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 .

Morning.

That rice recipe looks good, and something that I might get DH to eat. He’s less inclined to eat fully vegetarian food. I could even do some fresh tuna with it, as I’ve some in the freezer from when it was in an Ocado ‘flash sale’.

Do you have a device @RumBananaSundae like an Alexa or similar that you could play the radio on, but also use for other things?

Isn’t it funny @Rainbow1901 where some weeks are so uneventful in terms of finance and others are so darn expensive! Monument silver 😊

Spends
£25 cash into great nephews bank account for his first birthday.
£100 Ocado - but mainly gin for a present, beer for socials, AF options for DH and staples.
£40 Amazon - oat milk and bulk buy of hot chocolate, toilet paper and boring things.
£10 subscription but cancelled a £6 one so £4 nett.
£18 Marks and Spencer

We are going out for an early supper tonight but it’ll be pub fodder and not my choice but my nephew is home for the weekend and I’m going with the flow to an extent. Sunday will be a NSD.

Decent performance to take an age category win at parkrun this morning and 50 seconds faster than last week. Slowing clawing back some fitness.

Evening everyone 🤗
Been busy last couple of days so not been on much will catch up now .
Beautiful day here hope everyone has the same too.
Spends today £31 Morrisons
£26 Amazon yesterday for a new smart watch for DH
Hope everyone is ok and having g loads of NSDs 🤗

£2.50 on parking today to meet a gorgeous friend for breakfast. She treated me so we arranged another brekkie so that will be my turn. Tried the Mediterranean brekkie and it didn't disappoint.
£1 on 3 dvds from charity shop including the film based on my new fave book "the kite runner". Hopefully I can watch without crying.

Discovered a reservoir near me today that I didn't know existed and it was so beautiful it was like being on holiday. I took so many photos. I feel very chilled and happy now.

@Rainbow1901thats the best colour for a car if I say so myself having the same!!
@needastrongone well done on smashing your time at running!!! Good work sweetie.
@DirtyGertiefromno30hope you've had a fun busy few days rather than stressful... Such gorgeous weather today

@needastrongonehave a lovely evening tonight , what an achievement with the Parkrun that is brilliant well done 🤗👏👏
@Rainbow1901sorry to hear you had cancer treatment 9 years ago but very glad it was obviously very successful for you . Good for you getting yourself the proper fitting bras too you deserve them 🤗 and wonderful news about a new car ! 👏👏👏😁
What is it about Moany Mums ATM @Frugal25 and me too
@BigSkies2022 , l am vowing l won't be one too 🤗
I didn't have to put the heating on today @Frugal25 & @RumBananaSundae
Yay! 🤣
I agree get a radio you won't regret it 🤗.
Fabulous spends and plans for you @BigSkies2022 l love the sound of the Hockney exhibition at the Serpentine 👏👏👏😁
They definitely do not count @bedfrog
You have a get out of jail card 😁

@BigSkies2022 hope your meet up with DM goes okay and DH provides some dilution if needed. Recipe looks good
@RumBananaSundae never noticed Lidl did milkshake power - I could really drink one right now.
@DirtyGertiefromno30 heating on here too. We've a cold house, the benefit being it doesn't get too hot in the summer. But right now it's chilly.
@Rainbow1901 happy new car!
@needastrongone I'm okay thanks and thanks for the kind words from the frugaleers. There is a lot of death admin. One of my Dsis seems to have taken the lead (she took all the paperwork away which made sense as my DB who is not capable is still living in DMs house). But she's messaged to say she thinks she's gone 100 mph and hit a brick wall. Anyway my task this weekend is to make a photo board for the wake. I've also offered to take over phone calls as it's been a lot for dsis but she isn't caving yet. We did the One Call but that doesn't cover everything.

Anyway sorry I've missed a few posts.
I've also spent more than normal this month, mix of not being accountable on here and also takeaways, eating out.

