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

[Fluffycloudland77]

NSD.

Today is turning out to be an unexpected NSD (excepting the massive carrier bag of apples I bought from a local farm for 50p). Poor little DS2 went to nursery as usual this morning, then at 12.30, half an hour before pick-up time, I got a call to say he'd been sick everywhere. Then as I lifted him in my arms to take him home, he was sick all over me & the floor, as well as some action the other end Then we had to pick up DS1 from school straight away, so that was an interesting school run!

So, we are having a quiet afternoon this afternoon instead of our planned playdate to the park. Tomorrow I will probably only venture out for school runs, as I will keep DS2 home again. Might put some bits on Ebay/Gumtree to earn some pennies & do some surveys etc.

monkey my DD is 7 but absolutely hates all forms of shopping so is a real pain in Asda, Tesco etc but I've found that she's much better in Lidl & Aldi. The ones near us are quite small so even if she does wander off I can still hear her which makes for a much calmer shop......If your DH likes meat could you do a monthly shop at a local market to make it more cost-effective? The one close to me has half a dozen different butchers on who are all competing so some really good deals.

Spendy day. .

DS woke up for school this morning and put on a shirt (I hadn't bought new ones as I was sure these would be fine) and the cuffs have shot up his arms!! Cue visit to Brent Cross for new school shirts - problem is, even though he's only 13 he takes an adult size so no childrens prices.

Did food shop whilst there...really don't want to dwell on what it cost. Suffice it to say it was only slightly smaller than the national debt of some small countries .

A couple of folders (again for DS) and it was time to come home - before I managed to do more damage to the bank balance.

Have to go again tomorrow to collect the other shirts I ordered (and paid for) so hope to get in and out without more expenditure...but I suppose that depends on what DS comes home needing today.

Monkey, I found that developing a good relationship with my butcher and my local grocer meant that I would get prices rounded down (not by much but it all counts) and often got cheaper cuts, extras in my bag.

confused, hope you DS feels better soon. Those D&V bugs can often be intense but quick. Will keep my fingers crossed for you that it is gone soon.

Hi, NSD here so far - hurrah! Going to send DH to Lidl tonight for milk and apples as he always sticks to the list . Had a NSD yesterday too. Unfortunately Tuesday was expensive. DS2 needed new school shoes, and ended up with new trainers too. I needed a DVD for school (I'm a teacher) and bought some books for DH (did get them very cheap at Book People with a free delivery code and 10% off though). Interesting reading all your ideas and comments! Thanks for the advice northender

£10.84 on tester pots at B&Q. DS also wet himself while we were there which was nice.

I found maggots in the kids' bedroom when we got back from holiday. Not sure whether it was the cat sick thoughtfully left on their carpet by one of our mogs or from something dying in the chimney, but either way there are now loads of huge disgusting flies in both bedrooms, despite me thinking I'd found and killed all the maggots :(

£17 on food, no big shop this week as I was ill and frankly exhausted from moving. But it's Dh's week to pay so he will pay me back.

£10 on petrol. Never going back to that station again as the man serving always touches your hand when you pay and I find it creepy.

I have noticed better behaved kids in aldi, I went into sainsburys during the hot weather and it was kicking off in there. I swear if I have kids I will not take them shopping until they are old enough to drive me there.

I could do Dh's curry cheaper tonight if he'd eat boneless chicken thighs and not breast, even the cat insists on chicken breast.

£4 spend today on a magazine because a family friend had a feature. Also had to pay parking, train fare and lunch but all will be reimbursed by work.

I really need to sit down and meal plan - what I really want to do but keep putting off is make a master meal list that includes ultra quick meals, meals to bulk cook, healthy after school snacks, etc. And meals that use the same ingredient so I don't leave half a pack of something to go off in the fridge. Only problem is whenever I sit down with pen & paper my mind seems to go blank - perhaps I need to do it when I'm hungry!

Fluffy I never take the DC if I can help it. Costs me at least £10 more and several grey hairs.

NSD 1! Brought lunch to work which I are about 2pm and starving... And DS brought packed lunch. He did however forget to bring the lid of his lunch box home. Argh! So need to fish about tomorrow. Nice.

