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

Gosh the thread moves so quick - I've only been gone a few days. And boy, have those days been spendy. I've been too scared to tally it all up. Gulp.

Ooops. 8.97 in charity shop. All for me: 2.99 Boden top, 2.99 Monsoon top, 2.99 Wallis skirt. All bargains mind aren't they all

Grr. Must remember not to use pound signs on here.

Thank you for the welcome :-)

Well today didn't go that well - i was a little lax in the wallet department - i really do need to just stay in as i have literally no self control and Primark added to Christmas tat is just irresistible to me :-( I only popped into town for a couple of bits and am a bit ashamed of how much i ended up spending ( i have a lot to learn!)

Ok well new day tomorrow and i will repeat the mantra above ... Do i need it? (no!)

Welcome rosie! The problem with starting frugal ways at this time of year is that Christmas is just around the corner so lots of temptation! I joined around this time last year and my first goal for the new year was to save for Christmas and buy through the year (I missed out on my Christmas party last year as it was £30 too much when I still had presents to buy. This year my £30 is sitting ready and waiting alongside a dress that I've worn countless times and I can't bloody wait!)

NSD again today! (Now really annoyed that I broke my roll as it would have made 5 days and a definite PB!)

We're planning some full-on family time this weekend but are doing as frugally as possible with trips to two free museums. We planned to have lunch in between and I've realised that we have tescos vouchers and are right by a pizza express so will be exchanging some vouchers tonight!

Haven't started Christmas shopping, not stressing over it.

Shops here are currently full of Halloween crapula and candy and won't switch over to Xmas until Nov. I find that quite refreshing actually after what used to feel like a commercial onslaught in the UK.

Anyway, I need to top up choc and toffees and a little fruit to cover the weekend and bread for DDs

Next week I shall be cooking from a blog I like - Penny's recipes - and using freezer/store cupboards extensively. I've reached the point where I can't face spending any money so am going to largely ignore it for a few days. Won't stop the school coming up with things though

Welcome aboard Rosie

£31 dancing lessons

Argh I've lost my voice!! Any remedies? Nothing with sugar in!

Welcome Rosie. I'll post the old moneysaving threads later for you. Frugal-inspiration iyswim.

NSD.

My secondhand bedding is in the wash. Lets see if dh notices. For fun.

Spotty I think you just have to rest & drink lots of water, no coffee because it drys the throat out.

spotty I agree with fluffy lots of water. I also swear by tumeric, so a pinch of tumeric in warm water will help, as long as you are not allergic to it as it's pretty potent. Or maybe lemony water.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/credit_crunch/1543785-your-top-tips-for-money-saving-and-a-more-frugal-life

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/credit_crunch/1600030-Small-money-saving-habits-petty-even

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/credit_crunch/1628874-Gas-Elec-Bills-monthly-and-SKY-so-angry

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/mumsnet_classics/1911061-NO-MORE-COLD-MUMSNETTERS

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/_chat/2195493-Website-rip-offs-block-their-cookies-and-save-LOADS-AND-LOADS-of-money

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/other_subjects/1324074-For-those-who-cant-afford-to-use-central-heating-this-year-How-are-you-going-to-cope

Total disaster money-wise today- got home far too late for dinner - the carefully planned meal was still frozen, so I'm afraid I snapped and just went to the chippy.

Then all the food I'd picked up to go with it was a waste

I tried to bake but spilled it - so I'll have to buy another for my friend's DD's birthday party now as I haven't got time to do another.

Went to M&S this morning to get a loaf of white bread (was ill all night and couldn't face anything but white bread) £26, but got loads of reduced stuff for that.

Dancing costumes £10 for tights for DD1 and white gloves for DS and DD1. Got £5 back as DS doesn't need a green wig I had ordered and paid for. £12 for a cowboy costume for DS.

£5 for a secondhand pair of dance trainers for DD1. They are about half a size too big, but she needs them for a parade and I really didn't want to pay £30 odd.

Nsd but mainly because I had no money to spend! Payday tomorrow. Finally received pack of nappies from product trial I signed up to so that's a few quid saved.

I haven't started shopping for Christmas yet. I usually have by now but I think it partly because I'm not really sure what to get this year. I saw on another thread that you should get 'something they want, something they need, something to wear, something to read' and stop there but I can't even pick 4 things. I should be grateful dc are not demanding sure that'll come soon enough

spotty i spoke to the teacher who was great... All sorted!

Never mind Trainerandaches - at least you know what you're having for dinner tomorrow. Just remember to defrost it this time. Everything you got to go with it will still be fine tomorrow. I hope you enjoyed your chippy dinner.

We need to buy nappies. I thought we had another packet. We don't. I think we must have taken them to nursery and I forgot.

I've got £21.04 left of my self imposed £25 food budget to last from Sunday 5th until Monday 13th. I could spend more but I'd like to make up for the excesses in ikea and save a bit if I can stick to it.Anyway I like the challenge.

£21 this evening on some things for DD in tesco.

Could have done without

Thanks will try and drink more.

We had a power cut for three hours last night. Frugal win

£62 on petrol. I am pretty sure that I last filled up in August so I'm happy with that.

Hope I can join mid-way through!

We really need to budget hard as we may soon be only on DH's wage and possible erratic temp wages for me (long story!)

I've reduced all the bills be over £100 already we could bring sky down even further or switch to freeview at some point although that entails expense of getting boxes and having an aerial fitted as house doesn't have any aerial at all.

I've bought a slow cooker and any trying to meal plan and look for the most frugal possible meals. We are veggie mostly with a bit of fish so no expense for meat. I do the monthly shop at Aldi and top up with bits from Asian supermarkets.

Yesterday was a complete NSD and only real expenses this month are a new pair of winter shoes for DS (going to look at sale stuff) and a pair of slippers for me.

Any tips as to how I can save further gratefully received as I'm sure I haven't thought of everything!

Welcome sporting, Read my post at 20:56 last night, it's all the old threads on cutting back, you sound like you've done brilliantly anyway.

Any unnecessary DD going out? Old subscriptions or credit expert/experian type things?.

I've written to all my old cc and loan providers (actually just remembered a store card I've missed off) to ask if they owe me any ppi. I'm pretty sure only one out of the four actually owe me but if you don't ask you don't get. Moneysavingexpert is encouraging people to claim back ID fraud insurance off credit expert too so I've done the letters for that too.

We had a sky box years ago that we got free view stuff on with no sky subscription. We had a dish from the LL that dh whacked with a clothes prop iirc.

British Gas are doing free loft insulation for everyone who needs it, if you haven't got the full 27cm lagging they fit it for free. If they say you need to have only 2/3 of the loft lagged you could always take a bit out so you qualify.

Nsd today. Going to hospital

On the other hand need patrol to be able to drive to said hospital

Welcome Sporting. Did my weekly Aldi shop today £55, so really pleased with that. Notice they now have their Christmas biscuits so one box may have slipped into my trolley - I like to start on the Christmas food shopping early.

No other spends planned and am aiming for a no spend weekend!

sporting when I first got my slow cooker, I borrowed some slow cooker recipe books from the library to help me get used to it. Now I just adapt my normal recipes. Got beef and ale in their at the mo for a pie, smells lush!

Glad you got that sorted out Furcoat

Yesterday I spent about £9 and today, or over the weekend, I need to get bloody bottles of fizzy drink for D2 to take to school, and baking ingredients for DD1. See, I said school would come up with something

Welcome Sporting