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

Fanta we have just taken DD2 off her bottles, she is 4 in 2.5 weeks. When we went on holiday in August I didn't take a bottle with us, then when we got home I chucked them all in the recycling. We have had tears a couple of times.

Anyone thank you for the kind babysitting offer I no longer need one, even though I did do a huge food shop yesterday

Cool and Audit good to know I was not alone in the bottle stakes. I tried everything, but she would cry for it and sometimes go for a whole 24 hours refusing to drink if it wasn't in a bottle and I gave in as I would be worried she would get dehydrated. I can see her now, watching television after school in her little uniform sucking on her bottle she is 18 now and looking back I am wondering why I got myself into such a tizzy about it. The contents of other bottles are a lot more attractive to her now....

Cool yes, the 'knitting bag' was huge apparently and she would stow all the items at the bottom and then put the knitting on the top. You would hardly believe it would you?

Yesterday was a lot less spendy than I expected. One of my longstanding colleagues left yesterday after 9 years. Lunch £4.50, train fare £4.70 (I think, I had drunk lots of wine...) £3.50 on a burger and fries as didn't eat as part of the party. £1.45 on the bus fare home from the station.

£4.45 in the bakers today, but annoyingly the assistant didn't out DD1's chosen cake into the bag.

Just ordered DS some more school trousers as the others didn't fit. I ordered 2 pairs each in 2 sizes as not sure which will fit. I also ordered 2 pairs of yoga pants and polo necks the older DC need for The Lord Mayors Show in November. Plus 2 pairs of track suit bottoms (one each) for PE kits. Unfortunately they are out of navy sweatshirts. £78 but £15 to come back from the other trousers.

Sixforgold I remember what a horrible time I had getting dummies away from ds1. Now I look at ds2, who is 5yo, and he still sucks his thumb. sigh. It's not like I can take his thumb away.

85p on a baguette and 70p for some sweets for children.

Hoping thats the lot.

oh and friend (babysitter) just turned up with a loaf of bread, a pack of bacon and some cheese triangles apologising and saying she was really hungry last night and once she'd started she couldn't stop eating then was too embarrassed to tell me later. Feeling a bit better now :)

lists aw, that was really nice of your friend but I wonder why she did not tell you last night. Maybe she read this thread?

I hope not Coolcadbury :)

Ah that was nice of the babysitter to bring you some replacement food. Made some very restrained purchases at the Stitching show yesterday but succumbed to the Russell Hobbs bread maker at Aldi this morning. I have been thinking about one for a while, so hopefully it will be a frugal win in the long run! Unfortunately, have to buy a winter coat for DS1 tomorrow and at 17 he isn't going to even entertain looking somewhere cheap.

NSD. I have resisted the urge to buy LED lightbulbs.

I've done a letter to claim back £4.50 on some loo rolls I bought. I always check the loo roll for try me free offers and the frozen counters. Dh is taking the mickey out of me for it though.

I'm glad your friend bought you some more food Lists.

I have "buy ds2 a new bed" on my list of expenses next month. He is in a toddler bed and needs a single bed now. So I promised him a new bed. I'll also be painting both the dcs' rooms next month (and possibly putting up wallpaper), so that's another expense. And then there's a light fixture I need to have installed. October is going to be expensive. And I'm still trying to save for a solicitor for my divorce. Fun fun fun.

Alice keep an eye on freecycle or Facebook selling groups for a single bed should get one v cheap n then just buy a new mattress :)

Tip _ don't be tempted by cutesy toddler bedding we put ds in single bed from a cot at 2yrs 4mths n gave him choice of cars, dinosaurs or plain bedding he chose dinosaurs so should last him til about 8-10yrs old.

It's not cheap though by time buy bed, matress, duvet, pillow n sheets n covers.

My kids love crackers - well the boys do - why did I not know that crackers and cheese was a better option than fruit? Usually they eat 5-5.30 and DD wants food at 8pm and sometimes DS2 at 7.30. DS1 rarely wants supper.
I was talking about fruit after their tea.
DS2 has carrots and olives in his lunch pack and DS1 will randomly eat cucumber, tomato and celery. DD is a PITA and won't eat anything like that. DS1 also takes sultanas to school every day as a snack.

Spent £36 today at the osteopath as have to go again next week.

Evening

Bloomin' babysitters

So, my horse box cost far less than I imagined, £40. Don't know how our mechanic makes any money but I love him!! The exhaust had blown a hole, or something

I've topped up my Morrison's shop with top ups from a local 'cheapy' shop, spending £11, and then topped up toiletries from Home Bargains!

