Austere April - Frugaleers continue to the next quarter!

[Leilandri]

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

Spendy weekend. Friday spent £60 at waitrose. Saturday went to asdas in the hope of getting some costume for Dd but ended up getting a picnic umbrella and a birthday present for a 5 year old. £45 or so.

Today spent £4 on ice lollies but brought a picnic to the park so saved us on a lunch out which would have cost us at least £30 so that was good. Went to Wilkos to get a rotary clothes airer as our clothes line died during winter (wasn't ours, came with the house so it was years old probably). £27.

£4.48, on bus fares, milk and bread. I earned £2.40 from Cash for Clothes too.

Spendy day yesterday, groceries including boots and jeans for both DDs (from supermarket) set me back £130, plus I squandered £30 on a CD for me, 2 DVDs and a book for DDs. £3 on parking and £2.40 on roads. I won't need anything else until the tail end of the week when the dog food is likely to run out.

The CD I bought has been played about 12 times already, so I'm not apologising for it

This morning cost me £2 on the way to school and I was early enough to return on the old road, brought my coffee back home and poured it from flask to mug. The new year price increase has made a huge difference to local traffic as the new road is now too expensive for many, many road users. Still the only way to get to school on time though.

Well, only a toothpaste and a mans antiperspirant for my feet in the hot weather today (hollow laugh). Went to superdrug as its own brand stuff is BUAV approved and I'm a bunny hugger.

Bought a car at the weekend but no deposit and I'm surrendering the road tax. It should be cheaper to run hopefully.

I've sold lots on eBay recently, things like hair tongs and old straighteners that I only listed as it was free listing. If you go on the Royal Mail site it lets you look up postage prices so you don't underestimate the costs. One of our post offices seems to charge less than the other too, most peculiar.

There's lots of offers on sunscreens at the moment too, it's best to stock up so you don't end up paying more when the summer comes.

£6.60 for DS school lunch but that was it! Yay. Brought my own lunch so that was fine. Roll on tomorrow should be NSD.

It's got two bank holidays though.

It was March with 5 weekends I think.

Fluffy Defo right to stock up on sun block, I always do that because we need it year round what with being pasty faced forrina's

So, only the road tolls today - practically an NSD close as I'm going to get while OH is away anyway

DDs need yet more underwear, that'll wait until I need dog food. I'm aiming for no more than 2 trips into town per week.

Finally managed another nsd so 12/12. Everyone now is a bonus. Im trying to stay away from the shops and do my shopping next week as I should have enough to last so fingers crossed.

Been mad busy here so just checking in.

I think you have to tell us what the CD is before we'll let you off Adora ;-)

I still have half of my food budget for the month left. I think this is due to stocking up in earlier months. Really pleased with that so I'm knocking £50 a month off the budget.

Few NSDs planned this week and I get paid on Friday.

Going well this month.

Is super drug cheaper for toiletries? We don't have B&M or pound stretcher here. We have Wilkinsons and Lidl. Sick of paying £££££ for toiletries. Aldi is too far away for top ups.

It depends how brand loyal you are Helena, I don't have any truck with brands, they can all royally fuck the fuck off and fuck off some more when they get there as far as I'm concerned. Apart from aveda hair care. Which I love.

beauty.mysupermarket.co.uk/ This a good site for comparing brands.

I don't use a lot of different products, eg all the liquid soap in this house is plain white bubble bath from sainsbos own make, again BUAV approved, decanted into dispensers slightly watered down.

Other things I use are pretty basic, eg baby oil for eye make up remover, leg shaving.

I'm slowly replacing everything with non animal tested stuff just for my own peace of mind.

Another NSD, so far anyway. Third since last Friday and 4th of the month!

Another nsd aswel so 13/12. Its horrible to think that in this day and age they are still testing on animals for toiletries when there is no need. I think ill go and check my toiletries aswel Fluffy.

Am counting today as an NSD as I didn't spend any money. But dh was pressed to go to sainsbos as DS was having a strop over something. So they went and got something that DS wanted and I lobbed onto the shopping list some coke, bread and something else.

Should be another NSD tomorrow which should take me up to 8? I can't remember now!

Im slowly replacing stuff with sainsburys own brand and superdrugs own brand, co-op do buav approved household cleaners too.

