Judicious January - Long may the credit crunching continue

[roguepixie]

So, the credit crunching team are into Year 2013. Happy New Year everyone.

Let's continue our cost-cutting, , money saving,penny and pound pinching, NSD ways.

[Fluffycloudland77]

I don't know, it keeps the forum looking tidy if we go over to mrs Deveres thread.

I haven't gone before because it wasn't February.

[Leilandri]

Are we starting a February Thread, or are we all going to pile over to the Frugal Feb thread that someone else started?

[Leilandri]

Wow helena that is some going in Aldi! My monthly shop usually comes in around £130 including all of the above and nappies. Admittedly I never let my cupboards get too bare. I am running everything down in Feb to the bare bones, so I expect my end of Feb shop will be matching that! Well done on using 2 vouchers. Good thinking ;)

Didn't win a bean at Bingo tonight :( Went with a group of Mummies - 1 won £10, 1 won £60 and 1 won £80. Will have to steal their good luck for next time!

[CremeEggThief]

Helena, I like your style! :o

[Helenagrace]

Did my monthly Aldi mega shop - £205!!!

In my defence that is all my packets, tins, jars, drinks, cereals, toiletries, cleaning products, school snacks and juices, baking flour and sugar and bread-making stuff. I also got my fruit and veg for the week and a chicken for Sunday (there was a 30% voucher in the paper for it).

I got a mirror voucher this morning. When I was half way round the store I realised I wouldn't get everything in my trolley so I paid for one trolley load, used my voucher and took it back to the car. On my way back to the store I spotted a newsagents across the road so I popped over and picked up another mirror. I used that voucher with my second trolley load. So I ended up with £10 off!

[northender]

Well done 1st, those are good savings.
Glad you're feeling better cremeEgg.
Good luck at the bingo Leilandri
I've had quite a good week and even a NSD yesterday! The car is back from the garage now and working at the moment. They are 90% sure they have fixed the problem but have no way of knowing for sure so please cross your fingers for me ladies. Still he has not charged us anything yet as he wants to make sure it is fixed and only time will tell. There are still good people around .
I've ordered 300 photos from snapfish but have managed to use a discount code and also had a discount relating to a present that didn't arrive in time for xmas so 300 pics for £17 inc delivery.
I also had problems with a Vertbaudet order before xmas and spent £12 on a phonecall to their customer services dept. Obviously I complained and have ended up with a £20 credit so I'm trying to figure out the best value I can get from that.

I also wanted to say what a fantastic thread this truly is, to you all. It has got me so motivated. I came on it because we have money on credit cards we need to pay off at the end of the year to avoid incurring any interest. However what it has done, in combination with logging all our expenditure, is alert me to the fact that we have been spending too much. I've now devised a budget for this year but another for beyond that once all credit cards are paid off. We have done lots of work on the inside of our house but still have stuff to do on the outside and we will need a new car (hopefully not til next year!). To be able to do all that and build up some savings this needs to be a long term thing.

Phew, sorry for the long post

[1stMrsFrugal]

Hi all. What a lot to catch up on. Helena great news that you have a second interview - good luck!

Some NSDs this week (including today, love free storytime at the library ) and only spend has been top up shops and various bits from Boots for DTD2 who also has the horrible cough, creme I feel for you.

Starting to come to terms with going back to work f/t and DCs seem OK with the idea. Also managed to get 2 new tops and a dress half price in the Boden sale so I have 3 work outfits, just need a few more things and I think I'll be able to manage for a bit.

Have managed to save £33 a month by cancelling security alarm monitoring service and signing up for SIM only contracts for DH & my phones. Put double buggy no longer needed on Gumtree this morning too.

[Leilandri]

Thanks Fluffy I knew someone would know. Aldi it is then! Seen a nice card, so will be under £10 all in for their pressy :)

£1 on a frozen pizza for DH's tea today, as I am out to Bingo tonight. Have a voucher for free entry, and 1 for £2 off a main meal, so hopefully will spend about a fiver. Now I just have to win! would be nice for once

Glad you're feeling better(ish) Creme
Hope your throat feels better soon fluffy and Yay! for TV Licence

[Fluffycloudland77]

More sore! Drove most of the way to work and thought sod this. Had an unexpected visitor and bled all through my work trews. Apologies to male lurkers!. Ta for asking.

