September is here and our money-saving steps up a gear

[economymode]

Starting us off for September. Newbies and old hands welcome!

Thanks for the recipe Leilandri - sounds like just the sort of thing I like, and I have rosemary and thyme growing in pots, and garlic in storecupboard, so just need to buy a lemon. Perfect.

Today I have spent...nothing! If you don't count the horrific amount of DDs that go out of my account on/around this day.

Was very tempted just now to pay to download some audio conversion software to sort out some unplayable music files I have sitting on my computer, but gritted my teeth and dug around on google until I found some freeware that did the same job. Hurrah!

Sorry to hear about the unexpected spending economymode. At least he was shelling out on something medical...not as unjustified as something more frivoulous.

True, riverboat. I was just a bit shocked as I thought it was going to be the same as his normal dentist appointment (£17). Oh well, onwards and upwards.

Fluffy I do wonder. DH's dad has always been shit with money, he drank all their cash.
My dad was really poor growing up, and so is horrified about high ongoing spending (supermarket, household items etc) but will splurge sometimes.
DH is useless. No concept of budget at all but he does love a bargain even if we don't need it
One of my brothers is useless, the other very good.

Argos/boots/amazon almost ALWAYS have offers on electric toothbrushes.

You might even get cashback via quidco.

DH has dentist spending issues too! Electric toothbrush last time, electric flosser this time. NHS but never seems to get change from £100 .

I know, fluffy, I'm planning on getting him for the cheapest one!

To his credit, he is very good with money. I was just a bit taken aback about how much that appointment cost on the NHS (and the fact he didn't tell me how much it was going to be). Or maybe he just gets the actual dentist on NHS and any extras are done privately (we go to different dentists so don't actually know the ins and outs).

ecomony we pay a v.small fee to see the actual dentist, I think £22, but the hygienist is essentially private so that costs £50 or possibly a bit more.
I do think the way that dentists have somehow opted out of the NHS is a bit suss

ah, well that makes more sense, alibaba! I am still on my parents' Denplan cover (have offered numerous times to pay them, but they refuse) so never actually pay to see the dentist/hygienist (they went private years ago). I guess I'll get a bit of a shock when my dentist retires (probably sooner rather than later, I've been going to him for 29 years!) and I switch to NHS, which is the plan.

Fluffy I reckon you are right, that's why child benefit was paid to the mother initially. My late father once lost the holiday money gambling, and he didn't have a "problem" as such.

I'm too tired right now to read through, just wanted to report my day's spending. Somehow managed to rack up £20 in the supermarket, £46-ish on petrol, £60 on dog food. Speaking of irresponsible men, mine bought two puppies who need feeding, vaccinating, de-worming, kennelling for our holidays, neutering and anti-flee-ing. We already had two dogs.

I also got the Xmas gift I'd ordered - £40, but it's out of the way now.

Tomorrow should be an NSD apart from road tolls, Wednesday I have to go into town.

Morning all!!

Well today has been a NSD so far - which for me is nothing short of a miracle. Porridge brought from home and coffee made at work. Bagel also brought from home for lunch...huzzah!!

I do need to spend £2 at M&S on the way home for rostis though but this was planned for and factored into the total amount of cash I withdrew last night for the rest of the week.

I'm up in the big smoke for the rest of the week so need to spend a small fortune on train tickets, but I'll be able to reclaim this from work over the next couple of weeks.

Fluffy - I know, I know - it's very shameful that I'm an accountant with my own money issues......hangs head in shame! I'm not sure about the business accounts. It's been a while since I've done personal accounts - I'm now in the big bad corporate world . I've still got friends who do personal accounts though so I'll have an ask round about what business bank accounts they're recommending to their clients.

In other news DH LOVED his Lidl sandwich meat yesterday! He was very very about me doing the weekly shop there on Saturday but he has been pleasantly surprised so far. .

Hope everyone else is doing ok.....

Does anyone have any inexpensive present ideas for a four year old girl who already has EVERYTHING? We are going to her (massively large scale) birthday party on Saturday. She is very girly and loves princesses, pink things etc. Her parents are pretty rich, hence large wedding-esque party, and she has so many dolls and Barbies and Disney stuff already. I need an idea for a nice but not too expensive present...

