Abstemious April ... the trials continue

[roguepixie]

Righty-ho, here's the April thread.

After a disastrous March I am more than ready to get to grips again with all things frugal.

Leilandri you have inspired me to try Approved Foods, your luckybox sounds fab!

Didn't do too bad on the eBay front - made about £20 from my 8 items, which were all unwanted gifts/raffle prizes that had just been hanging around the house!

Blew the budget this weekend with £40 on meal out on Friday night (our first 'date' since February though so it's not like we go out that often!) and then another £40 on Sunday lunch out with friends. £8 on Saturday on a present for a kids party that DS1 went to and £17 on a top up shop from Aldi. So £105 on weekend in total, which is not too bad considering we kept the DC busy and entertained and managed to eat out twice!!

Have plenty of food in freezer so hopefully won't spend alot on groceries this week. Got my credit card bill on Saturday and I have spent £300 less this month than last, so that's great progress for me. Still need to get it down by about another £200 to about £300 per month (for food, household items, presents, and clothes for DC) so still looking for ways to cut back. Am attempting to grow some of my own veg this year though, which should really help if it works!!

Hello all!! Have been away far too long and have definitely spent more while away than I would have if I'd continued with the thread I think.

So my circumstances before were virtually no income after my job fell through and was really cutting back on things, about 12-ish weeks pregnant at that time.

Now - 27 weeks (yay!), $400/month income for very part-time job, plus $200/month in food benefits (life saver, truly). I still don't seem to be able to save too much, I spend $160-ish on petrol for the month alone for example, but I have been buying a lot of baby bits the last couple of months as well which should cease now as I'm fairly well stocked.

Today I'm having my horrendous 3-hour glucose test for diabetes, showed up elevated at my 1-hour test so had to drink an even more concentrated solution (bleurgh) - will be getting some food after that so maybe $5 spend planned today. My grandma is in hospital and I'm having problems with my health insurance so a few places to go today which will mean I won't be around any shops.

Right - off to catch up!!

Just spent on milk and an afterschool treat from Greggs today. £2.20 in total.

NSD here, my first one in ages! Hoping to have a couple more this week, except for Wednesday when my £45 Tesco shop will arrive. Still sticking to my meal-planner, which is really helping with spending less.

Spent too much today, DCs off school for a teacher training day, could have stayed home and spent nada. But, had to go to the capital to do paperwork with the ex-maid. Had the take children with. Ex-maid didn't show up, wants me to Schlep to the other side of the capital so that she doesn't have to get on a bus. I know she has the bus fair as I gave her £400 just over a week ago, so I said No.

So, roads -£2.60
Snack-£5
Lunch -£10
Drinks-&3
Supermarket -£56
Cinema-£12

Tomorrow we have an estate agent coming to take photos so I'll be home doing all the cleaning I didn't get done today.

I am going to have to try approved food, sounds amazing!

Going well here. Waitrose shop came Friday, spent a bit more than intended but got a couple of good meat offers.

NSD yesterday, today I need milk and flour to make some bread.

Went to a meatman on Sunday, at a market recommended by S-i-L. Spent £100!!
From this we got - 2 whole chickens, 8 chick legs, 12 chick breasts, 4 gammon joints, 10 pks of bacon (6 rashers in each), 5x400g of beef mince, 7x400g of stewing steak, 8 beef steaks, 15 meatballs and 2kg of sausages.
Someone tell me that this was a good deal, as my heart is still pounding from spending that much on meat!!

NSD yesterday. Today need milk, sugar, fruit, cheese and washing-up liquid, so shouldn't be too much. Also need to pick up a FB purchase for £3.50, but drop one off for £5, so a profit overall :)

Oh forgot - also from meatman 10 duck legs, and 10 packs of bbq ribs to add onto above..... does that make it better?

That's a lot of meat, Leilandri! No idea if it's good value as I very rarely buy meat and then it's just chicken breasts or minced beef. Being vegetarian and feeding your family a mainly vegetarian diet is a great money saver!

And welcome back, Fishpond! Great to hear that your bumpette is now a fully fledged bump! Sorry to hear about your grandma, are you a main carer for her? Or just very close? When you post, it makes me feel very grateful for what I have and that we don't have to worry about insurance - makes me feel ashamed for stressing about money.

