Austerity in October - *blows the budgeteering bugle*

[claretandamberforever]

In here please.....

Pinch punch, first of the month.

I hope you get the job Claret, I work for myself so I've never had a proper job interview.

Bought a washing machine. But it was a good deal & hopefully the winter duvet will fit in it saving me money at the launderette once a year

£999 in currys but,

£499 in appliances online,

£75 retailer cashback by BACS payment

£10 topcashback cashback

£160 towards it from selling things.

£6 towards it from bodyshop cashback.

I had some cashback from santander declined earlier in the year but I put a claim in in May & had a message yesterday to say it has been initially approved. If it goes through that's £55, I went on topcashbacks forum and lots of people have had trouble with them.

Tesco is doing 3 for 2 on flour incl bread flour until 5th November, well worth stocking up, if you buy own brand white bread flour it brings it down to 53p a bag. I get 3 loaves from a bag so 18p a loaf plus 5p yeast & salt?.

If you make mash use an electric handheld beater, it takes seconds and you get really smooth mash.

Sainsburys TU clothing is 25% off from next Tuesday, they have thermals in at last about time too.

Hi guessed sainsburys had 25% off from Tuesday as have a 8p off litre fuel if spend £20 on tu n it ends Mon n the 25% off always starts day after these kind coupons end :)

Reduced special for dinner for 3 of us sausage n onion plait 30p steam new potatoes 13p pre prep chantannay carrots n fine green beans 15p. Bargain

£4.50 contact lens cleaner
£2.30 cards in card factory
80p on bread flour.

Just need a copy of the mirror tomorrow for the aldi voucher.

The supermarkets near me do rubbish reductions, plus it's near the residential area so they get a high foot-fall all day. I used to love my yellow stickers.

I work with someone who throws food out if it gets near date "in case it's off" so unopened packs of meat get thrown in the bin.

Today's spends; £3.58 on 2 x 8 packs of pepsi max.

My chuffing debit card wouldn't work in the stupid Morrisons till luckily I had enough cash on me but how embarrassing. I'm glad I had the cash.

DH had £20 of work petrol reimbursed so petrol budget looks a lot healthier. In total, with one week to go, we still have £281.96 left - although sadly all of this is spoken for.

I am losing my patience with Natwest and if I weren't so desperate for the money I would tell them where to stick it. Today they text me and asked me to get in touch to discuss the loan. Seems that despite my clearly written instructions the underwriter was confused about something which the customer service agent understood perfectly. I'm fully expecting tomorrow's hoop to be that I present both sets of great-grandparents at the local branch to guarantee the loan for me...

I never seem to be around at the time of good reductions. I seem to miss the Friday night Tesco ones, and Morrisons ones are never very good.. Best Tesco one I have had in recent weeks (pre-budget) was a £3.70 "finest" cheesecake down to 70p.

£10.89, on my CM and some organic milk from Lidl.

Co op between nursery n work has bread products with nxt day date at 75% off obviously pot luck what is available but keeps chest freezer well stocked. Sometimes also has cheap veg.

Co op nr home does reductions either 6 or 8pm n again pot luck what's there but got 2 sausage n onion plait for 30p each on sun n froze them.

Mostly veg n bread we get cheap though.

NSD from my purse but paid swim lessons for kids... £112. Eek!!

What's the aldi voucher fluffy? There's one opening within spitting distance of me next week. I am disproportionately excited.

£5 something in Tesco today on cheese, bananas, yogs and milkshake. Should have been an NSD but my DS is unwell again so he couldn't go to nursery. He has been given an inhaler as he may have asthma. Thankfully he loves the inhaler and the teddy on the mask thing. I am desperately hoping he is better tomorrow as work are going to think Im taking the mick. This is my third time off with him since I went back in May.

In the mirror (record in Scotland) you will get £5 off a £40 spend plus 30-50% off vouchers for various products.

If you have a new one opening people queue up on the first day because the first however many people get a gold envelope or something & win prizes. Tv's etc so not bad prizes.

Good luck with the second interview claret
Will catch up with thread properly tomorrow

I had the opening day booked off work for that very reason fluffy but DS has scuppered my plan by being ill and off nursery this week. Im going to have to work that day now. Boo. I'd have probably ended up with a bunch of flowers.

