February faffing, wig mischieving, pancake stuffing, bargain gymnastics and looking forward to Spring Shenanigans ❤️

[DirtyGertiefromno30]

Welcome to our new thread everyone 🤗. All are welcome to our supportive, kind , frugal thread .

Nice need
Welcome back muddling.

I've been shopping a couple of times this weekend £20 in Iceland, £50.48 in Lidl, £31.18 in Home Bargains and today DH wanted to go to Lidl so another £8.98 and £6.27 in Home Bargains which was for glass cleaner and decent paper kitchen as window cleaning and black mould removing has been in progress too. Plus £14.95 on Amazon for some clay that DH needs for his pond. So it's been a tad spendy this weekend. More paying out tomorrow as the plasterer returns to finish our bedroom ceiling.
We have been on with more decluttering DH has cleared two shelves in his man cave. We have had two trips to the tip to get rid of some rubbish with more to follow. DH has unblocked an outside drain and I have spent some time out in the garden pruning plants around the pond and tidying up the garden generally lots of sweeping up of leaves so the garden bin is ready for emptying this week. Recycling bins are chock full because of all the decluttering but we seem to be living in chaos while the the bedroom project is in progress - we have moved into the bigger spare bedroom and with piles of clothes everywhere - we have created a new mantra which applies to anything and everything. 'Don't put it down - put it back!' This has cut the amount of stuff we keep handling - so DH's habit of leaving a mug on the dishwasher and not in it has stopped!! When it comes to decluttering if we are not keeping it - it has physically to go out of the house or into something which facilitates that happening - so charity box/bag or tip or recycling. No idea how long that will last - but I don't feel like I'm constantly on catch up or just shifting stuff around.

Spent some money off my Sainsbury gift card on vegetables and a tin of blackcurrants. £5 in Waitrose on some dried cherries and £7 on two TGTGs. I have had bags from there before and they have been good but these were disappointing.

Glad you had a fab cruise @chimichangaz.

Can’t imagine having deer in the garden @needastrongone . All I get is wildfowl and foxes.

Welcome back @MuddlingLong. It’s nice to see you.

Goodness knows where I’ve been. I missed the magnesium conversation. I’m a dreadful sleeper so might have it a try. I am meant to be meeting flakey for coffee tomorrow. It would be nice to have an outing and conversation but I’ll count my chickens once she’s turned up.

Sorry fallen behind on the thread will try to catch up.

@Frugal25 hope you got the cc transfer sorted.

Sorry to hear of your cancer at the time @Vinorosso74

Sounds a nice day out with your bestie @ChipshopPickledEgg

Welcome back @MuddlingLong I do remember you from pre Christmas. Good news you are home 🩷

Love your garden @needastrongone

Good news the decluttering is continuing @Rainbow1901

Hope the weather improved @DirtyGertiefromno30 and your DM is okay now.

Quite a few days here. A few of you may remember DM is very frail and disabled and still lives at home age 94 with care. Also my alcoholic DB who is a complete drain lives with her. Last night Dsis was called to DMs as the carer couldn't get her upstairs (DB moved into the dining room and uses her hospital bed from the equipment team as his own) ambulance was called. DB arrived in the chaos, very drunk and almost fell off a chair. I slept through the messages but visited this morning. Anyway DM has been admitted so we'll just take each day as it comes. Back to work tomorrow.

Also had DSD big birthday lunch out today. All went well, I made cake and treats for everyone to take home, whcih went down well. DH and I did pay for most of it which was £161, which was only fair as he has 4 x DC (two ours). Also I think the hospital parking was £1.70.

frugal win. I also got £100 vouchers for M&S which was a deal on a fridge I bought before Christmas.

I missed the magnesium conversation too @RumBananaSundae I take it most nights and also trying iron tablets that have just arrived. Completely drained with peri menopause so hoping they might help 🙏

I’m new to magnesium too. I can’t take big tablets so I take some little ones from Amazon and some gummies too. The more the merrier I figure! DW takes the ones by Nutrition Geeks but they’re massive and I couldn’t swallow them, she swears by them though.

The weekend has gone too fast as usual.

Lovely visitor to your garden @needastrongone, lucky you.

