Marvelous Frugaleers - May the Money Magic Continue into June

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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.

Spent 18£ on a little too up today and tomorrow I'll so groceries for next week and for Sunday where we celebrate dds birthday

And thanks for all the nice greetings and thoughts

I suspect there's a clause in the credit agreements that says they can raise the interest rates if they give you so many days notice.

Do you do the standing order trick?.

I did forget to mention my frugal win.

I got my M&S vouchers today. We bank with M&S and have their CC. DH also puts all his expenses on the CC, to gain points, circa £3k per month as there is usually a couple of long haul flights per month.

£80 of vouchers.

Also thinking of selling eggs. I have 8 chickens now. That's a load of eggs!!

fluffy - what is the standing order trick?

Crikey - I have only been away for 2 days haven't I? You lot have been busy, think I'm all caught up.
Italian hope you are ok and sporting that's dreadful, hope the police give them a proper bollocking.
DD loved camping so that means we can have some more nice cheap breaks! She's been in her element toddling round a big field and she adored the cows in the next field! She's been really cute. Not spent much either £15 on the campsite and another £15 on lunch yesterday plus we bought a couple of ice-creams and a Bakewell tart which we've bought home to have later so all in all it was a great success.

The standing order trick

Courtesy of TalkInPeace.

Look at the DD minimum payment on the credit card. Pay that plus an extra £5 by standing order each month. You'll pay it off much quicker, Tip quotes a couple of years V 20 odd years to pay a balance if you just make minimum payment every month.

The credit cards bank details will be on the back of the bill, set up the standing order to go in a week before it needs to be there to allow for bank holidays etc.

bantam you set up a Standing Order for the minimum payment as it is this month plus what you can afford extra, say £5 or £10 but even £1 is enough.

Then, as long as you stop using the card, more and more of that small payment goes off the balance each month, whereas if you just pay the minimum then you're mostly clearing interest rather than principal.

cross post!

I checked my credit report yesterday, thankfully no nasty surprises.

DH car in garage, prob £1600 of repairs needed after he hit a deer.

V pleased. Apart from new tyre £67, NSD, and I was gagging for a glass of wine!

£13ish on treats for my team on my last day of my commuting job, start new job on tues. They were so nice about me resigning so early on in the role. ...I feel quite sad to leave them. I'd done 16 days in total. ..2 days annual leave, 2 bank holidays and 2 days sick made my month short!

£23 asda bits n bobs including 5p half baguettes that aren't really a saving as we've scoffed them on top of dinner

we paid off £17,944 of debt a few years ago and we had about £1,500 of savings for emergencies to avoid having to use credit for that, we also budgeted things like Christmas in to avoid overspending on known extra outgoings.

I wouldn't have more than an emergency fund like that though.

Ipsos I don't tend to do that. ...I tend to go to the gym/have a bath/watch a film, generally go a bit introverted when I am having issues. my problem is that I have trouble opening my purse and then I can't shut it again

I saw one of the nurses who did my interview a couple of months back (the one I came second in). She said someone had resigned and she asked HR but they said she had to interview again. She wants me to interview and said I'll probably get the job but obv she can't guarantee it.

spotty sounds good! Are money/location/prospects better?

Hi everyone, just back from London! Had a great time, am completely knackered and scared to look at the bank account though

Reckon def spent £200 ish on 'stuff' but we saved money by not really eating out just eating on the go! Saw the Railway Children which was fabulous and I recommend it to anyone.

Also my cat which was on deaths door on Monday has seemingly made a full recovery - honestly this is the second time we started planning this puss cats funeral haven't had all her blood tests back yet but she doesn't have leukaemia which was a huge relief.

Pass it's better money and prospects but 20 miles away and I still have the childcare issue

Glad you had a good time girlie and that your cat is seemingly on the mend

Ipsos

Would it be cheaper to get subscriptions to your favourite magazines? you can get cashback on them plus if you check on the internet you might get a free gift too.

Library's are very underrated too, they have free magazines like OK! in my local.

I like to check second hand book shops too for gardening stuff.

Snap collie!

Yes ipsos I do. This month has been a nightmare and I have an addiction to food magazine. But I try and only subscribe through offers. That and exercise classes. When life is too busy my plans go out the window and I take the least stressful, easiest and usually most expensive route.

Glad to hear about girliecat

Small top-up shop on washing powder and stuff (was on offer so bought enough to last a couple of months).

DH has decided he would like us to have a party for his birthday, so we've put up an open invitation in the staff room (we teach in the same school). The idea of people coming over has prompted me to get my arse into the garden to start sorting it out (party is in just over two weeks), I can see I'm going to have to spend a bit of money and a lot of time getting it looking nice enough for guests! I now know what to hint at for mother's day (Sunday), I do love a brightly coloured pot plant!