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.

[ItalianWiking84]

695 euros spent today but was for deposit for car and came from saving, but still.... Me like my money way to much in the bank lol

[CoolCadbury]

comfy it's a budgetting system with its own set of rules you have to follow, but the rules are great, keeps you stressing about money, are easy to follow and there are only four of them. You download it on to your PC/laptop and can download it on to your apple devices, but you need a Dropbox account for all it to sync together.

Lots of people are waiting with bated breath for it to go on sale, but try a trial version. It's great.

[CoolCadbury]

even italian is a convert

[CoolCadbury]

I know what you mean italian.

[springbright]

47.55 petrol. 2.77 in B&M - its addictive! 7 pack of hula hoops for 69p which I thought was pretty good. Another bargain I spotted this week and need to snap up is vacuum packed beetroot in also for 39p - date is august so I'm going to stock up!

[antimatter]

Loks like we will be staying for free in Istanbul. I joined Couchsurfing website in 2006. Hosted various people in with the hope that I can one day start using other people coaches for free. That would save at least 200 pounds

[CoolCadbury]

antimatter bet you meet interesting people doing that. But how does it work?

Btw, my phone was handed in to front desk yesterday. Phew. Big sigh of relief.

[Fluffycloudland77]

£3.50 on Epsom salts, 99p on a pocket calculator.

[FantaSea]

Cool pleased you found your phone - what a relief.

NSD here today as I haven't left the house as DD has been at home revising. Her railcard which I bought with my Tesco vouchers has arrived - we only ordered that online on Wednesday so that is really fast. Her bf was telling her she can link it with the Oyster card to get money off the underground too so it is better than I thought .

[PolkadotRosa]

NSD again. Yippee. Last night I did spend however, a Sainsbury's online shop for the first time. Have been going to Aldi recently, saving lots, but as I had an email offer of £20 off a £60 1st online shop I couldn't resist! Did a meal plan and had a good think about what we needed so hopefully it should last well into next week too. Although I will be getting fruit & veg from a local f & v shop that I've yet to try as it's cheap and I've heard good things.
Thanks for all the friendly welcomes:)

[PolkadotRosa]

Oops Meant the week after, not next week

[antimatter]

Couchsurfing is build on trust and assumption that people who give ratings about each other are true reflection on real life experiences.
When I first learned about it I thought - no one is going to host me with my kids if noone vouched for me :)

So I set up my profile and subscribed to groups where people were looking for emergency accomodation in London. We have it easy here as in if I wanted to host someone I could do it daily. There's such high number of students and people of all ages wanting to visit London and they want to do it cheap too.
Obviously the idea is that you aren't providing hotel services to anyone. But when you are working full time having visitors is quite stressful and I never wanted to commit myself to be their guides etc.

I was pleased they were out all day and we could chat in the evening about their countries and what life is like in UK.

You basically give accommodation (bed, sofa or just space on the floor). They bring sleeping bags. You don't have to provide breakfast or anything to eat. I usually offered it and cooked some evenings because I am very hospitable :)

They usually stayed 2-3 nights. Only one family came for a full week. All my guests were very mindful of rules I explained and left good feedback on my profile.
So now I am looking for accommodation I expect my future host to read them and feel that they know a bit about me and that I am a real person :)

I also donated 20 pounds using debit card and Couchsurfing gave me a badge that I am a real person.

Easiest would be to find a couch out of the main tourist destinations.
Ask me more if you have further questions. I loved hosting but got pets now and job is very demanding so haven't done it for a while.

[antimatter]

I think Couchsurfing is the most frugal way to travel. You have to be OK to put up with a bit of discomfort but in return you would get to know country you are visiting through the eyes of locals.

I remember my colleagues at work being horrified that I am letting strangers to my house. I had no issues with anyone and my kids were still small learning about being hospitable and just trusting others.

[CremeEggThief]

£6 on a haircut for DS, £2.69 in Tesco, £18 Scouts subs for DS, and another £3 to cover his bus fare there and support a couple of their fundraising activities. So, £29.69 total.