Just cancelled my tv licence, they need evidence before I get my refund but they can't think what I could provide as evidence. So that'll be interesting.

Off to get milk now.

[CremeEggThief]

Yay, Economy! Enjoy :).

Fluffy, it hadn't been done in a week and a half! I could only manage a 10 minute whizz around, but it looks so much better. Right, quick clean of downstairs loo next, then I can have another Lemsip and read for an hour before I have to get DS. BTW, how's your sore throat today?

[economymode]

Just been paid £100 for the work I did last week. And have invested it in a Panasonic breadmaker (feel my wrath,if it doesn't work, people...). I got it from Lakeland and managed to combine three codes to get £15 off,so worked out at just over £100.

[Fluffycloudland77]

50p daily mirror.
£2.50 5kg of co-op potatoes, their smart price version.
£8 chick crumb for cat litter (don't need it but was passing so got some)
£28 for 20kg of sunflower hearts for the bird table so the cat has something to watch.

Need milk but dh will pay for it and half the potatoes.

You must be feeling better if you can vacuum creme!

[economymode]

Hurrah for a better Creme!

If anyone has a nectar card, you can get 50 free points just by answering a few questions. Took me under 1 minute.

£7 so far today - £1.50 on playgroup and then £5.50 on lunch at a community cafe for me and EconomyBoy. I don't eat out often but couldn't face making lunch. Plus I hope the 2 mile round trip pushing the buggy will help get EconomyBaby moving.

Oh and 50p for the Mirror and its Aldi voucher.

[CremeEggThief]

Thanks again everyone. You're all so lovely :).

I'm feeling MUCH better compared to yesterday, although still rubbish and not-quite-all-there. I managed a shower and to take DS into school this morning; I'm just doing a bit of admin type stuff on the computer now; and after lunch, I'm going to drop my books back at the library; attempt to vacuum downstairs and clean the downstairs loo, and maybe even empty the rubbish. The fact I can smell it must be a good sign, right?

So far, £2.80 on travel and I also need to get some dry cat food and pay my CM £10 later.

[AdoraBell]

Creme

Hope you're feeling better today. Please don't beat yourself up over a lack of gourmet meals when you're under the weather. Mine get "pic nic" dinners sometimes, bits and pieces of no-cook food. Cheese, ham, crackers, bread, fruit, chopped veg or un-chopped salad, yoghurts, fruit, nuts and the crowning glory -biscuits

Yesterday I committed to $4 (yep US dollars) per week for an online diet/excersise thingy. I need a bit of motivation and this one looks like it'll work for me. Other than that it was an NSD.

[Thatsinteresting]

CremeEgg - I hope you're feeling better. Don't feel bad a about your ds. A few weeks back both me and dh had vomiting bug so for dinner our Dc (both under 5) got plain pasta followed by a satsuma that the older one peeled. I was in bed at the time and Dh said that was the best he could manage. They eat well most of the time and know they are loved so a couple of hours exceptionally rubbish parenting hasn't done them any harm. I'm sure you more than make up for that brief lapse the rest of the time.

Food budget has gone a bit wrong as I forgot that my dsister was coming to visit and it's just easier all round to buy pizza. I did use cashback and a voucher though. Take out pizza is SO expensive even when reduced. Apart from that I've spent £20.72 but need some more milk and some lemons, which I'll get from Aldi for 39p. My ds did bring with her a bottle of wine, small box of luxury chocolates, 18 'home-grown' eggs and 25kg(!) of potatoes so I did alright out of the visit. She also bought some nearly out of date mince pies but I'm not ungrateful.

