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.

Ended up spending £20 on cat food and litter today. Just realised we are almost out of dishwasher tablets too.
I made some lovely biscuits and bread out of boredom as much as anything. I haven't really got going today. If it wasn't for having to feed and entertain DD it would have been a duvet day!

Hi all girlie sorry to hear your friends news.
missa I get up 5 morns a week at 5.30 today's Sat so ds decided 5am seemed like a good wake up time today!!!
I got loads done today. Really happy now if ds could just go to sleep I could put dd to bed & then either crash in front of tv or get kindle out & curl up with that.

I had a really good weeks earnings with my self employed second job so paid a chunk of each credit card & will buy tyres also within a few weeks.

My bro & sister in law visit tomo so I've a joint of pork in slow cooker for pulled pork baps, also going to do taco mince & have burgers got too if the day is good will be a pick n mix bbq type affair then we can have leftovers for dinner following day. Going to

This week is going to be crazy as between au pairs, dd on last week at playschool & I've 3 nights at my second job as well. So need dinners sorted so we don't end up with takeaways or horrible freezer dinners! Like chips & fish fingers!

Purchased jeans & a personalised mug for dh for fathers day. Df I ordered lettering to stick on to his tractor at local sign makers, frugal win there was no charge!

Ipsos I was thinking of getting dd(5) a tablet for Christmas what should I get her?! (You obv know your stuff )

142! Mrs D!!!!!

If it helps we had 21 bikes at one stage.... now down to 7 with another on the way.

My new car arrives on Tuesday. Can't wait. Our Fleet person had to get v. stroppy with the lease company because they said it was going to be ready nearly a month ago. That is going to save 58.60 on bus fares.

Pay day is Monday I would not reccommend running out of money mid month. Just as well we had well stocked cupboards and freezer. Both looking very empty now. We are right down to the randoms now... Tomorrow we have a choice of lamb or pork with pasta, having run out of rice, cous cous and potatoes.

need Any till receipt, you have to input them manually. It's boring but it tells you the cheapest shop. Love the vase, we only have tat in our local charity shops. It's in a naice area too. I need to finish this house too, just need the cash to do stuff.

Your dh sounds bored of the towels, has he seen the price of towels recently?. Theres a shop in Yorkshire that does really expensive towels, £95 for a hand towel. I wonder if they use them to line the cat box in case it wees like I do.

£13 on a shop of soft stuff for dh to eat. He made me buy ready meals.

I hope you like the new car unescorted.

Ipsos we are not skinflints, we are awesome!

ipsos it is great isn't it.... celebrating the unbranded, homemade and cheap. I like to think it is the independent spirit in us. Everyones experience on here goes to show that you can have a good quality of life without spending a fortune for the privilliage.

I know we live better since embracing frugality. The food is better, we have more time together doing "fun", we communicate better and have a shared vision. When we were spending on the latest stuff it was papering over cracks that really needed tackling.

It is a celebration of appreciation of the small pleasures. 10 years ago I would not have taken joy from a good loaf of bread, a tasty sausage, flat seam or a decent bottle of beer. Now I can see the skill that goes into making small, everyday things and value them more - even if I haven't made them.

Fluffy It had better be good. I haven't test driven one and am not quite sure of the colour so Tuesday is going to be a surprise. I am thinking of it like Christmas. Blue I too am going to be zipping here and there to get all the things I have been doing without because of a lack of transport. Hopefully as a "sorry" for the late delivery it has a full tank of diesel.

Right my plan for today is to find a decent jar ( we have some in the garage) and use it to do pickles a la Jack Monroe. I'm fed up of throwing away uneaten ends of cucumber but DH loves picked cucumber on his sarnies.
Meal plan:
Today - bruschetta for lunch using nice bread I made yesterday and over ripe tomatoes. Roast beef/ veggie sausages, Yorkshire pudding and veg for tea.
Tomorrow - quiche & salad
Tue - pasta with pesto and veg
Wed - slow cooker curry with butternut squash and chick peas
Thurs - something from freezer.
Yesterday we were browsing some recipe books and actually did a meal plan for the following week too but I'll save that until next week.

