We've done over 6 months of penny-pinching, practical, prudent, scrimping money-saving. Well done to us 
June didn't end too badly for me overall, not going to total it up tho
I hope the weather in July is better than it has been - plenty of NSD's at the allotment would be lovely.
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We're over halfway there - saving our way through July 2012
166 replies
Leilandri · 30/06/2012 22:47
OP posts:
Leilandri ·
04/07/2012 12:24
welcome FlyMe
Have you tried Facebook for some buy/seel sites in your area? I've found it much easier than ebay - no fees, and no trips to the post office!
And yes, I would say "Stop buying Stuff" is a good mantra for thriftiness 
OP posts:
jenduck ·
04/07/2012 18:03
Hi all. Not too bad a spend this afternoon. 50p for Edward Bear fees, 20p on charity shop toy for DS1 & £3.59 at Co-op for 4 pints milk, 10 f-r eggs & a tray of flapjack (had a pretty rubbish time at Edward Bear with DS1 playing up, me telling him off, him crying & then the leader, a Rev, coming up to me & asking 'What are you doing to your boys?' even though DS2 was fine. Made me feel like rubbish mum of the year 
Also was talking to a friend about credit cards & she was going on about how she'd never had any debt & never would. Just made me feel a bit inadequate, although I know her circumstances are vastly different from mine (10 years younger & on benefits so rent & council tax paid, she tells me). We have racked up this debt, mainly due to the erratic nature of DH's work (contracts), but we are making huge efforts to pay it off (and doing better now than we have in 6 months!)
Lizardqueenie, we are in SE too (Essex). Tots' time at Wacky Warehouse is basically all day up to 3pm, when under-5's get in for £2, for as long as you like (can also come & go). As for bargains, best to ask the shop attendants, really! But usually tends to be best a couple of hours before closing.
Anyway, sorry for the moan, welcome to newbies/returnees
lizardqueenie ·
04/07/2012 20:37
Thank you Leilandri I think DD would love her own little patch in the garden! My dad has an allotment so could rope him in for a bit of advice to get it started. A good idea about keeping non-perishable snacks in the bag too- i did this went we went out this afternoon and enjoyed a few snacks myself.
Spent a total of £7.59 - posting package & parking. Other than that we just wandered & chatted, thank goodness it didn't pour!
Ah Jenduck sorry you felt like that, am sure the Rev didn't mean it in a critical way but maybe just said it to make humour of the situation. Big hug & glass of 
or cup of 
for you. Also everyone's circumstances are different & yes it would be lovely to not get into any debt but its a situation many of us find or have found us in. I think prior to the recession it was very easy to get into debt, I certainly left University with student loans, overdrafts and cc debt coming out of my ears. However it seemed to be considered the norm from those around me and whilst lots of my friends seemed to be sensible to pay things off quite quickly, even once I got working I found it hard to prioritise paying it all off over having fun.
Ooh might be worth me driving over to Essex- I often meet a friend there with his little girl.
jenduck ·
04/07/2012 22:11
Thanks lizardqueenie, but she was definitely disapproving! I made some joke about 3.5 year olds being like that and she was all . Never mind, onwards & upwards, it has helped me to rant! BTW, the Wacky Warehouse is in Chelmsford, it's the smallest one in the country apparently, has about 10 tables & 2 play areas (over 3 floors though). I love it because you can watch DC from where you're sitting. Also worth doing if you use the Dartford Crossing on an even semi-regular basis: get a DartTag. Preload it with £10 & it costs £1 per crossing instead of £1.50.
Duchesse, I love Debenhams 70% off! Never buy stuff there at full price!
