Marvellous Money Saving March.

[CremeEggThief]

Hi All,
Thought I'd start a new thread for all regulars and anyone else who is interested in saving money in March .

I didn't get offered the job I "really" wanted so have accepted the one that I've been offered, even though its a drop in grade, it's money....I'll be getting the equivalent for working 37hrs that I used to for 30, so the drop in money will be childcare and travel until I can agree some wfh. But I am grateful/proud to have been offered a job in the first place, many of the others made redundant aren't in this position.

Do any of you local gov ladies know anything about continuous service? I want to get my redundancy and also keep my additional annual leave. HR have said this happens, but it contradicts other advice?

Just had a spend up on Next on-line, I'm sure most will be going back, but seeing as I'm paying for delivery I might as well make it worth the while. As I have to work more days I need more clothes options, I was previously in the office 3 days pw and really struggled even then!

NK - less money, less time at home.....what are the positives of the job? Did you do a pro/con list? Make sure that's it what you really want, don't go just because you're flattered to be wanted ifykwim?

It'll pay the bills until you find something you want Pass. Well done anyway!.

£21.99 on paint but I had to order it and I've realised there's a shop down the road that will probably have it in stock so now I have to pretend to dh that I want to tidy the garden tm.

87p on shower gel but I can claim 40p back off shopitize.

£10 petrol.

definitely fluffy. And put money into a pension, and keep me out of mischief as this sahm lark is a bit isolating for me, though the kids are loving the lie ins of course.

Just remembered that I saved some money this morning - 3 fluconazole (thrush) tablets for £1.99 on groupon . except the voucher code won't work at present....hopefully if I have a stash it'll be like insurance and I won't get it anymore?!

Pass. Well done on getting the job.
I work part time but five morning I feel like I need more clothes! No one wears suits in work so can't even do the trick of two suits with alternate tops scarfs and jewellery. Some dress really casual and others 'dressy seperates'. Not much help but I empathise.

Do you have a union rep you could check with. Service is reckonable I would think but would not be as sure about holidays. You d need to check the t&c of the new contract.

fluffy - Actually, I think it is because DH has been in business for so long, he expects clients to negotiate on price, but his suppliers also expect that he squeezes a deal from them, so it doesn't bother him at all. Re staff, he would not negotiate if he had advertised the position and had applicants. Had he approached the person, he would expect them to strike a deal.

Guys - quick question. I have a tired looking turnip and half a celeriac. Can I freeze, for soup making purposes?

Twitched at the Joules sale, but will return most likely.

Well done pass! Nsd until I go out later. I'm starving but luckily ds is force feeding me pizza

Bank: £206.09 (was £230.87)
Purse: £5.00 (was £8.00)
Jar: £14.15 (was £14.35)
Grand Total: £225.21
Reduced by £27.98
Days to payday: 7

Spends:

£2.00 – sandwich
£18.99 – external phone charger – I only discovered these beauties existed – I am always running out of battery on long coach and car trips.

£5.79 – A bottle of 200 kalms from Amazon (same price I had paid for 84 in the chemists)
£1.20 – kids bus fare

Budget looks like this: 225.21
Petrol: £141 budget / £109 spent / £32 remaining
Groceries: £300 budget / £230.16 spent / £69.84 remaining
Interest: £12.40
Kids activities & bus fare: £15.60
My bus fares: £14.50
Leaves for everything else....£80.87

Will probably need some petrol and a bit of shopping this coming week but I do hope to have some money leftover for carrying forwards.

Today I have spent:

£7.35 to DD's school for school dinner and breaktime stuff.

£20 ish on wine, ready meal type stuff, laundry liquid (it was on offer and too good to miss) and bread. The ready meal stuff was about £9 in total, which is expensive but it is an attempt to break the Friday night takeaway habit, so works out much cheaper, and also it is nice ready to cook stuff from a local butcher, so it will actually do for two meals as there will be plenty of leftovers and it is ok to reheat as it hasn't been pre-cooked. So, not exactly a frugal day, but nowhere near as bad as it could have been.

Its Friday - woo hoo

Fishfingers, chips and beans for tea!!

So today spent £17 in Superdrug, £13 of that was on foundation - so expensive but I wear it every day and don't otherwise spend much on make up. Also included shower gel x 2, deodorant x 2 and face wipes so not too bad.

Also spent £1.10 on a chicken bake in Greggs

£1.10 parking.

Went to a relationships course this morning, was very good! Saved money on parking by cycling to it.

Oh yes also forked out nearly £6 at dds book fair on one book, bit annoying but i think a % goes towards the school library or something.

