Friendship and Falling Leaves, Frugal Autumn Continued

[Wolfcub]

New fred

Hope DS okay Em.

Sorry to hear things tricky still Mrs, it's incredibly hard to have to remain positive for others isn't it? It's so draining.

Too small for the Ella skirt thankfully 😁, it would be down at my knees and make me look smaller than ever!

Terrible re the explosion. Just awful.

It was a beautiful day here too yesterday, so I got two washing loads line dried. The heating kicked in for half an hour this morning though, it'll take the edge off the cold for the day, if it's cold!

Meeting some friends for an early run. Family coming over later.

Spends
£1.60 coffee for DH.
£40 easy to wear clothes for DH (£30 in Nectar points though, so really £10).

Haven't done my meal plan yet. But it will be spicy this week as I've lots of spicy stuff in!!

Menu plan. Mainly from my Indian recipe books.

Masala omelette wraps.
Cauliflower and egg curry
Chickpea, tamarind, kale and ginger, rice.
Leek, mushroom, kale subji
Chilli, lime and coconut salmon with roast cherry tomatoes (allotment).
Agra ginger chicken.
Cheesy creamy pasta bake with roast vegetables.
Use up broth.

To update. 3 hours in a&e. X ray. No breaks to ds foot. He still can’t bare weight on it. But thankfully no breaks.

Iike your meal plan @needastrongoneagain .. My kinda food!
Yesterday was spendy -as it always seems to be when DGS and DS here. £16 brunch / 2nd breakfast ( for them , I had coffee). £44 lego ( although DS is supposedly going pay me half back. Hmm ) and18 in Tesco . ( I needed mine!!🤣)
I swam again ( its definitely getting colder!) Felt great though..

This morning I am making apple pancakes and crispy bacon all ready to go once DS is out of his pit..Then taking them back lunchtime ...

I will pop into supermarket on the way home for some leeks and carrots . I fancy making a good old fashioned chunky herby chicken soup with little dumplings for later (we have all the rest in though )

Needed Wine in Tesco that was !!

Sprains can be just as nasty em but pleased nothing broken

this weeks meal plan is around us up freezer and cupboards

hve to have the oven on twice today to bake dd birthday cake then later for pizza

Hi all just having a catch up.

@Taytocrisps I'm so sorry to hear about the tragedy.

@ememem84 hope Ds is ok that sounds painful

@Laska2Meryls apple pancakes sounds wonderful

@Gingerwarthog do you swim alot? Would a membership work out cheaper in the long run?

Things are ok here, I finally finally got my surgery date and am so relieved I can swing into action (not literally as I'm in so much bloody pain!) But can get organised. The date fits in really well with family plans etc aswell.

We really really need to cut back on spending in preparation for op. DH can take 2 paid days off I believe and then anything else will be unpaid. The hospital say I will need help at home for 1-2 weeks at leasy but every day DH takes off is a days pay less the following month uurgh. He can adjust his hours so he can do school run but will have to log back in of an evening.

It's been a super spendy month but most of our Christmas and birthday shopping is done. Mainly via vinted or boots 3 for 2.

Anyway best go, swimming and hydrotherapy for us today. We can pause our membership while I'm recovering which is amazing. DH won't be able to take DC while I'm out of action due to 1-1 care needed of disabled DC. But that's really great of the gym so we aren't wasting money

decaffe really glad you got your date and that it works for you. That’s brill about the gym too! I’ve been wasting my peloton membership for the past two months as felt too grotty to exercise. I don’t think they have the option to pause.

Trying out the borrowed slow cooker today, making a lamb, pumpkin and date tagine type recipe.

Hi all, been MIA as I've been quite unwell with undiagnosed endo flare. Been trying to rest as the fatigue is horrendous 😩 catching up on posts as we speak.

Frugal snippets this week: me and DD made homemade playdough, had a carpet picnic lunch a few times, fed the ducks with cheapie oats and sweetcorn already in the house,
and my friend dropped off a load of clothes for us.

Spends:

£23 in Asda on baking stuff, arty stuff , few Halloween bits and DD was with me so wanted chocolate and donuts

£11 on oat milk from Amazon (it was £9 odd for 6 last month)

£8 in Aldi on snacks for DS

£3 swimming with DS yesterday

£22.50 on a menstrual cup

£103 on food shop (doesn't even include meat or household stuff!)

Pleased you have a date decaf and can act and plan now

Hello, I’ve not posted for a bit so sorry I’ve lost track of all the news. But did just pick up that em’s DS hasn’t had a break and decaff has a surgery date - good news.
I think partly I haven’t posted as I’m a bit frustrated with myself financially. Still falling into the same traps of overspending. I’ve been trying to catch up from the spendy summer which is fair enough, but every month I think ‘oh I’ll be straight next month’ and then I’m not.
i might need to do that exercise where you write every single thing down so you see where it’s all going.

