Have a fabulous frugal February with the fantastic frugaleers

[northender]

As we filled the old thread, thought I'd start a new one for February.

Where's cheapest for fruit and veg? I'm debating whether to go to aldi on Thursday or the market and wondered what people found better.

Have you got a market? They are super cheap. I find aldi cheaper than lidl & frozen cheaper than fresh.

I chop & freeze super six stuff like onions, leeks, celery, carrots, courgettes, lemons, garlic.

You get the idea.

NSD today. Yippee.

TheNight I find overall that local things like markets work out cheaper, but I think it depends on your approach. At the market they might get some stuff cheaper that week because it's in season, or they got a good deal from their supplier, so you can get some very good deals. However if you like careful meal planning then it's less easy as the bits you might need won't be guaranteed to be the best deal so you won't know until you go, and if there are things you always want then the price may fluctuate more over the weeks/months compared with a shop/Aldi.

I think I mentioned upthread that we get a sack of fruit and veg from a local group. I have no idea when I go to collect it what will be inside, but that's fine by me. We get more than enough fruit and veg for a week for £12, and then can get another lot or get just veg or just fruit as needed for £6. It might be more expensive than buying at Aldi, I've no idea as Aldi is nowhere near me, but it works out much cheaper than buying the equivalent at the supermarket. I like getting a random selection and being forced to work out what to do with it so it works for me. However with Aldi you can see what's in the Super 6 thingy in advance if you want to plan.

Yup several markets. Slap bang in the middle of two counties

Might try the market when I drop DD at nursery. The middle aisles in aldi may damage my new found frugalness!

Have you got a farm shop? Mines charging 80p for 2.5kg of potatoes compared to £1.89 in aldi or £2.50 in big supermarkets.

I honestly don't know how families afford to eat sometimes.

TheNight Ooh plus markets are more fun (well to me they are!)

Oh I don't know about a farm shop. Will have a google.

Our market is brilliant. Back issues of magazines for £1

So it turned out to be a very spendy day but all planned for I think. Aldi was £68 but we got a lot of food. So that will probably last 2 weeks including whatever freezer food we have. Then we went for Chinese New Year party. I brought dumplings. We ate our fill of yummy Chinese food.
Then went to town and bought ds' school shoes and dd some regular shoes £50. Dh some shoes too 50% off at Clark's for £27. Then bought a truck load of presents for ds' friends many parties that we get invited to. Hawkins bazaar had lots of great bargains. We ended up getting his party bags sorted there too. If you spend £2 per bag they give you the bag, haribo and balloon for free! I think his party bags are lovely!!!! So all that plus his own present was £72. Eep.

I will be at work all week though and no coffees or lunches planned out so will be bringing packed lunch. Have a dinner out with a really good friend next Tuesday but looking forward to it.

Happy work week!

Trying for a NSD tomorrow, got everything in for meals, kids dont need anything and got enough electric on the meter to last

Ellis wow where do you get that delivered from? 1.05 a litre is amazing.

Freelancemama- I live in Wiltshire and have a local farm that do deliveries of milk and eggs. Luckily for me they keep goats too

I need to find a farm for potatoes though. The amount we go through is ridiculous.

Hi there, not checked in for a couple of days but I have been keeping an eye on you lot.

So Friday, £20 in morrisons which included fruit and veg for the week, a bottle if wine and nibbles for a night in at a friends house. It was originally a night out which I budgeted £30.00 for. It also including a book for dp's valentines present which was £3.99 instead of £7.99, I have budgeted £15.00 for his valentines pressie and card so I am happy with that.

Saturday £9.00 in Lidil which was for stuff I didn't get in morrisons because I know they are cheaper in Lidil, mainly Yoghurts, cheese and ham for pickups.

Today I have bought trainers. I am training for a marathon so I need a decent pair. I managed to pick a pair up from Studio 24, reduced from £70.00 to £22.00, I also managed to get a free delivery and 10% off discount code. I have checked the reviews and they come up good.

So I don't think I have done bad this weekend at all.

We also managed a trip the park to fly a kite. Bloody loved that, put some colour in our cheeks and totally free.

Quite a spendy weekend here but we knew it would be as we had a night out for friend's 50th on Friday. Still hoping for a small surplus at the end of the week.
Have done a bit of shopping today

Just bought school books and materials, plus fleeces & jackets. I'll update when I've the hyperventilating under control

Jeeeeeeeze. £600. Still need To buy uniform, shoes, trainers and a couple of ring binders that we forgot. CC has taken a bashing as no actual money available yet.

Makes me appreciate the "free" educación I had.

Ok people, it's got to be an NSD for me today! The unwanted veg box and fruit box will be coming so I'll spend some time re-jigging the meal plan based on that and will probably need to cook 2 or 3 things tonight so the huge amount of fresh food I now have doesn't all go off before we can eat it.
Sigh.

Lots of NSDs, well done, frugal ladies! Today will be a NSD for me, unless something unforseen happens. Am working today (from home) so I'll be busy mostly, will walk the dog and take dd to the playground in the middle but nothing that needs paying for.

Yesterday was an NSD as planned, frugal thing was selling a couple of things on ebay, and then resisting the temptation to buy more stuff that I don't need with the proceeds!

DD is singing at a choir concert with school at a big arena this evening so parking will be about 6 for that. Frugal thing that DH has inadvertantly done is cocking up his work diary so that we have to take both cars..........I will therefore spend less on parking than I would have done on wine to cope with the whole ex-H, ex-PILs, my DM & DDad, me & DH in the same confined space

6.98

HAMSTER LADDERS!!

Another NSD day here, it's pissing rain so I've made DD a fort to play in and I'm going through the cupboards to see what I can use up!

I'm sure cabin fever will set in soon agh, hate being stuck in!

Wow, this is moving fast! And I need to get to a market by the sound of it. Are potatoes really that cheap? My family live on potatoes!

Been a bit of a spendy weekend. £92 in Aldi, but that will last into half term and included nappies, cleaning stuff and washing powder. Less than £50 a week for a family of 5 is pretty good isn't it? Went to ikea too and spend £63! £25 was for my mum though so I will get that back today, and I got stuff for dd1's party next weekend, so for once I am organised!

Dd1 was 7 on Saturday so we all went to Pizza Express but paid for that with vouchers I'd been saving so it was free! She had a great day and it was nice to do something a bit special together. DS also kept us on our toes too by throwing himself headfirst off a chair into the kitchen radiator. He is now sporting a lovely bruised face and arm and I have only just calmed down! 3 year old boys just so physical!

Started the week well by doing all my January invoicing. It was a quiet month but £130 will certainly help. Need to get my act together and get some more work in. Have just listed a load of Boden stuff on Ebay too so fingers crossed will all sell.

On the minus side, I have broken a tooth so am off to the dentist tomorrow to have it fixed. Dreading the cost as I think my dentist just makes up some crazy figure on the spur of the moment, but I will pay anything to get the pain to stop! CC I think as we just don't have the cash at the moment.

Low spend day - £1 on Ibuprofen for the evil tooth.

£10 on party decorations for DS birthday in a few weeks. 80p on reserving a book at the library instead of buying it.

That should be it today as bought lunch with me at work and have enough petrol to last me for the week.

Oh no expecting! My 14mo ds threw himself over the arm of the sofa head first last night. I thought he'd broken his neck!

Nsd so far, should continue as I'm off to work in a bit.