August Frugaleers Part II

[PeoniesforMissAnnersley]

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

I'm too scared of paint mess too! But DS is only 21 months and his aquadoodle is a perfect alternative. So far..

He loves stickers and sticking stuff so I'm hoping he'll be glued to that for a while. See what I did there? Sorry sorry

Hello been having logging in problems

Today's wins: after an hour on the phone to Sky I have saved us £19 a month and we are getting a new router and super fast fibre broadband
I've finally got round to applying to be put on the supply list for a teaching assistant job, might come to nothing but a few days a week would be great (I have been a SAHM for 11 years applied for primary teaching this year and got refused going to reapply again though)

Loses:
£11 on pet food but ordered online so should be cheaper
£41 for DD1 to join a new gymnastics club she's been on the waiting list for forever so is delighted to finally get a place, it'll be £20 a month going forward but DS isn't doing his baby swimming class anymore so it kind of cancels out.

Worked out we spend £174 a month on after school clubs there is four of them though

I'm annoyed about the microfibre mats Lilac! Asda and Wilkos have had them for ages but they were a tenner each and we need 3 so I haven't been able to justify the cost. Now I've decided to buy them they've all vanished!
Today I need to buy cat food and litter and I'm going to get DD some tights for winter too.

Your bill amount is: EUR 175.75cr
Delighted to get this electricity bill, in 18 months I've changed from someone who dreaded getting this bill to someone who is indifferent, because it's budgeted for and managed.

By the time the next bill comes around I'll have enough in credit for that & December bill, would you a) take November and December off putting money aside for this bill & utilise this money elsewhere eg paying extra off credit card €280 in total or b)take Jan & Feb off putting money aside for this or c) reduce the standing order accordingly?

In Ireland we have postpay electricity, I just chose to pay by standing order weekly as it takes the stress of a big bill out of it.

Also observed we have used €4 less electricity a week since dss moved out in past year despite having an extra adult in since(au pair) and kids being at home all day everyday as opposed to the house being empty from 7am to 6pm except for dss, that's like one less electricity bill a year!!

Ok sorry for boring you all - but no one else understands the joy this brings to me!

B, then C next year.

Otherwise it's like a savings account with no interest. January feels like a 5 week month because you get paid a week early in December.

Brilliant result though. I do like to take that npower ceo at his word when he said the cheapest unit is the one you don't use.

Fish I don't know how much a boiler costs but British Gas are notoriously overpriced. Most new boilers are condensers so they are super efficient, money saving expert reckons it's a £300 a year saving to run an efficient boiler compared to an old one and 15yo is quite old.

Can a grant be given from any other source for a new boiler?.

fluffy I get paid weekly so it's not that. I think it's a fallback from when we didn't save for Christmas and had to panic buy in December. We actually did loads this January - I was out to eat 3 times.

collie I like your idea of a winter store cupboard although these are items I tend to have in stock anyhow.

Thinking this will be a 3 thread month.

I have debated just setting the money for electricity aside in a savings account but we earn so little interest I don't think it would be worth the hassle

Does anyone remember the on going problems we have with SP not being able to setup an account for us? Despite phoning with meter readings, serial numbers, meter numbers etc....WELL just read an email from them saying we shouldnt be connected AT ALL. Despite the national grid people saying "well, of course you are! And here is the proof" Haha!

Well, I hope I dont get billed for this electricity I'm not using

Oh who am I kidding. I'll get billed. And then some....

ohhelp once you're not in pain anymore, I don't know if anyone budgets for the dentist, I certainly don't and I just realised this morning I didn't budget for the €55 for nct that I'll be paying Sun week either. I have a second job and normally that pays for any extras however it's so quiet this month and I must pay for advertising for it for next month too.

marking my place for a quick read. you lot are so much better at it than me!

Fish

www.moneysavingexpert.com/utilities/free-cavity-loft-insulation#boilers Did you see this?.

lila you are lucky being paid weekly, I'm self employed and some companies take ages to pay me.

Collie not time to POAS again is it?

Need to ring tax credit people today, not something I ever look forward to but has to be done as increasing my hours at work plus Concentrix cocked up my childcare costs and conveniently left off all dds holiday club costs

Bloody hell kids' tights are expensive! £11 for 3 pairs. Admittedly that was in Next but I've bought supermarket ones before and they've been too small within no time. I'm hoping these will last the winter.

girlie haha! I thought the same but not this month.

pointless kids tights are crazy expensive dd is now 5, I'm tempted to buy 7-8 this year as they get small so fast no matter where I buy them from. Going to ban them from going in the dryer too.

Ooh ohhelp love B & B Pudding! But I'm determined that in 18 weeks I will weigh 21lbs less than I do now. Game Face on. My self employed work is a weight loss class leader - I'm finding it very difficult to lose weight myself, have resorted to myfitnesspal now, will give it a lash. Really I've 30lbs to lose but I don't expect to lose it all in 2015.

I made flapjacks yesterday! So good.

I have emailed that guy. Waiting for a response. Their attitude so far is very "I don't know what to do & therefore there is nothing I can do. Goodbye"

Computer says dunno! Basically

I would like to pick the brains of you lovely lot. At present I buy most of my meat at the supermarket and Costco. Will it save much to use a butcher? Typical purchase are chicken breasts, mince, diced beef / lamb for slow cooker, odd joint for roast.

I spend nearly £3 on a bottle of smoothie yesterday, a litre bottle but still, a lot of money. Does anyone buy frozen fruit and make their own? I'm thinking of what happens after the new baby comes and I need nutrients.