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

[Fluffycloudland77]

No kettle or toaster? Why not?.

[Pointlessfan]

Yes we used to waste loads of money too, the worst thing was we used to live near a lovely Indian restaurant and we went in every Friday to get the weekend off to a good start. Then we realised we were spending over £100 a month in there and stopped. We could have paid off loads of our mortgage with that money!
Anyway I just came back to say thank goodness for this thread! After I posted earlier I remembered our mortgage, council tax, insurance and almost every other bill went out today but I'd forgotten to transfer my pay into the right account. It had gone overdrawn but luckily I did a quick online transfer and escaped the charge. Set it up as a standing order while I was at it, I don't want to make that mistake again!

[Unescorted]

H&S risk apparently I think they are joy suckers. They have objected to us having plants in the office too.

We did the Friday night out thing too - we have cut it down to once a month.

[Fluffycloudland77]

We have a fish supper once a week but it's £7 for both of us and Dh really enjoys it.

I used to earn £800 a week. I was paid weekly. By the next pay day there was often nothing left.

I don't know where it all went. I'd be flipping loaded if I earn the that much now.

It's better to realise and change though than never change.

[needastrongone]

Never heard of such tosh unescorted

We have a takeaway about once a fortnight and very rarely eat out. We have loads of stuff that we could do without though, I am listening to a playlist I have just put together on Deezer. Tenner a month for unlimited music streaming on all our devices. My car streams it too, being a certain flashy model, DH's doesn't ha ha. However, we are music nuts in this house, so prefer a tenner a month spent here to a takeway.

I listen to loads of new stuff, DH is a bit stuck in the 80's, DD is completely alternative and DS is a bit of a heavy metal dude, all tastes catered for Although, I stuck some of U2's early stuff on today and forgot how good they were before they got pretentious!

fluffy I think we all have thoughts like that though, how much we have frittered. On the other side, we know a couple that have been hell bent on retiring as early as they can. They are obsessed with frugality. All the stuff they could have done with their kids........I am glad we took the kids to Disney and that money isn't in our pension pot. It's all a balance.

Oh Ellie Goulding then Mumford and Son then Hozier, I am off to dance!!

[LaChatte]

The Joshua Tree was a great album. Can't stand U2 now though!

[Pointlessfan]

A tenner a month on music for all of you is good value, I'd have spent that on one cd as a teenager although most of my music was compilation tapes recorded off radio one!

[ItalianWiking84]

So spend of the day,60 on Mother's Day gift, 25 on groceries, got 10 back on pfand so all in all fine day ??

[Brokentopieces]

first day of the month- NSD

[AdoraBell]

Got through to them on Skype, for a moment they said they couldn't process a payment because I don't have a UK address. They've only been sending my statements here for 8 years It's sorted now though.

I also love U2's old stuff, and used to spend more than I could afford on music, both CDs and concerts.

NSD today and tomorrow should be too. DD1 keeps pestering me for "sleepover food" but the food budget is spent this week and I'm not starting on next week's for crap. Besides, I've spent money on biscuits and fizzy drink for school already.

[HelenF350]

I'd like to join too. I'm almost 32 weeks pg and just away to start hols then maternity leave. DP has been made redundant so need to tighten our belts. I'm fairly frugal anyway and have been saving half my monthly salary for the past year in preparation for maternity leave, but would like to get some more hints and tips.

[babsmam]

Hi.Helen and welcome.
£4 for beavers and £4.80 in the butchers for Saturday cooked breakfast

[Unescorted]

Hi Helen everyone is welcome in this little corner - the only thing we aren't frugal with is friendliness. Congratulations on the soon to be a new arrival. What sector does your Dh work in - between us we can look out for something for him.

I am a bit cross, which seems to be a constant at the moment, I got Dh to log on to our DMP site - he had told me it would be finished in June (the bunting has been made) unfortunately it is November.... 6 more months of skintness. At least Christmas will be OK. Just the summer hoilday I had planned in my head has gone south.

Good news is that my car (super fuel efficient lease car from work) will be delivered soon. That will save me 13.50 a week on bus fares and I can start clocking up business miles again.

Today I will be making clothes with my DD - I have fabric and a stash of things from the charity shop which need refashioning to make them wearable. It always helps to have a second pair of hands to help with the pinning.

[HelenF350]

He works in oil and gas in quite a specialised role, nothing suitable going now due to the price crash. He's only had a couple of jobs in his life so it's a bit of a culture shock having to look for one. He will just have to take whatever he can find for the moment. I am thankful I've saved and that he's been overpaying the mortgage and has savings too. It's just very unfortunate timing. I did get a nice surprise yesterday though, an email to say is win a £50 voucher for a local restaurant in a competition, so that will be a nice treat.

