Just say NOvember

[economymode]

Want to cut back on unnecessary spending this November? Then you've come to the right place!

I'm starting off the month by seeing if I can switch to cheaper fuel tarrifs...

[littleladyindoors]

Bit of a bargain this week. Hubby is on lates this week (5pm-3am) so he has made a big box of spag bol to take over the next three nights, and our shopping came to under £20 this week. I am using stuff we already have and in the freezer too so good week.
I also got some vouchers for huggies with a kit, and got a £1 off wipes, that are £1 in asda so they were free. Hubby went in today to get a little swimmers kit that I had a £2 voucher off. On the shelf it said it was £3, scanned through the till at £4 (hubby bit his tongue) and then got his £1 refund, and an extra £2 gift card from asda. So they technically paid us to take that away- what a shame!!!!
I am making sure I take lunch every day properly, makes me eat better and im not spending anything. All I have to do is stop myself eating my lunch before 11.30am!!!!!! my mum is in france atm so have been justifying it as im eating on French time lol

[Fluffycloudland77]

Sometimes the freestuff sites have vouchers that will pay for the whole item because one of the big four have an offer. I've had free sanitary towels and a dettoll automatic pump soap thingy. Damn good job it was free too cos it broke down before the batteries had even run out.

Right, well I phoned BT to cancel (who are C*s btw) to be informed that the line rental saver is NON REFUNDABLE. Would it kill them to put that by the side of the offer? would it?. Totally my fault I saw the discount and went for it without researching it.

So if I want to cancel it is £75 plus I lose my line saver money. So for me it works out cheaper to stay as dh uses the expensive stuff on the broadband such as youtube and iPlayer so if we go over limit he pays me the excess.

But come next June I am out of there, never to return. Ever.

Then I can get my new shiny Sky account and get my lovely cashback and BT can fuck the fuck off and fuck off some more when they get there.

The moral of the story is to check the small print and run everything past moneysavingexpert. And to play chess in the evenings so DH isn't watching iPlayer programs he could record for free if he set the DVD recorder up properly. Anyone know the rules of chess? because I'm not 100% convinced I have to take something off everytime I lose a pawn. I'm not even going to write down what we do if one of us loses a Rook.

[AdoraJingleBells]

Nothing wrong with eating on French time. I miss that supermarket thing, when they put the wrong price up. Here they have a bit of catching up to do.

I need to get some veg today, and some yoghurts for OH's breakfast, creature of habit, shouldn't cost much.

[AdoraJingleBells]

Fluffy at the BT thing, although evil corporation etc I'm not really surprised they screw people over IYSWIM. Can't help you with chess, but do you have monopoly, or scrabble? Or a Christmas wish list which includes them

[Fluffycloudland77]

No, it's only chess. He's quite nice and tells me when he's in check and how I should play it. The rules are on the box (perversely it's a kiddies set bought on holiday).

Yes, that's exactly how they make their money. I'm more cross with me for not checking things.

[CremeEggThief]

Oh that is infuriating, fluffy .

Right, £4.40 on lunch, £4.80 on bus fares and 99p on kitchen roll, so £10.59 altogether. Oh and £28 for DS's Cubs, but that came out of the activities budget.

[Leilandri]

Had child benefit paid in today most of it has gone straight back out tho
£43 in Morrisons on top-up, that will have to last til DH's payday on 28th
£35 on storage unit for playroom from Facebook
£3 on some craft supplies for DS1 to make Xmas cards
£9 on chicken bedding and treats
£3 on Xmas pressy for DH

Have to put £10 in petrol in car tomorrow, and get a few essentials that I forgot today my boys can't live without marmite!

[AdoraJingleBells]

Spent £10 on veg,yoghurts and cereal, and £2.40 on the roads.

Plus, £1 on ice-cream for DD1 while waiting , 40 mins, for DD2 to come out of school. Then, of course, DD2 wanted an ice-cream too, and I needed a coffee - another £3. Just remembered last night I collected DD1 from a friend's and forgot my handbag, so I had to use the expensive road at peak time to avoid police officers who are fully entitled to ask to my ID card, cos I didn't have it with me, which is a major no-no. That was an extra £5 lucky I had some cash in the car, I don't usually.

