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

[roguepixie]

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

I have well and truly fallen off the thrift/scrap metal wagon.

I've spent around £50 in Boots in the last couple of days (which, luckily has netted me around £8 in Ad Points using various vouchers) - the boy has picked up a stomach bug from his dad and I thought he was running a temp. So, off I went to Boots to buy a thermometer, only to find they only had a cheap one that I had to keep in his mouth for 3-5 mins (no chance) or fancy ones that may as well sing and dance. The cheapest of the ones that I stood a chance being able to use was £35. Then some formula powder, vitamin liquid for him (been told by HV to use it), v low salt stock cubes and a meal deal. Bye bye money.

Then I had to get some boots repaired, rather than buy new ones. They're Clarks ones that I bought new from ebay for £25, but the seams were splitting after 3 months of a lot of wear. Bye bye £15.

And then another pair of Boots that I bought from DP have worn out heels after just 2 months. Rang customer services as I bought them online, and have had to send them to be looked at. Sending them recorded delivery cost £6 something. I fully expect them to say that they won't do anything, but the heels have collapsed and I'm damn well going to fight - looks like they've been worn a couple of years, not months.

Oh, and a trip to £land to get a few baby bits and bobs.

On the plus side, I had thought I was going to have to pay £5 for a new sports centre card as have lost mine. But they said they can just activate my library card to get me through the doors. So, that's something.

hi all! very much not a nsd here today but for good reason! we had our 20 week scan today & all is well, and we found out we are having ds3! so we went our for lunch to celebrate& spent £40 then we bought some ickle baby clothes & some new jackets for the boys which are much needed (£60). yeeks. But it's not every day you get good news eh? hopefully I can do a nsd tomo though....

Vivian poor you. I had asda deliver raw chicken in a bag with lettuce. Also emailled them t say never agin you morons! Teenage boy...must have been.

. Free delivery if you order over £50, they pack all the shopping extremely well, all the delivery drivers are cheery people mostly over 55, always substitute for something of same or higher value, will give you on the spot refunds if there's a substitution you don't like, will carry your shopping right into the kitchen, have fewer calls to make so not so rushed (I think out here they do 3 calls an hour). Could go on. I'm a fan, can you tell?

Ah, they'll take your bags away from any shop and recycle them. Oh and if the only thing they have in that you've ordered is reduced because on short dates, they give it you for free! Apparently they prefer to do that in case it's crucial that you have it that day, rather than disappoint. Plus they do price match with Tesco on loads of things.

Second the vote for Wii Dance 3. I do this with the kids rather than spending £4 at exercise class- great fun. Love the idea of wrapping up Christmas presents early - I just buy stuff, try and remember to write it down in my Christmas list book and end up sorting it all out in October/November. Wrap as you go is the way forward! Spent £11.00 today on steak to freeze for Valentines tea next Friday(don't ask) which Dh will cook, Dds to do pud., freezer bags, milk, yoghurt, fruit. Re boys party make your own version of a game we've got with your own Lego - make cards with random nouns on, crocodile, bridge, tractor, laptop erm...you get the idea, put them face down in a pile in the middle of table, boys take turns to take card and try and make the thing from Lego. Boy who guesses what it is first gets the card, and the one with the most cards at the end wins, sort of Pictionary with bricks I suppose. Or the chocolate game. Big bar of cheap chocolate on a chopping board, knife,fork and the stupidest hat scarf and gloves in the house (we use gauntlets, a shower cap with plaits attached and a feather boa) Take turns to roll the dice continually. Person who gets a six gets to put on stuff and eat chocolate with knife and fork until someone else scores six...sounds daft written down but, well, we like it!

A NSD here today.

And hopefully tomorrow too.

Not quite a NSD here as had to send DH to buy some potatoes on his way home. About £1 something (I think he picked them up at the Spar).

Good news of yesterday is that DH was awarded a prize for his work -£1000! (clever him!) and he discovered a cheque lurking around from the summer from a quartet gig he did. Also I have worked a fair bit this week (am also a translator, like a surprising number of others on this thread!). So overall the week is going well in terms of money.

Spent £10 worth of coupons on mainly 2 for 1 offers, so saved about £20 on a £50 shop today. Have masses of toilet paper, washing powder and breakfast cereal now.

Had another chat with Waitrose people. Apparently it's the smaller branches that do the most dramatic discounting, apart from bread which starts being marked down at 5pm until 8pm when it gets really cheap.

Congratulations ilike, wonderful news.

Fab ideas for the parties, I will keep them in mind for DS later on in the year.

NSD here, apart from the oyster fares. Next week will be the test ... half term . I know he's got one day with a friend (no cost), one day with Aunty (minimal spending as Aunty is uber-generous) and one afternoon with GP's (visit to cinema courtesy of GP's). I think if I plan a "have a friend over and let's make muffins/cupcakes/pizza" treat we should be sorted. Given that he's got revision to do for tests when he goes back to school he also needs to find time for that ...

