Austere April - Frugaleers continue to the next quarter!

[Leilandri]

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

[prettypleasewithsugarontop]

Thats very nice :)

Alot of my children's mtoys appear to be broken

[Piemother]

Sunday NSD complete success. Yesterday I could have managed it but dd2 quite poorly so I did a 14 quid top up shop invade I couldn't get ouy today. I suppose this can't be helped but the local co op is about one million percent more expensive than aldi etc. annoying.
I am house bound with dd2 today so I will manage a default NSD because I can't go out.
I might have a go at laundry gloop if dd2 naps later

[wheredidiputit]

That's ok Toast. I find if I have these in my cupboards then i can make most dinners without going shopping. I tend to keep 3/4 tins.

We are popping to the zoo in little bit, which will only cost to take the car in, so about £10, if we take it in. My sister pays for Zoo passes instead of christmas presents for the dc, so we can pop up for a couple of hours.

[Fluffycloudland77]

www.free-stuff.co.uk/ if you scroll down there's a 3 month pass to national art galleries, there's some national trust places on there too.

You have to select "the telegraph" when asked where you heard about the offer.

[Alibabaandthe40nappies]

Hi all. March was horribly expensive, as I knew it would be. Lots of family birthdays - DS2 and DH, plus my Mum and others. We have managed to come through it ok though, so we are all square to start April.
Just had our accounts back from our first year trading (DH is self-employed) and there is a bit more profit than we thought so that is all staying in the business as a bit of a buffer against future lean times.

Yesterday we spent £5 on a small top-up shop. Today has been a NSD really, although I'm expecting the garage to ring any minute for me to pay the service and MOT bill on my car before they drop it back. We budget for car expenses like this separately though so it doesn't come out of the monthly pot.
Tomorrow I will need to get bread and milk, so probably £6-7, and I will need to fill up my car.

[Fluffycloudland77]

What about using net mums for selling? Their local pages are meant to be better than ours. Maybe they do selling?

We should do selling on here, it would be just like the small ads but with mumsnetters.

[Alibabaandthe40nappies]

£273 for a full dealer service and MOt and full valet. Not too bad!

[Fluffycloudland77]

Feck me! My dh is motor trade so I get cost servicing, you forget how much it costs.

Good job it passed the MOT. Good price for retail I suppose. But flipping heck!.

I need to go for a lie down.

[Alibabaandthe40nappies]

Fluffy

That is the interim service. Next year's is the full one and is £100 more.
It is a lovely car though, I wouldn't change it. And the servicing is a lot less than many other premium models. A friend pays £800 a time which is v.eyewatering!!

[northender]

The garage we use have info about a scheme they are in that means that even if you have a warrantied car, you can have it serviced and MOTd at an independent garage providing it meets certain criteria regarding the parts it uses. This is underpinned by law apparently so that you're not forced to have a dealership service (although that's not what they'd have you believe of course). May be worth thinking about though, that's a lot for an interim service even with the MOT.

[northender]

I've only spent £3 on milk and spices for a chilli and £2 for ds' cricket training. Dh's car goes in to have it's exhaust done tomorrow adding to our list of car disasters this year already. Unfortunately it's what comes of running old cars. It hasn't cost us much over the years so can't complain too much. Hoping for a good week otherwise.

[AdoraBell]

Did a top up shop today bumped up by shaving gel. I'm not convinced a man needs 7 quids worth of gunk just to shave, I manage to do it with shower gel at no extra cost. Anyhoo, shopping was £22 and roads £2.40. Shouldn't need much more this week.

[Pluto]

Hello. Please can I join Austere April? NSD yesterday, so a good start to the month. Unfortunately there was an MOT and small job to do on the car today, so waved goodbye to £102. Have emptied cupboards and eaten everything up now..so will have to visit Tesco tomorrow. Determined to pay overdraft off by end of May. It can be done!

[AdoraBell]

Hello Pluto and welcome aboard

I am determined to have my 1st NSD of the month tomorrow.

[lizardqueenie]

Hello all

Haven't been on in about a week & liking the new thread & a warm hello to all the newbies (even though I wouldn't count myself as an oldie )

We had a bit of a very last minute trip away to eurodisney last weekend, just for one night, DH had had a bit if extra money come through & decided to book it last minute. His health has been quite bad recently & we are still waiting for final results so he basically said sod it & off we went. Could have spent a fortune there but were very restrained. If he needs an op/ treatment it could be our last trip for a while.

