Frugal February continued....

[SpottyTeacakes]

New thread

We're going out to a mini-farm then some last bits to get from the shop.

Yesterday DD1 wanted to do some baking and picked out a pumpkin pie recipe, we had a can of pumpkin in the back of the cupboard so I said fine, but then realised we had no cream. Instead of taking her to the shop to buy cream we might not have used all of we had a Google and found a pumpkin cake recipe - so soft and delicious! Really lovely and all the kids happily munched it down.

Fuzz - brilliant frugal win there with the hotel!

Need to post yesterday's spends later when I've updated spreadsheet.

Lilac, how much evidence is required seems to depend on the LEA and even the individual officials who contact you or visit! So I'll be erring on the side of caution, although TBH we would be keeping things anyway so it's not just in case of inspectors (basically they can send someone to meet you, in order to check they are actually being educated, but again it seems to be a postcode lottery as to what this entails. DH overheard someone local saying their visit was just someone saying hello, having a brief look at some work, and leaving!).

For now, I'm going to keep a record of what we do each day on my iPod memo pad or maybe a word document, and will attempt to organise any written work so it's stored nicely. I'll also be taking loads of photos because I do that anyway :o I'm vaguely considering trying a blog too as that seems quite popular among homeschoolers to share ideas etc.

Hello all :) its baltic here today!
Yesterday took the kids up to DMs for lunch to let OH have a wee lie in. Baked in the afternoon as there were eggs to use up - made cherry scones, banana loaf and an amazing and easy sticky ginger cake from feed your family for £20 on facebook - recommend it! Will be making another later as Ive an egg left to use :)

OH taking DS out for a few hours now so I can chill out / catch up on a few bits of housework. Its the cinema but they have packed snacks :)

Hopefully otherwise a LSD xx

Spendy yesterday - £110 on a filling at the dentist, £38 on cat food - should last several months though - £18 at the farm shop for lovely lovey veg and also yeast that DS insisted we buy, so bread looks like we'll be baking this week! I'm going to a scandinavian bread making class soon which should be fun.

Really really wanted to go shopping yesterday after the dentist so I'm proud I limited myself to stuff we actually needed rather than anything fun.

Hoping to get away with just buying cat litter today.

NK at the idea of asking my DP to give his opinion on which of two handbags I should keep!

Breadandwine. Thanks for that!

Lilac. Wet and baltic here.

Last nite spends €40 on food and cinema ticket with friend for their b.day! Should be NSD!

Aaargh!! Did a really long post, with loads of individual comments and my laptop froze.

fuzz You sound so positive and excited, I am looking forward to hearing about your HE adventure.

bunnie - welcome. I have spaniels, I cannot get over the size of your beast!!

Bantam - Yep, he was lucky indeed. I am also saving my Morrisons vouchers.

booty I think I had false economy last week, trying to use a £7.50 voucher for a £50 spend in Sainsbo's, spent ages trying to find bargains, stock up on stuff, cheap deals etc. Would have been better just binning the damn voucher.

Spends will be £12 on hay, £5 on training and (gulp) £145 on camp deposit and rallies for DD.

Really sorry if I missed. I included everyone in my first post, honest.

It's Baltic here too

It has brightened up here, we really should get out for a walk but it's cold & dd is coughing so I'm going to keep it as a pj day. Fire on since early this morning.

Will go out & take pics of our two dogs soon. Love yours bunny he's magnificent.

It's miserable here now so we're going to make a banana loaf with old bananas.

Oh yum I love it but I'll end up eating it all myself so rarely make it.

Afternoon! I've popped over from the debt support thread but not posted on here before. Just wanted to say to spotty that there's a park and ride for Gun Wharf now at Port Solent, only £3 for the day! Bus drops near M&S......I know this because having parked there last Monday, I bumped into friends who'd used the park and ride!

Fuzz good luck with HEd. If you're coming to Southampton for the titanic Musuem, Tudor House (the other end of town) is also worth a visit, and they have nice cafes at both!

I think I'll be a regular from March if you'll have me, my DH has been out of work for 18 months and I've gone back as a TA which means our lifestyle has taken a huge pounding. We have no savings, had to raid the kids savings too, had some debt already from DH setting himself up as SE to take the job he then lost six months later, and the only reason we haven't lost the house is my generous folks who have been paying the mortgage.

As things stand I can cover the mortgage and bills (I've stopped letting dad help us out) but not debt repayment or food/activities. We have until May before the 0% I took on a new card to help with repayments runs out and then we're screwed. DH just says it will be fine. Very helpful. Not.

Anyway, I'm having to stretch nothing into enough to feed the five of us and stop us defaulting on the ccs. Have read through a couple of your threads for inspiration. It's just so exhausting!

