Marvelous Frugaleers - May the Money Magic Continue into June

[Unescorted]

Just setting up the new thread for the chatty Frugaleers.

By popular request - copied from January

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/other_subjects/1324074-For-those-who-cant-afford-to-use-central-heating-this-year-How-are-you-going-to-cope

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/credit_crunch/1543785-your-top-tips-for-money-saving-and-a-more-frugal-life

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/credit_crunch/1600030-Small-money-saving-habits-petty-even

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/credit_crunch/1628874-Gas-Elec-Bills-monthly-and-SKY-so-angry

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/mumsnet_classics/1911061-NO-MORE-COLD-MUMSNETTERS

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/_chat/2209167-Slow-Cookers-are-shit

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/_chat/2224969-saving-money

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/legal_money_matters/2258202-Debt-mutual-support-thread-number-6-start-the-new-year-with-a-clear-purpose-and-keep-moving-forwards-even-by-tiny-steps?

orchard.tesco.com/ Sign up to this.

www.topcashback.co.uk/home And this.

www.quidco.com/home/ And this

www.moneysavingexpert.com/ And this

www.moneysavingexpert.com/cheapenergyclub ditto.

www.checkoutsmart.com/ Plus this.

www.hotukdeals.com/all/deals/new?page=3 Check this daily.

£35 on diesel, £28 in sainsbury, £8 in motorway services as driving 3 hours to good food show in Birmingham. £173 for 2 nights in premier Inn. Got a frugal win by downgraded breakfast so £5 back. Unfortunately we forgot train tickets so that will go on them. . I have been saving my £2 coins and birthday money so have £150 saved to spend on goodies tomorrow.

Welcome new people

Sorry on phone and can't scroll back to get names.

Thanks collie. We aren't related, and I don't think dad and her really got married (i call her stepmum coz it's easier here than partner..) so there's no real relation if that makes sense. It will have to fall on her family I think.

Nsd. Tomorrow I have a facial booked £39 and a Pilates class £3? Oh and parking. It's ridiculous here... £1.50/h for city centre parking. They really don't see that that's just going to drive everyone to the big malls out of town?!

Tell me more about those kitchen makeovers coconut and collie... have never heard of the worktop vinyl! Was a bit worried they'd chip really easily if I painted the cupboards with two small kids, how are they holding up? Have seen those sticky tiles on amazon - do they go round corners? Or kitchen windows sill is tiled so they would need to be able to cover that too

We are gonna attempt a garden tidy up ourselves - dad is coming down tomorrow morning with a backup mower / strimmer etc and mum is taking the kids to toddlers. I'm not going to be beaten by a bit of nature! Good suggestion about buying some nice plants :) my only experience of gardening so far is cutting back overgrown stuff, Ive never even thought about planting things lol. I'd take you all a before / after photo but SILs are all on mumsnet so that'd be me outed!

Must checkout that slow cooker group, great tip about leaving the lid off to thicken sauces soles!

Called Virgin earlier and got upgraded broadband and £11 off per month for a year. Just said we were finding it a bit too expensive on mat leave (true!) so pleased about that :)

hello Margaritte welcome , youll find us a lovely friendly supportive bunch (no MN squabbles here!)

Phew what a scorcher .. there will be a lot of burnt festival goers today (IOW festival) . The town was deserted by lunch time today , as it seems everyone not going had left by lunchtime or not come into work today ..

I needed to go to Sainsburys and have never seem it so empty ( even got a car space near the door!) However i then proceeded to spend £105 .40 in there! . Feeding 7 people this weekend.. ( no festival goers) so it was beer, wine, juice, breakfast stuff and and barbeque food mainly ,(but i should get most of that back from DH .. his daughter and her family coming..

Then £12 in M&S on a cute baby outfit as present for DGD ( 6months) and £5 in boots sunhat for same..

I did however get 4 bottles of suncream reduced to £3 each in Boots also ! (cant work out why that was - on the main shelf they were £11! Anyway grabbed them quick .. two will go on holiday with us )

£22.98 in Waterstones books and card game for present for DSGS (aged 9)

Then gave DS £15 as he ran out of food and JSA not due until tomorrow.. .

HUM!! 167.98 in one day!!!!

But i had a very delicious and frugal dinner using only ONE sausage - cost no more than 50p for the meal I reckon. This could a be a new frugal meal for you all to make a pack of six sausages feed 4 or maybe more! ( bear with me.. it really was yum)..

You see on the meat counter they had some of their really nice sausages reduced to 38p each. 6 of one sort and just the one of another.. it seems that they couldnt pack them all up together so i ended up with a bag with just the one sausage in..

Froze the six (they will go on weekend barbie) and chopped up the remaining one herby sausage along with a large courgette s and a couple of (wilty) spring onions from the fridge, and end of red pepper then put it all in a pan with some chicken stock and tomato puree, and a handful of frozen sweetcorn simmered it with lid on until cooked,
Added splash of chilli and it really was nice! . With rice or pasta( iate it as it was) I reckon youd get a meal for four out of only 4 sausages (or 6 if feeling generous)

Collie thats funny you said that about the weekly shop as I have recently come to the same conclusion! I like my routine as well but think I can probably reduce my food bill more.

