Frugal January, everyone welcome.

[Fluffycloudland77]

Useful links.

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

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/2209167-Slow-Cookers-are-shit

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/_chat/2224969-saving-money

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/legal_money_matters/2258202-Debt-mutual-support-thread-number-6-start-the-new-year-with-a-clear-purpose-and-keep-moving-forwards-even-by-tiny-steps?

orchard.tesco.com/ Sign up to this.

www.topcashback.co.uk/home And this.

www.quidco.com/home/ And this

www.moneysavingexpert.com/ And this

www.moneysavingexpert.com/cheapenergyclub ditto.

www.checkoutsmart.com/ Plus this.

www.hotukdeals.com/all/deals/new?page=3 Check this daily.

Happy New Year Everyone!

Peonies how's your health now?

I've started Marie kondos book - will it transform my house & my life?

Re - childcare. I'm a teacher and I managed to find a nursery that agreed to us paying for term time only which we were delighted about
Now I'm worried that DD will get out of the swing of it over the holidays and will have to settle in again every term. Would it be worth paying for her to go once a week during the school holidays do you think?

Thanks spotty I am with southern electric! Thought they might get funny with me asking for it back if that makes sense. Will set a reminder and do it as soon as I'm home from work. Argh back to work today feels way harder than it should, especially as I have so much I would like to get done around the house. On the plus side, it should be a NSD.

Pointless, dd always only went term time. Holidays were extra, this was a private nursery, she was always fine

Southern electric refunded mine automatically and reduced the dd which annoyed me so I put it back up

Yes she can be sweet sometimes

I don't really give her pocket money, but pay her for doing jobs like washing the car and also holiday money. The money she has is saved from from last year, she doesn't like spending it!!

Today have got my friends dd for the day, going to pop into town but not intending on spending much!!

I'm hoping for a NSD. Dd back at school and poor ds has to stay in in with me to do the housework

Hi everyone. Can I join? Been following fora while now but had very spendy last few months. So now it's time to to keep to a budget as we're saving for a new car tthat's desperatly needed for dp to get to work and back. I also need to stop buying takeaways and meal plan more.

Just wondering if anyone knows when the next Aldi uk voucher will be in the papers?

Should spend no more then £10 today as need some single sheets from tesco for the little ones. Then should be no spending until Thursday for shopping hopefully.

Grr. Had planned a NSD yesterday, but DH went out, came back with milk and a bottle of wine. We've now agreed to a dry January, so that should help, I'm confident that I'll stick to it, not so sure about him!

Spent time putting together a weekly cash flow forecast for the new business im opening next month - one of those niggly jobs that has been keeping me awake at night. I won't be taking any money out of it for a while but hopefully, it'll pay for itself within a few weeks!

We still have a freezer full of left overs, so no need to shop yet; and I've started making bread again (it's very therapeutic!)

Collie have you tried aveeno? It's great on DD's eczema. £6 a tube though.

lilac I am loads better - wound is healing well, I have one spot of quite noticeable pain near the wound which I suspect is either a hematoma or scar tissue under the skin, will be going to GP soon if it doesn't settle but its only just 6 weeks post op which is the minimum time they gave me for recovery.

I get quite bloated and sometimes still get stomach pain but and yet nothing on the scale of what I was suffering befor surgery. I can eat normal food, which is amazing after not being able to eat solids for 4 full weeks before surgery and on and off in 3-7 day bursts since April.

I have gone mad on chocolate and other treats and put on almost a stone in 6 weeks gone from BMI of 18.5 to 21

But AS YET* silly iPad

Glad to hear you are ok MissA, or at least getting there!

I'm feeling incredibly bloated as well... Too much indulgence methinks!!! I look pregnant! I need to get into an exercise regime.

Thanks, Teacakes, that's reassuring.
I haven't got off to a good start. Just been to the supermarket. The nappy voucher I had expired last week and as soon as I got home I realised I'd forgotten loo roll so I expect I'll end up getting it from the Spar now where it is more expensive.

Good morning all! Planning a low spend day today. Everyone's back to work and school. I have four more weeks to go before I begin my new SAHM/Carer life. I've worked since I was 18 (50 this year), what a change there is in store for us.

Turkey leg from Christmas defrosting at home. Planning to do a turkey stir fry for dinner.

Dh might need to spend €10 and I've stupidly not brought in lunch, so that'll be a fiver. Hopefully that'll be it.

Won't be a NSD today as finally hauled my plague-ridden carcass to the Dr and it turns out I don't have just a cough, but dual chest and throat infections. Nice! So two prescriptions for that, plus my regular medication has just run out so need to renew that too....that'll cost the Earth at the pharmacy.

As it happens, both of the two pharmacies in my village have run out of the antibiotics I've been prescribed I knew a bug was going around, but wow! I've dispatched DH to distant lands to hunt some down for me.

heyhey you need a prescription pre payment card if you generally get more than one prescription per month!

Spotty my DM has one and I know they're great - but I usually don't! It just so happens I've run out at the same time as coming down with lurgi. Sod's law!

They're sooo expensive now. They should do you a bogof

Right I've got my meals planned for the week now (well except today as I'm working later and DH has the evening covered) - all a bit beige really but lots in the freezer/cupboard to use up. We have a reasonable amount of veg and fish to healthify it though :o and I'm looking forward to running it down and then deciding what to do next week. I absolutely MUST plan it with DH well before ordering on Saturday evening, as we are always knackered by then and end up ordering any old thing!

Or one of those loyalty cards where you get a free one after ten!

Spent €2 today for DD2s lunch, had saving stamps so used them for the butchers for meat for the week!

Spend spend spend that's me today. £8 in tesco (sorry) on a cake tin, £59 in millets on a new winter coat as I had to break the zip to get my old one off, £35 in sainsburys on fruit veg and smoothies. £15 on lunch for DH and I but it's rare we get time off together sans le kids. 96p in tkmaxx. £8.05 on a repeat prescription.
No more today, none. I have 14p in my purse and I do not intend to go to the and this week.
I have childrens activities to pay thus and sat though. Budgeted for.