Friendship and Falling Leaves, Frugal Autumn Continued

[Wolfcub]

New fred

So very sorry for your loss @CurlsandCurves . Can the house wait for one day whilst you give yourself a bit of time?

We are at the hospital today and tomorrow for DC. Annoying having to do the journey on consecutive days it's over an hour each way. Possibly would have been better to stay in a hotel 😱. Anyway such is life.

Hospital food pretty cheap though for DH and I if we avoid the onsite Costa home for dinner tonight.

Curles ❤️ you need time to grieve, your fil will understand

I’m so sorry for your loss @CurlsandCurves ♥️ Take the time you need, I’m sure FIL will understand x

I'm sorry about your friend Curls.

curls so sorry to hear this

Oh curls I’m so sorry

ds has a tummy bug. evidenced by dd also throwing up in the car. Sigh.

now flipping between panic and panickier.

So sorry to hear that Curls 💐

Had some good news that Ddad should be leaving hospital tomorrow and going back to the care home. At least he will be back being looked after the staff who know him the best, even though he’s still needs his care.

I think we spent just under £100 whilst we were away which was pretty good. We lucked out on the weather- nice during the day and heaved it down at night! Pretty lucky that the DC are happy with a swimming pool and play areas.

£2.20 on hospital parking yesterday.
£60 on food shopping for the week.

Oh no em. Hope the DC are better soon!

Oh no gws em dc

Curls

Oh no em vomiting bugs are the worst I hope they are both soon better!

Spends:
£5 to collection for a colleague who is getting married
£5 to colection for a colleague who is soon having a 'big' birthday
£2 bus fare to work
£1.90 bus fare back from work - because the driver thought I was a student and I was in too much shock to say anything haha. So saved myself 10p 😅

Definitely hadn't budgeted to have already spent £10 on work colleagues collections! Everyone else put £5 in for the wedding one and £10 in for the birthday but I thought I really cannot be affording £10 for every big birthday. In my old office, us low-paid workers would only put abou £2 in a collection, and you'd put £5 if you were particularly close/friendly with the colleague in question. These are also all low-paid workers in my new team too so I'm quite shocked at these different expectations.

Got more letters through via email from the conveyancing solicitors to review and sign and asking us for preferred exchange and completion dates. Feel really anxious about it all even though we are buying it from my DF and we already live here, so I'm not sure what I'm worried about...solicitor has not mentioned buildings insurance at all though, I thought when you bought a house you need to have it set up already for the date of completion right?

@Timetoswitch glad to hear your dad can go back to where he’s comfortable.

@ememem84 both of them with a bug? Oh no, I feel for you. Hope it doesn’t last too long.

@WeightoftheWorld i remember those collections for everyone when I was office based. You feel obligated don’t you?

I’ve had a tough day. Tried to do some work at the house and ended up crying all over FIL who sent me home bless him. Tired and emotional sums me up right now. Had a nice little chat with the other girls in our friendship group, sharing memories. We all went to uni together and are scattered all over the country now. Hoping a good nights sleep will sort me out at least to the point where I’m not bursting into tears at the drop of a hat.

@CurlsandCurves so sorry to hear your friend has died bless you sweetheart my sincere condolences 💐

Em l hope they are much better very soon lovely 💐
Time that's so great for your DDad to go back to his care home 🤗
Spends today 44 in Morrisons

Thanks guys.

yep both with a bug. Ds this morning and dd in the car on way to pick DH up from work. They’re both in bed sleeping. Thankfully dd has only done the one sick. And ds one this morning and a few dodgy tummy type toilet trips.

but they were hungry. They’ve eaten. They are sleeping. So fingers crossed they are on the mend.

it’s been a long day. Very stressful.

my mums et page on my phone looks weird.

Weight yes you need insurance at exchange

Thankfully both dc seem brighter this morning. Both slept through and have eaten breakfast. Hooray!

Ooh, exciting to be buying your house, Weight. I've found eSure and Direct Line both to be good insurance companies - both on price and service.

Have been watching Slow Horses on Apple TV with DH - DS used to read the Mick Herron novels. 'Tis great! I persuaded DH to cancel Disney+, but he wanted to keep Apple TV (for Ted Lasso), and now I'm glad he did. DH's birthday on Monday, and he wants to visit the Japan House in west London. Free entry, and I will book us afternoon tea in the restaurant - £28 for two.

Have been totting up my anticipated bills, which should come in over the first week of November, and where it leaves me. With precious little in November, is the answer! And wipes out emergency fund. Lots of NSDs for me next month. But then, oh, then, I will be on solid ground, and will be able to allocate my budget towards my financial goals instead of playing catch-up. It's taken me the whole year to get here. So perhaps it will be BigSkies2023 - I was a bit optimistic about 2022!

So sorry to hear about your friend, @CurlsandCurves . Try and be gentle on yourself and take time...

We are back from our few days out in the van , was a mixed trip in weather but was in budget and not too spendy. We enjoyed the show and didn't buy a thing!

But I had somehow forgotten that DD and 2 dgcs are due today for the rest of the week until a couple of days ago ( thought that it was next, not having a reason any longer to keep up with term dates ) which has blown a big hole overdrawn the food budget. Managed to spend 100 in Sainsbury's and nearly 50 in Aldi yesterday and I imagine that will still need a top up before the end of the week..

Anyway meal plan:
Yesterday ( and it was really good , even if I say so myself) .. Dhal , rice, fried onions and peppers with a fried egg.. I shall definitely do this again.
And in what ever order the girls fancy :
Chicken kebabs and rice
Sausage meal
Baked potato meal
Pasta meal
Fish finger and bacon wraps
Apple pancakes .. ( in fact off to make these now as they will be here shortly and want feeding they say!)

Just starting catching up here and this post could have been written by me.

I've noticed when I do this the dc hang out in sitting room with me but if it's not on they are in their rooms or kitchen. I'm fortunate that df cuts his own turf and timber so I've a free supply, only cost is the firelighters and matches
Since I last posted I bought a new to me 3 seater electric recliner couch, it's so comfy and we're all in love with it. I will sell my 2 seater as I've only a small sitting room. It makes me want to finish off the room.

So glad your DC are better today Em
NSD for me today l hope
Was debating starting to sort the Christmas pressies l have already but will stay here sitting with the sun shining through the windows it's so pleasant

%50 off everything on the vans sites and outlet. Just got ds winter coat for £29 and a t shirt for dh &16
bargain but dole slow site EXCLUSIVE50 is the code

£16-ish on top up shop.

So sorry curls, re your friend. Take your time, time I have learnt, gives you the emotional energy to cope. It does. Xx

Here's to 2023 Skies, the only way is up. You've come further than you give yourself credit for I'm sure.

£40 Lidl. Quite a lot of cleaning related stuff, including fairy dishwasher tablets (tried cheap, less cheap etc but it's the one thing that seems to warrant money being spent) and treats for DH that are expensive, but worth it to make life a bit less crap in hospital.

Doing okay money wise still this month...something will break soon!

Sorry to hear about your friend curls
Glad your dc are feeling better Em
Big it sounds like you've made real financial progress this year though? You haven't met your goals fully but are in a much better position now?
Life that's a great code for Vans, but not safe for me to choose for the DC!
Enjoy your time with the grandchildren Laska

Great week away here in Scotland. Amazing autumn colours and lots of new places explored. Not too spendy overall. Pub tea tonight & then driving home. Will update spreadsheets tomorrow.