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.

Hello nice

Thanks everyone - and sorry to hear of the LOs struggling in new classes, I hope they settle in soon.

Gosh, feeling very lucky with our Beavers (and now Cubs), no joining fee and only £25 a term (and that's the long term too so 3 times a year, not the half terms that school call a term now)

lovetoknit so sorry to hear about your ds and his trombone lessons, maybe after a few weeks hearing of how others are getting on he might feel differently? At least you'll get your money back.

hairspray that's great value for a term.

Got a letter yesterday about card protection insurance being missold and details of how to claim it, paying it since 2006 @ ??16pa so that will be refunded plus interest

Very excited as today I get to bring dd to her drama class. She joined last week and I always work Wed nights so this may be my only opportunity to go

Wow! I never realised Beavers was so different (cost wise) across the country. I definitely want DS to join a club when he's 6. It's good to know it varies as I'll be aware when the time comes.

LSD planned. Need to get DS some more toothpaste in Boots. I'll use my Boots Card because I have a double points voucher for children's toothpaste. Just did a Nectar Survey and got 100 Nectar Points so really pleased with that. It all helps.

I need to go back to weekly shops for a few weeks as we're going away soon and I don't want any fresh food in the house or fridge when we go. It'll be easier to manage without wasting anything if I swap back to aa smaller shop temporarily.

Ds going to pre school again today. I need to get petrol and chase up the overdraft increase. They said 48 working hours and I phoned Saturday.

Fluffy you'll be proud of me, I dropped off a handwritten a4 page of a complaint to my bank last night! 10 weeks I was waiting for them to give me ??30 that got stuck in their lodgement machine, and they only gave it to me as a goodwill gesture, see will my letter generate anymore goodwill for the 10 weeks I was without my money!

Must apply for Irish Water conservation grant too that'll be ??100 in my account in next month or so.

collie going anywhere nice?
spotty be brave

lilac what a crappy bank. Can you complain via Facebook or Twitter as well?

Off to Scotland for a week to visit in laws need to pack cosy clothes.

spotty my DS has started nursery for one afternoon a week. He cries / whimpers when we drop him off. I worry about him all afternoon then they tell me he's been non stop giggling & having fun. And he sobs when we pick him up for about 5 seconds. It's hard and it's expensive but his speech has vastly improved since starting. And last week he told me he was happy. (He's 22 months ish)

Sorry to hear about so many unhappy children. I think September is really hard for them after the long summer break they must be exhausted by the time they get home with all the new work/teachers/classmates etc to take in.
Today will be spendy, we're going to the Sealife Centre. I have a voucher but it's expensive there and parking in Birmingham is pricey too. I'd get the bus or train but neither of them stop near the sea life centre and I can't walk too far on my poorly knee.

Ds said he wanted me to stay but I left and he was fine. He only goes 8:30-11:30 anyway.

Bring a parent gets much more stressful once they start school, I feel, at least for me it has.

collie I didn't think of that, I'll give them the timeframe alloted for complaints to respond to me, and will post on their facebook page after that if I don't get a satisfactory response.

Well jealous of you going to Scotland, it's my favourite country!

Suggested to dh that we move there on retirement - which is years away but straight away he was full of negativity, that we wouldn't be able to afford it, the conversion rate etc, and laughed in my face saying maybe we would win the lotto. He can be so negative, maybe I'll go by myself

DH is flying back for MIL's birthday next week. I completely understand that he wants see his ill elderly mum, but it's fucking thousands on credit cards- again.

Definitely complain if they don't respond lilac

Hope all the unhappy DCs settle very soon

Oh adora that is tough

I've got a Drs appt at 4pm dinner will be late tonight plus I've just realised dd hasn't finished her homework that's due in tomorrow she was ill all weekend and then I just forgot. Luckily it's just spellings and handwriting. Dinner was meant to be sausage and mash, I could make the mash now couldn't I? Then I just have to do the sausages and I'll do beans with it...

for your MIL Adora, but it's completely understandable to be concerned about the cost.

Good luck at the doctors spotty

lila I would retire to Scotland in a flash too.

The Beavers cost might vary due to the venue costs? Our village has it's own Scout Hut, which keeps the fees down as there is no rent to pay.

Sorry for the unsettled children. I have never had this problem (I never looked back to see if they were upset, although they never were!!), but I do have friends that did. It does seem to improve as they settle into the new routine and their anxieties are resolved and friendships established. It can get worse towards the end of term as tiredness sets in, this will be the worst this coming term as it's a long one and they get high on the Christmas excitement too. Calm and measured approaches seemed to work best, no fuss etc.

Hello nice

Took the dogs on a very long walk this morning as it's my day off. I might have come back with an enormous bag of blackberries and elderberries....

