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.

So sorry to hear that Ursula

collie I'm not sure if you are a sewing person, but if you can get fabric with the same composition (50%polyester, 40% cotton, 10% elastane, or whatever) then you can take the old trousers apart at the seams, copy the pieces onto the new material and then sew the new parts together. You will end up with a perfect copy of the old trousers. I do this a lot and it work a treat. The trick is to get fabric with the same composition and the same stretch. With stretch fabric you also need a zigzag stitch so the sewing doesn't rip when the fabric stretches.

I've discovered that I spend about £230 a month on random house fixing per month. I had no idea that I did that. It's just little things like repairs to computers, or replacing broken kitchen things, or pots of paint, or whatever.

This month we have to have some external paint work done and also some roof tiles put back on the roof, so I think that will be more like £1500. It's weird how it costs a whole lot of money just to keep things the same isn't it?

So sorry ursula

Pay day today. Planning on tesco tomorrow as picking up a new coat for DS2 off click and collect but used literally the last square of loo roll this morning so had to pop to lidl. Also got cereals to save carrying space tomorrow as I'll be on the bus and cheese as run out and DS1 has a school trip and needs a packed lunch and I always think I'll be frowned upon if I send him with a jam sandwich or something! £4.00 on all that and that should be it for the day.

girl that's bargain childcare!
For just my school going child, it would cost me €32 a day. The cost of childcare is my main reason for being a sahm. I have no qualifications, so would be in a low paying job. We're lucky that dh has a more professional job!

ursla I'm so sorry for your loss

ipsos definitely a good use of funds. I was terrible for doing that too, but my mum took me aside and had a word. So I try to keep on top of things now and buy slightly better quality stuff so it lasts longer.

Will be a nsd today, having coffee in a school mums house in a bit and then work go see my mum this afternoon. It's one of those perfect autumn days, really sunny, but very cool. It's put a huge smile on my face! (I am not a summer person!)
Have a good day!

Thanks Pink, it's lovely here too. You're right, I suppose the thing to do is to buy clothes gradually over time so it's not one great wedge of cash all at once. Maybe this is where I'm meant to be budgeting .

Also I suppose it's unlikely that I'll ever spend another four years bf'ing, so hopefully a total change of wardrobe on that scale will not be needed too often.

Yesterday was a NSD €5 for dd's drama & dance class but that's from joint account so I don't count that as such as it's finely tuned budgeted money!

Digger I've started to use Ynab with earnest this week
I got paid €597.72 yesterday leaving me with a balance of €599.28 in my current account. Savings for dd €5 will come out tomo, as will credit union loan payment €70 and €27.50 towards my cartax savings for next month, €405 to joint account as I borrowed €5 from it during the week to avoid my own account going overdrawn, normal transfer is €400 (covers mortgage, childcare, food, bills, etc etc) €38 left in my account for dd for contact lenses, €30 towards credit card and €23.78 left over. Think I've enough in cash to pay for my hair tonight and if not it will come out of this €23.78 and whatever is left I will put against my creditcard next week. as pink says this living within budget is a pain I really want to buy boots or shoes but am contenting myself with putting them in online baskets at the moment and making do with what I have.

Laska is this doing ynab right?
Pink I forgot the number last night, will deffo sort it tonight
ipsos glad to hear you feel way better about yourself now that you've some nice new clothes. And your ds too. Love your idea about the trousers, need to learn how to use my sewing machine, have loaned it to my mother atm because I don't use it at all.

emenen I found sinus rinse was best advice I ever got from a doctor, strange sensation but you feel so much better afterwards

ursula hope you've support around you at this time x

Wow this thread is moving fast.
I've had an unexpected car expense, usually this would go on credit card, however this time I'd been saving to pay a year's car tax next month so instead most of it will go on repairing car and I'll most like just pay 3 months cartax then when it's due as my tax bill is due to be paid end of next month also.

Had no self employed income this week so it was most important to start using ynab properly to maximise my wages. Hope I've not forgotten anything. My treat for myself was a kindle book during the week - longer lasting treat than a lunch out or something like that. Marie Force, do any of you read her books? This is the Fatal Series I love it. And had forgotten that I had it preordered that's how my account was heading for being overdrawn this week.

ursula
After hectic day yesterday, I'm hoping for a pj day. I just don't understand why health departments can't talk to each other!!!!! It's extremely frustrating.
I spent less than a tenner yesterday, £4 on lunch and some photos for DS nursery.

To those under 16k British Gas are accepting applications for warm home discount. I spent 20 minutes on the phone but well worth £140

As for the tax credits.... I'm already £250 worse of this month, not sure what else I can cut down on, if more money is gone.

Here is hoping that I get the housing association place. Fingers crossed.

pink I get frustrated that my is tight.
ipsos that's a fab idea! How much is the fabric these days?

Ah, DS birthday.
I'm off to the zoo, I'm going to take the family, and it will be cheaper and stress free... Ish.