Great that you have a date decaff
Good news that ds hasn't broken anything Em
Rattle some great frugal ideas there, hope you feel properly better soon, fatigue is horrible.
Went out for a walk with dh earlier as the weather was good. It felt great to be out. We're both still positive and so avoiding any indoor mixing but fresh air seemed like a good plan. Have managed to stretch what we have for another day so will do a big shop tomorrow by which time hopefully I'll be testing negative. Have been doing some Christmas planning too.

Martha don't worry about it, l am sure you will get there. Great idea to write your spends down although l have found my bank does a great spending graph on the app and it shows me everything l have been spending in and whether it's up one month it down is an excellent resource ☺️
North so glad you and DH are better 💐
Rattle hope you are better very soon 💐
Em thank goodness your Ds is ok bless him 💐
Decaff that's brilliant you have a date am so pleased for you 💐

Gen you will love the slo cooker l can almost guarantee it and that recipe sounds delish! 😋

life Happy birthday to your Dd
You can't beat a hand made with love birthday cake
😋☺️👏🎉🎂🥳🎁

Kessie the jeans sound lovely ☺️
Thank you so much Adora & Weight ☺️💐
Just adding up my spends today .
Tesco £5 on reduced pastries and rolls
Morrisons 14 on cheese, salad stuff , 2 ready meals for Bobbo & 2 pkts of 6 beef Hula hoops for £3 we love beef Hula Hoops but l only buy them on offer lol 👍😋

@ememem84 hope ds recovers quickly
@decaff great news about the date

@marthasmum i feel the same at the moment. I need to be more accountable. It’s the little extra food shops for me, get me every time.

I’ve had such a lazy day. DH has gone to watch Arsenal v Liverpool, we live nowhere near and he supports neither but his mate got tickets so why not? they’ve been gone most of the day and won’t be back till late tonight. So I’ve been watching loads of catch-up tv snuggled in my fake Oodie and blanket. It’s been lovely.

V unimpressed with DS1. He went out last night. For some reason his jeans came off in the hallway, he has no idea why. But. When I stepped outside this morning. I find his wallet and EarPods on the front step, must have fell out of his pockets while he was trying to find his keys. He’s very lucky they were still there.

Honestly. He and his mates are all turning 18 this year so it’s been celebration after celebration recently. Which obviously involves going out drinking. The WhatsApp messsges and videos he sent dh over the course of last night were a bit funny tho 😆

Similar here martha. Its going to be an expensive three months for us. Getting a hold of it now is a good idea.

Teenagers Curls! As long as he's okay. I'd be annoyed and secretly amused at the WhatsApp.

My early night turned into a 2am job when DS and his friend missed the last bus to the next village where they were staying so I drove them up rather than them walk (16 & 18). He's still not home but I can see he hasn't moved all day - they have the house to themselves so I suspect food delivery and films.

£35 2 x hoodies for DH and DS for our upcoming holiday. In the sales.
£1.89 coop (pasta and noodles).

Need to order provisional driving licence for DS - £34. the last one was refunded as he didn't provide them with info 🙈 will be using my email this time!

DH rang to say his car door had caught in the wind and blown open to the point it needs a new panel. That's going to be a big cost. The engineers at his work place have sort of fixed it, will have to see in the daylight tomorrow.

curls I feel your pain re teenage ds & drinking. Ds is now 21 & has just rolled in after a day at a christening do. I'm preparing to hear the same story multiple times.

Oh Kessie l hope it isn't too costly
Curls a lot of teens go through this stage, try to think of it as a rite of passage & try not to let it get you down
@needastrongoneagain aw thank you that is so kind of you and what a cracking meal plan !

@Decafflatteplease
Good point.
I swim a lot in the Summer but not so much in Winter (once or twice a week) so never thought it would work out cheaper to get a monthly membership.
Turns out you're right - £23 a month, swim only.
Would work out cheaper.
Great dog walk with friend today - along the coast. Took some atmospheric pictures.
Only cost was lunch and coffee.

Had a nice relaxing day. Did a bit of reading earlier. Made the spiced toffee apple cake which was sooo good and really easy to make. I'll be taking a slice into work tomorrow.

We watched last night's Strictly and caught the end of tonight's results show.

Having a quick cuppa and then I'm going to wash out the baking bowl and toffee saucepan (I left them soaking earlier).

Why does Monday roll around so quick?

Have a good week everyone.

Cake looks lush tayto whats the recipe please we have a glut of apples from a friend's orchard. We've had lots of crumbles, I want to try slow cooker apple oatmeal.

Glad I could be of help re swimming ginger

I got an hour of sewing squeezed in so pleased with that this afternoon.

Have a good week frugaleers!

Morning!!!!

ready to smash another week?!

jm outside in the garden with a tea. Nice and quiet.

Cake looks lovely.
nsd planned for this week actually. I don’t need to buy anything