Anyway:
Primark 50p exchanged three t-shirts and one was 50p more!
£4.72 Asda
£6.70 M&S
£9.90 prescription - I've ended up with a UTI likely stress 😬
£5 B&M for an artist canvas to make the photo board

Yesterday was
£9.50 Temu for a garden bench cushion
£61.92 Lidl (not too impressed with the new Lidl Plus Points changes)

Also £144 refund from Next. Five pairs of potential black trousers and not one pair I was happy with. Really awful material and hung like a sack of potatoes. I do have a blazer to pick up from the post office from Vinted, hoping that is nice. Once all this is done I am going to be ruthless with my wardrobe, sell a lot and get some lovely pieces on Vinted or in sales.

Sounds like a lovely day @Frugal25 😊 £2.50 well spent for breakfast and a catch up with a gorgeous friend. The Mediterranean brekkie sounds delicious 😋
Bargain DVDs too! The Kite Runner may need tissues though unfortunately 🥺
That reservoir sounds beautiful. Funny finding somewhere so close that feels like being on holiday. No wonder you feel chilled after it ☀️
Aw thank you 🤗. l have tried to chill today and l have done nothing this afternoon so l have really chilled out !

Sounds like your DSis has hit that wall where the adrenaline wears off bless her @Lockin26. Good that you’ve offered to take some calls though, even if she’s not ready to hand them over yet 🤗. The photo board is a lovely thing to do for the wake too well done sweetheart, it's not easy doing this sort of things , so emotional 💐.
And honestly, with everything going on, I wouldn’t be hard on yourself over the spending. A few takeaways and easy options are understandable right now. The £144 refund helps too! Sounds like returning the trousers was the right call if they all fit badly. Hope the Vinted blazer is nicer 🤞
Cold houses are miserable but lovely in summer 🌞 😁. Hope the antibiotics sort the UTI quickly too and you feel much better very soon sweetheart 💐

No DS at orchestra today because in a complex series of events DD cycling was cancelled. So no snack for him! Quick stop at Aldi for bread/fruit/milk/ice cream/pickles (the latter two not together, don't worry), £17.59 and I did have to pay for parking at music which normally we don't have to but the venue car park was full so I had to go into the city council one, £2.50.

Then dinner out as we had a babysitter, we use a carer agency and pay for it with DS direct payments, but dinner was around £80. A newly refurbished place, we think we may have been there when DS was a baby and he's now 14! Lovely place though.

@RumBananaSundae I have a Bluetooth speaker which I hook up to my phone. That way I can listen to any radio station via Global Player , music & podcasts via Spotify or iPlayer. I would love to tell you how much it cost but it came into my possession through tidying up tax.... It looked lonely and left out when an upgrade was bought by someone else.

@BigSkies2022 dilution is my tactic too. I visit weekly to hear the same angry and self pitying monologue each time. It is draining.

@Lockin26 death admin is difficult.

We are still on our travels... It has not been a frugal trip. Our plan to camp part of the time has been sidetracked by on off rain. If you are traveling over to Europe... Spain has the cheapest fuel prices, Portugal cheapest wine. I may have been tempted by a truly amazing restaurant for dinner.... It was expensive but a birthday treat.

@DeepFriedCreamEgg I do morning pages. Just to give me headspace - coffee and 3 pages of stream of consciousness that never gets re-read. It takes about 30 minutes. If I don't have anything to write about I just describe what is about me.

NSD for me. Weeded the driveway and gave it a sweep. OH took me and DD out to a pet shop and got bowls and blankets etc for new arrivals, he paid bless him.
Now currently chilling before I do burgers and steamed veg. Meant to be a BBQ but it's absolutely freezing here!!

Watched the concert for sir David Attenborough. Sobbed the whole way through. Unsure what it is about that lovely man that makes me so emotional.

