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

Lexi that is a good idea! We don't live especially close to MIL though and my parents are nearer but too far to just pop in so hand delivered gifts aren't really an option unless we are seeing them.

Oh what a lovely idea for mother's day . Not a work today - been to dd sch to help with reading and then went for a walk to do a bit of exercise. Popped into new charity shop and get ds a nice gap t shirt for £1.50 and a brand new big sketchbook for 75p. Am going to advertise my pushchair as no need for that any more.

Debs - The company is Domestic and General. They do insurance on things like a cooker/tumble dryer/washing machine etc. Usually about £9 a month and covers the appliance for damage/repairs.

All going well, should be a NSD here today.

Not much planned for the weekend so hoping to spend very little there too!

Thanks Dan Now I am at a loss on what they are insuring

Well 3lbs off today so my almost free weightwatchers subscription is paying off. I did have a bun to celebrate so with getting one for dh and dd that cost me £2. Went to Aldi as well and had a really good looka round and we might try and get some of our weekly shop from there. We usually buy the meat and cheese from their so we will definitely get some free range chickens as they are really cheap. Might also try the store cupboard stuff as well and see where we go from there.

HAve to start planning DD's 16th party for April. I think I might take her and some friends to izza Express and use some tesco vouchers. HEr cake is a 7 layer rainbow cake which I am making herself and her present is the Cello I am paying off, DP is getting her some other stuff. If you take away the Cello it won't be that bad, I hope.

Debs, a quick google shows quite a few people with overrunning DIrect debits with D&G... Like this one: happily resolved. It's relatively common that people assume that a fixed term direct debit will end when the term does, but it seems not. And of course when you the customer, with many more things on your mind, don't necessarily jump through exactly all the hoops in the right order... Why would the company avoid an opportunity to make a few more months of subscriptions out of you?!?

Don't take their first answer btw if it turns out these are for appliances you no longer have. They're a business and will want to keep whatever dosh you have already parted with.

I feel a fraud on here atm. This week is turning out to be horrendous. Just spent £37 taking 5 shirts, and a suit to the dry cleaners and a pair of shoes to be re-heeled.

Gulp spend in Waitrose yesterday: £98.23 Included lots of ready-made rices and things for both DD's overnight training weekends on Dartmoor this weekend, about £15's worth of weekend training food stuffs.

Then £23.79 today in The Range on more cupcake cases and a chewy nylon bone for the giant puppy.

Yesterday's spend also included £38 for a bag of giant pooch food. That dog may have been free at the point of delivery but the maintenance costs are huge!

Everyone has expensive days though alibaba - dp broke a hard drive yesterday and has just forked out over £100 for a new one- he is really fed up as he has lost a lot of work that was on it

This might be of interest to those with Boots Advantage Cards

www.treatstreet.boots.com/moreinfo/pgpointsbooster

Sorry, posted before I said that installing the app gets you 100 points free. You can always uninstall it afterwards.

Hurrah I went to Sainsbury's to get a couple of things I had forgotten from the Waitrose shop, and redeemed Nectar points so I only spent 50p. Result.

I am going to the cinema with a friend tonight, so that is £9 for the ticket Driving myself there though and I will just take a bottle of water rather than forking out for stuff there.

If nothing else this thread is making me realise just how much I/we spend!

Spent £1.50 today on tea at the cafe at our local park. Took our own drinks for kids & choc chip muffins so managed to keep it to a minimum. In on my own with kids tonight, so doubt I'll spend any more (although DH may be a different story )

Tomorrow will probably be a fairly big spend day - got to top up car with diesel, & as nearest Morrisons (for 15p/litre off promotion) is 8 miles away & at a seaside town, will make a bit of a day of it, weather permitting. Will take lunches, but I envisage £70 for fuel (but should last all month), £10 for groceries & another £10 for refreshments

Sunday am on my own with kids again, but DS1 has a soft play party (present from my present box ), so may spend about £3 on a drink there for me.

