Spring shenanigans, frugal mischief, Maypole antics, garden faffing, bargain binges, picnic pandemonium, Spaniel loving and Bank Holiday mayhem 😁

[DirtyGertiefromno30]

Welcome everyone, new and old to our lovely supportive frugal thread .

That all sounds so much fun @MyAgileHedgehog l love all the May day festivities sounds like everyone has a brilliant time 😁
Sorry you are still having such a hard time @Lockin26dont worry bout keeping up sweetheart 🤗
Hope your friend recovers quickly bless her @Frugal25 it's so nice to have your DH home for dinner unexpectedly, Rice salad sounds delicious 😋

Aw thank you for asking
Mum was good today 🙏@Frugal25 🤗. Shame about your lunch plans with your friend nevermind as long as she is ok bless her 💐

Hello all. Mmm..posh picnics. I have never eaten a quail’s egg, although I have often cooked quail. Must up my game. Would seasoned roast chicken drumsticks provide a reasonable halfway house between the 1970´s sarnies and the full Glyndebourne hamper?

Shopping expedition with mum went well yesterday after a wobbly start (beginning of a panicky meltdown in M&S which I managed to quell by divering into Seasalt). Five new items bought, lunch in Gail’s, then visited dad where I relieved my feelings by getting outside (to quote Wodehouse) a huge slice of chocolate cake. I find sugary carbs the answer on these days and preferable to sinking half a bottle of muscadet, bone-dry, cold as space, don’t mind if I do.

LSD on my part: parking £6, £2 on birthday card for brother.

Passport office have approved my new passport, so should get that soon. Hurrah! Can actually start planning next trip with DH.

Fire risk assessment report came through: thankfully, only need to add a fire blanket and an additional heat sensor in the kitchen. No fire doors or special lighting needed.

Today I am catching up on myself: pharmacy, library, butcher, ironing.

Yesterday was £2.10 on bus fare for me and an undisclosed sum at the dentist for DH who had to go and have a coffee afterwards to recover from the cost!
Today I am WFH but then going for a massage.

Morning all.

I’ve had a busy few days and so apologies that I haven’t kept up as well as I might. Been helping my nephew through (what I think is) an unfair redundancy process.

In hedgehog news - I think she’s buggered off. In fact I think she buggered off on the first night! No sign of life at all from the house, food not eaten, only the odd cat caught on the night cam. I shall continue to put out food - in the hope of attracting new hogs!

In better wildlife news, my squirrel proof meal worm bird feeder is being often frequented, and not by squirrels. No seed in sight either - the RSPB will love me.

Spends wise then today will be a NSD - or perhaps a LSD at most.

Bingo winnings yesterday were an array of cleaning products, and some washing tablets, most practical indeed!

Hope the appointment goes okay today @life.

Did someone say spaniels ? I have 4!
67 years wow, my parents got to 65 but Ddad died at the end of September last year, I agree with you, not sure how they managed to avoid divorce as they did actually hate each other.

Pay day is Friday so not spending anything this week, apart from we did buy tickets for a local show of Pirates of Penzance, bit shocked that it was £30 for 2 tickets even with discounts..

Afternoon all,
Hope today goes ok @lifelongfrugaleer

£64 in Lidl which is far lighter than normal but adding the farm shop to that my weekly shop is normal.

Spent the afternoon in the garden planting seeds and making my own fat balls for the birds which, if they like it, will be so much cheaper than buying it.
Got a horrid cold today, the whole family have it. I've been up all night with ear ache so hopefully an early night tonight will fix that.

Hope you attract new hogs @needastrongone as it's such a beautiful space for them.

Oi, need: who let the hogs out ???
l’m here all week.

£9 on a load of chicken wings. I can roast them in hoisin sauce and they will keep us going, with roast veg, go a couple of nights (without DS). Or i can use up the gorgonzola and broccoli on a pasta dish and we keep our meat fest for the weekend. I will ponder it while I push some weights.

Nice haul from the library - all my reservations in at once. Step count good again today and my averages moving up. Walking and reading going to have to be my NS go to activities until next pay day (10 May, eek) because the Adidas trainers are keepers, so I have spent all my in-month discretionary cash and I am determined not to dip into other pots.

