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Original poster

Frugal February continued....

487 replies

SpottyTeacakes · 18/02/2015 08:49

New thread Smile

OP posts:
Thread gallery
6
needastrongone · 18/02/2015 18:27

You sound more positive fuzz Sometimes, just making the decision can be a reassuring thing, knowing you are on 'a road' at least. Good luck.

spotty DH has very serious asthma. Yes, he does get a lot of chest infections I am afraid. He will only go to the doctors for the very worst of them as an adult.

I absolutely HATE Miranda, loathe it. We are classy in our house and are more Inbetweeners and the like Grin

LOVE Hebben, if you have ever seen it.

needastrongone · 18/02/2015 18:29

Oh, window cleaner called for his money, so NSD is now £10.

Am using A JAR for tonights meal, chicken thighs, rice, with honey and mustard sauce. Been in the cupboard for months so I thought I would use up.

However, going to try making parsnip and lemon cake tomorrow. Tried some from the farm, it was the most moist and lovely cake I have had in ages and not one taste of parsnip came through.

Laska42 · 18/02/2015 18:35

Argh have a bloody cold AGAIN ( a real sore nose one Sad) I bet it was fromthe blimin' plane journey..
was hoping for a NSD too
But £1.76 in Boots on tissues and paracetamol
£9.75 in Co op on fruit and veg, and stuff like tea..

thanks fro the new thread Spotty

Laska42 · 18/02/2015 18:38

H/M 'Dr' chicken soup for lunch and dinner today .... (has lots of veggies ginger and chilli in it ..)

CremeEggThief · 18/02/2015 18:40

Welcome to our new posters and best of luck with HE, Fuzz Smile.

53p on a stamp, sending off a form and payment for an after-school club for DS, funnily enough. It's £35 for a 5 week introduction to rowing course, which he has wanted to try for well over a year, so worth it.

Original poster
SpottyTeacakes · 18/02/2015 18:43

Thanks need. She's never had an attack so I'm hoping she will grow out of it. This isn't the worst one she's had but her says were a bit low and she has a fever, she also can't get a full breath between coughs.

£4.25 on milk and a massive cake Blush Apple and blackberry crumble cake. It's delicious.

OP posts:
girliefriend · 18/02/2015 18:45

Had a freezer dinner tonight, some battered fish with spuds and peas. Was very nice.

I like Miranda but she annoys the hell out of me after a while, dd however will howl with laughter and can watch her for hours!!!

Just checked my online account looked slightly better than I expected although not brilliant due to the £75 vet fee coming out. Will have to do a Morrisons shop tomos, annoyingly was hoping that we wouldn't need to get much but we seem to have run out of loads of essentials. Have written a list and will stick to it

Slightly worried as checked the pet insurance again and noticed that dentistry work is excluded, girl cats problem is in the mouth - that wouldn't automatically be classed as dentistry would it? Really hope not Sad

sportinguista · 18/02/2015 18:57

Thanks for new thread Spotty
Not an NSD or even LSD £3.50 on bus fare to meeting, but it looks like I may get some work from that. Then £23.05 in Aldi for top up but covered all quern stuff so will not need to spend tomorrow. Might go to farm with DS if there's time.

Got 2 freelance jobs on one of which will be ongoing and another has the potential for more work also. Meeting could also produce some more work too. Everything seems to be taking time to come together though. I'm not good at being patient!

Ours is still a house of disease, I don't feel too good, Dh is really poorly and DS had temperature and is coughing lots. Can't wait to feel better...Sad

blueteapot · 18/02/2015 19:03

Glad you have come to a decision you are happy with fuzzpig, it cant have been an easy one but it sounds like you are doing the best thing for your family. We can help keep you on the straight and narrow here with your budget ;)

Welcome new folk, Im only new myself and its such a helpful and supportive thread :)

A NSD here. Its miserable so we've sat in. Had midwife to DD earlier and a friend over with her DS for a playdate, it was lovely to have the company as OH on a long shift today. Frugal wise have taken up OHs new suit and otherwise not much to add - eyeing up some over-ripe bananas for banana bread recipe I saw on feed your family for £20 on facebook.

Does anyone use shopitize and checkoutsmart apps? I have only just discovered them but loving them so far. New shopitize offers out today centred on chinese new year, yum!

Just realised I have been inadvertently frugal today - had some bikkies for lunch and peanut butter on toast for tea (dont worry DS was fed properly lol!) - must try harder on days OH not home for tea, too easy to eat junk instead! X

Pointlessfan · 18/02/2015 19:08

Welcome Lottie, I winced when I read about your electric bill, I hope you get it sorted out.
Fuzz HE sounds so exciting. As a teacher I'm probably not supposed to say this but it sounds like you have made absolutely the right decision.
I don't think tomorrow will be a NSD now as I'm going out with my mum but maybe Friday!

Ohhelpohnoitsa · 18/02/2015 19:12

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

fuzzpig · 18/02/2015 19:19

Thanks everyone :) Thanks

Please be prepared for several posts from me asking "where can I get [educational resource] cheap/free?" from now on :o

Welcome Lottie :) yikes to that bill. Scary how anyone could be at the mercy of one company like that!

TeWiSavesTheDay · 18/02/2015 19:20

Hi lottie - sounds like a right ness with your bills! If you can't come up with some kind of compromise dilute you could complain to ofgem - they deal with crappy energy companies Wink or CAB might be helpful in first instance.

Quite a spendy day today. Had a playdate in the morning and took DCs out in the afternoon to the shops.

