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Original poster

Marching into a miserly march with the mumsnet frugaleers

997 replies

Fluffycloudland77 · 28/02/2014 19:45

Newbies, helpful tips & lurkers always welcome.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/credit_crunch/1600030-Small-money-saving-habits-petty-even

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/credit_crunch/1543785-your-top-tips-for-money-saving-and-a-more-frugal-life

OP posts:
AdoraBell · 08/03/2014 18:17

Thanks TheOnlyPink

He seems To be okay with oats and hasn't been diagnosed as coeliac, but Thanks anyway. Regularly eats porridge and the granola I make without any problems. He is convinced it's all down the GM wheat that's grown here, plans To Go back To eating it when we move To Europe, but that's a few years off now. How is your DH coping?

NSD for me, used left over pizza from double date when DD's boyfriends came over for lunch, DH and I had omlettes.

We all went out on bikes this morning, DH is a sleep in his hammock and DDs are getting To grips with home work.

DW may need replacing. It's 8 years old so is probably Due To brake soon anyway.

Apparently what's happenned at school is the waste pipe from the the canteen has leaked in To the main water supply, messing up the cholorine level, according the the News and DD1. School are Officially saying they don't know if it's the fault of nearby construcción or themselves. Gov Dept are taking it V seriously and so as yet we don't know when it will be open again. DDs assure me the Health Dept bods came rushing in like something off CSI. Haven't yet checked the News for updates.

AdoraBell · 08/03/2014 18:23

Have nicked Spotty's meal planGrin, with a little tweaking. Thanks Spotty and Well done on refuseing the take away.

CoolCadbury · 08/03/2014 18:33

Adora I read your post and thought you were replacing yourself (DW) Blush. I seriously need to wake up.

Your school situation sounds terrible. Has anyone actually been ill from it? And I wonder how long it took them to work out? Is it an Academy?

kazzawazzawoo · 08/03/2014 18:37

Sorry if I'm being dim, can't work out what DW needs replacing Confused

NK5BM3 · 08/03/2014 18:37

Big spendy day! Shock

Upgraded a Clarins facial I was given for my birthday in July... Paid £17 extra but that was dh's treat as my valentines present.

Bought a dress £29 from esprit which was more than half price off.. Good for work and importantly not dry clean only so can wash in machine.

Bought 3 pairs of jeans for dh as somehow all of his have split. £65 total (not sure if he's going to keep all of them..). A pair for ds who's growing £8 but not sure if might send them back as I think they are the same size as his current ones...

Argh.

But on better news ... My other cc came and it was £200 less than last months and included ds birthday party bags and other nonsense which cost about £100 in total... So we are doing something good. But must be more frugal.

CoolCadbury · 08/03/2014 18:57

kazza. DW=dishwasher. Took me a moment to work out. Blush

kazzawazzawoo · 08/03/2014 19:45

Lol Grin thanks.

potbellyroast · 08/03/2014 20:44

Big spendy splurge for me today but I knew it was coming up so had planned for it.

DS was in a swimming competition today (won 2 golds yay!) so £30 in diesel to get there. Took packed lunch so saved on that especially as we made a big flask of coffee to save us buying them. Plus we planned a takeaway as we knew it would be late when we got home so £25 on that.

Silly spend fund now stands at £70 - each time we resist getting a bottle of wine or coffees out etc we put it in a separate account. Slow grower but it's good to see how much silly spends add up to.

AdoraBell · 08/03/2014 21:58

Grin I sometimes feel like I need a replacement.

Sorry, it's Good Housekeeping speak for dishwasher.

AdoraBell · 08/03/2014 22:22

Cool 150 pupils sent home sick. They did act pretty fast once they realised it wasn't just a few kids with random symptoms. It's a private school, we're in Latin America so no Academies. It's either cheap state schools or private.

Luckily my two hardly ever drink from the water fountains as usually the chlorine levels here are very high, so they haven't been effected.

We're heading out in search of air condotioned places to eat. It's only 30 degrees C inside our house.

Well done to potbellyroast's DSGrin

potbellyroast · 08/03/2014 22:40

andora 30 degrees! not jealous at all

Glad your kids are ok and didn't drink the water. What a worry though.

Original poster
Fluffycloudland77 · 08/03/2014 22:41
Envy
OP posts:
listsandbudgets · 08/03/2014 22:52

I've crept back here to confess with my tail between my legs.....

