Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Cost of living

Stretching your budget? Share tips and advice to discuss budgeting and energy saving here. For the latest deals and discounts, sign up for Mumsnet Moneysaver emails.

Original poster

Jacket Potato July: our frugal year is flying by!

692 replies

CremeEggThief · 01/07/2014 16:27

Hi All,
I couldn't see a new thread yet, so thought I'd start one for July. The jacket potato is a marker for starting summer off on a frugal note. :).

NSD so far.

OP posts:
Fluffycloudland77 · 08/07/2014 20:56

Welcome rose & odd. We'll have you making packed lunches and taking drinks everywhere before you know it.

Are either of you members of top cashback? If not join tonight.

TheOnlyMrsW · 08/07/2014 21:07

Evening everyone I was on thread at the beginning of the year and have stayed reasonably frugal but delurking again to kickstart better habits! Have managed to make a large dent in the cc but we're moving house at the weekend and we know it needs some spending!

Amazingly nsd today - every other day this week has had spends on house-type stuff, and currently packing the fiddly glass stuff. We need a new broadband provider and would love your recommendations, can't get virgin and have had sky before, wasn't impressed...........

Fluffycloudland77 · 08/07/2014 21:16

I like primus but we don't have a tv package (no tv licence). Mil is with them too.

I'm not sure if you can still pay for a years line rental in advance and save money that way with primus though.

There are bb comparison sites though. Don't forget topcashback though.

ilovelamp2 · 08/07/2014 21:20

Long time lurker here! Have got loads of great tips on this thread so thank you mumsnetters! We have a lot of CC debt to clear (25k) Three months ago we took out a consolidation loan and have already cleared 2k. Pretty happy with that! We know that 0% cards can be better but we had about 8 (so stupid, I know ) and it was so stressful when the promotional rate ended and we had to find another one - so many sleepless nights. We are now paying £500 a month for 5 years but feel SO much better that there is an end to this now. It's a long way off but it will happen.

Like many of us, I think the biggest change has been our mindset. We budget properly, meal plan and yes, shop at Aldi! Sometimes I think it's ridiculous that we don't have more disposable income as we both have good jobs but then I remember that we've spent that money we could have had now earlier - if that makes sense!

Anyway - good luck everyone with NSD tomorrow - me included!

SpottyTeacakes · 08/07/2014 21:27

Nsd

We have sky. We're pretty rural and without it we only get two channels Hmm we can't get Virgin or anything round here.

AuditAngel · 08/07/2014 22:37

Someone suggested soaking white t-shirts in Nappisan to remove the yellow deodorant stains from underarms. Is it worth trying that on school polo shirts?

AuditAngel · 08/07/2014 22:38

£4.39 on lunch. Need to pay water bill.

Sixforgold · 08/07/2014 22:56

NSD! I do need to top up shop but wanted to wait to get the cash from one of my sold items so I can leave the current account well alone.

Does anyone have frugal (or just handy!) Camping tips please? We're off for 4 nights in two weeks time. I'm trying to work out a budget. Our pitch is 22pn, friends are taking dinner for the first night and we're doing breakfast on the first morning (sausages and bacon already bought and frozen!)

Iamnotanugget · 09/07/2014 05:33

six if you've not been camping before than my 2 main tips are firstly pack twice as many clothes as you think you'll need. Once things get wet they don't dry and sitting around in wet clothes is miserable. Clothes always get wet too, even if it doesn't rain. Also it gets cold at night so you'll need to clothes to layer up and keep warm.

My second tip is pack 1/2 torches so you can find your way to the toilets at night. Some families have a potty bucket in the tent overnight for this but I have visions ofIit being knocked over in the morning so the visit the toliets.

There's bound to be some threads on here with some good advice.

eastmidswarwicknightnanny · 09/07/2014 06:53

Spotty think any good meat goes rubbery in casserole that's why cheap cuts are good

SpottyTeacakes · 09/07/2014 06:54

Cool will do that then Smile

Should be a nsd today. Also dd's uncle has offered to buy one of her school cardigans Smile

eastmidswarwicknightnanny · 09/07/2014 06:56

Not a camper but my friends say fajitas are a good camping meal all goods in one pan and use normal pk wraps not kit ones that need warming

northender · 09/07/2014 07:28

Six the camping topic has some great threads with all the ideas you could possibly need and moreSmile. We camped at the weekend, it was fab, great site, great weather, shame to have to come home!