Week going well here. Off to dr's again with Mini Spew this morning so no-spend anticipated then. But, I do have to get a new swimming costume this pm, as my old one is far far too big and also see-through in parts. Will go to Asda Living as apparently they have a good, cheap selection.

iPod buyer finally paid up and other ebay sale will be collected later this week. I did get a couple of cardies for the little one from ebay, but that was only £3 for two and then a couple of quid postage. So, overall about £70 profit .

He's still in disposables until this thrush finally clears up, but I hate using them as I feel like I'm literally throwing money in the bin. Especially when I have tons of washables staring at me. But they seem to be making his bum worse, so don't really have much choice. Plus, we now have teething poo to contend with, so there are plenty of changes required.

Happy Tuesday, one and all!

Leilandri I would say that's a great deal, esp if the meat is good quality or locally sourced (two words that seem to add £££ to everything at my nearest farmer's market :().

Spent £57.50 on supermarket shop y'day, should see us through the week with no problems. Today was meant to be a NSD but DS wet himself on the way to the library so I had to buy replacement trews, pants and socks. The delay meant we didn't have time to come home for lunch before going to nursery, so I bought him a spud in the cafe - about £5 all in.

It's all immaterial anyway since we're about to sign off on our mortgage agreement, meaning we'll be in masses of debt for the first time in years Will be so worth it though when we're finally in our own little house

Thanks spew for the welcome back - does feel nice to be back here! Feel very motivated and checked out a few cookbooks from the library that promise cheap meals for under $5, had a leaf through and look really good!

My grandma raised me from the time I was 10, she is basically like my mother - and I've been living with her and caring for her for the past year now since I came back from England. We are very close and it looks like she is going to pass now in the next few days - she's had aggressive cancer for the past 3 years and it's been incredible that she's lived up to now, albeit with hospital visits / stays very often. I'm ill today but going up to visit her in the next hour or so as may be the last day for her.

As far as spending anticipated for today...

Got to go to grocery, haven't been for over a week and pretty low on things. Trying hard not to spend my whole benefit though as I should be moving into new apartment by the end of this month and will need to stock up on all the pantry basics which will seem like TONS and still not have lots, iyswim? Anyone have any pantry basic stocking tips??

Also will need petrol, about $40-45 anticipated (boo)

So sorry about your gtanny fishpond. I lost mine in october.

Was doing well until I went into smiths for a notebook.........£33 !!!omg.

I haven't been noting my spending but I think I am doing pretty ok. No big daft purchases but trying not to use the car didn't work as it was pouring today. I had loads to do and would of bused it all day but was worried I would be soaking wet for my afternoon interview. Yes after my first stop it was sunny and by the time of the interview it was scorching.
Spent £3.50 on dinner and a drink so a pretty cheap day

Sorry to hear about your Granny, Fishpond. She sounds wonderful.

Debs, hope your interview went well for you.

Total spend of £32.39 today, but £29 of that was for DS's next block of Cubs. £3.39 on bus fares and a Tesco Finest Victoria Sponge, which for some reason was a penny cheaper than their standard Victoria Sponge!

Would have been a NSD yesterday but had to order a new cover for my phone last night, but only £4 from Amazon, so not too bad at all! Even cycled to work yesterday in the horrible rain, which saved me a few pounds on diesel!

Will be a spending day today too as my Tesco shop is being delivered, has gone up from £45 to £68 as I've been adding bits to it this week! Have enough meals to last me until next weekend from it though, so I'm not doing bad.

Need to find a few more things to list on eBay this weekend to make a few pennies!

Oh, fishpond, I'm so sorry to hear that. I hope that she is comfortable and you enjoy whatever time you have left with her.

Hello everyone.

Welcome back fishy - so glad to have you back but sorry your Grandma is so ill. She sounds like an amazing woman and you have been wonderful in return to care for her for the past year.

Spent £22 this morning before I had even got out of my pj's . It was for a school photo ... we've already had the individual ones (think that was about £30 for the set) and this is for the Year photo ... very impressive but I am beginning to think that the school have a specific member of staff that spends their days thinking up ways of prising money out of parents . Spent another £170.00 two days before that in final payment of a trip DS is taking with the school choir at the end of term. It's a wonderful school and I have no complaints but there is so much to do and DS is so involved with all aspects of it that it is costing a bleedin' fortune.

