An Avalanche of Austerity for April - Mumsnet frugaleers continue!

[MissAnnersleyismyhero]

Thought I'd start a new thread for April

Wasn't there one in the news recently because it sold for over £150k & as usual you can only visit for half an hour on a Tuesday morning in November.

Houses here go for £675k (3 bed semi). Place we'd like to live is £200k for the same but still. There's no way we will ever afford one. We've not got any inheritance coming out way either. Our only hope is a lottery win and we don't play

I'd love a beach hut on witterings

We wouldn't manage it either (although not quite there yet so don't want to jinx it) if we hadn't both inherited and didn't need to commute every day anymore. spotty that's an insane price!

Ooh ooh, I've been to Witterings! It's lovely.

Another NSD today.

Can't catch up, sorry too busy today, will try tomorrow.

Spends,

£80 on groceries for the week
£30 on DD2's vitamins
£1.20 road back from city, DH drove in so I didn't spend £2.55 going to school and £3 going into the capital
£5 worth of rushed after school snacks for 3 DCs
£20 worth of non perishable foods going to Valparaiso, plus some things I already had.
£2 on coffee halfway through shopping this morning.

Friend gave me a huge bag of cherry tomatoes from her garden, plus a few other bits, in exchange for some cacti I dug up from my garden

mystic I saw that about mortgages. Our fixed term comes to an end soon. The mortgage we now want is with the same company we've been with for the last 6 years (we have shopped around but the fees on some mortgages are HUGE, they wipe out the savings made in cheaper interest) but I am concerned. I read that they don't just look at affordability now but how you'd cope if the interest rate went to 7%!! I've had a look on mse, we could do it but it would be a miserable exsistance. We don't have any money left at the end of the month now but to cover a mortgage that high we'd have to drop dc clubs, give up our annual holiday that we book through The Sun so isn't thousands etc. Anyway what will be will be, I'm just hoping that our history with them will have some weight.

Tesco delivering today approx 50 and then I think we'll make the most of the weather and play in the park and garden. Tesco are running the spend 20 get 5 off your next 40 shop again. I'm resisting the urge to spend 40 next week just to save a fiver. I think you can use it off wine deliveries too and they have some good offers on right now. We're hoping for a gorgeous summer and planning on hosting a few bbqs/parties so it would make sense long term to stock up on cheap booze but it does require will power!

iamnotanugget Yes, I'd forgotten about the "can you afford it if the interest rates shoot up?" but I don't think that's likely for a while. The Bank of England seem keen to have steady slow increases when they happen so you'd have plenty of warning and at least you can show the bank there's things you could cut back, on if needed. The people who are going to struggle are those people who are overstretched to make the mortgage payments as they are now. In a way, it's fairer because you get the chance to prove to the bank that you can be careful with money (in the 3 months before the application). So people with higher incomes than us and who are very spendy will seem a higher risk. (fingers crossed)

Approved Food order is apparently on its way.
Bidding on a new table that nobody else seems interested in.

No, I don't think it's likely either mystic which is why I'm surprised it's been set so high. In some ways I do think it's a good idea. One person earning 50k has a lot more money than a couple earning 25k each with 2 dc in ft childcare but what happens if you are that single person and you've taken out a 5 year fixed mortgage but now have a partner and 2 small dc? If the figures say you now can't afford your mortgage are you now stuck with the lenders svr and unable to change?

Fingers crossed for you boffin.

2.09 olive oil which I forgot from our 60 shop yesterday. Shopping included a few bits for Easter. I've popped some new vests and socks in a gift bag for dd; essential and she doesn't yet realise Easter is for chocolate!

Who else on here was giving potty training a go? We've had some success but lots of 'I don't like it' and am currently sitting in the sun to dry my wet trouser leg!

Another one off the financial to do list - dh has cancelled free movies trial.

I called roofing co yesterday. Office lady was very understanding of the situation so hopefully someone will be back soon to do further investigations.

€1,10 on an ice cream after playground for dd & €10 for slimming class tonight.

Walked to play park with DC4, took picnic, had a lovely cheap outing in the sunshine ... then ...

One of my sandals COMPLETELY disintegrated, very unexpectedly. No means of walking home without shredding feet on tarmac for a mile, so had to go into nearby posh shoe shop and buy some replacement sandals at a cost of £59.99 as I have funny feet and not much fits them.

DC4 did offer to give me a croggy on his balance bike as a means of getting home, and also offered the use of his trainers, little gentleman that he is, but I declined on both counts.

at the offer of a lift Boffin, pain about the sandals though.

need to buy a pepper today as have a courgette, from friend's garden, to stuff but DDs won't eat "that" so they'll have stuffed pepper.

I've never been to Witterings, can't say I've ever been overly keen on beach huts.

£1 wraps
15p avocados
38p water
55p crisps.

£10 fuel.

15p avocados?!

I've been a bad frugaler £85 on new clothes

were did you get avocados for 15 pence? More to the point, what do you plan to do with them?

Spotty new clothes need to bought sometimes, don't be too hard on yourself

I'm thinking I might get a couple of avocados now, feel the need for guacamole

I love avacado

£20 in asda on essentials, so not too bad.

Spotty lovely new clothes - what did you get?

I got two pairs of jeans and a top plus some lipstick and a nail varnish

Your dc4 sounds lovely boffin

I am at 15p avocados fluffy I note the plural.

We've had a lovely day in the sunshine here. Two park visits. 1 in jack Fultons, 1 on the 7 card deal in card factory and 80p in Tesco. My lovely mum has sent me some money to treat myself as DS is with his dad the whole of Easter.

We are all about the 15p avocado. Btw, why just get the one if it was at 15p? . Morrisons does them, £1 for a 4 pack.

Ocado order for tomorrow is £78, with £20 discount! Holidays are always so expensive. Sigh.

I made a lentil bolognese with the ingredients I had in. 3 portions altogether, 2 for the freezer. Was checking out the bbc good food site for cheap meals and my lentil bolognese was in there. But they call it Lentil Ragu. Cheap and delicious. I also made 4 portions of lamb bolognese for DP, 3 portions went in the freezer. I can't do red meat [boak]. And I made stewed apples and have frozen portions for crumble.

Ooh, I did not note the plural avocados

It was a small branch of morrisons, they do bags of second fruit and veg, 49 for 4 was 15p but all the others were virtually liquid inside.

They had steak but only a bit knocked off so I put it back . If I lived near there I'd be down there checking to see if it had gone lower.

I just cut them up and have with bacon sandwiches.

I need to try making wraps, somebody cut up my rolling pin though