I have then had a lovely afternoon cooking a home made fish curry and baking from the Mumsnet cookbook, which is ace. I love cooking, so most of our food is home cooked.

DH got me a massive bag of daffoldil bulbs, so that's tomorrow's job. He paid.

I DO think the top up shops add up if you are not careful, I also think shopping on line saves money, even if you accept a peak slot and have a high delivery charge (which I don't!). It makes you think about what you are buying and less tempted.

Usually have a cheap meal here too, but it's more likely an omelette. I like the cheap crumble idea though too.

www.hotukdeals.com/deals/17ltr-1400w-halogen-oven-with-full-accessories-appliance-direct-29-98-plus-3-postage-2010372

Anyone want a halogen oven? best for small families. They always show them cooking chickens, mines used for doing chips mainly and sausages .

I only use the oven for pizza now because dh buys the huge ones.

nightnanny no kidding it's expensive!! I'm planning on checking the local furniture recycling for a second hand bed, and then buying a new mattress as they sell them as well. He's 5yo, so if I bought him cutesy toddler stuff, I think I might have a revolt on my hands! He's been going on about superheroes (avengers) and spiderman.

I had peppers and courgettes to use, so I chopped them up, along with an onion, and tossed them in the oven with some fresh sausages I picked up at the butcher shop yesterday. Brown rice on the side. Yum. Dcs loved the sausages and rice. Ds2 ate some onions. I had the peppers and courgettes (although ds2 stole some raw pieces of pepper while I was putting supper together earlier). All in all, it works for me, as it cleaned out some veg that needed to be used, and the sausages weren't too expensive.

I now have a jacket potato and one leftover sausage in the fridge. Pondering what interesting to do with that. If at all possible.

Speedy day here. 57 in pets at home as getting the kids a fish tank for their birthdays. 41 in sainsbo as I forgot my brother is staying over and he doesn't like the same food as us. On the plus side earn that back in overtime this week.

have just spent 47 in waitrose (closest shop for me) on veggies, fruit, three whole chickens, washing powder and wine.

dh sprung an adhoc sunday lunch for the whole family on me at about 4pm today so had to emergency shop. on the plus side, we'll cook all 3 chickens and have loads left over to play with.

i've also earned a lot on overtime this week. so will recoup in october payday/

Alice -asda do nice marvel comic bed sets for bout £12 and they do nice fitted sheets for£6 plain or some patterned Inc dinosaurs n stars. Ha ha to cutesy toddler one assumed 3yr old!! My 4yr old loves Spiderman.

Itsfab- it's difficult isn't it when they all want different things, my 4yr old loves the summer season fruits but he only gets them on offer generally peaches n plums remain £1 punnet til Oct n then go up to double but can often get reduced to £1 n they last good few days as ripen at home.

We don't have a food budget as such we buy what we need but cook from scratch n are pretty frugal and waste nothing.

If we have take out its always something that can be had reheated for dinner next night.

DH and I had a joint account but it works better that he gives me money every month into my account and I can see what I have then. Out of it I have to feed us all, feed the cats and the car and get the kids any clothes and shoes plus pay for DD and DS2's physio and osteopath. DH pays my phone. I used to be able to buy myself the odd bit of clothes or some shoes. Now it all goes on feeding and fixing the kids.

nightnanny no worries. He's in a toddler bed still at 5yo because he kept falling out of bed. Didn't want to put him in a regular single bed until he wasn't falling out all the time. He refused to have a bedrail on at all, fought it all the way. Finally, he's ready now. Thanks for the tip about Asda sets - I'll look there.

£6 on bits for DD but I had money in my PayPal account from selling things so I suppose they were free?

Going to finish clearing out her wardrobe tonight and get the last things up for sale. It feels so good to be getting rid of things and making a bit of money.

I was a overtime mad at work- I'd try and do at least 50-60 hours extra a month so now being on maternity leave I'm feeling a bit useless.

Lovely day out at the castle with free tickets and lunch from home had great sunshine.
On the way back we stopped for coffee at friends who gave us some more clothes for dd, we pretty much have not needed to buy any clothes for her at all, so sweet of them to pass it on to us
Dinner was take away was pizza ??. So spent 20£ today not to bad for a family day out

itsfab your DH needs to give you more money.

DS is 6 and I have to put pillows either side or he falls out of his double bed. , alice.

em now I want a roast chicken dinner tomorrow.

eastmids my DS's favourite food is strawberries. He likes it in his pancakes, with his ice cream, in the bath, on digestives and was asking if I could buy white bread as he wanted strawberry sandwiches.