Thursday 25 April 2024

Getting Up To Date ... and More Freebies

 

It's been a busy week and I haven't had time to upload this photo of the shopping I picked up while I was shopping at Aldi with Alan on Sunday.  

So this amount spent went onto last weeks food spend meaning that in total for last week I spent just £10.23.  Phew, at last a week in April when I am under my self-imposed budget.


I wanted to pick up a few things for Mum, (the crossed out things) some bread for myself and a little mix of things for the Foodbank baskets.  Our Aldi now only sends the contents of their two huge baskets to the Foodbank across the road from it from the foods donated on a Sunday.  So Sunday is the day I will shop there if I need to, as I do want to support this very local one as I have met some of the people that actually use it.


Then yesterday morning I had to call to the charity shop to drop off some things before we headed to Mum's in Manchester, and I nipped into Booths on my way back to the car to pick up this weeks freebie.  I didn't even know that ready flavoured overnight oats were available to buy.  This should be interesting.  The choices were Strawberry or Chocolate flavours.  Now as much as I love chocolate I don't think I would fancy it first thing in the morning.

The ingredients.

And the nutritional information.

Fascinating.

But I think regular oats with a couple of strawberries on top would actually suit me better.  I'll let you now how these are once I've made them up.  But it's been normal hot porridge for me the last couple of days as it's been really chilly here, and something hot in my tummy first thing has been just what I've needed.


And talking of freebies ... we went to watch Swan Lake on the live link to the Royal Opera House last night, and due to technical difficulties we all had to move from one cinema screen to another and ended up missing the first three or four minutes of the ballet and then there were a few volume issues.  It didn't spoil it too much and we had a really nice evening.


But as an apology on our way out everyone was given a voucher for a free drink and cake on our next visit to the venue.  We have a whole year to use it in, so there's no rush.  It feels like everyone is offering me free cake and coffees just recently, as we are heading off to Dobbie's tomorrow to enjoy a wander round the garden centre and to partake of my birthday freebies from them ... another two cakes or scones and a drink each.

I'm really not complaining!!  😁


Sue xx


17 comments:

  1. I wouldn't complain about free coffee and cake either! Don't think I could last out a year without using the voucher.....xx

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    1. Oh I think it will be used a long time before the year is up. :-)

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  2. I was interested in the oats until I saw the palm sugar. I’ll stick to making me own but I’m still on cooked porridge due to the cold weather. Catriona

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    1. It's not good is it, there's just no need. I want to try them, but I just can't face anything that has been chilled in the fridge all night at the moment. I had a thick layer of ice on my car windscreen the other morning!

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  3. Porridge still for breakfast, it is still too cold to change over to muesli, (Sainsbury’s or Asda basic.)
    DH made a white loaf this morning for a change. I added a mashed banana to batter for drop scones.
    We have free tea at Dobbies tomorrow because DH forgot his card when we went last week.

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    1. We went mad and claimed the free birthday treats and then we went back into the restaurant after a good look round and had the monthly free coffees too. :-)

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  4. That was a nice apology, wasn't it? I doubt, like Sooze, Jon would be prepared to wait a year to reimburse the voucher, he's rather fond of cake! Enjoy your Dobbies treat! xxx

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    1. It was, totally unexpected but very appreciated. Oh, the coffees and cakes will be picked up much sooner than the year we are allowed. Dobbie's was brilliant, we really enjoyed a few hours off.

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  5. I have noticed flavoured oats for quite a while. So shocked at the price.

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    1. Isn't it weird that I have never even seen them before. I obviously go straight to what I usually pick up and don't browse the cereal aisle at all. I must pay more attention to things that I don't normally buy.

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  6. Hi Sue - I had no idea you had started blogging again (I have somehow just stumbled across you), the last I read must have been your November post last year when you were having a permanent break and because of your blog name change you have not appeared in my Wordpress reader list - I will now and add your blog address to my list. So glad you have started again - I don't get to read everyday at the moment but will look forward once again your posts. I did see your comment on Sooze's blog about your mum - we could all start an obsessives anonymous support club though I think that is what blogging is often about.

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    1. I finished 'A Smaller Life ...' in November and then came back for a couple of Christmas posts and that made me realise how much I missed blogging. So I worked out a way that I could continue to blog within the security limitations we currently have ... and then just started all over again.

      It would seem our Mum's and therefore us, are going through similar times at the moment. It's very hard and literally sends my blood pressure through the roof about twice a week. Still we have to find a way to manage, at least mine is a bit closer to me than yours is to you.

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  7. Some nice freebies there..........what I need is a recipe for an oat based snack, not too high in sugar, but no artificial stuff either and preferably just a tad softer than a traditional flapjack........I'm rather too fond of cakes, biscuits and chocolate, determined to try and eat a bit more naturally but need to be gentle with myself so that I don't give up too easily.........ideas welcome 😀
    Alison in Wales x

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    1. The trick to making your flapjacks softer is to make your favourite recipe up but then bake it in a slightly smaller tin, this way it is thicker, and take it out of the oven a few minutes earlier. I am just trying to follow a sensible path of 80% healthy stuff and allowing 20% or thereabouts of processed foods. It can be hard to stick to on a stressful day though.

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    2. 😍
      Alison x

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  8. Lovely free items there. Enjoy the overnight oatmeal. Especially enjoy your birthday freebies.

    God bless.

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