Austere April - Frugaleers continue to the next quarter!

[Leilandri]

Come and join us for another frugal/thrifty/down-right stingy month!

Thanks for all the tips re veg bolognese. Will just do what I normally do! Have a good weekend everyone. I'm off shortly to London for work ... Grr.

We got home from the caravan last night. I managed 3nsd (7/12) as we took loads of food, drinks, snacks and of course wine with us. My youngest had a tummy bug for half of the holiday so he didn't enjoy it very much and is asking when he can go back. Roll on the summer hols hehe.

www.freestuff.co.uk/2-off-venus-olay-razors/ These razors are £4 in Asda, £2 with this coupon.

There £10.99 in some shops.

Free listing on eBay this weekend.

Well done meglet -I can never seem to get mine below about £300 (£75 p/w) for food shopping despite being really careful and only picking what I need -although we do spend about £10 p/w on alcohol so I guess if we cut that out it would be more reasonable!mama glad you had a good hol-shame your lo was unwell -there's lots of tummy bugs going round-oh well as you said a good excuse to return in the summer!
Easter hols haven't been too expensive for us with a mixture of costly and cheap things.even the costly things I've tried to do as cheaply as possible (eg bowling on discount session,soft play that Ds has membership to so discounted,taking own food).it never fails to amaze me how certain friends just suggest what I'd consider expensive (£40+) attractions willy nilly without a second thought all throughout the hols.
I had put £50 aside to have a girls night out last night but managed to sell my son's bed guard for £10 so used that -only spent £6.10 on 2 pints and had a lift there and back.so managed to haven night out and save the £50.so that was good.hoping not to spend any more money other than for bread,milk and a bit of petrol until next Sunday when I have more money.
Just realised next month is a 5-week month in terms of food shopping and nursery fees so going to be an expensive one as we have our hol and car mot/service.nevertheless am hoping to be able to book and pay for legoland for my sons birthday treat,save some more and pay more off hol.am hoping to save £2000 by cm christmas and got £115 so far (only started saving this month).have a good week everyone and keep up the good work!apologies for the long waffling post!

Groupon do discounted soft play sometimes and bigger attractions, you can get 5% cashback on topcashback.co.uk too.

Rosvita

Do you have to do a shop, could you manage with what you have in the house. I aiming to only go to Asda .I live in the only town in Britain that doesn't have a Tesco. We only have Asda or Sainsburys which I find to expensive. Anyway back on what I started to say I going to aim only to go shopping every other week.

Yes we have enough to last until next Sunday (when I can spend again) other than milk and bread which will be needed.i prefer to do weekly shop as dh and kids would just eat more if we had more in the house at one time.it's always crisps,milk,bread and fruit I have to top up again during the weeks.

I'm late to this thread I know, but I've been following them since January and am really impressed at how hard you're all working and the progress you're making. I've been trying to cut back on spending in the last 6 months or so - I cleared my credit cards last year and am currently at the bottom of a £500 interest free over draft every month. I would really, really like to make some progress towards clearing this as well, as I'm not going to have it forever (student account, 3 years post graduation now!) - and so that's why I'm here. I'd also like to start building up my savings, and have some money to do nice things with, instead of living on the edge all the time. I earn an OK salary, but I'm really good at buying clothes/coffee/meals out, and this is where I need to cut back. I've made a couple of changes recently to breakdown cover/contact lens contracts which is saving me a few pounds each month - not much, but every little helps, right?

So I'm hoping by posting in here I'll have some motivation to do the best I can. I've got car MOT/service/insurance coming up, so the time is more right than ever.

So, for the last few weeks of the month...rent/bills are paid, still to come out is car payment/phone/insurance, & I'll need to buy fuel. Food comes from a joint acc I've already paid into this month. I spent nothing Thursday, yesterday, or today so far...let's go!

