Frugal Feb gives way to Money-Saving March. Now featuring austerity health and beauty tips!

[Lexilicious]

Third thread after first and second

Let's get saving and enjoying our frugal wins!

summary of links so far
www.organizedhome.com
www.supersavvyme.co.uk/
womenfreebies.co.uk/
www.lovemoney.com/
www.moneysavingexpert.com/deals/discount-voucher-codes/
www.poundland.co.uk/top-tips/gardening-2012/
www.purlbee.com/
www.familyandfriends-railcard.co.uk/halfterm
www.makeupstop.co.uk/
www.approvedfood.co.uk/
www.goodtoknow.co.uk/money/cheap-food-deals
www.lovefoodhatewaste.com/perfect_portions

2 and a half. She's tiny- not much taller than my friend's 15 mo and weighs about the same.

duchesse I'm afraid I don't know much about DC with little appetite, as mine tend to go the other way but I have seen threads on here where parents are recommended to make a meal more calorific by putting cheese/butter/cream in everything. Would that be possible with goats' milk? Even something like smoothies using ice-cream & cream & milk with fruit. Also, there are some non-dairy foods such as avocados, nuts, some meats that are naturally high in fat?

She does like avocado, and most meat, some fish. Will eat eggs but not scrambled. Doesn't really like potato but will eat pasta. Likes carrots but not leeks. Usual child stuff. I could feed her meat + pasta+ avocado+ carrots at every meal and she'd probably eat something at every meal but would have a very limited diet.

When she does eat, she eats, but can quite easily eat virtually nothing for 3 days running. In January she had a nasty 10 day bout of D & V and dropped back below 10kg (she was 9.3 kg at her worst), which is when I got the first load of formula in. She has since gone back up to 10.7 but it's still very light for her age.

Duchesse That sounds quite normal for a 2 year old. When you write down her diet lookat it over a full week as sometimes lo's will fill up and then not eat for a few days. My friends dd was exactly the same and would often exist on just cereal and a ham sandwich. She had no interest in food whatsoever and eating was a chore for her. SHe used to beg for a McDonalds but would fall asleep without eating it.

Now at 12 she finally gets that food can be fun and enjoys eating but still has a mimimal diet. The worst thing her mum did was to try and force feed her as she just dug her heels in and refused even more, then fell asleep, she slept a lot that child. Since having dc3 2 years ago the pressure has been off and she is more relaxed. I'm not saying you are pressuring her to eat but YKWIM.

I am almost having a NSD. Been out twice and not spent anything yet but still have to go get tea so that will be about £10.
Just ordered my free graze box and if it is nice that will be a new spend so will be down £4 a week on that.

duchesse, I know you want to concentrate on 'good' foods but does she like milkshakes? Could you do a goats milk formula based milkshake with some high calorie stuff in: berries, ice cream/yog (goats milk based of course)?

Sorry duchesse, the above was a little short and sweet. Like jen I don't have the experience of a DC that eats only a little. Mine has always eaten like it was his last meal . He's 11 now and touching 5'8", with a predicted height of 6'2"/6'4" so I have the opposite problem of trying to fill him up without letting him consume vast quantities of junk.

I do agree with debs that children find their level and your DD is at her level at the moment. The key is not to make food an issue or focus. She will eat when she wants and she will eat the amount she wants. As long as there are no underlying phyisological problems/issues (celiac etc) then she is, and will be, fine. She'll probably end up being 6' tall .

Flippety flop pixie- 5ft 8 at 11?? You had better start buying shares in a major supermarket! My friend's sons are all predicted 6ft4 (except the middle one who'll probably be nearer 6ft 7) and they seem to need to eat about 5000 cals a day. Very sensibly they go to boarding school...

My DS was about 4ft9 at 11. He's now 18 and about 5ft11 and still growing. The older girls were tiny like their little sister but even they were heavier at similar ages. Now 5ft6 (16 and still growing) and 5ft 3 (14 and still growing) Goodness knows the HV nagged enough about it.

On a money-saving plus, they get a lot of wear out of their clothes...

