Sundae sent the kids a big box of assorted biscuits, they were waiting at our door when I brought them home from their grandparents yesterday. They spent a long time checking out each variety and reminiscing about the ones Ducks sent from AUS at xmas.
Also (best part), the packing material was all take-out menus!

Thanks SG - you made our day. :D

You're welcome - it was lovely to come here and find out it had arrived. I hadn't expected delivery until at least next week.

We saw a good sized black bear mtn biking today. He was pretty stealthy but too big to sneak by unobserved.

:eek: What kind of bike was he riding??

20" it was funnier than hell. smartass

the cookies>

hey SG. That was a lovely thing to do.

Now how much did it cost? What % of your income was that? Biscuits and shipping? No shit chica, I know this is the happy happy thread but WTF are you playing at? As a family with a decent income, we wouldn't spend that much on fancy biccies in a year. That on top of the M&S fishy dinner and roses for your parents (which would also be outside of our budget)..... get a grip! (Sorry Jim and jinx, I know I'm peeing on your pressie parade) but SG, I've kept it shut for some time now and i can't any more. You spend outside of our budget and I'm pretty damn sure that even though we have 3 kids, we have more expendable income than you do.

i know you're depressed and I know that buying pressies for people makes you happier, but i also know that being broke and financially dependant on your parents also makes you depressed.

I also know you have the strength to do something if you really set your mind and heart to it. I know that becase of your incredible weight loss. Now you need to apply the same determination to your finances and then you'll be home and free.

Would it help to envision every pound spent in money as a pound gained in weight?

I know I'm coming across as a complete bitch and wet blanket here, but please believe me, its a tough love post. if I didn't like you so much, I'd say nothing.

You know monster, for a moment I thought the same thing as you, but then I remembered people saying the same thing to me when as a single parent and full time student working only part time, I prepared nice food which most people would consider to have been outside my budget.

Honestly, and with all respect and understanding of your point of view, I think that it's really up to Cherry to decide what she considers worthwhile and affordable. If she scrimps on herself for a week in order to afford a few luxuries for people she considers friends or loved ones and it brings her some satisfaction in whatever way, then that's what she should do. Really, she is a grown up and is as you say, capable of many things many people couldn't achieve for a number of reasons.

I don't want to be an arse, but I think that the last thing Cherry probably needs is criticism. Gifting, from what I can tell, is what brings her joy. Don't make her feel bad about that mate.

LJ has laid them out in a stunning array of colour and excitement.
But if you look, you will see three packets of supermarket biscuits, and two branded. I honestly can't believe that supermarket branded goods are out of your price range.

The rest of the picture is the free take-away menus I used to package them.

I am not living beyond my means.
I don't smoke, I no longer drink. I don't drive a car. All of those would be within the realms of "acceptable" expenditure. I was offered - very kindly - money from people in the Cellar - which i turned down. And yes I am currently paying off all the debts I accrued in Leicester.

There is no reason for anything I spend to be questioned, unless everyone is questioned on every single dollar they spend too.
I don't really have the energy to say any more than that right now, but I would like this to stop please.

I'm sorry, you're right, I just worry about you so much. Please accept my apology for interfering. I think I'll take a break from the cellar for a while.

You just expressed your opinion. I see no reason for you to break up with us.

We love you monnie!

edit: I understand that mon's post didn't sit well with you, SG. But I also think she was just expressing the way she feels about such things. My bff (;) ) is very frugal. There have been times when she has expressed to me "now why on earth would you do THAT?" I shrug. I don't know. I'm not you? She doesn't mean anything to offend me: we just think very differently on such matters. In the Cellar, we can hear (read) such things and get 100 differing opinions, but we should know that we can take each with a grain of salt, and know that without being in our particular situation they can't possibly see that we are making decisions with thought and deliberation.

I'm not one to talk, you all know certain things that set me off, but I wanted to point out that I think you and monster are very different in these matters, and she does care about you.

I'll shut up now...

I just passed my knowledge test for my drivers license. I now have my "L". Once I have that for a year I can get my "N", then a year after that, be a legal driver with no restrictions. Finally.... my hubby will stop bugging me about it. ( I didn't really want my driver's license, but he wants me to have my independence and be able to take the car without him sometimes.

Good work Jaydaan! :)

I'm happy today because the kids have gone back to school after a 2 week break. I love having them here with me, but it really is nice to have my peace and quiet back. :)

I know this doesn't mean anything to any of you, but: I've been thinking about stretching my lobes from 8 to 6 gauge, which is usually a pretty hard jump. This morning my 6 gauge plugs slid right in with no prep! Sweet!

your FRONTAL lobes?