Im just catchin gup .. just seem yout post about your DH needastrongone how dreadful , Is your Dh back home now?

Im down to my last £4 in my budget! and its 5 days to pay day .. (howver i have all food etc in , so should be ok ) .(ido have savings fund but dont want to transfer any of it back into bank account if i can help it )

Have just tried (rather than thowing out as would have done before) some soya milk left here by a non dairy visitor.. its rather nice ( was just going to pour it down the sink.. I have about half a litre ,, apart from drinking it

What can I do with it?

Welcome jickjak.

£20 on school trousers - nothing quite like remembering that DS's are too short the day before school !! £16 on underwear. Bank account not looking too bad this month with just under a week til payday, and I am really pleased with the number of NSDs I have had.

Weather is vile here

Laska could you use it in a rice pudding. I seem to remember it curdles in coffee.

About to head out to the cinema to see big hero six! Can't wait. We had two adult clubcard tokens left that expire on Saturday and we can hopefully use our tastecard to get discount for the DCs' tickets.

I'm really annoyed about the other four tickets but I will take the suggestion I saw up thread (still haven't caught up properly but I think it was fluffy?!) of trying to ask them to reissue them so thanks for that idea nothing to lose by trying! :)

I also realised our last £20 of la tasca tokens (I ordered loads when we went away, but hadn't realised they are postal delivery not email so they arrived after we left!) expire on Saturday too. DH has been wanting to see the Sherlock Holmes exhibition in London, and there happens to be a half price deal on amazon local (two adults for £11, our DCs go free), so we are combining the two and going on Thursday afternoon as DH has a half day. Off peak travelcard using our F&F railcard is pretty cheap.

DCs' first two weeks of home ed are looking very exciting, will have to make sure they realise it won't be like this all the time! :o

That's why I'm making two lila

2euro on a card.
I hate buying cards, there such a complete waste of money when also giving a present to a child. I keep certain cards for dd, christening, Xmas, birthdays form family members but keeping a 3 or 4 euro birthday card from Rachel down the road? No doesn't happen. Such a waste of money IMO. Just fills up the bin

I burnt my cake!! I'm usually good at baking

Oh, you will enjoy that movie, Fuzz. I saw it with DS on my birthday recently.

Welcome to Jick. Everyone is welcome here, if you want to mention it to some of the other regulars on your other thread .

A very wintry, wet day here too, but no sign of the predicted snow just yet, although we have had some sleet. I popped to Tesco earlier, but I am back on the sofa now, with no intention of moving for the rest of the day! I spent £30.40 on the shopping there, after using £3 in vouchers.
Here's my meal plan for the week.
Today: Quorn and veg casserole, with fruit afterwards. Veggie hotdogs for supper later, when DS gets home.
Monday: Quorn sausages, potatoes, broccoli, peas and gravy.
Tuesday: lentil and carrot Bolognese.
Wednesday: see Tuesday.
Thursday: Quorn and veg stir fry.
Friday: veggie burgers and oven chips.
Saturday: pizza ( from the freezer).

Breakfasts: porridge, granola or toast and marmalade. Lunches: potato, leek and broccoli soup, which I'll make a big pot of tomorrow, egg, sausage and cheese muffins, and I will probably be out for lunch on Friday. Crumpets and fruit to snack on and chocolate.

Lsd got the Potatoes as last few seeds for the allotment. £9 Ish. Same again on lunch as dd was at party that clashed with lunch and it was too girly for DS so took hi into town

NSD today. sunday lunch with parents and have been sent home with leftovers. hooray!

tomorrow will probably have to drive to work -we're due really bad rain/wind up until about 3pm. do not fancy walking in it...

NSD today. sunday lunch with parents and have been sent home with leftovers. hooray!

tomorrow will probably have to drive to work -we're due really bad rain/wind up until about 3pm. do not fancy walking in it...

Frugal fail... £20 on cinema tickets for Shaun the sheep. We had all intentions to go to the cheap cinema but obviously everyone else in the county had the same idea, so it was sold out. £20 could have brought 5 of us!!! Instead it was only enough to cover 3 of us. £4.50 for popcorn for the kids.

Right, am making chicken rice for dinner, beef brisket is in the slow cooker and I've marinaded some beef for beef rendang. Yums. Haven't meal planned as I should have because this weekend has been a bit of a wipe out...

Have a good week ahead and good luck to those with job interviews! That will be me on Thursday!!

£12 spotlight
£2.50 grommet thingummyjigs from maplins
£2 for two decorative candle holders from tesco, found an old clubcard with 300 points on it that contributed to it so very pleased with that.

Hi all not caught up yet with thread but LSD here £3.70 on putting car through the car wash. Have been working all day and am cream crackered!!

Another half term over

Oh damn I really need a cuddly Baymax in my life!