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an Ostentatiously Austere October...join here for a frugal month ahead!

999 replies

PeoniesforMissAnnersley · 26/09/2014 10:20

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

OP posts:
FantaSea · 11/10/2014 14:56

Badvoc happy birthday for yesterday Cake

AuditAngel · 11/10/2014 15:32

Badvoc happy birthday.

Stayed off work again yesterday and spent some time sofa surfing for Christmas presents. Spent £24 on Thorntons using their 5 for £20, plus a box of toffee for me, 20% off then postage.

Also caught on to the fact it is DD2's birthday on
Monday and I ought to get her some presents £45ish.

Tesco this morning £105 (but saved £25) bought lots of soft drinks and crisps/packed lunch stuff, but also loads of Christmas cards, paper and gifts tags on 3 for 2.

£1.50 on parking to drop DS to go to the theatre. £2.87 on birthday cards for DD2, £10 in the £ shop, but that included 5 little boxes of chocolates for DS to give to the chaperones at the end of the run of Evita as they keep teasing the kids that as they aren't being paid the kids should bring them chocolate.

£33 in Asda to buy party bags and some fillings, toothbrushes for Christmas stockings, but also £10 on mini bottles of squash to squirt into water, to reduce the amount DS is having to carry to the theatre. His bag weighs a ton and he looks like a turtle!

£16 in the Works to get some Frozen books and bubbles as DD2 decided she wants a Frozen party. Also included dome wrapping paper.

Off to swimming (so 70p for a pack of jelly tots that will last DD2 for 40 minutes in church)!

Badvoc123 · 11/10/2014 15:39

Thank you all x
If any of you are after choc for gifts MSE has got lots of thorntons half price hamper codes on the website.
Oh! And got a voucher today for a free bottle of wine from marks for booking my Xmas food order with them yesterday! :)
We don't really drink wine (plebs:)) but it will do for a gift for someone.

Badvoc123 · 11/10/2014 15:39

EPIC x posts with AA there! Blush

NK5BM3 · 11/10/2014 15:46

Went to London yesterday for work again. Will claim back about £80 (taxis included).

Went to Aldi today. £69 but that included £56 of LEDs and door handles. Dh says that these would usually retail for £25 per pair. These were £6.99/pair and they look really nice.

Oh well, this means only £13 on groceries particularly since I spent quite a bit on meat last week!

Oh and dh just bought a hedge trimmer. Our old one conked off. Not sure how much! Will go ask! £43 it was.

Am cooking up a storm again. There's meat balls. And also beef stew in slow cooker. Have to make food enough to last 10 days. I'm away from mid week!

girliefriend · 11/10/2014 16:01

Nsd - which is good as first one in a while!!

listsandbudgets · 11/10/2014 16:09

£4.68 in the co-op - reduced naan bread, 2 bags of baking potatos, baguette for lunch, a packet of microwave rice and apples. Was £5.68 but had a £1 off voucher to use.

listsandbudgets · 11/10/2014 16:23

Pressed send too soon.

I think this is the most frugal week in some years. Since last Saturday I've spend

£3.69 in Macdonalds (which I coould have NOT spent)
£4.96 on one small shop.
£4.68 in co-op

£13.33 in 9 days. Freezers and cupboards are looking a bit bare though Grin

Next week will be much more expensive though. I need to do a big shop AND its DD's birthday next Sunday. She wants friends for a sleep over on Saturday night with pizza and I suppose she'll want some presents. Good news is I've been saving for it £10 a week since the first week in August - £100 in an envelope for her birthday so at least theres no worries there.

lilacclery · 11/10/2014 16:34

Is the tassimo good I don't drink coffee but dh does so toying with getting it for Christmas

chocolatedonut · 11/10/2014 17:17

No spends today so far but will be around £10 on a Chinese tonight.

Need to buy my niece a present for her 1st birthday - any ideas?

Have trousers to return by the 15th full full refund so must try and get into town.

AliceDoesntLiveHereAnymore · 11/10/2014 17:18

NSD today and hopefully tomorrow.

SpottyTeacakes · 11/10/2014 17:50

Nsd. Dp is buying take away later though. I've got a horrible headache after going to a children's party. I hate them Blush

Iamnotanugget · 11/10/2014 19:15

chocolate 1 year old are so unaware that it's their birthday. If it's their first child I'd go with a classic book like The very hungry caterpillar and and bottle of bubbly for the parents to congratulate them on making it through the first year. If it's a subsequent child then they've probably already got loads so some clothes, or the promise of a trip to the local park with ice cream/chocolate.

Well done lists on so little spending and your regular saving. I spent some money on Christmas presents last night and it's wonderful knowing that you actually have the money.

I was getting a Tesco delivery tomorrow but then I got a card through the door offering me £10 off £60 if I tried Asda's click and collect. It's only a couple of minutes away so worth doing but I really don't like their website and some of their products so I've split my order across both companies in an attempt to get the best deal.

ItalianWiking84 · 11/10/2014 19:31

Petrol 30£ and 57£ on 3 months contact lenses... Bloody expensive they are...
And 20ish on hamper bag for friends who is at hospital with their baby who's sick... Hospitals make you so depressive so hope some little treats can kill time a bit

SpottyTeacakes · 11/10/2014 19:33

Iamnot asda online shopping is horrendous it drives me mad! Sainsburys is crap too.

trainersandaches · 11/10/2014 20:10

NSD today for me!

First in October I think!

Sixforgold · 11/10/2014 20:25

£2 running club, £10 lunch out, beans on toast for dinner!

furcoatbigknickers · 11/10/2014 22:19

£9.50 m&s... To replace wine for gift me and dh drankBlush Also got flowers and sweets for that.. Not bad!

Passthecake30 · 11/10/2014 23:06

£18.50 for swimming lesson and £5 in tescos.

In frugal news, dp picked up the kitchen tiles and when he got them home he realised they had a printed mark on them. Tile shop has asked to return all (about 500kg of them) and will exchange and refund £100. Impressed at the level of refund!

Fluffycloudland77 · 12/10/2014 00:41

£11 wine and flowers for giving to Dh's cousin tonight.

babsmam · 12/10/2014 06:37

laugh at the spending level recently. Dh get paid Friday. Will start again there. Although the kids had a fab birthday and the last party is today

SpottyTeacakes · 12/10/2014 06:42

Should be nsd today. I'm staying in and making a roast. Plus I only have 60p in my personal spends account Hmm

PeoniesforMissAnnersley · 12/10/2014 09:48

Battling with myself whether to go to ikea or not today. Want to get drawer dividers and storage jars.
Have been de-cluttering massively and have more still to do. Sadly as I don't have time during term I haven't been ebaying or car booting but just giving it all to charity shops. Not very frugal.

OP posts:
furcoatbigknickers · 12/10/2014 09:56

Hoping nsd today. Ds1 has a ticky tum, hes done 5 poos during night and this morning. Dh in bed as he was up with ds. When he wakes im going to gym.

Fluffycloudland77 · 12/10/2014 10:04

You could perhaps get draw dividers & storage jars in home bargains?.