We aint no April Frugalling Fools.. There may be Showers ahead, but we'll sail through together ...

[Laska42]

Heres a new thread for the April Frugaleers!

Spring has arrived and summer is a-coming..

Good luck everyone trying to save money, There's lots of good support here..

Gym wasn't too bad - did 40 mins and got very quite sweaty despite urge to look cool in front of 20 year old blond weight lifter

Afternoon all

Bank: £839.49 (was £961.06)
Purse: £6.00 (was £7.00)
Jar: £49.20 (was £38.55)

Grand Total: £894.69
Reduced by: £111.92*
Days to payday: 25
Proper Savings: £574.29

Spends:
£5.52 – Lidl (0.46 on painkillers)
£44.96 – Iceland*
£40.31 – Morrisons**
£4.80 – Train fare
£25.98 – Zara (jeans and joggers for DS2)

expensive coz I had stocked up on Slimming World friendly stuff.
** expensive coz I bought picnic food to take to Athletics and as I am doing SW there was a lot of fruit.

Hmmm....I somehow seem to be £9.65 up....

Budget looks like this: £894.69
Petrol: £200.00
Groceries: £300 / £91.33 spent / £208.67 left
Interest: £1.42
Bus fares & Kids activities: £58.80
HSBC credit card: £12.55
Leaves for everything else....£413.25

NSD today.
Girlie I'm not sure how helpful Go Outdoors would be. You'd be better off at a small saddlery where they can give you lots of time.
If you ask at the stables I'm sure they can recommend somewhere local.

Free gym sounds great! The thought of exercising in front of my students freaks me out!

Was going to be an Nsd then went to Sainsburys to get hair dye and lemsip (both on list) and dd came with me (as I wasn't sure I could get in and out of shop before nursery pick up) so I bought her pjs and her brother too. Her brother's is needed as his are nearer his calves! But hers weren't. Perils of having two kids. £27.

NK they aren't usually there in the private sessions (school makes money by having a super fancy gym and selling membership to it) - but when I could run outside before surgery they'd see me running all the time as this is a bit of a goldfish bowl.

I am knackered now - clearly very much needed exercise

Am sat here feeling sorry for myself, have just made myself a bowl of porridge as no nice treats in the flat and I am hungry. Couldn't even make toast as need the bread for sandwiches and toast tomos - being skint sucks sometimes

Think will have to go to Morrisons after work tomos as going to struggle to feed us on what we have left atm.

Dd has been hard work today and I am due on hence the pity party

The 20 something blonde was probably too busy thinking about making weight lifting look effortless while inwardly trying not to collapse don't let them put you off.

Thanks North

Spent £26 on groceries today. Will need more in a few days. I need to pay for Pilates this week, £60 for the month.

hi there,need to read back ,as ive not been here for a couple of days. We had a busy weekend here with unexpected visitors and spent £75 in the co op just on getting in stuff in for them (and cleaning stuff .. ) was fun though!

I have just done my budget and its not looking great.. I have only £55 left and 10 days until pay day!.. (stil have £300 in savings account though dont want to go into that JIC I need to pay DS rent next month.

Will need petrol , but we are ok for food andters no more bills to come out .

Sadly DS didnt get the job .. they said he was a close 2nd.. (but I'm not surethat made him feel any better..
.

£3.17 Lidl.

Girlie, porridge made on milk and golden syrup is a treat breakfast or supper for me.

Laska, sorry your DS didn't get the job... sometimes, it feels even worse, when you know you came that close.

another £7.69 on more catfood for fussy cat.
£51.30 DH tooth removed at the dentist. Worth it because he was in pain! And tbh, not too bad NHS rate for it.

We've got about £130 left until the end of the month. Need to get our act together.

Spendy day, about £95 taking ds, dd and 2 of his mates out for his bday treat. Cheaper than a party! Kept costs down by taking snacks into cinema and eating set meals in restaurant. Then came home and washed and hoovered my car, saving £10...