Duchesse - you have my sympathy. DS1 as a baby/toddler had a very much take it or leave it attitude to food - and now at nearly 6 still faffs and takes for ever to eat half his plate - except for when he's having growth spurts when he eats everything in sight. He is a beanpole - tall for his age - and will be 6 foot something like his dad when he grows up I guess. I'm with Rogue - your dd will be ok and level out in due course. Some people are tiny and petite - sounds like she's one of those. However, I can heartily recommend goat milk based icecream (my friend can only have goat milk and makes this) - nice with strawberries in it.

Duchesse, I think all the foods you mentioned your DD likes cover all the food groups and at least they're healthy! I would try not to worry if that's all she eats for now, as long as she's eating. My DS had potato waffles, vegetarian sausages and frozen sweetcorn and peas practically every teatime for about 2 years, between 1.5 and 3.5, when he slowly started to get better. We tried everything with him, even getting him to help cook lots of Annabel Karmel recipes. He loved the cooking, but still wouldn't eat the food. He never gave in to peer influences and ate what the others at Nursery ate or if he was invited to lunch or tea anywhere, he just wouldn't be persuaded! But he was a lot better by the time he started school and although he still has a small appetite for a 9 year old boy, he likes most food now (apart from potato waffles!) and is even fairly adventurous at trying new foods. I worried myself sick at the time and I would hate for anyone else to do the same, when they all get it eventually.

Almost an NSD today. Just 46p on a 1st class stamp for an old friend's 18 year old DS. I have enclosed a cheque for £20, but I'm not going to count that until it clears!

£10.45 on tea so not to bad today.

Im thinking of doing some online shopping, just for the bulky stuff like dog food, toilet rolls, cleaning things. Nothing perishable as people always seem to mian that the bread is on its sell by date. Who is the best to use? Pp

any ideas what to do with burnt cookies? I made a batch but got distracted by a screaming baby and now they are all burnt. I think they're only good for the bird table now, but wondered if anyone had any suggestions - I had to throw food away.

Just got another bit of translation work. I do like earning a bit of money so I don't feel like a kept woman, but it means two nights of stress. Hey-ho.

And, Duchesse, as the others have said, I wouldn't worry. As long as she is reaching her developmental milestones, then it's fine. Maybe try and bulk things up with naturally fatty foods - make goats milk ice cream? Goats cheese mixed in with jacket potato etc?

I had one of them Duchesse - DD now 20, although her DB was also a bit like it. I gave them cooked breakfast or Weetabix, topped them up with bits and pieces through the day, made things like fish fingers for lunch so I could eat them if they didn't (then I would also save on food for my lunch!), offered a sort of proper tea. Cold Ambrosia rice pudd for supper every night, just before going to bed ritual.

Every so often they would have eating marathon days, which was great as I like to see them eat! Both now adults, both heary eaters, DD is slim as a bluebell and on her best days has been known to astonish her friends by polishing off her Wetherspoons meal, and then polishing off everyone else's left overs

Mine were not allergic to cow's milk though.

But DB was (this was in the 50's), DM got goat's milk from the milkman I think. He was also v allergic to eggs, had terrible excema, and when he was about 8 showed he was allergic to Marmite, dog saliva, and all sorts (not nuts tho). None of these allergies were life-threatening (unlike DD's BF who is allergic to wasp stings)

He is now DB (57) and had grown out of all allergies well before the end of adolescence, although I think his skin sometimes flares up occasionally.

*about 8 a skin test showed...

spew could you use the cookies as a base for a cheesecake? Or in ice cream (like cookie dough, kind of)?

Well done on your translation work. I know what you mean, it is great to get the old grey cells ticking over again, but can be difficult to work into your routine. It will be worth it when the payment comes in for it!

I think both my DSes will also be fairly tall. DH is about 6'2/6'3. DS1, at 3.2, already towers above all of his friends, to the extent that he can't use a little ride-on motorbike they all like as his knees are up to his chin. I was the tallest pupil in my primary school at age 11, but then I stopped growing - was about 5'5, am now 5'7.5!

