No-spend January/Frugal February - the no-spend challenge continues

[roguepixie]

OK - am attempting to start the second thread ... hope this works.

The times seem so random though! I went at 4.15pm one week and got 10p bargains, been at 5.30pm and nothing, 7pm - loads, 9pm as they are closing - nothing! They close at 4pm on Sunday but at 3.55pm the sandwiches were still £2 so it is really random and although I have become friends with the reducing staff I have not yet got the confidence to ask when the best time to go is!

Re Waitrose and bargains: I've taken to checking out sell by dates on certain items and turning up mid-afternoon on the relevant date. May not get super bargains, but do get a decent reduction esp on organic chicken. Flip, I'm a cheapskate aren't I?

Nowt wrong with being a cheapskate!

Brilliant hauls at Waitrose - I am going to be near my local Waitrose tomorrow so will check out closing times and then pop along later .

dinky, my DS is 11 now so next birthday will be 12. He has just informed me that he may just have a get together with friends at home so the Wii/Pizza might win out. However, there's plenty of time for him to change his mind before then . I usually make his cake so will do the same this year as well - hope he chooses one I can do!! I have done galleons, guitars, centipedes etc but the year he wanted a dalek ... well, let's just say it looked more like dusty bin that Dr Who's arch nemesis . I had to go and buy one and he didn't like it . Last year's was coffee and walnut cake!!!

Big vat of soup being thrown together today so that will last for a few days, off and on. Make a bolognaise for yesterday's dinner so have enough for another two meals from that - will freeze them in batches to save wastage.

Totally agree with Collision, there's "nowt wrong with being canny with brass" as my lovely DGrandma used to say (she was from Yorkshire and was in 'service' as a young woman and was given to making such pronouncements ) I am a total convert to the frugal way of living.

mackrel, what about making up some flapjacks? Cheap and cheerful and tons of oats so healthy too . Popcorn could be a useful snack food too - not massively good for you I suppose but it fills that gap and is fairly cheap if you buy the kernals and pop it yourself ... garlic salt or sugar sprinkled over the top is nice depending on whether you want sweet or savoury.

Oh bugger, just seen the time...off to work ...

Morning all. Got to go to Tesco today to do a big shop, so definitely won't be an NSD! Have put what I need into Tesco.com & it reckons £33.33, but obviously that's without any vouchers or last minute 'grabs'! Also, this total does not include meat as we have quite a lot in the freezer, but I may well go once DH is home at about 7 & see if there are any yellow-label bargains on fruit & veg, meat or bread (inspired by collision's work). I often do this, in fact, I rarely pay full price for meat, just haven't been in ages.

Off to docs shortly as DS2 (10 months) looks like he's developing conjunctivitis & has a rattly cough . When I rang surgery they said they had no appointments, but soon changed their tune when I said it was for a baby

Also got to finish my translation & take the plunge & join Weightwatchers (eek!)

Have a good day everybody!

Morning all.

Cannot believe the Waitrose bargains!!! Why cant Tesco do the same?! Their yellow label stuff is a bit hit and miss.... either total bargains (7 green bananas for 19p a pack) or packs of meat with only 20-40p knocked off! Have found Lidl better for full price meat as still so much cheaper than Tesco 3 for £10!

Have dropped the car off to be Valeted this morning...... £40 it will cost me, but needs doing as it goes back on Saturday (mobility car for DH) and we pick up the new one.

Just means I need to walk down to pick DS up from Nursery, and walk him home - that will be fun.... NOT! You would think at 4yrs old he could manage to walk for 10mins without whinging - but no! Lazy little tyke!

Hope you all have a good day!

Jen, i find that with my docs, now i always start with the baby is sick, can i bring him down now. His temperature is blah blah.
The answer has always been yes.

Dan have you got a Balance bike or scooter, you will need to run to keep up with him then.

Def a no spend day as were not going out! Batch cooking and baking today.
We have made 4 1lb loaves. Some for freezer.

Next on the list sweet things. ( when baby naps)
Lemon cake
Flapjack things for freezer
Chicken pie

Hi everyone, this is my first ever post on Mumsnet! All your tips have been great and have inspired to keep a close eye on the old purse strings. I too have tried Approved Food recently and they were fab. One hour delivery slot and bargain foods, definitely recommend to anyone considering. Will have a ponder and will post some money saving ideas soon - promise!

Welcome, bear!

I have just noticed that Lidl have some good seed offers on for anyone who is thinking of growing their own herbs etc.
Premium Seed selection, Seet Tape or Seed Discs £1.49 each or any 2 for £2. Choose from Fruit, Veg, Flowers or Herbs
Large Seeds per pack 49p choose from a selection such as Garden Pea, Tomato, Sunflowers and Cornflowers.
Fine Seeds - 2 for 50p or 29p per pack

Hello bear.