Quick check in - 3 NSDs in a row over the weekend and yesterday, and less than £10 spent today on a top up shop - milk, bread and fruit.
Tomorrow should be a NSD, and Thursday too, Friday the weekly shop is being delivered.

Helena - what are you spending too much on? I use Waitrose own brand eye makeup remover and toner at less than £2 each, and their cotton pads which are about half the price of Boots and often on 3for2.
Dove shower creme which I only ever buy when it is half price, so £2 for a 500ml bottle which lasts me and DH about 8-9 weeks.
I also like Aveda shampoo, but I order it online and pay about £28 delivered for a 1000ml bottle which lasts me almost a year, conditioner is also an expensive one but lasts 9 or 10 months having spent £12.50.
I won't talk about facial skincare, it is my indulgence but I do shop around and generally order online and get 40-60% off.
Toothpaste is the killer for me, it is really pricy even when on offer.

I was looking for an NSD today but thought stuff it and went today to get the dog food and undies for DDs.

So, roads, realised I've been miss calculating the expensive one, it's closer to £2.55. And that only gets me as far as school or local shops. I loitered for an hour and then went into town, another £2. Bought dog and puppy food -£80 too many bloody dogs undies for DDs were just under £15 plus another £8 on socks for them. Used the old road coming back, £1.20.

That's my lot for the week other than morning road tolls and a top of veg near the weekend. bugger just remembered I'll need petrol again.

I have replaced my skin are for cheaper brands. I swapped the Boots protect & perfect serum for the Aldi one and I actually think the Aldi one is better. I'll have a look at Waitrose skin care - thanks for that tip.

I rely on hair products because I have thin, flat, crap hair. I use VO5 volume spray and a mousse. I'm not fussy about shampoo, soap or shower gel. Toothpaste is expensive. I don't like the Aldi ones so I just wondered if they might be cheaper in Wilkinson or superdrug.

I'd like to find decent cheaper make up too. Boots have put my favourite lipstick up to a tenner.

Not a NSD today - I just booked a half term holiday!

Helena it's a Mexican group, Reik (sounds like rake but with a very definite R) which I can't get on iTunes because I registered with a UK credit card which gives me access to lot's more than my friends here can access, but not Latino music because it thinks I'm not in a Latin zone. Anyway, I'm still not apologising, so ner! I need music to listen to, especially when the financial roller coaster swings into action, and radio stations here just don't aren't doing it for me lately.

I found them on the web Adora! A fab version of "Stay" complete with spoof East17 video!!

How bonkers that iTunes is region specific in a world where people travel and work overseas more than ever!

Planning a NSD today.

Amazon can be a cheap source of lippies etc, ELF gets mentioned on style and beauty.

Just ordered dh an e cig trial, he's still in denial about smoking and says yes he needs one but not because he smokes.

Half term holiday sounds fab, you need treats. It can't all be packed lunches and laundry gloop. I've had very tempting emails through for holiday cottages, it's a good job I don't have a credit card or I'd have booked one.

www.thechicfashionista.com/seasonal-color-analysis-2.html This helps you to decide what you're colours are, if that kinda thing floats your boat. I'm a deep, clear winter. It's meant to make shopping easier because you look for the right colours when shopping. I can't afford to get my colours done, and it always makes me think of Bridget Jones Diary.

There's a really good thread in S&B about being frugal with clothes, only buying what you need, dying clothes a different colour to re-vamp them and planning a wardrobe so that you always have something to wear. You can imagine I am loving that thread.

There's an Aldi voucher in The Mirror tomorrow, £5 off a £40 spend.

I think the Aldi serum actually beat the Boots serum in tests, I will be doing my own taste test on the Cromwell gin at some point after it beat Bombay sapphire gin in one of the industry awards. I will let you know what it's like and I hope you appreciate the effort I go to.

Ohhelp hope you are feeling more rested now.

Helana I haven't seen that clip, will have to have a peek. The thing with iTunes is the licensing. Not everything is realised world wide and many things are released in the US first. DDs have had to wait how tragic for movies to be realised in the UK before I can download them.

Fluffy I'm sure everyone will be very grateful for your enormous gin testing efforts

Had to get petrol on return from school, £60 - plus my £2.55 (can you tell this is now bugging me?) one way road toll and I refuse to spend anything more today.