July Frugal thread, Just chatting and saving.

[Fluffycloudland77]

Everyone welcome.

Wow yes that must be really difficult and must require an awful lot of patience - I had certainly never imagined added vitamins could be problematic! It's great that you're getting to the bottom of it though and that he can tell you how he's feeling after eating things.

Nsd here.

Pay day tomorrow and I probably don't need to spend much more over the next few days.
Am going to try and keep within a very tight budget this month and put some money aside at the end of it.

Just found this - 12 ways to be a frugal foodie - I think I do most of them already tbh (apart from still haven't got a slow cooker!) link

A NSD here.
I seen this place for sale, there are a few downsides. I'm not sure.

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-50772463.html

www.tesco.com/direct/tesco-scss12-3l-slow-cooker/173-0852.prd?pageLevel=&skuId=173-0852 £12 slow cooker.

Do you like the flat? It needs decorating but you could make that lovely and the views are gorgeous.

GreAt link Girlie. Am wondering what the cheapest way is to buy bulk rice and pasta. We live in the sticks so not near an Asian supermarket

What can I get friend's DD for her 10th birthday - less than £10?
She loves Claire's Accessories and the like but it needs to look like a decent present.

Adora I love your language auto corrects

Should be a nsd today got a friend and her dd coming round.

Morning everyone
Hope you've all had good week and wkend! Will read through thread and catch up.
Work is madness at moment and been inconveniently taking up too much of my time

Tent has arrived! campsite booked! very excited...just need to get rest of camping stuff now

Sunday was a big spend day but I've done a month's shopping. Budget for food 400 for month. My goal is to get that down.
Between Home Bargains, Aldi and Tesco. Spent 245 pound altogether. Will get fresh bits and pieces as I go.
Also spent 12pound for ds on books in whsmith.

peppa I'd ask Claire's accessories if they do a voucher then biryhdsy girl could maybe choose what she likes.

peppa re bulk buying rice and pasta....there's a wholesaler called Makro. Public like us can shop theyre but have to get a card or sign up first (sorry unsure) and think they sell bulk everything food wise...so I'm told. Might be worth seeing if one nearby.
My DP works in catering and keeps telling me I need to go..I've been lazy and haven't yet Goal before next month's shop.

Costco is a similar thing to Makro too, so worth searching for that too. Not that I've been to either! My friends go often though.

Peppa Claire's definitely do vouchers as DD1 has one to spend.

Have realised next month will be horrific.

School shoes all round, new uniform for DS(estimate £250-300), few bits for the girls' uniform.

DS's birthday, plus 2 birthday parties (not including DS), and 2 nieces and aunt/BIL/SILx2 birthdays.

Sorry to hear about the weather, beautiful here in Greece

Good thing about Costco is that although you do have to pay to be a member, if you don't think it's been worth it then you can cancel and get your membership fee back. Which we definitely need to do because all we've ever bought from there are muffins and a crate of San Pellegrino...

Costco is good, but you need to buy in bulk to make it any cheaper than Aldi or Lidl I think. However, that's kind of the point of it, so bulk buys of staples would really work.

evil I think the flat looks lovely, only needs a lick of paint. You could even paint the kitchen cupboards. Very light and airy. What are the downsides?

ipsos Would it be worth getting your DS fully diagnosed at all? You might then be able to access professional advice, even if it simply substantiates your own findings?

Should be a LSD here, I have just paid £3.20 for a Massimo Dutti vest on Ebay

Oh, and I've been invited to 2 weddings so need gifts and a dress

ipsos might be worth asking your gp for referral to paediatrician/dietician rather than you tackling this on your own...although it sounds like your doing things so well. They may be able to identify the particular element/elements that are causing your little one problems you may need to request 2/3 times for referral as gp will look to see if there is anything that they can see causing the issue

evil how exciting!!!! your flat hunting. Flat looks great but go and see it..see if you get the home feeling. Are you renting at moment?

Wrote a long post last night which the iPad must have swallowed.
Listed 3 items on eBay yesterday. Ds' outgrown clothes, things that seem to do well. The 2 t shirts have already had 10 bids between them, have lots of watchers and 2 people have asked for buy it now prices . I listed 3 bigger items on fb and a friend has bought ds' old wetsuit for £10.
Any extra money coming in is going to go towards having our driveway done in September/October. It's a job we've been waiting years to have done and were determined to do this year. Then £3k on ds' chest bracing & £1800 on the car have almost wiped the budget. Determined still to have it done without borrowing any more money, will be a challenge!

Meal plan for the week
Sun curry from the freezer
Mon frittata & salad
Tues spaghetti Bol
Wed chicken fajitas
Thurs toad in the hole
Fri burgers
Sat food at 21st birthday party

adora loving your autocorrect too . £700 on a phone . Is your dh staying over here too then? I thought he was staying in Chile for a while?

collie that's great!! just seen were both doing same thing ref shopping. I've tried for a month and meal planned too. And saved last month and this one do you mind me asking what meals you've planned?

I've stuck to a very boring rigid set of meals that the kids tend to insist on each week...hoping to stretch their horizons a bit more.

a little while ago somebody mentioned quorn mince chilli, saying to add some bovril /marmite...how much would you add??

Massive food shop arrived. Just watching Obsessive Compulsive Cleaners to try and inspire myself to clean up resting and then I'll make a start on the cooking. Going to try leek and potato soup in the slow cooker this time as it's much bigger than our biggest pot. I'll do the tomato and veg sauce in the normal pot though as that makes about 6 meals' worth as it is.

Sorry for waffling, am just thinking aloud!

Sorry bombarding the thread this morning....getting my frugal fix in before start work (hoping it's a quiet week)

avocado could I grab your recipe for your Dahl pls?

signing off and heading into the trenches (crossing fingers that it'll be a quiet week and won't be leaving dp to do washing again...I'm sure he's colour blind)

And I know what you mean about a rigid menu wheely I'm so very bored! But it's difficult to try much new if you have a limited budget and risk the DCs (DS particularly in my case) not eating it.