@DirtyGertiefromno30 I hope your mum is continuing to improve.

I'm working 3 days this week, still phased return so shorter 6hr days.

£56 spent on groceries (£112.66 spent so far this month) so £121.34 left of this months grocery budget. No other spending this weekend as I managed to make a new home card for my friend at work to go along with a re-gifted present.

Meal plan for the week;
Honey garlic chicken, rice and green beans
Gyros & salad
Sausage, mash & loads of veg
Chilli garlic chicken & udon noodles
Bolognese
Left Overs

Pork Casserole

Ooh @NursieBernard can I come and stay with you for a week? That menu plan looks right up my street!!

Welcome back @MuddlingLong - good to see you.

@lifelongfrugaleer no I won’t be anywhere near the higher tax bracket.

Morning.

How are you feeling about going back to work @NursieBernard, is it helping? I found work, on balance and looking back, to be a positive after DH’s stroke. It gave me a distraction from my own trauma and feelings.

Welcome back @MuddlingLong. How’s things going at home? How’s DW?

Decluttering is so cathartic isn’t it @Rainbow1901?

@RumBananaSundae - another magnesium user here. Plus ashwaganda, which is herbal. I also take progesterone as part of my HRT prescription. I’ve also stopped drinking pretty much (wine was my therapy for a long time after DH’s stroke and that needed to change). Add in the other standard sleep habits re tech before bed, not eating or exercising too close to bed and that’s pretty much revolutionised my sleep.

Spends today
dog groomers - £40
Ocado - £100.

Hi all, I've not been on for a while. I have my band 7 internal interview tomorrow... I'm not prepared I might withdraw. Not sure I want to do a band 7 roll. Today is my home alone day when e year old does a school day at nursery, so I have until 2:15 to finish my PowerPoint if I'm going to do it. I'm quite enjoying the topic it's on. I went round Lidl without a child tagging along, a luxury for me to take time and look on the shelves. I found the deluxe pistachio spread for £1.79 which I love and wasn't in stock last time. My treat food is toast with the pistachio spread and hot choc curls, which reminded me of Dutch haagl. Spend £39 in total, mostly store cupboard item, plus chocolate and cheese.

I have been buying lunch for too much, I need to stop that.

Welcome back muddling, I think you may have mentioned you was unwell I am sorry you was in hospital for so long.

Anybody else going to Lidl today now? 😆

Lol, Lidl is my nearest big shop. Our town has 2 lidls and 2 aldis now.

Im Not going to Lidl.

also nutrition geeks magnesium & aswaganda here.

I would say go for the interview anyway and use it as a learning experience. But only if you feel you can

By a huge coincidence I’ve been to Lidl this morning 🤣

Haven’t been for months and I went because i had a couple of free items in the app and I wanted their jarred peppers. Ended up doing most of my weekly shop (£29) - was supposed to be working this morning (casual and flexible so i can do the hours anytime this week) but I’m coming down with a cold so wanted to get out while I still felt ok. Popped to B&M as I needed a huge throw for the dog’s crate and spent £34 on that and other bits. Also popped to matalan to take something back with no receipt and got a gift card back. Called into Aldi for their porridge oats and bought some food for the homeless chap and his dog outside.

Hopefully I won’t need any more shopping this week and can make do with what I’ve got now. Just had a sandwich and now a cuppa on the sofa with gingerbread chocolate digestives (that fell into my basket…) watching Yellowstone. This is what I love about semi retirement…..

Well, I napped instead of doing the PowerPoint, it's no-where near done, and I should practice/time it first. maybe I'll get it done tonight, if not, I think I'll withdraw. I'd have just done it years ago, however, I am very conscious of my own mental health these days. At the same time I think the indecision I've felt over the past few weeks about it hasn't been good for my mental health. Also, we had a talk on metal health at work and it's good to be out of my comfort zone, but not too much into the stress zone, but I'm not sure.

