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 .

Hi! I start part time this week so I will join you lovelies if I may?

Already swopped to bringing in lunches.

Going to start meal planning

We were going to cancel sky when my mother (who is sadly terminally ill) is no longer with us - but by the sounds of it we could negotiate a lower monthly fee for a little first? How did everyone do it?

I'll be looking through January's links in a mo.

I'm ebaying some stuff via my MIL account as she's an established seller and I have no feedback or anything there This is to both gain funds and declutter.

I can't believe how faced paced this thread is!

NSD!! Yeah!!

Lady

I'm sorry about your mums illness.

Ring sky and say you want to cancel, then they will put you through to retentions. Play hardball. Say you could afford at a push.

If it fails & it's in one persons name cancel and sign up in your o/h name via a cashback site. You can get £150+ cashback for sky plus newbies get better deals.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/credit_crunch/1628874-Gas-Elec-Bills-monthly-and-SKY-so-angry This is a thread by someone who did it.

There's also lots on moneysavingexpert about sky customers ringing for cheaper deals, reading that too might steer you in the right direction.

I second what Fluffy says about Sky. I rang to cancel my tv package and I got it down to £12.90 from £28.

Spent £6 in Co-op on stuff I didn't really need (magazine, Malteaster bunnies ffs !) .

Really pleased about the job successes - well done!

Lady

I am with sky Ireland but I rang today and went through automated system. I choose reduce your sky package. First thing I did on our package we had half price movies for six months this will go 3rd April so after first week of mid term! Then I reduced from variety to original. As DH no longer watches documentarys plus kids as both DS no longer watch that is €10 saving. Then I asked the best deal if I kept multi room which is €15 per month got it for half price €6.50 for next nine months.
So my advise is to check what you are paying now and what you actually want to keep on your package then ring. Hope that helps.. For us we will be pay €19 less.

€2 to DS for tomorrow to see school team play. €6 on milk & frozen broccoli.

Need to double check what I had on my meal plan! Try and pull back on grocery budget.

Thanks, intresting tips!

Thanks ohhelp and sporting. I'll pass it on.
LSD - DP spent about £10 on top-up shop. DS still has a tummy bug so we skipped playgroup so that's £3 saved!

Booty €6 on milk and broccoli? Ouch!

Spotty
I sent the dh! Who went to the local shop, then bought the branded frozen broccoli but instead of 2 packs for €2.50 he bought 3? Honestly!

fluffy no cheaper ways of getting it. That's with my student discount too!
Only 3 times a week this semester thank goodness. Am tempted to choose my modules round the time table for next year to reduce days in Uni

Ah well at least it's healthy!

Thanks, Pointless and Laska!

We all know that making your own bread saves you money - here's a post showing just how much you can save on different varieties of bread.

girlie Aldi sells maple syrup much cheaper than other supermarkets, it's the proper stuff too, not that corn syrup rubbish.
Just did weekly shop online for £47. Also spent £5 on four lovely baby books from the book man at work. I'm going to split them into two pairs for gifts at a couple of first birthday parties we have coming up soon. The rest of the week should be NSDs until Sunday when we are planning to go shopping for DD's birthday. Argos have a baby event on so we might get a bargain there.
I haven't bought petrol for weeks, I don't know why not as I've been driving to work. Pleased though!

Hi bread, that link has reminded me of something we sometimes do with leftovers which is to use them to make savoury Chelsea buns. They work well with roasted veg and feta, even better with a bit of pesto. We've done Xmas ones with cranberry sauce, stuffing and stilton. They are great in lunch boxes.

pointless I love the sound of the savoury Chelsea buns

I am so going to switch my energy supplier and change phone/broadband supplier. Out broadband service is pitiful (and expensive). I'd get better reception under a rock in the outer Hebrides.

Happy March ladies. Saturday NSD.

Sunday £2 parking, £21 ish in Hobby Craft buying sequins to go over buttons, elastic, glue gun, glue sticks, felt (£1 and got that back from another mum) plus £3 in haberdashery buying Velcro. All vital supplies for the dancing costumes. £13 in Waitrose buying carrots, nice bread to go with stew, grapes and some nice cheese biscuits, including £1.59 on chocolates for another mum. She was buying me sequins on Saturday. She and I need to have a tot up and I suspect I'll owe her about £10. £4 for 2 t-shirts for costumes.

Mum gave me £50 towards this week's shopping. I gave told her she isn't eating that much, she just said she won't give me any next week (when she us away all week with my aunt)

Monday £10.20 parking, Luis a train ticket to London. All to reclaim from work. £5.19 on lunch on way back from London.

£5 on material for DD2 costume that had been wrongly priced up.

Today £15 in Tesco, included £4.80 on 3 plants (reduced from £4 each) for DH, £5 on deodorants on offer (the one in my desk drawer died) lunch £3, chocolate £1.20 plus £2 on 2 large bottles of squash.

Need to order DS a waistcoat for dancing, plus one for another boy, but will get that back, £15 each. Need to pay dancing £110 for the half term for all 3 DC.

Really please to have finished last month with £1,200 left in the bank to clear last month's cc bill. Need to do balance transfer to clear Christmas costs that I didn't clear to pay my tax bill. This month (aftually February) I have paid out in excess of £500 for costumes and dancing, so, even allowing for no council tax, a good month.

Need to buy plane tickets for the summer.

After moving buttons yesterday on a jacket for DS, I cheekily asked another mum to machine sew on the pinned Velcro when she does her son's. Will buy her some chics of wine as a thank you. I don't want people to think I'm taking advantage.

That was meant to be chocs or wine.....

Spendy few days.
Bluebell Railway on Saturday, DP an enthusiast. Seventeen pounds each however, took a packed lunch and a flask and he paid entrance. Was fabulous though.

Spottyteaccakes, just going back to your banana loaves, I had the same problem but solved it by baking the mixture as muffins. Cooked through no problem.

Man coming today to do estimate for new boiler. Ours has had it. Was going to soldier on for a bit with heaters and electric shower but my lovely Dad has insisted on helping us.

Considering purchase of juicer partly to get healthy, partly to minimise waste. Bought bottles of juice certainly a price.

I made some the other week and they were fine

Should be nsd have to stay in all day as having new windows fitted. I've got a horrible phlegmy cold!

opal, can you get a grant for the boiler?

www.britishgasenergytrust.org.uk/help/grants-for-individuals-help-pages/how-can-the-trust-help You don't have to be a customer to use these people and if you don't ask you don't get. I think npower and edf do a similar scheme but you have to be a customer.

nochoc try moneysavingexperts energy club, it's whole of market. I did that and then changed though topcashback for cashback with energylinx. The broad bands only £70 for us this year thanks to quidco!. I used to pay £70 a month with BT.

How's everyone doing with no heating? Dh puts ours on in the evening and I switch it off after an hour.

Today would've been another nsd except I forgot my makeup & I've class tonight and I've a terrible cold so need all the help I can to look human. Need new mascara anyhow so will pick up that & some bb cream in a local chemist. Grrrr!!