An Avalanche of Austerity for April - Mumsnet frugaleers continue!

[MissAnnersleyismyhero]

Thought I'd start a new thread for April

-€14.40 on trousers being returned
€5 on aqua babies €40 diesel €2 on spread as we ran out

Saved €45 on cleaner as she can't come this week

Started this post at 11pm & fell asleep, up feeding ds now!
Dd's birthday this week - owe dh €70 towards her bike, helmet & accessories.

Already spent 35 quid today buying a belated birthday present for DS on eBay. Got him a balance bike that's 120 new and hopefully we can resell afterwards. His birthday is v near Christmas so he doesn't get anything all year if we don't spread things out.

Doing my tax return over Easter - trying to keep my net profit high so we can get a decent mortgage but that means paying more tax and NI and then paying in advance for next year too - mega ouch!

Morning all. Haven't properly kept up with thread while we were away but back home now and desperately need to regroup. April has been incredibly spendy. There have been big one offs and we've all needed new shoes. Added to that was the weekend away which was lovely but lots of spending despite the free accommodation.
On a brighter note, my extra hours at work will carry on to the end of this month. It may end then but at least means I'll have extra pay at the end of April and May. I now need to make that count by having the tightest budget I can from now until then.
Going to have a big sort out today and identify stuff for selling and stuff to go to the tip. Need to finish our de clutter.
Did aldi shop yesterday with the Sun voucher, thanks fluffy, £60 will do rest of shopping today with strict meal plan.

MissMystic what's a balance bike? Hope your DS has a lovely belated birthday with it

I have to go and get Easter eggs today - hope I haven't left it too late but am thinking I probably have!

NSD. Dh spent £8 last night on my card for screws or rawplugs or something.

Nsd

So, I returned one of the two pairs of shoes I got, so that's -£24.99 and got ds 2 pairs of shoes, as he was complaining his old ones hurt. Turns out that old pair was half a size too small anyway. But debenhams was having a really good sale (and I never step in there usually!) and I got him one pair for £9, and another was £5.70!! Ended up eating there, and his meal was free - with no catch at all. I had a jacket potato and drink so that was £6.45 or something like that.

Loved a dress in there, but put it back. Might go back and see if it's there tomorrow or Saturday.

Kids eat free at debenhams until a week on Sunday, www.moneysavingexpert.com/deals/debenhams?utm_source=MSE_Newsletter&utm_medium=oneliner-five&utm_term=15-Apr-14-lt&utm_campaign=deals&utm_content=2

Adults don't need to buy a meal.

Poundland voucher

£2 off a £12 spend.

€2.50 on box of tissues for car for dd's runny nose
, €4 on 2 extra chicken Marylands as dss seemed to be staying around for dinner, he has since vanished so one may find its way into the freezer for another day.

I went out to get cello tape and ended up buying a bed.

But forgot the cellotape.

fantasea a balance bike is a two wheel bike without pedals that helps 2 to 4 year olds learn to balance so they can go straight to a bike without stabilisers. Ours is a wooden frame one but you can get metal ones too.

50p on a can of pop.

Thanks for the debenhams tip.

Just went nuts in Waitrose. Easter eggs, hot cross buns, makings of a really extravagant family curry, two bunches of flowers, no fewer than three house porn magazines (my excuse was we are doing up DH's dad's cottage), a computer game mag for DS2, Ben and Jerry's ice cream and some rather good butter.

Oh dear. At least the Ben and Jerry's is half price at the moment.

Did they give you a free gin & tonic and not a coffee by mistake?

Spendy day, as I had to take DS to the airport, and thought I might as well make the most of being in the city and do some shopping! So, £19.05 on travel, £9.70 on food (although I did get free tea and cake with my JL voucher. ), £27.90 in Primark, and £23.03 in Waitrose. The latter two probably won't come out until Tuesday.

By the way, Waitrose is doing two Thorntons' Easter eggs for s fiver.

MissMystic ah ok I know what you mean now - that sounds like such a good idea

£14 in Tesco on Easter eggs - I was right, all the good ones had gone!

Fluffy, I hang my head in shame. It was entirely my own lack of financial control and nothing to do with Waitrose dispensing coffee liqueur out of the nice machine at the entrance. Sadly.

in my defence I have been good all month apart from today.

£2.55 school run as expected, nothing else.

We're away for the weekend now, badly needed even though I would prefer not to spend money right now.

boffinmum to be fair it's very easy to do in Waitrose. I went into m and s today. I had forgotten what a cornucopia of deliciousness it sells. I legged it out of there, after buying their luxury hot cross buns, of course.

adora have a lovely weekend away.

It was all so SHINY and EXCITING!
And I also took DS2 for hot chocolate and a bun in the caff. And that was exciting too.
Although since it had its refit and went all big, I find it less of a village water hole than before and not quite as cosy or social, it has to be said. And I don't know any of the staff now. A lot of the original have left, that had been there for a decade or more

Cadbury a bed?? I understand Boffins impluse purchases but yours is a whole new level!

£30 on stuff for lunch as have in-laws coming today for lunch. Finished first week of Easter holidays with about £5 left in my 'fun' budget. New week starts today so I'm pleased with that although I'm not sure how we're entertaining ourselves this week.

I've remembered we owe the dc £15 each. They were given money by the grandparents which I was supposed to look after but then we treated ourselves to a take away and I didn't have any cash so used theirs. It'll come out of personal spends instead of household account but it means I've got less than I thought.

Yes, Cadbury - a BED? Describe, please.

I've just put the hot cross buns in to rise, I make them every Good Friday as my mum always used to. They smell lovely
Spent quite a bit yesterday but have enough meat for loads of meals now. Last night cooked 2 pounds of mince to make bolognese. I added lots of veg and lentils so I reckon it should do for 3 meals at least. Cooked it in the slow cooker overnight, will freeze it today.
dh and Ds are going to football today but have managed to blag free tickets from a friend.
Tonight is the dc's first outdoor cricket net of the year. I cook burgers and hot dogs every week to fund raise so we all get our food for nothing so just drinks money needed.
Still not sure how this month has ended up being such a disaster in terms of spending. Well, I suppose I do know but am in denial and desperately trying to pull it back.
It now looks like my extra hours at work will go on until the end of May so that's 3 more good pay months which helps hugely.
Sorry for my long posts, whether anyone reads them or not I find it really helps to get things clear in my head.
Have a lovely weekend everyone