Judicious June... the frugaleers continue!

[ArtemisatBrauron]

For those who like to plan ahead... god why is it not pay day already...

Little cat still in vets, still touch and go. If he does survive, he will need lots of management at home too.

Anyone want to guess at how much the vet bill is so far?

It was £300 on Sunday. It is £100 a day for fluids (so another 2 days of those). £70 for blood tests (1 of those today, one in a couple more days). I'm sure there will be other random stuff on there too. Then there will be the meds/specialist diet/all other stuff we need to bring home with us tomorrow when we get him. I'm going to be counting my change from 1k, aren't I?

I also might be taking him for a second opinion consultation.

Does anyone want to buy MY kidney?

A good day here at last
Dh made me laugh this morning. He set off at the crack of dawn to go to Glasgow for the Springsteen concert (him and his friend go early and queue to get a good spot at the front). He packed a flask, cold drinks, and food and has been texting me to tell me how little he has spent. He is a true frugaleer convert. That's the deal, he can go as long as he spends minimal extra money. His mate is in a similar position so that helps.

£16 on leave in conditioner (fuck it, I'm worth it) from Aveda

£3 on MUA, 2 kohls and a translucent powder in a dark shade, bronzers too glittery. I want to look sun kissed not tangoed.

Kinky, they say you are never rich with a child ... but I think you could include animals in that too. When my dog had to be put down it came to £1200 - for all the emergency care, trying to keep him in the land of the living etc. The problem is, they are so much a part of the family that money is the last thing on your mind when they are sick. I hope kinkycat makes it - the world is a less lovely place without them in it. Thinking of you. x

NSD 6! Got back from work at 8.45pm though. Knackered beyond belief. Going to bed now. Hopeful for another NSD tomorrow. Bringing lunch to work.

You most definetley are worth it Fluffy

Kinky hope little cat recovers and doesn't cost both arms &legs. Just spent £30 in supermarket. £5 on a snack and DD1 has spent 75 pence on an eye pencil. Off home now.

Kinky sending you positive vibes for your cat. I remember when ours had fluid on her lungs (due to heart failure I think, she lived another 3 months then suffered a heart attack ) the vet told us the treatment was going to be £500 and asked if we wanted to put her down as a cheaper option. I was so glad I had the money, I can't imagine how I would have felt if we didn't have that option.

Adora hope your OH comes to his senses soon. Good luck with the viewing.

I was almost going to say I had a NSD but just remembered I did the Ocado shop, £70. Made the mistake of browsing offers rather than sticking to my list but put some of them back to bring it to £70. I guess that's still a lot by many people's standards. I do buy organic/free range meat & eggs. For the moment I can afford it but I think I will try to incorporate some more veggie dishes in the meal plan.

They didn't turn up, in fact they made the estaré agent turn around a few kilómetros from here as it was 'too far'. He's Spent the entire day showing them around other properties and they were tired. OH is going to try to speak to them. I'm not sure if it will work, normaly he could sell umberllas to fish but I think the cultural diference will have a negativa impact.

After my shopping I paíd £2.40 on roads and £1.80 on parking.

North glad your DH is being frugal at the concert and I hope he enjoys it. Not a huge Springsteenfan myself but it's been so long since I've been to a concert I think I'd jump on any ticket.

Tomorrow should be an NSD, and I didn't get to the stables to speak to them because of making sure the house was spotless for Viewing

Spangle - it's really sad, isn't it? I am thankful that I have a credit card! It must be just awful for people who haven't got the money - which at the moment will be lots.

rogue you're not kidding. I get the feeling we will be spending lots but not getting very far. However, I need to know I tried my best for him.

Thanks Adora too.

Good luck with keeping frugal today. I'll get the first bill this evening.

House sellings full of let downs isn't it? We had people not turn up to viewings or turn up just to basically have a nosey round.

Some vets let you pay off large debts in instalments, don't forget a vet is legally obligated to offer life saving treatment to an animal if you take it in. They are not allowed to turn you away because you can't pay at the time.

Adora that's crap of your prospective viewers. Still, if they're the type to fold so easily over just a viewing, think how much hassle they might have been as buyers.

NSD today, hooray :)

Yes Fluffy we had people just nosing around when we sold one in the UK. Also had one person here come back a second time to ask things in detail about the heating and construction then when we asked agents for feedback she couldn't remember ever having looked!

These agents are very good though and vet people first. They deal with some expensive properties and had a guy a few weeks ago who was just looking for houses to see where he could break in. These ones yesterday though had the agents running all over town all day.