I'd love to be able to make clothes, my mum used to all the time when I was growing up. Some amazing jumpsuits etc in the 80's. I did not inherit her creative talents though, I'm a maths geek like my father. Give me anything practical and I'm hopeless. Been thinking about taking up knitting or crochet as I've got very bad spd so am going stir crazy at home. I'm not sure I could do it though. My usual hobbies are running and hillwalking but that's a bit difficult on crutches!

[Unescorted]

I feel your pain - I fell run. 2 years ago I twisted my knee and nearly went mad. I am just getting back into it, hopefully back racing this summer.

Sewing is easy - start with things that require straight lines and then progress onto more complex things. I started with you tube, a couple of books and cheap fabric. If you can follow a recipe then you can sew - take your time (especially on the cutting) and if it goes wrong unpick and do it again. I find knitting and crochet much harder because I keep losing count of the stitches / rows. At least with sewing I can see where I am up to.

Oil & gas is hard at the moment, although I suspect he has a lot of transferable skills. The project management element can be used in construction and engineering sectors - I know BAe (Barrow) & Nugen (west coast of Cumbria) are looking for people.

[Fluffycloudland77]

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/credit_crunch/2270347-Frugal-January-everyone-welcome For the newbies and any lurkers.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/legal_money_matters/2317797-Debt-mutual-support-thread-number-7-Spring-is-coming-let-the-sun-shine-into-your-finances-and-your-life The incredibly useful debt thread.


Welcome Helen.

Typical bh weather.

[girliefriend]

Can't believe the weather!! What is it about bank holidays?!! Its so dark and cold here you would be mistaken for thinking its flipping November not May

So my friends got stuck in bank holiday traffic ystd and with a young baby with them lost the will and went straight onto where they were staying! Going to pop in on Sunday instead though. Hoping the chocolate brownies will last till then

Today will be spendy ish £6 on a diving lesson for dd and £15 horse riding, the horse riding is already budgeted for though.

Will take food and drink with us so hopefully no other spends.

Meal plan this week.

Today Sausage roast
Sunday Toad in the hole with veg
Monday pesto pasta with tuna and salad
Tuesday Jacket spuds with beans and cheese. (with salad as well)
Wednesday Bacon with salad and coleslaw
Thursday something from the freezer (fishfingers, chips and beans probably)
Friday Brinner maybe or Jacket spuds again.

[northender]

Welcome newbies this thread is an amazing place

Dh has gone to football today but that's all paid/budgeted for. Ds is spending the afternoon with his mates I think so dd and I are going to go out maybe for a walk and then to a local village festival. The main expense should be no more than £10 for drinks, scones and ice cream, yum.

Tomorrow ds (13) plays his first senior cricket match so I'll be proud mum, weather permitting!

Have a lovely Bank Hol everyone, despite the weather.

[babsmam]

Brr hope the weather improves. £46 in morrisons but not all food. Still need to meal plan and shop online as can't go Monday as normal cos will have 2 extra spendy dc with me.
They want to go to soft play hell this afternoon. Ugh

[ItalianWiking84]

Been in to town today, 15£ in the health store, 25£ in h&m for dd and now going to do the grocery shopping for next week... We have 20degrees and full sun so enjoying being in the garden with dd

[prettymess]

NSD yesterday.
£20 on groceries this afternoon.

[babsmam]

Holy cow. £21 in soft play. £28 in the range getting pack lunch boxes and pressie for some of the 4 parties this month

[ItalianWiking84]

So 50ish in the first supermarket (discount place) and 30ish at the other place. But that also includes meat for making tomato sauce and chili con carne and all next week stuff
Food plan is
Sunday tomato sauce and fresh totelinis
Monday eating at grandparents
Tuesday chili con carne
Wednesday flæskesteg
Thursday cordon bleu
Friday medister
Saturday fish

[Fluffycloudland77]

NSD.

[Laska42]

NSD but that only because we went out for lunch only to find we couldnt get in our usual place (or find any others were open nearby) ..

Get this for sheer bad business sense ... its a 'holiday' Island we live on and Its a bank holiday weekend .. ok the weather is not great but the place is rammed with visitors ( I met Dh off a full boat last night) . But the seaside resturant bar we went to , had not enough staff working, no gas on and so no beer etc running in the bar, and a table for lunch only if you wanted to wait an hour or more .. and It wasnt that they were booked out either they had lots of empty tables and only 6 or 7 used but they couldnt cope with the 'unexpected rush'!! ..

What bloody seaside joint in a popular holiday destination on a bank holiday weekend doesnt make sure it has enough staffin /food/ beer ? We go there all year round (and although we dont expect special treatment of course ), its gutting as a regular to see them b*lls it up so badly on a weekend when they could be doing so well.

Anyway so instead of spending £60ish on lunch we came home and had pate on toast!.

I'll be doing baked eggs in spicy sauce for this evening.. and we wont be going out for lunch tomorrow as I have a chicken to cook.