Afternoon everyone 😊
Beautiful here now, sunny and blue skies ❤️. Hope everyone has this too.
Shopping in Aldi £70
Bought their smoked Tofu to try , DD1 loves Tofu . I have never noticed it before tbh!
AHH @Frugal25 l know , he's just a brilliant complete human one9f the very best people ever ❤️
So exciting to get stuff in for the babies it won't be long ❤️
Glad you had such a lovely meal out
@drspouseit sounds a lovely place 👏.
@MyAgileHedgehog your holiday sounds absolutely amazing l am so glad for you enjoy yourselves 👏😁

Yesterday spent £22 on travel books.
£5.39 on a grocery TGTG from Marks and Spencer. Very disappointing.
38p on chillies in Asda
£5 on in Waitrose (gift card balance £37.94)
£4.50 in Marks and Spencer (gift card balance £27.50 - trying to use it as quickly as possible as it’s a refund one and I have to type the number in).

I’ve added Norway to my list @Frugal25. I’ve always wanted to go but I think I might try a city break. When are your kittens arriving?

I don’t have an Alexia @needastrongone but I’m trying casting my iPad to the television and that’s doing OK so far. Well done on the park run.

Taking your Bluetooth approach and trying playing things through the television @MyAgileHedgehog. I’ll see how long that last before I get irritated and go back to thinking about buying something.

I’m #TeamTofu @DirtyGertiefromno30. I’ve not met many other members. Any thoughts on what you’ll do with it?

Another weekend that’s flown by. Think I’ll try and wind down with my books from yesterday. Did some admin but solicitor and utility company still on the list. Definitely in that stage of life when it sucks all round for everyone. Had two emails from friends one’s marriage has just ended and the others parents and sister in law have cancer.

NSD for me because DD took my change out of my purse so no collection for her!
We've spent the afternoon clearing out the dining room because they are coming to take down our ceiling tomorrow it's dusty enough already, it's going to be a nightmare though they are supposed to seal it off and clean. The kitchen is beyond the dining room so no cooking for the next two days except toast and coffee, we had to move the fridge too (the kitchen is tiny so the fridge lives in the dining room).

Went to the botanic gardens today so that was free. But then I saw a couple eating a delicious picnic from Waitrose so we just had to go there and get something naice for lunch
Not conducive to frugality that shop.. but I had a lovely day and we can afford it so I don't mind.
Spent a lovely half an hour sitting on a bench watching the world go by. It was lovely.

I went to the park with a friend and her children today unfortunately we were forced into the cafe and I HAD to have "children's birthday cake" and coffee.
I spend the whole time stressing at parks whoever invented sheer drops on play frames I wish them an unscratchable itch and the curse of airplane squits.

@RumBananaSundaethat M&S TGTG bag is disappointing especially as it's an M&S bag 🙄. Norway as a city break is a really lovely idea 🤗
The Tofu is for my Dd1 more than me tbh. She presses it flat, then fries it until crispy and then she tosses it in soy, garlic, chilli and a bit of honey or maple syrup . When you have admin, money bits, and other people’s heavy news all landing at once it does drain you. Try to give yourself that quiet wind down with your books and try not to let it get you down sweetheart, l am so sorry for your friend bless them 💐

Good luck tomorrow for the dining room ceiling @drspouse.l can imagine the worry about the mess bless you.
Aw what a gorgeous day @bedfrog and if you were going to spend money then spend it on something well worth it 🤗.
Omg l know exactly what you mean @DeepFriedCreamEgg. They are so dangerous and the DC know no fear it is scary watching them but they absolutely love it 😁

Aargh! Laptop issues! Just had to reset everything and everything Mumsnet has disappeared. Just marking my place and trying not to fume!! 😡

Yesterday I spent £4 and £8.92 in Hobbycraft. Also £9.72 in Boots.