£11 on condoms on amazon. Grrrr. Can I get a "geronimo"

Oh, by the way fluffy I had a look through the Christmas box and I'm practically done for stockings etc!

Pass I can get them free from work

Nsd from me as I'm working. Dd ill again. Dh needs to buy more loo roll as he's used it all being ill!

Yesterday £7.50 picking mum up a pair of reading glasses for the hospital. She is much better yesterday. £1.40 parking at the hospital.

I am picking kids up from school today (normally mum's day) and may take them for a haircut. DS is desperate, he can hardly see, kept it long for dancing show, but has now requested a summer shearing! DD1's is not in great condition, lots of split ends, I think from all the curling for the show. I used bendy rollers, but the ends still get really knotty.

Hmm, dh has made an expensive semi-essential purchase leaving us £46 in the 'everything else' budget to last 17 days, will spend £10 just on playgroups. I think weekends will have to be some free activities and a lolly from the freezer.

Mighty deals are doing £10 Tesco gift card for £5 but it can't be used online.

Glad your mum is feeling better audit.

Hope you're feeling a bit brighter today girlie. I keep a supply of the chocolate brownies that fluffy has linked in the freezer for an emergency yummy treat. They taste great and keep rea?ly well. allrecipes.co.uk/recipe/6036/vegan-brownies.aspx

Its feeling like a long month...thankfully just days left till payday ;). I went over food budget by £20..and spent £25 on pizza takeaways this month :( will have to stop takeaways.. A friend has offered to show me how to make a good pizza which I will be happy to learn as all my past efforts have been rubbish..I did manage to save £60 this month..usually I can't.. Praise again to ynab as I had put water rates + sewerage bill (total £60) as an outgoing but the first installment goes.out of next months wages..I just know if I hadn't allocated it I would have spent it..

Agree, it's a long month!!

girlie - A good saddlers will fit a back protector correctly, and a hat. Agree with pointless, your stables should have recommendations but they are not as rare as you might think to find.

Yesterday, £5 on flatwork lesson for DD and pony. £1.10 on a sandwich.

Sorry about your DS's job laska, he doesn't seem to be having much luck, poor lad.

Laska I am sorry to hear that I was hoping he'd get the job.

Audit I'm glad your mums improving. If she finds it difficult to eat ask them for meal replacement milkshakes/juices/desserts. Think their called ensure?.

TeW brilliant, it'll be less stressful come Christmas. So far I've got cards for everyone and a mental list of who needs a present. We don't buy for many people.

Those brownies would be nice with smart price White choc broken up in them.

Hello all! Sorry to hear about the job laska , I suppose he should try and take heart in being a close second as it means they obviously thought he would be capable. Maybe next time.

€185 left, one week to payday. Shouldn't need to spend much anything on food, might get away without having to fill the car with petrol until next week.

We are going to the cinema to watch Shaun the Sheep this afternoon, so that's €14.

Off to some friends' for a BBQ tomorrow so will need to pick up something nice for them.

Sorry DS didn't get the job Laksa

Well done on your Christmas stash TeW

Today should be an NSD, although I have more running around to do. Yesterday I was in town booking things.

welcme,no if you only watch catch up and no live signal you don't need a TV licence.

You'll also get a refund of unused months you've paid for.

Are you entitled to a warm front/hom discount or free insulation now you're a single parent?.

Welcome Twatfreezone

Writing everything down and paying bills as soon as you get the money is a good start. The frugaleers on here will get you track.

WRT to you not eating, do you keep anything in the cupboard/freezer that could be turned into a meal. Really anything is better than nothing, but you could aim to buy, say, an extra can of tuna/beans/soup each week and stash 1 packet of pasta/rice or bread in the freezer so you know you can eat something

Meal planning could help, do you do that already?

Get you back on track.

Nsd. Going to apply for a second job as feel like we're drowning in debt.