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January Jingles, Valentine Capers, Frugal Fun Shenanigans & Looking Forward to Spring!

1000 replies

DirtyGertiefromno30 · 31/12/2025 09:23

Welcome to the New thread everyone 😊
Here's to everyone of us and hoping 2026 brings us all health happiness and frugal finances 🤗

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BigSkies2022 · 05/02/2026 19:07

£30 to DS as he has been out and about and getting food out of doors. £22 in Sainsbury’s- steak, fruit, salads- but tonight’s dinner is vegetable and cannellini soup, and whatever DH wants to make with the mushrooms that need using up.

£64 left in housekeeping budget for the next four days.

DirtyGertiefromno30 · 05/02/2026 19:25

I went for the berry one @RumBananaSundaethought my Mum might like that one 😋. What a busy day you have had, well done on the egg hunt, proper mission that was 😁. Shame about the book, l am all agog which book it was but l am just being nosy ignore me 🤣.
@Shnout if you need a cleaner for whatever reason then it's money well spent.
Don't even think about it 🤗.
@BigSkies2022 that soup sounds delicious 😋.
I wonder what your DH will make with the mushies 😁.

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ArmDimples · 05/02/2026 19:42

Ah Frugal, I am definitely not amazing but I am quite greedy into food and I do cook a lot, though not usually quite this much! Let’s see if I can keep it up!

i used these Vietnamese rice wrappers, big supermarkets sell them. You dunk them in cold water for about 20 seconds (less time than the packet says, they keep softening as you are working) and then pop a little pile of ‘stuff’ on them - combinations of chopped veg, rice vermicelli noodles (cooked and rinsed in cold water), fresh herbs, especially mint and coriander, and then a few prawns if you have them, or a bit of chicken or whatever. The wrappers are very fragile so you have to wrap carefully without any pokey-out bits or they rip - the wrapper is stretchy but very thin. I stuck them in Tupperware with some parchment paper between them or they do stick together. For veg I used combinations of stuff cut into very thin matchsticks: finely shredded red cabbage, spring onions, lettuce, carrot, red pepper… that sort of thing. I put avocado in some too. If you google it you’ll see some very beautiful ones that are a lot neater than mine were, lol! It’s a really nice lunch, especially for summer but whenever you fancy some raw veg crunch. Cheap to make if you have veg in anyway because you don’t need much of anything. You can make a peanut dip, or sweet chilli dipping sauce is good too.

Half a ‘nest’ of rice vermicelli noodles was enough for two portions of rolls, I found.

NSD, though I took delivery of some new lovely sharp tweezers for effective chin tweezing (ESSENTIAL!) and also a new lunch bag for DD. Had some Amazon credit so that was £12 yesterday, plus a bag of salad £1.60.

Eating our second roast chicken of the week as I somehow ordered two last week by mistake. It’s been chicken for every meal! Roast with trimmings, then a risotto with proper stock, then a spicy pasta thing. Today is another roast (but with salad and new pots), tomorrow I’ll make a chicken broth and Saturday we’re having chicken, lime and squash laksa. Thus will end the Great Week of Chicken.

ArmDimples · 05/02/2026 19:43

Ooops, these wrappers:

January Jingles, Valentine Capers, Frugal Fun Shenanigans & Looking Forward to Spring!
DirtyGertiefromno30 · 05/02/2026 20:15

They look fantastic , your meals sound amazing@ArmDimples
I had to lol at the great chicken week 😁

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Frugal25 · 05/02/2026 22:25

The veg and cannellini soup sounds amazing @BigSkies2022 must add this to my meal plan.
Ooohh I'm now sold on summer rolls. Thank you @ArmDimples and yes of you're a foodie, I think you're amazing 😍 Def doing rolls thank you.

OH has paid for the gymnastics. Boom . Love that it features on the new title too along with wigs lol
See you on the other side lovely ladies xx

DirtyGertiefromno30 · 05/02/2026 22:39

Frugal25 · 05/02/2026 22:25

The veg and cannellini soup sounds amazing @BigSkies2022 must add this to my meal plan.
Ooohh I'm now sold on summer rolls. Thank you @ArmDimples and yes of you're a foodie, I think you're amazing 😍 Def doing rolls thank you.

OH has paid for the gymnastics. Boom . Love that it features on the new title too along with wigs lol
See you on the other side lovely ladies xx

I knew your DH would come up trumps over the gymnastics @Frugal25 . You are so well matched 😍

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DirtyGertiefromno30 · 06/02/2026 16:10

Been watching the team ice dance sharing

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DirtyGertiefromno30 · 06/02/2026 16:10

In the Olympics

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DirtyGertiefromno30 · 06/02/2026 16:10

Absolutely love the figure skating

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DirtyGertiefromno30 · 06/02/2026 16:12

Got another 25 posts to go to the end of the thread 🧵

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DirtyGertiefromno30 · 06/02/2026 16:12

Been to see my Mum

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DirtyGertiefromno30 · 06/02/2026 16:12

She was fine there today

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DirtyGertiefromno30 · 06/02/2026 16:12

I gave her a good wash

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DirtyGertiefromno30 · 06/02/2026 16:13

Creamed her all over with moisturiser

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DirtyGertiefromno30 · 06/02/2026 16:13

made her drink hot chocolate

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DirtyGertiefromno30 · 06/02/2026 16:13

Eat a big banana

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DirtyGertiefromno30 · 06/02/2026 16:13

Eat the M&S trifle

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DirtyGertiefromno30 · 06/02/2026 16:14

Gave her a Lucozade

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DirtyGertiefromno30 · 06/02/2026 16:14

Changed her nightie

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DirtyGertiefromno30 · 06/02/2026 16:14

Changed her bed linen

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DirtyGertiefromno30 · 06/02/2026 16:14

Gave her a Weetabix

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DirtyGertiefromno30 · 06/02/2026 16:15

And 4 milk tray chocs

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DirtyGertiefromno30 · 06/02/2026 16:15

By the time we went

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DirtyGertiefromno30 · 06/02/2026 16:15

She was sorted head to foot and very happy she enjoyed her pampering very much bless her heart ❤️

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