This evening OH finally cleared the vet bill from our holiday in Sept. £800-ish, bought puppy food £40 and paid for 1 dog's treatment over the weekend. He hasn't said how much that was. I have that drowning feeling.

[roguepixie]

Yesterday:
£5.80 on post (Ebay items so essentially a no-spend)
£5.36 on food extras
£2.70 on oyster bus fares

On a nice note I received £25 cash from my boss as a Diwali gift (plus box of Ferrerro Roche (sp?) which have gone the cupboard for Christmas .

Wow Adora that's a sizeable bill. I know that drowning feeling though...for me it's like I can't breathe.

Wishing everyone a good day today.

[Helenagrace]

Managed to get DH to track his cash spending finally. At the moment he's travelling 200 miles for work so he needs cash for taxis etc. I think that a lot some of it is being frittered not spent as wisely as it could be in Costa/Starbucks/Cafe Nero.

At least he's only got four more nights away before we move now.

I spent £10.50 on three weeks' dance lessons and £6 on three weeks' guides subs yesterday.

Today should be £8 on two trampolining sessions and that should be it.

Looks like I managed to save £30 on our food budget this week. Our food budget is generous but we had been overspending on it before I came on here. Going to transfer £30 to savings tonight.

[Fluffycloudland77]

£800 vet bill? No wonder you have a drowning feeling.

There's a theme on here of the men not pulling there weight. I went looking for something in the extension yesterday and found 7 empty fag boxes, £28 or so's worth because they were 10 packs. Then he wonders why he has no money.

I don't pay for meals out anymore, I pay my food and drink and he pays his. It's not how it ought to be when your married but why should one of you be irresponsible and the other act like a grown up.

£32 cashback came from switching energy suppliers in July, going to give them a meter reading when it's in my account so we don't need to raise the DD if we've used extra.

Maybe we should keep husbands in huge compounds with PS3's and a food allowance and just pick them up when we want something off them. It'd stop them spending so much.

[littleladyindoors]

Ouch to £800 Adora, i can see where you are coming from feeling drowned. Good plan fluffy, mine might want his Xbox tho!!! Seriously, I wonder if I am about to have a second child not our first!!!

Well Ive spent 75p today on a loaf of bread from the bakers for dinner tonight, and that should be it.
Got our credit card bill this morning is about £74, so have until the end of the month to pay that off. I think that is doable with cash so Im happy. Then I want to switch to a better card. We dont use it really, only for a few bits, but i think i should be getting something back. I think i might look at tesco or nectar or something like that. Anything I get back from them has to be a good thing.
Hubby was hr and half late home last night so thats overtime too. I kinda dont begrudge the money he paid for the tea fund last night now!!!!

[AdoraJingleBells]

That vet bill did include neutering 2 puppies, and nearly two weeks kennelling, so in reality it's cheap, but it was still around £800. I think I would feel better if OH would stop panicking. I know that's not easy but he's the kind to have £££££££'s in the bank and go on, and on, and on about potential bills 20 years from now. So he delays paying things like this, then forgets, then he's that I haven't paid it yet. And there's not £££££££'s in the bank.

Anyway, I'm not spending money today, apart from the roads.

Rogue that's a lovely gift

Helena could your DH be persuaded to eschew coffee shops, or is it part of the job culture for him?

Fluffy get that compound ready, I'm sending my OH over...

[Helenagrace]

Adora he will give up takeout coffees when we move. At the moment he's working away in the week and has to sort his own food out. When we move he'll be having packed lunches so no need to give money to tax dodging swines like Starbucks and Costa.

I did speak too soon though as I broke down at 10.15. Car is now at the garage. On the plus side though they've run out of courtesy cars so they've given me the dealership's DS3 Sport demonstrator instead ! They think it'll cost around £80 if it's what they think it is.

