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..

Miss A sorry to hear that.

Dinner at my M&D's tonight - it is my M's birthday today so we have made the cake. It is the bit everyone forgets.

Yesterday £5 church collection. Today 65p for sweets for DS after swimming (DD had her own money) £30 in cash and carry. Actually cost £70 but gave DH back some (I was going to pay but had left my purse at home)

Bonsoir everyone, so sorry for your loss Peonies .

NSD.

I made up a big batch of veggie lasagna - one for tonight and four to freeze. DH made a big batch of chili on Friday which has also gone in the freezer (5 family sized portions), so the freezer is nice and full.

Back to work/school for us tomorrow, reaaaaaally not feeling up to it, but I'm sure it'll be fine once I'm there, and it's only three days as I don't usually work on Wednesdays and Friday is a bank holiday!

Temporary meal plan is incomplete, DH and I are both lacking inspiration (probably due to imminent-back-to-workapathy)
Monday: canteen / pasta and pesto
Tuesday: canteen / left over Indian from the freezer with rice
Wednesday: omelette / Kidney bean burgers and salad
Thursday: canteen / ???
Friday: ramen noodles with pork and stuff (DH does that dish, can't remember ita actual name) / ???

Payday in 27.5 hours...

Pointless - here's a recipe for Chinese aubergine which is vv yummy, it's not slow cooker but it will take 2 min. Ok, 5. steamykitchen.com/30476-chinese-eggplant-with-spicy-garlic-sauce.html or just google spicy Chinese aubergine. It's fast, and it's vv yummy.

Thanks all having a glass of wine with my mum and step dad at their house tonight which helps. I'm doing a reading at the funeral tomorrow, feeling nervous in case I get too emotional.

You've certainly earned your tipple Fluffy but how do you confuse a G&T with a JD and coke.

Spent £43 on sweet FA not very much there is a roast chicken in that so that covers 2 packed lunches and 2/3 dinners depending how magic it is far I can stretch it. Plus ham and cheese for sandwiches. DD1 is currently eating me out of house and home. It's emotional eating so I've had to change what I'm buying drastically.

Dh went to the shop. Maybe it was revenge for the chicken dinner disaster. Is DD1 stressed?.

Free food and booze on checkout smart AND quidco clicksnap. so if you have an OH that's 8 free items. Put everything through on seperate till receipts to make claiming easier because it's the same company.

MissA sorry for your loss. When I read at a funeral, I was fairly antisocial in advance, so other people didn't get me emotional. I also told myself this was the last thing I could do for my FIL, I was going to do my very best.

I didn't make eye contact while reading, but remembered, at the same time to look up so people would hear me. Remember to speak more slowly than feels natural. Good luck

Ds needs new shoes. His little leather boots are just not practical for warm weather and look silly with shorts! Will try to park on the road and won't go into any other shops.

peonies you'll do your godmother proud, she'll get you through it

Fri paid credit card #1€60 other one due next week or after €42 have €27 ready but want to pay a bit more
Sat dh brought ds swimming while dd had her lesson €7 as ds is free.
I paid a third of property tax due €132 also bought cards for weddings & communions for next weekend & the newspaper €15
Butchers €37
Tesco came €105 my €10 off delivery over €60 didn't come off, will use it on next Friday's delivery
Sun was a nsd as we didn't leave the house & I didnt shop online.

Frugal win our electricity bill came & we're in credit hoping to build a reserve there so that towards end of year we're prepaid. I know its better in my bank than theirs but I'm a spender!

Managed to park on the street! Also they didn't have any of the shoes I liked in ds' size so I was going to have to get the £44 trainers (I wanted canvas) but then they found a pair for £24.99. I was expecting to spend £30-£35 so I'm pleased.

Sorry for your lossMissA .

Spendy today and yesterday. £26 in Aldi on garden tubs, but it will pay for itself once I get the veg going in them. Did treat myself to some flowering plants though!

Today had to pay for me and DS to go on his school trip so £20 but he's absolutely made-up that I'm coming with them and his teacher likes me as a parent helper!

