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Original poster

A miserly May on Mumsnet for the fantastic frugaleers!

865 replies

MissAnnersleyismyhero · 28/04/2014 16:29

Saw April was getting very full so thought I'd start this off early!
Welcome to all who want to save cash, live frugally and pay debts, or just trying to live within our means!
Full of hints and tips on how to save money in the supermarket, meal planning and daily life.

OP posts:
SpottyTeacakes · 10/05/2014 08:05

Welcome Clara. This thread is really good at encouraging you to curb spending. Have you joined topcashback and made sure you're getting cheapest broadband/energy/insurance etc etc?

SpottyTeacakes · 10/05/2014 08:06

Oh I've now got £65 payable in my topcashback acct! Going to save it for a bit until I need it

northender · 10/05/2014 08:54

This thread is moving so fast, again!

Welcome to all newbies Smile . Clara I think recording what you actually spend your money on is the best first step. I don't think it's ever what you expect and almost shames you into change.

Good news MissA on the pay riseSmile

Frugality is definitely about much, much more than just spending less. It's also about reducing waste or making more of what you have and reducing your pressure on yourself to have what society tells you you need iykwim. In a lot of ways, it's an old style of living.

After our financially tough April when no progress was made on our debt reduction I'm still optimistic that May will be much better. Everything has been within budget so far. Ds' cricket bag needs a repair to the handle that my sewing machine can't cope with so I've got a number for someone who does leather repairs. I'm going to ring today and see if they can do it even though its not leather, it just needs heavy duty stitching. Nothing at all wrong with the bag.
Dd needs new school shoes as hers are leaking Sad . Not the time of year to be looking and its hard as she has wide feet but we'll try. Otherwise, she'll have to wear her PE pumps for a while to tide her over.
I've emailed the company that made Ds' cricket shoes from last season. When I took a photo of them to try to sell them on fb, I realised they were slightly different sizes Hmm . Both are identical in style but although both are marked s a 7, one is slightly longer and wider than the other. It obviously didn't affect Ds but I feel uncomfortable selling them now I've noticed it. So I'll wait and see how they respond......

Have a lovely frugal weekend everyone Smile

ilovepicnmix · 10/05/2014 08:55

Mornin all back home now so spending should return to normal. Yesterday I spent 88p on small fries from McDonald's and 30 odd in petrol. Gave my ex 10 as he had given me it a while ago to replace slippers for DS left at his. I never replaced so frugal win for him Confused

Today I will need to go to Aldi. I also want to go to sainbury's as a family member got DS a jumper but in the wrong size. Im hoping they'll swap it for me.

FantaSea · 10/05/2014 09:24

Clara welcome Smile

northender you are right, being frugal is much more than just spending less.

DD only has a week and a half of school left and her uniform is literally falling apart! She is down to one skirt as the other ones are too short. She has 2 cardigans but one has a hole at the neck so I shall be repairing that later. Her blouses and tie look ok. I have said that once she is finished we will take a bag and put all of it in for the textile recycling, it is all it is fit for. At least I know she has had her full wear out of it Blush .

CoolCadbury · 10/05/2014 13:12

£301 for car insurance.

Absolutely, yes, north.

flossy101 · 10/05/2014 15:16

Hi, hope I can join.
I have a DH & A toddler. We have had a spendy couple of years with having a baby, getting married, buying a house so now our "big purchases" are out of the way we are really trying to reduce outgoings, clear credit card and then hopefully start building up some savings.
We have £70 to last until payday Thursday, we need a food shop but that should be all, and £70 might not sound much to have left at the end of the month, but normally we will
Go into overdraft by £100-200 so have done quite well for us this
Month and hope to continue to improve!

Fluffycloudland77 · 10/05/2014 15:48

Cool did you get cashback on the car insurance?

Welcome flossy

springbright · 10/05/2014 16:10

Welcome flossy, £70 is a great amount to have left over! As you say, not overdrawn Smile

£18 spent in tescos. I've hopefully got enough in the house to do minimal top-ups before end of next week. Plan is S: bangers&mash, S and M: beef stew and dumplings, T: tuna and sweet corn jackets, W: bolognaise, T: bubble&squeak, F: macaroni cheese. I have abandoned official dieting - it just doesn't sit well with a frugal lifestyle where you just have to eat what's in the fridge and freezer. That said I lost 1lb last week, hoping for the same again this week.

Also £1.50 in Next. I spent some refund vouchers buying a few bits for dd for Christmas and this was the balance (DH thinks I'm crazy buying Christmas presents in May!)

I got £14 for some Cash4Clothes so almost a break even day!

