Austerity in October - *blows the budgeteering bugle*

[claretandamberforever]

In here please.....

Pinch punch, first of the month.

morning

just checked our present stash (have 2 sets of those plastic drawers) and got fair bit of xmas shopping done most of children done anyway (our one plus all the many nieces and nephews).

dinner tonight is other half chicken we had last night left to marinate overnight in bbq sauce and will be warmed up and had with hm paprika wedges.

NSD yesterday, although this morning have already sent DD into school with £13 for the Xmas cards they design themselves, £7.50 for Halloween disco tickets and £4 for tonight's dance lesson so again could do without spending any more today! Unfortunately have to go to Aldi after work for bits but hopefully won't be much........

Congrats to northender and confused on the new arrivals, whenever anyone announces a pregnancy at work or school I get a bit broody but I've had 6 years off sleepless nights & don't think I could cope now!

Tired today, will catch up later but wanted to say that I did a veg and rice dish last. Onion, courgette, mushroom, carrot and tomato mixed with brown rice and a little paprika. I'm growing chillis in the kitchen but they aren't ready for use yet.

It should have had red pepper, aubergine, peas and green beans but I didn't have any. Recipe says 3 cups of brown rice for 6~8 people, I used 1.5 for us for 4 and had enough for packed lunches. I added ham as discovered 2 packets were open in the fridge.

Was very tasty. Need to get a few bits for the weekend as DH has seen the light re popping in town for things and timing it so we're all starving, we're staying at home. Still have lots in the freezer so I'll probably only need veg.

Hope everyone has a good weekend.

Actual NSD today! Surprise as usually we spend loads on Friday (at gym and stuff). Will need to get shopping in on the weekend but as I'm at work tomorrow we probably won't do family shop till Sunday. Which suits me fine. Happy weekend everyone.

Fluffy, and anyone else who's into eBay, it IS a free listings weekend this weekend! I hardly ever sell anymore, but have a few things that need to go, so just checked.

I've been jotting down my spends all week, as I'm still sans smartphone. It's actually been good, getting a weekly picture, instead of just saying what I spend daily. So, Monday was £43.52, on shopping and medicine; Tuesday was £2.20, on milk and salad; Wednesday was £28.69, on travel, coffee and lunch out, a postcard and a candle and paying my CM; yesterday was £22.99, on a mani and pedi, a 2nd class stamp, rubber gloves, bread and two doughnuts; and today was £1.69, on milk and a bus fare for DS to get to Scouts. So, £99.09 in total.

I should get my smartphone back tomorrow, so I'll need to pop into town to get it. I may have a coffee whilst in town, but all I need for the weekend is some croissants for Sunday morning and maybe a bottle of wine :0. Also planning on cheesy chips from the chippy for tea tomorrow evening.
Hope everyone has a nice weekend.

Nsd today (except £1.90 for ds1 school dinners). Found some old uni textbooks which I'll put on Amazon, hope they sell

I've spent £91.92 on monthly shop. I need to spend about another £20 but ds was making a lot of noise abd distracting me.

Watched a film with dh this evening. Visiting lots of different friends this weekend, so a cheap weekend. We're visiting a couple with a brand new baby girl. I'm looking forward to a little cuddle. I've bought them a few gifts that, while not traditional, I found really useful as a new parent.

Yay for free listing! I will list my shirt.

£5 on wine (got id'd in front of mil so had to go to co-op, tesco boycott is now in full swing. Humiliating. Bastards), then £11 on fish and chips for us all because we spent all afternoon trying to put a light fitting up. Light fitting still isn't up. I think pil are scarred for life now with light fittings.

Forgot to pay the flipping council tax though so I must set up a DD for that. I got a magistrates summons last year because I forgot, went on holiday and came back to a summons. Dh was not happy. I'm not great with council tax for some reason.

Dwerf hope that Uní money goes soon, I hate having money that's not mine.

Well done on your NSD NK5BM3

I Spent another £12 on veg, fruit, Chicken as I didn't Get as far as deforsting something, biscuits for the DDs and summat else I can't remember. Oh, ginger, for caramelysing.

Fluffy YY, Get that direct debut sorted, and at being ID'd buying booze, sorry.

DH has just completely blown the whole frugal thing out of the water He has booked us all a surprise, last-minute trip to Brussels (where we lived for a year before we got married). It will be the DSes first time flying & we were keen for them to do that before DS3 comes along & while I can still fly. Oddly enough, I had emailed him just this morning about doing something similar, but he was already booking when I sent it! Of course, my way involved using Nectar points to fly EasyJet & his way is to fly BA, but there you go He's got a good deal, really - 2 adults, 2DC, 1 night £450. We know how to not spend much out there & DSes are both under 5 (just) so won't incur any train/tube costs either end, so it'll be great

Sounds fab confused hope you all enjoy the tríp.

Phew. It's gone out, so am back into the overdraft. What I really ought to do is contact the bank and lower my limit so I cannot be tempted to spend back up to the limit. Christmas is coming. It's very tempting to promise myself that I will get it all down next year.

