Join the Fantastic Frugaleers for a February full of frugality

[northender]

Shiny new thread ready for Sunday. Newbies very welcome. This is a wonderful thread full of encouragement and support

So I did cycle into town, first time I have got the bike out in a while so slight shock to the system!! But saved a few quid on parking.

However went to a talk on Redesigning your life, it was really good and I ended up signing up to two more sessions which was a total cost of £35. Not too bad if my life is redesigned by the end of it

Took dd up to audiology at the local hospital after school, parking was £1.40.

Likely to be a pricey wend, dd is getting a haircut tomos as a pre bday treat plus need to get some bits and pieces in Morrisons. Will probably also end up getting a new gerbil at some point!

I hope you are ok, Spotty. That sounds like good news about the child minder, Fuzz. Having done pastoral in school for many years I am well aware of how horrible bullying is and how tricky it can be to deal with. I always wished I had a magic wand that would just make it all go away.
Today was NSD although also the last day of my maternity leave . DH splashed out £1 on donuts as a treat to cheer me up!

EPIC FAIL. Sent flowers to my DSis for her birthday - £40 - and then DD was so good at her optician's appointment that we said we'd take her to Carluccio's for tea. £42 for the three of us. Heigh ho. And this week started so well.

Ememem, hope the first week went well. I got my application off last night for the job I'm after, so we'll see how that goes.

Big news folks!

...I've finally caught up with the thread :o

Sporting, I'm glad the school are sorting it.

I am hoping the new HT at our juniors is more proactive, they've said they will tackle it on Monday so I'm feeling a bit more positive. I should get a phonecall about it.

Resisted a takeaway (that's unheard of - normally if one of us suggests it the other will immediately agree) - DH is coming home via Morrisons, spent a fair bit but still cheaper than pizza for 6 and some stuff will last into the week.

Oh and daft question about the sweet potato chips - I could freeze them in a bag with oil (and paprika - love that idea!) but then do I defrost them before cooking? Would they all mush together in the bag?

Thanks Creme, will be ostkng and ranting about my meeting on Moday no doubt. So much useful advice re: bullying on this thread, than you everyone. So sad that do many DC's are going through this.

Fuzz, hearing about others laughing at you DS made me cry. You are a great mum doing do much to support you DS and DD. Hugs to you all.

Not an NSD in the end. 29p on a reduced loaf for tea.

Yesterday was expensive, as expected. £4.39 on lunch as I left early to collect the children. £22 ish on meat and things in M&S, 3 packs of chicken for £10, plus some chicken nuggets, juice and slice of cake for DS as he had an after school class that I only remembered during the day, plus a nice card for DH for Valentine's Day.

At dancing, paid £110 for the lessons, £25.25 for costumes for one number for DS and DD1, £40.50 on a costume for DD2.

Today NSD, but did order a new pair of ballet shoes for DD2, hers are really grotty and so I bought a new pair for the show. Her others lasted over a year, so £5.40 is a good deal

£13 odd in Boots on various bits including socks for DD.

Thank you expecting

DSD (16) is fuming hearing about it. She was also telling me about a recent bus journey where she got so sick of other teens taking the piss out of a deaf passenger she shouted at them so much the bus driver pulled over! I'm so proud of her. She will stick up for anyone, she's awesomely brave! :)

Fuzz I've never frozen sweet potato but I've frozen boiled normal potatoes lots of times and they've made awesome roasties!
Just caught up with EWFL, DH and I were open-mouthed in shock at what they spend and what they would save. We just worked out what brands we buy. It is only 3: Heinz tomato soup (about 1 tin a month), HP fruity sauce (never found a supermarket version) and Marmite. I refuse to buy pretend Marmite!!

Ha Pointless thats about the same as me! The only brands I stick to are Marmite and heinz beans. I do always buy free range eggs as well but can't afford to do the same for chicken unfortunately, everything else is either shop own brand or on offer!!

I think I was more shocked at their snobby attitude that everything cheaper would taste rubbish, be less healthy and moaning about chopping up carrots - really? Too much money and not enough sense springs to mind!

Quite!

I kind of wonder where they get families for downbranding shows these days - I mean, surely that occurs as an option to everybody?!

NSD - 3 in a row! I'm watching EWFL too! (wild Friday night here!).

So, false frugality for me. Some of these are personal.