Am totally exhausted from work. Tomorrow back at work too even though I usually work from home on Fridays. Next week will be hectic and I am not looking forward to work at all.

£20 today, DS's karate insurance thing for the year (not really sure what it is!). Sitting in library, got some marking done while he was at karate instead of spending money in tesco...

Got letter from after school club. £130 to pay, but all budgeted for.
Now got christmas spend up to £41, all for DS so far. Oh dear.

NSD so far but just about to transfer £7 for my lottery syndicate subs. You've got to speculate to accumulate?

September is 'use up all the strange things in the freezer' month at cozietowers. (I can't always resist the reduced counter despite careful planning.)

Tomorrow is vegetable spring rolls with quiche and pitta bread. Gawd knows what Saturday, Sunday and next week will be.

I too love a yellow sticker cozietoesie. don't think I can face coleslaw again after working my way through a massive tub this week for only 30p.

It will make for a nice Low Spend month (only some milk and fresh fruit etc to buy locally) - but boy is it going to seem a long four weeks!

cozie I am also trying to use up in September! Unusual for me as my cupboards, fridges and freezers are always stocked to the gunnels! Was about to stick bread machine on but got some out of freezer instead, to go with slow cooker butternut squash casserole tomorrow. Hardly ever use slow cooker, it is fab though isn't it!
Night all

Not up To date yet but Monkey. what is this leftovers of which you speak at Chez Adora we have something I russled up earlier or saving time by prepping this for tomorrow

Like that dressing up Adora ! my kids are awful in our local lidl which is really small and leads straight out to a very busy road, with car parking away off, so i can't leave DS1 (3) to run about, as he would head for the hills/road. must see if there is an aldi nearby; no sense either in driving miles somewhere and using diesel to save a few quid...Same with butchers really; none in our village, so no friendly local face rogue or even on the way to anywhere i go regularly; got to go out of our way. jonbon good idea re market shopping for meat; must suss out. Local farmers market v high quality local produce but very expensive; not much value for money really; there must be a regular market nearby....new to our area so really just trying to find out where and when everything is. Anyway, thanks for the tips, i am learning from this thread!

So, not doing too badly, not very spendy yesterday, 99p on a large milk which will last all weekend. Today just a can of coke so 60p. It'l be a bit spendy tomorrow as it will be a bottle of wine. But on the upside 2 bin bags of lovely clothes from colleague and 2 more to come with the holy grail of some winter jackets, so I don't need to think until at least winter 2014 about a new coat for the munchkin!

NSD tues,wed and thurs, have spent £10 today on packed lunch bits for next week and milk plus have made £5 on ebay so not doing too bad at all.I watched the Jamie budget meals programme and found it quite good, nothing new to learn but inspired me to use leftovers up.

NSD so far but we're going to the pub later.

I've not caught the budget meal programme but DH has apparently recorded it for me to watch, was hoping he'd thought about cooking himself...

Fluffy one of my dogs, when they were on the packaged dry food, used to try and insist on certain things, mainly steak as she used to Get scraps off the plates after BBQs. She was cured by a couple of days of not eating because I wouldn't given her bloody expensive steack. She's stubborn but not stupid

Dr. was a bit less than I thought yesterday, only £60, followed by £27 in the pharmacy. Roads back and forth were about £8, came back at peak time. Had time to spare when I arrived so had a mooch around didn't splurge £18 in Whittards, oh no, not me

Monkey could you Get DS involved when you shop, give him a list with pictures and Get him to pick things off the shelf for you?

Rogue Well done on avoiding the shops.

Later I need to Get bits for party bags, only a handful of people though so not hugely expensive.

I also need to use up the contents of the freezer, again, this month.

Hurrah managed a NSD today. I have been appalling at my meal planning and shopping list so need to crack on and keep up with it. Usually shop on a Thursday or Friday but have decided to try and use up everything in the house as the cupboards and freezer are quite stocked really avoiding town due to foul roadworks then I will do plan and lists over weekend and shop Monday

NSD today.

Yesterday wasn't, nearly £10 in the 99p shop, £2.55 at sainsburys and £2.65 on fruit and veg at the market.

Am hoping for another NSD tomorrow.

Am glad to have found this thread and people who are also trying to reduce spending. One of my friends laughs at me for working out the cost of meals etc, in a nice way though