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Stretching your budget? Share tips and advice to discuss budgeting and energy saving here. For the latest deals and discounts, sign up for Mumsnet Moneysaver emails.

Frugal January, everyone welcome.

999 replies

Fluffycloudland77 · 31/12/2014 16:55

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!

OP posts:
574ejones · 15/01/2015 18:49

I gave up dying my hair over a year ago (naturally dark blonde) and it doesn't notice too much expect when DS says really loudly in public "My God, your so grey! Saves a fortune.

NSD for me. Failed at Dry Jan though...

Laska42 · 15/01/2015 18:50

fuzz if i was making caulicheese patties id make sure I had quite a bit of left over potato....
Also adding an egg in would be good , but this is just an idea of just one left over baked pot and quite honestly i dont know if it would work as mixture needs to be quite stiff.

However , Frittata , do you mean like a Spanish tortilla ?
if so you dont need grill ,

My Dh's Spanish cousin taught us how to make proper tortilla, its simple cheap and fab fab fab .. this is enough for 4/6 greedy people

First slice some waxy (new or salad) potatoes thinly (enough to almost fill your frying pan in if they were put in, ]in layers ) and 2 or three onions also thinly, Fry gently and slowly ( you dont want them browned) in quite a lot of olive oil in a wide non stick pan ,(dont worry you need that oil to make it taste good ) By quite a lot id say 'a good glug' 3/4 tablespoons (we are not deep fat frying here ) .

When pots and onions are tender (that is cooked but not browned), place then in a large bowl and allow to cool a bit ( so you dont get scramble when you add the egg)

Mix 6 to 8 eggs in a jug .. beaten with salt and pepper

When pots and onion cool enough mix in the egg in bowl and stir it in gently .. (it looks like a big mess now.. but trust me)

Smear just a little olive oil back into your clean pan.

Add eggs potato mix and cook onmedium heat until you see that edges are cooked.. Turn down heat and cook a little longer ( up to 20/30 mins until it looks almost done through , top not quite so yet.. low heat so it is NOT burnt on the base .. this is a slow omlette!

Now the fun bit....

Take a large dinner plate bigger than pan , put over your pan and invert tortilla onto plate . ( be brave! ) wipe pan if it needs it and add a v thin film oil into pan , and slide the tortilla back into the pan to cook the top side.. (its easy , dont lose your nerve)

It will take about 5 mins more check its cooked all the way through by sliding a knife in.. (if you chicken out you can put the pan under grill but youll get a crispy top and have to be careful of pan handle etc.. and Spanish cousin will laugh at you for being a wimp! )
.
Invert tortilla onto plate again and allow to cool..Eat at room tempreture or cold ..

It really is good.. so simple but yummy with salad and salsa (and CHEAP ).. We make it for parties,picnics , just for ourselves.. Everyone loves it (and its only potatoes and eggs .. but somehow tastes AMAZING . )

I have other frittata ideas you can do in the oven..

Laska42 · 15/01/2015 18:54

I just home dye ..
My hair is v short and spiky and pretty grey now ,. I use Live!xxl blonde (love it ) sometimes put pink or blue streaks in too despite having v responsible f/t job.. Dont care . Am going old disgracefully

clippityclop · 15/01/2015 19:16

That tortilla sounds gorgeous, will try it at the weekend. Intention not spend anything over fruit milk and bread money before the end of the week has one to pot because iTunes voucher needed tobuy school related apps for dds. Also couldn't resist a lovely dark red cashmere jumper for dh birthday 70% off which will be great for many Christmases to come too. Overdraft is half cleared though, should be back in the black by March. The great ideas here and discipline of reporting in is really helping! Keep safe in this wild weather everyone!

PeoniesforMissAnnersley · 15/01/2015 19:16

fluffy I am a mix - silver and wiry along hairline, shiny white at temples. I have naturally very very dark brown/black hair, so it shows! I am also only 29 so feel a bit Sad that I am so grey already!

SpottyTeacakes · 15/01/2015 19:19

Don't worry MissA my four year old has a grey hair Grin

clippityclop · 15/01/2015 19:20

Meant to say...Does anyone know how to freeze mushrooms please? Do they have to be cooked first?

