Austerity in October - *blows the budgeteering bugle*

[claretandamberforever]

In here please.....

Pinch punch, first of the month.

Our gas & elec dd is £111 a month for a small three bedroom semi btw.

I had a NSP. Walked into town instead of getting the bus, and also almost all the way back. Although I would have spent a fiver on a taxi but the bloke borrowed a car (school open evening). And then the kids persuaded him into a takeaway for tea. But he paid for that too, so personally, I spent zilch today

NSD :))) first of many I hope. Did willingly succumb to a heavily susbidised starbucks chai tea latte in my office headquarters today, but a colleague stepped in and offered to buy it for me, so that was rather nice. Not a coin left my purse. It feels quite nice doesn't it?

Also got the bits yesterday to make a curry on Saturday. Sauces from Lidl, veg in the fridge which will need a purpose by then, chicken thighs for the meat-eaters and a block of paneer (which is yum) for me. Our local takeaway is cheap anyway, but I still think this method might make enough for 2 lots of suppers with one being frozen. Def will with the Paneer/Veggie one. Am going to try and work out the cost per meal beforehand just for research purposes.

Can I ask, I've got 6 Sainsburys vouchers for £12 off a £60 shop on six consecutive weeks, starting this week. I have been debating whether it's worth doing - on the basis that I need a pair of jeans (and theirs are quite okay for £12 a pair) and that I totally and utterly stick to a £60 spend (taking calculator if necessary) and trying to get as much for the £60 as possible (i.e. no lavish purchases just because £12 of it is 'free'....). Would £48 for £60 of Sainsburys stuff still be more value for money than the comparable aldi/tesco shop IYKWIM?

If you go on mysupermarket.co.uk and do a practice shop it lets you compare it to Aldi so you can check the price difference. Would that help?

oh yes! didn't think of that.... !

I did a top up shop, veg from the grocer and I can't remember what now from the supermarket, about £12 in total. I did not Get the Two glue guns DDs were told Today to take into school Tomorrow, ñor the other materials that I'd already said yesterday I can't afford this week.

OH is getting far too stressed about money but I'm glad to say that he has reverted back to the meds our Dr. prescribed rather than what the Dr. he saw a couple of weeks ago in ER told him to take, these ones work Well for him.

Need moré dog food.

Hi alabaster
I think it would depend on whether you have a nectar card which means you get some points and if you get even more points on a cc that accumulates (eg nectar cc or a John Lewis one) and of course if you pay off the whole cc bill every month then it may be worth you shopping and using the coupon.

I have that same dilemma this weekend as I need to get a bottle of wine (going to boss's house for dinner!) and although I trust the aldi wine (because its won so many awards!!!) I'm not a connisseur so have no idea what's good - especially at those aldi prices!

So I might just get to sainsburys and get a so called decent one. I've got money off coupons and so I'll get the bottle 'free' and get the rest of the normal shopping there.

NSD yesterday. My first in October!

DC have tonsillitis, so already spent £15.76 today on ice lollies, ice cream, calpol and emergency nappies. Was meant to pick up DS's new bike today, but hoping I can put it off till tomorrow.

NK5BM3 Fleurie. Most wine people like Fleurie. It's light enough not to need a long breathing & goes with red and white meats.

George Duboeuf is a reliable negociant too, bit pricier though but consistent. www.mysupermarket.co.uk/sainsburys-price-comparison/Red_Wine/Georges_Duboeuf_Fleurie_Beaujolais_750ml.html

alabaster will your DH & kids eat any veggie meals? Could you eat veggie most of the week but have a meat meal for them 1-2 a week? Just wondering if you could cut costs and 5x a week only cook 1 meal...?

I've managed not to food shop this week, we can just scrape through with veg & fruit till Monday and DH/kids will have to have PB or jam for sandwiches but I'm sure they'll cope!! I've only managed to not food shop because DH has been away all week and ds1 has been ill so only ds2 and I eating(!)

I'd like to say I've not spent any money this week but amazon had a series of books for 99p each so I spent £5.98(!) oh and I bought main Christmas gift for ds1 - £100 but apart from stocking and a tiny joint gift between him and ds2, he's not getting anything else (was agreed upfront with him in regards to getting this particular item ).

Managed an NSD yesterday, but will have to pick up milk, bread, fruit and vegetables today. Hopefully no more than £15.

Exasperated & Picnmix I hope you & your DC feel better soon.

Alabaster you could always plan out your shop on Sainsbury's website before you go & see how much things will cost, if there are any offers on etc. Also if you are able to go after 7pm ish there may well be some reduced to clear bargains to be had.

