Judiciously June frugal thread now including Christmas bargains.

[Fluffycloudland77]

Everyone is welcome.

I've placed a big but carefully planned shop with Tesco today. Our cupboards really are bare except for the baking shelf but we've no eggs so I've only been making bread or scones.

This months pay contains dh's paternity leave so we're short a few hundred pounds. We knew it was coming and had tried to prepare but we didn't build up enough of a buffer. If we're desperate I'll take some money from our savings but I'd rather not as it's not a very big pot and once it's gone we'll never replace it. I'm hoping some extra frugalness will get us through.

Interesting to read about the junk sold on ebay. I may have another look round and see what I've got to sell.

It's worth it for me because I had a stomach ulcer years ago and it's left me very sensitive to coffee and alcohol, I've had an Americano and I'm not in pain.

Instant coffee tastes awful with soya milk but this tasted nice.

I'm really happy with it.

Tesco orchard have invited me to have a £5 home voucher when they do another survey. I'm sure I can find something for £5 to buy.

What's Tesco Orchard, Fluffy?

£1.79 on muffins from Lidl and DS' s bus fare to Scouts. Also £18 subs, but that's been saved from when he missed it last week.

Hope everyone has a good weekend :).

It's like their own opinion survey site, you can just join and they send you vouchers for stuff and then ask your opinion on it.

I'm assuming they've started doing this because everyone's shopping at Aldi/Lidl & they want to know how to get us back.

Because lowering the prices is just too simple. Why make life easy when you can do surveys etc?.

Exactly, Fluffy! :)

Cheers for the info.

Fluffy thank you for the info, I might try that as I usually shop in Tesco anyway

Another exam out of the way for DD which she is reasonably happy about, one poor girl was crying as she left the hall - only 4 more to go and then she's done. It seems to be going on forever, and is costing me a fortune in strawberries

£34.15 at Aldi and that's it for the big shop I think. I might have to get vitamins for the kids but I'll get it at boots, 3 for 2. That can wait till next week perhaps.

Tomorrow will be hugely spendy. Hair cut and colour. More than £100 I'm sure although the colour is being done by a more junior person so that might make it cheaper? And need to do eye brows. The good news is I haven't spent on a dress that is been eyeing as I know I have a lot of dresses. Interestingly enough since the weather's been good, I've been wearing my nice summer dresses to work and people have commented positively. So I think I have enough!!

Oh also my parents are coming over to visit from halfway round the world. It's saved me £5k in flights for us. Obviously when they are here we will do lots of things and go out. And will probably book to go away too. But it will be less than the flights!! I shudder to think how much we would have spent over there. At least I know that I didn't have to spend the £5k.

Have a good weekend everyone.

Went to Tesco to get lunch plus some nice bread for our BBQ tonight. I saw a special offer on batteries (8 for £8 or 2 packs for £10) so I picked up 2 packs. Was when it same to £24!

Checked the receipt and no reduction on the batteries. They tried to tell me I had picked up the wrong ones, so I showed them where I had taken them from. The deal ended on 8/6 but they had left the signage up so I was refunded double the difference. 16 Duracell ultra batteries for £4!

Yesterday I spent £2.50 on toddler group fees and then £24 on drinks and ice creams at the pub.

Today I've already spent £81 on presents but that should save us some money in the long run as most of it was spent at Kiddicare on discounted items for either Christmas presents or presents for DS's friends. He seems to be getting a lot of party invitations at the moment.

Hopefully the rest of the weekend should be fairly spend free.

NK - know what you mean by flights. DH and I have moved to the other side of the world and I have spent an absolute fortune in flights over the last decade. Not going this year, and everybody keeps asking me 'when are you coming again?'. Sigh.... when I can spend £5,000 on flights without flinching maybe?!

Hopefully next year, if I continue with frugal living when DH's income picks up again. A good incentive!

You know when Tesco Orchard say they will be sending you a voucher? How long is it between that & actually receiving the voucher?.

I'd like to get mil an extra birthday present & this voucher would make it possible.

Been to lidl this morning at mil insistence to get some ketchup on offer at 30 something pence. dd is addicted to ketchup but will happily eat that one and I only usually by heinz despite not touching it. bought 3 bottles so should last a while. also bought some mince on offer and some bacon at half price. did however have brekkie out as a treat so that probably offset my saving.

