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!

So sorry to everyone suffering losses

Its Friday!! Yay

So LSD spent £1 on two twix bars (for me and dd!) would have got fish and chips on way home but the shop was shut so had sausage and chips from the freezer instead.

Hearmyroar and Bantam sorry to hear your news. It sucks.

Today £60 diesel, but I can reclaim from work. Parking was £4 today, not £1, I had got the performance time a little wrong, so we were running about 10 minutes late, I had a heavy bag of party food to carry too, so I splashed out on the close but very expensive car park. Fortunately someone else is bringing her home tonight.

I need to do a shop, haven't done a proper one since 22/12 (so two and a half weeks ago), although I have done some top ups.

Back to swimming lessons tomorrow and dancing on Monday. Will need to pay £110 dancing lessons next week (up to half term for 3 children)

Crust had to buy food recycling bags £11.99, normally DH gets some from work, but their supplier sent the wrong ones and we have run out. Still, this will keep us going.

hearmyroar

Stupid new tumble dryer doesn't work. Not heating/drying at all, squealing at me, and a duvet cover got stuck in the seal twice

Got it from J Lewis fortunately. ...but they say to call hot point in the morning. ....

At least now I'm out of work I can sit in and wait for engineers? ?!!!

to all of you who are grieving.

Today I spent £91.98 in Lidl doing a shop that should last two weeks with top ups for milk. We have a cold store so can keep fresh fruit and veg for ages.

Cooked mirin salmon and rice noodles for dinner tonight. It's my go to fast food when I'm resisting a take away. It takes 2 minutes prep and 5 minutes to cook and both DDs devoured it.

Tomorrow will be expensive as I'm travelling to London for a Christening and then out for dinner with my cousin. I think I'll suggest Turkish as it's cheap, delicious and I can't get anything like it round here.

hear I am so sorry to hear about your mother, adding my sympathy to you as I have to others. Perhaps frugality isn't the easiest at this time, and absolutely not the top of your priorities. Take care.

Ref your 'false economy' purchases, I agree. I have loads of examples, but my GHD's spring to mind. They are 9 years old but still going strong, so worth the £100.

Sorry about your dryer pass

audit that's a decent time to go between shops! I have managed to turn a 5 week month into a 4 over the Christmas period, which helps this month.

I thought that windscreens have an excess separate to the general excess?

Anyway, strange spendy day

£4 - Sudocrem for pony (mudrash)
£10 - feed for pony.
£5 - car wash (due to pony!!)
£22 - farm shop (lamb, 1kg mince, 36 eggs, 3lb bacon which the f**king dogs ate while I was out!!!!!)
£15 - DH shoes being re-heeled, which I feel is ridiculous
£5 - clothing alteration shop for 10 badges sowed onto DS's Explorer uniform, which I feel is ridiculous but in a good way and makes up for the shoes.
£5 - DS karate.

Crikey - it adds up.

DH not back yet. One of his lads has been run off the road in one of our vans. Van a total write off, our guy totally shaken up. The other car drove down the wrong side of the road, so our guy swerved and went into a ditch, turning the car over twice. The other car drove off.....

Chicken and Chorizo casserole for tea. Not the cheapest meal, but not a takeaway either, with rice.

So sorry for those suffering bereavement at this time. It is important to be kind to yourselves.

Spent £95 at the dentist and £11 on a delicious falafel and salad lunch for 2 in Glastonbury for a treat, so at least the lunch was a bargain.

My windscreen has a big chip too, was going to sort it this month, but all this sorting things is getting expensive. I will have to leave it for now if it's not covered fully.

need can't you sew the badges yourself? I sew ds cubs badges. ...badly!

£122 ds streetdance, £9 sainsburys

audit what food recycling bags are they? ?!

Off to eat xmas snacks left over and baileys. That's frugal. ...right?

pass simple answer is that yes I could sow the badges on, but £5 for the amount of badges she sowed on, when I know I actually won't do it, makes it a no brainier!! The £15 for re heeling shoes really pisses me off!!

NSD as I forgot to take the beavers subs so £4 next week.

I think windscreens depend on where the chip is and how big it is. If it can be safely filled you don't pay the excess but if the windscreen needs replacing the excess kicks in. Or that's how it was when I had my 2 done a couple of years ok - both replacements.

for everyone suffering losses

£114.03 Tesco delivery but, in theory, I just need fruit, vegetables and milk for the rest of the month. Oh and nappies. I was going to order some but Boots have sent me some vouchers so I think they'll be cheapest from there. I'm sure a few other things will crop up but I want to do a small weekly shop instead of popping in twice everyday.

