Frugal Friends, planning, saving and considerate spending through July and August

[Wolfcubisthefemalenominal]

New Fred frugal friends

[lifelongfrugaleer]

Being non frugal and jumping on now.
Meatballs is now on my list

[Wolfcubisthefemalenominal]

Life meatballs come with variations so potentially a few meals in there. For general weekday I buy my meatballs

Beef meatballs subs - good splash of ragu and melted cheese usually on a part bake baguette so the bread is warm too
Beef meatballs, sauce, mash
Beef meatballs, sauce, pasta
Lamb meatballs, sauce (change herbs and spices to Moroccan type) add chickpeas. Serve with couscous it mash

[lifelongfrugaleer]

I buy the Aldi 5% ones as they are the ones we all like. Ditto the 5% burgers

[CurvyInAllTheWrongPlaces]

Thanks for the new Fred wolf!

[Girliefriendlikescake]

Thanks for the new fred wolf

We had a nice day in the end, decided to jack in housework and food shopping and went up the beach instead 🤣

Dd has been grumpy most of the day but was happy enough to hang out at the beach, she had a minor meltdown on the way home as was too hot and her clothes had got a bit wet 😕 Had planned on stopping at mums for a bit but decided it was too much so came home.

Spent £6 on some new crabbing bits and £3 on drinks.

[LivingInLaputa]

Hi, thank you for new thread. I’m determined to keep up properly again!

[Lovemaltesers]

Thanks for the new thread

[ememem84]

Ello. Nice shiny Fred.

[trinitybleu]

Meatballs, mash, peas and fake IKEA sauce.... Half gravy granules, half peppercorn sauce granules. Brown the meatballs a bit then pour over sauce. Cook til sauce reduced and meatballs cooked (10 mins approx)

[Rightwayup]

Also determine to keep up. Off work most of the summer so need frugal things to do. Also want to spend next 8 weeks getting v fit. Ha

[SnugglySnerd]

Thanks for the new thread.
Great prize, Sea. What a lovely treat!

Nsd.

[ememem84]

Ok. Spendy day.

£155 in next sale. Managed to grab some sleep suits for baby, some summery clothes she 0-3, some autumny type stuff aged 3-6 and some 9-12 summer stuff for our Mexico trip next year. All in all good haul. Full price almost £400

[Lovemaltesers]

What a great prize sea. Well done!

I officially cannot be arsed anymore. I just want the summer holidays and my additional working days to be done too so I can be off for three weeks. These weeks are dragging.

Spent about £4 in Aldi and then Tesco (as Aldi had no cucumber)

[Happierwithouthim]

Hi everyone thanks for new thread wolf
I'm going to post spends I can recall
€65 meal & drink with friends fri night
€99 Penney's mainly clothes for dd €14 on T-shirt's for ds (he gets a lot of handmedowns from his nephew)
€39 next sale for dd
€8 on Argos water filters for my brita jug
€216 Dunnes stores approx €50 on clothes (never bringing dc shopping in evening time again & not with a hangover either)
€100 dd camp
€20 ds play therapy
€2 wetsuit hire for dd for tomorrow's camp

Text from h today 'Morning just transferred the usual money also transferred the 50 for dd's camp still owe 150 for dress' WTAF DD's communion celebration cost far more than price of her dress haven't replied yet because I'm way too angry atm

[ChristmasSeacow]

Happier just say you are happy to pick up all the communion costs now if he covers all her wedding. Knobber.

I am tired today so not making much sense (except about the knobber above, of course ) . DS had sports day today and while he mostly failed to follow even the simple instructions for each activity, he joined in and didn’t have a meltdown at the crowds /lack of routine / sitting around / being generally confused about what was going on. He was very good and I told him at the end that I was super proud. To which he told me very loudly to go home (because after all, it was the middle of the school day so what was I doing there? Was I going to take him away when the day wasn’t finished?!) . I get it but the other parents seemed a bit . He was holding hands quite a bit with a little girl that he apparently really likes - she is completely neurotypical and has lots of friends but she seems to like him and is very patient and kind with him. His TA says he’s always calmer around her. How lovely. DS’s school is such a lovely place - they are properly inclusive and encourage kindness towards everyone. But she’s obviously a lovely girl too. I told her dad so.

As for the rest... work, work, work, eating chocolate, diet disaster, no time to spend. Still trying to think of a gift for D’s lovely teacher and 1:1 TA. There is a class collection but they put so
much into him that I want to do something special for them too. It’s his teacher’s first year of teaching and I think DS has made quite an impression!

[Wolfcubisthefemalenominal]

Sea try not on the high street for personal teacher gifts or could he paint her a plant pot in one of those pot painting places?

Work manic here. Don’t know whether I’m coming or going. Also not sleeping. Combination of too hot/sore leg/too wired from work/bad dreams. I’m absolutely knackered.