Afternoon everyone 🤗
That's brilliant news re your Passport and the fire rich assessment @BigSkies2022yay!
Oh a massage ,enjoy that @drspouse so relaxing and worth every penny 😁
What an ungrateful little Mrs Tiggwinkle @needastrongone 😁
Well done on the bird feeding too !
@lifelongfrugaleer hope everything went well today sweetheart been thinking about you 💐
Good God l think that's a lot for a local production @Lightuptheroom.
AHH Spaniels are just adorable ❤️
Well done in making the fat falls @Frugal25 l am sure the boirds will love them 🤗 . Sorry you have a nasty cold and earache , the pain with earache is horrible bless you 🤗 💐
So lucky all your reserved books were there too @BigSkies2022 that doesn't happen very often for me it's drubs and drabs normally 😁
Mum was fine there thankfully 😊
Bought flowers , card ,chocs and smellies from Morrisons for my Mums friends birthday today .
£21 Morrisons
Hope everyone is ok and enjoying this beautiful weather 🤗🌞

A homewear shop in the town centre is closing down so I spent £12.50 there. I’m most excited about the long handled spoons I bought for stirring jars of tahini. I might go back at the weekend and look at the utensils.

That’s good news on the fire risk assessment and passport @BigSkies2022. Is there anywhere you are thinking of going?

Well that’s ungratefulness for you @needastrongone. I hope you have some new residents soon.

Sorry you’re under the weather @Frugal25. Feel better soon.

Glad your mum is doing OK @DirtyGertiefromno30.

Have a physio appointment for next week. Bahhh. Was hoping it was behind me but needs must and all. Had freezer/cupboard noodles and vegetables today for supper. They were rather tasty and I have left overs. Was trying to only use the cash in my purse until next month but I am meeting a friend next Tuesday, have to put more money onto my travelcard for next week and pay the physio so will have to go to the bank.

I really should unpack my new candles as I’d like to try them but unpacking them us just too much effort.

Went ok today. The contrast dye made me feel a bit wonky. But I think I also over did it yesterday

@lifelongfrugaleer good today went okay and hope you can rest well this evening.

Oh I love candles @RumBananaSundae hope yours are nice once unpacked. I've been using a local company who aren't cheap but they are eco friendly and make a popcorn scented one. Trying only to buy a couple a month though!

Pleased your DM is okay @DirtyGertiefromno30 . The weather is gorgeous. I got my work presentation done, once that was done was overcome with tiredness and I sat in the sunshine ☀️

That sounds such a productive day @BigSkies2022 I get inspired by your cooking plans!

Get well soon @Frugal25

Hi @Lightuptheroom love spaniels, four must keep you busy although do they keep each other company too?

Hope you enjoyed the massage @drspouse

Well that's just rude of the hogs @lifelongfrugaleer ! Hope you get more grateful guests next time 😊 and also that your nephew is okay, sounds stressful.

Headed back home now, had a run to the beach while DD did her activity. It's been a v LSD.

So pleased today went as well as can be expected @lifelongfrugaleer, have a quiet evening and an early night lovely 💐🤗
@RumBananaSundae sorry you have this physio appointment hanging over you and you have to pay for it too . Here in Wales we self refer for physio but you have to wait until they can see you and l expect you need it sooner rather than later 🤗💐.
They sound lovely spoons , they remind me of eating Knickerbocker glorys in the Ice cream shop in Tenby on holiday, delicious 😋. Thank you re Mum eveth day she's ok is a bonus ❤️.
Oh popcorn scented candles lovely@Lockin26 ❤️
Glad you got the work presentation over and done with less you such a relief it was over . I hated doing presentations in work 🙄
Thank you for asking about my Mum that's so good of you ❤️

I hope everyone is watching Race Across the World , they are in Turkey and the scenery is to die for . I didn't realise how beautiful it was there .
Showing my ignorance 😁

Today's spend was £55 on massage which was indeed lovely plus about £3.70 on a bottle of water and an ice cream after DD parents' evening because it was hot and I was thirsty from saying "how can we help DD, yes I know she's easily distracted, she's just been diagnosed with ADHD".

Oh I was advised to watch Race Across The World @DirtyGertiefromno30 we were chatting about Turkey on Monday at work. It's a beautiful country.

