Frugal the flip to make the festivities fun

[lifelongfrugaleer]

Wasn’t going to be flip but decided to be polite
46 days or so

don’t panic frugaleers

marthas yes, I am a lecturer too - currently in the south east but looking about 4 hours drive north if I get this job which is an associate professor level. It’s a big ask for DH to relocate again for me though and not straightforward as he’s older and schools are always looking for cheap NQTs. Sigh.

Gen you can call in for a gin anytime and that includes everyone 😊
Good luck with your job interview sweetheart ❤️
Don't despair re Dh's job could he take early retirement, then do supply? Just a thought 🤔
Thinking outside the box .

Life shame about the event not being much good but lovely for you to see your friends

Martha thank you for asking about Mum, she is doing really well , we had a great visit to her today and she was very happy and animated and not at all confused . Fingers crossed they find her some carers soon then she can come home 😊
It's lovely to see the youngsters doing so well, Good luck to your Dd 😊👏
Glad you enjoyed the Winter Wonderland yesterday & the DC got on well 😊

HalfWoman the Norwegian wool sounds gorgeous ❤️
Ouch to the spendy time has to be done though 🙄
You have been really busy bless you take 5 now 👏😊

Forgot spends
Morrisons £16
Petrol £64 it is down to 139.9 for petrol in my local garage which is a pleasant surprise
Been busy today .We hand delivered the rest of the cards , took the 12 wreaths for the relatives graves and a quick tidy up of them too . Visited Mum, fed her her lunch, took Bob up to see her , shopping for Bob , ironing this morning, shopping for us and now home to Tunis cake 🍰 yummy 😋

Where is your mum at the moment Mrs? And is Bob at home?

good luck with the job Gen

I forgot - I also made the JO get-ahead gravy. Flapjack not made (yet) though. I am knackered!

This is what I knitted for my friend - I made 4, each with a different Nordic pattern and with one of her family’s initials on. The bottom is sealed and the neck is very stretchy so you can string them up, hang on the tree or whatever and put chocs or small presents in. I think she’ll be really pleased - but now I want to make more for us! And for other friends too - but for next Christmas, obvs. They do take a bit of time to make, and I don’t knit for weeks on end sometimes, when time is against me. I really notice a positive effect on my mental health when I have time to make things though, so need to prioritise that if I can.

Half I love the knitting!

MrsEvans Glad to hear your DM is doing well.

Have only caught up with this page so apologies to anyone who I've missed.

Spends: £8 soft play entry for me and DD, and then about another £8 on drinks and doughnuts for us once inside. We haven't been for probably about a year and that is why! She had a fantastic time and we were there for about 2hrs but £16 for 2hrs and if DH and DS were with us it would obviously have been much more expensive too. And DH gave us lifts there and back, so will have been a couple of quid on the petrol on top. It is usually quiet in the mornings there but it was absolutely dead today, I wouldn't be surprised if they close. I don't know how these small businesses that provide entertainment for children will cope in this coming recession, none of us regular parents have much disposable income anymore to go to places as frequently anymore with the cost of living crisis.

That knitting is great
sounds lovely at soft play but I guess this time of year is quite as well

@Gensola good luck with the job!

@HalfWomanHalfChocolate love the knitting, those are so cute! Great to hear it’s good for your mental health as well, lovely to have something that calms the mind.

I’m working a lot this week, so up early to get the food shop done before I go in later. Not looking forward to driving in icy conditions tho. Shops open at 8 but I might wait until the sun comes up and people have driven on the roads a bit.

Love the Nordic knitting @HalfWomanHalfChocolate such a lovely gift.
Good luck with the job gen.
Hope you manged the early morning shop curls
Pleased to hear about your Mum mrs
I worry about small businesses too weight one of our favourite cafes had two tables in on Friday night. They likely took less than £100. Just hope they are catching the breakfast trade from the school runs as they are in between two sought after primary schools and a large comp.

I am trying to get my phone to do bold with ** hope it works.