Then booked a trip for August. Taking DC and DDs friend to see The Weekend in Dublin. So all deposits went down on that. We are flying over, it was cheaper than train to Manchester or London and the dates were better. Not sure if DH and I will go to the concert at the moment but the DC (15 and 20) are v excited. I said it makes up for the school skiing trips we never managed for one reason or another. I just love travelling and never been to Ireland so simply going is enough for me.

@RumBananaSundae Norway is a great choice. Boo to the disappointing TGTG bag

@DeepFriedCreamEgg cake in the park sounds great, not so much the sheer drops!

@bedfrog ooh perfect picnic day. Wish the weather would warm up here - it's May!

@DirtyGertiefromno30 I love tofu but when I tried at home it was v bland..may try again your DDs way. Hope your DM is okay.

@Frugal25 I love David Attenborough too. amazing human.

Best get ready. I have a training visit this morning, meeting the celebrant this PM, a webinar and if I feel up to it a gym class. Need to reconcile some pots tonight. Meeting the IFA on Wednesday morning to do our pension planning. I finally start bereavement leave on Thursday, I really need it. I get five days which I think worked in the days when the funeral was the week after a passing - my DMs will be almost 3 weeks after. DS has almost lost his job over this (agency) but he's gone back today.

NSD for me.
Oh @RumBananaSundaeso sorry about your friends news. That's heartbreaking. I am sending love to you all.
Norway is on my travel bucket list so very jealous. When are you thinking?

@DeepFriedCreamEggi spend my entire time at playgrounds trying to catch DD who acts like a lemin or shouting "be careful/don't jump". This is why I drink.

I like tofu. Trying to eat more of it at the moment too. Do need some recipes for it I have to say.

Oh. Whilst I remember do any of you lovely lot cook with polenta and if so what do you do with it? I found it bland when I did it last.

Got a £5 refund from Amazon. Going to save it and buy Dinah Jefferies new book when it's out.

They have no fear of their own but sense ours so double down on it. No Mummy I don't need help with the fireman's pole. Suuure dude.

Whilst I remember do any of you lovely lot cook with polenta and if so what do you do with it? I found it bland when I did it last.
I have some ready-made polenta in the cupboard but it is well past its sell-by date so I should chuck it out. However, when I get that I usually slice, pan-fry and have a tomato sauce with it.
Ground polenta I like in mealie pap (that's the S. African name but I had it when I was living overseas elsewhere) and you cook it till it's thick (watch out, splashes are VERY hot), and serve with any stew. I think only I like it in our family though.
You can also make very nice corn bread with ground polenta (or it is sold as corn meal).
African families usually prefer white but N. American families eat white or yellow. I also like cornmeal mush (a kind of porridge made with cornmeal) but it's often too fine when you buy it here and it ends up like wallpaper paste.
Finally there are lots of cornmeal dishes from Latin America but you can't usually get the right kind to make it with here - masa harina is what you make tacos with, but I'd just buy them ready made as it isn't that much like polenta.

£1.05 in Aldi
£11.00 in Marks and Spencer (£16.50 left on the gift card).

Hope the ceiling works went OK today @drspouse.

I'm glad to hear your leave is starting @Lockin26 and I hope it gives you some rest and peace.

Today was not a good day. It’s now official (rather than speculation) work will be making people redundant. For various reasons I’m in a rather vulnerable position and I don’t think I’ll survive. I’m utterly terrified. Not sure what to do about the legal stuff and so glad I didn’t book a holiday at the weekend. I have been looking at job adverts on and off for a while and the market is dreadful. Was getting fleeting thoughts of things might be starting to look up after being sick, the arsehole and the legal issues now it’s something else.

@RumBananaSundaethat’s really a lot to land on you at once 💐. Especially with everything else you’ve been dealing with too l am so sorry 🤗. No wonder it feels so frightening. Even though redundancy is being mentioned, it doesn’t mean it’s definite yet though , there’s still a process and options to be gone through and l am keeping everything crossed for you sweetheart .
Sending you big hugs and the very best of Luck 🍀🤞