Went to a concert last night we already had tickets for and didn't go near the merchandise stand, also shared a bottle of pop and enjoyed beibg sober and watched the others making fools of themselves which was strangly fun. had tea before we left too.

my checkout app hasn't recorded my purchase from earlier in week buy luckily checked before time ran out so just resumitted as its worth 3.50. finally went to boots and spoke to chemist re hayfever and medicine clash. he recommended a 99p hayfever tablet. hope this works as well as my last sort which were over £3 a week.

I signed up for tesco orchard a while ago but never got any vouchers or anything from them. May chase this up

Lilbup I used to do that when DS was small. Now they go to fewer parties (even DD2 who is only 3 rarely gives to parties).

As the DC get older I find the presents are less generic and more tailored to the individual child so I don't tend to stockpile. I do still buy in advance and put things away.

Been out today, took DD1 to a birthday party and tried to get a present in nearby shops for DS to take on Friday for a party. No luck. £4 in the £1 shop on a couple of drinks, some biscuits and cereal bars. Resisted the urge to buy new walking sandals as the ones I liked were not adjustable at the front and also more money than I wanted to spend. £4 in boots on antihistamine tablets for my mosquito bites. The reaction is so severe they told me to go to the GP for a prescription.

Took DD1 into main shops after the party. Bought party present in TKMAXX so will look very generous! £15, also bought some liquorice for my dad (£2). Then £7 for lunch, £1 for a book for DD1, £2 for Company magazine with free eyeliner, and £3.50 for wrapping paper. £3 for toffee for MPEG £10.25 for Father's Day cards (one has a pack of seeds in it) and £2.50 for parking.

I resisted the handbags in TKMAXX so feeling proud.

Had a spendy day today - £25 on fuel, £15 in Lidl, £60 in Morrisons, £26 in Primark and £6 in the pound shop. My mum bought me a new cath Kidston bag for my birthday - it's a safari print which is stunning. Pleased!

Should be a NSD tomorrow but then am at the GPs on Monday as my hay fever is so bad. Currently taking a tablet everyday and beconase spray and my eyes still stream. My nose is also itchy. It's driving me mad.

That is a very generous gift Audit I also stockpile party gifts, but am not buying any more as I have enough for the next 10 years I think.

Audit well done on the batteries I usually shop at Tesco but I am careful too when I check the receipt to make sure I have all the offers. I have also been double-scanned on items, and they are usually the expensive items.

Spendy day today - £83 in Tesco, £43 in petrol and £26 on a lunch for Father's Day which we are having a day early as DH is working tomorrow.

Charlie happy birthday to you I love Cath Kidston things, lucky you with a lovely new bag

£1.50 Father's Day card
£2.09 whiskey and cola drink.

Happy birthday Charlie!

Those of you suffering with hay fever, could it be that you are on the wrong drug? I'm on loratidine and that works for me. There are two main drugs, the other one doesn't work for me,

Today, spent £106 at hairdressers... Cut and colour. Yes, not frugal but it would have been more expensive if I had gone with my usual stylist for both!

£23 at boots on vitamins for kids, shampoo etc.
£9 eyebrows
£1.98 for mcflurries.

Home for dinner. Chilli and rice!

Thanks for the birthday wishes - my birthday isn't actually until August so I feel a bit now. I had said I wanted a new CK bag and they had a sale on so my mum just said I could get it now. I am a CK addict. My house would be CK mad if I could afford it.

I am just sat contemplating whether to go back to my Cath Kidston purse when DP recently bought me a Radley one which was £££. Just don't like it as much!

NK5BM3 - I have no idea what is happening with my hay fever! The tablets I take are loratidine and not sure what's in beconase. Last year, I was fine with just beconase. This year it's worse than ever. I'm not even sure I should be 'doubling up' on them but it's unbearable otherwise!

Hi Charlie
Check this out www.moneysavingexpert.com/family/cheap-hayfever-remedies.They list the 4 main types of drugs...

Spendy day today, as we went to the shopping centre. £30 on travel, lunch, a bottle of water, make-up and pocket money for DS. Also spent £26 on my Next card, £15.99 in Zara on a cardigan and £6.99 on a book in WH Smith. The latter two items, most of the Next order and the make-up are all related to two interviews coming up this week, so not entirely frivolous spending!

Did well today-
Coca cola on town and packet of football stickers for kids free from whsmiths with O2 priority moments.dh needed deodorant which I used my boots points for,paid £75 deposit for Deposit for a hen do which I'm arranging but another hen have me her share so only paid £35.other hen bought me a drink whilst waiting to see the venue manager.£5.60 on shoes for Ds in brantano (in sale plus 30% off code) but dh doesn't like them so will be returned tomorrow.not too spendy a day today!