Super Savvy Savers Skid towards September Saving Spree

[lilacclery]

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/other_subjects/1324074-For-those-who-cant-afford-to-use-central-heating-this-year-How-are-you-going-to-cope

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/credit_crunch/1543785-your-top-tips-for-money-saving-and-a-more-frugal-life

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/credit_crunch/1600030-Small-money-saving-habits-petty-even

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/credit_crunch/1628874-Gas-Elec-Bills-monthly-and-SKY-so-angry

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/mumsnet_classics/1911061-NO-MORE-COLD-MUMSNETTERS

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/_chat/2209167-Slow-Cookers-are-shit

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/_chat/2224969-saving-money

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/legal_money_matters/2258202-Debt-mutual-support-thread-number-6-start-the-new-year-with-a-clear-purpose-and-keep-moving-forwards-even-by-tiny-steps?

orchard.tesco.com/ Sign up to this.

www.topcashback.co.uk/home And this.

www.quidco.com/home/ And this

www.moneysavingexpert.com/ And this

www.moneysavingexpert.com/cheapenergyclub ditto

Plus this.

www.hotukdeals.com/all/deals/new?page=3 Check this daily.

Kudos to PeoniesforMissAnnersly for the links

Just sold £69 worth of clothes on EBay and returned a duvet cover to Tesco I don't need...so have almost made the £96 I had to pay for my train ticket

I successfully made one dinner that did for ds and dh tonight (grilled salmon fillet). WooHoo!

We bought a Now TV box as we can't afford a smart TV and I wanted to watch stuff on 4od but our tablets were too crap to use. (Even Youtube crashes!) What a brilliant little gadget. Highly recommend.

Somehow spent another £25 in Dunelm but spending stops now. Aiming for a No Spend Week!

Wheely :o (or should I say ) at the emoticon fail!

And jones sorry to have increased your wishlist by mentioning the games thread. It's like geek heaven over there for me. In fact I'll be adding a few more today as I looked in the window of my favourite game shop in the neighbouring town (we went there today for DS' birthday) as it's shut on Sundays. So I wrote down lots of game names that I could see and now I'm going to look them up :o I'm really excited about going to the game expo, I've started a Word document with all the info I'm collecting about ticket prices etc so we can plan it all and hopefully not break the bank too much. I am really craving a little trip away even if it is just a few hours further North!

Today was quite spendy - lunch out, travel (although that was cheap thanks to a bus ticket offer) and a couple of bits like new footballs. DS spent half his birthday money but wasn't remotely fussed about spending the rest - total opposite of DD!

He will start to get pocket money on Friday, DD hasn't actually been given any for several weeks - partly because she never asks, but TBH her behaviour has been pretty rubbish with lots of bedtime tantrums I'm hoping that DS now getting pocket money will help DD remember what she's missing TBH! What do you all do for pocket money if you give it? DD (8) gets £2.50pw and DS (6) will get £1.50 as it increases by 50p each birthday, but hopefully now they both get it, it'll be easier to fairly enforce the rule that they must pay for all their own treats like sweets/magazines/ice cream van etc. I need to find DS a little wallet and then make sure we always take their money out with us.

Girlie me too :) are you district or ccn?...I'm the latter for my sins ;)

Everyone is getting so organised for crimbo...need to catch up with you all...

187.00 spent in home bargains, aldi, farm shop and pet smart for full month shopping....still have the Tesco one to do...to get bits can't get at aldi and home bargains.

Anyone else having trouble with the MN app??

Fuzzpig, we're in a bit of a dilemma about pocket money too. To give or not to give? DS (10) is trying to save up for things but wants silly money to do little jobs. Dad (8) not so bothered about money but does like like little treats when we're out.
How much to give? Should I have expectations re chores/behaviour?

£59 in John Lewis. I planned to buy DS a 3 in 1 jacket for £38, went to local JL to check sizing as must cover his blazer, but didn't seem to stock it, however they had a gorgeous black (trendy) quilted one so I bought that. It may not be warm enough for the winter, but I have a really clever friend who can probably make a quick button/popper in body-warmer lining, frugal win £31 instead if £38.

Frugal daily was that I liked it so much I bought DD2 the same in navy! £28

She may need a thicker one God the winter, but I have a thick brown coat she can wear then.

£35 in Waitrose, lovely joint if beef for lunch, little reduced one for another day, some fruit,orange and lemon essence, not much really.

Oh, and £1.40 parking

I haven't linked it to chores yet, I'm not sure about that. I'm a bit wary of them only helping out if they get something from it IYSWIM. Always a contentious topic on MN :o

The only time I've overtly said to DD "no PM this week" is when she has behaved really badly. But then I kind of messed it up lately by not even mentioning it when she didn't ask for it. So hoping to make a fresh start now that DS is also getting it, and thinking they'll just get it every Friday unless they have a massive/violent strop... Hmm.

