Free Exercise

I've just been out in the heat for a run, well I say run  it's more run walk at the moment, but that's how frugal queen began and that is also how I began a couple of years ago and then stopped.  I stopped because I was getting a lot of pain in my ankle and it was causing me to limp the following morning after I had been running so I just stopped. I continued with swimming as this puts no pressure on your joints but I was a bit put out as I am only slim and could see no reason why I should have a dodgy ankle.
  Well I have been a few times a week for the last couple of weeks, I'm not sure how far and as I say part of it is walking but so far no ankle pain so maybe it was just an injury isolation, time will tell.
What made me want to do it was it is just so accessible  and free if you can motivate yourself to get out there. I feel a bit silly I have to say and I take the two dogs which may have caused ankle strain before (they do drag me about!) so as I go down the main road I tend to walk fast when I first set off, then run as I get to the park and can let the dogs off the lead ( so I can move arms properly) through the wood then three laps of the park field then run back up the hill.  It was very hot just now but I was pleased I only needed to slow to a walk for a few seconds on the way back up.
I hope I can continue as I have my music on and there are no time restrictions like there are when I want to swim.  When swimming lessons are on  I can't go or swim team sessions, plus early bird doesn't start until 7.00 am  which is too late for me as I leave for work at 7.30.  Our pool has a very tight schedule so if something happens to mess up my timings in the evening when I want to go I've had it.  So if I can keep at it and improve I can do it when I want.
My son has been with a few times last week but he gets fed up, my main concern is that dark nights will come along and then I wont want to go alone for personal safety reasons. I know loads of people do it, but if I get fit enough I may be able to out run shady characters.

Now it looks very scenic where this guy is running.

The above image is from running world and there are tips for people who are new to it here 50 Best Beginner Tips It does say get a buddy to run with but again that involves relying on someone else to go when you want to but it would solve the fear of running alone in the dark.  Maybe I can convince my husband at some point.

The main thing I think is so appealing is that it is some time alone, it is free, involves no gym timetables or restrictions and I come back feeling better.  Please share your thoughts if you are new or an old hand at this I would love to hear how you started and where you are now.

Shopping Zombies

A strange title for a post I know but we saw many of these this morning when we popped to Meadowhall. My son had won a voucher for 100% attendance at school for three years and he wanted to go and spend it in the Lego shop.  I said we could go but we would be in and out, it's a lovely day and there is absolutely no need to be wandering around that place for hours.
  Well! It seems many people think it is the perfect way to spend your Sunday. My son even pointed out to me the amount of bags that some people have (quietly in my ear, not shouting and pointing!) and everyone seemed to be shuffling along, we had to overtake in a few spots as it was getting ridiculous. The whole scene brought to mind a zombie film, vacant faces, shuffling along with no purpose other than to spend.
 If these shoppers were in there with a purpose I'm sure they would have been moving quickly in the direction of the shop they needed to get to, made their purchase and left. However I don't think that is generally the case any more, people just use shopping to kill time and buy what ever takes their fancy at the moment. They will often worry later when the credit card bill comes.
After a busy week at work I don't believe time should be killed, it should be used wisely, lots of people have concerns about when they will be able to retire and have time to enjoy themselves, yet when they get some free time they use it to spend money. This is why people feel they will have to work into their seventies in the future because they want to retain their shopping lifestyles.
I understand you may be thinking well you were their too, well my son had earned this reward from school, it was in the form of a Meadowhall voucher so it had to be spent there and it was his to do with as he wished.
He sat and enjoyed building the model.

One of my dogs getting his nose in the picture.

