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

Thank you all for the welcome :)

Popping in again to say that our Hotpoint Margerita (spelling may not be quite right!) is still going strong after nearly 10 years.

welcome green
The plus side of getting up early with dh to make his breakfast and lunchbox is making sweet bread for dc for breakfast. I made the dough last night, so just had to roll it, fill it and bake it.
Should be dry today so going to put the washing out and cross my fingers.
I like the idea of Christmas cupboard but in our house it would need lock and key to stop dh eating all the nibbles
well done ipsos and I am sure his future wife will be grateful my dh wasn't allowed in the kitchen or help at home because his Dad called it all "women's work" so now my ds(11) knows more about cooking and housework then he does

Welcome green best of luck with the new job!

lovetoknit my husband and brother were the same. I have 2 sons and I'm determined that they will be independent and capable.

Loving all the Christmas chat! I'm cutting way down this year, I went overboard the past two years because "it's a bargain." So will make a list and stick to it. Try to find bargains on things I want rather than buying it because it's cheap. I save all my tesco clubcard points for Christmas, so the food shop is essentially free.

Not much going on here today. Think we will do the bus trip to town again,the kids loved it the last time and its a low spend day out.

Thanks Peonies, yes he is very helpful. He also runs the vacuum cleaner and closes doors after me. I am an enthusiastic messy starter-type person and he is a tidy finisher. :-) It's very nice.

I haven't caught up on the full thread yet, but just wanted to post spends for the last couple of days.
Thursday: £12 travel
£6 taxi (as late running buses meant DS wouldn't get to his activity on time )
DS summer camp: £10.
Hair: £54.
Waxing and shellac nails: £62.
So I am all set for bridesmaid duties next Friday now.
Lunch and snacks: just under £7.
Total: £151.

Friday:
Travel: £9.60 (bus fares for me and DS).
Café with our friends: £6.30. They kindly treated us to a second drink.
Flip flops (nice ones to wear at the wedding after I can dispense with heels): £5, in the Fat Face sale.
Total: £ 20.90.

Back later with today's spends.

DH and i have decided to put a tight limit on gifts for each other - £20 for small treats in the stockings we already have.

We will still spend a fortune on gifts for family though, I have a very stuff-orientated family.

I think it will be a book and a bar of nice chocolate for most people. There have been comments about us not spending more in the past, but after I spent a fortune on a gift for my mum and she sold it on eBay I have sort of lost the will! Also its abit much with 7 adult siblings between us all expecting gifts and then 4 nephews/nieces now too. And parents, grandparents.

I think a book and a nice bar of chocolate is a fabulous idea! I'm trying to only spend £15 per person max. The 20% off at Emma Bridgewater has helped me buy for two people this week.

Ememem dip in to the kondo thread. You are ready for the life changing magic of tidying

MissA we have eight siblings between us plus five partners and three nieces/nephews. Luckily I don't count my step siblings we just do cards. I agree it gets ridiculous. We've mainly decided just to buy for the dc but I have siblings who are still at school etc so def buy for them. Dh's 30th a week before Christmas but I've told him I can't afford anything. Not sure what to do. The thing is I end up paying for all the Christmas presents as all his money goes on the credit cards we're trying to clear. Hmm.

Just did my switch request with the co op. Should have £160 coming to me soon I'm going to leave £100 in the account and pretend it was never there and hopefully that should make up for the times we've been over budget this year.

peonies no way you can say to them that gifts only for dcs?
I only buy for dcs at Christmas.. £200 each.
They're 19 and 16 so its usually clothes.

Spotty how about a book of promises for the next year? Or can you photocopy / copy photos from his thirty years and make a photo collage using a cheap ikea frame? It's hard when there are milestones and money is tight.

I'm thinking of just getting some friends for a meal tbh and going to casa brasil (you eat free if it's your birthday ????). He's not one for sentimental things but he lives chocolate and biscuits so I might spend £20 getting him loads! He would rather we got out of debt than bought each other gifts.

missA oh my goodness! We have a huge family. It's so tricky now. The facial expression of one ungrateful Christmas present recipient has haunted me throughout this year. DH is in charge of buying that persons gift now. Mwahahaha.

Since when was it normal
& acceptable to be a spoilt brat in adulthood?

I spent far too much on DS last year. he isn't fussed about toys and just loves books & measuring spoons. And that is fine by me (and Father Christmas)

DH and I have a £20 limit each. Which I love.

Love Kondo and love the 20% off Emma bridgewater too.

spotty this year I filled up the car with 30 soppy post it notes for DHs 30th birthday. Having DS has made me really soppy. Ha! But DH loved it, his beer, homemade biscuits & a t shirt.

There are some brilliant present ideas here

www.moneysavingexpert.com/shopping/festive-fivers

I got 100 scrabble tiles from ebay for £2.99 and am making the scrabble- tile idea in box frames for immediate family - it is just like the sort of thing you can get for ££££ from Not on the High Street, but for about £10 a pop.

Tbh I might actually do that, except my youngest sister (baby of family at 19) is so lovely and I adore her so would hate not buying her a gift, and that would mean a family feud if we bought no pressies for the rest

green thanks for that link, I really like the paint-chip calendar idea, I might make that for my mum and step-dad, they're super busy!

Have just floated the idea of no presents for siblings to DH who is super keen. He is also going to tell MIL we aren't buying her a present but taking her out for a special meal when we visit near xmas. Prob cost more in ££ but it's one less thing to think of, wrap, send etc.

Peppa Have you ordered it?.

The choc slabs look good. I don't see much point in presents, you spend £30 on them and they reciprocate with a £30 gift. You could just buy stuff for yourselves.

£3.90 posting my jeans.

fluffy I am so with you! One year my (older) sister and I exchanged vouchers for the same amount, different shops. So pointless!!!

Also then feel obliged to keep things bc people bought them when I don't want to really.

My DH has tried to be useless because the ILs, MIL mostly, are the same, but he made the mistake of marrying me boasting about all his Scout badges

NSD again here.

Does anyone have any frugal gardening tips / ideas for gardens in the autumn and winter? Everything is dying because we've had so much rain & the season is changing. But I don't want a bleak garden.

What frugal thing can I plant that'll survive? Our garden centres are very pricey.

Frugal win: went blackberry picking. Free crumble!

£20 at Lidl today mainly on meat for bbq and fruit and veg, bought Daily express (85p) because it has £5 off £40 shop at Lidl which is valid from today till Saturday 6th September and will keep the paper by the woodburner

We have a local gardening fscebkokn group where people swap / give cuttings and seeds, do you have anything like that? It's worth asking around as a lot of people will happily give you a clump of something.

Hi collie, I just ordered 200 bulbs from the JParker wholesale website, dug up the potatoes, and dropped tulips and snowdrops into the holes and then flattened the ground over. I'm hoping for a real burst of colour after christmas. The bulbs weren't super cheap as it's £7 postage and £4 small order fee, but then they were only 8p each after that. I grouped together with a neighbour and split the cost.

www.dutchbulbs.co.uk/

ohhelp I keep dipping in and out of the mondo thread and I do sort of get it. It's just doing it that's another matter

Have just got back from my (within budget) riding lesson. Had 2 hours instead of 1. Paid for 1. Money saved...sort of.

Only took money I needed out with me and no cards. So although I had to stop for milk on the way home I only had £1.50 in change. And only bought milk

Sold a pair of cropped jeans for 8.50 on eBay too.