Let's make merrily with August austerity!

[CremeEggThief]

Hello All,
I've taken the liberty (again!) of starting our new thread for August. The merrily sort of ties in with Christmas and keeping an eye on any bargains out there, if you're super organised and like planning ahead.

Today's spends were £5.10 on travel, £1.20 on 2 bottles of water, £4.20 on 2 hot chocolates and £17.25 on a meal out (long story!).

Spotty oh dear, I am sorry to hear about your DP's van, that is horrible. It is awful when you think someone has been on your property and stolen some of your stuff - there are some nasty people about I'm afraid.

Oh no spotty what total scrotes

spotty how awful. Will his boss make him replace the tools?

Need few things on DS's menu that are basically as filling as a fresh air sandwich. The quavers, they just don't count as food so why do they cost actual money then ditto the Magnun, and the cereal, he'd be better off with a bowl of natural full fat yogurt and a bit of cereal sprinkled on top, over fruit like apple/pear and nuts. Adding grated raw carrot to his ham wraps would pad it out and fill him up more.

He's old enough to start prepping his own food, if the budget and your nerves can cope, does he like spicy food at all? I've found dabbling in a little Mexican style food has helped as they tend to use lot's of beans and veg in every day dishes. I like Thomasina Miers's recipes on YouTube etc.

We also may not be able to keep our DDs if they carry on eating like they do. Oh well, it's been nice knowing them

Italian good bargains there.

Good result NK

I hope for an NSD today.

Posted before I finished.

Spotty that's terrible, I hope the boss doesn't make him pay for the tools.

Oh no his boss def won't make him pay they broke into at least three other cars too

£21 lunch
£7.49 on cake and cookies
£44 on dd's last school bits and nappies

Still need to get her some waterproof trousers but I might have some somewhere (fingers crossed!).

I'm thinking about asking my dad to pay my credit card off to lessen the pressure, as my wages are going down I know he will say yes and I will pay it back unless he says it doesn't matter

Spotty that's awful, it does make you feel invaded when that happens. Good his boss will bear the brunt of it though.

£3.05 in sains on butter, marked down milk and more cat food.

Well it's quite surprising as we are quite rural, although if any crime is going to happen it's usually of this sort. It's the same sort of people who go around asking places if they have any scrap metal

Crap news spotty. We are the same, pretty rural, with crime usually being similar or garage break ins etc. Still crap though.

adora. Yep, hear you . The Magnum is the holiday daily treat following the two hour dog walk and not normally part of our daily diet. Agree totally re crisps. I cooked tea, he does the rest. Trouble is balancing the fact he's a teenage boy with giving him a good diet. He's a good lad, and not at all 'teenagerish' in the main. He also eats a good diet with a wide variety of fresh food and lots of veg/fruit. However, if I said 'darling, would you please swap your bowl of cereal for a lovely bowl of full fat yoghurt with grated apple and sliced pear?', he would look at me like I had two heads

Not that I don't agree entirely (I personally would chose the yoghurt), but he's a teenage boy, teenage boys have a very particular relationship with cereal!!

He's good with spicy food and beans etc, which we use regularly too. There's a recipe in the Mumsnet cookbook for a tomato sauce which is fab and uses pulses and all sorts of veg.

Holiday spending today has been £5 on said Magnum's after a very long walk in the mountains with the dogs. Home made Mexican meal tonight (nacho's, spicy chicken, salsa, rice, salad etc). DH has spent £15 on a fishing ticket as he's been out for the day on a private loch. I'll include his spending as we have one pot of money.

Tomorrow will cheese me off as I am spending £40 for DD to ride for 2 hours. It's holiday, I did promise. This will piss me off as we have our own pony at home, who we can obviously ride whenever (not that she doesn't cost us enough!), but it feels frivolous somehow. Plus, dpony is wandering round the field pining for DD, going up to the girls who are looking after her and whinnying, which is making me feel bad

spotty Even if you pay your Dad back, it will be cheaper and less pressure if he would pay the bill.

Exactly. I've done the same with him with a car before. Don't know what I would do without my dad

Just made pizza for dinner but the ham I was going to use smelt a bit funny so I chucked it. It's only got onion peppers and cheese on now

NSD Today, horray :D

Ah well, if it keeps him happy then go along with the cereal habit Need. I'm currently cooking a second batch of granola because my gannets have scoffed what I made on Monday. Monday evening, it's not as if they had all of Monday to munch on it.