Yard boots. Used for 2/3 hours every singe day to do the pony and walk the dogs. Hunters are shite, I have a pair of Harry Hall that were £110. Over a year old, good as new, totally waterproof and comfortable.
Cheap candles and plug in fresheners from the pound shop. I have dogs, I am paranoid about the house smelling. Cheap stuff doesn't work. Same for floor wipes.
Agree - cheap loo roll is awful. Happy to use supermarket label though, but the pound shop stuff, no.
Washing up liquid. Martin Lewis once said this on the radio and he's right! Persil and Fairy etc, you use SO little, compared with cheap brands, it's false economy.
Very cheap storage containers. Just bought some from Lakeland and they will last forever, the pound shop ones are awful.
Thermos flask. Had to take the Tesco own brand one back and ended up buying a Thermos, twice the price but soup still hot 8 hours later.
Boots, although I am a size 3, so wait until the very end of the sales and buy them at knock down prices for the following winter, if I need them.

I didn't watch it deliberately, as last week's one annoyed me and from what I've read, this family seem much worse. The programme makers should ask some of us from this thread to go on, if they really want to educate the masses about eating well on a small budget!

the only food false economy I can think of is really, really cheap cereal. Haven't tried it for a few years, admittedly but last time we did even though we were truly skint no one could finish a bowl of sainsbos basics cornflakes!

Agree, loo roll, washing up liquid really cheap isn't as good.

Craft stuff. Plastic knitting needles are very challenging to use and squeak against cheap wool... (some artificial yarns can be very nice though)

Cats won't eat any cat biscuits but Iam's but will eat pretty much any wet food no matter how cheap.

haven't found a good cheap shampoo and conditioner unless anyone has recommendations - use Aussie volume normally.

My cat will only eat Felix As Good As It Looks - maybe I should send him on EWFL! I've remembered another brand I buy, Shredded Wheat. I can't find a supermarket version of the big ones, only the bite size ones.

Oh yes, dog food. We use an expensive brand, but you hardly need any and the dogs are not full of crap and therefore mental.

And agree re cereal, we tried Aldi once and the kids went on strike. They are fine with supermarket 'Weetabix' etc though.

Anyone got any uses for Celeriac? I have one from my last delivery and am stumped! Mashed maybe? Roast?

Frugal fail today. £20 on a massage which was totally worth it. And it's made a difference already (my second time). Benefits are that it's in my house and he really does de knot me!

£300+ on a new washing machine. We got a Bosch to replace our old Bosch. But I did get a cash back via topcashback and apparently a savings of £30 as well because I bought an appliance for a particular price. If It works out with all these discounts, to be cheaper than the original Bosch that I wanted... So if this all comes through then I'm happy.

£16 on morrisons shop. Got most things. Will get a small Aldi shop tomorrow. I cannot imagine it going over £10 so it would be good to know that my big shop this week would be £30 or less! Let's hope anyway.

Getting rid of old Bosch via freegle, so that will save me £10 for removal.

Happy weekend everyone.

Frugal fail today. £20 on a massage which was totally worth it. And it's made a difference already (my second time). Benefits are that it's in my house and he really does de knot me!

£300+ on a new washing machine. We got a Bosch to replace our old Bosch. But I did get a cash back via topcashback and apparently a savings of £30 as well because I bought an appliance for a particular price. If It works out with all these discounts, to be cheaper than the original Bosch that I wanted... So if this all comes through then I'm happy.

£16 on morrisons shop. Got most things. Will get a small Aldi shop tomorrow. I cannot imagine it going over £10 so it would be good to know that my big shop this week would be £30 or less! Let's hope anyway.

Getting rid of old Bosch via freegle, so that will save me £10 for removal.

Happy weekend everyone.

LSD today - just 2,30 for two stamps but one letter was to the insurance company sending them receipts for a new sofa and the new kitchen I've had fitted following the floods last year, so all being well they will send me my deferred payment of just over 2000 euros in the next couple of weeks (and boy do I need it). The other was to the social security people sending my financial information so that I get 100% health cover rather than having to buy an expensive top up insurance I can't really afford. So money well spent I think.

My electricity bill came in today and I'm going to have to get a French speaker to ring up and sort it out for me. Over the course of the last six or seven months I've been paying a DD of 22 euros and the bill came today saying the electricity bill was 96 euros in my favour - brilliant I've made positive changes to get the bill down. Then look at the new schedule of payments and it's being put up to 66 euros a month. I'm not having that, if I'm already in credit there's absolutely no need to whack the bill up.

wow, busy thread! £18ish in sainsburys on chocolate and other more boring bits. I have half an hour to kill in there on Fridays, and Asda is delivered on Saturday so I look about and see what is cheaper to grab there. 99p on dp's valentines card....I guess I have to??!

How lovely NK. I used to have someone come round my house but she stopped/we moved. Must look into it! Does she bring a bed-thingy?