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

The problem with fruit is that it sends blood sugar up, then it crashes & you feel hungry again.

Veg is a better snack because it has less sugar but more fibre. Fat based snacks like cheese and biscuits are more satisfying. A big block of mature cheddar is £4 or so in Aldi/lidl.

Should be NSD, I need a few more of them.

Completely agree, Fluffy, DD loves carrots and celery, so she will have carrot and celery sticks even in her packed lunch with some hummus or tsatziki. Cheap and healthy. She loves having packed lunch, but she doesn't like sandwiches ...

Aldi usually have one fruit in their super six each week. I agree with fluffy about sugary fruit - although obviously it's yummy - it never leaves me satisfied. Could you try chopped up carrots and peppers for lunch boxes as an alternative? Also tinned? We split a tin of pineapple on our salad, cottage cheese and JPs for dinner this week.

This is making me sound ultra healthy...unfortunately not...we went for fries and split a pizza at the pub last night spent £18 so didn't break the £20 limit.

I've just discovered no tea bags and also no coffee (which we don't drink but my friend visiting today does!) and need a bottle of something to take to a lunch we're going to tomorrow. I need to be organised and get myself to Aldi but I fear, as I'm sitting here in my dressing gown on MN, it may be a trip to the local shop!

I'm starving waiting for my food shopping we haven't got any food left!

I ordered the bag. £35.95 including delivery as I used my sisters nus card for an extra 20% off

£66.25 food shop.

I'm running freezer down at present so we can defrost then restock.

Have managed to save money this month by taking pack ups to work for lunch. And resisting the extra spends - nice coffee or bacon roll on a Friday.

It's my birthday next week so will have to get cakes/snacks for the office (40 people). Will also be eating out a lot.

No new clothes bought for a month.

LSD as much as possibly. Have stopped taking money out with me if I can.

I'm finally able to save a bit.

We have a jacket potato and beans meal once a week and on this night I do a pudding so everyone is nice and full. I can also put it in the oven at the same time as the potatoes. My 'Value Crumble' is really easy to make and works out really cheap. You pour a tin of fruit (whatever is on offer) into a dish and then slice them a bit, pour over some of the juice, then sprinkle over a Tesco crumble mix (42p) and cook for about 30-40 minutes. We have that with custard and it makes plenty for four people.

Can I join? I love the idea of NSD but it seldom happens. I may be able to log quite a few LSD's though

Nicki welcome a NSD rarely happens for me either!

I think the only time I have ever managed one was when I had flu and was too ill even to pick up the iPad to peruse Amazon

Technically a NSD today and tomorrow, although some bills going out by direct debit.

I made it to Aldi! On the fruit front...super six includes apples, pears and plums for 69p each. I spent £13.52 - grr - hate top up shops!

I'm also just about to spend some money booking the Santa train for December Christmas festivities. It is a bit extravagant but also one of the reasons I've been saving so hard for Christmas is so we can do a few nice things like this. We've also told dd that Santa is taking away her dummies so we plan to hand them over when he gives her present - aargh!

Six the Santa train sounds fab, I hope you all enjoy that . How old is your DD? For me, I had terrible trouble getting my DD to give up her bottle, I literally tried everything, and in the end finally succeeded in prising it away from her just before she was 5yo

Oh dear ended up spending £15.37 last night - 2 bottles of wine (one for baby sitter as a thank you one for us) and the rest was basic groceries.

Not very happy though. My friend ate LOADS of food while babysitting. By the time I came back we were down almost a loaf of bread (2 crust ends left), a whole box of cheese triangles, half a pack of cheddar and half a pack of bacon plus half a dozen tomatoes and three cereal bars. She asked before we went out if she could make herself something to eat and I said to help herself. She clearly took it very literally. I only found out this morning when I went to make toast for the children. DD and DS were in bed. Now got to go shopping again for basics :(

Did she do her top up shop at your house?. I eat a lot but even I'd struggle to put that away in one sitting.

lists wow! that's a lot of food! eeek!

Wowza to babysitter eating all that food - I am always told to help myself I generally have a brunch bar n crisps in my bag but I sometimes have some fruit, a hot cross bun, a biscuit or some toast but never loads and always never take the last of anything.

Itsfab just pull the carrots up cut the tops off n let kids eat the carrots raw my 4yr old will only eat raw carrot n pulls them up himself n washes them off in downstairs loo sink!!

Fruit wise we buy pears Apple's bananas plums grapes satsumas peaches nectarines anything under £1 a punnet/bag n for grapes n strawberries£1.50 we keep fruit topped up as we all eat it.

Maybe raisins n sultanas could be good alternative buy in big value bags also good for making cookies buns n flapjack with- we make flapjack alot n use honey rather than golden syrup.

That's quite rude, even if she was babysitting for free. The only consolation is that it may have cost you more, if you had paid for a babysitter. Do you babysit for her too? If yes, next time don't have dinner before you go.

That's really rude!!!

I took the dc to the garden centre and got them lunch in the cafe then realised I'd forgotten my purse!! I was so embarrassed and dd was crying. The lady working there paid for their food so nice of her. So will need to go back to give her the money and prob some flowers too.

I am so staying on top of this in October, please can I join in? x

Anyone welcome

lists I am horrified at the amount your babysitter ate, that is plain bad manners. I would be very happy for her to make a sandwich but not all that! Mind you, I was once told by a mum at school that she knew someone who babysat for people and used to take loads of food home from their kitchens each time and just hide it in her (giant) bag under her knitting.

Thanks Fanta,
NSD

Fanta, do you need a babysitter? Only I am due a food shop and I thought I could just fill my knitting bag straight from your fridge lol :)

I wouldn't have done that at 17! How annoying....

Maybe we should all take turns. I do my shopping on a Friday, I can come on Fridays and babysit.

Fanta my DS was just under 5 before he gave up the bottle too but at least it was finally done. Once he gave up his bottle though he refused his milk.

And the thieving babysitter . That's more than rude. Did she have a big bag with her?

anyone welcome.