have the Turkish towels for gym/swimming/beach/holidays. Much easier for storage and dry so quick!

Morning all haven't caught up with the thread yet.

Spendy day yesterday £150 on ocado which came this morning.

£15 pe trainers

£27 boots on skincare I needed plus DC vitamins etc.

Today is getting ready for back to school. Rain all day here so having to tumble dry uniform, so much for using the dryer less. I should have washed them all yesterday and dried overnight then given them a quick blast in the dryer to save ironing. Ah well.

Spendy day today aswell we need to pay for the half term of school dinners. I need to work out how many days on the half term I think it's 35 and it's £5 a day so that quite a bit isn't it 😱 £175 if my maths is correct. Ho hum

Looking forward to a roast this evening and will have chicken fried rice tomorrow with leftovers.

Another instant pot vortex plus owner here. I've made muffins and quiche in mine. Muffins had a slight tilt on them, so there's clearly a bit of a hot spot, but they cooked perfectly fine. Quiche was ridiculously speedy

Feeling much better as GS and he's had a telling off. He doesn't even remember what happened except the older guys buying him lots of drinks and doing "challenges" that involved him drinking more. I feel like going to their next meeting and giving them a piece of my mind. He has no idea how he got home, anything could have happened.

Shocker of the morning was I went to fill the car up, I haven't bought petrol since July so £88 wasn't thaaaaat bad but I decided to fill the tyres up as one was looking a bit flat. It cost 50p, when did that start? I've never had to pay for air before and the biggest slap was I was having trouble unscrewing the little caps on the tyres due to my arthritic hands and I ran out of time so had to pay another 50p to do the fourth tyre. I know it was only £1 but I was quite shocked.

Thanks for letting me moan, I needed it but I've just had a mince pie, practicing for Christmas, and a nice cuppa and normality has returned.

@ememem84 I'm obviously not quite with it as I was thinking "a hair towel?" as in a towel made of hair. I think I might need another mince pie, medicinal obviously.

Is it the Instant Pot Vortex that is £100 in Argos with the glass front? That looks nice, I'm thinking of suggesting it as a birthday present later this month. I like practical presents and I normally try to give DD some ideas which she then organises with her brothers so they might each get something or club together if I want something more expensive. If I don't have any ideas I end up with vouchers for an afternoon tea or a massage somewhere and I'd much rather have something like the air fryer. I might be odd!

Going to Lidl soon with DD. Aiming to spend £70 or under for this week's shop as we have stuff in the freezer to use plus our own veg and tins of beans etc.
Will report back....
Heard their own brand coffee is good?

@ancientgran a towel made of hair? Ew. Gross. Absolutely have another mince pie. It is autumn after all. Christmas is almost here.

i had no idea you had to pay for air….I never have.

been to adventure park (again) today. Third time this week. Thank god for membership.

I let ds choose what we have for lunch. He wanted sausages and chips. So that’s what’s currently cooking. Yum.

Wonderful quilts - what a great gift. I don't have such skills, but we were given a lovely quilt made by a family friend when DS was born, the design based on figures on a Swedish plate that was a gift for me as a baby. DS has long outgrown the quilt, but I hang it at Christmas.

Wolf, well done on your debt recovery - I hope you feel proud of yourself.

Gas safety check and boiler service done and engineer paid. £14 on replacement lightbulbs - tenants supposed to do this, but it appears they would rather stumble around in the dark. I wanted to check the problem was only bulbs and nothing else, so ended just doing it myself.

Paying for air is definitely a recent thing, I take the caps off before starting the check then put them back in at the end,

just had Asda essential crisps 62p for 6 , not too shabby will get more next time, it’s not me regular super market but had dh with me so used his blc

@ememem84 Yes a towel made of hair does sound odd but I've had my 2nd mince pie so hopefully my brain is functioning again. Paying for air is the lastest thing to get money off us I think, they were also charging £1 for water if you need to top up, think I'll check that at home.

@lifelongfrugaleer Good idea about taking all the caps off first, never thought about being timed out before but I will definitely have to think about that in future.

One of GSs team mates has texted him to ask if he is still alive! Think they realise they went a bit far, hope it worried them. We still have no idea how he got home, he knows he ended up in a neighbouring town but that is where his memory stops.

I want a mince pie now 😂 and a mulled wine!

Paying for air is an emblem of our times I think ☹️
First football match back for DS2 today, he was up bright and early ready to go. I’m not sporty at all so feel very happy that my kids are (inherited from DP!)
DS1 starts college tomorrow. I’m feeling a bit worried about it as he’s been seeming very unmotivated. He did well at GCSEs but all his mates are doing apprenticeships and he doesn’t really have a clear idea of what he wants to do (not surprising at 16). However he seems perkier today, turns out the only one of his mates doing A levels is in the same class as him for one subject. He doesn’t like transitions and new stuff so we’ll see 🤞🏻
Spends 4.25 on bacon butty and tea for homeless man at asda
4.25 for last minute writing pad for DS1 and emergency post football snack for me
0.99 on Big Mac for DS2 with McDonald’s app

Beautiful quilts! So lovely to have such a personalised present. I used to sew when I was much younger and my mum has given me her old sewing machine. Something I need to make time for.
tayto glad you had a lovely time with your friend
Good luck to all those returning to work/school. I’m not sleeping well either - it’s crap isn’t it? Slept like a lot when I was on leave.

£65 in Lidl
Definitely enough for the week - maybe 9 days.
Yay

If it were possible to construct huge gasometers and to draw together and compress within them the whole of the atmosphere, it would have been done long ago, and we should have been compelled to work for them in order to get money to buy air to breathe. Paying for air made me think of this quote from The Ragged Trousered Philanthropist. I think I was 13 or 14 when I read it and it made a big impression.

Jeeeez...bloody spendy day, I could cry..
Frugal wins...
Free coffee with my rewards @ maccyDs
Free big mac n fries for answering questionnaire...plus more points today!
Sharpie pens 4 pound reduced to 2,
Storage boxes (wilkos) 2.80 reduced to 2
All day free parking
10% student discount in the works
Puppy clip for car seat belt, was gonna pay 6.00 in pets@home, found one for 4.50 in Wilkos, and rawhide dog bones to keep his majesty happy are cheaper there too!
Frugal fails:
Folders, pads, dividers, ruler, planners for twins for college
Greggs (to have a break from the teenage drama on the way around)
Necessary evil to make sure both kids are set up but 70 quid in total today, I'm going to have a nsd week to make up for it. I have a work lunch where I will spend 10 pounds that I already have in my purse in cash and that is it! Hope everyone else is doing better! Xx

@Decafflatteplease ooooh mulled wine. Le yum!

jve just had a choux bun.