Didn't get the chance to post yesterday. I have got an interview next Thursday at the same place I currently work for a supervisor's job. The wage hasn't been advertised but the friend of someone who already works here phoned to enquire how much it was and was told "up to £25k depending on experience". I do have supervisory experience and have worked there for a year so I do know what it's like. So let's see what happens, to be honest it's the money I want more than the job so I'll be pleased if I get it for the extra cash, but if I don't get it I won't be gutted (well, I'll be gutted and missing out on nearly £500 a month more wage). I hate being interviewed by people who I know so I am dreading the interview.

We also got accepted for a joint loan yesterday evening. I have three credit cards and they were all on 0% but now the 0% period has ran out on them all and they've shot up to 16.9%. I did apply for a MBNA life of balance at 6.9% but got knocked straight back so I was wary about applying for any more 0% ones. I went to my own bank and the advertised APR was 6.9% for the loan, but it's been accepted at 8.9% which isn't too horrific. At least in 5 years (all being well) the loan will be paid off whereas at the moment I am just paying the minimums. The loan is £8 a month less than I am paying on the minimums, so not saving much per month, but will be in interest overall and will have a date for them being paid in full.

Got another weeks' grocery shopping over and done with last night and tonight. Spent £57.83 in three shops (Home Bargains and Tesco last night - 61 items altogether) and then as I was under pressure for time last night and don't know Tesco as well as I do Morrisons, went to Morrisons this morning for the stuff I couldn't find in Tesco. Grocery Budget remaining is £136 for one more full shop, and a half shop the following week (pretty sure I will be able to come in under budget). Although I did promise the kids that they could get a (local fried chicken shop) takeaway on Sunday if I could spend under £60 on this week's grocery shop.

No plans for today, my football team are not playing until tomorrow so I'm at a bit of a loss today. Got plenty of cleaning to keep me occupied and I need to go and see my mum to give her her birthday card and present. Happy weekend everyone

Enjoy your trip, Confused.

Anyone else finding the eBay site slow uploading pictures? Might just be my ancient Mac, but I hope it' just the site is busy, as it's free listings weekend. Four more items to go today (and then God knows how much of DS's old lego to sort out in time for the next FL weekend!)

14 items listed for sale at last!

Happy weekend all. Another NSD here for me - not getting too excited as this only adds up to two so far .

Good news though - I won a £200 John Lewis voucher on the Flora sponsored discussion thread about what people do to entertain their DC during the half term holiday!! Am very about it!

Spend day here, pair of boot slippers in Primark, £4.
Super warm for winter!

Congratulations on the voucher rogue, perfect timing for Christmas.

NSD for me, I do like the sound of those slippers.

Congratulations Rouge I try and avoid Lewis' as I always seem to end up buying wool, knowing I could get it cheaper elsewhere, but I have to have it now!

Fluffy Aldi have a range of LED bulbs but it does state limited stock but might be worth a look.

I've finished monthly shop, £18.94. I have no reson to go to the shops until Friday. I must stay on budget this month. Treated dd to bit of tat from poundland as we saw friends this afternoon and it was very boring for her but she behaved well and kept ds amused.

Well done on that voucher Rogue

And claret on organising your debt into 1

Dwerf you and I both know it makes no sense to spend next year paying for this year's Christmas, Go on, make the call.

We may be venturing out this weekend after all, dog had another tick and I've told DH quite firmly that we have to Get the Frontline. But we are eating at home, defrosted bacon with rice and peas for lunch and mixed Chicken, Turkey and sausages for dinner.

DDs are because Daddy can't now eat the Carr's water biscuits they so covet.

Well done rogue!

£5 something spent yesterday on pasta, tinned toms, peppers, biscuits and deodorant. Got my mum here this weekend and she paid for a spot of shopping this morning which was v nice of her. This included a jacket for DS which I wouldnt have put in the trolley had I known she was going to insist on paying. She also looked after DS while I got my hair done. That wasn't cheap but I am white beyond my years and doing it myself just isn't the same. It's my one luxury. Not sure who I'm trying to convince here. I then spent £5.20 in Wilkinsons on stuff including carpet cleaner. My carpet was beautiful until DS arrived but I'm really pleased with my efforts this evening. The label on the product says 'shock. This product works ' and it blooming well does.

Well done on the voucher rogue
confused, enjoy your trip. When are you going?
claret our 0% deals are almost up now and 2 cards still have significant balances on them but we're hoping to consolidate into one of the 0% balance transfer deals. After hearing what's happened to you I might apply sooner rather than later so we have time to make alternative arrangements if we are knocked back.
Have done okay this week, still haven't used the tumble dryer or had the heating on. Should manage at least until November now.
claret I think our football supporting paths may cross quite soon? May have to ignore you that day

Thank you all - I am one of those people who rarely win anything and certainly never anything big...this is such a surprise for me and, as you said fluffy, perfect timing for Christmas. Like you, thats, I have to avoid the haberdashery department in JL - the wool, it speaks to me .

england.lovefoodhatewaste.com/recipes/sticky-orange-potato-cake

Gluten free cake for Adoras dh/oh*

Delete as applicable.

Huge thanks Fluffy DH is feeling deprived this week so I'll have a look at doing that cake.