Frugal February continued....

[SpottyTeacakes]

New thread

Bantam I would be furious too.
Bunnie your dog is fab we have a collie spaniel cross but he's an old man now. Love dogs.
Laska I hoard too and have slowly turned it around. I think my cupboards are practically empty but dh complaints he can't get anything in them. Comes from growing up in total poverty.
Hi jack. Can I have two tips as I second planning. I can always tell when I haven't done it.
Let us know about the titanic museum thinking of making the trip from oop north to there or nhm in the summer
Bit of a spendy day today last day of half term and we are all off. Dd wants to go roller skate as I promised she could for putting up with the skate park.

Laska Come and have a nosey in my cupboards, we can be the thread hoarders. My worst is going into the farm shop just for eggs and bacon, then seeing all this loverley meat, so much cheaper than the supermarket and twice as nice. I AM better, I used to buy Marks and Spencer salads and all kinds, but I could improve further. You are on my menu for this week btw, Laskapie

bantam Jees, I would be absolutely LIVID That is so not on it's untrue, all that support you have given them so far and no tickets. Has there been any local press coverage about it that can be galvanised? Sour taste.

Jickjack - welcome. My top tip would be (if you possibly can) to look at your total disposable income per month, then separate into 'pots'. I have food, birthday presents, petrol, pony, school trips, haircuts/clothes, car expenses etc. It doesn't always work, I often have to 'borrow' from other pots to cover over spends, but it does make me think twice before I refill the car for example. Some of my pots are very small but it does seem to get me through the month better than spending spending, then getting to week 3/4 and realising I won't make the end of the month.

Thanks again for the good wishes towards DH. He seems ok, very tired, but ok. I will keep an eye on him though as he does suffer from bi-polar.

I have to pay for some pony rugs being cleaned today, £28, but I think that's it.

ps - I didn't post this until now as I wanted to taste it first but I made a lovely soup using a swede (or is it a turnip lol?!), two medium carrots, ginger, garlic, seasoning and 500ml of savers concentrated orange juice plus a bit of stock. The orange juice has really contributed to a lovely soup.

I have a fruit and veg delivery this week, so we will be using up the bits and bobs left. Three weeks since the last one, which works out at £10 a week for 4 of us, including packed lunches. I only buy extra grapes but that's optional.

I've just made bean burgers ready for dinner tonight. Will probably freeze half. Have also tidied up, cleaned the kitchen washed up etc and done some washing. Will Hoover when Ds gets up then off to work.

Just paid £248.15 off our credit card leaving it at 0! Woop!

At the beginning of the month DH was really pessimistic, but I set up our spreadsheet so at the side it shows how much came in that month, minus fixed spends eg water bill, minus flexible spends eg food (flex spends are the main thing we track and are trying to reduce with the spreadsheet) with a running total of how much is 'remaining' of that month's incoming - At the moment that's a big number (yay!)

I think it helps because we are so far into our overdrafts we'd got stuck into thinking in terms of 'available' money eg until the overdraft limit! Whereas now we are completely ignoring that and focusing on spending less than is coming in.

I'm sure that is really obvious, but I have done loads of spreadsheets over the years and I think this one is definitely laid out in a way that shows it clearly and is really motivating.

Birthday party for DD1 next month, plotting how we can make it fun and cheap. Hall hire will be £40 so want to spend less than £60 on food, entertainment and party bags.

bantam that is unbelievable. Dh and I were on your message board this morning reading more about it. Football clubs show so little regard for fans at times but Bradford have always been painted as the good guys. It'll be interesting to see if the club responds.

Have just looked at the clubs website and it looks like they are back pedalling big time bantam. Hope you get sorted with a ticket today x

Just rang boots to get a replacement points card (lost it a while ago) and apparently it's got more than £10 worth of points on it!

Not sure what to do with them to make best use.

Tiwi sounds like you are having a good day, cc paid and boots points! If you don't need them I'd just keep them for buying presents or sun tan lotion. How old is your DD1? Most parties here seem to come with an entertainer which raises the bar! So I tend to stick with a tea party at home while I can get away with it.

£9.50 Tescos on some offers for the store cupboard, £28 Chiropodist. Pay day coming soon...worried that I only have 2 more!

Well, whatever financial plans I had for the short term have just been blown out of the water!

Last night I comprehensively ripped off my neighbour's wing mirror whilst manoeuvring my wheelie bin out for collection!

There was a reasonable(ish) gap between our two cars - I just didn't take enough care. [prat]

My neighbour's been very good - in fact he laughed about it! And the good news is that one of our neighbours is a mechanic and can get the mirror at trade.

I shall take some bread around later - to make me feel better as much as anything and to make up for the disruption I've caused him.

Oh no Bread glad your neighbour reacted positively.

Hope you get those tickets Bantam

Laksa 1 teeny tiny thing in your list stood out for me. Your cat will only eat Whiskas. Obvs it's up to you what you do but one of my dogs has tríed the - I only eat left over bits of steak- stance with a disdainfull look. She changed her mind after 2 days of rejecting the dog food.

That's so annoying bread! Hope it's cheap to sort.

Yes, has been a very good day! Needs to be though, since next month will definitely be tight.

Pass - she's turning 6, last year we did hall with loads of kids but did all the party games etc ourselves and spent too much on game prizes etc. The year before we had it at the park but spent way too much on food - at some point we'll get it right!