Was shocked to see that total this month is already same as MY last month's spend (not DH, though, and have included his spend this month). Main reasons so far have been big grocery shop (only had to do top-ups last month & both freezers now full to bursting) & drain cleaning stuff.

Debs well done on your weight loss, as well as your frugality! I am on Weightwatchers too & have lost 8lbs in 4 weeks, & that is still eating biscuits etc every day most days

BTW, mentioned this upthread but worth mentioning again - for those struggling with Mother's Day gifts, Truprint are offering a photo mug for only £2, instead of about £10, if you sign up with them. Only one per household, though.

Jenduck are morrisons running that promotion again ? I thought it had finished

I don't know about the shopping part, but you can redeem the petrol vouchers up until this Sunday (11th) [hurries off to check voucher that this is indeed the case]

I believe, though, that BP are doing 5p off/litre (can check by googling it)

I spent £38.27 today - £28 for my childminder and £10.27 on a single bus fare, a 1st class stamp and a few groceries. Not sure if it's national, but my local Co-op is doing a half price offer on Ben and Jerry's 500ml tubs, so you might want to check out your own local Co-ops, ladies :).

Well, coudn't get on t'internet yesterday so have saved my confession for today

£3 on an after school snack because I was too busy being tired to get organised

And for today,
Road tolls-£5
DC's accident insurance -£100 for both of them for the year
Parking, should have been free because I was there less than an hour, but I lost the ticket so it cost me £5
Supermarket, again £50

In my defence I walked around my fav clothes shop-new season's stock- and didn't buy a thing. We don't have charity shops here, but you can find cheap-ish stuff outside of the cities.

Next week I'll be paying the handyman, OH wants loads of jobs done and this chap charges about £30 per day, ish taking exchange rates into account. Also need to chase the vet re my outstanding bill.

Not too bad yesterday needed petrol and was going to offer my BIL a lift home from work (he works in morrisons) but he left early which meant I didn't go in so didnt spend anything! Only £45 on petrol and £1.18 on milk. Then had a little mad moment and bought pies and meat from local shop (not feeling well) and a treat for DH so spent £4.37.

Today needed milk and some rolls for burgers so was about £3ish (DH spent it) which isn't bad as I was going to go to morrisons for a top up shop!

Working all weekend so will be things from the house for lunch maybe a tea and toast at work on Sunday but should be little spend weekend - oh £5 for dd1 ballet tomorrow but that's it!

Rogue, if you get a panasonic breadmaker you can get the gluten free flour from asda and make your own bread.

Asdas free from stuff seems quite cheap.

Last night took DCs, my 2 plus 1 to the cinema -£20, then another £10 in the frozen yoghurt bar. That really is a rare treat as I feel it's extremely expensive considering the fact that it's just yoghurt.

I know they'll be pestering me for things over the weekend, but the answer will be a resounding No. We have loads of options to keep ourselves occupied, besides look at how much I spent on them last night

If I plan my week well I can avoid needing to fill the car up for another week. OH does his weekly, at least

Found this

It says you can feed a family of four for a £100 but I think it's a bit ambitious but some of the recipes seem ok.

Not NSD here. Trip to Morrison's: £31 Got a bit of reduced stuff but seem to be spending a lot on food this week.

Also forgot to include post rowing coffee yesterday £2.60 and post rowing coffee for me and a friend today: £4.50

Wow, you must be fit, Duchesse :).
I spent quite a lot today, as me and DS went to the theatre. I had already purchased the tickets, but had to fork out for travel, lunch and a magazine. Oh, and a bottle of water too. All in all, about £21.55. I suppose it's not actually that bad.

nearly a nsd here until dh suggested a pizza for dinner!

£18 for a Dominoes pizza, I've been good all week so figured I deserved it!

:o

Good day again today, just £2 on bread and hot dogs for tea. Mini Morrisons shop tomorrow, fruit, veg and a few things for Sunday tea so probably about £25
Swapped my Tesco points for some Pizza Express vouchers, will pay for DD's birthday treat and put my £40 of Bella Italia vouchers on Ebay as you can't return them.