Sashaying into September savings, the frugality continues....

[Fluffycloudland77]

NSD.

Fuck me, 28?.

Welcome puffy. What kind of party did you want to throw for him?

Claret - a nice jacket or cardi might brighten up the black dress? A colleague wore all black and a grey jacket and it looked great.

Spent about £20 yesterday including new pjs for DS from sainsburys. Today spent £7 on coffee and cake at carluccios after a speedy look around fenwick for clothes. I will head back there tomorrow without the children and hopefully get some nice additions to the wardrobe. I know not very frugal but I'm hoping that if I add some nice pieces every season I will be able to be happy with my clothes eventually.

I've recently thrown out perfectly good clothes but which ride up my belly (so no good to me!). After dc2 who is 3 year old, I've never been able to lose my jelly belly. So I need tops or tunics or things that will cover my belly without me having to pull it down all the time. Yes I could do exercise but I seriously have not much time beyond walking DS to school a couple of times a week (if I don't need the car for work or any other reason). I guess I need to tone as I'm a size 8... Just with a wobbly belly.

Spent possibly £5 at the gym with the kids buying snacks. I did bring snacks but I was fine with the snack purchases as it somehow fed 4 kids! (Had friend's kids as well).

Have a good weekend everyone!!

Hi everyone . Just wanted to ask for a few tips please ! Currently a sahm with 5 mo DD , hoping not to have to go back to work. However I am dreadful with money. A lot of the time I find it very difficult being on my own in the flat with DD so tend to take her out a lot - meet friends for lunch or coffee usually. However this all adds up. What are some nice ideas for getting out and about with a LO and not spending money. I find going for walks etc a bit depressing around where we live so 9 times out of ten find it easier to pop in to town and end up spending.... Help !!

Welcome puffy!

£3.65 spend today in milk and, ahem, biscuits. I've got family visiting this weekend so really looking forward to that. I am hoping that my DS decides to take his first step while his great granny is here. He is so close so maybe.

Evening iheartshoes. It is hard not to spend loads isn't it? I have a 14 month and work part time. With winter coming I'm racking my brain as picnics in the park are no longer an option. Do you live somewhere that has baby groups? My local children's centre do 'stay and play' and sessions like that are free or a tiny fee. My nearest soft play is £1 for non walkers and hot drinks aren't expensive. Maybe not an option for a while but local library? Mine has a children's area with a table and crayons. I plan to take my DS just for a change of scenery in the winter.

iheartshoes you could maybe limit it to just coffees rather than lunches & be canny about it? You can get loyalty cards for Costa, Starbucks, Nero, Debenhams etc & redeem those every once in a while. Also, a while back I bought a £10 Starbucks gift card through Groupon or similar for £5, so look out for deals like that. Alternatively, if your friends have babies too, could you take it in turns to have each other round for coffee/lunch? I had an idyllic first year with DS1 in this way, there was a group of 4 of us that met each week. I still see one of them now pretty much every week, 4 years on The others are back at work, but we meet up when we can.

Welcome to all the newcomers and welcome back cremeegg
So pleased you got the job Helena and great news about the cleaner
Adora sorry to hear about your dp's job. You definitely need control of his wallet!
I've had a rubbish week and am just trying to keep focussed. £70 for dd's drama classes, £70 for dh at the dentist (private dentist, extortionate fees) on top of all the usual expenditure. Death of the overdraft at the end of October now looks unlikely but we won't be too far off if we don't get any other unexpected bills between now and then.
On the plus side, ds has settled really well at high school and dd's ear seems to be healing well. We go back next Thursday to find out whether the op was successful
I'm trying to plan for Christmas by buying bits as I go along. Dd's birthday is at the end of Nov which doesn't help but I've said I'll take her and 2 friends to the circus in Blackpool which I can get with Clubcard vouchers so that's okay.
Have a good weekend everyone.

Noticed tonight that my shoes are fall

Oops falling apart, so will need to get a new pair of work shoes :(

confused thank you for the tip re groupon will keep a look out for those. ilovepicnmix I've just looked up local libraries and seen the one near me does a baby sing a long one morning for free so will try that. I want to try and see if I can manage at least 2 NSDs next week. Sometimes it's the days on my own I find hard as well, just spending money for the sake of it really - going out for coffee on own with DD just for something to do etc. there are some good tips on this thread

Can I join? I'm battling

Can I join? I'm curren

Can I join?

Bum. My 'puter is obviously playing up. What I was trying to say is that i am currently battling to pay off my post-hol CC. Have also just gone into my overdraft and don't get paid til Wed.
I am very good at meal planning-no waste (grocery shop around £65 p w for 2a 2c and one cat)
I am not sure where I could make any more savings but I'm certainly willing to try.

