Marvelous Frugaleers - Just Jiving through June

[Unescorted]

Ooppps filled up the old thread..... carry on

//www.mumsnet.com/Talk/other_subjects/1324074-For-those-who-cant-afford-to-use-central-heating-this-year-How-are-you-going-to-cope

//www.mumsnet.com/Talk/credit_crunch/1543785-your-top-tips-for-money-saving-and-a-more-frugal-life

//www.mumsnet.com/Talk/credit_crunch/1600030-Small-money-saving-habits-petty-even

//www.mumsnet.com/Talk/credit_crunch/1628874-Gas-Elec-Bills-monthly-and-SKY-so-angry

//www.mumsnet.com/Talk/mumsnet_classics/1911061-NO-MORE-COLD-MUMSNETTERS

//www.mumsnet.com/Talk/_chat/2209167-Slow-Cookers-are-shit

//www.mumsnet.com/Talk/_chat/2224969-saving-money

//www.mumsnet.com/Talk/legal_money_matters/2258202-Debt-mutual-support-thread-number-6-start-the-new-year-with-a-clear-purpose-and-keep-moving-forwards-even-by-tiny-steps?

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//www.topcashback.co.uk/home And this.

//www.quidco.com/home/ And this

//www.moneysavingexpert.com/ And this

//www.moneysavingexpert.com/cheapenergyclub ditto.

//www.checkoutsmart.com/ Plus this.

//www.hotukdeals.com/all/deals/new?page=3 Check this daily.

[AuditAngel]

Tesco shop was £75, but that included £15 on 2 new hairbrushes. I don't know where they go? All 3 DC had a new one for Christmas (well DD1 got hers early for panto), one if mine the rubber gas perished where the bristles are, do one for me, and another I shall use for DC.

I need to go and collect the Tesco shop, buy some hair dye and travel sickness pills for DD1 for the coach to the cabaret today.

[AuditAngel]

Why don't I get £12 off an £80 spend voucher, I coud easily have spent £5 more

[Peppapissinpig]

Phew found you...

[blueteapot]

Audit I found it online! You can add it hold on til I have another look

[NK5BM3]

Hello just checking in. Am off to work in an hour, but before that will be dropping dd off at ballet. The work thing is a one off - a weekend class for my students.

Will be spendy today as meeting friends for lunch which will be great as haven't seen them in a while. Then the usual food shop. Will have to pay for ds' chess tournament at some point.

Oh forgot that I paid £216 for ds' after school club. Still need to pay out for summer camp. £320 for a week for 2!!

[blueteapot]

Sorry audit it's gone from my account now it's used, and apparently gone from the entire Internet too? I always do a wee code search before doing an online shop just in case. Most of them are for first time customers, I only use ones that are for everyone

[SpottyTeacakes]

We went out to the races last night. Spent £15 had a gorgeous three course meal, bottles of wine etc paid for. Won two races too!

[Pointlessfan]

Morning!
There is a shop near us called Specs Direct, they will make up your prescription more cheaply than the optician.
Sorry to talk about slow cookers again but has anyone cooked Quorn in one? Did it work? Any tips?

[Pointlessfan]

That's brilliant, thanks. Trying a recipe for chicken that we've made lots of times before with Quorn but doing it in the sc this time.

[Peppapissinpig]

Do share your recipe Pointless, big quorn and SC fans in this house!

[bantamgirl]

Oooh new thread - hello all

I was wondering what disaster was going to befell the house this month and take up all my money..

well it's not the house (yet) - DH got a speeding ticket which is going to end up costing either £90 or £100. I will have to pay for that although I have insisted he pay me back by paying for his own hair-cuts and birthday club at work (which for some reason he thinks I should pay for) so he's agreed to that.

DS1 has made it to the English Schools athletics championships to represent our county (YAY) which I am really pleased about. We want to go and watch him which means we'll have to buy tickets and book into a hotel. However he also has to follow a high protein low carb no sugar diet for the next month in preparation and it's really expensive.... bang goes my £300 food budget.

