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.

Blimey collie what an absolute bastard. Yeah let's just write off the chronically ill eh? Pointless trying to actually help alleviate symptoms . You're well shot of him.

With you on the price of prescriptions girl - we were lucky enough to have a tax credit exemption for years, it ran out recently and it's been quite a shock paying that much TBH thankfully my GP now prescribes 2 months worth of each of my 2 meds, so only have to get the equivalent of one script a month.

Really need to get my arse in gear and use up freezer/store cupboard stuff this week, we didn't get a shop until Thursday last week so might try and scrabble through with only milk/bread etc now til Monday.

Fuzz I am loving your jokes

girlie - for the orchard, wait for the flower stalk to die back. Cut it off just above the first node. Pop the whole pot in a place 5deg C cooler than the place it is now. Mine are going to go outside before we get frost. Leave for 10 days, retrieve it and then water & feed it. Every week soak it for 20 minutes in a bowl / bucket / sink of water. You should get a new flower stalk. They are the only plant that I have managed not to kill.

Anna yes I do save money on a monthly shop, but the best bit is that I only have to go shopping once a month.

The car passed its mot typically as we weren't paying but good all the same.

I'm so glad I don't have to pay for prescriptions although luckily I rarely need anything for acute conditions, can't remember the last time actually probably mastitis so years ago! Anyway if I wasn't diabetic I would still need loads of meds for other things so would probably get a pre payment card. When I used to work in a chemist ten years ago it was £6.20 for each item.

unescorted thanks for the orchid tips - I currently have 3 unhappy orchids!

Made a chilli, using up the tomatoes and half a can of baked beans - tasted lovely.

£4 ish in Boots on cold remedies and tissues.

Welcome newbies!

Gosh. I am struggling to keep up and I log in every day.

I promise to login more often!

Ipsos - so glad your DS had a lovely play date, it's such a relief isn't it?

Adora - I get the same anxious feeling when we are having a period where money seems to be being spent willy nilly.

Welcome to the new folk, which is lazy, so I am sorry not to address you guys individually.

I've had a good day today emotionally as I have been so busy I haven't had time to think. The only time I have had time to do so was walking the dogs but I took them somewhere different and they were so delightful I just stayed in the moment. However now, my mind is racing all over the place and I can't concentrate fully.

I also collected a whole pile of apples that had dropped, can I stew them and freeze? I suspect yes?

Tomorrow I will pick elderflower and blackberries.

Spending-

£26 on pony rugs washed and re-proofed (already budgeted for)
£55 on Abel and Cole delivery (I doubt I will need much more than bread and milk this week)
£100 in a card for DS who is 16 today. Some of this I will get back as noth sets of grandparents are away and asked me to 'sub'.

I need to menu plan. Tonight is a take out curry that was promised to DS for his birthday, he's too busy with homework to go out for tea as we had planned.

Tomorrow is gammon, egg and chips and Wednesday slow cooked lamb, Moroccan style.

collie Not acceptable at all, I have friends who are GP's, this is not acceptable at all I promise.

ipsos I wonder what your DS ate? And may I ask (if you would mind divulging approximately) where in Scotland you used to live? DH loves the wilds of the Highlands, I am more Dumfries and Galloway.

I love your list northender

knit You are so very industrious and frugal, making so much stuff!

And the heating finally went on today

I'm sick Woke up Saturday morning feeling a bit worse for wear after one to many bottles glasses of wine on Friday night with friends. Had to drive for my final bridesmaid dress fitting, and got to see my best friend in her wedding dress for the first time. All whilst feeling quite terrible, which is unlike me. Survived the day, and perked up by Sat evening.

Sunday morning came, and I felt even worse. DP convinced it was a two day hangover, "because you're now officially old" I'm only 28 goddamit. It wasn't a two day hangover. I wish. It's the dreaded noro. Didn't get the D&V symptoms until late last night, and they continued all night until early hours. So that's me signed off work until Wednesday, with the 48hr rule. So I've not spent much. Made DP get emergency Lucozade and he's fetched some chocolate this evening as I've not had any symptoms since 5am so am starving.

Sadly, DP now has the dreaded plague serves him right for calling me old And we are both holed up for a good few days. Luckily DMIL has had DD overnight for us so she doesn't get it. DMIL is a star

Welcome all newbies. Will hopefully sit and meal plan tonight. It's so hard not to spend online when I can't leave the house. Am doing really well though. Holiday on Saturday so really hoping we are all better.

NSD today - hooray!
Hope you feel better soon binglet and welcome new people.
DH wanted to put the heating on this evening. I pointed out he was wearing shorts and a t-shirt! I think he's gone to get changed now.

Shorts and t shirt in this weather? no bloody wonder he's cold. Dh wasnt very sympathetic when we lived rurally and I was freezing so I am equally non sympathetic now when he moans he is cold while wearing pants. And socks.