Debs, hope your interview went well and you get a great and positive outcome.

Leil, think that is an excellent haul for the money. It always seems excessive because you are buying it all at once but overall it will prove to be cost effective.

spew, I remember those days - popping in to buy trousers for DS because there had been an 'accident'.

Anyway, Happy Wednesday to you all . NSD here today ... first one for ages .

Went to my local Waitrose for the bargains tonight...................

Got potatoes for 30p
Beetroot 29p

The best bargain were MullerRice. Only found out last week that DH likes them. They were reduced to 15p each so I bought four. Cost me 60p. However, I went to the till and they were on offer at 4 for £2 so I got 44p back. 4 MullerRice cost me 16p - 4p per pot!!

Got organic chicken for £1 so bought 6 of those.
Spinach down to 30p
Salad with mango and prawn for lunch tomorrow - 59p.

Bargainous!

Organic chicken for £1, one pound, just one single solitary pound that's almost worth the air fare from here to pick up a few for my freezer.

Today I spent another £60 in the supermarket and £2.50 in Starbucks, plus £2.40 on the roads and £80 on diesel. Then I dashed back home for someone to view the house. No feed back yet, she was keeping schtum, I'll call the agent tomorrow to for an update.

Fishpond sorry to hear about your Grandma.

Hello all - Haven't visited for a while.

I don't know if any of you can do it, but on moneysavingexpert under the reclaim £1000's, theres a part where you can reclaim an allowance from the government for washing your own work uniform at home, there are certain criteria and it's not a lot, BUT it can end up in cheque for about £90 and reductions going forward.

Me and DH have sent ours off, so fingers crossed they sprt it soon!

Hello from me - yesterday spent $40 on petrol and $5 on sandwich (planned as was dying after my glucose test, which I passed yay ).

Today spent $8 on cat food and $35 of food benefit on lots of nice healthy things instead of the usual crap I buy. Was quite pleased with myself so many fruits and veggies which I hardly ever eat - bad me .

Hi everyone.

Fishpond I am really sorry to hear about your Grandma. I lost mine 5 years ago this month and I miss her loads.

I just wanted to say thank you all for this thread and the tips on it. It has made me so much more aware of how much money we were frittering on bits and pieces each day, with nothing to show for it. We have had a few big ticket items this month (car service, weekend away), but we have been able to book some flights for a wedding later in the year and pay cash not credit card it for next month, mainly on the back of cutting back on small spends here and there.
I've also got much more organised about checking the bank balance online regularly.

I spent £15 on diesel today, but nothing else. Tomorrow will be a very low spend day, I need to buy some chips and milk but that is all.
Going to get a small shop delivered on Saturday to keep us going for the next week - the freezer is full of meat!

£15.22 total spend today. £10 for my childminder £4.12 on bread, milk, baked beans, a milkshake and a magazine in Tesco and £1.10 on my bus fare.

Off to London tomorrow evening until Sunday evening, so I'm not expecting it to be cheap!

$15 on supper for myself and cousins I'm babysitting tonight, $5 fabric softener, $8 of food benefit for ice cream and cookie dough for "slumber party" with them (they are 4 and a bit apprehensive about not staying with mommy). But their mom gave me $100 today to cover their food, softener, and taking care of them. So net profit of $72.

Done it again, spent a large proportion of next weeks food budget this week 'cos of the offers. Not that it makes much difference, it's been spent on food, the food will be eaten, don't know what the fuss is about really. Can you hear me preparing my defence?

So, supermarket yesterday -£25 and today -£22

Roads, £2.60 yesterday but today I was delayed and so had to use the expensive road back home, made it -£4
Few bits of school uniform, DD2 lost an apron which I had to replace, plus odds & sods came to £50
Tooth fairy paid a visit night before last -£5- standard set by Drs etc and I'm using it as enforced saving for the DDs - look how much money you've saved by NOT spending
T-shirts for school's 75th anniversary thingy tomorrow -£5 for the two. There'll be a bit spent on sustainance, probably -£20 between the our of us.