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

sounds nice nk5bm3 I'd a productive evening yesterday- roasted a chicken and piece of bacon, made taco fries for dinner, and did chicken curry at same time and marinated pork chops for tonight. That's 5 days dinners in about 2 hours!

Any suggestions for leftover chicken and chorizo risotto? Risotto balls and cakes seem to be what google is suggesting.

Discovered again that dh is not saving for the new car he wishes to purchase, we've agreed to revisit it next winter depending on how work is with us both. I'm delighted as my priority since returning to work at end of April has been to be debt free(bar mortgage) by end 2015 & now dh has decided to join me in this quest! I have cleared 2k in 6 months with a lot of expenses in that time, the car savings will help me to eliminate it faster - 14 months to clear €11K is very doable - plus I owe dc €2720 also which I would like to clear next year as well.

We were both meant to be saving towards this new car I was the only one doing it!

Ok got both the outdoor light and co detector for 20% off so that's a plus. But my shoe has come apart and needs to be replaced. Grrrrrrrrrr

Nsd going well.

Went to my friends this morning and a DPD van reversed into her house and drive off . Ds and I were standing right there. Luckily he only hit the guttering but still! I'm really shocked. He was driving so fast and reversed straight into it.

Hope your day improves spotty. Welcome clippity.
Have spent quite a lot on groceries today but I should be able to stretch it out for quite a long time. Took the iPad back and now have a gift card for 300 pounds at PC World and Currys valid for 2 years. Not going to rush into buying anything though, it's a great bonus
Trying baked potatoes in the slow cooker for tea, fingers crossed!

Italian lovely news that you are home

clippity welcome

I would like to give some hope to those of you who have early risers - DD was like this when she was little and would always wake before 6am 7 days a week, I was exhausted as she was a devil going to bed too. She just needed so little sleep. However, once she hit the teenage years, it was a struggle to get her up for school and so we all got a lovely lie-in at the weekends

I have bought a new landline phone from Tesco plus an extension lead as it won't reach the plug. I am very excited as it is the first portable landline phone I have had and I am hoping to use it to multi-task. Why am I so sad?

£2.79 in tesco, curry paste, tinned tomatoes (4 for £1 in the ethnic food aisle), kippers & stuffing.

£2.99 aldi chicken.

Winter is here .

lila - I use left over risotto for the DC's packed lunch the next day. Although, fair enough if cold risotto isn't for everyone.

£2.79 spent today.

Yesterday was reasonable. Given that we were pony racing anyway. I did spent about £10, £8 on photo's (don't usually do this but they were lovely) and £2 on charity cake.

DH is spending like mad, as he feels he has 'no clothes', which is driving me batty.

italian - great news, fab that you are home and DD is feeding.

northender That's a good amount of vouchers to have

I have goulash in the slow cooker and banana bread in the oven, plus I have worked today and I am knackered, having been out most of the weekend. I really want to curl up and sleep. DH is away for the week too, and has been from Sunday at 5am. Tis hard.

Also had such a big delivery of fruit and veg from the market man that I am a bit at what to do with it all!!

Frugal win - sold a Monsoon dress and cardigan for £10 on Facebook. Probably undersold, given the interest but last time I advertised it, months ago for £20, no interest!!

And some Michael Morpurgo books for £1

Mmm risotto balls! Or stuffed peppers as it doesn't use so much.

Frugal win sold my r&r for £50 (sad face)
But dd needed some bits which came to £70 from next so that'll go towards that.

Shepherds pie for dinner mmm can tell it's winter as I've put parsnips in it

Oh cold risotto, definitely dd wouldn't eat that, she barely ate it hot! I didn't even bring the leftovers to work myself and we have a microwave.

Frugal Win - sold ds's bath seat for €7 on fb selling group, it only cost me €10 and has served it's purpose. Incentive to photograph more things and get rid! Steriliser is next he'll be finished with formula this week.

Spag bol cooking using reduced pork mince.