Today could well end up being an NSD. I did ask some school mums out for coffee but no one was interested. I was also supposed to meet a friend for a playdate this afternoon, but she is poorly, so I think we'll just stay home & bake a cake or something. Need to head off & do some more decorating to the new house in a minute but just don't feel motivated. Not really looking forward to the weekend either as DH will be at the house all weekend & his idea of family time is to all go to B&Q & choose wallpaper for the boys' bedrooms - whilst I spend the weekend trying to keep them entertained, again.

Maybe your DH could take the boys to choose their wallpaper at B&Q, confused? Sounds as if you could do with a breather.

My smartphone's in for repair at the shop, so I haven't been on much, but I'm still being as frugal as I can! Just a quick update for now from the desktop.

£14.20 on Wednesday, on paying the childminder and curry chips for tea, as I was so poorly.
£16.03 yesterday, on travel and food to keep us going until Tuesday.
NSD so far today, but I need to spend at least £5.30 later, on bus fares to take DS to Scouts. They're out of their base.

Hope everyone has a nice weekend :).

Thank you fluffy! Wow. Will go with that. Lets hope it's available at our aldi.

How do you know so much about wine? I hardly drink but even when I do I don't remember what I like or don't! I went for a wine tasting class once and it was yummy. But the wines averaged £20-40 and not something I can afford even if I wasn't a frugaleer!

Hi Everyone - I can't keep up, sorry! I joined in at the start of this thread but it moves fast! like Adora 's suggestion of moving DH's birthday in order to spread birthday cost!

I spent €123 in Aldi today, but this was stocking up on basics for the month, from toilet rolls and washing detergent to shampoo to dried pasta and tinned stuff... I started a spreadsheet, trying to list every single essential grocery item that could be stocked up on monthly, plus fresh stuff for the first week/ few days as appropriate, and using old receipts to list the prices - I forgot several things and it still came to €214.90! I tried to do the shop though and discovered that all that didn't actually fit in one trolly! So I guess I won't be doing one big shop a month and then stocking up weekly only on perishables! Hmmm, plan B needed!

DH saw me doing the spreadsheet and tried to take from it the fact "my" budget can be cut! We have a joint account but a few months ago we set up a separate account from which I am supposed to manage all the household expenditure - all grocery shopping, everything for the kids from birthday presents to school supplies to clothes to hair cuts to music lessons to arts and craft supplies to "one off" school and KiGa expenses/ charges to any treats/ family days out... anyway I really struggle to make the money cover everything it needs to, and last month, with 2 kids and one husband's birthdays and the back to school costs I ended up "borrowing" from other "pots", which I need to put back, so the idea of "my" budget being cut panicked me and made me cross. The joint account pays for rent and bills but also goes over due to big items like holidays, so DH feels he "gives" me too much - but its the money to feed us as a family, its not as if I am left with anything to spend on myself, get my hair cut and coloured once or twice a year if I'm lucky and rarely get new clothes. I am trying to control the general costs, and cut back on "bits and bobs" and treats for the kids.

I have all the snow gear for the big 2 to buy this month, or next at the latest (we have very cold winter) - only the youngest is equipped with hand-me-downs, the oldest 2 wear the same size so can't pass things to each other!

Off to catch up on the rest of the thread now - sick DD who is lying on me moaning allowing! :( (She's 8 so a bit big!)

alabaster we are similar - similar income, family of 5 (plus a dog), I already shop in Aldi, monthly outgoings seem very high despite meal planning and little to no spending on myself... hmmm. Spending diary sounds a good idea - I am already sort of starting that with an itemised costed list... Will keep all my receipts this month. Things like kids music lessons (we pay as we go, which has pros and cons) and demands from school/ kiga for money for one thing or another, and essential kids clothing (all trousers suddenly outgrown, hole in trainers DS1's only had a month or so, suddenly we have to buy a football tracksuit as part of a whole team purchase, for €40, another party to buy a present for, DC invited to cinema with friend so need to send her with €10 to get in and pay for the same snack as her friend has... and fuel.. really eat in. "One off" seasonal/ annual/ occassional expenses always catch me out too! :( )

MrsTumble

My OH sometimes gets all controlling about 'my' costs, as in everything hdormí is I should do because he 'goes out to work', the way we handle it is I refuse to do anything not related to feeding us or getting DDs/myself to the Dr.

In short, if he's going to be arsey about it he can do all the running around and getting things done himself.

Hope your DD recovers quickly.

Today I Spent £1.25 on sweets for DD's to take to/have at home sleep overs. One is going out, t'other has a friend over.

Tomorrow is a thing at school, kinda like a summer fete but they do 2 or 3 each year. I don't feel like going tbh, it means spending money on drinks/food and iirc there's an entry fee too. And spending most of the day in the sun, DDs won't remember sunblock if I'm not there, they got severly burned last year when I left a friend take them, not her fault.

£5 today on food. I put the Christmas cake slab back so well done me.

