an Ostentatiously Austere October...join here for a frugal month ahead!

[PeoniesforMissAnnersley]

All welcome to join the MN frugaleers for another month of recording our spends, frugal wins and frugal fails!

NSD = No Spend Day (let's have as many as possible!)

LSD = Low Spend Day

£72 in asda (5 tins of formula milk, 2 big packs of nappies, cradle cap shampoo, fruit juice, fabric softener and crisps). That's enough formula and nappies for the month though.

There are 4 Mondays this month- will aim for only £20 per week in top up foods (normally we spend £25 per week). So £80 in total. Have already spend £105 in tescos though but we've got loads now.

Tomorrow NSD I promise. No shopping.

Anyone else got the orchard invite for wine? Dh's account got one but not mine.

Never signed up to a program so fast before.

I still haven't had any and I emailed them

Blimey this is really long already considering it's only October 1st! That'll teach me for thinking nah, I don't need to sign in til it's actually October...

Anyway. I think we will have to tighten our belts even further. Pretty certain our tax credits will reduce dramatically, and we are being reassessed by CSA. These two things combined probably mean we are going to be completely fucked :(

In starting my reduced hours from next week so will be £145 a month down. Eek. Should save £20 a month on petrol...

I'm*

NSD other than dds dinner money £2.40.

Am thinking I should meal plan so here is my first ever attempt

Monday - a cheats roast, sausages, roast pots, yorkshires, veg and home made gravy.

Tuesday - Bacon salad, grilled bacon with lots of salad plus dressing and coleslaw.

Wednesday - Salmon with couscous and salad.

Thursday - spag bol made with soya mince and veg, garlic bread.

Friday - the same as Thursday (will make enough for two days!)

Saturday - will be at a friends house so whatever they make

Sunday - Jacket potatoes with tuna and cheese.

I would say this is a fairly typical week in terms of what we normally eat.

Our MOT came in at £155! I'd saved £400 in the pot so really pleased with that. The car has cost £555 this year - £20 replacement bulbs, £180 car tax, £200 emergency replacement tyres, and today's mot. I'm starting a new 'pot' dedicated to the car and will aim to save £50pm. What a great feeling it was today to know the money was already saved and feeling like I'd got a bargain rather than panicking and thinking 'sh!t, where am I going to find £155?!'

Ooh I'm going to give myself a grocery challenge! Just until start of half-term so three and a bit weeks - I reckon I've got enough in already to do it on £100 (this doesn't include food out and some of DH's lunches which he buys himself so may rely on this towards the end )!
Spent today...£1 four pints of milk, £1.10 risotto rice, 95p macaroni so £3.05 spent, £96.95 remaining!
I'm cooking for friends on Friday and Saturday so it could be interesting!

Can anyone advise me please? If I cooked a gammon on Sunday will it still be ok to use tomorrow? My meal planning needs perfecting so that leftovers get used up!

This thread is flying along! I got my boots in Clarkes on Sunday. They were €75 which is about £68. Some of the boots were €120 and €140 . Mad money considering there's a severe recession here in Ireland.

Italian definitely keep feeding. The more she feeds the more you'll make so that's why she appears to feed often. She knows that soon she will need more milk and is pre ordering!

I'd tried to avoid reading about Alice disappearing as I knew it would be sad reading. Her family will be heart broken and I've just read an article suggesting a lot of mistakes have been made by the police which will leave them feeling worse.

Have sent off money back guarantee forms for cheese, toilet roll, chocolate and yogurt so will get nearly a tenner back soon. Can't remember who mentioned dds on 1st but we're the same. We had loads of money yesterday. We now have £183 to last until next Friday. Doable but petrol will use up at least half of that

I haven't posted in this thread yet. It has been an expensive month so far. Two lots of annual car insurance, school photos, residential school trip, and many more. A aargh.
Awaiting DH's pay on the 10th to start again...hopefully a frugal 4 weeks next time.

Tesco but will have to check how much that was

£1 fun day at school

This week we are having

Monday mcdonalds

Tuesday dcs, chick nuggs chips and beans/ us- jp salad coldslaw and salmon

Wednesday omlette with veg salad and chips

Thursday chilli and rice with brocoli

Friday dcs, don't know , us take away

Wednesday

Random wednesday??

£120 for school uniform, £40 school fund, at least all that's out of the way.

NSD! Finally.

Have run out of nappies and need to pay the lady in the café back. It's twenty minutes drive away which is a bit of a pain!

Massive spendy week. Too much going on so have not been cooking properly so spent a fortune on ready meals type stuff. D's wants lasagne for his birthday tea tonight and I don't have time to cook. Yesterday spends £25 in Morrison's, £40 in sainsbury, all dd go out which is about £1400 but that can't be helped. Next big bill is childcare as there is a school hoildsy this month followed by children party x 2 one for each kid, insurance for one car, my dB birthday. Sigh

No idea what we are having today but there is plenty in so not worried and there is tomato bread left so whatever the kids have I will serve the bread with it. I don't think DS1 eats a massive amount but last night he wanted something around 8 which is unusual for him.

Lunch out but not feeling great so debating whether I dare cancel.

Will catch up properly later but just had to post a frugal win!

Did an online shop with tesco last week, ham was priced at €4.24 each on special offer but was actually per kg when it arrived so cost over €12, and chicken was the same. Emailed customer services who basically told me to shag off and responsed to them by telling them that it was still each on the website so that's what the price should be...result they're refunding me the extra

Ha ha, Tesco customer services not great is it?.

Asda customer service is awful too. Had a terrible time with them over New Year. That, combined with the number of omissions and substitutions I was having on my weekly delivery made me try Morrison's.

Morrison's, I have to say, are fantastic for both.

No idea what I have spent yesterday and don't really care. On the way to the hospital with DD she have not eaten since yesterday and refuse bottle and formula but my milk has dried out and have an infection so all in all bad

Got fruit salads from M and S as a treat and for vitamins in post-surgery recovery. Both had significant amounts of unripe, hard melon, kiwi and pineapple in. Have written to them and they say they'll refund me if I send in receipt. I guess that's a win, although it's hassle.

Friend coming to stay today to look after me/keep me company.

I had a tax bill of £284 but AXA refund/NHS apology money of £250, win! By the time the tax payslip comes the AXA money will have cleared, leaving me to pay £34. Given that the tax issue was larg I may have to pay with the appointment with my consultant tomorrow as the policy rolls over on 1st Oct and new excess will be applied, but still, it's worth it for the peace of mind.