Glad to hear your mum's operation went well, AuditAngel, and hurrah for getting rid of the gas guzzler, adora.

[SpottyTeacakes]

I've meal planned for next week and will be going to lidl tomorrow (someone remind me to get that voucher!!) let's hope they actually get their delivery in this time

[MissAnnersleyismyhero]

Almost an NSD today - £3.50 on bun, coffee and banana at work event. £26 on travel which I'll get back in expenses.

Big Sainsbos shop tomorrow, we've eaten the cupboards bare!

[ilovepicnmix]

22 on ice cream and drinks at nearby ice cream parlour. it was my treat and it's difficult to get my family to let me pay for anything when im here. 33 on petrol.

[AuditAngel]

Welcome TheTimes . The good news is mum is out of high dependency and onto a normal ward. DSis spoke to hospital today, looks likely it will be at least Tuesday before she will be out.

£14 in Tesco today on a meal Deal plus eggs, salad, peanut butter and marmite. Planned to make burgers tonight, DH has an unusual Friday night off.

Unfortunately, Dad who is staying while mum us in the hospital has started acted very confused. Had to get the OOH Doctor out, think he has a UTI, need to push fluids, got antibiotics.

I think it may be a very long weekend......

[SpottyTeacakes]

Oh no audit! Did they give him antibiotics?

[springbright]

What a worry for you audit

spotty up so early? We're staying at my mum's and dd, who usually sleeps really well, has been awake since 4:30am I finally gave in and came downstairs with her about an hour ago. She didn't go to bed until 9'o'clock due to all of the excitement so today may be interesting!

Hopefully a NSD or LSD. Going to NT property, free with membership, taking a picnic, provided by mum, will probably buy a ice-cream later if the sun shines!

[Passthecake30]

£49 on food shop yesterday, should be enough for a week apart from milk as I need to run things down a bit.
Cinema tonight, £20 to babysitter, £1 popcorn from supermarket and a sweet cone left over from ds party and using cinema tokens that we asked fir for xmas. So quite frugal.

[Jinty64]

Audit glad your Mum's getting on ok.

Should have been a NSD yesterday but ended up with £3.75 for two bacon rolls for dh and I whilst DIY shopping. Dh says he will pay me back.

Dh is renovating the bathroom and has removed the bath to put in a walk in shower. This is all good except that the bath has been out for 4 days now and could be another 4 yet. Ds1 had to get up at 6 to go to the gym before college so that he could shower and I have been "swimming" every day. Ds3 who normally loves swimming had to be bribed with cake to go yesterday! Oh to be a normal family who get a bathroom fitter to do it in one day.

Well, better get my swimming costume on and prise ds3 away from his HUDL.

[lilacclery]

Sitting down with ynab again this afternoon to retrospectively enter where money has gone since payday yesterday! I know this is not the correct way but my first week back on wages meant a few things had built up & it's real nappy week so had to take advantage of those discounts.

Since 5am I've bought a mei tai baby carrier on amazon €20, wipes, wetbags, bum moisturising spray & nappies €50! Registered for a ten mile run on 11th may €25 & half marathon on 14th June €40, had to do these today to guarantee a place. I'll have over spends in some categories but it'll balance out over next week or two.

Fell asleep doing tesco online shop so missed deadline for delivery today & as I don't know our plans for rest of bank holiday weekend I'm going to go to aldi instead today.

[Helenagrace]

Frugal has been out of the window this week but we now have a new house to move knot in 3 weeks and a new car to pick up next week.

Trying to run the cupboards and freezer down before we move. I think by about a forgnight's time the meal planning might be a little weird unusual.

[jasminemai]

This week I have spent 32 on food shop, 6 on 2 subway childrens meals from subway with muppets bag, 17 at poundland and got 2 inflatables for holiday, bucket and spade, lots of food for self catering, 3 sets of hairclips/fancy hair bobbles, shampoo, conditioner and 2 drinks bottles. Went a bit crazy there! Not too bad though as spend 55 this week.