My 4yr old sleeps 7/7.15-7ish (sometimes 6.30 + 7.30) when he had a daytime nap it used to be 8pm bedtime.

We eat at 5.30pm usually something quick, tv, bath, stories n bed.

Fantastic news Italian, really glad you are back home and feeding again.

Had an LSD yesterday, DH bought snacks during dog walk as it was lunchtime. I do need to get a few groceries today but will spend more tomorrow as both DDs need things from the shopping centre.

Will try to catch up properly later.

Glad you're home with your baby Italian. All I can say is keep feeding and eat lots of oats as they're meant to be really good for milk production. Flapjacks are good :)

NSD - third in a row. I'm trying to make up for the Ikea excesses.

I still have all of my £25 left for this weeks food. We're having curried veg soup tonight - using up lots of left overs

Yay Italian thats great news, I had similar problems with my dd (not that she wouldn't feed but that I was in having my gallbladder out so couldn't feed her for nearly a week) it took perseverance but did get my milk supply up eventually. I second eating and drinking lots (found chocolate hobnobs very helpful )

Nearly a non spending day but bought my neighbour a plant £2.99 to say thanks for looking after the cats this wend and was feeling a bit peckish so got a bounty to share with dd!!

Its my graduation ceremony in november, booked it last night and for tickets for 2 people and the gown hire its £75 I nearly cried. However mum and dad have kindly offered to pay half so thats a bit more manageable.

I've spent about £25 on fruit, vegetables and Leerdammer Light cheese as it offers money back if you don't like it. I pretty sure we won't . That leaves me £8.

Inspired by others on here I may do some fb listings this week.

Unfortunately a big spending day. I had to buy specific items for the house (CO detector, outdoor light, couple other smaller items), new shoes (boots as I had none, but not expensive ones) for myself as one of my old shoes that I was wearing actually split while I was in town, and clothes and a pair of trainers for ds1 as he's literally outgrown everything. So about £100 spent today.

But I can't complain as obviously these things happen, I guess. It was all necessary stuff, so at least it wasn't just nonsense "fluff" type items IYSWIM.

NSD and have sold £12.50 on FB. Really aiming to sell as much as possible this month as it's already feeling tight and we're not even a week into October ! I still have a dining table, a music magpie and a Cash4Clothes which are definite sellers so hoping this will see us through til half term.

Oh great news Italian I bet you are glad to be back home.

I had an adventurous day today, but no spending, free coffee from Waitrose.

We will have to pop out to get a new clear ruler for DS and we will treat ourselves to MCDonald's on the way back. Very inconsistent, but it think the DCs need a treat. They have been very brave and helpful the last few days.

We have had a massive branch of an old tree come down in this storm and I am wondering what to do with all the wood. We don't have an open fire nor a wood burner, but I would quite like to donate it to people who do. We can't chop it up, though. I need to find out how to go about this. May be the church?

eBay? 1p start and buyer collect?

Lsd today. Only spend 3£ on cake for mother group
DD was at the doctor who thought she looked better. No weight gain yet but luckily no more weight loss either...

Curry won the day, but the crispy chicken recipe looks lovely and reminded me how useful BBC recipes website is. Thank you very much! NSD for me. Cottage pie tomorrow with a 3-for-a-tenner pack of mince and frozen casserole veg from M&S, should do us twice with loads of mash. Vets bill and cello lessons to cover tomorrow though. So glad everything's coming right Italian!

Determined to make tomorrow a fourth NSD in a row. I don't think I'll stretch it out to Wednesday as we'll need bread and milk. If I think we can get through to Thursday will try for a fifth but will only be putting off the inevitable.

£38 in supermarket
£2 coffee by the lake -much needed
£13 on ice-cream, lots of, for home, and chewing gum for DDs. DD1 is over eating and finds chewing gum helps her avoid eating when stressed. DH was disappointed yesterday when I stopped him eating a Corneto (wheat) and my coffee followed finding the kitchen an inch deep in water after my shower this morning. All sorted now.

Fluffy did the cat help you that chicken?