Seriously, I am just going to keep foraging all September while walking the dogs. Even if folk all get jam for Christmas....

Can I show you all a photo of my dd's hair? It's not a frugal thing, well it might be when she's older and doesn't need to pay for highlights

My dads putting £200 into my account as the overdraft was declined fair enough as its a new account and they've not seen many payments into it.

We get nothing really for that ??60. It pays for insurance, and not sure what else... but they are extremely over subscribed, so they can charge what they want. If I don't pay it, there's ten people behind me on a waiting list who will. Had to volunteer to even get the place he does have. ??54 for the uniform and ??20 per calendar month after that. It's going to be a huge outlay, but he does nothing else outside of school, as he is not sporty and there isn't really anything else he could do. My dad said he will help with costs tho. So I'm very grateful.
Outside the money side of things, I think it's going to be brilliant for him. He gets very withdrawn, spends a lot of time on his own, and isn't very active due to special needs and feeling self conscious. This will get him out and active in a way he can manage. Plus, I'm a volunteer, so can adjust hikes etc to suit his own abilities. He's very excited!

Saw a voucher code on the Christmas thread for vertbaudet, could get a coat I want for ds 2, reduced to £24, have a UK delivery address I can use, but they won't accept my phone number! Grr!
Going to double check his coat from last year too, to make sure he really does need a new one, as that was going on a credit card, so probably just as well it won't work.

Brownies is £25 per term too (as in £75 a year). Beavers is apparently £12 a month, guess they do that by direct debit but it's spread out over 12 months even though you don't have meets in the holidays. I'm also hoping they can start Badgers (the St Johns Ambulance club) and that's only £6 a month. Bargain! Although it all means getting uniforms etc of course. But I'm hoping it'll be worth the investment (also we now use most birthday/xmas money on club fees) especially now they aren't at school so it's a good opportunity to socialise and work towards goals. We're building up to them doing 5 clubs each (some being only fortnightly) but they are all cheap (the martial arts one is £2 an hour!).

I'm grumpy this morning as the tesco delivery arrived, they've not given me a receipt as the printer wasn't working so I can't check properly, but it's come out as £5 more expensive? That doesn't usually happen. It can't be the subs as they always guarantee they're cheaper. Hmmph.

That's beautiful hair! She's very lucky spotty

I just spent £10 on 425 Spring Bulbs to go with some gardening hampers that I am setting up for various birthdays in October, November and December. 4 presents in total.

Been to town mainly to change library books and post eBay stuff. £3.60 for bus and noticed the fairs are going up again next week. Will have to walk but it's so miserable in the rain!

Avoided most of the shops but needed bread so spent a couple of quid on that and a cheese scone as a treat. Didn't even go near Boots or Superdrug (my biggest frittering temptations) so was quite pleased with myself.

Withdrew eBay money of about £30 and requested £54 of Quidco, was going to put it straight towards the debts but now tax credits have decided they want £97 back so I guess it will go to them. It's such a horrible system, especially as DH gets commission so our money varies. Anyway I'll pay this off and then I think we are finished with them and I'll never have the worry of them wanting their money back again.

Hope your DS has a good morning Spotty.

*had, sorry!

fuzz could you email customer services for the receipt by email?
pink would putting in a dummy mobile number work?

spotty your daughter's hair is fabulous! Mine was blonde until I was 8 then turned dark, now I pay out every few months for it to be blonde!!

lilac I've tried to alter my actual number to look like a UK number, but it seems to know it's not real! I don't want to play around with it too much as I don't want to use an actual number by accident iykwim?

spotty that's gorgeous hair! How was ds at nursery? I completely agree with you about parenting being harder when they get to school. When they are babies you have the control, but then they head off into the world like little people, and all the stress that comes with it. I love seeing them progress and gain more independence and confidence in the world, but it's definitely harder!

Thanks I take full credit for her lovely hair

Ds had a great time thanks he always comes out full of beans and being a bit cheeky in a funny way, so I think it gives him confidence. I spied on dd too and she was having fun with one of her friends.

Fuzz I would phone tesco cs they're always helpful to me.

Love the highlights, I am in desperate need of a dye spotty, fancy a holiday in NI? ;)

Where is this magical christmas thread everyones talking about? (Dont actually tell me as I'll get properly into it lol!)

£1 today for toddlers, a different group today. Again v good value as that got both kids in, play time, snack, and coffee / biscuits for the adults (I go with my DM, she will be taking them solo when I go back to work!). Enjoying making every pound work harder!

Should have ingredients in for chilli for tea.

I am going to open another little savings account just for me, any ideas where would be good? Anyone have a post office account?