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.

I'm diabetic so can't get normal travel insurance. I suppose I could get a cheap policy for dp, dd and ds though that might put it down to £30 for me

Do any of the diabetes charity's do cheap travel cover? The cancer ones do.

They do cover but it's not cheap

Wow how is it only 1:20?! I've been out and done the shopping, put it all away, made a big batch of soup (which dd and ds loved!), done two loads of washing and cleaned the kitchen including the front of the oven

east congratulations, what lovely news

Spotty pleased to hear someone else who 'tops and tails' their oven, that is a trick I have been doing for years

£48 on food today which should see me into next week - we still have a lot of stuff in the freezer.

Fanta our oven is awful I'm seriously considering paying someone to clean it whose stupid idea was it to get a mirrored oven?!

£190 on two tyres and tracking. Actually almost speechless. Our car has cost close to £400 this month. Luckily the money was there in emergency savings but again makes the roof repairs seem unattainable.

But do you know what? I'm sitting in sunny Devon (well, sunny for now!) realising that I've been with this thread for 6months, am succeeding at a mostly frugal lifestyle and that life is ok. Again desperately waiting for payday but hey! The financial emotional barometer is currently saying 'that's life'

I got my two separate Sainsbury's deliveries, the driver was a bit confused, but I just blagged that the first time user one was for my mum

Went out with mum this morning, grabbed a few more bits in supermarket but mum paid. £5.50 on flea spray for the kitten

Didn't even need to pay for parking as mum is a blue badge holder.

Bought a swimming costume for niece's forthcoming birthday and trunks for my great-nephew's present, both to go with the Aldi towels bought last week.

Fluffy and Spotty please can you explain what the petrol receipt is about? Have I missed something?

www.topcashback.co.uk/SnapAndSave/Offers Read the T&C because its only certain retailers.

£33 on led light bulbs, it means the cost of running the lamp has gone from 120w to 9w. I used a code not listed on tcb so I may not get my £7 cb but I paid for them with money from cb anyway.

All the receipts I submitted yesterday got paid so I've requested my £6.45 to be paid out.

Frugal win, I shrank Dh's jumper in the wash so I will have to wear it now. He will never believe its accidental because its happened before.

Thanks fluffy need tea n cake we actually have free bus passes til July shame no use for getting to work we brought a new build last summer n around Nov this bundle of bus timetable n local walks came through door was looking through it for the walks n came across form for 2 free six mth bus passes n on enquiring it was due to new build I did suggest a sticker on envelope or bright coloured sheet stating this as most people would bin n she said yeah we don't get many applications for them!!!

Spotty my oven is really bad too, and I am also considering paying someone to clean it.

Fluffy thank you for that link, I didn't know that existed! For the petrol, if you submit, say £20, do you get £4 back? Btw, I read on the housekeeping boards that you can restore a shrunk jumper to its original size by soaking it in cold water and hair conditioner. You could do this when you get tired of wearing your DH's jumper

No, it's just £2 no matter how much fuel you put in

£13 in Lidl and then £60 with Sainsburys (£15 off first shop). Just waiting for it to arrive now!

On the other hand, my DP bought me McBusted tickets for my birthday and they've arrived... £42 each. Gulp. I'm torn between excited to go and all that money for a two hour concert?!

Thanks for that Fluffy I think I might pop out and get my diesel now so I can try to take advantage

Unfortunately DD2 has come up wit a rash after 5 days of throwing 39.something temperatures. It looks like she and I may stay home tomorrow while DH and other DC go to a birthday party but I'll see how things progress......

Oh no Audit. Rash could be a sign that the virus is on it's way out?

Lovely Ladies, did someone post details about money off Next earlier in the week? I seem to recall it was something like save £10 on a £30 spend. I just remembered I have a £25 voucher from my birthday.

Spotty (is it wrong that I am smirking whilst typing that?) I hope so, she says it isn't itchy and today she has no temperature. The problem us we are supposed to be at DH"'s cousins birthday lunch tomorrow, and he has a 2 yo and a pregnant wife. If there are any signs of rash I will stay home with DD2 (or I might leave DD with mum, drop DH off and stop for one drink then come home.) at least I won't be Hung over.

I'm sure viral rashes are something which happens at the end. My friends dd gets them so bad they look like the meningitis rash. When dd gets them it looks more like prickly heat but never itchy or sore.

Oh I phoned up and cancelled my next account today. WOOP.

I've had the meningitis rash after viruses too, freaks the GP right out & you get a whole waiting room all to yourself.

Well done spotty, what's next on the hit list?.

My credit card it's crept up a little bit and is at £230. Might use the fuel and food money from the week were on holiday (£150) and then pay the rest myself. I def need to get it cleared and snip it up! I always say it's in case of an emergency though...

£1.60 on a chip butty.

spotty and fantasea I have also considered getting someone to clean my oven but it's so bad I don't want anyone else to see it. I may just get a new oven...

Congratulations East, lovely news!

As the holidays have begun dh suggested we go out for dinner last night with the dc. It was a nice treat and we had vouchers so it only cost about £25. Today we did a short train journey (that ds loved) to see an exhibition. We used our free 2 month railcard so saved a little. Thank you whoever posted the daily mail link for it. Didn't give in to pester power so low spend day. Will have another tomorrow.

NSDs for me Friday & Saturday. Thursday DD1 came out of school telling me she needed biscuits and fizzy drink for a class snack on Friday. Fecking school does love a bit of last minute "planning". That was £3, she found large packets of biscuits, 400g, on offer effectively 3 packs for about £1.80-ish. Also spent about £6 on birthday present for her friend.

Tomorrow should be another NSD, will need to top up the toffees get a few bits on Monday.

Congrats East

nugget the thought of someone seeing my oven stops me from doing it too!

Adora I am familiar with the last minute requests from the school . At least you were told on the way out of school. Often, DD would ask me for something as we were leaving the house in the morning!

Hoping for a NSD today.

Audit hope DD is a bit better today.