EnglishRose1320 · 09/07/2014 14:38

Was hoping for a NSD but left DS's drink and snack at home- so that was £2, hopefully that is all I have to spend today.

However I am not too fussed because I just got an email to say I have been picked to product test Tesco school clothes which means I get a £50 voucher to buy all the uniform with :)

What is TopCashback, fluffy cloud I have never heard of it?

SpottyTeacakes · 09/07/2014 16:14

Nsd.

Topcashback is a site where you get cash back for online purchases. Sometimes they're really good.

As an example, say you want to buy something from homebase.

You go to www.topcashback.co.uk.
Search homebase
Find homebase and click on it
It takes you to homebase and whatever you purchase you'll get 5% of that amount back. It can take a month or more to track but you get it eventually. You can have vouchers or have it straight into your account.

link

Sixforgold · 09/07/2014 16:57

Right, I'm off to trawl the camping threads Smile as although we have camped lots before this is our first time a) with a toddler and b) being frugal!

£14 in Aldi topping up. We're driving to London on Friday so have bought supplies for a car picnic and two pizzas for Sunday night to remove the temptation of a 'just got back' take-away!

Fluffycloudland77 · 09/07/2014 18:30

40p tea bags
£6 chippy tea cba to cook, I'm meant to be on holiday and I'm working 4 days instead.

StillWearingOddSocks · 09/07/2014 19:22

Six - we are seasoned campers. Not frugal related but bring:

Duvets sheets & pillows
Buy or borrow an air bed. Essential
Hot water bottles
Lots of Snacks - if you don't you will buy them to cheer yourself up when it rains (or is that just me?)
Ditto box of wine (ditto)

Empty bottles for water tap

Games to play

Sorry - none of that was particularly frugal. It's my first proper day on this thread Grin - I will get better

For me - crappily succumbed to cafe Nero Hmm £4

Plus spent £160 on eBay wardrobe (we don't have one & all clothes currently on floor)

Sixforgold · 09/07/2014 20:18

Thank you socks! Filling own water bottle is frugal, as is a box of wine! Yes my biggest worry is balancing buying food to take with us which may spoil if its warm etc. V. trying to top up each day without going ott.

Also must remember the hot water bottle. Haven't tried that one before - great idea!

NK5BM3 · 09/07/2014 21:08

£25 on dinner at beefeater. Cba about cooking. Dd had sports day. I'm having a bad week at work. Feeling little support and encouragement at work. Might be just sheer tiredness. Tiredness from counting pennies, for it to disappear due to insurances due etc. tiredness from ungrateful colleagues. Argh. Hmm

Sixforgold · 09/07/2014 21:50

NK chin up lovely - you count the pennies so that every once in a while you can have a cba night. I'm feeling that penny counting tiredness right now, it's always at the forefront of my mind. I want a long stretch of weekends with nothing planned so I can eat baked beans and not go anywhere further than walking distance from the house!

JudysPriest · 09/07/2014 21:58

Spent today.

£8 on train to and from beach.
£2 on a fricking ice cream for DS. I wanted one too but not at that price.

Not bad for a day out for the three of us

AdoraBell · 09/07/2014 22:10

NSD yesterday, £7 on fecking iron-on paper for costume today plus £2.40 into and out of town. Barring medical emergency tomorrow will be another NSD.

Will catch up later.

Passthecake30 · 09/07/2014 22:49

Travel and parking (usual worj spend) plus 99p getting a box of 10 cereal bars in 99p shop for work locker emergency snacks...good going I think

The fair is in town and I've promised I'll take the kids. ..at £2.50 a ride it won't be cheap. Argh.

AuditAngel · 10/07/2014 06:33

£12.50ish on lunch and small top up shop yesterday. £99.50 on underwear for the kids. Both the older ones have grown out of their pans and being a) one boy and one girl, and b) both the same size, no chance of any hand me downs! Plus DD2 wants to wear black socks for dancing like the other two, plus they never seem to have black socks when they want them, so another pack for the older ones (plus they need so many pairs at the moment with 2 classes a week, sometimes 2 rehearsals, or sometimes shows 3 times a week,I'd prefer spares). The older also need plain white socks for Joseph so bought those, and 2 little crop tops for DD2 which were reduced to £4 from £11.

Need to take the kids out on Saturday to buy them cheap white canvas lace up shoes from Primark for Joseph and DD1 needs a pair of jeans for the show too as she doesn't have any. I'm hoping to get them in Primark or Tesco/Sainsburys.

Off to Southend in a minute to do some training.