Outstanding service from the AA this morning though. Attended with 30 minutes, diagnosed the problem and then escorted us to the garage to make sure we got there ok.

[AdoraJingleBells]

I'm having a dim moment, what make is the dealership car Helena, I had mine serviced recently and the dealership has Porsches, but I didn't get one of those for the day

[Alibabaandthe40nappies]

Adora - my DH is similarly disorganised. He forgets to pay things, gets mixed up. He has been shite with money his whole life, I am gradually hauling him into some semblance of organisation.

A few good days here. Christmas shopping on Saturday which all came out of the Christmas pot, and we spent £33 on lunch out for the four of us.
Sunday, Monday and Tuesday were NSDs.
Today I have spent £2.70 on an hour of creche for DS2 while I went to the gym, and then £31 in Sainsbury's.
I need to go back to Sainsbury's later because DS1 needs pjs to wear to school on Friday for Children in Need. None of his existing pjs are suitable for wearing outside the house - they are all too short/come apart in the middle! So maybe another £10 on those? Going to get a 2-pack and then he won't need anymore new ones this winter.

If anyone is heading to Sainsbury's, they have started to get whole salmon in ready for Christmas and are selling them for just £5 a kilo. I bought one and asked them to fillet it, so now I've got enough salmon for 4 generous dinners and it only cost me £10.42!

Tomorrow will be a no spend, and then Friday will be £2.70 for creche plus the weekly shop at about £100.

[Helenagrace]

Adora it's the brand new very trendy Citroen. I usually drive a very sedate seven seater Citroen C4 picasso mum bus so I'm more than happy with the temporary sporty number!! It's nippy and looks very smart.

[Fluffycloudland77]

Porsche drivers dont get porsche courtesy cars, they get Golfs.

Counted the change jar, £15 for christmas fund.

[economymode]

I must say, my husband is very good with money. Maybe he should start giving masterclasses....

Not too spendy recently - £1.50 on playgroups yesterday and today, £2.20 posting ebay sale (cost covered by p&p charges) and £12.99 for father in law's birthday present.

And I found out I get the full whack of maternity allowance, which is £135.45/week. Great, since that's way, way more than I earn in a typical month. Paying those NI contributions really pays off!

And a fixed-term investment I had with the Coop bank matured the other day, giving me £260 interest. That's been moved over to my ISA.

And yes, ouch, Adora!

[Fluffycloudland77]

I still remember the day dh proudly came home with a soap that was only £1.75 per bar. I could have got 6 imperial leather at the time for £1.50.

He does very little shopping these days. Which I am fine with.

[CremeEggThief]

Aw, fluffy, that's actually quite sweet wrt your DH. I'm sitting here, smiling, going, "Aw, bless". That said, the compound is a good idea! :)

£6.06 so far today, on rubber gloves x2, oven chips and a loaf of bread. The Co-op strikes again! I think I may need milk later; not sure we have quite enough for the morning.

Lovely hearing how everyone is getting on.

[AdoraJingleBells]

I don't drive a Porsche, btw would if I had squillions to spare and a spare car for school run, as I'd never get both 11 yr old DDs in a 2 seater

Helena I like the sound of your temporary car

[AdoraJingleBells]

Ali my OH isn't actually bad with money, he was raised to believe they were poor so not true and that he wasn't good enough and so would never earn enough to provide for a family etc thanks FIL hence the panicking when real life throws up bills. End result is he wants to control every penny, but I'm the only adult in the family.

economy YY, your DH should definitely do a master class. Great news re the maternity pay.

[Fluffycloudland77]

[Helenagrace]

Garage has just confirmed the fault is likely to be around £80.

I just saved £60 this year by challenging British Gas on their quote for our boiler contract. They said they'd increased it by £7 a month be because of our "breakdown history" - one breakdown for a faulty pump. The water in our system was sludgy so we paid them £700 to flush and treat the system. I pointed out to them that we had paid them to improve our system so I would leave if they didn't reflect it in our bill. They knocked off £5 a month - result!