The super savvy savers continue steering their way through September

[northender]

Thought I'd start a shiny new thread as we've filled the other one so quickly.

Hi telephone and welcome. I'm not sure what you could do other than make it your one job before going out to get the freezer stuff out.

No other spends today. Made the kids playdo so they have messed around while I've been tackling a months worth of house grim and autumn prep. Me dd and ds all need new autumn clothes. Waiting for a Debenham and sainsbury events now.

Welcome Telephone.

I would take over the meals myself in that situation. Yes it's a pain because you work and have a child to look after but you can save money that way.

Do as much prep as possible the evening before, double check everythings ready to go and cook it as soon as you get in. Then sit down as a family.

That way he has no wriggle room. It's much harder for him to refuse a meal already cooked and on the table.

That's just what I'd do anyway. I hate the "I dont fancy that, what else have we got" discussions (the answer is nothing because I store most things in the freezer)

I don't think anyone forages the apple trees around here, even the birds don't want them.

Have you still got family visiting ipsos?

Hi everyone can I join in? Expecting ds1 in seven weeks and trying to be frugal before he joins us! Hoping to do better if I have some accountability

Welcome telephone! Does he actually want the meal, or does he agree to it because he hasn't got any better ideas? I would take it out of his hands tbh and replace it with a different job that's usually yours. I cook in our house because I'm better at it. Dh does loads of other things (including washing up.)

Spent €17 in the supermarket, we hadn't a scrap of food for the dinner or lunches tomorrow. Going to have to plan for this, because it happens every Sunday. Shopping delivery is always Monday, and it never lasts. I stopped buying things to stock up, because it was money wasted, but on the downside, once things are gone there is no back up. We hadn't even a tin of beans or tomatoes.

Hi claire! Welcome! Jump right in!

Hi Claire

Hi Claire & 'phone

TOP could you batch cook a meal earlier in the week & freeze it for Sunday?

Collie great news

So did spotty get to use the dishwasher?

I have a cheap Aldi Shoulder of Pork - so I am trying the Felicity Cloake Porchetta recipe. Herbs & Wine courtesy of my Ma & Da.... we are having the version with gravy.

We used it last night and it's loaded up for tonight. Going to experiment with switching to water tank off over night. Dh is worried it won't heat up enough in two hours as its bloody massive but I think it'll be ok.

It'll be fine. You have a tank jacket on it?.

I know someone whose tank emits enough heat to toast marshmallows but I don't like them so I never say anything.

They wouldn't do anything about it anyway.

Thanks for the new thread North

Should be an NSD today, DD2 wants McDonalds and I fancy a walk. Haven't decided yet.

Thanks for new thread , had no idea we'd already filled up the current one!

Beautiful warm, sunny day here for a change. Am that some of you have been blackberrying. They already seem to have been and gone in my part of the country. Crazy weather

Welcome newbies I used my Autumn bucket list today. Love it!

North - Davides is going down the pedestrian streets toward the cloisters/sea

Sorry Need not North

???? fluffy you make me laugh. Yes it has a jacket on it. I think it'll be fine too.

This is our sunflower. We are very proud

Spotty amazing sunflower!

Collie, what's on your bucket list??

Lovely sunflower Spotty ????

Evening all. I haven't read back through sorry but welcome to all the new people.

Well I went to home bargains today and spent £42!! I only wanted loo roll. Those places are leathal for my purse. I bought lots of random shit that I don't really need

Any mil came down and bought be bags of food from their garden, courgettes, tomatoes, green beans, apples and lots of raspberries.

The tomatoes and courgettes are in the slow cooker with herbs, onions and passata oh and peppers to make a pasta sauce that I will freeze. I should get 7-8 portions.

We then went for a walk and I got a bag of crab apples, massive tub of blackberries a tub of elderberries and some rose hips (I use them to make oil for my face).

I will stew the blackberries, apples and elderberries tomorrow which will then be frozen in portions for crumble.