Welcome all newbies. If you look at the first september thread there's all the links for the useful money saving threads.

Noro is a bastard but will be over quickly. You have my sympathy on that one.

Yesterday £2.50 on petrol for the mower
Today £1.75 on work supplies.

We still haven't put heating on. Im going for the "use the dog as a heater" technique. Hes a little heat machine. And he loves a cuddle.

Sorry to hear about all the poorly frugaliers! It's that time of the year now the kids are back

A nsd apart from after school club that doesn't count in my book.

Poor ds is really struggling with school, crying every night and morning, he's finding juniors much harder than infants. Feel rubbish for him

On the subject of xmas....my kids don't play with toys at all, what annoys me is people insisting they have a barbie/car/dinosaur/little pony etc, which live under the bed until they are charity shopped. We don't want/need any craft kits either. ...argh.

Today was going really well. Only spends were £10 on my weekly travel pass, 24p on some reduced to clear plums, 17p on a reduced to clear lettuce and 21p on some reduced to clear wholemeal rolls. Then I got home and DS1's hand (which he hurt playing rugby yesterday) was really swollen and painful. So cooking dinner was replaced by a 2hr visit to A&E. Nothing broken, just tendon damage. So we added to the spends 36p on some Ibuprofen and just under £10 on chips as by 7:30pm I wasn't in the mood to start cooking.

Hoping for a better day tomorrow.

Thanks everyone! Thankfully it sounds like he's a rare obnoxious git.

We have also had the heating debate. DH was moaning he was cold when he just had trousers and a t shirt. Not even socks on so the heating still isn't on! The house warms up throughout the day. I think we're benefitting from the neighbours central heating.

Did some more Nectar surveys and got 80 Nectar Points. Now enjoying a after some serious batch cooking with DH!

Thank you need luckily most of it turns out allright
Hope you feel better soon collie and binglet if 28 is old I dread to think what 35 is
passthecake30 I am sorry your ds is having a hard time at the new school, hopefully it will get better after he's had time to adjust, it is a really big change from spending a lot of time playing to suddenly do lot more learning and all the extra homework.
No heating on yet, just fire burning brightly in the woodburner

Welcome all newbies! And hope you feel better soon Jemima

Spent £6 in tesco earlier on bread, eggs, butter and value Philadelphia. Seemed like a lot but I did need a lot of eggs of butter for baking. Managed to stick to the list. Made banana bread, chai cookies, bolognese in the slow cooker for tomorrow's lasagne/Wednesdays spag bol and the lemon cashew chicken dish I found on BBC Good food which was quite disapointing. Dh wanted the heating on today it may be because I'm 31 weeks pregnant but its still boiling to me.

All this talk about heating. ...it's quite warm here still (south east), pkus maybe the cavity wall injection thingy we had in summer worked?

Thanks love, he appears to be crying at everything the school ask of him as he automatically thinks it's too hard, he'll get shouted at/detention when he can't do it. This appears to vbebecause he got kept in after just 4 days [cross]. He's a good kid, just takes a bit longer to grasp things and I think the way they have started has simply terrified him.

Aw, so many poorly people :(

It's the start of term that does it I think, freshers flu and all that. Same for me every year (no escape this year despite the lack of school! Possibly via DSD as she's full of cold too since going back to college bless her)

Just checking in. Dont have time to catch uo at thw minute. BUT I am doing my best to be frugal. Lots of nsds last week and today and my intention is to use cash for groceriea and petrol this month (starts this Thursday for me) my store cupboards and freezer are full. I will be buying fruit veg and dairy only for next.week. keep up the good work everyone.

bearleft if you can afford to,buy 3 or 4 of those duvet.covers and put them on ebay. You might get a fiver at least.for each one.

theonlypink your meal plan is blooming wonderful! I often feel stuck in a rut with our family meals so am going to steal some of your ideas! How much do you generally spend on food shopping a month?**

I'm going to sit down and do a meal plan today. Saw a helpful tip on another thread whereby one week of the month was a store cupboard week, so the meals were produced depending on what items where already in the cupboards and freezer. Last night I did a batch of minestrone soup and some homemade bread - DH and DC scoffed the lot! Going to get more creative!

Plus on my walk yesterday with my youngest two I saw a ton of ripe blackberries but had no bag/container so am heading back that way today - yum! Got a feeling blackberry and apple crumble is going to feature on the menu this week!

Went through my clothes yesterday and popped a load on eBay. Also selling some baby stuff much to DHs shock - he didn't believe me when I said I was done at 3 children!

Hope everyone has a frugal day today. I promised my DS that I would get him a Lego treat for being so brave at starting primary school this week - now I just need to find a bargain that doesn't break the bank - Lego is expensive!