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

Today will be a LSD. I'm just off to Asda now to pick up a dog food which is on offer on Quidco - buy one get 1 cashback. It only costs 60p so I'll get free dog food plus 40p. I'm getting good at this

Feeling proud of myself. Didn't have breakfast as DCs were playing up so I ddidn't have time. Got them to school and was asked out to pub for breakfast with friends. Declined saying I did't have time (true). Then had to go into town to bank for work - bypassed Macdonalds, Greggs, various cafes and Marks and Spencer all without buying anything. Got into work finally and had tea and biscuits. I was only working this morning. Came home for lunch.

I think DP is getting the children tonight which means I may not have to go out again so all being well it will be a NSD.

Was so desperate to buy something to eat this morning though. In the past I'd have paid for breakfast but today I resisted.

Fluffy well done on opening a savings account. If you can manage it set up a standing order to pay £10 a month directly into it. Once you're used to living without that tenner up it to £12 and gradually increase it every couple of months. You'll be amazed what you have by next Christmas

NSD. Whew! I've had FAR too few of those recently.

£10 petrol
89p milk.

confused fab result on the dog food.

lilac, do you have an aldi? They are doing reasonably priced led bulbs. www.aldi.co.uk/en/specialbuys/sunday-5-october/

I forgot, £3 on a homes and garden trial 3 month subscription. I might get a free gift off them too but probably not.

Just received my maternity leave pay projection I finish next week but official mat leave starts Nov and I insisted I had the info now not in Nov as they planned. Thankfully I had saved some night nanny work money from the last tax year and although yet to do tax return I will have some left that with some belt tightening we will get through mat leave.

Spending way too much this week and already dipped into my savings for my weekend away which makes me worry I'll dip into other savings while away. That probably doesn't make sense so apologies.

I really wanted to clothes shop on my weekend away as I'm not a big shopper by nature but have lost loads of weight so fit into smaller sizes and where I'm going they have great clothes shops.

This thread has been wonderful as I am do much more conscious of money. I'll try to be sensible while out clothes shopping and buy what I truly love and not too much of it either. I need a list I think before I go so I'm focused and not just shopping wildly.

I also thought what I might do is try to put back some money from my future pays in small amounts to cover what I spend this weekend.

We certainly do fluffy that's where I usually do my weekly shop! From the images on Irish website they don't have spots but I'll work on the rest of the bulbs in the house. We have a lot of spots 6 in dining room, 6 in sitting room, 6 in kitchen, 6 in hallway(only 3 used usually), 5 in spare bedrooms and 5 on faschia board outside. Omg that's 34! Usually just kitchen and dining room ones that blow so they're the priority to change. Will do them as they blow or as I see a good deal.

Definitely second what lists said about the standing order for your savings - day my wages come in my standing orders send money off in various directions, then it's there when bills come in.

Taking a halfday tomo and spending it in town without dc, so going to check charity shops as per fluffy suggestion and can park further away more cheaply and walk and will have no stress when picking up clothes for ds either!

just see in the small print they have gu10 for €6.99 each that's almost 2 for the 1 dh bought

lists you are a frugal saint! Gregg's and McD breakfasts are impossible to resist when starving hungry!

I'm aiming for another NSD today (4th in a row if I do!). Have had to substitute rice for pasta tonight with bolognaise rather than pop to shop - no hardship there - but tonight I'm going to book group and must only drink tap water if I'm to achieve my PB!

Got £10 in a card from MIL spent it on fruit and fresh bread. Counting it as an NSD as I didn't spend any of my own money

Called HMRC who basically told me to ignore the letter and just send a cheque for what I think I owe... The letter is pretty clear that I end to pay the full amount so now I'm worried that I will get into trouble. in the up side the woman on the phone confirmed that according to their system I owe £284 (already set aside in savings acc) and not £519 whichiswhat the letter says. So I feel I've saved £235

£6 in poundland on batteries and sone bits for dds party bags. She just wants 3-4 girls round for her 5th bday party so I need to stock up on prizes for games and pass the parcel....maybe some craft bits, all from the pound shop!

I need some winter clothes so a mini splurge might be happening soon. ...jumpers for home and a couple more work options as I literally have 3 outfits.

Nsd

Good idea ohhelp! I've been looking at decorating plain shoppers as an option, or colouring in a hello kitty velvet art picture. ..or one of those cardboard castles. I have about a month to work out the fine details. Ds is insistent he comes too but I think he's going to be a bit disappointed with the theme and party prices

Prizes not prices! (Ds on the other hand will be impressed with the price)

Six four NSD! Well done, I don't think I have ever had four in a row.

Thank you sixforgold. I'd actually opened the door and walked into Macdonalds when i reminded myself that this was meant to be a NSD and I walked out again. That's 5 NSDs in a row. I very much doubt I'll manage a sixth although your name inspires me to try :)

And very well done on your 4 in a row. Its a good feeling isn't it.

Sorry, work is taking over. Have had a few nsds which is great. Yesterday spent £84 on cut and colour. This was with a half price colour too. I know, it's expensive. But I did try and stave this off by using an Aldi hair colour pack in august (last cut in June). So I justify it. Plus a lot of work stuff to attend, like Friday in London, next week flying off to Asia for 5 days, and then posh do end of month.

Will catch up now.

This is amazing! It's quite chilly this evening and in the name of being frugal I thought I could just see if the camping halogen heater would do the job - it's absolutely toasty and works far better than our temperamental heating!

I will get a few more of these.

£5 for DD1's karate class.

I need to try to get her there more regularly. She missed the last grading and now they were preparing after class for the next one, but the teacher didn't include her. Some kids who have started since her, but are older were included. Now I feel bad about how many times I didn't try hard enough to get her there last term

Nsd.

NSD here
On payday I automatically put money into my savings account. I have been doing this since February and I've got a nice amount.
I work out bills, food budget, some £ for myself and the rest goes straight into savings.
Child benefit and Tax Credits help me get by. I'd rather save money than waste it .. which I'm very good at

(And to be honest I only started saving in Feb as suddenly dawned on me in 4 months time we would have a baby to provide for .. Panic set in)