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

[Fluffycloudland77]

NSD.

sigh you'll know when it's time to let the cat go, how awful for you all though.

Morning all. Just catching up with the thread...wow, it's moving at quite the pace!!

£5.00 only spent yesterday. Hoping for a NSD today. I will aim for a NSD tomorrow and Thursday too...

Thankfully DS doesn't have too much expenditure in the way of after school clubs - his commitments at secondary school mean that things like that can't be done. And the after school clubs at school are free...thank the lord. However, his piano lesson at school costs me £17.00 per lesson (very reasonable as far as piano lessons go) but still an expenditure.

ExasperatedSigh so sorry to hear about your cat :(

Exasperated sorry to hear about your cat.

DS doesn't do any after-school activities yet, as he's only just started reception & I wanted to give him time to get used to school. But one of his friends does football in the local park once a week, £3.50 per time (or £3 if you pay in advance), so I might see if he wants to try that.

Got to buy DS2 some shoes this week. Was hoping to keep him in crocs for as long as possible, especially as he can get them on himself, but the weather has turned. I get Clarks & I got his feet measured last week, but I can't remember what size they said! Then have found a website where they have quite a few pairs for £21 instead of £32ish.

Have the midwife this afternoon, so will decide whether or not to pop in a tea room on the way home (DSes love this sort of thing!) Should probably be good & settle for feeding the ducks & a cake when we get home, but I'll see how we feel.

I'm making a birthday goodie bag for SIL.

Posh chocs mini box from green grocer - £2.59
Card - £1.70
Bag, tissue paper and happy birthday confetti - already have some
Scratch cards - £2

Running total: £6.29

Still want to get a candle or some mini Sanctuary toiletries, which I can buy at work with discount. Should come to around £10. Considering she gave me a tea towel for my birthday (), I think it's a nice gift and I would be chuffed to get something like that.

Exasperated, am sorry to hear about your cat.

confused, good luck with your midwife appointment. I hope you get to stop off at the tea room. I loved doing that sort of thing with DS when he was small and, truth be told, even now he's 13 he stills loves a good tea shop. .

Just found something frugal (ish) & thought I'd pass on the tip. If you sign up to Frankie & Benny's birthday club you get a free main meal on your birthday. Can sign up other members of your family, too, kids up to 12 eats free from Kids Menu. You do have to buy another adult meal with it, but hand y if you go anyway

Evening all. Today I've spent about £9 today on face wipes, few bits from the pound shop and postage to send two cards to Australia. Back to work tomorrow so should have some NSDs coming up.

NSD3! Sorry to hear about your cat... It must be so hard.

NSD

Sorry to hear about the cat
Hope the midwife appt was OK confused
Managed to avoid drinks at the cricket presentation last night then had v proud mum moment when he got the players player of the year award . He captains his club team but this was a level above that so a real achievement.

Thanks everyone. He has rallied a bit today after managing to eat some chicken with crushed-up steroids in it, so he's now really frail and uncomfortable but more hungry I don't think it's a long term solution really.

NSD

Well done Northenders's DS

Glad the cat managed to eat something Sigh, it must be really hard.

NSD Today (Tuesday) need moré food for dogs and dewormimg pills.

Fluffy did you find curtáins rails?

Hi I hope you don't mind me joining you all, I've decided its time to stop burying my head in the sand and do something about it. I'm about £400 over drawn and need it sorted asap, we don't have much spare cash but I have a bit of a shopping addiction, I can't resist a bargain but when I'm doing it the extent I was, it becomes not a very good bargain and I buy a load of things I don't need. I am on NSD3 which is a massive achievement for me!

Exasperated I hope your cat is okay, we have just been through the mill with our cat but he has come through the other side now, such a worrying time.

2 bottles of milk £2.58
That should be it for today.

Welcome, onlysettle, £400 is not too bad. Bargains are my downfall too, I get this from my dad. Though he made a way to make a profit from them, I just gather stuff.

Tip for ones with cats or dogs. If you buy Frontline, get it at Boots (they sell it behind the healthcare counter) and get adcard points. Even better if you have a coupon for extra points over a certain spend.

Our cats are the only ones in our house to eat branded food (whiskas). We just have supermarket own brand stuff. Hmpf.

Haven't been about for a few days... in the middle of a flare-up so not feeling brill...

Sorry to hear about your cat Exasperated - it's hard but you will do the right thing for your cat and you should take comfort from that x

I've managed to only spend £4 on milk, potatoes and cauliflower this week so far.. run out of fruit and other veg so shopping tomorrow. That's still 2 NSD's so I won't complain!

onlysettle £400 OD is manageable... I wish ours was as low...! You'll get it sorted I'm sure!