Life enjoy cos today, I’m going a bit further south, one day we will time it right

Nsd yesterday won’t be today but some will be reclaimable

Happier h is an arse

[ememem84]

Agree happier h is a bit of a knob cheese.

Dh went to the pub last night with Bil and sil. Ds was in bed. Then he woke up and didn’t go back to sleep until 10. 😓

Had a chat with dh when he came back which somehow turned into him telling me he feels like shit everyone treats him like shit and he does nothing for himself and people just take advantage.

I said I don’t want the dog round here at the weekend. Absolutely not. No dog because ds is scared. Dh is going to have s word with Fil and gf. But he said when they come they’ll bring it anyway most likely. So I asked what he’s going to do. Apparently nothing. He asked me what I want him to do. So I said I want him to make them realise that the dog is not welcome because of ds and catface. And I’d take it home fir then if they refused. Apparently I’m unreasonable and will cause issues.

He also said he can see gf trying to drive a wedge in. probably between dh and Fil. I’ve seen this for a long time. And stupidly said so. So why didn’t I tell him? Because he wouldn’t listen to it maybe?!

FFs. At the end of it I cried. And just told him I don’t want anyone here on Saturday. It’s my first day of maternity leave. Might be the last Saturday we have as just the three of us and I want to do something nice for ds. Selfish though. 😪

Anyway. Last Tuesday at work this year today. Yay.

[lifelongfrugaleer]

Sea I once wrote an email to one of DD teacher and copied her head in. I used the buzz words ie inclusive, teacher patent relationship blah blah. However the message to the head was I hope this year and the excellent work with my child was reflected in her performance rating.
Especially if she is first year she will be quite low on the scale.
Would DS draw/mark on a card. I world go nice note book and pens stationery myself.

What a knob happier.

I cba yesterday. Got the all clear with my throat though. I'm ready for leave.

Keep looking after yourself wolf. Yy, one day

[SnugglySnerd]

That's great about sports day Sea.

Em that's not selfish. Yanbu to want a day to yourselves and definitely to refuse the dog because of ds and the cat. They are being really selfish if they still bring it. My in laws have dogs. They would never bring them here while the children are small and knowing the dd2 is scared of them. Even before we had dcs they never brought them because of our cat. If we go to their house they keep the dogs in another room. They have brought them out for walks with us, on a lead with toddlers in the pushchair which is ok.

[Thatsnotmybaby]

Thanks for new thread @Wolfcubisthefemalenominal.
Childfree day off for me today, I went back to sleep for a couple of hours as DC, and consequently me, has had lots of broken sleep recently. Going to spend the day catching up on things around the house now, it feels a bit neglected.

[Girliefriendlikescake]

I'm working from home today, feels like such a nice treat! Also going to take a slightly extended lunch break and look at some puppies this afternoon 😁

Ystd I did an Aldi shop £44 and got a fair bit for that.

Love that your ds has a little buddy sea how cute is that!

Happier 😡** he makes it sound like he's doing you a favour as well!

Em you're about to have a baby, it's totally fine to be a bit selfish!! I do think though with the puppy you might have to be a tiny bit flexible, it's probably good for catface to meet him while he is still so young and get them used to each other. Likewise the more time ds spends with him the more they can get used to each other. I imagine at the moment though it all just feels too much and it's understandable you want to keep things quiet and calm and not have a puppy tearing about the house!!

[ememem84]

girlie I absolutely want ds to be ok with the puppy. Im just not happy how they give it treats every time it jumps up at ds or anyone else or nips someone. So agree more time with ds and the dog is needed. But I’d like them to not laugh when he’s scared and runs away. And to tell the dog off. I can’t really because it’s not mine. It’ll take time I know.

I’ve just bought some baby bits in M&S. £38. Only £10 actual money as used the rest of a gift card I had.

I’m feeling very down today. So am here at work just plodding through stuff.

3 more working days this year. Eeek.

I have also treated myself to a spicy as hell peri peri chicken wrap from the Portuguese cafe £5.40. Chicken mayo all the salad and cheese and coleslaw. It’s gigantic. But so so yum.

[LivingInLaputa]

Hugs em sorry you feel down.

Spendy afternoon, after the doctors I got a few bits of clothing for myself and some art supplies to do some creative things with the Caglets over the holidays. Also a prescription as she said I have to double my beta blockers.

I may also have had a Shakeaway :o

We had our home ed “inspection” today which went well, the Caglets talked her ears off about Macbeth, Blue Peter badges and the periodic table.

[Lovemaltesers]

Your DC sound fab laputa

Big hug em . Nearly there and sh*t just seems to keep being thrown at you Your lunch sounded amazing.

NSD

I managed to book the DC in for a free dry ski slope lesson in a couple of weeks time. I expect it will cost me a tea from their cafe while we watch.

[Lovemaltesers]

My DD had her year 3 sex Ed lesson this week. I keep getting little comments from her at random times about what she learnt