And I need to admit defeat with my hair as the grey is coming through faster than I can cover it up (I dye it red) so I'm going to have to go lighter and have highlights so I've had a quote of £70-£80 for the first appointment as it will need stripping, then an all over colour, then highlights - but then £36 for top up every 4/6/8 weeks. I don't want to sign up for something and then not be able to maintain it but I'm fed up of seeing 1" of roots within two weeks of dying it.

[Pointlessfan]

Will do Peppa, I'll see how it turns out first!
My charity shop trip was a hit. No clothes but went in the Oxfam bookshop and found HFW'S 3 things book, which I wanted to buy anyway, for £6 and DH found a book he's wanted to read for ages. Also got a beautiful hard back Winnie the Pooh collection for DD for £4.99. She's too young now but will save it for her. Also bought posh bread, sausages for DH and cakes in a nice patisserie. Spent about £9 on all that, we fancied a treat!

[SpottyTeacakes]

£58 food shopping.

Meal plan:


Spag bol
Bacon risotto
Cheese chorizo quesadilla
Bacon pasta
Jackets beans
Chicken kebabs with rice
Pizza

[blueteapot]

We have loads of quorn mince in the freezer going spare, pity it wouldn't post to one of you! I have a thing about textures and it just isn't the same as real mince :(

Bantam my roots are horrendous too :(

Well a bit of detective work (ie doing 3 loads of laundry one after the other) has revealed the ancient washing machine as the source of the smoky smell in the utility. It's old, tiny and with a manky door seal so given that it's now also a liability I ordered a new one this afternoon. Matches the tumble, it's a 9kg A+++ one so hopefully will save a little electric. Got 10% quidco cash back too, every little helps. £259 gone though!

The gardening project is going better than I thought and I am nearly finished the first of the big rockery things. Thanks for the weedkiller tip ipsos think I need something child friendly though as DS was running round with some of the 'dinosaur eggs' (ie the stones!) earlier...

[CremeEggThief]

Found you!

£10 to DS.

[Fluffycloudland77]

A new washer will save you loads blue. Your old one was probably only 5kg so you wont do as many cycles.

£35 lidl
£3 aldi
91p in tesco on 3 carriers of fruit and veg thanks to orchard vouchers. I dont pass the coupons along I keep them and use them up on smaller transactions.
£1.35 milk.

[babsmam]

Arg you vanished.............. Phew i found you.

Took a top back today £8. Tried on some lovely trousers but didn't have my discount. Went to look on line and couldn't see them. Anyone got a Dorothy perkins code?
£10.50 in wilko on craft stuff. Lazy rest of day

[girliefriend]

Blue I don't like the quorn mince either but do like soya mince, think it tastes more like the real stuff (esp if you add half a bottle of cheap red wine in with it ) Morrisons own is quite often on offer 2 bags for £3.

Evil sounds like you are doing all the right things already, although if its just you and a young ds you could probably do better on food maybe? Do you shop at Aldis/ Lidls? I am trying to do alternate week shops there as it is definitely cheaper than the other main supermarkets but I can't always get everything I want from them!!

For me and dd (9yo) I am to spend a maximum of £180 a month on food (less if poss) and this is for all meals for both of us.

Have you had any grief from concentrix yet? I am still waiting to hear as had to send all my childcare forms off. Really unfair and making lots of single parents feel very stressed

I'm South West as well and think the water rates round here are an absolute joke if you are privately renting are you bidding for a council place? I have a council flat and it def helps with less rent to pay etc.

Had a lovely day today, lots of free activities going on in town and dds horse riding lesson this afternoon which my mum paid for so actually a NSD. Dd has had a bad stomach this afternoon but hoping it was just a one off.....

[mrsdavidbowie]

I have saved £880 on heating bills by finally switching.
And it will be bigger savings as ex h had underfloor heating on continually last winter. Won't be happening this year!