Laska42 · 15/01/2015 19:27

clip no just slice or quarter and freeze..I put them in casseroles etc straight from frozen..

bantamgirl · 15/01/2015 19:30

HELLO PAYDAY..... GOODBYE PAYDAY....

I always get horribly confused on payday - I'm not used to having so much money left!!! Don't worry - it doesn't last very long!!!

Bank: £1223.87
Purse: £1.37
Jar: £3.00
Grand Total: £1228.84

Wage + leftovers was £1329.45

Meaning today I have spent...£100.61

£54.00 = My monthly bus pass (B)
£3.00 – Bottle of wine for next door neighbour (U)
£4.95 – Slimming World (U)
£10.00 – I owed social club for my One Direction ticket (U)
£2.40 – kid's bus fare (B)
£2.00 – DS1 athletics (B)
£10.40 – prepay prescription (B)
£10.82 – Catalogue (B)
£0.64 – stamp (U)
£2.40 - I think this is tomorrow's bus fare that kids have packed before I counted (B)

Also, my team amazingly won their 3rd round replay meaning we get the glamour tie against Chelsea!!! I had said we couldn't afford to go but the kids really, really wanted to go (and so did I) so the kids have kindly agreed to pay for themselves from their Xmas money and DH and I are 'borrowing' from the Bonus money so as not to put myself under any financial pressure by taking it from the monthly money (it will be £126) for us, £30 each for the ticket and £33 for the coach. As we are not going to have two cars, the Green Flag that I was expecting to be shelling out for will now not need paying so it means we are taking an extra £61 from the Bonus.

So, out of the £1228.84 that I have left to last a month, the budget looks like this...
Usual monthly budgeted stuff: £894
Unbudgeted: £388.84 (about £96 per week)

I've also paid for DH's tickets to the darts for his birthday from the bonus. Roofer will get paid from the Bonus too. Then after that there will be around £855 left.

By Jove I have done it!!!

Happyhetty · 15/01/2015 19:33

Quite expensive day here, although spends we're budgeted so not too bad.
£17.60 Waitrose - top up shop including some meat and fabric softener.
£23-Waterstones books for DD1's birthday.
£31-Joules, new wellies for me as my pony stood on my toe last week and made a hole in mine!
£18- the Entertainer - Creator Lego set for dd1's birthday.

Not too bad and tomorrow won't be cheap either as need to pick up new rug for naughty pony (although it is half price) and need to pop to lidl.

vinegarandbrownpaper · 15/01/2015 19:41

Hello, I don't know what's come over me I'm getting quite spendy at the low level. Despite having enough food in till first week in feb, yesterday I bought £3 of green veg, 1.29 butter, some cheap food storage boxes, some potatoes and 30p pasta. Today I bought stock cubes (which I needed) but also bought 6 pints of milk to make (more) rice pudding Shock and some short-dated bread for the freezer! Its like £20 over budget on stuff I don't need!

True its sensible and will extend into Feb but its hardly disciplined! Hope it doesn't continue! Grin

bantamgirl · 15/01/2015 19:44

December wage round-up

Finished the month £87+ in credit which was good.

However I did bring in an extra £214 (Quidco, fuel refund etc) which means if it wasn't for the extra cash I would have overspent by nearly £130 and this was despite spending next to nothing for over two weeks.

DH had £80 more than his agreed limit. (which I won't be letting him do now I am getting a handle on the money). However £50 of this was on his Xmas night out from work and he has been really good for the last week or it could have been more. He has promised me he will stick to his limit this month.

I didn't actually start tracking my money on here until 27th December by which point I had been paid for nearly two weeks by then. I'd put some grocery shopping on the credit card too, but after 27th I haven't touched the card (except to buy the car).

£166.08 was spent on tracked groceries in three weeks (very good) but we also had one takeaway at £30 (pre me becoming frugal).

Unforeseen payments were £19.99 for a heater, £43.59 insurance deposit for the car that never was and £42 on football tickets.

£15 was spent on two presents (1 x birthday, 1 x present)

From our savings (well, emergency money), I had to pay £52 onto my credit card as I had accidentally gone over the stupid limit, and £49.99 on a Microwave.