I didn't stop for food on the way home so had some sausage, onions and wedges that I'd put in the slow cooker before I left. Coop £1.50

good point about third spaces. I miss my usual library, currently closed for refurbishment. Loads of space to sit and work, wifi reasonable, great selection of newspapers, book groups, play groups, film showings, close to a park, shops, bus services..I feel much more myself when i can go with my laptop, study and write out of the house for a few hours each day. There will be a lot of happy people when it reopens.

I love this programme (although I’d be rubbish doing it - far too high maintenance 😊)

I think some of us are guilty (I know I am) of thinking just in terms of the tourist spots but this programme really opens your eyes to the beauty of the world and of other cultures. Makes me think the world isn’t such a bad place (just some of the people who run it are bad ‘uns…..)

@chimichangaz definitely, as humans we have quite small vision but when you can hire a car or jump off the bus at random places and you are often absolutely spoilt with treats for all of your sensors.

Definitely agree, we’re guilty of just going to the main tourist spots too. Once we travel without DC again, I will be much more open to trying off the beaten path.

I may have added some long handled teaspoons to my wish list rum. My parents always had some of these and they would be really useful.

Hope you are feeling brighter today life after yesterday and frugal. I find colds when the weather warms up, just another layer of urgh. Feeling warm from the weather and cold symptoms is not a good combo.

£37 in Tesco earlier.
Off to the shops in a minute. Need a few bits.

Morning.

I saw what you did there, Big……

Another fan of RATW, and another one that has preconceived ideas about places. We were only discussing this last night with friends when they joined us for drinks. She’s Russian and obviously there is quite a lot of notions about the country and the people at present. She’s lived here for over 20 years, but has family there still.

I have to shut the mental door on the notion of travel at the minute, because that is something I had hoped to do so much more of, but now can’t, but that’s okay for the most part if I don’t think in the what might have been and instead take joy from other things in my life. I still love the program though!

I could find a use for long handled spoons too… I’m liking the idea of long handled spoons and am now wondering how I got to my age in life without them…

Have you a recipe for the fat balls frugal please? The birds are proving far more grateful than the hedgehog….

Spends yesterday
£12 on some local IPA for DH and friend last night.

Today DH has a hair appointment for a dry cut which will be a tenner.

It won’t be a bit spend weekend. Perhaps £20 at the local cricket club, it’s the first day of the season and a there is a very warm forecast it seems. Maybe a top up shop if we run out.

Picking up on some very important thread matters:

1. i have one long-handled spoon. I don’t know how I’d get to the bottom of the mango chutney without it.
2. 4 spaniels 😮 that must be mad (but fun)
3. Ungrateful hedgehog, but presumably he/she would only have gone to somewhere better so you must be harbouring a lot of good hog territory there. Keep getting new ones!
4. quail’s eggs taste like hens eggs really, but with a bigger ratio of yolk. DD is a big fan and used to take them to nursery in her packed lunch, because she rejected all sandwiches and I was desperate enough to spend a fortune on teeny eggs and then be peeling the buggers at midnight. I blame my FIL for introducing her to them when serving up 70s canapés. I was mocked by other parents but DD did shoot up the height centiles that year and has stayed there! Eggs for the win!
5. 70s picnics are still very acceptable, and chicken drumsticks definitely delicious, but I now reject the penguin /kitkat element because they don’t taste like chocolate any more 😭
6. I would like to get outside some chocolate cake, and must also read some Wodehouse again, it used to make me properly laugh out loud and who doesn’t need that?!
7. I am right with you on travel Need, we are also not very mobile family. I am glad I had some good trips off the beaten track in my yoof but I do mourn the adventures I expected to be able to have with the children and in the future. And I try not to think about it.

payday today but not the end of the month on YNAB so pots still mostly empty till 1st May. Sigh. I have overspent on food again, I thought I wouldn’t but then I bought lots of treats for friends (birthdays, feeding very kind babysitters for a long day, snacks to take to a quiz) and somehow 💸💸💸.

I want to participate but don't know what to say. Do I need to love a picnic? I don't have dogs but love dogs

about being frugal, yes we are

I did succumb to coffee and cake today but better once a week than 4 times a week.
I have been getting out my summer clothes and so many of my t-shirts are too short. A perpetual problem I have but it seems to be getting worse. I think I've lost a bit of weight so my trousers are sitting lower.
So rather than buy random things from Vinted that don't fit I bought a load from Cotton Traders with the intent of sending them back. £127 but should be less.

Zukinizen nothing is mandatory except a love of chat, no judgement and being frugal