Ugh how depressing, just been adding up how much I've got left til pay-day

Funds:
Bank: £191.35
Purse: £30.20
Jar: £11.20
Morrisons voucher; £20
Grand Total: £252.75
Change since yesterday: (n/a)
Days left to payday: 16

Stuff still to debit:
Petrol: £40
Groceries:£100 (I did a £50 shop today and I do have a £20 voucher saved up on Match & More points which I will use next week)
Catalogue; £11.00
HSBC CC: £33.60
Interest; £0.38
Bus fares & kids activities: £31.15
Leaves for everything else.....£36.62

Today's spends
£5.80 – groceries

Whoops, I don't have a right lot left do I? BUT the petrol and groceries are estimated a little. Someone crashed into my car yesterday when DS1 was driving but it was the other person's fault so hopefully the insurance company will sort it. I have a feeling my car will get economically written off though which I'm very angry about because I bought it specifically because it was cheap(ish) on insurance for DS1. Even the same car, a couple of years older, was hundreds of pounds more on the insurance. I'm so upset. I'm glad he's okay, obviously, but I just know in some way I will end up out of pocket through no fault of my own. For example, when the courtesy car comes I will have to put petrol in it whereas my own car had 3/4 of a tank left in it and I probably wouldn't have needed to fill it up until next pay-day.

We've also got a bloody wasps nest in our garage. SO far this summer I have had bees, moths, ants, fleas (we don't even have a frigging pet) and now wasps. I'm actually starting to feel paranoid that I am cursed somehow.

I think I'll be going overdrawn this month.

peonies thank you so much, that sounds delicious!

peppa they think the app is a security risk so have taken it offline, there will be a new one in a few weeks.

Nsd today, went to mil for lunch and just did bacon butties when we got home.

HouseworkFairy glad your DS is OK. How worrying! I'd be fairly concerned about running a courtesy car too as we bought our new car for exactly the same reasons. Our previous car was breaking the bank and this new (used) one has saved us.

Do you live rurally? Fleas when you don't have a pet must be so frustrating!

I'm about to wander off to the Christmas thread...

Well done savage, it's such a big hit to take.

£7, 3 bottles of zoflora, 1 jar of raita and a spag Bol sauce.

£15 building materials for dh.

Tomorrow will be a nsd.

I am district nurse (although that title tends to be reserved for the band 6s mostly these days, us band 5s just go with community nurse!) Ipsos I see any housebound patient linked to the GP surgery we cover, no under 18s though!

My dd doesn't get pocket money, she probably should but I never remember or have any spare cash lying about!I do however give her holiday spending money and she has her own account which has over £100 in from birthdays and Christmas so if there was something she wanted specifically she could use that money.

If I get organised I could put a list of chores together and if she does say 5 in a week she would get £2 or something. Although part of me feels that she should do the chores because they need doing not because she will get paid for doing them iyswim?!

My nsd turned into a lsd as put the car through the car wash £4 - it came out looking like a different car!

I see your point re chores girlie.

We love our district nurses at work, although they're separate to us, they're in the same building. They've just hired theirs first male dn which is great, sadly he was the only one to apply after months of advertising, luckily he's great.

My 2 dc don't get pocket money either.
They get treats when I can afford it...a dvd, book, magazeine etc
They do help with jobs but nothing regular
I pay into child trust funds for them...ds1 has over £7k in his :)
It's my first pay day on Friday (I recently started a part time job at a local shop) I am going to start putting money in my (empty) savings account!

Ah thanks for the info Pink....''twas driving me mad!

Thanks Pink!

Yes it irks me to think I'm paying DCs to help around the house but I also don't like the idea of just handing over money for no return iyswim.

Housework Fairy wasps nests are rubbish! I hope you can get it sorted. We've avoided the usual ants this summer but we are having slug issues and they come in the house - gross! No idea what to do about it.
Going to have a frugal game of scrabble and an early night - we know how to enjoy a bank holiday!!

fluffy zoflora is fantastic. I was once v excited to get to the supermarket to buy the new christmas fragrance one (sadly was horrible) Often much cheaper at approved foodor poundland

I've spent tons this weekend. Everything seems to have cost 45 euros: petrol, and each of three books (text books which should be tax deductable if I can figure out how to do that).
PLus some bits here and there on parking and bread and chips and paying off the shared bill from the houseshare I just moved out from.

HouseworkFairy I am sorry about your son. I hope it doesn't knock his confidence.

Can you offer to buy the car back or is unsafe?.

ohhelp I'm going to blitz the whole house tomorrow with Zoflora. I asked dh if he could smell it and he said no. Obviously not using enough.

Christmas scents are more often than not vile.

Agree about the Christmas scents, I bought washing up liquid and hand soap for the kitchen last year. We are still working though them and they are horrid!

I love zoflora, I use it on my bins and the nappy bin and my cleaner uses it too. I like the lavender one.

Last night was expensive, £100 all in for dinner and drinks. Husband spend £20 in the casino after I went home. Could have been worse! Husband was also tasked with buying a birthday present, he spent twice what j would have done and bought gift bags from marks and spencer! I may need to find a cheap place for these as we use themmfrequentlyly.

Today only spends were £3 lunch and £5 on gymnastics. I did spend £40 on Amazon last night finishing off Christmas shopping for DS. I only need a pair of new pjs and some new pants for him.

Sainsbury shopping coming in the morning, I need to do some meal planning too, but 9 days till c section and my head isn't in it. I'm hoping I've bought food to make meals with easily.

It's my birthday today!
So I've gained a new toy, which I'm typing on now. I've gained some money too £10 on the lottery and some birthday money.

The only thing I've spent on is, some more space in Apple I cloud. It's 74p. So