Good news is friend didn't turn up so didn't go to coffee shop. Bad news is everything else

ballet stuff £15.50
Co-op for stuff for dinner £13.75 but I couldn't get ev.terything I needed
Asda £17.50 Shock
then stupid idiot that I am went out for wine to the off licence and somehow spent £27 on 4 bottles of wine

Total £73.75 and I'm not even sure how.

£10 was on meat
£3 on fruit juice
£2.50 on pringles

Also got hummus, pitta breads, olives and various other bits.

The good news is there are loads of left overs which should probably do for 3-4 meals if I'm careful. We've still got 3 bottles left over as some wine was bought by visitors. Nine people were fed a 3 course meal with wine, everyone was happy and it was a lovely relaxed evening. I keep reminding myself that the meal was actually only about £6.50 a head including wine. Actually it was less than that as a few of the things in Asda were not for the meal.

That brings the running total to the month to a shocking £178.11. Average £22.26 a day. Tomorrow needs to an NSD.

Oh dear I'm not very good at this am I? Still at least I've got 3 bottles of wine to drown my sorrows in!!

AdoraBell · 09/03/2014 02:25

Ah, but writing it here helps us To improve List Wink glad you had a good evening.

Fluffy I would also be Envy if I were lying on a beach, but when DDs want end less drinks and DH is Asking what's for fucking dinner it takes the shine off the naice weather.

£18 Spent on replacement padlocks for school lockers and £50Shock on dinner. He said he wanted To Go somewhere cheap, úntil we got thereAngry. Brought home potatoes To Go in omlettes and fat/scraps off steak To give the dogs a treat.

I didn't part with any money.

Iamnotanugget · 09/03/2014 06:43

Unlike Spotty I gave in and had a takeaway last AND rented a film. My share came to nearly 15 Shock and I regret it. The food was cold and the film was average, overall disappointing.

Think we'll do free museum trip today then homework, meal planning and ironing. At least it'll be a lsd.

Adora your school situation sounds awful. DH occassionally makes noise about moving away but your tales put me off!

SpottyTeacakes · 09/03/2014 07:00

Will be a nsd for us as we're going to spend it in the garden Smile going to be a lovely day.

SpottyTeacakes · 09/03/2014 07:01

Oh and I hate disappointing take aways!

Thebluedog · 09/03/2014 08:35

Well my weekend away/night out was good, I took the motorbike to Manchester so cheaper on fuel and got a lift to and from town and slept on a mates sofa, so all in all it's cost me about 65 quid which is a far cry from a hotel etc that I would normally have gone for Smile

Original poster
Fluffycloudland77 · 09/03/2014 08:35

I stopped having takeaways when I looked up the environmental health report for the Indian online. Nothing like realising the staff have no soap or hot water & the chips defrost in the sink next to the TOILET to put you off.

OP posts:
fuzzpig · 09/03/2014 08:57

Euwwww!

NK5BM3 · 09/03/2014 11:28

Dh has tried his jeans on and I've had to return them all! So got £65 back. He's just bought 2 pairs... So we will have spent that but at least they fit!

SpottyTeacakes · 09/03/2014 12:29

£19.31 on the top up shop as dp went to bloody sainsburys instead of tesco Angry so we're over budget before we've even topped up with bread etc

Ememem84 · 09/03/2014 13:23

Last 2 days were Spendy. £27 on Chinese meal out on Friday. £23 yesterday on trip to local attraction for me and dh.

NSd today. As am studying in the sun. Tomorrow will be super Spendy as we are planning on booking out nz flights for Christmas. Luckily we've budgeted for this and have £ put away. (Ps it's not a holiday. It's a family obligation).

ilovepicnmix · 09/03/2014 16:13

NSD for me. Have been walking in the peaks and my friend wouldn't accept any petrol money. I had been thinking of getting fish and chips tonight but I can't be bothered going out again and I have lots of nice food in anyway.

Ellisisland · 09/03/2014 16:47

Can I re join? Was on the thread in jan but had a miscarriage in feb and fell off the frugal wagon then. Need to get back in the swing of things as had to use the credit card the last week and haven't had to do that in months.

Started with my weekly shop. Did it with ocado as had a voucher so came to £65 and also got a free midweek delivery pass so will use it again next week.
Had a NSD today as made a roast at home and have spent the day playing with DS in the garden. Have friends visiting tomorrow so a more spendy day but am working every day after that next week ( normally do 3 days a week) and hoping to pick up more overtime as well so that will help

Hope everyone is enjoying the sunshine Smile