Thanks ipsos

Dd has a party this afternoon so we're having change our whole Sunday routine got a really cool present for £5 from the entertainer. Will be baths this morning and main meal at lunch time. I have to stay at the party as its at a farm park.

Pointless I was thinking of doing the pickles too. It seems a great way to use up the vege before I buy in any more.

Spotty have fun at teh party. I love petting farms, even though I can look out in the field behind and see the lambs and chooks from next door. My MIL has a farm with goats, chickens and geese (I hate geese!) so it is so much fun going to see the kids at Easter, although you get a warts and all view not the cute & fluffy version of farm animals. The conversation is along the lines of how many boy and girl kids there are and what the target date for the slaughter house is. Or which chicken is for the chop because it is no longer laying.

It's got massive bouncy pillows and loads of play things etc. it's crazy as we are pretty rural with farms everywhere but it's the only place nearby like it so they charge ££££

OUr local one isn't too expensive, and they do otters and owls mainly!

I'll let you know how they turn out unescorted.

Peppa I bought cat food in there on special offer.......

We don't really buy much frozen so I don't use there or Iceland.

People have ends of cucumber? I never heard of that! In our house that gets eaten by a random small person while salad or sandwiches are being made.

Dh has pissed me off. I asked him if he was coming with us to see my grandparents this morning but no, he can't because he needs to get my birthday card. My birthday is tomorrow. Once again I'm going to end up with some shitty last minute card from tesco and no gift. Not so worried about the gift as we've got lots planned this month but every year is the same no thought goes into it. Ffs is it so difficult to actually take it in when I say things like 'oh hummingbird bakery deliver I'd love some of those cupcakes' etc etc.

Girlie that's awful for your pal. I saw it on Facebook so it made it oop North.

Ipsos I love being a skinflint. It's a bit of a standing joke that I aim to never pay full price for anything. Frugal living is great but I need to get better at it. I threw a lot of food away as I didn't plan well enough for the weekend away.

Spent £60 in morrisons and got another voucher for a fiver so that will cover some of the top up in the week. Another £60 on a birthday night out with friends. That was between FB and I for drinks and a delicious curry. Had a sort out of the allotment yesterday and it's coming along fine. I'm pleased to see the rain although I know I'm in a minority here.

Need to go to lido for yoghurt but aiming to have a cupboard sort out this week and spend less on food.

Collie the move might affect your rating with the searches for a mortgage. Hopefully not much thought so you still get a decent rate.

Pricing up holidays for next year torn between Easter and August. I was DLP but do wants pool/beach.

Does anyone have a ken wood chef. I have decided I want one as my food processor is dying and I do bake a lot. There are second hand on eBay or not sure whether to go new?? Are they worth the cash? Not getting one for a while as need to save my £2 coins and put the first one in today.

Ah collie sorry to hear you had a bad dream.

Spotty that pisses me off too. I just got tot the point I leave a detailed list of options as it never seems to go,in with my do unless I become a stuck record. Although he did well for last weekend.

DH does well (usually) with presents, but he has very unreasonable expectations. For Father's Day I have bought DH 2 Egyptian cotton bath sheets (£16 each instead of £32), plus a box of liqueur chocolates and a bottle of beer with a dad label.

Someone asked if he was bored with the towers we have? I don't think so, I think he is being a towel snob. I use the towels far more than he does. I may get some towel reviver though.

Mrs D it was fine! Honestly. I put all my unwanted clothes in a huge pile and invited all my friends over and they picked anything they wanted and then we took the rest to a charity shop.

I am actually hoping t buy a few easy day dresses now but I'll cull a couple of sun dresses to make room.

I also still have my wedding dress which I know is silly as it's not like I will ever wear it again but I can't throw it out.

Babs I have the a Kenwood Chef. It is great for baking - cakes, bread etc. It isn't so hot as a food processor and I have a seperate (Kenwood) one for that. Mine is really old (20 years) so they may do attachments that do slicing and all of that jazz now. I know the new ones do mincers / sausage makers, juicers so I wouldn't put it past them.

I rate the Kenwood as a reliable brand - nowt fancy and the motors can be loud, but it does the job.