I joined this thread after dropping a work day and I honestly don't feel that committed to my career,

On the talk of Lidl, their 56% chocolate pistachio bars are really nice

Welcome back @MuddlingLong. I've often thought of you and have missed you on this thread. So glad you're back home xx
@DirtyGertiefromno30how is your lovely mum? Xx
@Lockin26im so sorry to hear about your lovely mum. How was she today? You poor thing having to deal with all that, such a stress and worry. Xx
@NursieBernard I'm going to arrive at yours around the same time as @chimichangaz if that's ok? Mean sounds amazing.
I'm off to Lidl on Thursday if that helps?!?!

£8 on cards for mother's day and various birthdays.
£3 on postage to America for one of the cards.

Yellowstone is amazing and I'm trying ever so hard to get my hairdresser to give me Beth's hair cut..... It's not worked so far but I'll keep trying.

DH has two more boxes of clutter for the tip from his man cave which need to go soon. I've been busy jet washing the patio and a couple of rather green looking fence panels while the plasterer has been and the bedroom ceiling is now done and finished and looking very smooth - much better than the stipply artexy stuff that was there before. Hopefully a couple of days to dry out and then we can start painting. The carpet guy is in to measure up tomorrow so will need to pay out for that soon.
Money seems to be going one way at the moment - and that is out!!

@Lockin26 - I’m sorry that I missed your post from last night. How’s your Mum today? What a difficult situation all round. Blooming family can be so difficult to manage sometimes.

Spends extra to above
£14 poo bags (bulk buy, and I’ve gone way over this pot for the month but hopefully that’s it for a while now).
£35 squirrel proof (apparently) bird feeder as the little sods seem to infiltrate anything I put up.

Afternoon everyone 😊
Been busy seeing to Mum , she's ok thankfully , had social worker visit today so spent most of yesterday washing Mums hair and cleaning her room and tidying up ready for today, getting all Mums paperwork ready . As Mum has breast cancer, the SW wanted to try getting Mum on CHC funding . This would mean moving Mum to a nursing home. I nearly had apoplexy tbh . l haven't said anything until now but it's been hanging over me like a dead weight . Anyway Mum is staying put thank God . Mums fees are being paid by the Local Authority until Mum passes away and her house will be sold to pay for the amount that Mums pensions don't cover .
I don't care about the money , all l care about is Mum.
They will have their money sooner or later 🙄 .
I can't bring myself to sell Mums home from underneath her . They will earn interest on the loan until the house is finalised .
Anyway rant over but this is why l haven't been here and have missed so much. l will catch up now 🙏😊

@Lockin26 omg l am so sorry sweetheart. Bless you and your poor Mum and sister 💐.
I am disgusted by your DB. l know being an alcoholic is an illness but his complete and utter disregard for your Mums wellbeing is so bad . Forgive me if l have read the situation wrong . I so hope your Mum is recovering well❤️🙏💐

@chimichangaz so glad you had a fantastic cruise 😁👏🤗
I am afraid l have no idea about tax codes. l am sorry but l hope you managed to sort it out asap🙏
Aw these flowers sound absolutely beautiful @needastrongone what a lovely present for your DM 💐
Beautiful deer 🦌 ❤️
Ah good to see you back @MuddlingLong so glad you are home bless you sweetheart 💐
Fantastic decluttering @Rainbow1901well done 👏
I hope Flakey behaved themselves @RumBananaSundae 🤗
Happy birthday to your Dsd @Lockin26🎂.
@NursieBernard great meal plan 😋 thank you re my Mum ❤️ hope you are coping ok in work sweetheart 🤗

I think that’s fair enough always. Protecting your MH is the priority

lock-in sending you hugs

well done rainbow on the declutter. You are smashing it

it’s a lot to process girtie. Glad they are not moving your mam though

nsd here

@Alwaysploddingon good luck re your band 7 interview l hope you have good news soon 🤞🤗.
You achieved a lot today @chimichangaz well done 👍
I love Kevin Costner l will have to give Yellowstone a go 🤗
Thank you @Frugal25 ❤️Mum is ok ATM thankfully 🤗
I must look at Yellowstone you have made up my mind sweetheart 😁
Think l have caught up with everyone sorry if l have missed anyone out 🤗
Spends today tyre for £75 and nothing else thankfully 🤗.
Weather is awful grey, drab, damp, dark and cold . It's taking the Micky now and needs to do one! 😁

Aw thank you @lifelongfrugaleer you are so lovely bless you ❤️