August Frugaleers Part II

[PeoniesforMissAnnersley]

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

needastrongone I just read back and saw that you are already thinking about uni expenses. It's the one thing that I really wish I'd thought about earlier! My son has done really well to just about manage his money, but he has friends who immediately spent their loans on Xboxes etc.

My son pays a third of his rent & living expenses from his loan/holiday job money. I pay another third, as does his dad, but that truly just covers the basics. He's going back early to his first ever shared house after the relatively easy ride of living in halls. Hopefully, because he'll be back before most other students, he'll get an early crack at any PT jobs going.

I taught him to cook daal yesterday. I think he'll be eating that a lot!

Aw, ipsos staring at the ceiling isn't ever optimal, but we're only human. I hope you cut yourself a little mental slack. Parenting is definitely tough, especially when bleary-eyed with tiredness. Hard to believe that it passes when you're knee-deep with few people close by to lean on. offers shoulder

I love the power that understanding where the cash goes lends. Such a simple thing, but easy to avoid tackling.

Back from holiday to find I couldn't get into my account, needed a new password and everything! Seems like I have a lot to catch up on. Just marking place until I've unpacked and have time to read everyone's frugal news.
Don't think we've gone overboard with the spending on holiday, mostly it's been food and drink but we were quite good with packing picnics and things. Will add it up over the weekend. I seem to have come home with a streaming cold so I just want to sit quietly with my hot orange squash for now!

Rain here forecast until Thursday!

I think being a parent is so hard, it def knocks my mental health all some of the time. Without meaning to sound poor me being a single parent brings with it some additional challenges as well. I have been having some counselling recently and it has made me realise how much guilt I have been carrying around, am trying now to let that go but its not easy.

Ipsos have you considered having some counselling? I have found it useful, have been re reading Louise Hays You can heal your life book as well, although I don't agree with everything she says I do find the positive affirmations really helpful.

Ended up being a quiet day here, even had a nap after lunch have cleaned the bathroom which is as productive as its going to get today!

60p on a stamp for my brother's birthday card. I have no money now until Monday, when I get my child tax credits, child benefit and child maintenance. I had to borrow the extra 3p and a pound for nice biscuits from DS, as my pal and her son were coming over. I have everything I need in though and DS is at a sleepover tonight and then seeing his dad for the weekend, so at least he's got stuff to do.

Welcome to all our new posters, by the way. It's great to have you on board.

Welcome Scribbling - I have 2 teen boys too, the oldest is one year away from uni and I confess that I am burying my head in the sand about the additional cost implications.

NSD again today. I am being really cautious about spending because I have just started a new job and my pay at the end of the month will be 2 weeks of old job and 1 of new, due to the timings. I still need to get my arse in gear and get those tyres replaced .

I have got £75 in my savings account, a credit card and £500 overdraft available, but I'll be fine. I have plenty of food and toiletries here.

Just went into the kitchen & for a new build - it is shit! The shelves in the cupboards are the wrong size. There's an inch gap at the back of some because they aren't deep enough. On closer inspection - the whole kitchen was put together by a muppet. And will not last long at all!

Anyway our shopping list for this weekend is one double mattress and one bin.

Also bus money as we are going to play with bus routes so I can get the hang of journey times & prices. Hopefully it'll help me not feel so isolated & get DS to nursery.

quidco has paid me around £25 this week so really happy!

I have had quite a spendy day today. Just spent nearly £70 in Sainsbury's but actually it would have cost a double. I do love a bargain!! This is what I got - 2 bed side tables original price £45 each I got them for £22.50 each. ( I have been looking for months for bedside tables for my bedroom, I needed skinny ones and these fit perfectly!) 6 pieces of fresh salmon for £6.50 should have been £13. Decent sausages at £1.69 instead of £3.50, pork mince at £2.19 instead of £3.50, pizza at £1.89 instead of £2.50, 4 posh burgers at £4, alcohol at £5, BBQ fuel at £1.25 instead of £2.50. Rather pleased with my stash and to top it off I used £7.50 of my nectar points.

Unexpected spend at Hobbycraft today £10 for some green icing for ds cake and air drying clay and paints so dds can make him a present (they want to make a train like Thomas). At least it should keep them happy tomorrow since it's going to rain again.
Dh is camping this week in Hayle with dive club and the bearings went on the trailer with the dive boat near Truro so I had to bring him some tools to fix it. Went to Hobbycraft on my own but took dc with me to Dunelm Mill but couldn't really look at anything since dc were really hyper today. But I guess I can't blame them since they have been stuck at home for 2 days now with the crappy weather.

Spendy day today. £75 in Tesco on not much at all! 1kg very low fat mince and lots of veg to make chilli for dinner (yummy), lunch, lots of cereal bars, breakfast biscuits for DH, mushrooms, eggs. Got £5 off next shop. I really hate getting those vouchers as now I need to remember to use it.

Went to collect DS's bike, bike, lights, mudguards and padlock £245, of which DS has contributed £100. Still need to buy him a new helmet.

Also, the reason the credit card bill was not as bad as feared was that I thought I'd paid for the bike, but hadn't!

Taking lkids to Thorpe Park tomorrow, with a friend and her granddaughter. Weather should be fabulous, will take swimmies, and go on all the water rides.

lovetoknit love seeing local cornish names on this thread!

Just purchased the mattress for £155 in the sale. hate spending money like that.

I second the Marie Kondo idea.

It helped us change the way we shop, store and recycle / sell stuff. Our house isnt "too" tidy but it isnt cluttered and full of crap either. (we recently mxoved house and unpacked with Kondo in mind!)

I haven't read much about Kondo but am very careful about what 'stuff' I have in the flat as I hate clutter and we only have a small space. I am forever evaluating what stuff can be chucked/recycled/given away/sold etc

Went into town yesterday with the DDs , spent £18 on food and drinks out. I hadn't realised where they wanted to go and ended up walking 13KM

Also spent £4 in Tesco on half price pizza and nibbles for DDs and £13 ish in Boots.

Today, £145 on TV license. DDs went out and spent more pocket money today.

I have loads of birthday presents to buy. Not for my DC, got quite a few in the entertainer, but still a couple of grown up to do.

Welcome newbies.

Must check Kondo thread as my house defines clutter

Great minds think alike Oh3

I've been kondo-ing this summer (after stumbling across it on instagram, and initially thinking the concept was a tad 'woo'). Then I realised that I'd essentially started the process the year before when I'd had to decide (very quickly, and in a bit of a panic) what furniture I wanted to bring from my big family house into my new, much smaller single mum home. On reflection, as the removal men carried stuff out, I did touch everything before pointing at whichever van (the ex's or mine) they should put it in. Maybe I'm a little woo.

I still need to finish with papers, and I can't seem to make myself look at memory stuff just yet, but I do love my (relatively) minimalist space and desperately want to keep it this way. So, no more new stuff!

Apols for typos; am typing in bed. So glad I checked in here today. :)