We are the Marvelous Frugaleers - Mindfully Managing our Money in May.. Come join us!

[Laska42]

So here is a new thread for all the Magical May Frugaleers!

All are welcome to come and join our friendly supportive group if you'd like to take control of your finances in May and beyond..

We are working together to support each other, live within our means, pay off those debts and save for the life we want!

Good luck everyone for another month

Hi all, so the 70s night out was good!! For £10 a good deal as well, all you can eat buffet and live entertainment! I also spent £3.50 on pudding (cheesecake - it was amazing!!) and £2.50 on drinks (was driving so soft drinks only!)

However annoyingly I feel hungover today - tiredness I suppose!!

Went to look at the shared ownership home this morning, I'm not sure really. Its a nice house, brand new and great area but it is smaller than what I currently have. Got a meeting with mortgage adviser on Thursday so will see if its affordable if I want to go for it!!

Other spends £3.50 in the bakery on stuff for lunch.

Afternoon.

NK Rehab might help? It's early days, stay positive and strong

spotty 20 cards, wow!

italian Ouch!! (to the cost, not the nosebleed)

pass How about a nice scarf?

After having had a good month so far, it's a little spendier than normal these last couple of days.

Went to a Temple Spa party last night. Wine was drunk. £60 was spent.
Eyebrow/lashes shape and dye this morning, plus shellac toes £15, as I gave the beautician £20 last week and she had no change. All on offer, so I took advantage.
£12 farm shop.
£20 Aldi, mainly toiletries and super 6, plus a mixing bowl. And some cheap pizza's as DD has a sleepover tonight.
£20 DH tesco, on shite.
£14 cinema, DD and boyfriend!! They are 14. I am sat in a cafe stretching a cappucino out as I didn't want to see The Avengers or play gooseberry. (£2).

Considering a Nutribullet. Anyone got one? Everyone I know has one and sings their praises. I don't need to loose any weight and I am naturally slim (6/8) and do eat healthily but I think this might use up all my odds and sods delivered from the market and encourage the DC.

Thoughts welcome, best I can find is £90.

NK hope things start looking up for you all

We're going out tonight. We never go out! My sister is baby sitting and we're off to watch Spooks at the cinema and for a burger at Five Guys. Dh is paying

Pass I put them in on the first day if the month, and take them out on the last day of the month. If I have a cold, I should take them out, but I usually don't need to.

I used to wear high water content ones, daily disposables, but always wore them for too many hours and hated having a day without them. My optician recommended I swap to these. The old ones were £30 a month, for 30 pairs, now I pay £17 for one pair, so the quality is much better.

I love them.

I know ouch to the cost but all budgeted or saved for so its okay... We only have one baptism and wedding so wanna make the best out of it

£15 cleanser
£15 Abercrombie and Fitch hoodie off eBay.

MissA has a nutribullet.

Eek! Spent another £32 in the garden centre. Too scared to check bank balance now!

Day out today with DS. A little spendy, but lovely.
£12.70 travel.
£12.70 Costa lunch. (Card payment.)
£1.85 to DS for a muffin.
£4 entry to museum.
£3.98 ice cream.
£1.45 crisps and sweets.
£39.35 Tesco delivery. (Card payment.)
£76.03 in total, if my rusty mental arithmetic is right!

Thanks for all the good wishes and flooring tips .

Meal plan for the week. I might need to swap a few days.
Sunday: afternoon tea. We went out for this when my brother was here last weekend, and it filled me up as much as a proper Sunday lunch. Fab though it was, I reckon I could do a good job of it at home!
Monday: gnocchi and pesto, with Quorn sausages and petit pois.
Tuesday: tofu and veg satay stirfry.
Wednesday: macaroni cheese with spinach.
Thursday: see Wednesday.
Friday: veggie burgers and wedges, maybe with salad too.

We're off to Go Outdoors today. We need about 3 small items for camping plus we're a bit sad and we like looking round all the tents! We always come back with things we hadn't planned to buy though, I bet we end up spending loads!

Got a sainsbury delivery coming this morning about £50. Should be it for today.

If anyone is interested the 25% off starts on Tuesday in sainsbury clothing I think

need I have a nutribullet and I have used it every day since it came.

It is great for using up fruit or veg that's a wee bit frowzy, also it obliterates greens so you can hide them in a banana and berry smoothie and DC will never know
It's also super easy to wash as it is just two pieces. The cup you drink it out of is the lid and then there's a blade that twists on and off, so much less hassle than a normal food processor.
I am usually a 6-8 but have put on weight after surgery in Nov, hoping to lose it by exercise and healthy eating!