This month have done week 1 Lidls £17 and week 2 Morrisons £52 so my plan is two more smaller shops at Lidls now if possible

I just found £50! In my purse! It's my Xmas money from last year. I'd put it in a separate compartment then forgotten about it, assumed I'd spent it. I am so excited!! Can buy summer clothes - hooray!

pointless what a find!!

Every low spend day yesterday. I was working in Winchester, took my lunch with me. Only thing was I was so wrapped up in what I was doing, that I only had 2 coffees all say, so was really thirsty waiting for DD's at dancing. 60p on a bottle of water from the tuck shop for me, 15p on a pack of sweets for DD2.

I love Winchester!

Pointless - great find!!

Marking my place & then need to read the last 4/5 pages of the thread.
I've done well this week - did a food shop on Mon eve €120 & no trip to butchers & we're still doing ok. Must drop au pair to train tomo at 7am so I may end up doing my shopping in Mr T's as it'll be the only place open and will make use of the journey. Very sad to see her go, she's a fantastic girl and our children love her.

I worked 5 extra classes in addition to my normal working week so I've earned an extra week's wages this week - debated replacing my mobile with it but have now with my sensible frugaleers head decided to save €50 towards a phone and put half against each credit card instead. Will save this money weekly & purchase phone in by end of July with savings rather than on credit.

Tues & Wed were NSD - Mon spent a bit, yesterday got a few bits in Aldi €19 worth - shaving gel, deodarant for dh and chocolate spread filled pancakes for kiddies for early start sat am, pack of nuby kidsware(huge set) and a drinking cup for ds

thesesoles you just reminded me I bought a jar of jalfrezi sauce with intention of doing chicken curry in slow cooker and then with no visit to butchers I didn't have chicken fillets - There's one easy meal next week, just pick up bags of frozen peppers and onions in Tesco & throw them chicken & sauce in sc! Slow Cooker Saddos is also a great Facebook group

laska sounds like a fun filled weekend in your house! Pressies all round, good weather, bbq's and children running around.

I do something similar to you with sausages - sausages cut in chunks, peppers, onions, tinned tomato or passata and some herbs - casserole or on hob depending on time serve with pasta or crusty bread

pointless enjoy that spending - free money!

This thread has made such a difference to my life & way of thinking. Last year on reading here about school expenses I started putting away €20 per month for dd starting school...should come in under budget €10 to school for copies & €10 for book rental, €80 approx each on books & uniform + shoes + school bag

pointless Great find! I found £2 in my shorts pocket today and felt pleased!

Hi margaritte. We are a friendly bunch here. All have different incomes and finance goals, but with the same purpose and all mutually supportive.

My frugal win this week is the bloody chicken I roasted on Sunday, I think it might have been an ostrich without me realising . So far, we have had the roast, a thai curry, a chicken pasta bake and the weeks sandwiches from it. I made stock in the slow cooker from the carcass last night (I like the SC Facebook groups too). £4 well spent.

Otherwise, money seems to be flying out of the house without us actually spending anything significant.

Also realised that, because we haven't been abroad much in the last few years, all of us are going to need quite a few clothes when we go in August.

Today I will be doing an Aldi shop and the gardening and tidying all day. I have already walked the dogs as it's so hot here. I am very much looking forward to a day off!

Yesterday went on a visit connected to my studies which meant buying lunch and coffees out with the group, however spent under £10, the diet is benefiting my bank balance as well as my waistline as I'm cutting out the pastries, puddings and ice-creams.

Token present for friends's birthday £6.99.

Food from M&S about £10.

Saved money by travelling by bus instead of tube and resisted buying anything for myself at the shops.

Today will have be a bit spendy as celebrating friend's birthday - travel, food, tickets - but not too extravagant and I'm very pleased to be celebrating with her.

lilla In the same manner as you, we have been putting away money each month for the DC going to Uni. Initially just allocating a small endowment policy from years ago that we still pay into as their 'uni fund', but now, in addition, a specific fund too. I have a lot of friends with kids already there, and it is a bit re the cost.

Aldi was £80, including a lot of cleaning products, a mop, broom and toiletries, 3 bottles of wine. I have a £40 shop coming from Morrisons tomorrow for cheaper stuff, so £120 pw, or £40 pp.

So.... the magic Mumsnet chicken is true then need and I thought it was just an urban myth ..

So far its been a NSD.. and hopefully a NS weekend .. I dont think we will need anything else we are rammed with food and goodies and we have tons of home grown lettuce we can eat for salad ..

My Tilley hat arrived! Its fab (and suits me I think) , I'm so pleased with it ..

Its gone all grey and mis here! ( still hot though) we had a huge thunderstorm last night also.. I hope it not a rainy barbie tomorrow..

Well the visitors are on the boat.. I took the aftrenoon off and and the house is clean and tidy (for now) and looking nice.. I just picked a huge bunch of Michaemas daisies from the garden and put them in a big vase so all is looking quite good .. The onslaught is due to begin in half an hour (if they dont get lost finding us)!

..So I won't be back until Sunday most like.

Have a good weekend all..

Collie, glad you used the app. The card arrived today and ok it's not the biggest, but hey it's free and really cute

Well was going to be an NSD day until DH decided we needed wine!

Laska we need a photo of said Tilley hat