The £1 rail got me and other stories!

Well after our swimming ventures I had to get some plastic strimmer stuff ( £7.99), pop to the bank and had promised Weeny a treat. Biggles had a date with a meter reader. As he has mothballed his house they are suspicious  of the low meter readings.

After our £5 breakfast treat for two ( Weeny and I - It was extravagant but she loves it so!) I got sucked in by the  reduced rail and the £1rail in the RSPCA shop and Cancer Research respectively.

Well for a £1!! I snaffled work trousers - black, long sleeved under shirt thing - the sort that turns spring and summer clothes into winter/autumn to wear under stuff , pair of jeans - lighter shades but good for summer, flowery shirt- not so much me but hey ho ( £4) and a t shirt and dress 5-6 for weeny Both pink funnily enough! (£2)!!!  I also nabbed a brand new work jumper top thing for £1.95.

In addition I also needed a lint roller thing (£2) and indulged in lollipop freezer shape things(£1) and five packs of sweeties for a pound. (£1) and Biggles  Valentines pressie ( The bad taste one) £1.50!

So an expensive morning!  £27.50 gone before 1pm!!! Some investments though esp the clothes.


As summer hols are looming and new holiday care requires a packed lunch I put in an approved foods order  for flavoured water, biscuits/sweet things as well as other useful and super cheap bits.


So its been spend spend spend here! But was nice!!!

Gardening
Biggles and I attacked the Jungle that was the back garden. After the rain and a few weekends away to say it was overgrown was an understatement. Only took us two hours to hack at the foliage and grass. Looking  much neater but I have an infestation of some sort of horrible weed that  sends out creepers then implants a bit of inself further from the main plant.... and it is starting to invade the  grass. Comes up easily enough but its very annoying.

For those with green fingers what can I do about this nasty???? Other than a good dose of chemicals??? Or whats the kindest chemical stuff to buy???


We had bolognese for tea - a small portion of mince with added veg does us fine and with garlic bread there is always enough left over to fill one of my lunch time pots.


Cauliflower and Broccoli Cheese with bacon tomorrow.


Biggles has two more man jobs tomorrow - fixing a bike and putting on my wheel trim. Ahh bless and he comes home for a rest!

Sometimes I am so thankful for what I have

Sad news on a blog I occasionally pop by - lurk. Some of you may pop by too. I had popped in looking for some happy news - but only sadness and my heartfelt sympathies go out to the blogger and her family.

I am glad I  can only try to imagine.

So very sad.

xxxxxxxxxxxx

And so tis nearly time...

For me to drop to four days a week.  I requested this as it makes butkiss difference financially if you consider child care, petrol etc etc and is part of my decision to stick around for another year.  Oo maybe Ill be able to spend some of Weeny's child tax credit on her for a change rather than daycare or rather afternoon care and collections and pick ups and I can drop her off at school once a week and collect her to do fun stuff with Mummy.

I can also :

Get fit, be active, study, clean ( BORING) do all the mundane things that I usually leave till its vital they need to be done, work a bit for cash ( paying tax) doings sessional work with yoof.

August 3rd I am off!!!1 Woo hoo!!!

As ever we were in bed early last night with lights off and watching TV in the dark. Tis still cold in the northern reaches given the pish weather.

I have not been near a charity shop in ages!!! I am proud but suffering withdrawal..... The ones near me are so overpriced anyway.

A summer fete or jumble or even non soggy carboot may appeal but nothing in my area. I refuse to go to the local Car boot in Amble due to the prices being silly and also the traders being professional sellers.

The sodding Dear hut is fully booked the week I am off. Typical. Though Mid week camping is a possibility if the weather gets any better.

Durham Reccy! and other bits.

I finally got the opp to do a reccy of where I may consider living in the future. Scratched a few areas just didn't go for them. Just not me! Others look ok though a tad more expensive  to the tune of £50 a month but for being content for three years and happy to leave my house without being concerned or spooked then tis worth it!

I have no news on whether a deferral is possible yet. I may just have to explain and reapply next year.

Sacriston, Witton Gilbert all look ok. Ushaw Moor at a push. Also Bearpark and Langley Park. All fine.  Will need to consider child care and do some investigating but that's for later I have Duke of Edinburgh to  keep me busy first.  I also get my four days per week starting August which is nice.


I have booked a week off at the same time Biggles has a fortnight off. I only have 7 days leave left so am only able to take a week. I may take the other two days during his week depending on plans.

We may go to the Deer Hut if it is free mid week.  ( Barrowburn posher camping barn!)

Iceland - the shop not the country!

Yesterday we picked up one of those tex mex enchilada things for ... 45p from the Co op. But this is about Iceland you say! Yes it will be! Anyhoo I decided I needed onions to go with the tex mex. Apparently you could just use chook but I decided I would use up left over bacon and a pepper and needed to add Union of course! I was out of onion and not wanting to park up and go to Morrisons etc or use the super expensive butchers come mini green grocer I trotted over to the land of ice. Now all those terrible adverts for frozen processed food normally keeps me well clear of the place however I was pleasantly surprised by some of the bargains and savings to be had.

Now I live in a titchy market town. We have a Sainsburys, Morrison and Lidl,  a Co-op and Iceland.  No big bargain shops like Tesco or Asda. Sainsburys is often out of my price range, though if you are picky with what you purchase its not bad sometimes ( stock cubes for 10p for eg ). Normally I find Morrison's the cheapest and most reliable for their prices in comparison to both Lidl and Sainsbury.

