Shopping

This month is not going well, and it isn't even a week old.

The car 'missing' has proved more problematic than just a fuel filter change and now the entire tank has to be investigated.

Little bear's party is on Saturday - with the balance to pay, plus cake.

Darling father's chair really does have to be replaced, as a matter of extreme urgency. It has sunk, and it is a recliner with an attached seat cushion, so I can't even stick a board under it as an emergency measure.

I can see a vet's bill coming up.

I have already replaced darling father's tv.

And now I have been shopping. Of course, little bear is the stimulus. You see, he has a larger than average head, as do both OH and myself, so t-shirts and sweaters are always a bit of a trial. Eventually I opted out of the white polo shirts for him, as they were getting hard to get over his head as soon as he was even nearly about to grow out of them. As it was the middle of winter I bought long sleeved white shirts. This was great - except that little bear couldn't manage the cuffs, and to be honest, I was struggling with them as the buttons were so stiff. This led to problems with PE and rolling up his sleeves for sand and water. He was getting really fed up, and I couldn't blame him.

So today I was scouring Leeds town centre and the White Rose Centre for short sleeved, white school shirts for his size. Funnily enough, at the beginning of March after a cold spell, there were not that many. I managed to get two shirts in M&S and four in Sainsburys - although one pack was aged five and one pack was aged six (with £2 difference in price!). I think the whole haul, together with a slightly bigger sweatshirt, came to £15. Of course, then you add in the bus fares getting there, the little pot of prawns that I picked up for evil cat, the present for an upcoming birthday, and the hazards of shopping for something for tea that will tempt darling father's poorly appetite, it all adds up.

I really am going to have to watch every penny for the rest of this month, it seems to be just draining away.