A miserly May on Mumsnet for the fantastic frugaleers!

[MissAnnersleyismyhero]

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.

That's good, Fanta :). Such a lot of pressure on them though.

OMG, Lilac! Hope they're sorting it ASAP. It doesn't inspire confidence in them ...

£3.55 in Tesco and £1.06 on two 2nd class stamps.

lilac I can't believe that, I am so paranoid about stuff like that, hope you get it sorted soon!

Yay, spotty!!! well done

6 days til payday...

I have used my halogen oven to tonight for the first time, it's brilliant. I did chips, onion rings & fishfingers we do eat healthy meals too, we had salad and petis pois with it in 15 minutes at 210c.

Dh said the food tasted really fresh and crispy

Adora thank you, I could do with some bubble wrap for myself!

Fluffy oh I would love a new oven, especially a halogen one - and that is really fast

Well done Fanta for the first exam! What does dd want to do after a levels? Is she going to Uni?

The paypal sort of thing totally freaks me out!! Hope you sort things out soon.

Was an NSD for work then had to go to Sainsburys to get some stuff that Aldi didn't (well I didn't have to go but dd was stroppy and I needed to distract her.). I hate shopping with a 3 year old. Ended up buying her some stuff. All in all £37.

are tax discs more expensive this year or am I just getting tighter?! £180 for the year! I thought it was going to be about £120!

Also £3 on lunch (letting things slide again in that department - must do better tomorrow).

On a positive note two things have sold on ebay for £60.

I must be getting tighter - just cooked a joint of ham and have been fluttering around the oven worrying about how much electric is being used! Your halogen oven sounds fab fluffy!

NK thank you - she is not sure what she wants to do after A levels, a lot depends on what she gets. She has found sixth form really tough and sometimes I think it is all too hard for her. She has tried her best so we will have to wait and see. It has all put years on me though...

7.47 on a packet of fags and a can of coke bought and delivered to my very hungover best friend. 6.78 for cigarettes!!! I didn't want her to repay me as she is going to babysit for me on Saturday night. She insisted on giving me 5 back.

I have a date on Saturday Must resist buying an entire new wardrobe in anticipation of all weathers and venues.

Ooh a date! How exciting

Date!! Exciting! Btw you sound like the best friend ever! A hangover saviour!

Ooo a date!!

Fanta I can't go to clarks as they don't put any support in their shoes. Dd needs full backs on her sandals to support her ankle and enable her heel cup insole to go in.

Just over £6 on a kindle book. What a waste as it's not what what I expected.

fluffy I was intrigued by how halogen ovens worked when you said you wanted it and did a little googling to find out about them. Can they really roast a chicken in 30 minutes, and if they can do that, how come it took 15 minutes to cook fish fingers and (oven?) chips, as that is how long it takes in the oven? But I guess it's saving electricity as there is not a need to heat up the whole oven?

I am tempted to buy one because my DS lives off fish fingers and oven chips and our electric bills have shot through the roof after our combo microwave caught on fire. don't ever buy a Panasonic as my parents had one too and smoke came out of their's

Two more questions: do you need to pre-heat it and which model did you get?

Date! That is exciting.

*wanted one

Btw, I am on the 5:2 "diet" and it's amazing, how much money I save.

I'll stop posting now. (5:2 has made me a bit delirious I think - today was a fast day.)

It took more like 40 minutes in my main oven to cook tonight's kind of meal, I'm wondering now if its just a rubbish main oven.

You don't need to pre-heat it and I got the Andrew James one with a hinged lid off their own website

Really fluffy? 12 to 15 minutes after a 5 minute pre-heat in the oven for fish fingers and oven chips, no idea about onion rings but now you have made me want to buy them.

Right, will go check out the Andrew James one. Cheers.

My main ovens new as well but it's always taken that long with the other cookers I've had.

Maybe I'm the problem! I'm the common denominator.

Lots of good reviews on Amazon for that halogen oven. Mmm. Seriously tempted especially as it's very energy efficient. I will wait till the end of the month and see what YNAB has to say.

Oh, and just put onion rings in my ocado basket

at a date.

Fluffy I cannot see how you could possibly be the problem.

Spent £8 on chicken wings for dogs as DH hasn't bought their food, he's trying now between meetings, bread, biscuits and cheap snack each for DDs.

NSD. Tomorrow won't be as posting parcel
to my lovely nephew for his birthday, but hoping to keep
It to just the postage.

Have you all got the checkout smart app? There is an offer on for free birds eye inspirations chicken and fish plus a free burger in morrisons.

Some of the packs are marked "try me free" so I'm wondering if its possible to turn a profit on them by claiming back from the app & doing a postal redemption?.

I've got the app on the ipad but I'm assuming there will be an app for android too.

picnmix hope your date on Saturday goes well

spring good news on your ebay items - £60 is great . I have a few things which I should put on ebay, but I haven't got round to it yet.

My hairdryer has blown up so I will pop round to Asda later and see if I can get a new one.