Bus: £6.30
clothes: £7 (top, leggings and trousers for kids in h&m sale)
shoes: £35 (only 2 pairs for dc!)
razors: £1.98
food: £1.20

I probably would have spent more but kids were not well behaved so no treats.

Any good frugal options for just walking baby shoes? DD2s a narrow fitting (they all are) so cheap ones all too loose and get lost... Same issue with DD1 and plimsoles. Would really like to spend less in Clark's!

TeWiSavesTheDay · 18/02/2015 19:27

*compromise solution

Btw, Tesco still have those massive pork roasts half price. I bought another to have with friends tomorrow - hopefully we'll get 3 meals out of it.

Original poster
SpottyTeacakes · 18/02/2015 19:38

No advice on shoes I'm afraid I spend £££ getting the dc decent shoes (obviously if I could get decent cheap ones I would!). My dc have super narrow feet too.

OP posts:
NK5BM3 · 18/02/2015 19:38

Audit - v cute kids!

Spent £40 on dinner for ds' birthday. Nice place, kids enjoyed themselves. Yesterday spent £3.30 on lunch with a colleague.
Tomorrow will spend £15 on football camp for ds.

expectingnumber3 · 18/02/2015 19:53

TeWi, I get the DC's measured in Clarks then check out eBay for the right size and width, and also the Clarks website for sale stuff. The correct sizes aren't always to be found but worth a try. Got DD2 some boots and DS a pair of trainers for under £4 each. Both pairs were practically brand new too!

girliefriend · 18/02/2015 20:35

Just sorted out the coats, bags and shoes cupboard (is there a shorter name for that cupboard?!) filled a bag for the charity shop plus a few bits that will try and sell, also found £1.11 in old bags!! Bonus Grin

AuditAngel · 18/02/2015 21:09

Thanks for the new thread Spotty I tried, but was running late for work (too much time spent on MN this morning) and the iPad wasn't co-operating Grin

Lilac I didn't thnk you were having a dig about the cost of the DC's hobbies, but I felt obliged to explain I have spent about as much in the last 2 months as most of last year. Hopefully I now have only 2 more major things to finalise so should stop haemorrhaging cash.

We also do swimming lessons £75 a month between the 3 DC; DDq does karate £5 a week, but pay as you go so not paying for missed lessons; last year DS did 2 sailing courses, had to miss a 3rd as it crashed with his West End debut Grin . We will get him back in again as he doesn't really like physical exercise /sports. My boss' son is a qualified sailing instructor, and has offered to take him out (for free, just hire the boat he is used to)

DD1 is desperate to do gymnastics, but there is a limit to what I can afford, and as a working mum there is also a limit to my time available. We have dancing Monday's, 1st communion class one Tuesday a month, Karate Wednesday , dancing Thursday, Friday off, Swimming for DD2 on Saturday plus Children's liturgy group for 1st communion, Sunday is swimming for DS and DD1, plus currently show rehearsals.

I go to work for a rest.

£12 is in Waitrose for lunch £3 and some packed lunch bits for the holiday club tomorrow (£52 in childcare vouchers as I thought DH was working, I mixed his week's up Blush ) for DS and DD1, the rest will be used for their lunch during Sunday's dancing rehearsal. Also topping up on biscuits, but 4 packs each on 2 for £2 and some grapes.

AuditAngel · 18/02/2015 21:16

TeWi my DC always stay the same width. So I buy bigger shoes in the right width in the sales and keep them for the next size up. Especially DD2 who doesn't go to school yet. When I do pay full price, I always use a local chain who run a "shoe scheme" where you have a card, each time you buy full price shoes they record the details and after 10 pairs you get a free pair. DS is 10 and still waiting. DD1 got a pair of £45 Lelli Kelli sandals last year for free (which gave her a blister so she refused to wear them).

It makes me feel better if I have to pay the full price, to feel I'll get something back later.

Brokentopieces · 18/02/2015 21:57

2 NSD's in a row....happy with that!

Ememem84 · 18/02/2015 22:10

Just milk today. £1.12 for a litre. Sigh.

Got home from gym to find dh had also bought milk.

Pay day on Friday. My first on 2015!!

Went to speak to someone about a pension today too. #sensible.

So will be reading paperwork and hoofing money away for retirement

TeWiSavesTheDay · 18/02/2015 22:31

I normally do that audit - their widths seem to change a bit until they are properly walking though! So I guess this is the expensive bit. I have kept alto of the older kids shoes as well, but I quite like to have their 'main' pair new or nearly new if I can.

Find measuring but not buying really awkward. Must get over it!

clippityclop · 18/02/2015 23:01

Thanks for the new thread Spotty, lovely pics Audit.
£5.60 on fruit and bread today, chicken soup with the last of my home made frozen veg bags with cheese and hot bread tonight for dinner. On a mission to eat up everything in the freezer before doing another big food shop but will get more celery, leeks, carrots, onions, peppers, mushrooms and garlic to chop and freeze in the next couple of days. It's saved me masses of time in the last month. Overdraft down by nearly £300 on same time last month.

Good luck with the interviews!
Do any of you have guinea pigs and if so are they expensive to keep, can they have wood chippings rather than hay bedding?

Passthecake30 · 18/02/2015 23:03

tiwi I get the strap over plimsolls for PE in brantano, cost £4; my kids are D fitting. Other than that it's Clarks I'm afraid, with a trainers from shoe zone thrown in occasionally