Trying to get more clients onboard and I should really apply for tax credits but am dreading the hell of the helpline!

at revenge for the dinner. Yes DD is stressed. We all are, and I've just eaten DH's crisps.

We currently don't have enough deposit for the house we are trying buy in the UK, or the council tax equivalent here at the end of this month or the shipping. DH assumes, just like FIL, what something will cost prior to doing it and is now struggling to get his head around the actual cost of shipping home contents and 2 dogs. And we are trying to get DDs into the school in the UK

Both DDs are stressed over the school/friends/changing country thing. We've been here since they were two.

MissA I'm sure you'll do a good job of the reading.

Spotty glad you got the trainers cheaper.

I'm waiting in for a vet to start off the process for the 2 dogs, micro chip and vaccinations. Should be about £120.

Sporting I have been getting tax credits since dd was born so for 9yrs! I think you can go online and get a rough idea of what you might be entitled to, whenever I have rung them it hasn't been too bad tbh.

So LSD, £1.20 parking for work and £2.30 on a school dinner for dd.

I think I may have been paid.......

Good grief Adora, no wonder you're stressed. I hope something turns up really soon.

£13.75 fcuk dress on eBay.

Woo Hoo I have been paid!!

Have half term to plan for at the end of May which includes a 3 day trip to London, getting there and theatre trip already paid for but need to pay for accommodation £100 and spending money which will probably be at least another £100 if not more.

Am also going to take out dds horse riding lesson money in advance which this month will be £45 and am getting my hair cut on Thursday which I think will be £40 ish.

Think will sit down tonight and really look at getting the budget sorted for the month.

THanks girlie for the reassurance we've just not had them for a long time and last time ended up with an overpayment , so I'm keen to avoid that but equally we could do with them as essentially it's money for DS so we can give him a good standard of living. It's just a bit of a minefield with my self-employment and trying to estimate income from that is a 'how long is a piece of string' question at the moment. Woo hoo! to being paid one of the best feelings, although a new client is one too!

Hopefully LSD tomorrow and DH is taking me for a pub lunch as he's been paid, it's about as close to romance as we get these days, we both forgot our anniversary on Friday!

Trying to do as much business development as possible at the moment...

I didn't know you were moving back, Adora. I must have missed that.

£5.45 post office and £44.98 came out for my online food order on Saturday.

GRRR I am having terrible time getting on this site.. my internet is like a slow train right now.. but just popping in to say hi again and mark my place , weekend wasnt too spendy , but ive not worked it out yet ..
I know I am over budget..

back later ( i hope , or tomorow)

Adora that sounds bloody stressfull for all of you! I could never do it, that's for sure which means I'm stuck here forever !

NSD but three big cheques (canteen fees for DH, DS, DD and I) which come out of next month's budget (beginning tomorrow).

I've totted up all the money going automatically out of the account over the month (€2558) and am looking forward to finding out how much we will have been paid tomorrow (salary roulette anyone?) so I can see how much we can put into our savings account.

We've ended the month €15 in the black, having put €800 into the savings account, I'm so pleased as have never managed anything near that before.

May may be more expensive though as it's our wedding anniversary

Laska I'm struggling on here tonight but other sites are fine.

Adora that all sounds mega stressful for all of you.

Yep, mucho stress all round.

Dogs were £159, I only had 120 at home but as we're using them for the whole process they said I can pay the balance next week.

I'll buy Fruit juice, chewing gum for DDs, crisps to replace what I scoffed and some chocolate coz what the hell.

Thanks for the aubergine recipe NK, they look delish! Last night I thinly sliced my 2 bargain aubergines length ways brushed with oil and roasted then layered up with some tomato and basil sauce from the freezer and some mozzarella and baked for 30 mins. Ate it with spaghetti, it was lovely. There were a few cooked aubergine slices left so I blitzed them up with olive oil, smoked paprika and garlic to make a dip. I have nothing to dip into it so it's in the fridge, might just have it on toast tomorrow.
NSD today.

Well done lachatte in the black & major savings that's brilliant