LSD - just a bit of fuel
Frugal win - walked to the community centre warm space to work instead of either freezing at my desk, blasting the central heating or driving 20 miles. We have an old house, apart from in front of the log burner, t's draft central. Lovely lady let me sit in a room with an electric heater, tea biscuits and a wing back chair! Think it's more for the old bids in the village who I'd have happily chatted to but noone else came. So quiet I could hear the clock ticking and I was so productive! Out in the city I work in tomorrow, but I may head back Wednesday.

weight I used to pay £2.50 for soft play and take my own snacks, but often a couple of drinks from the counter or I'd feel guilty. We were in every week, sometimes twice. £8 is a lot. Now it's £17 for clip and climb or £13.50 for the trampoline park!

HalfWoman fabulous jumpers love them you clever girl !
Mum is in a rehab hospital ,fully well for discharge but we are waiting for carers to be Found.
Thank you for asking about her & thank you Kessie 😊
Curls hope you have a good week be careful driving in this weather 🤗
NSD for me today about time 🙄

@kessiebird the warm space sounds amazing, and I bet they were glad of someone coming to use it.

@TheNewlmprovedMrsMadEvans glad to hear your mum is doing well, here’s hoping you get carers in place soon so she can come home.

Evening all hope you are all well
finally a nsd but all Christmas shopping done and wrapped except dh who wants a watch as he’s decided to collect them??? Dd has bought him a display thing for Christmas
so with Christmas boxed off it’s now on to ds birthday presents and party for his 18th beginning of January didn’t time that well did i lol

Fell off the thread, busy last week with activities like carol concerts. Now all the activities are done, I have covid. Feeling like I have the worst cold ever, nose won’t stop running and keep sneezing so can’t sleep 😢

feel bad too as I went to a family gathering at the weekend, so hoping I’ve not spread it around especially to the elderly in-laws.

alfie also my DS birthday on 19th Jan. He's 17 so mainly money for driving lessons but we can never have a no spend January!

Ah time hope you feel better soon.

LSD planned here, out at work so may need to buy lunch, unless I come up with something in the next hour. I've been wfh for so long I'm out of the habit of planning that ☺️

The knitting is lovely half and the warm space sounds fab! I’ve been freezing working at home today. I feel a bit shivery actually and can’t decide if it’s the cold or if I’m getting whatever DS2 has - he’s off school with cold and sore throat. I’m meant to be going out tonight and need to decide soon whether I might be infectious!

mrs if your mum is getting carers, will that ease things up a bit for you?

And we’re off.

work is done for the year. We are packed and I’m crying my eyes out quietly because I’m excited and scared and overwhelmed about the travel. Hey ho!

kids excited.

Have fun em x

Have a brilliant time em felt a little like that on our last trip, all the effort and coordination. It will be so worth it, lifetime memories for you.

£8.94 Morrisons
£28 new scientific calculator for DS
£15 fuel

Have an amazing time, @ememem84 xx

Have a brilliant time Em ,if we don't speak to you before Christmas have a very Happy Christmas and a Happy New year ❤️☺️
Martha I hope you and darling Son2 are better very soon 💐 Yes thankfully it does mean that we will be be released of our caring duties not completely but it will be much eased ☺️
Kessie l am being very nosey now but what did you decide to have for lunch 😂😋
Time I hope you feel better very soon 💐and you haven't given it to your elderly relatives 🤞fingers crossed ☺️
Curls thank you so much 😊
spends today £151 Tesco ,
a lot of Xmas food in there , 2 big joints of beef , it's half price there ATM and it was 236 before the Clubcard offers 😱

Have a great trip, em.

Love the Nordic mini-jumper, half.

Couldn't sleep last night and got myself into a bit of a tizz about how much still to do (and spend!) for Christmas. Thursday, Friday and Sunday largely taken up with ferrying DM to appointments, picking up prescriptions and my own dental work, eek! Still, got myself to the butcher this morning, ordered meat, will pick it up on Saturday morning, and managed to do more decorating (as in DIY - seasonal decs still in the cellar) - another 5-6 hours work left, I reckon (I'm slow, and a perfectionist). Oh, lord, loads to do. There's stuff I need, like tiny candle holders, batteries, flowers, fruit, greenery...DH is buying wine. And aftershave for DS. Oh, actually he's not, he's watching the football...

Hope you have a fab time em