Frugal January, part two.

[Fluffycloudland77]

Everybody is welcome.

Great result enemem

Why can't I manage a nsd? In laws visited us today but instead of getting organised and baking I sent dd out for cake. Not sure what she spent. I gave her £10, there must be change.

Ds is teething. Neither of us are sleeping

I'm slightly confused as to what I've spent today! Returned a bra (£31) and a pair of trousers (£18) to the shops but bought new slippers, £7 in sale; a mascara for £6 as I had a £3 off voucher and I spent about £24 on various kids' birthday cards and pressies plus £2.30 on parking. I think that means I spent £39.30 but was refunded £49 so I'm almost a tenner up!
Trying out the slow cooker with a sticky Chinese tofu recipe. It smells amazing and I can see how it is cheaper than cooking it on the oven or hob for 4 hours but I'm not sure why people say they save time. I had to fry the tofu and make the sauce first. There's no way I'd have time to do that before going to work in the morning!

Some things you don't have to fry off first (chicken casserole) but generally I find the prep takes the same time. It's amazing though because the most stressful time of day in my house is from 4pm until dinner and with the slow cooker dinners already done so one less stress!

Would it be ok to prep in the evening, leave in the fridge overnight and then put it on to cook in the morning?

Don't see why not. I know people who do 'slow cooker packages' in their freezer so a bag of all the veg etc ready to go in.

I was thinking of doing something like that, I can see how that would save time and money!

It is okay to prep in the evening for a slow cooker meal but store it in a different container because you may crack the ceramic insert otherwise.

£40 hair cut, £18 bras and that is it for me.

You can buy roasting bags in homebargains or b&m really cheaply, just bung it all in & tie up.

Iam, did she charge you a courier fee?

I'll spend £7ish later on fish and chips for us both.

I signed up to a new sim only contract with E2Save, it's £9 a month (which ill put through the business) & certain months bills you send off for a cashback cheque of £21.

By the end of the year you have received back what you've paid out & I should get cashback off TCB of £10.50. It's with O2 so I'll get the priority freebies too. I only text and its 100minutes, 100mb and unlimited texts.

I had £50 cashback off Quidco confirmed for my house insurance but no payment date.

I'm putting all the cashbacks toward a new dishwasher this year plus selling the one that we use now. I want a Miele.

Thank god January is over.

I fancy fish and chips now Fluffy . Good thing we have dinner in already and it's too cold to go out again.

There's always tomorrow though

Bank: £548.18 (was £548.18)
Purse: £0.22 (was £4.18)
Jar: £39.50 (was £39.50)
Grand Total: £587.90 + £120 + £15
Reduced by: £3.96
Days to payday: 13

Spends:

£0.60 – groceries. Morrisons ran out of Lasagna sheets for my home delivery so I asked DH to get me some while he was at Asda.
£3.36 – Pop n Sweets from Home Bargains for football however there was a homeless person begging outside and she asked if we could spare some money or food on the way in so I felt sorry for her and bought her some almond fingers and a flapjack (88p). I wish it had been the type of shop that sold sandwiches or pies as I could have got her something warm and filling.

£30 in Aldi and £30 in Waitrose on weekly shop. Picked up some Apple Cider Brandy in Aldi as it was labeled at £4.99 and it was actually £17.99 but didn't have the guts to fight it

Drove to supermarket and garden centre and back home, getting more confident every time I go out in the car

Well done on the driving, Peonies.
I wish there was a Home Bargains near me, people keep telling me they got stuff there and it sounds amazing!

A question about slow cookers and the opposite - pressure cookers.

I love my slow cooker. The whole stick it in the morning, night before, leave it and it cooks by itself etc.

Friends have said I'm mad as it takes more time (?!) and they rather do pressure cooking. I kinda get it but I feel I can get on with things whilst my food is cooking...! Be it whether I'm at work and it cooks or I'm in the house but doing something else. They say it's great to cook in minutes but then I can do that too if I cook in a pan or wok over the stove! Or am I missing a trick?!

We don't have any cheap shops like that round here. My nearest Lidl is 20 miles away.

MissA I love driving

MissA.. That had better be really fab brandy! And well done on the driving. How's it all going? Any trips to the consultant anytime soon?

NK I think I'm with you. I'd much rather arrive home from work to a cooked meal in a slow cooker than to have to start making it when I get in even if the pressure cooker would be quicker.

I don't know anything about pressure cookers but I love having dinner done in the sc. I'm just as happy with something like chilli from the freezer where I only have to add rice too it really takes the stress away!

Pass and NK thanks I really enjoy it, am determined to pass the test asap. It is £££ though, with lessons, test materials, books and test itself.

No trips to consultant planned for 6 months unless I become really unwell. I have been having low level pain for about 5 days now but nothing on the scale of before surgery and it's still only 9 weeks since the op, so hoping its just healing pains/things settling.

peonies anyone who can take you out in their car? My dp used to let me drive in a empty carpark....caused lots of arguments thou!

I don't enjoy driving, especially anywhere over half an hour, I get bored. But I do like the freedom it gives me!

Started on the tubs of cheeselets and twiglets left over from xmas

Treated a friend for her birthday and my share of the hill was £30 but I took it out of my birthday savings.
Went all round town and bought a veg peeler from lakeland reduced to £3.49. Looked at loads of stuff and thought that's too expensive , it didn't look right or there wasn't my size.

Frugal fail - bought a pair of shoes for £35 (in the sale, reduced from £95, and I'll use them for work, but still...).

Also just under £10 on odds and ends (milk, newspapers, chocolate mini eggs )

Good luck with the driving, MissA. I hate it, and avoid it whenever possible, but it's still a useful skill to have.

Those who hate driving do you live in cities? There's a bus once a week where I live

Rumbled, Spotty, I live in London. If I were single and without children it would never occur to me to have a car.

Been busy this week. Thursday £14 on taxis, DSis and her fiancé took us out for dinner, we paid for the cabs there and back

Friday I had forgotten my lunch, £3.89. I needed cold tablets and DS needed blackcurrant and glycerin pastilles, £7.30

Friday evening out again, £3 in bus fares.

Saturday £29 for haircut, £165 for shopping, but first proper shop in almost 3 weeks. Included £30 on wine. Also a great bargain on kids gloves reduced from £5 to £1 so I bought 2 pairs each for DS and DD1, plus a hat each for £2.

£3.50 for church collections