£5 off a £40 ALDI spend in today's daily mirror. Plus some 50% off certain item ones.

Thanks fluffy and peach. Going to have a walk down to the supermarket that I won't go to once Aldi has opened when DS wakes up. Just googled aldi opening gifts and it seems that the first 100 people get them. I reckon I can see the front door from my bedroom window but don't think I'd have the heart to drag my DS out as the queue will form early I bet.

Had 4/5 NSDs then bought groceries yesterday. Spent far too much as had DDs with me, about £80. I had intended to Get veg etc from the grocers but drove past and then couldn't Get in there on the way back. There's a small space out front to park, no pavement along the road, and it was full.
Súpermarket's fruit was not only over priced but bruised and rotting so I'll try the grocers Today. If I remember. I have a cold and am feelling bleugh, so not making any promises.

Good luck Claret

I've frozen mashed potatoe, works Well.

I used the aldi vouchers this morning . I get paid tomorrow and so my next cycle of budgeting begins. This one has been good, have stayed on track. Just trying to figure out how to factor a laptop into the Christmas budget. Its something we need now Ds is at high school but will double as a family present.

50p on the mirror for the aldi voucher.

£10 M&S voucher arrived from switching my dual fuel to them. Although no heating goes on in this house unless you are wearing thermal undies plus a proper top & a wooly jumper and still feeling cold. The cat has a hot water bottle as he can't wear 3 layers.

Apparently the weather forecasters are predicting a harsh winter

What kind of cat can't wear 3 layers? Outrageous behaviour

Today's spends :£2 to put into a baby collection at work.

I've given backword on the interview. I decided to put my own happiness first and the only thing going for the job was the money so I made an excuse about not feeling ready and told boss I wouldn't be coming. I've whacked in a letter for a payrise instead. Probably won't get one, but I definitely won't get one if I don't ask. The doctors have a meeting tomorrow so the PM might mention it there...

Rang ShatWest to see how loan is progressing and apparently it's been approved by the underwriters so money should be in account either Friday or Monday which is good news because 2 of the 3 credit card payments are due out next week so that'll be 2 x bills I don't have to pay from my September wage.

Got my October wageslip today with 1% across the board payrise which equates to a tenner extra (woo).

I'm glad the loans come through, if you don't ask for a pay rise you won't get so its worth a shot.

Adora, one who isn't making an effort. And who has very sharp claws.

£5.60 on parking. Didn't manage to get the paper as took DS to hospital. I've been stressing about his breathing and the inhaler hasn't been helping. Hospital confirm it's rapid but not laboured. Im glad I went as I would have ended up going in the middle of the night as he sounded like he was panting last night. He's had a bad run of it recently but hopefully that'll be it now.

Oh no, poor DS . I hope he'll be better soon.

£32.54 here. £30 on hair and waxing and tip, and the rest at Lidl.

Picnmix glad the hospital put your mind at rest re DS, hope he feels better very soon.

Spent £10 at the greengrocer's, kilo of honey, large bunch bananas, Loads of apples, ten tangerines, carros and an avocado. See, if I don't try to cut down on petróleo use and shop on the way back from school I can spend much less. I shall resolve to Get all my veg etc from there, when I can Get parked.

Fluffy in light of the very share claws I agree, let him off.

Fluffy you are very kind. My dh just says 'nature gave her a fur coat. Let her use it'.

Completed groceries shop, leaving me £32 for next weeks fruit and milk. Have had £95 cashback from changing broadband suppliers and they've offered me £100 almost as an apology for crap service they provided for first 3 weeks. I'm really grateful for this as I've started Christmas shopping and although I'm keeping track of what I've spent, I had zero budget for it this month.

Picnmix I hope your ds is better soon. We've done lots of midnight runs to the hospital with dd struggling to breath. It's a horrible experience.

One NSD this week, should get two more at the weekend. Payday for me today.

DH has a second interview for a job more locally and with a better company. We think the salary will be the same but they pay a £12k car allowance

We'll have to but a second car but we'll get a fairly economical small one !

Whatever happens the frugaleering will continue! I'm embarrassed by the amount of money we've wasted over the years and we're not going there again!!