Spotty glad the boss isn't asking for money. And YY, if it will take the pressure off and he's willing then ask for DF to lend you the money for the CC.

I can't seem to find the almonds I bought yesterday, will have to go back and see if I left them behind

Spotty your dad sounds fab

£14 in Asda on groceries including 6 munch bunch yogurts for 50p

£22 in lidl on some fresh bits.

Had tea at dms so saved me food and doing the dishes

italian I had been thinking how you had been getting on so I was very glad to hear your update. Congratulations on your little one. You also sound very positive about the move to your parents.

lizard yes, I remember when you posted in spring. Hopefully, you will find peace and security when you set up your own home. Financial abuse is still abuse so maybe you can contact Women's Aid to recommend a good solicitor to advise you? I hope you don't mind me saying, but reading the relationship board on here, they always advise against relationship counselling when there is abuse. Anyway, I really hope that things work out for you

So, I've been away from the board for a while. It's hard to find the time during the holidays. We went away to Dorset for a few days, was lovely and the rest of the time we have been with family and doing day trips to NT houses. Even though I am not earning at the moment (I had saved money throughout the year for this lean period), I am still within the set budget but I better get work straight away in September or it will be dire.

I forgot to say when I went for my meal last night I complained about something and they gave me £10 of for the next time I go there ive never complained anywhere before. I might do it more often

Example of DH and spending. I phoned and asked him to pop and get some milk and cheese on the way home. He spend £24, on said milk and cheese, cookies, grapes, strawberries, apples, sweets etc. We only needed milk and cheese. We only needed value cheese anyway and the kids have eaten all the strawberries and half the grapes already (favourite fruits, there are loads of other fruits in the bowl, my fault for going on a dog walk)

Men are very easily sold though aren't they? Dh will say "this is only £whatever" & I'll say it's even less if you don't buy it.

I'm a hoot to live with.

Fairly frugal day on holiday. .. £28 bird park (sea view) entry plus a tenner on ice creams and bird food. ..and signed the book for a return visit within the same week for £2 per person. Cooked sausages mash n beans for dinner in holiday let and planning on a baileys in front of a film for the 4th night running. ..thou last night I was asleep by 9.15 oops.

Kitchen supplier has confirmed delivery for next wed, my mum is going to lend us her 2 ring portable hob and we have the microwave so it's going to be a lot of pasta and stir fries...if anyone has any bright ideas on what we can eat please share. ...I think I'll be cooking separately for the kids and us tbh but I really can't eat takeaway more than once or twice a week. ..thou dp would be fine!

Thoughts of xmas are creeping in now the weather is cooling down so off to find the xmas thread

adorabell would you be able to share your granola recipe sometime? I'm loathe to buy some that is coated with sugar would love to make my own so I'd know what's in it. I'm a slimming class leader so take keen interest in food.

passthecake omelettes would be an easy meal or even pancakes once or twice. Most things are possible with a hob. I know it's only two rings but even so.

Lilac it's loosely based on Jamie Oliver's one. I use 4 cups, because I am sans weighing scales, of oats,
300 ml of honey,
a couple of handfuls of chopped nuts, usually almonds, and a handful of seeds, whichever.

My greengrocer only does set honey so I warm it over simmering water then pour it over the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly with a large spoon. Grease a large tray/dish and bake it at 180 for 20-25 mins for soft granola or 35 - 40 for my philistines family members who like it burnt. I mean crispy

Cake how about microwave veg curry? Rice and mixed frozen veg, curry paste and water. Mix, cover and nuke for 10 mins, stir and repeat. Add pre roasted chicken if required.

NSD didn't happen. More oats, potatoes, chicken, chocolate and Yoghurts, around £12 in all. Got my almonds, the new young man served me yesterday and he forgot to put them in the bag. Wiley old owner wouldn't have forgotten, he's so on the ball it's almost scary.

Morrisons fruit and veg voucher in the sun.

Hello all, been off the radar for a while but have been doing ok frugally. Got a £14 shop down to £8 with vouchers on Tuesday! This included my Tesco Orchard free loaf and a voucher from Tesco for a free 4 pints of milk (thank you very much!)

Anyway, the most exciting reason for being off the radar...I'm getting married! DH (sic) proposed at the weekend! Frugal wedding planning here we come!

sixforgold congratulations!!!!