Was going to pop out shopping with DMum tomorrow but the snow has started again here so that may be postponed ... . Not that I was going to spend you understand, ooooooooh nooooooooo, not me!!!! Only window shopping and begging a cup of coffee off Mum

Free listing weekend in Ebay this weekend. . Get listing ladies ...

oops 2 NSD Wed and Thu but overslept this morning and only had 15mins before I had to leave to catch my lift. Which has resulted in my buying breakfast and lunch :(

For all knitter...just signed up to www.ravelry.com - a site for all things thread and yarn related. Haven't given it a huge look through as time limited this morning but it may provide inspiration and motivation to make a few more gifts this year rather than buy them???

Today I expect to spend...
£5 meeting a friend for lunch at my former office

£7.40 on oyster going to meet friends for dinner

£30 ish or less at pizza express with 25% voucher.

£73.98 on the garden (sending off three magazine offers). only have 1st class stamps in purse so will go to PO to post 2nd. This sounds a lot but includes asparagus and strawberry plants and (experimental!) honeyberry bushes, as well as lots of flower bulbs for my currently barren front garden. The asparagus won't return my investment until 2013 but for £4.90 including canvas patio planter I can live with the delayed gratification!!

Is it possible to cancel bids you don't like the look of? I don't know enough about ebaying to know.

set your listing so buyers at less than 10 feedback just can't see it. (don't know if you can do this after the auction has begun though)

One of my sales is going wrong too. Musical potty, went for £17 nearly two weeks ago, buyer sent me a message immediately after the auction ended to say is it clean?!? Er, of course I said. Are you happy to continue. Yeah yeah she said. Then nothing. I've opened an unpaid item case but there's not much else you can do. I'm not re-listing. I'll take it to a charity shop and tell them what they should be able to get for it.

Congrats ilike - sorry I didn't spot your great news earlier. Boys are great aren't they !

I have had enough of Ebay, the majority of buyers are a nightmare. I always wash any clothes before listing so knew that the PJ's I had sent to someone were clean. She contacted me to say that they were dirty, I said for her to send them back to me. She said that she couldn't as she had "thrown them out " ! She gave me negative feedback. Also I am below standard for "items as described" When I called Ebay they said that they couldn't see anything wrong with my listings and of course the ratings are anonymous so I never found out what was wrong. I am going to try my local FB sell/buy group as I still have 4 massive bags of DD's clothes

Supposed to have been a NSD.... but DD1 has been to the dentist, and I need to give her corsadyl mouthwash.... £5.11 for a small bottle!!! Nearly fainted!

Ah well, no more spending today I hope!

Have been NS since the weekend - mainly because there is no chance to spend whilst at work!
Veggie and fruitboxes have arrived and because something I ordered last week had a split packet I have received a £5.99 refund and a free £5.99 item this week-
Ocado shop was £56 this week so very happy.

Agree with all of you saying that Ebay is rubbish for sellers! Seems very much a buyers marketplace. Having had bad experiences with that myself, I now sell things on Gumtree & [ahem] [whispers] Netmums , both being free & local. If that fails, I will do a big car boot sale once they start up again.

Yesterday's Tesco shop was not much outside my estimate of £33.33 - was in fact £33.73. There were a few things I didn't get as they weren't in stock & some things I did buy extra, but quite pleased. It included things like oil, salt & washing-up liquid (have dishwasher so don't use much) that I won't have to buy again for months. Plus 3 pizzas (bog2f)

Just been to mothercare & got 2 packs of 34 nappies. They are £6.49 per pack, advertised on website as offer 2 for £10. Got to store & offer not on, but they honoured it anyway. Then had a voucher for £4 off, so 68 nappies for £6

Joined Weightwatchers this morning [eek], cost £39.80 for 3 months, but will get £15.15 cashback, so approx £8 per month. Now got to stick to it!

Softplay later, but they are doing an offer where if you pay for (I think) 4 plays, you get 5, so will do that. Will pop into Lidl beforehand as it's next door & get a multipack of drinks so I don't have to pay over £2 for a cup of tea

The pack of free nappies I was going to trial for Tesco have not turned up which is a shame as I like free stuff! Still, maybe they will turn up this weekend [hopeful]

duchesse how great to have another translator on this board! We are a frugal bunch . What languages/specialisms do you do?

Anyway, better go & 'tidy' DS1's cars while he is at nursery & hope he won't notice Really don't know where these 3 hours go! Have a happy & frugal Friday, one & all!

OK, so I've put in an approved food order. I liked the 'discount shipping' items - bought 30 special K snack bags for £6.99 which cancelled out the shipping charge of £5.25! Do they write to you with a delivery slot, and can you change it? We're both out of the house most days.

Can't decide if the best bargain in my £23 order is the five packs of 6 wraps/tortillas for £1.00 or the 30 Polish Borsch soups for 99p!!! I really hope those are just add hot water and stir/microwave.

Also bought a case of wine from Naked Wines for £67 inc delivery - so that's just over £5 a bottle. Have also signed up to their Naked Angels club which gets an ongoing 25% off.

roguepixie just seen that you posted about Ravelry - Ive been on Rav for a few years now .Its fabulous a really nice comunity and tons of advice and free patterns.
One or two groups to avoid