The hazelnuts are just coming out so in the next week I will get a few of those if the squirrels don't beat me to it. I have already made elderberry syrup but fancy having a go at elderberry gummies as ds3 always catches colds over the winter. The crab apples will be made in to crab apple jelly. Sloes are out but I have already made damson gin so I don't know if I will get any this year. Does anyone have any recipes for sloes apart from gin?

I have done my shopping list for tomorrow and I only need a few things so I think I may get it under £30 for the week. Which to feed 5 of us is amazing. I do have a freezer full of meat and lots of veg already in though.

If you can go foraging it's really worth it. I love fairly rural so I just walk the dogs over the field and always take a bag. I have to say I love gathering for food and feel a bit 'little house on the prarie' getting ready for winter

Welcome new frugaleers! spotty your sunflower is brilliant.
Telephone, DH helps me do our meal plan. We write it out and stick it up on the fridge like a menu. He never decides he wants something else or complains, in fact I think he checks what we're having for tea in the morning and then looks forward to it all day! We are a bit obsessed with food though.
Returned a top to Sainsburys today and got a £10 refund. Spent £2.15 on eggs and butter so net gain of £7.75. Aiming for NSD tomorrow, I haven't had one in ages.

Hello! Thanks for the new thread.

Back from a lovely wedding this weekend :)

peppa here is my Autumn bucket list. (in no particular order)

Pick up colourful leaves and make a collage.
Jump in puddles
Make a leaf print picture
Bake apple crumble
Fly a kite
Donate to a foodbank for harvest festival
Hocus Pocus film night & cinnamon popcorn
Carve a pumpkin
Reuse the pumpkin in soup or something else.
Bake toffee apples
Bake apple & cinnamon flapjacks
Build a mini scarecrow
Roast marshmallows
Do a large family jigsaw puzzle together
Build a cosy fort
Watch fireworks
Eat some popping candy
Write poetry with the children about autumn/fireworks/halloween.
Go stargazing
Make a halloween mask out of paper plates
Bake ginger parkin
Go for a woodland / forest walk & take hot chocs
Go for a rainy walk with puddlesuits, wellies & brollies
Family roast dinner with roasted parsnips followed by Harry Potter
Read some autumnal / halloween stories to children (Meg & Mog)
Dress up warm and visit a castle (free entry only)
Dress up warm and geocache
Enjoy the smell of chimney smoke whilst out walking
Collect pine cones and dry them out for Winter decorations
Play conkers (all ages)
Buy indoor sparklers to decorate a batch of flapjacks. £3.82 on Amazon
Autumnal wildlife checklist www.wildlifewatch.org.uk/explore-wildlife/season/autumn
Build a stick den in the woods
Make a mushroom soup in the slow cooker
Visit owl or otter sanctuary (budget £20)
Pub lunch by open fire (budget £20)
Visit cider farm & drink fresh apple juice (budget £10)
Make an autumn mobile with things from woodland walk. Sticks / pine cones.
Create a fox picture from Autumnal leaves
Write to Father Christmas
Refreshing all weather bike ride
Footprint investigating on a muddy path (monsters or wildlife)
Make suet bird feeders for Winter

That is my bucket list for September, October & November. It just helps me look forward to things and budget for the fun stuff. my DS is too young for some stuff but some of his friends / cousins are the perfect age. I can just reuse it for next year too.

Spotty I have sunflower envy!

Dds swimming lessons for the term was £67.50 - eek felt slightly sick writing out the cheque! Oh well, am just going to have to embrace the over draft this month!

No other spends today.

Lolly we checked out our hazel tree earlier.... lots of empty pods and not one nut in sight except s few shells! Squirrels for sure.
Did get some blackberries from the wild bit of the garden too but have to be so careful as we have loads of red ants there.

Only spent about a fiver today and have managed to make two packed lunches from din er leftovers. Will take one tomorrow and freeze one. My big plans for September are 1. Build up stores by batch cooking and make soups for th freezer with any sad vegetables 9nce a week 2. Clear out and ebay 3. Spring clean one or two fooms a week top to bottom 8ncluding cupboards and drawers 4. Re jig the utility room .... need to house my coffee machine and breadmaker in there as I dont like them in the kitchen.