Today i spent: £1 donation to Jeans for Genes at work, £2.15 on shite small coffee. I wouldn't normally bother but I was doing an outdoor event and it was co-old. £1.10 on parking (will claim back on expenses), £4.50 on a bottle of wine and 60p on a box off marked-down french fancies for the kids (Friday treat, I don't drink during the week)

Tomorrow will not be a NSD as DH is off and has to have his treats, normally some bottles of beer with tea and maybe a bar of galaxy. To be fair, I will buy these with my cashback reward credit card, which I pay off in full, making food and petrol expenses one monthly bill like my other utilities. This bumps up the 'shopping' bill to c.£80 pw. No plans yet for tomorrow, but probably park or walk if sunny, visit grandparents and swim (gym paid upfront) if not.

I would love some hints and tips from those who have already swapped their utilities, used cashback sites, cut down grocery spend. What else is there to strip back?

Iheartshoes

In addition to getting cheaper coffees, when going out for coffee eat at home before you leave. Then you'll only want the coffee and not the food they offer to empty your pockets go with it.

Fluffy, yep 28. It's odd really, the age of majority is 18 but at places like clubs (sports and country clubs) they list under 28's as DCs on a family membership. And they ate not expected to be able to fend for themsleves before 28.

Friday night spends...

£24.90 in Home Bargains. More than I wanted to spend but I got lots of pop and breakfast cereal (which is dead expensive in big supermarkets and we get through loads of) and also lots of treat type stuff.

£18.00+ in Tesco. (can't even remember what I bloody bought as lost the receipt and this total is a guesstimate).
£4.50 in Peacocks - couldn't find any fancy tights or accessories that I liked so I've remembered I have a lovely turquoise twin-set type cardigan to wear over the black dress (I always got lots of compliments when I used to wear it due to the colour) and instead bought some thick black tights and a hair donut to wear my hair in a bun.

Am envisaging a low spend day today, only because I have forgotten to buy gravy and butter.

Also topped up DS1's university account with a £10 lotto win (this was paid into our account through the month so I don't know when this was from) so that now stands at £44.15. I'm crap at saving up so this is very good for me.

So far, running total on groceries has been £290 with probably not very much more food needed over rest of month.

I'm going to keep a running total on spends as well because I've had a chat with DH and told him I don't think a joint account for spends is working so we've agreed to split the surplus which is £190 each. This will then leave me £710 to fund food, petrol, kids activities and 'everything else'. I don't spend much personal money so hopefully I will be able to build up a little surplus. I'm quite excited about it.

Woodchuck - do you keep a spending diary? Sometimes it is the little things you forget about that soon add up over a month.

£35 at the vets for a sore paw. That includes antibiotics, they wanted him to have a cone but I said no to that. I painted his paw fur with lavender oil when I got back instead which will keep him away from it.

It's not an orthodox way of doing it but if you do it lightly you don't poison the cat.

I was having a lovely no spend day too, just me, my pounding headache and my tight chest.

Fluffy that doesn't sound too good for you or the cat Hope you both recover soon.

Claret am impressed that you have a university fund for your DC at all. My DS1 (4.9) only has the £250 (plus interest) that was given to him in his Child Trust Fund & poor DS2 (2.5) has nothing. We find it all disappears day to day, so admire anyone who can save for the future, however near that is.

Woodchuck welcome I would say next thing to do is declutter everything & sell anything you don't need. It's surprising how £1/50p here or there adds up. Also maybe take another look at luxuries such as coffees out, gym membership - use loyalty cards/buy a naice coffee machine for home or get an exercise bike/dvd for home etc.

ohhelp know what you mean about feeling virtuous. It's nice to feel somewhat in control, isn't it

Spent a bit today - £6 for unlimited rides at small fair for DS1 (he had 8 rides, so good value for money), £27 on pub lunch, £7 on coffees, £2 on entry + 5 books at table top sale. But was a lovely day with friends & nice to do something different with DC. Also managed to watch a few Nectar ads & do a Nectar Canvass survey so building up Nectar points.

Anticipate LSD tomorrow, just have to keep DC occupied while DH round working on new house, so will probably head to Tesco & have Costa in the cafe there.

Going to put a few bits & pieces on Gumtree later or tomorrow, things that aren't selling on FB local baby page.

How do you do the nectar points thing with the ads? I've never seen it advertised.

Check your emails, Fluffy. There should be a Nectar invite there if you're a member.