This year we're going to have family available to help. I'm thinking of having craft tables as the activity, then food, plus a few party games. We have masses of craft stuff at home, so trying to think what I could set up that wouldn't involve buying anything.

Oh no bread hope it's not too expensive.

Dd wants a party this year and I'm not looking forward to it. No idea what to do there's only 12 in her class so it'll be mixed. Our garden is massive but our house is tiny so if it rained we wouldn't manage...

Oh dear bread. It's so easily done though isn't it? Hopefully it won't cost too much to fix.

spotty - When's is your DD's birthday? How old? Bouncy castle with a cover? Hard isn't it? DD's is in June and even then can a washout weather wise.

tiwi - Good day all round then?

Dds is June too! Our nearest farm/soft play would be over £300 for 12 Pizza Express is £12 a head or something. Might go with pizza express. I can't cope with the stress of a party!

tewi I don't do party bags! Instead I do a lucky dip, girls presents wrapped in girly paper, boys in boy paper and they each pick one when they leave. Could be hair bobbles, a little sticker book, pack of colouring pencils......cheap but not tat. Or, now mine are a bit older, I have a basket of the individual haribo bags and they each take two when they leave. Even cheaper!

I did party bags for DS1 when he was four/five but decided pretty quickly it was a waste of money and expensive. The first year I did a lucky dip I just casually told the parents not to expect party bags as I didn't do them, no one seemed to mind and the kids quite enjoy the lucky dip!

NSD. I will read through later.

The other thing is that our kids party is their present, they don't get both! If they want a present they don't get a party......funnily enough they've always opted for the party! Last big party at ten (the year DS1 was ten, DS2 started school and with DD in the middle, we had three parties between end of feb and mid April, so it seemed a good idea to cap it!

Hi all, nsd although £1.80 on parking for work but will claim that back.

Cheap tea for dd of scrambled eggs, chips and avocado!! Slightly weird combination

Nsd woop

My (now 25) DS had a birthday in June .. we were very broke whenhe was small.. we nearly always had birthday picnics though ( either indoor or outdoor)

When he was three we did sandwiches cakes jelly and borrowed everyones little sit on garden toys for races down the grassy slope in the park. He still talks about that party ..
Another time we had 'pretend tents' inthe back garden ( all the chairs sheets and blankets , for them to make dens..

Food was often 'do it yourself' one year it was 'make your own pizza' (cooked after by me of course ) , followed by 'pick the strawberriesout of the garden ' .. I supplied cans of squirty cream , hundreds and thousands and choc chips .. We asked all mums to bring their kids in clothes that didnt matter(and to bring a change) , and we had the paddling pool and water pistols out !

We also did twister and pin the tail , and 'eat the chocolate with a knife and fork wearing dads big gardening gloves' 'catch the rat' (stuffed toy whizzed down a tube they had to whack.). even apple bobbing one year (noy so succesful ) Mad but fun.. (But maybe these days other mums wouldnt like their kids getting tired wet through and sticky.. )

Just catching up with this thread after a week away. Agreeing the cost of children's hobbies! Our ponies cost in the region of £250 a month without going to shows, new jods/boots, extra lessons etc plus swimming lessons of £80 every six weeks, dd1 has singing lessons and more riding lessons at school costing approx £500 a term and dd2 does stagecoach at £180 per term! It all adds up.
Today I'm feeling triumphant, new tenants have moved in and paid 6 months rent upfront so today I called the bank and paid off 2 loans meaning my outgoings will reduce by £350 in March. We also managed to do paris on a budget last week, bought eurostar and hotel before Xmas for £402 total and we only spent approx £350 over there on food, tickets and taxis.
This month we've come in well on our new budget so I think we'll be fine for the next 6months without a monthly rent. We should still have approx £150 in the bank on Friday payday. Feeling chuffed :)

Laska some great ideas there! Truth be told I don't really like entertaining children dd having a party is my worst nightmare!

Homemade bean burgers were ok. Dd wouldn't eat them dh liked then. Ds likes anything he can dip in salad cream.

NSD!
So still £4 inthe bank and 80p in the purse .. I should saythat the £125 grocery money wont come out until after pay day (friday) .. its on next months budget '

So yes 'pots of money ' is a great idea and that is what has changed me .. but ive been doing it all on 'you need a budget' software ( i got it at less than half price a while ago' , but i reckon its worththe $60 full price).

adorabell ive tried several times , but hes stubborn .. its just not worth the waste ..so I stock up when its half price.. )

teWI fantastic feeling isnt it ..

so there are other food hoarders out there huh?! so glad its not just me .. ihavent looked at Kondo yet .. but i may be ready to..

B&W if you are here , DUH about the wing mirror , that must have been some heavy wheelie bin .. . (btw ive made the plunge and had my first FD in some time Its not frugal to have to buy new clothes when I have so many .. ! not posting on T50 yet though.. )

spotty I dont remember a time when we were unlucky with the weather ,.. so it was all in the garden.. (easier to clean up)

Actually I realise that all sounds 'terribly' Enid Blyton , nice SAHM bookish middle class 'Alice and Jeremy' parents etc .. We lived in a council house and were impoverished students..

(apologies to any Alice or Jeremy's out there )