August Frugaleers Part II

[PeoniesforMissAnnersley]

Thought I would start a new one since the old one is full!

I'm single so only the one account here I do have two savings accounts though, one is an ISA which is the main savings account and the other is a basic savings account which is solely for the car related stuff.

Just checked my account and the tax credit people have given me a random £50 ringing them tomos but no idea what that is for! It has meant that I have achieved my goal of not going over drawn this month. Given its the summer hols that is nothing short of miraculous

Oh my goodness...I have just read the first page of 'slow cooked porn' thread!!!!!! it is my new favourite thing on so many levels and frugal = free laughs.

TIM!

Investigate frozen meat and frozen vegetables, tonight we had beef stew with frozen diced beef and frozen casserole veg. I sling the bag of frozen beef in with half s bag of frozen casserole veg, water, stock cube, tomato purée, seasoning and let it go. Having a slow cooker is fabulous and uses less energy than the cooker.

If anyone is looking for brushed cotton sheet sets for winter, Dunelm have them in their sale (1 fitted, 1 flat and 2 pillowcases) - a double set is £16.50.

Where is that thread Ursula?

I am watching BBC1 like this Ann Robinson is worth something like 50 million which makes me feel a bit twitchy about her judging a single mum

Dd needs more sheets.....

Flip this woman has just spent more than I earn in a month of about 3 items of clothes

Watching it too, Girlie. Hmm...

Pleased you had fun, Spotty.

Welcome Fish! I second baked beans and toast. My kid would live on it if he could.
I failed not to buy a coffee today! BUT I don't feel bad about it because it was very much a conscious failure. As in I switched the washing machine on, sat down at desk to work, realised I just couldn't. It was a choice between going to bed to work (I can't work like that - I just fall asleep), or not doing the washing (we needed it done), or going out, and I decided the only way I'd actually get anything done was to go out. So I went out and spent £2.30 on a flat white. That is all I've spent all day however.
I think I have to just accept that I need to go out and sit somewhere nice to work, and save money elsewhere, like on groceries. We are meant to be moving to a bigger place so if that comes off, things will be different - if I can just get out of earshot of the washing machine!!
Accounts - we have always just had a current one each (not counting ISA) but we have just opened a joint one for bills and household daily expenses. Not using it yet as waiting for them to send the PINs.

Evening, welcome to the new folk. This is such a lovely, kind, friendly thread. Everyone is very supportive. We all have differing spending goals and incomes.

Today was interesting, spend-wise.

I took DD to town to get fitted for a bra. She has big boobs, which she hates, as she's slim, a size 8, but then hides behind baggy T Shirts.

So, I took the plunge and took her to Bravisismo. I might add here that I have no boobs, so any old bra does me, Bravissimo was a revelation! I ended up only buying one bra for her at £24, and a bikini at £40, but I think, for her, they will help with her self confidence. At pony club camp, they stayed on a large farm, with a swimming pool and she wouldn't go in the pool once. Hoping these things will help. I will buy my stuff from Primark

Spent another £50 in Primark, mainly on DD, for the holiday. She has a whole wardrobe full of riding clothes and nothing else. Going on holiday this year has proved costly. I need swim shorts for DS now and I think that's it. All will be fine for next years holiday.

£10 on two weeks training and £7 on lunch.

Slow cooked chicken curry for tea, using chicken legs.

girlie I literally just typed 'slow cooked porn' in the mn search engine - first thread found! I also just watched britain's spenders. I was most annoyed with hard-working-tabitha's husband who then went and judged the other family for spending an average of £12.50 per child per week on activities; some of which may have been essential childcare costs.

john I think you made the right decision in the circumstances but also personally think you're crazy...the sound of a washing machine is my most relaxing sound in the world! Especially that lovely slow slosh at the beginning. Ours in now housed in the downstairs loo/utility - not such a relaxing place to hang out! I'd love ours to be in the kitchen!

:D Ursula each to their own!
Ipsos that sounds lovely but I have to work on a laptop & not sure it'd go down well with the vicar... :)))

Sorry john just reconsidered my comments after reading a thread about DH snoring issues (I am currently suffering)...an annoying noise is totally subjective and a small kitten, an ice-cream van or the running of a hot bubble bath can be infuriatingly annoying depending on the circumstances/individual!

I'd get a 3.5l one. It's big enough for a chicken but not too big to store.

The trick is not to add extra liquid to anything. Even tinned tomatoes need draining.

I'm tempted to buy a different slow cooker. Mine is really large, but separated into 2 different sections. Useful if I want to spice up the grown ups portion and leave the kids a little more bland, but no good for a chicken or joint.

Crikey, apparently my user name is on 'the list' as one of those being hacked!! Have changed my password but do I need to do anything else immediately? (Got to go out and have time to read through all the HQ stuff)

Thanks everyone!

I do have a slow corner, use it a lot during winter but hardly through the summer, although saying that I did use it yesterday to make a large bolognaise. I have frozen 4 individual portions left over.

I have just been through my 2 freezers ( I have a small chest freezer and a 4 drawer freezer under the fridge).
I discovered I had:-
12 packets of sandwich thins (all reduced so not cost me any more than 39p) but still 12 packets!!! DDs normally have them for sch lunches
3 bags of 8 bread rolls
2 bags of crumpets
4 bags of bagels
and in my freezer under my fridge
2 more packs of sandwich thins
2 bags of bagels opened

I really think I need to step away from the sandwich thins and bread products!

Obviously I have meat, fish and homemade soup in freezer too. I treated myself last year to a soup maker - I think its fab, not sure if its economical or not but within 20 mins of putting all your ingredients in its already to eat and blended to perfection!

I will look into the frozen veg, although I did initially try DC on broccoli and cauliflower and they really noticed the difference and refused to eat it unless I made a cheese sauce to go with it. But I guess mixed veg would be good to go in casseroles through winter.

Things I know I need to do before the winter sets in is to finish off my blinds for my bedroom window, I had a lot of building work done to my bedroom and have not had any window covering since - keep getting the fabric out, I iron it and then put it away again. I also need to get a blind for the downstairs loo and also the kitchen. DC and I moved into this house last November so still finding out what works best for us.

I first started reading this thread last month when you were talking about gas and electricity providers and it made me realise that I was merrily paying £78 in total a month for gas/electricity but no idea if I was in debt or in credit. I checked it out and discovered that I was over £200 in credit. The next day I received an e mail to say that the company will drop my payments to £45 a month due to me being in so much credit. Here comes my worry!! Do I keep that £200 plus in their bank account collecting interest on my money or do I ask for a refund? Part of me wants to be in credit what with the winter just around the corner and we didn't have the whole of the winter in this house due to a lot of building work going on so have no idea how much it will cost to heat etc.... Any advice?

Yesterday was a LSD, ran out of onions and mushrooms so sent DD off to Tesco and it cost £1.65. Not planning on going out today so fingers crossed for a NSD.

I do have an Aldi nearby (well about 7 miles) and I know I should use it more often.