The trouble is many adults feel like this about all their income, ''well I earned it I can have whatever I  want'' yes you are right you can,  just don't complain about it later or when you are still working right into your old age.  The trouble with this kind of thinking is that many people who don't work also feel the same way.
I didn't buy anything while we were there as we went with a purpose and then left to come home and get on with other things.
Having no real interests or hobbies can create this need to go out and shop because it gives people somewhere to go, the other side of this is that some hobbies can be expensive in themselves.  With the school holidays ahead for me and the children I will be making lists of things we want to get done (free or low cost like dip for a quid at our pool) we will be busy but not shopping.
On a positive note a good conversation was had between my son and a young lady who worked in the Lego store, she said she was a new team member and that she would be building some of the display models soon.  She explained how long they took and how she was looking forward to that.  My son has said when he is older he would like to get weekend or evening work there.  It would be nice if his hobby helped him save a little for some independence in the future.

I do not intend to offend anyone with this post but I would hope it might make a few people look around at the zombie faces the next time you are in a shopping mall and run like hell!

Leaving Primary School is Expensive for Many Families

It has been quite an emotional week as my younger son left Primary School yesterday  and he and many of his friends were a bit overwhelmed by the time the leavers party finished.  I say leavers party but apparently a lot of people were referring to it as a Prom  and had spent the appropriate amount of cash they deemed fit for such an occasion.
 The children left the School in a party bus and stayed on this an hour then had an organised party complete with red carpet and food for a further two hours. The party bus was split cost wise between all us parents as was the venue which we had at a reduced rate due to a fellow mum working there.  I know my son enjoyed it all but you sort of feel, where does it end as these things seem to get bigger with every passing year.
  When my older son left four years ago these celebrations were already an expected thing but they had a stretch hummer to take them to a nearby restaurant where they all had tea then ran around outside.  I might also add they remained in their school clothes for the whole time.
 Now, the parents have been discussing outfits for weeks! The children mostly had expensive prom gowns and some boys had waistcoats and ties. My son was asked if he would like a shirt, he replied no I have clothes already I will wear chinos and a T-shirt (good lad I raised him well) I was also pleased to see that a couple of his closest friends were also dressed similar to him, you know, clean and looking like eleven year old boys not mini adults.   He told me one of the girls dresses cost £300! I thought that wont fit long they grow so fast at the moment!
 I may be cynical but what has happened where people feel the need to spend those amounts of cash on a disco? Lets face it that's what it is, I know they would all have loved the party just the same without all the bling as long as they were together having fun.  It's a shame that many of them are already programmed to feel that pull towards image and what their outfits cost. Clearly it is already in their minds that it is important for them to be comparing dress prices. One of the boys had also mentioned to my son that his suit was £500, not sure if he was exaggerating but again it shows that some kids think this stuff is what matters.
What really made me laugh is that a TA spoke to me on the drive and said these have been playing on the adventure playground (with a tut as she said it) gesturing to my son and his friends. I just smiled, they had to wait for the bus to arrive for forty minutes while children got dressed, had hair straightened, applied make up etc. Then posed Hello magazine style for the camera, my son and friends were on the adventure playground  after one photo running around in their change of clothes, being eleven. I was pleased to hear this because he is after all, a child and these years pass too quickly.

I wonder what will happen next year at the same school to top the event as that seems to be what is happening, I'll never know as both my children have left.  Now that is over we all have the expensive uniform to buy, and all the necessities for secondary school, fortunately as I didn't blow the family budget on one outfit we will be fine.

They are all such a super bunch of kids and have been really good friends all through school I just hope they don't lose too much of that as they move into their new school and popularity becomes the thing to aspire to for many. 

I did feel that if this is happening at most schools now it must be a tremendous strain for a lot of families.  people who are already worrying about kitting children out for the new school year but also don't want to disappoint their child.

 Maybe if schools all decided to have the end of year  6 disco there it might eliminate some of the expanding costs of limousines, buses and venues which all have to be booked and arranged sometimes a year in advance.  I know teachers will be groaning as these things have to be supervised and many just want to get going at the end of term. I work in school myself so I know what I'm suggesting but I just think it would really take some of the pressure off some families out there and maybe even a little off the kids.