DS1 seems a lot better now, just tired, so time for bath & bed in a minute. Dinnertime was fun this evening as DS1 had not really much of an appetite due to illness (but wolfed down a whole bowl of pasta, nonetheless). DS2 barely touched the mashed roast chicken dinner I offered him, but wolfed down a medium-sized banana & custard. He puzzles me (& worries me a bit), as he just will not put anything in his mouth - not food or toys or anything! I just can't see how he'll ever eat normally! Kids, eh, always give you something to worry about!

Just marking my place... want to read this properly when I have a few minutes hours.

Can I join you
I am trying to have a spend less March...my bargain of the day is a brand new sealed box of no 7 moisturisers, nail cleaner, cleansers, etc. £7 in charity shop - my sister birthday coming up

Thanks Jen. My husband just tried the biscuits and declared them unusable - and he normally eats anything sweet, so he's a good barometer! And yes, the work is good for me mentally in one respect, just feel there's going to be a couple of stressful nights ahead. The whole reason I can only do freelance stuff is because I can't afford childcare, so can only do it in the evenings/weekends when I'm not on baby-wrangling duty. But I hate turning away work, even though my husband says I don't have to do it. Oh well. As you say, when I get paid (which annoyingly won't be for a couple of months, as the agency has a 60 days payment policy), it'll be worth it!

My first NSD of march! Very happy as ended up going into town on Saturday when I didn't want to and spent too much :( actually yesterday was a kind of a NSD but had to buy something for my mum which she will pay me back but still had to spend it.

Tomorrow won't be as need to go to my first pyhsio appointment and will have to pay for parking. And if it doesn't last that long I might get a coffee before picking kids up.

Wednesday and Thursday should be NSD if I can get lunches for work sorted. Fingers crossed!

I like burnt things, however the marked down pack of hot-cross buns which had 6 in so 2 were free in the first place (are you following?) that I bought and took over to a friend got quite burnt, we grilled 3 (cut in half), ate 4 blackened vv brown halves, and threw 2 vvvv brown blackened halves out, and then I left her the others to eat later while not yakking away having a conversation with someone

Jen, how old is DS2? It does sound puzzling..

Slopes off to another thread

I'm a bit lost in all the recent replies but well done, commisserations and keep it up ladies (delete as appropriate!!)

I have a 13.5kg 2.5yo boy who eats literally anything. DH is 6 foot 2 so I should probably save up now for the teenage appetite yes?!?

am doing well at not spending for the last few days but at the weekend we found a leak in about the least accessible possible place on our bath. Still trying to diagnose it exactly but unless it is just a sealant problem on top it may involve cutting the ceiling in the room below, cutting the floorboards and reaching up to unscrew / re-screw or something. I have spent half an hour this evening wriggled half way under the bath to try to look at it. I have fiberglass scratches on my hand grrrrr

Janx don't go - hi & welcome

Pink DS2 will be 11 months on Thursday. He normally eats quite well, roughly a jar or 3 heaped dessert-spoons of main course, then a medium banana & custard or a yoghurt or similar for dessert. Breakfast is a whole weetabix. Then he has 20oz formula a day. He has just never put anything at all in his mouth of his own accord - bar his thumb, which he sucks quite a lot . I should add he is the most laidback baby (lazy, even!) you will ever meet, which has been commented upon by everybody who has ever seen him, even healthcare professionals. So, I think it's just laziness, really, but I would dearly love to see him chewing on a breadstick [sighs]

I won't tell you how much my 10 month old eats. Suffice to say, his breakfast is bigger than that of a lot of adults I know. Anyway, should be working....

Jen it wasn't his eating I was thinking of so much as the fact that as I recall from my psychology degree, babies learn what shapes look like by mapping them onto how they feel in the mouth.

DD and I were both thumbsuckers till about 8! We are both lazy, in many ways...

Sorry I seemed to diss you Janx, I get too focussed on a particular reply that has come into my head. Birthdays are tricky (unless you are fantastic at crafts or something - not me!), and that sounds like a v good deal :)