Ali- I'm taking a break. I was only working one day a week but it was at the weekend and we felt family time was very lacking. I spent ages going over our budget. I'm sure we'll survive and it's not forever but I want to be at home at the weekend now pfb has started school.

Helenagrace- Good luck with interviews.

Pay day next week, think we're on target.

[Fluffycloudland77]

Aldi Fletchers ruby port is £6. It's won awards and is lovely. We had some at Christmas and it was nicer than Taylor's reserve.

[Fluffycloudland77]

I'd love to have chickens . My cat would love me to have chickens too, I'd have to constantly buy new ones to keep the numbers up.

You'll be better in a few days CremeEgg, the first part of a virus is fucking vile but your body will be frantically making antibodies. I have a sore throat now in sympathy, caught from Dh's virus which has gone to a chest infection as usual.

Cancelling TV licence tomorrow. So excited.

[Leilandri]

Could someone going to Aldi in the next few days possibly do me a favour?
Could you look to see if they sell a Ruby Port, and if so how much it is please?

It's my DParents Ruby Anniversary in March, and although I can't afford much - 40 years together deserves some sort of recognition! There is no Aldi in our town so it's a 30 mile round trek, which I won't be making til March, so need to budget in advance. :)

[CremeEggThief]

A big thanks to everyone for all their good wishes. It means a lot to me.

I had a little cry earlier, as I felt like a rubbish mum. I made pasta and pesto for dinner, with grated cheese, and even that was almost too much of an effort! I didn't even cook the pasta for long enough.

I just felt if only STBXH hadn't walked out, DS would have been looked after in the way he deserves. I know he's ten now, and I should probably try to look on the bright side about that. It's so scary, knowing there are so many other LPs out there with much younger DC and no help at all. I have nothing but awe and admiration for them, as it is so bloody hard when illness hits, even at this age.

Anyway, I'll stop there for now, as I don't know if I'm even making any sense.

[Leilandri]

Hope you feel better soon creme

Spent £1.57 in morrisons on 3packs of Savers Hot choc slightly addicted but it's cheaper than chocolate and £1 on choc sponge as DH txt me as I was finishing work to say that DMiL had stopped by for coffee and cake on way home from work Was yummy tho!

And in other news - my chooks have FINALLY started laying eggs! Getting 3 a day :) Just need the warmer weather now to start the big Grow at the allotment.

[HearMyRoar]

Spent £2.50 on fruit today. Will need to buy veg tomorrow as I have none at all. Also its a friend's leaving thing which I promised I'd go to for an hour or so, but I will be drinking lime and soda so a couple of quid at most.

[economymode]

Didn't spend anything today, but that's because I forgot my wallet and couldn't pay for stay and play.

Hope the Creme contingent feel better soon.

[Alibabaandthe40nappies]

cremeegg :( Hope you feel better soon.

jenduck well done on tax return. I've just done mine - they owe me £6. Woo

helena good luck. It is soul destroying waiting to hear back on things, and places can be so rude about not even telling you when you haven't got something!

storm - £300 and whatever it was is really, really impressive. Hats off to you.

NSD today.

[jenduck]

Poor CremeEgg (& your DS). Hope you feel better soon.

Fluffy thanks for tip on Aldi voucher. Will let DMIL goes as she is a convert to it (not one very near here)

Helenagrace love those cashback sites! Even 20p here & there adds up - we got our Tassimo for just £4 cash because the rest was paid for using cashback we had saved over a few months.

Today was not quite the NSD it should have been Didn't have the fee for Edward Bear, so will pay double next week. But spent £2.27 in Co-op on grapes, a swede, hot cross buns & pains au chocolat (all reduced). Then a further £1.75 on an as new zippy for myself from charity shop (very naughty, I have no excuse).

Tomorrow is library in the morning for story time, will pop into a different charity shop then & check out newsagent for reduced goodies. Then park in the afternoon with some friends, will make sure to take drinks & snacks so won't spend anything there.

Whoever it was that was disappointed to have missed the Tesco clubcard points with Blinkbox - I got an email today saying you can still do it by 8th February! So still plenty of time!