Anyway while in Iceland I snaffled half price Yorkshire tea bags, pizza, chicken breast bits and onions all for a rather nice price. The cucumber was 10p more expensive as was the Iceberg lettuce.

However Iceland was worth a gander just for the Free Range Eggs 6 for a pound. There are only caged hen eggs for cheaper in Morrisons and Sainsburys which I refuse to consciously buy.  Lots of other deals as well like 10 diet cokes for 2.50. Now I am partial to a diet fizzy drink from a can its got to be a can on the odd occasion - needs to be branded. Normally its a treat form the tiney winey pound shop where three for a pound rule!

A few other bits like a five pack of frutella for £1. Weeny girls likes three for a pound so this was better value. And the loo roll is softer and cheaper by 21p.  Only a pound for four rolls of petal soft. The rolls look about the same price and I refuse to purchase expense tissue for wiping ones fudge tunnel! What a waste!

Reduced fat cheese £2 foe 300grams - this is the normal price not the special price.

After all that getting past the party food aisle, ignoring the prawn ring and processed crap its occasionally worth a butchers.

Smart Mums go to Iceland to reccy the bargains not to purchase the processed ready meals!

Residential in the Cheviots

Just back from Coquetdale - five miles west of Alwinton. Spent the night in a bun barn with  teenagers 16-18. Not the sort of thing they would normally do. They debated what they wanted to do, planned it and applied for a young peoples grant successfully and we supported them to do the activity.  Weeny came as well. They were ace. We managed a 5mile walk as well over a small hill. and along a valley. Weeny had some help but walked 4 miles at least. She was rather brilliant. The teenagers were good with her too but I dodn't let her cramp their style. We looked for different coloured wild flowers, slugs, tramped over bridges, jumped over muddy puddles, and ahhhh! at views and baa'd at sheep. Northumberland being splattered with history we walked through Murder Cleugh and  Thieves Wedder.  Murder Cleugh is a spot where Robert Lumsden a landowner murdered his pregnant lower born mistress. There is a cross and a headstone to mark the spot. Lots of Border Reiver tales. Oh the Thieves Wedder is a spot where a sheep rustler pinched a sheep then fell into the deepest part of the River Coquet as it flows through the valley and drowned. Ain't Northumberland lovely.

We stayed at a place called Barrowburn - a bunk barn - stone wall camping. Ace spot. Nothing about at all.. Very basic. Real fire. Cooked together etc etc. They evaluated their experience and worked out how they could improve it, better kit due to the weather ( these are not camping outdoor young people types). We played board games, jenga, parlour games etc and everyone had some jollies. I do believe there may have been well hidden alcohol. However it was drunk sensibly - some are over 18 but college policy is no drinking full stop. No one drunk, annoying, upset, stupid, being sick etc etc. We can't go around demanding that all canteens are sampled, bottles full of pop sniffed. If we saw it then we would have had to confiscate it lol - save it for later ;-) we threatened!


I would go back - excellent spot. The Cheviots are empty unlike The Lakes. Desolate which is how I like hills most.

www.barrowburn.com There is also a deer hut which is better equipped. Maybe we may return but in style.....

Most of all the Yoof had a ball for a mid week overnighter. They want to do it again but bigger and better but may repeat the trip on their own time independently without pesky work supervision.

Times like this I like my job.  They will also be doing D of E - well some of them . They liked the navigating  bit. We gave them turns with the map and leading the group. It was a dead easy route.  Some of it along a well marked path along the valley past farms.

Weeny and I may return for a night all on our own for bonding and fun. Biggles thinks its expensive and prefers tents given the costs involved. He is a yorkshire man after all.

A deferral....

A deferral. Yes am considering deferring for a year. I have to go to Durham on the 16th not only to hand in CRB stuff but have to do a work experience check for a student so the petrol is paid for.

Am thinking cash.

Saving is good. I need to have a back up saving pot. Not having a good rainy day pot is probably not a good idea. It will cost to move and there are always extras to pay which will leave me with zilch as a backup.

Also I am unsure and much of this stems from not having a safety net. I am a glass half empty not half full when it comes to cash.

I have happily discounted the PGCE in Health and Social Care. For 15k debt I don't feel the return is there. Also I have been away from compulsory ed for too long. I am unsure I could work in that environment again. It can be very stuffy. Apologies to teachers out there.

I figure a year and a bit of being super frugal and saving is not a bad thing. Fewer weekends away as of September due to school.

Downside is weeny and moving schools. Its a good time to do the move. On the flip side some staying in the same place after moving house last christmas is not a bad thing. Also in a year when she is nearly 6 she will be more independent, understand more and may have better skills for moving, understand why we need to move etc.

The bank balance is looking better and we are managing. The car needs its timing belt changed which is another big expense if I factor in what I need to move.

I also don't think I have the energy to move again in a rush. Packing. sorting, organising...

The final decision will be made re whether or not I can defer. This is out of my hands.

Duke of Edinburgh brings alot of fun too. Working four days with the option of earning toil as extra for hols with Weeny is not a bad thing. Some time to focus on  her for a wee bit.

Long term financial plans - house buying etc I think I need to get real. Not going to happen here and not going to happen full stop unless you can get a 97% tiny mortage - fat chance. I think the pension plan is probably my best bet with some increased savings for the weeny one.

16th July is decision day.