Anyway on with April- another great way to have a NSD is to potty train! Started with DD on Monday, she's doing well but isn't it boring?!

We may go to local garden centre on Thursday (armed with potty & changes of clothes) to take part in one of their craft sessions which costs £3.

Meant to he having girls night out on Friday & am hoping its just drinks rather than dinner to help my budget as well as my diet.

Have meal planned this week & plan to carefully freeze the leftovers we have. Looking at last months budget have worked out petrol is costing me a fortune for the 3 days a week I work- need to think of another solution but I start so early.

Also should have OT going at work again this month which helped me out last month a lot so will see if I can pick that up whilst the going is good.

Epic post! Keep those purse strings tight ladies

[takeaway2]

Good morning. Yesterday was going to be an NSD but I brought 4 coats to dry clean which cost £15 which isn't bad I think! Today will be an NSD as will go into work for the morning then return home after lunch to pack for our trip up north for wedding. So many things to pack... ! Have a good day everyone...

[Thingymajigs]

Adorabell, I bought DP some everyday value shaving gel a week ago and he has been eyeing it suspiciously since then. He has been trying to use very last drop of his old gel before moving on to it. I don't get it, its shaving gel. Its not as if he has to eat it.
Two NSD's so far if I don't count £1.99 as part of the boys pocket money yesterday. A big Aldi shop needs doing today though so I need to be very careful. We checked our accounts and spreadsheets and its looking like a very tricky month. DP is off to a stag do this weekend which will empty his account no doubt. I will try to stick to £180 on food this month, £20 on household items and £0 on any extras.

[IsThatTrue]

Morning frugaleers

Well I had a NSD yesterday and will again today. But DH has to buy new bolts for the cot bed a friend has given us for ds2 we have been given lots of bolts, none of which fit but as that's saving us ££ on not having to buy a cot bed I can't complain. (and its a nice whinnie the pooh one!)

So I count today as 2, I may need milk tomo but nothing else and fri have lunch and afternoon at a friends so a NSD there, then big dcs are off to their dads for the weekend and I have no plans so me and ds2 shall just potter!

So by next Monday my plan is to have had at least 2 more NSDs to get us up to 4 so far. I do have to pay the credit card next week but as that is budgeted from last months money I don't count that for NSDs. (And gets paid in full every month so not an expense as I count when I spend on it not pay it off iykwim)

Sorry waffling. I hope today is a frugal one.

[prettypleasewithsugarontop]

This has got to stop!

I've started keeping a little cash book on me, so I always know how much I have to spend, I think it's making me worse. I haven't kept it up to date over the Easter weekend, and just logged onto internet banking to update it £38.09 to Tesco over 2 days...three transactions on the one day! I don't even live in town - its their fault I tell you, for having little bits on offer

I think I may have to do the weekly allowance thing...or I am going to get nowhere.

Realistically, what is an amount that I should use to live on for the week, and spend no more money (I would leave my bank card at home!)

Today I do have to go to Tesco though, as I need a few bits for dinner. I have to get korma sauce, and naan bread and some sausages for the kids.

So angry at myself :(

[prettypleasewithsugarontop]

Ohhelpohnoitsa Do you have a Farmfoods near you? I get muller yogurts from there, usually £1 for little stars, sometimes they have the snack pots (choc balls/yogurt) for £1.49 for a big pack. I always try to get yogs from there

[Fluffycloudland77]

I do a weekly shop for food and try not to go near the shops again. It doesn't always work but if dh drinks all his milk or hoofs down all the crisps he knows where the supermarket is, because I'm not paying for gluttony.

6 bags of crisps in two days! Then he says he he doesn't know where his tummy comes from as he only eats the same as me!. Which I why I don't buy crisps.

You know what's cheaper than curry sauces? Curry pastes! I never realised until recently that you use them by adding 2 tablespoons of paste to the pan, plus some creamed coconut in a block for korma obv.

I thought you put the whole jar in and could never work out why anyone would buy them since they are twice the price of jars. Then I realised you get 4 family sized meals out of one jar of pataks.

Dh still has a jar of sauce though, it's more convenient for him.