Whoops. £14 at the shop. Got some newspapers and a magazine for DD, plus some juice and a couple of treats.

river How about a stationary/making things/painting hamper?

All that stuff ischeap atm because of school.

Shoop, My dh was just the same so I didnt tell him. I used to decant aldi products into asda/sains wrappers/bottles and see if he noticed. I still do it now with smartprice stuff. Thank you, business banking really annoys me especially as I am always in credit and never go over drawn on that account. It's not like they have to lend to me .

River, would she like some play make up? thinking back to when I was a 4yo (and also spoilt rotten) I loved make up. I had the avon victoria plum range and I loved it. I had some play lipstick, cheek blush, a powder brush and a compact mirror. They do this one now, but I'm sure there are other places that do barbie stuff. Who wouldnt want to wash their hands like Barbie?

Economy, One of the freestuff sites I go to has offers every couple of months for an electric Braun toothbrush for £1, I was going to get one for dh but decided he wouldnt use it. It's www.free-stuff.co.uk. They update every Monday, Wednesday and Friday so they might have it again soon.

river - I think DS might be invited to the same party! We can't go because we're away, and I am somewhat relieved.

I'm about to take the boys out for lunch, just to the Sainsbury's cafe so it should be under £15 for all of us. Then a month's fees for karate due later, £24.

Fluffy we use HSBC Business and get free banking, although we don't do cash transactions so I expect that has an impact. Have to say that they seem very good, we've had no problems and because we also bank with them for personal banking the money moves across from one to the other in seconds - which is helpful when you accidentally pay yourself the money that was meant to go to HMRC for the VAT bill this month

Do you get free banking as a start up incentive or just because HSBC are luffly? I wouldnt object to moving my current account if need be.

£62.68 on a Lidl shop today. At my usual supermarket it would have been £91.71. Spent another £8.44 on tins for Trussel trust food bank so still saved over £20!

Wow, thanks for that link, fluffy. I'll keep an eye on that.

NSD so far, hurrah!

Just 89p on milk today :).

Thanks for that link, Fluffy.

Hi rabbits.

How old is you DS? My DSS has had a growth spurt so have some bits and pieces that don't fit him. :)

Riverboat

I did an oven risotto last night with chicken thighs. Chopped and fried onion, celery, garlic, tomato, chicken & rice, added stock and left to cook in wth oven. The original recipe is Spanish and includes fresh prawns and chorizo, but I'm not spending that money this week. You could add herbs too, I was rushing. I used two thighs and had enough for dinner for four plus packed lunch for 2 DCs, I served left over veg from Sunday.

I use chicken thighs a lot as I prefer them, it's OH who thinks chicken breast is better - silly boy-, you could use them in soups, curries, casseroles, roast, barbieque. Pork chops can be baked, brown them on the hob first, serve with whichever carbohydrate and veg/salad. I sometimes commit the cardinal sin of chopping 1 large pork chop and using it in a pasta sauce whispers for the whole family (2 adults, 2 children).

Today will be an NSD. I am determined.

I failed at no spending today.

The £14.00 earlier at the shop. Then £16 in town for some bits and pieces I needed. Then £10 in the shoe shop for plimsolls. Then £12.75 for two children's haircuts. Plus 95p for my son's bus ticket.

Whoops.

Thanks for the present ideas. I like the idea of something crafty. Will see what I can find in the shops later this week.

Today's spend: ?3.82 / £3.02 in the supermarket on bread, cheese and a lemon. Bread and cheese to ensure I have enough stuff for work packed lunches up to the end of the week, and a lemon because I am cooking Leilandri's chicken thigh recipe from upthread tonight (minus the sweet potato as we had that a couple of nights ago, plus flageolet beans)

Hopefully tomorrow will be a NSD. But on Thursday/Friday I need to do a big food shop, plus buy the birthday present for the party this weekend.

Oh, and thanks for the other recipe suggestions Adora, the risotto one looks great. Do you just bung the thighs in whole and let the risotto cook around them, or do you chop up the meat and mix it in? Do you need to brown it first on hob?

I failed too. Took sil for a cream tea (£11 for both of us and DD shared). We take it in turns, so a future NSD is in the bag . Plus she supplies me with free babysitting, so can't complain...
Otherwise no spending, and about to invoice for work (freelance) before starting to look at big, huge maternity allowance claim form.