DH & I both had really rubbish afternoons, so spent an extra £6 on fish & chips as neither could be bothered to cook, plus £6.98 on 2 bottles of wine, 1 for tonight & tomorrow, 1 for Saturday night when my parents have DC so we can sell at car boot on Sunday (were going to go out, but will have bottle of wine & game of scrabble, so will save money by buying wine now). Wine bought at co-op on credit card, netting me 7p cashback! Woohoo
AdoraBell ·
05/07/2012 05:20
Today DDs wanted to out for dinner, there's a pattern here, so I spent £8 in the supermarket and did burgers at home. Still have enough left to repeat at the weekend. I'm going to get them out if their dad's habit of eating out. Add the £1.20 on road toll and I've come in under a tenner
jenduck ·
05/07/2012 12:19
Spent £2 so far today, on balls from charity shop for DS2's ball tent, which he was given for his birthday. Managed to resist reduced squirty cream (love the stuff!) & chocolate, so good for my waistline as well as my wallet.
Also twigged that I can get an extra £5 a month if I pay £1000 per month into an account I have (they reward you). This is not the main account we use, but I'm thinking I could transfer money in one day, and out the next. Not a huge amount, but it all helps
lizardqueenie ·
05/07/2012 13:19
Afternoon all
Ah Duchesse I am going to have to check out the Debenhams sale now. DH and I really could do with some new pillows for our bed so I will resist adding anything else to the basket.
Rougepizie that takes some doing- well done
Jenduck well if she was being like that its her problem, people can just be a bit too serious sometimes. I googled it last night so I reckon it might def be worth a trip. It would just be timing it right, as much as I love being at home with DD I do enjoy the downtime when she naps in the afternoon, so if we went in the morning she is bound to drop off in the car on the way home. Hmm, might have to make a sacrifice one day though & give it a bash. And good news with your cash bank on your account, a good way to be earning an extra fiver a month, that £60 a year counts on fingers and toes definitely not to be sniffed at.
Today I have spent £1 for a whole mornings entertainment, snack, coffee & biscuit for me at local playgroup. I love it. Also emailed another group yesterday after my decision to be a bit more inventive with entertainment for DD, there is another local church playgroup so emailed to ask if I could come along & also asked if they ran in the hols. Got a reply back today saying that they are not a playgroup but a mother and toddler group! and she actually put an ! in at the end as well. Have I got the wrong end of the stick here? isn't it all much the muchness? No reply to whether they are open in the hols or not so may just not bother with that one. 
Off to see my Nan this afternoon with DD so will stop off on route and buy her some flowers.
lizardqueenie ·
05/07/2012 22:47
louiespence great name btw- yeah I'm still scratching my head about that. I just think what an arse. I like the way she put do come along next week. Bugger off!
I've planned tomorrows spending £4.00 for one o clock club for dd & then creche in the afternoon whilst I use the gym but this is already paid for. Maybe £1 for a coffee for myself at the one o clock club
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jenduck ·
06/07/2012 09:42
Lizardqueenie if you do want to go to that soft play, make sure to go either next week or after the summer hols, as I don't think they do tots time during school holidays. I see a theme of soft play being a spending point for many of us - blooming rain!
The £5 a month from the bank account doesn't sound much, but if I also get £5 a month for using the credit card (then paying it back straight away), all of a sudden that is £120 per year, which is one month's grocery shopping for me!
Went to Sainsbugs last week & was most disappointed with the 'service' at the cafe, so I emailed them to tell them. They emailed me back yesterday to say they had credited my Nectar account with £10 worth of points. I also have £15 off a £75 online shop, and can earn £10 worth of points on that shop too, so would make a £75 shop only £40 (and it is mainly bogofs)! I did struggle, though, to spend that much all in one go!
Yesterday also spent £1.92 in Tesco for foil, tinned tomatoes & instant mash 
Today will probably be soft play with friend, so £2, then need milk for the weekend, so another £1.
Have a good day, everybody, let's hope this rain disappears!
FaceCrack ·
06/07/2012 10:24
Morning all, yesterday was a NSD. Today will be £10-15 in Sainsburys for bits to get us through the weekend, plus an ocado shop to be delivered on Monday to take to our caravan hol! That will be £50 ish as I have £20 off voucher.
I'm doing a night shift tonight so will probably buy an extra large coffee on my way into work.
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