CoolCadbury · 10/05/2014 16:10

fluffy I knew you were going to ask me that Grin.

I was a good girl and went on comparison sites and TCB, but Directline (who I was with anyway) came back cheapest. There was one cheaper, came to just over £290 including cashback, but it was with a company I had never heard of and I thought I could live with paying £11 extra.

CoolCadbury · 10/05/2014 16:13

*came back one of the cheapest.

Fluffycloudland77 · 10/05/2014 16:50

I am sooo predictable. Good call.

Forgot to do my refunds, might get to do it tomorrow.

Buying beer later so £2? A bottle of wine would have worked out cheaper over the weekend.

CremeEggThief · 10/05/2014 22:33

Quite a spendy day, but worth it. Travel for me and DS was £13.65, lunch in Costa was £9.55, and I bought a top for £10 in Fatface, that was half-price. I also remembered my JL voucher, so my tea and cake that should have been £5.15 was free. :)

AdoraBell · 10/05/2014 23:38

90p on bananas, £2 on coffee

Will cath up later.

Fluffycloudland77 · 10/05/2014 23:43

No beer Sad

NSD Smile

Iamnotanugget · 11/05/2014 04:34

£1.90 on paracetamol and fruit juice.

Have found new JL vouchers. Will find time for cake this week. Wink

NK5BM3 · 11/05/2014 08:20

Spent £42 at aldis and got the entire weeks shop. Amazed again. I'm due some JL vouchers from using their credit card so looking forward to them.

Won a three night stay in London with mumsnet and house trip and can't wait for that!! Grin

McPhee · 11/05/2014 08:41

Another one here who'd like to join.

After spending over £500 on stupid things last month, I need to grab hold of my spending. So far this month I've spent, roughly £35 on food. It's a NSD today!

FantaSea · 11/05/2014 09:42

flossy and McPhee welcome Smile

NK well done, that is great news Grin

I'm planning a Tesco online shop later and am hoping that I'm not too late to get a £1 delivery slot for this week.

ItalianWiking84 · 11/05/2014 13:00

Happy Mothers Day :) Its Mothers day in NL and DK today.
Weekend spend is 16,99 Grocery, 14,99 for car adapter for phones,6,98 for freezing boxes (made chili con carne and lasagna, Italian tomato sauce for freezer) from my 16,99 grocery shopping (got 3x all of them, so 9 dishes) fairly pleased with that.
Pin out 50 euros for taxis in case we need it for when I am going in to labour. And put aside money for vending machine, pay phone ect. in case.
A question for all you mothers, I am planning (hoping) to breastfeed, but have bought a starter pack bottles for formula just in case; now some of my friends think that I should also buy some formula to have as back up, what is your thought of that`?

NK5BM3 · 11/05/2014 13:09

Hi Italian
I think if you are hoping and wanting to bf then buying the bottles might give you a 'reason' to bottle feed. And it might reduce your determination to bf (this is in no way a judgement - I did the same thing).

In terms of getting formula in, you might want to try and get the ready made ones - they have them here. It's not cheap but it's like a little uht packet of the same formula and it basically means you don't have to waste if you don't end up formula feeding (because a tin of that stuff is about £10). Plus if you are hoping to just bf then having that little packet is like an emergency supply.

My kids didn't take to the bottle. We tried many types and brands. They would reluctantly take breast milk in bottle but would not take formula in bottle.

flossy101 · 11/05/2014 14:05

Italian, I planned on breast feeding too but also had a starter pack of bottles and a tin of formula just in case, But it's easy enough to pop out to supermarket if breast feeding doesn't work out?

Today is a no spend day and I've done a big batch of bolognese for a tea this week and the freezer. Am making a Sunday roast, there is only 3 of us (including toddler) so lasts us two days.

Iamnotanugget · 11/05/2014 14:34

Italian all 3 of my children have had 2/3 feeds of 25-50ml of formula during the first few days of life. I have then only given breast milk until 6 months and continued feeding for another year, so it did them no harm. Breastfeeding is hard work in the early days but I would encourage you to stick with it. The important thing to remember is that the more baby is on your breast the more milk you'll make. So if baby seems to need constant feeding it's not that he's hungry he's just 'pre ordering' for the next couple of days. However if you've been at it all day a little bit of formula so you can get to bed is fine, just don't do it more than a couple of times.

Iamnotanugget · 11/05/2014 14:38

Sorry, just to be clear that's 2/3 feeds in total not everyday.

FantaSea · 11/05/2014 15:05

Italian I think the idea of having a couple of small ready-made cartons would be the best idea. It is less of an investment than a huge tin and it will just give you peace of mind as an emergency back-up.