August Frugaleers Part II

[PeoniesforMissAnnersley]

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

Thanks Collie

Need to join you ladies but keep.putting it off! I have already got some Christmas presents and started putting my Morrisons £5 vouchers away because I want to avoid the "big spend" and using credit cards. I need to make a plan to clear my cards and give me some money for work on our crumbling house. A friend has bought and renovated an old house and I am so envious they have been able to get all the work done in one hit. We have been here years and just managing to do emergency repairs.

Hi sand, I'm in a similar situation - our house needs things doing, but it would cost such a lot to do everything at once . I've found this thread really helpful though, I'm being much more frugal at the moment (and it doesn't feel difficult, I'm just not spending needlessly anymore).

Goodness, after a busy few days I'm miles behind!

laksa well done on paying off your debt! Huge achievement, well done!

lilac I didn't know that about the electric car grants. Going to look into it, dh badly needs a new car. It's a Japanese import, and 20 years old, so getting really difficult and expensive to insure.
Our summer was beautiful wasn't it? really dull here today, windy, and looks like the heavens will open any minute! So disappointing after the past two beautiful days!

Have been pretty low spend the past few days, spent €85 on tesco delivery, but had a€10 voucher, so will €75. €10 in aldi and lidl on some special offers. But I had really used up everything in the house, so necessary spends. €4.70 on parking for ds occupational therapy appointment yesterday. Today will be a nsd though, not going anywhere.

Trying not to spend today, sainsbury delivery came and I returned the substitution so that's £4 saved on something I didn't really need anyway! Normally we do "Friday lunch" which means me and my husband go out for lunch as we both work from home (I'm on maternity leave now anyway). This can cost up to £20, but it's really nice to do. Today we are cracking out the toasted sandwich bags and staying in.

I have a glut of milk to use, I was going to make rice pudding but no pudding rice and so wasteful to buy rice to use up the milk. Considering using a different type of rice, but worried that will be a waste. Gah. Decisions!

Haven't caught up yet but MissA, you listed your Chalet School collection??? Where? Ebay? wonder what mine would fetch

Today will be spending £3 on bus tickets. Not sure what else - maybe nothing?

Muscle Foods order arrived today with enough meat to feed a pride of lions for a month. Wow. Should really cut down food bills for the rest of the month, which is good as we have £50 in the groceries budget to last a fortnight.

Everything else is going well - keep checking Good Budget plus online banking and entering everything religiously. I hadn't realised that although a lot of our bills come out on the 1st, there are still £200 worth left to pay at intervals through the month. I would assume that most of the cash left was free to be spent on food/petrol/stuff and spend accordingly, and then wondering why we were broke!

whatabout freeze the milk it'll be perfect that way, you just need to shake it when it defrosts as it separates.

theonlypink check out seai for details on the grant. One lady on rc says that what she was paying on fuel & repairs covers the repayment on hers.

I have used up my tesco free deliveries so I'm heading to aldi over the weekend with my two vouchers from the sun. Hoping to keep it to the €100 for €80. I do have a good few store cupboard items & we're away thurs & fri night but will be balanced out by having family to stay tues & wed night.

This week is my first ynab week haven't assigned out all my money yet.

I confess I bought a top & jeans on I clothing, have had the top in my basket since April, priced at 24 got both for 23.92 inc delivery (got voucher for 20% off & free delivery & the jeans had been reduced from 50 to 15). My holiday outfit in my defence!

Unexpected frugal win yesterday. DH went to Wilkos to get bulbs (have been living with a dark kitchen and bathroom for a couple of months!) and saw that they had some of those anglepoise lamp things. DCs need a lamp for their room so he decided to get one... it was 50p in clearance! I mean WTF?! :o So he got one for the living room too, perfect for MNing reading :)

tooextra I sent it off to the FOCS sales and wants mag, it wo't go live til November but it means they'll all go to people who love the CS. I did it before and it's great cos there's no fees. Also the people are all lovely FOCS members and send thank you cards when you post stuff off to them if they all sell I'll make around £400.

Fuzz i love Wilkos! I found a really nice retro looking insulated lunch box in there the other day for £2.50 - perfect for me or dd and have already used it loads!

Have been to lidls and spent £23 which is o.kay, my bargain buys were 60 dishwasher tablets for £3.09 which is even better than Wilkos and a bottle of fruity red wine for £2.50, I don't drink so this will just be for adding to sauces and gravy!

Its chucking it down here today, dd has still gone out to play with her friend am expecting her back soaking any min

Dd is off with my mum to Cornwall next week, this will save on food I guess as i don't really eat that much only chocolate biscuits need to start thinking about packing as God knows what the weather will be like

Meal plan for the next few days;

tonight - fish and chips with peas (all from the freezer)
sat - pasta with tuna, pesto, mushrooms and salad.
sun - jackets potatoes with beans and cheese

then dd is off so will be eating what ever I can be bothered to make!

:o thanks for the tip-off about lunchboxes girlie - thinking I should get the DCs one each as they do have need for them, but can't afford smiggle...

+£10 sold on fb selling

£40 for £110 worth of stuff from approved food

I have had to resort to using my laptop as I can't log in with my iPad.

I'm sick again, although the cold improved, I now have a sinus infection . I got my final statement from Ovo, they owe me £362, that will help with buying uniform tonight, and school shoes!

Prescription today £8.20 and nasal spray £7.99

Yesterday I spent about £80, but that included a £20 voucher for a birthday present, plus a smaller present for my niece. I also bought my girls a new boombox (reduced from £55 to £45) to replace a broken one, it was needed as DD1 needs to do a review for MN on an audio book!

Hopefully back on iPad later

NSD here. It's rained all day long, so I'm having a lazy sofa day, catching up on rubbish telly (Teen Mom, the Original Girls) and it's great!

I hate love teen mom...

Ha, Spotty. You won't want to know there's a new series starting of Teen Mom 2 on Wednesday then. 8 p.m. on MTV

Hope you feel better soon Audit it will be Autumn colds season again before we know it! My dd is watching Elf - feels so wrong in August but with the weather today it could pass for December

Going out tonight don't drink so will drive and only paying for lemonades so hoping a fiver will cover it!!

£12 cakes in Sainsburys as it was my last day at work, then £3.70 for parking at the hospital. Feel a little emotional about leaving work - I was given some lovely gifts.

I have to say that I am looking forward to September now and getting back to that routine!