I need to buy vacuum bags later, £8, I'm getting through one a week on these new carpets.

I did a wine course many years ago called a WSET certificate, my employer paid. I got an A .

I did a spending diary once, I very quickly realised that my main frittering was lunches bought while at work and car park charges so I took a packed lunch and started using the free on road parking around the town centre.

Fluffycloud - not sure if this is sensible but when I was a student and had a bagged Hoover, there was no way I could afford bags. So I used to put rubber gloves on (kept for purpose, not the ones I washed up with!) and empty the bag into the outdoor bin (you have to pull the contents out at first which is a bit yuk, but after the initial big the rest just falls out with shaking) and use it again. Sounds vile and I didn't use them ad infinitum but def twice for three times before changing. Never seemed to do the Hoover harm..... As far as I know.... :s

So far NSD here! Our fridge is looking really empty too so I'm happy no food waste. Don't go shopping until Sunday but I think I can scrape together some ingredients for HM pizza for Saturday night.

Fluffy I have done WSET, too. I did the first 2 levels & want to potentially do it to Masters level, but I'll have to wait till I've had this DC & finished breastfeeding. The subject of my thesis for my translation MA was sparkling wine, so I have a vested interest.

MrTumble can you buy ski gear secondhand? When I lived in a mountain town in France, they used to have an annual secondhand skiwear sale. It really was the kind of place you couldn't go without, most people went cross-country skiing/snowshoeing on a Wednesday afternoon & downhill skiing at the weekend!

CremeEgg that is a good idea, but I fear this trip will be the only time we'll spend as a foursome this weekend, bar meals, so I'd better go along with it. There is McDonald's with a soft play right near it, so I'll see if DH can be persuaded to stop there for a quick coffee/milkshake.

Total spend today £1.90 for DS1's school dinner, £3 at Costa for me & both DSes, £11 at Tesco on some vitamins for boys (wondering if it may help DS2's speech delay, in any case it won't do any harm), bread, milk, reduced price sausages & juice (including cartons for DS1's lunch box).

My mum did the next level, advanced certificate? She got a B but was gutted. Apparently it was a hard paper that year.

If you have any of your old textbooks the second hand book sites pay really well for them. Dh reads my advanced text book my mum gave me and springs questions on me . Although I did tell him earlier that cognac was made from champagne (it's not, it's really not, I cringed)

Evening all, been so busy I haven't been able to read all the messages on here. Hope you're all keeping well in self-imposed austerity.

Today's spends
£10.00 - in my brother's birthday card.

£15.00 cheque packed off to school with DS1 for his Duke of Edinburgh Scheme. I have used a cheque from our bills account and transferred the money over so that I won't "forget" about it and then get a shock when it comes out. Budgeting Ninja or what?

I've spent £62.07 unbudgeted money this month already and we're only on day 4, and £46.07 is on presents / cards / leaving collection! October and December are my worst months for birthdays so I've picked a crap month to start!

Had a Quidco payment of £5 into my bank today so that's gone to the 'fallback money' account which now stands at £157.66, wonder how long it will be before I have to break into that.

Am having a rare night out of the house tonight, am meeting an old friend who I haven't seen for 20 years and we lost touch so me and DS2 are going to her house for an hour. I'm feeling really fat and ugly. I have her pictured in my head as an 18 year old so I hope she's aged as badly as I have done, LOL. After that I'm off to my brother's house party however I'm designated driver as I refuse to pay for taxis. DH is having a proper night out too, with some blokes from his football club. I had a sneaky count of his cash earlier and he seems to be doing quite well as he did a computer fixing job for cash so he got £60 for that, so he still has as much left as he started the week with.

confused yes, there are table top sales run by Kindergartens, which are good places to get second hand ski gear - but to be honest I get it from Aldi and it's the same new from there as 2nd hand generally :) Aldi only have it for a week or two - coming in on 10th October, and there is a scrum on the first morning usually - avoiding the scrum by going later risks missing what you need in the right size... This info is only any use if you live in Germany though, sorry! :o www.aldi-sued.de/de/angebote/angebote-ab-donnerstag-10-oktober/ Even though Aldi is incredibly barginous, it is still €35 per child for tha absolute basics of jacket, ski trousers and snow boots (so €70 for the 2 I need to kit out, as DC3 has hand me downs) - gloves and hats are fine from last year, and have to resist the temptation to grab armfuls of fleeces and thermal socks etc. :)

Clare enjoy your night out - I met up with a friend I hadn't seen since school over the summer (22 years!) - similar situation, but it was really nice and we'll hopefully meet more often now.

Kids are in bed (8pm here) but DD is shouting that she needs me so better go and see what's wrong, she hasn't been sick since lunch time but her temperature had started to head up at bedtime :(