Can I join this thread please?

I've never been frugal but am trying to survive on £10 a week pocket money and between £20-£30 a week for groceries. We've got a cupboard and freezer full of food and loads of toiletries for us and baby so it isn't as bad as it seems. DH has £20 to spend a week on coffee at work (his one little Luxury) and lunches if I haven't made them. Think he had almost a tenner left and I've Only spent a tenner this week. This week I made soup (a tex mex one with pepper tomato kidney beans ) which lasted ages and was delicious.

Am really keen to read what everyone else is doing...

£9.00 on a huge piece of yellow sticker topside in the Co-OP last night, straight in the freezer for next Sunday lunch + curry and a soup for later. Off to M&S today to use 5.00 off 25.0 spend voucher on fruit and veg, sarnie stuff. Thought are with all of you who've been bereaved or who are looking after a poorly loved one, take care.

I'm so sorry for everyone going through a hard time right now. I'm just following on from others, but really be kind to yourselves right now.

I had loads to read as I think the last time I checked in was Tuesday so:
Wednesday-75p on swimming
Thursday-NSD
Friday-NSD

We've not had to but shopping as I've made chicken fried rice and curry with leftovers, then pizza from....wait for it...leftovers! All frozen from other days.

I'm going to lidl this morning. Going to try and do a big stock up on stuff.

And I'm not going to buy anything unhealthy. If I don't have those yummy mozerella sticks it I don't eat it.

My sympathies to everyone suffering grief & bereavement at this time x

Over here there are often pop up tents in shopping centres that claim to fix windscreen for free, haven't had to use them but there's always queues.
Funny story dh was collecting some materials when we were building house and something was long I think a pole or timber maybe so he opened top opening of boot and was very careful when putting it in so as not to break the glass but never followed his eye along length of it and put it straight through his windscreen at other side!!

I've made out a shopping list & done a rough summing up of it, I expect that aldi will cost about €60 and I got a €10 off €50 voucher which will bring it down again. Then lidl is another €10 and butchers €25 so total €85 compared to budget of €140 usually.

I must fill my tank with diesel as I've a hospital appointment two hours away on Monday, taking kids & au pair for day out so could be a bit spendy €45~

€7.99 on a new cup for ds, going to move him on from bottles
Newspaper my weekly luxury €2.20

All of this comes to about €140 so I'll report back later to confirm actual spends.

I spent an hour at work yesterday working out what we both need to put in joint account to run the house & pay joint expenses, I think it's €380 each but I intend us to pay in €400 to cover any increases. That leaves us both with about €180 each to pay our own dd and for personal spends. Mine are credit union loan, savings for dd(dh puts in ds's direct debits already set up so pointless moving them) contact lenses, car tax, insurance, mobile phone, credit cards, personal savings & spends. I'm hoping to save self employed money towards new dishwasher, and once that's bought manage without it as medium term savings & to pay tax bill for self employed income.
This seems fair to me, have everything printed out so will see what dh thinks.

That's weekly we need to pay in that money

lila your finances work similar to ours as in the account for joint expenses. Can I ask if you earn the same if you put the same in? It's a bit more difficult to tell here as dp is self employed with peaks and troughs
....sometimes I think he should put in less than me but I don't push it.

So sorry to hear about everyone's losses... Be kind to yourself...

Will do a small shop today. Am attempting a lamb doner kebab recipe, it looks good and pretty foolproof and I have most things.

January is horrible... We have Christmas expenses, but also all the fees for the things the kids do like swimming, ballet... Ah.

Have a good weekend everyone...!

to everyone on here going through tough times. Take it easy on yourself.

Another NSD for me yesterday. In fact I've been so good this week I've had nothing to coin sweep since Monday as no money has left my account. The frugal fairy must be shining on me today too as when I checked our account this morning there was more money than expected! I'd forgotten that DH's lovely mum was giving us some money towards dd's new bed for Christmas and she transferred it yesterday. Not sure how long my frugality will last though as I'm picking friends up from the station at lunchtime and who knows where the day/night will take us!

So sorry bantam :(

Hear I hope the next few days are as peaceful as possible

Yikes need what a horrible shock! :( hope he's ok!

Pass that's so annoying about the dryer. If it's just a rubbish one and they take it back for a refund (which they damn well should! Hardly fit for purpose is it.) maybe go on Which? to see what ones are recommended (although still check out other reviews - one of their Best Buy ones has terrible reviews, strangely) - my library has a subscription to it, both the magazines and website, so may be worth trying yours. I'm happy with our samsung so far, was a whopping £500ish though