Cheap skipping rope for adults

I'm attempting the fortnightly only shop too. I spent £76.50 in sainsburys on wed and that's supposed to last 2 weeks. My food budget is £40 a week so I can have £3.50 in top ups which I think will only be bread if even that. There were free nappies for every 50 spent so the two bags I got (I bought some non food stuff too) were a good saving too.

Today hasn't been a NSD I spent £18 on two lots of cafe food and a small gift for a v well behaved dd1. Not essentials but the day out was the aquarium which since we have a pass was free.

I spent £13.50 getting DS new trousers and dd school tights today. Also had to buy yoghurt, milk and nappies. Also spent £10 in Claire's on birthday present bits but they should have been £33 (thanks whoever posted about that particular offer) a few moshy monster things and hello kitty so they will save in the long run.

Tomorrow will be a NSD.

Fluffy cheers for that link. I am gearing up for a fitness drive once DS1 is back at school on Monday - 5 minutes outside with that will be a good start!

NSD - or it was until Fluffy's link

Hi
Can I join?

I have a target of £50 for the rest of April - should be ok as I have meal planned for the end of the month!

This month we have MOT, car service and car insurance due, three bedrooms to carpet and redecorate & our boiler is acting a bit dodgy so really need to tighten our belts.

Spent £20 on meat today but that should last us for about 10 days.

Welcome Coctails

I've been norty today, as well as forrin, ordered a case (only 12 bottles) of beer. A neighbour is from the Chec (sp?) República another forrina and has started making beer, t'is lovely. Topped up on a few bits so that I can stay home Mon & Tues and get things organised, £30 Had To refuel the car yesterday, that was £80.

Oh, and I always put mushrooms in my bolognaise, never tríed it with Marmite tho, Worcester Sauce ocasionaly and red wine when I'm feeling decadent

Welcome cocktails.
We had a spendy day yesterday but it all had to be done iyswim. Hoping for a very low spend day today and then a low spend week to follow. I know the weekend of the 26th is going to be an expensive one so trying to prepare for it as much as possible and keep costs down. The weekend after is fil's 70th birthday so unavoidable spending too.

Keep up the good work everyone

NS weekend here. I just realised I've only spent 20% of the month's food budget so far. We were away over Easter but it's still good going for us. We're only just beginning to run out of things do I've decided to aim for 50% of the budget and see how we go.

Just about to book a holiday for half term - hopefully there'll be some last minute cottage deals on!

NSD here, was going to buy salad as I forgot it yesterday but CBA

Really good day here. It was the final performance of dd's show which was great [proud mum emoticon]. Then had rellies back here for food which went down extremely well. The only spend was about £10 on drinks, chocolate, sweets etc at the show (it was for a good cause so didnt do the frugal thing and take our own.

Spendy day today! Present for friend's new baby, new pjs for the DSs (unnecessary, should have resisted), nappies, apples, armbands.

Tomorrow might be a NSD, not sure yet.

With it being the school holidays I have used loads of fuel, so I'm going to have to fill up again before the end of the month. Eeek the budget is going to be squeaking, I'm going to have to sit down tomorrow and plan through the rest of the month and see where we are.

Managed a NSD yesterday - even stopping myself from bidding on things on eBay!

Today I need milk & juice (again!!) and the boy needs a haircut. I also need birthday cards for my nephew so am planning more NSDs for later in the week.

NSd yesterday as we didn't go out
Today we are trying a new activity for dd1 which is free but I assume I will have to book and pay if I want her to do it. I'm always impressed how cheap activities are once they arnt babies though. Most if dd's are 3.50 a session. Everything seems cheaper after bastard water babies! Dd2 still costing me lots.
I might go to soft play afterward which will be a fiver plus a bit more for a coffee etc for me but we will eat lunch at home so works out cheaper than previous routine.

Yeah have had another 2nsd so on 9/12. Im going to try the fortnightly shop which everyone is talking about and see if it saves me any money. Every penny counts as the saying goes.