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

Spotty yes, four round circle things to cook on... elements. I guess you meant something different?

£70?? I think going rate in our area is more like £50. Not that I've checked, oh no sir, no way. But I suppose different areas, different prices. Have you checked around a bit?

Lots of them are price on request. We're in the south east so I suppose that makes a difference.

Italian hope you and your little one are o.kay Sorry if you have already said but how old is your baby? I ended up in hospital when dd was a baby as I needed an emergency op, couldn't feed dd for a week but amazingly, although I thought my milk had dried up, I was able to reestablish bfing.

I have had a day at home sorting bits out today, a sort of NSD although have written out a few cheques, £14 for dds school photo and £20 to a friends son for his £18th birthday.

Hope you and baby are feeling better Italian. I second East though keep bf as baby will get your milk supply going. I had an infection in my breast when dc2 was very young and couldn't get any milk out. I fed a lot and after a few days the milk was flowing again. However I hope by now she's had something to eat. It's always worrying when your little one is unwell.

£3.49 on nappies.

Italian hope baby is ok

Swapped some slippers over that were too big once I got them home (must've had hot feet in the shop! ), bought half price body butter in super drug and salad from the salad bar in morrisons.....frugally squashing in as much as I could!

Inset day tomorrow so trying to think of something to do that is fun and cheap. ....!

Passthecake how old are your dc?

Oh poor babyitalian hope you're home soon xx

£4.95 on groceries today (£92 remaining) but this is stuff for dinner for me and a friend tomorrow (salmon and asparagus risotto). Trying to decide what to cook for friends on Saturday. I want to do ham in coke but will probably do lasagne as the cheaper alternative. Any good ideas for cheap starters (not soup - we eat too much soup as it is!) and puddings (not hot fruit or raisins as friend not keen) thank you!

My EDF bill arrived today. DD has gone up by £2pm despite being £170+ in credit

Nearly 5 &6. When u asked them what they wanted to do they said "play pass the parcel". Involves ripping up paper, sticking...abd eating sweets. ...their favourite pass times lol. What they would really like is my full attention and crafts. But I get bored quicker than them tbh.

"I" asked them. Pah.

Eugh I hate crafts. Pass the parcel sounds fun though!

I have zero imagination. ...but I do have a big box from our new dishwasher. That'll keep them occupied a good while. They need very little attention from me generally, hence me saying I'll be bored first!

I need a box for dd's harvest festival stuff and I don't have one. I'd completely forgotten it's really stressing me out

italian I hope both you and the baby are ok

spotty I was thinking today that my oven needs cleaning. It's down on the list with all the other jobs I need to do.

Spent £21 on winter-proofing DS clothes wise, even if he says he doesn't feel the cold - I think he's forgotten what winter can be like. I just need to get him some snow boots. Can anyone recommend anywhere I can get a cheapish pair?

DH just got in from work - the car is still playing up despite being in the garage all day yesterday and new battery . Our mechanic is lovely so no doubt he did a thorough job and will have it back in to recheck, I'm just a bit worried that my smugness at a £155 bill is going to be short-lived!

NSD today

I got snow boots for the kids in matalan last year, £15 each. And then it didn't snow.....! Am intending on squishing their feet in them this year, they're a size too small but they have very narrow feet so should cope!

spotty are you after my huge box that I have earmarked for den building? ?!

Sorry not read everything.

£15 taking my mum out to lunch :( Oh dear.

On the other hand my uncle liked his cake which at least saved me money buying somethimg for him.

Mum wants to go to Ikea tomorrow. I never get out of that place without spending something and I do actually need a bigger book case as books tumbling to floor. Wish me luck I think it wil lbe a big dent in the budget.

I also spent £73000 today..............................

Luckily it was my employers money not mine :)

CoolCadbury I used to get lovely snow boots quite cheap in TKMaxx for the DCs when they still fitted into children's shoes. What about Wellington boots with thick socks inside? I am thinking of that for DD, as it may not snow.

£17.50 to post a parcel for my mum's birthday. We made a Vistaprint photo book which turned out really lovely and I may order one for us too. Pictures of the DCs and our first summer as a ménage à trois.

Strictly lots of NSDs coming up now.

I'm in

1/10 - £4 on cookbook from work and £6.99 on an eyeliner which i needed as the old one was dead
2/10 - 90p on a can of coke and chocolate at work

Today I spent £21 on top up shop at aldi which should do us until Sunday and £11 in charity shop on dress for dd10, dolls pram for dd2 ( to put away for Christmas) some books and a lampshade!

Oh and £2 on toddler group .

Definitely a NSD today as spent £56 yesterday in aldi on a weekly shop. Well the cupboards were bare and that included £8 for waterproof cycling gloves for DH and £8 for a cardboard playhouse for DS for Christmas

Thank you all
Still at the hospital with babygirl Italian
She is 4 months and has never before taken a bottle or dummy. The hospital has said she is a bottle refused and a very stubborn one...

Glad I am not the only person who hates crafts, I love baking with ds though.

Manic day at hospital yesterday clinic running an hr late then they wanted another scan meaning mad dash to car parking had over run by 5mins would have been longer if hadn't done speed walk then struggled to find more parking - u queue for an hr to get in hospitals one n all the private one's seem to have been sold off for permit holders anyway chanced the cinema one which is free - did mean I walked about 3 miles all in going back n forth good at 32weeks pregnant and positive is avoided any parking tickets.

Anyway baby is well and section date all booked.

Shockingly clinic was running an hr late at 9.15am (this is because they book from 8.30am n overbook clinic, the docs never arrive til 9am so fighting losing battle) by time I had had scan n went back to clinic it was 1pm n sign said 2hrs wait that's just beyond unreasonable really initially clerk told me I had to wait a firm but nice word meant he took my notes to consultant and she called me straight in (I avoided glares from waiting room!) And said she was glad I was persistent as she didn't expect me to wait again as only took 5mins.

Made a lovely chicken soup last night for dinner from chicken carcass husband has leftovers for lunch today as I am nowhere near a microwave not sure where I will be so will grab something on my travels.