I hope to do better in January

306235388 · 15/01/2015 20:05

Another rubbishy day today

£6.22 on cereal, juice, teabags and bananas
£1.80 for tomorrow's school dinner
£2 parking for ds's dentist appointment
£11 on lunch for dd and I and her little friend
50p tuck money for ds's club.

RobinEllacott · 15/01/2015 20:17

NSD, as hoped, but course was useless and a colleague died in his sleep last night Sad. Feel ridiculously guilty for not having been in the office today.

I haven't really started to go grey yet, even though I'm old. But I think when I do I'll just embrace it rather than spend a fortune on colour - no-one expects their accountant to be young and beautiful.

clippityclop · 15/01/2015 20:42

Sorry to hear about your colleague Robin and thanks for the mushroom tip Laska. I haven't any visible grey yet, quite fair so I don't suppose it shows the same but when it does I've no intention of faffing about wasting time and money on expensive colours, rather save the money to spend the money on travel!

Passthecake30 · 15/01/2015 20:53

Made £75 on fleebay Smile. Nsd apart from posting parcels.

missA how about a home hairdresser? Mine does roots only for £20, she puts it on, I wash off after 45mins. I'm naturally dark blonde but have lots of grey. Also started getting greys in my late 20s. The hairdresser does this every 6wks, in between I use root touch up.Sometimes I have a colour/highlights/cut and blow dry for £55....would be about £150 in a hairdressers Shock

MissMysticFalls · 15/01/2015 21:05

Oh we've nearly finished this thread and I've only just caught up.
What I would do with cold baked potato - use the inside to make Gnocchi - here's a recipe that actually suggests using leftover baked potato BBC

Bad news - car steering is making an odd knocking sound so have booked in for a £40 diagnostic test at the garage to see if a) there's anything dodgy going on and b) to get advance warning of anything awful likely to come up on next month's MOT. Need to know now if we're going to have to find 100s.

Good news - only spend was £4.30 today at a farm shop (aubergine, carrots, potatoes, courgette, lemons, apples) and got a huge hessian shopping bag free by signing up for the council recycling email. Love little farm shops as it's hard to spend more because you have such a limited choice. Got home and made lemon drizzle cake with what we had in the house (plus one of the lemons). Am completely hooked on baking now rather than buying.

Unknown....tax return is due from the accountant any day now...

girliefriend · 15/01/2015 21:10

MissA if I was dark brown/black I think I would just home dye every couple of months, the wash in wash out ones are quite good for covering grey. I am very lazy with my hair and only get it cut twice a year, I like it fairly long and its always tied back so can get away with it I think my friend dyes it for me every now and then when the grey starts to show.

I am feeling depressed as worked out tonight that I weigh the same as my friend who is 6 months pregnant Shock that is really bad Blush am doing well at not buying/eating any rubbish but really need to step up and do some exercise.

Sorry to hear about your colleague Robin

Fluffycloudland77 · 15/01/2015 21:33

From what I've seen the trick with grey hair is to condition it really well. Keratase et al do grey hair/older hair ranges to stop the frizzy look.

It's a bit shit that we feel compelled to dye & men don't.

Robin, your poor colleague! That's an awful thing to happen.

OP posts:
NK5BM3 · 15/01/2015 21:37

Another NSD today. Starting to think about my son's upcoming 7th birthday! How time flies! February. Thinking bowling.

Laska42 · 15/01/2015 21:45

blimey ive never been on a thread that moves so fast.. fluffy are you about to do us a new one?

girliefriend · 15/01/2015 21:48

NK5BM3 Bowling is good fun, my dd did a bowling party last year for about her and 7 friends I think. Think it was about £7 a child which included 2 games and food so not too bad.

My dd is a feb bday as well, she is going to be 9yo - can't believe it really, where has my baby gone Sad going to have a look in town tomos for a few bits for her. Not going to do a party this year though, she can have 2 friends over for a sleepover. If there is a decent film at the kids club might take them to that in the morning.... maybe Wink

Fluffycloudland77 · 15/01/2015 21:58

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/credit_crunch/2283443-Frugal-January-part-two

Done it.

OP posts:
Fluffycloudland77 · 15/01/2015 21:59

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