Congratulations on the jobs Pass and NK! NK, it sounds like you've a lot to think about but this may be useful How to beat the taxman and keep your child benefit

gu.com/p/3bp5y and have you thought about getting them to buy your train ticket and paying them back monthly? It would still come out of your pocket but wouldn't hit you so hard. I've known other people do it. My only advice would be if the commute is the limit that you can suffer then don't take it as there is invariably be delays and missed connections which will make you miserable.

£30 on toothbrush heads, wine for MIL for Mothers day and some snacks because ds keeps declaring he's hungry while we're out and costing me a fortune. 1 more week until pay day. Tesco have been but I still need to spend £3 on milk, that should be everything.

NSD today. I'm exhausted, have lost my voice and have a headache so just eating chocolate on the settee with the cat. No massive plans for the weekend so should be a cheap one.

Never had a Nsd for weeks. £4 on beavers subs. £10 in morrisons on bits for fil party we are throwing

£4.15 on lunch out (with another kind friend who treated me to cake and coffee!), £1.60 on milk and salad in Lidl, £20 Scout subs for DS and 80p for his bus fare there. So, £26.55 in total.

Happy frugal weekend everyone .

It's too much for me to think to be honest. I keep oscillating between the two... Want it for the job prospects, and just for something new to do... Don't want it as this job is pretty cushy and can mostly do it with eyes closed especially if I survive this year (big ofsted equivalent etc). Boss is just quite an arse in the sense of never keeping his promises. So... Don't trust him much. He might bargain with me but whatever he promises he prob won't keep anyways.

Spendy day. £25 massage at home. Bliss (I'm now tucked in bed!), £15 on drinks with my students after a v long work week, £52 petrol. £14 mcdonalds.

Will be spendy this weekend as need to get food shopping and stuff from boots.

Well done pass on deciding to take that job... !

Well done pass and NK on your offers!

Today spends biscuits and milk: £2.90
petrol: £64.07 (will be reimbursed)

Well done on the job offers pass & nk! Dh has an interview this morning. Fingers crossed, the starting point would be just 10 minutes away as opposed to 40 currently.

I haven't posted since wed as have had a ferocious headcold & ds is teething. My spends since have been €50.50 in heatons home sale 4 handtowels 5 bath towels a Pyrex jug & a plastic mixing bowl this includes free delivery. I've been promising myself new towels for 18 months. Going to kondo the rest. My other Pyrex jug was broken two months ago & I currently use mil mixing bowl which has a crack & I want to save it for dd so I can move it to attic now for a few years.
I also bought my train tickets for my girlie weekend €52 and paid deposit on my holiday for next Jan. These spends came out of savings & remainder is for next credit card bill.

Well yesterday was £11.99 on meal. I had a tap water so didn't pay for a drink.

Have a top up shop coming from tesco today.

Got my car tax bill can't afford a year in one go so thinking of paying it monthly as it's the same cost as paying it 6 monthly.

Morning.

Well done on all the job offers

I am off to help my brother sort out his greenhouse & vege patch - not a very glamorous way to spend the day, but it means I will get a free vege box every week. He has also offered to help my dh sort out the back garden at ours so we can have a huge herb patch, wood oven and cold smoker... not a bad swap.

I hope he gets it lila.

Wood oven

Bread I'm like Pass there is no way I could just work through without eating. If I haven't eaten by about 3 I get really grumpy and I am useless at achieving anything.

Pass congratulations on the job.

Yesterday was horribly spendy. £21.90 on tap shoes for DS, I had been holding out hoping to borrow/buy second hand but it is harder to get the boys ones than for girls. I did go up half a size hoping they will last a bit longer.

£8 on 3 pairs of white trunks for DS and £6 for new vests for DD2. Also a friend picked up some white knickers she needs for the show £4, I'll pay for those on Sunday.

£91 on school dinners that I had forgotten to pay after half term school rang to remind me, but they were really good, said they knew I'd had a lot on with my dad and I had never been late before.

£110 for dancing lessons for all 3 DC.

£146 on mega Tesco shop, had DH whinging that he can't understand why I go to Tesco (he likes Waitrose) I will use Waitrose when they give me vouchers, but I tried being a supermarket tart (going wherever I got money off) and I don't like Sainsbury's but happy to drop in for top ups, I like Waitrose, but they have fewer offers.

Went out for dinner, DH paid. Bus dares to go for dinner £2.80 on Oyster card.

DS got a place at our first choice school. His uniform will be about £250 (if I don't need to replace his shirts and trousers) plus a proper goat and new shoes. £65 of that U.S. on compulsory back pack and sports bag!

Need diesel today, but can reclaim. Driving my mum to Wiltshire to drag with great brother for a week.

Ha ha, I like the idea of DS needing a proper goat fir school, obviously meant coat!

It sounds grand... but it is a diy version ( I love the internet). The expense is going to be the cooking base and fire bricks (6 each). This summer we will be mostly eating smoked salmon and pizza if my plan works.