Ok Christmas this year, I've bagged a Groupon for photo calendars - £17 for 5 (was only £2 more than for 3 so that means we get one as well and still have one over.... but I digress...!) so both sets of parents will get one. Dh's parents are also getting some new mugs (4 for £2 in Tesco sale!) and 'nice' coffee, tea etc - nice and easy and I can do it bit by bit. Am thinking of similar for my parents but they don't need mugs ( have tons!) - any thoughts anyone on how to make it look a bit more special? DM is coeliac with dairy intolerance so that puts paid to bought biscuits etc... I could do a fruit cake though couldn't I? I've done that before and have a suitable recipe......

Hmmm make that £550 dp had a tyre blow out this morning, thankfully he is ok but could have really done without it, overdraft just keeps creeping up and up.

Prettymess my cats will only eat whiskas too, but also quite happy to eat mouse etc too yuck!

Well, NSD yesterday, midwife went well & heard baby's heartbeat which was exciting. Am 16 weeks already

Today, spent £10 in Primark on a long black cardi with no buttons, which should get loads of wear as this is a winter pregnancy. Then had coffee in Starbucks, which was free! They were doing a promotion where you could get a free latte from 9.30-11.30 today & yesterday, so I had one of those, DS2 had a babychino, which was free & we shared a waffle, which I paid for with my loyalty card that I got half price in the summer. Bargain

Shouldn't spend any more today as just going to new house this afternoon to crack on with decorating.

Welcome to yet more newbies

Daisy for your parents' Christmas present, can DCs make/scribble something nice for them? Or help you make cake etc?

Exasperated glad your cat wants to eat, I think there comes a point when you just do whatever you can to make them happy & comfortable

I'm going to join in, have a very bad spending habit and the last of the stat mat pay has come through

The kids are ok for winter clothes although ds could do with a warm fleece and shoes and dd needs a snowsuit. Other than that we should be able to manage.

I am a terrible spender on clothes etc which needs reining in. I do hanker after a warm winter coat but may sell a few bits on eBay to fund this.

Food wise we've been shopping in Aldi mostly with occasional small shops in sainsburys and the v occasional splurge in waitrose. I have a 500 nectar point voucher for £20 spend on laundry items so will do that this week before I lose the voucher

Will aim for 12 NSDs too this month and also try and make some menu plans

So I've managed NSD Sunday,Monday and Tuesday after a moderately spendy Saturday of £70 but that was a whole weeks shop including whisky for DH which will last all month. Managed a supreme shepherds pie using a combination of left over chilli, bolognese and quorn mince for tea which shows what can be done when necessary!

Colleague gave me 4 bags of clothes for DS, most lovely brands, loads of next, zara, ralph lauren etc so he is kitted out for winter as they are in mint condition. I'm hoping this means I don't need to spend much on clothes until spring. Some of the clothes are for summer too so next year is covered too!

I'm hatching my annual jam making plan from mark down fruit as well as that saves loads and provides presents for relatives as well since it always means loads extra!

Looks like I'll be joining you all again. Currently 19 weeks pregnant with dc3 and about to move house in a couple of weeks so I need to save every penny I can for new flooring, paint and baby equipment. Oh, not to mention Christmas!
I got a lot of inspiration at the beginning of the year from these threads which enabled us to pay off all our debts and cleared overdrafts. We even managed two UK holidays and we are not very well off at all so hopefully I can do the impossible once again.
I just need some winter boots from ebay and then I shouldn't need any other extras for a few months. Strictly selling only afterwards.

Hello all newbies and everyone who has returned. There's a lot of us this month, a post summer, pre Christmas boom?

Pay day on Friday after what has felt like a very, very long time. I've meal planned for the entire month so I'm hoping to keep the budget down as I must put some money away this month for future expenses.

The Dc have winter coats that I picked up in January but dd will need some boots, I may see if grandparents want to treat her and both need wellies so quick trip to Asda needed. I think I may need a new coat. I'll drag out last years this weekend and decide.

NSD day here today...woo-hoo .

Welcome to all newbies and returners - as Interesting says...lots of traffic on this month's thread .

Will be doing my weekly shop on Friday this week - so that will be my spendy day. Need to buy DS new socks as well.

Exasperated, big un-mumsnetty hugs for you. It's awful when such a loved pet starts to become frail. I hope the medication helps.

NSDs not going to plan - but I haven't done a shop this week so overall we're doing ok.

I got the promotion I wanted and I plan to take great pleasure telling zero hours college where they can locate their job.

Starting to think about Christmas now!