Morning All - been a busy week here trying to wade my way through the moral dillemas my mum's illness has thrown up (hopefully these are on their way to being sorted). Yesterday was spent taking her for yet another scan - I was able to escape for a couple of hours and do my spice shopping (35 - but couldn't get a few things and forgot some others). The waiting room was a very emotional place - I have nothing but admiration for the staff there. They were sympathetic without being cloying and the appointments were managed in a way that no patient met another. It would have been awful to have been sat waiting in a room with others still in shock of a diagnosis and all unexpectedly having to contemplate their own mortality.

In the fun packed day it was I also managed to get the monthly shop in -179 at Aldi. With the DIY cooking it has reduced the bill considerably. Can I just say dry cure bacon is very easy to do.

NK We have a friend who looked awful after a stroke, but has made a fantastic recovery. Make sure she is taking her physio seriously as we had another friend who seems to wollow in the attention and hasn't made such a great recovery.

Creme you will need to ask your HA about changing the meters. Some are really receptive to it - others worry about people leaving an unpaid bill at the end of the tenancy. Check your lease clauses too. Also while you are talking to them some will decorate your house and add a little bit to the rent so you don't have a huge one off outlay.

La Chatte - undrunk wine, in France .... don't be suprised when you have people inviting themselves to stay.

That sounds tough unescorted you've given me a great idea though I'm now planning my next cheap holiday at LaChatte's

It's the return of the village fete season we won't go to many but are going to one today. Dh can pay for anything.

Shall we just gatecrash? Pointless can bring the tents...

I'm in!

peonies Thanks for that, that's great information. I love the word 'frowzy' I have ordered one. Having a good month, spending wise. Should really out the money to something sensible but hey ho. Reviews on Amazon are brilliant.

unescorted Tough, very tough. Take care. Glad you got a bit of a break.

I have ordered some dog food online this morning, but I budgeted for this. Also, some hoof ointment for the pony as her feet are dry, but the dog food was cheaper, so I have only spent the budgeted amount.

Taking DD and her friends shopping today, but hopefully dropping off and one of the other mums will pick up and it will be a waste of another day, sitting in a cafe waiting for them.

We pay the DC an 'allowance' into their accounts each month, and they have cards. Theoretically they can spend it as they wish, but the idea being they are sensible and budget accordingly. Amazing, they both do, both spend way less than their allowance. Life lessons and all that, they are teens after all. I will give her a fiver for a Macdonalds, but that's it.

Will also order a fruit and veg delivery later.

One tip I will give- I always always use almond milk or similar and not water as recipes in book suggest. I found it was horrible with water! Some people do genuinely like it though, but worth considering if your first smoothie is horrid to try blending with a milky liquid.

You can probably make almond milk in a nutribullet.

Wow audit, 30 days! Without a break? That's amazing. When I wore contacts I was allowed to wear disposables once a month for 4 hrs. That's it...otherwise I could've got an ulcer . I had a cataract op at 30 so have got a weak prescription with an astigmatism now so only wear specs for driving/cinema.

Yesterday spent £21 on swimming lesson, £7 present (beer and chocs as male teacher), £3 flowers for friend (special offer on a big bunch), £34 fruit n veg, milk etc and £12 on a new frying pan as the non stick non my tefal had disappeared. .. oh and £30 babysitter (owch).

Today planning nsd, park/bike/housework etc

Got my car insurance renewal through, £293, sounds ok? I have so much other paperwork to do I might just accept it? What do you all pay?

No pass don't do it! I pay £50 a year less than that (including interest for paying monthly) for dh and me on my car.

unescorted
So grocery shopping day so 60 in lidl and 30 in other supermarket. And 30 on petrol...
I pay in Denmark 350 per year for my car insurance and that covers both the by law decided coverage and extras to be on the safe side

Passthecake have a look in quidco or topcashback before you accept your renewal. I did mine with Tesco last year, £214 and then got £40 cash back so £174! A few weeks later I also got a £30 Tesco gift card through the post that was also part of the deal that I didn't realise at the time

Mines £143 after cashback. Do a quick go compare quote or something.

To put it into context, Dh pays that for us to drive a posh car with a dvla notifiable illness (type II DIABETES) and I've got points on my licence plus a non fault accident thy always ask about.

I am treating myself to breakfast at the airport on the way to Rome.

Currently trying to convince myself I don't need to buy the £100 Oakley sunglasses I have seen. Last year a wave stole my Oakleys , the ones I have seen are like Aviators......

Annoyed with myself as I forgot to ask for a receipt for the cab to the airport, but work will pay anyway. £22, must remember for claim!