Frugal January, part two.

[Fluffycloudland77]

Everybody is welcome.

We had a blanket on the sofa but it got commandeered by the cat and is now all furry!

Sorry to hear about you dad Audit x

39p on carrots today is my lot.

£7.83 in Lidl, £1.18 in Tesco and £1.70 bus fares, taking DS to his g.p. appointment, but we walked home. So, £10.71 altogether.

Spotty, would it be worth looking into childcare nearer the hospital?

No, because I still need someone to look after dd after school. I am rechecking the local childminders. I bet I don't even get offered it

Bank: £801.48 (was £914.29)
Purse: £44.35 (was £4.35)
Jar: £58.80 (was £61.60)
Grand Total: £904.63
Reduced by: £75.61
Days to payday: 25

Spends:
£18.59 credited to my account from the insurance deposit minus cancellation fee
£51.12 – last week's online groceries
£20.06 – put in Next door neighbour's car when we borrowed it
£20.22 – put in our new car on Friday to get it home

£2.80 – either bus fare or athletics

Just had a look at my paper spending diary and with 20 days to go to payday last month (the first day I started keeping a spending diary) I had £478.07 to last me until payday! So I'm doing something right this month.

hello again,
audit sad to hear your news , my DFIL went suddenly also (a few years ago) ,its a terrible shock when that happens , thoughts to you and t your family

LSD today 99p in co op ,
but spent $55 online yesterday on a book ( and sadly high postage!) from the US.. not one you can get here but need it for a course.

£165 credited back to my credit card today , so thats good, am waiting for another refund of £60 ( was a silly idiot falling for sale items i didnt need a week ago ,but came to my senses and have packed it straight back ).
SIGH.. (online shopping - especially clothes shopping - is how i got into debt on Cc last year but at least this time i realised that i was being idiotic and didnt keep them ).

audit What a horrible shock for you all. I lost my DF three years ago and it shook the whole family to pieces for a while but I think we're all stronger now we've made it through the aftermath

Feeling calmer about my finances today - probably now I've accepted the fact of having a short term loan from my DM is inevitable until the clients start paying up. We also found out today that our new allotment comes with a shed which I'm silly excited about. I paid for a new shed for our last allotment and it lasted six days before the winter storms demolished it so it's nice to get one back.

Tiny frugal win: DS and me made Granny a birthday card from all of us using materials I have had for ages. DP came home with two birthday cards which he is going to take back to ASDA for a £3 credit. Also bought a "new" jumper from a charity shop for a fiver as I really needed one. It's the little things...

Okay. I have meal planned for the next few days.

Chunky vegetable soup (with added pancetta, due to DH meat requirements)
Dragon Pie (probably tomorrow)
Fritatta (or veggie slices), jacket spuds.
White fish tagine (using frozen value white fish)
Salmon, cooked in orange and honey with roasted vegetables. Salmon bought under the 'flash sale' section on Morrisons.
Sticky ribs. Salad.
Roast chicken.
Chicken broth (from roasted chicken)
Sweet potato and and carrot soup, chunky bread.

I am way under budget for food, but still think I have spend more than I needed to this month, and could easily reduce it further.

spotty I also do that with dressing gown over clothes. Have my current one 5+ years, going to replace soon once I find my voucher for dunnes stores.
Tea was 31c cheaper in h&b than health food shop I last bought it in but I forgot about hospital parking €3 35 mins. It was raining & I had ds with me otherwise I'd have parked and walked.

Topped up Oyster card - £20. Hoping for NSDs tomorrow and Thursday. I'm sticking to the plan to have packed lunches - tomorrow's is already made, though I'm not quite sure what I'm going to put in Thursday's and Friday's. This may be my cue to go and get some of the Christmas leftovers out of the freezer!

Very sorry for your loss Audit

Thought I'd posted on this thread but can't seem to see it now. Anyway, still on holiday and so not spending as my card doesn't work yet again but another pair of boots has split so, if the bank send me a card that actually works this time, I'll replace those when we get back to the UK, again.

Thanks for the thread Fluffy

lila you nailed it when you said how quickly we forget spends. It just sinks down a hole!

spotty glad to hear the job interview went well. Such a shame about the childcare.

needs that's a fab plan.

Sorry to all I missed, just a flying visit tonight. Must get my arse in gear with lunches and uniforms etc.

Goodnight all :)

Onesie's are the way forward ladies, I swear

Not long now though encyclo..!

Reckon I'll need multiple layered onesies if we do move back to the UK, I've been cold since we landed. I know it is cold but having grown accustomed to temps in the 30's and 40's I have definitely gone soft

Should be nsd.

Taking ds to nursery only his second day and he hates it.

Put a plea out on fb selling pages and have got two childminders to phone. Feel a bit silly when I don't know if I have the job.

Lasagne with salad for dinner. Lasagne is from the freezer, made a big one a while ago

Dh was meant to be paid yesterday....his poss really pisses me off

Hey spotty I'm having a few childcare issues myself at the moment so just wanted to pop on to share your troubles! It's rubbish isn't it? Feels like the system is set up to make it difficult for us to work. I do live inner-city so I'm sure I'm spoiled for choice but ive worked out that when dd goes to school locally next year I won't have time to commute to work and get there on time. I'm having visions of me getting so fit I can cycle 5 miles in 20 minutes without getting sweaty as I won't have time for a shower! Ah well, at least il be thin!

It's so difficult. I'm most annoyed at my sister, if she didn't live so far away she could have my dc

Spotty, is it all on you - is your DH's job completely inflexible?

Fairly robin. He's an employed builder. He does go in late two mornings a week atm (just an hour each time) but he earns double me. To get dd from school he'd have to finish three hours early so not worth it.

I see no harm in putting child care feelers out. If it's like round here childcare is usually always booked in advance.
£4 today on football for DS

Someone trying to use my bank details fraudulently so bank has blocked account and have to wait for new card so no spending for me!

spotty That's totally not fair. Have you got incurred any charges because of late payment? I am responsible for running the payroll at work (and all matters financial). I would feel horribly responsible if it were late, the guys really need their money on pay day.

It's very snowy here so pony is in the stable, dogs have had an early walk in the snow and DH has taken my car, which is a 4x4, to work. I therefore can go nowhere as he has a silly car that is crap in the snow. It's my day off anyway, so I will do chores, walk the dogs again etc.

I twitched last night and bought 2 hoodies for the children that were half price.

No, luckily our overdraft is free. It always happens, his boss only employs two people so doesn't abide by any rules