I'm on track for an NSD today, at last.

NSD 7! Brought lunch to work.

Adora - I hate this whole house selling malarkey. Huge sympathies. We did it 2 years ago and it was madness. It makes me wonder why people are keen to buy/sell houses in this country (or anywhere else for that matter).

6 quid over on my shopping and I still need to go to aldi. It was because I went to tesco :-( only has time to get to a shop on the way to the next errand. I did forgo quite a bit to leave for aldi so maybe it will come right. I bought bread flour and yeast so I can have a go at making focaccia the kids are bread addicts. Anyone bake bread?

raaraa I bake bread, no expert though - just do basic loaves/rolls and occasionally buy those mixes where you just add water.

£14.20 train and £9 M&S on lunch (had nothing in) and milk/coffee/biscuits because I was hosting a meeting. I am a civil servant and they don't provide any refreshments in the office for meetings even when people have travelled. As it turned out my consultants bought coffee & cake en route - which they will then bill us for as expenses

Bit cheeky isn't it? Like inviting someone to dinner and letting them pick up the bill.

£1 on a pizza.

Exharperted sorry, didn't see your message but yes, I was thinking the same. I can't say much but with the 'kind' -not meaning race or religion- of people they are I was too stressed to sleep the night before.

OH has a bee in his bonnet about it and is on a mission to get these people to buy the house he's just been to their hotel to try to speak to them but they had checked out. I really don't think he's doing us any favors with this course of action, but he thinks it's a good idea.

I'm currently waiting for DD2's turtle to move to the front of the tank so I can take him out for some sun.

Takeaway I'm of your 7 NSDs

Or like inviting someone for dinner only for them to have brought their own food and then give you the bill for it! Just one of many things at work which are supposedly about cost saving but actually just moving the cost elsewhere.

Oh adora - I hope your house thing sorts itself out. Why would dh go to the hotel to persuade them to buy it???

Everyone - what do you think of buying from aldi/lidl? I'm a big fan of it because my shopping now costs at least half of what I used to spend and it's great but I was talking to a colleague today who was banging on about how broke/in debt he is (he earns the same as me more or less as has similar age kids but his outgoings are more than mine due to his rent etc). And I said that I'd halved my shopping at aldi and he started saying how he wouldn't buy from a supermarket esp like aldi.

But aldi do the red tracker type British chicken/beef etc. I don't buy other frozen meats except for fish fingers type things. I buy crisps, biscuits, choc, wine (for school fete!), fruit, veg, soap, washing powder, loo roll etcetc all from there and it's been fab!

I probably will shop at sainsburys this weekend because I have a coupon and because I need to pay on credit card (due to running v low on cash!) but seriously is there something wrong with the aldi meats??

I'm a confirmed Aldi shopper, it's food snobbery that keeps people out of there. This suits me fine because newbies clog the checkout up.

I'd imagine the animal welfare is as good/bad as any other supermarket.

I'm vegetarian but I don't feel bad buying Dh's meat from there.

You can buy organically reared meat but its still got to be slaughtered.

Smile and nod when he whinges about money.

I love Lidl :) I get most meat from butcher or farm shop, but we are spoilt for choice with those round here and they are really good value. Also don't eat meat every day - I was veggie for years, it does keep the cost down. Lidl is great for storecupboard stuff, fruit and veg, household items etc. No shame here. I'm just sorry there isn't an Aldi near us as well.

I love Aldi. A carrot is carrot whether it's from Aldi or Waitrose and as I make 99% of our food from scratch I may as well pick the cheaper option. We're veggie in this household too so I can't comment on meat but I'm sure that ALL supermarkets comply with the legal minimum and if they do over and above they put a 'you can feel good buying this' type sticker on it so I doubt Aldi is any worse/better than the others. As for other things I'm not too bothered about price if it works. I bought a huge bottle of Persil liquid that supposedly gets things clean on a quick cold wash, it couldn't get out a tea stain on a long 40 wash so I reverted to making my own and adding a bit a vanish occasionally.

Should have been nsd but foolishly agreed to treat dc to after school ice cream. Even more foolishly bought individual ones instead of walking an extra 2 minutes and buying a multi pack from the supermarket. Will do better tomorrow.

takeaway did you see any of my posts about his current location - up his own rear end? In short he doesn't want to sell, this is coming across and the estate agent called him on it so he is now on a misión To prove he wants To sell. We actually need To sell, me moré than he realises as my partience has run out.

Laundry Gloop. I don't use borax but you can buy genuine borax on eBay.