Thanks for that moomoo, I am walking past a lidl's today so will pop in (if you can ever 'pop' into a lidl's ) and will have a look.

I actually asked in Waitrose when they marked stuff down, and the man said first thing in the morning. But I was not getting bargains like that at any time of day. I think it depends on the Waitrose as perhaps staff skim bargains in ours!

Boffin that is definitely the best policy, talk to the staff. I have asked many a time at our local Tesco & they will tell me or sometimes, if I am at around the right time, tell me to hang on as they are just coming out . They even reduce the stuff I want first! They also gave me tips like to come on a night when there is a big football match on TV or when it is miserable weather as not many other people will come out & so they may end up reducing stuff even further than normal!

Chickens that's a good tip re docs, thanks. We had to wait over 30 mins! But, at least we were seen & DS has got eyedrops.

Welcome bear [waves]

ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH Took the car to be valeted today, using a garage we havent used before. Was quoted £40 for inside and out.

Went to pick it up - middle section of car not done as "couldnt work out how to move the seats" The only "valet" of inside has been a hoover, and clean of the windows. Outside, admittedly looks fairly good.

He only charged me £30 in the end, due to the middle not being done, but the car goes back to the garage on Saturday morning..... STILL ended up having to go out for over an hour this afternoon to do the job properly.

RAGE!!!! Feel like I have totally wasted £30, and the whole point of someone else doing it was for it to be a "professional" job (even says Professional in their advert!) and NOT need me to go over it all again.

A good and bad day yesterday.
Went to town whilst DP took DD2 swimming and got a Spineroo colouring thing which I had ordered for £3.99 instead of £12.99, then some toothpaste, sanitary pads, and nurofen for the dd's from Boots, all on my old advantage card which I found last month. Then to Argos to use my Family Fund money and got DS a duvet cover and 2 sets of pillows. THen Evans for some new jeans, £22 each or 2 for £30.
Now the bad, off to Morrisons and £16 on dinner, £23 on shopping and £30 on petrol.
Today only magazine and chocolate for me and the little dd's and a diet coke(£1.25) £5.17 an all

Dan £40 for a valet sounds good. We have been quoted £70 and that is just the inside. Still it is a huge KIA Sedona and it is very dirty with 4 kids, prams, dogs etc in it.

Having our cheapo tea tonight, Jacket potato with chees and beans. For 6 of us it only works out at about £3 and it is probably the only nuitritious thing everyone will eat. Have had too many meals out lately, need to eat at home.

Dog back at vets tomorrow so another tenner, thank God for PDSA

We have a Zafira (its a mobility car for DH) and also have 3 kids and a dog.

It was disgusting! But considering they had the car for 3hrs this morning, I just wasnt impressed at all. Admittedly, it looks lovely from the outside, but no effort AT ALL made on the inside.

Usually use a mobile valet that does it at the house for £45 but for quickness, chose the garage. Ah well, live and learn!

Picking up a Ford Focus Estate on saturday.... will be weird not having 7 seats but the kids tend to sit all across the middle in the Zafira anyway, and will hopefully be cheaper on fuel as it is petrol rather than diesel and a smaller engine size!

We need the 7 seats so want another KIA Sedona but it seems Motability are also being frugal and we can't get one anymore. How we will fit in a Zafira or any other small 7 seater I have no idea, plus we have big rearfacing car seats and I have no idea what other cars they will fit in. I would like one cheaper on fuel though, My first car would do hundreds of miles on a full tank, all for about £30-£40, this one takes about £80 to fill it up and we don't get very far on that

To be honest, I hated the Zafira from day 1...... I went from a Mondeo estate to the the Zafira. We have only really ever used 1 of the back seats, enabling us to have a "boot" as with all seats up there wasnt even room for a bag of shopping!

The advance payments have soared in the last 3yrs, we paid £61 for the Zafira, and chose the Focus Estate as it didnt have an AP. The Zafira now is £191 for a smaller engine size!

Im a bit scared of the handover on Saturday though, and the possibility of having to pay the "damage" fee...... you just dont know what is classed as "wear and tear" and as the Zafira was our first Mobility car, we have nothing to compare it to.

Our Ford garage valets our car twice a year when serviced or MOTed and they do a fantastic job. In between we go to the Iraqi guys down our A road and they are cheap and very good.

£3 for meal deal lunch and £1.50 for farm-gate eggs on my way home from work. Pretty good...

I hate online deliveries with a passion!!!

Hope you called to complain, especially re broken eggs!

What are my chances of a NSD tomorrow?! DD1 at dentist at 9:25am..... and thats it. Cant think of anything I NEED to spend on, so think I should leave my purse at home!

vivian, call the number on your bill and they should refund the eggs. ..then make pancakes with all the broken ones