Ursula so sorry :( take care. x

Hello! I hope you don't mind me joining this thread, you all seem nice and friendly. I've finally turned a corner and feel ready to take control of my spending (and debts). We are not on our knees, but spend way more than we need to, and it's started to cause stress. The norm has become lots of expensive days out, stuff for the house, too many clothes and too much on groceries.

I've started to realise that spending for me has become a bad habit, only in the last few years so there is hope to turn it around I think. In short, I've become too materialistic and have begun to focus too much on 'keeping up with the Jonses' (I think I fell in with a bad crowd for that for a while). A lot of this issue was emotional for me- not feeling 'good enough' around richer (show-offy) friends and using buying stuff as a distraction from other issues in life, such as my son's health problems. Anyway, a couple of frank conversations with old friends has made me realise that things don't have to be this way and I feel strong enough to stop the silly spending, pay off some debts and start saving. it's come at a good time as, now that DS is in school we are saving £600 pcm on childcare. We also hope to save for a house move in about 3 years.

I have a thrifty 'buddy' in real life- a friend locally who also wants to spend less and to focus more on the important things in life. We are hoping to set up a meditation group and I've joined the local community choir. But some virtual support on this site would also be hugely helpful. I've realised that, although we have a good income, looking after the pennies really does make a difference and that's what we need to start doing (DH is very much on board too).

On the plus side, I've got rid of lots of stuff from our house that we don't need. Most has been handed down, or has gone to charity shops/the refugee appeal and I'm determined not to refill the cupboards. The house feels lovely and uncluttered and my mum is going to help me to chalk paint DS's bedroom furniture instead of splashing out on new stuff. She's even treating me to the paint and new ceramic knobs for the wardrobes.

Anyway, NSD yesterday (I packed lunch, would normally have spent £5 at Tesco) and just my choir subs to pay tonight (£24 for the term, so shouldn't break the bank). I hope to post regularly and look forward to getting to know you all :)

Welcome boogle

Thanks Lilac it really was a nice to have an overhaul. :-) The next thing is a haircut, but I shall be a proper frugaleer and budget for that.

Free I'm actually not sure really. It varies such a lot. I used to travel internationally a lot and visit fabric shops where ever I went. I got in the most hilarious tangles buying fabric in the US as they sell by the yard instead of the metre, and in dollars instead of pounds.

By far the best shop I've found for clothes fabric is called Hickeys and is in Henry Street in Dublin. I have some lovely clothes made from their fabric and they all look shop-bought. I wish we had one here. Lilac and Pink are you near there?

I think that there are sales in London of fabric that is left over from end-of-line production by companies like Next, but I've never been able to work out where they are. Weirdly, I never could find anything good in Italy or Paris, which seems counter-intuitive. Gosh, I miss dress-making.

boogle welcome! first of all I love your name! And secondly I nodded a lot as I read your post. Having DH on board is the best thing too. My DH and I are frugal together and its had some brilliant results. Both mentally and financially.

£65ish down... got tickets for one anime film (DSD and me) and for a selection of world animated shorts (me, DH and DCs) at the BFI festival. So excited! Hardly ever go to the cinema at all so to go twice in a week is quite a treat (should be, at that price - the anime one is at the West End, ouch)

After the latter maybe we will go to the Natural History Museum to see the geology stuff (DD is very interested so we are making it a home ed topic), making the most of the travelcards. Shame it's on a Sunday as it'll be busy but then I thought the British Museum would be quieter on a weekday - it was absolutely packed due to lots of school visits and we could barely access the Egypt stuff we went for. So maybe it won't be so bad? [hopeful]

ursula
Welcome boogle. Frugality soon becomes a habit

fuzzpig I love anime! One of my ambitions is to visit Studio Ghibli. Not sure if it's any help (and you probably know this already), but we've found that families are welcome to use the schools room at the British Museum on a Sunday. We sometimes park in one of the squares, put our stuff in a locker in the family room and eat a picnic there. Aside from fuel, it's then a free day out. If you home educate, will they let you use the schools room during the week too? It does get heavingly busy at weekends. My daughter is really into all things Japanese, which is lucky as those rooms are normally pretty empty and feel quite zen. DS on the other hand has a thing going with the Easter Island statue. Apparently it talks to him (only him, which is why we can't hear it).

ipsos not near Dublin but there is one in my local town which is quite decent too. I used to love the one in Galway when I was younger and had time for cross stitching! Have kept all my stuff though because my time for that will come again too.

boogle welcome!
Anyone heard from peonies or laska lately?

I'm hoping it will soon become a habit. We have leftover leftovers for supper tonight (leftover venison shepherd's pie made with Sunday's roast). We really love good food, so it's a case of thinking about what we buy and planning ahead. I avoided a trip to the market this morning. It's lovely but I can easily spend £30 on lovely bread and cheeses. I am limiting myself to fortnightly visits, and then only the cheese van, egg stall and greengrocers (no more £4 loaves of artisan bread!).

Does anyone on here make their own bread? Am thinking about asking for a breadmaker for Christmas but I'm worried I won't use it and it will be too crusty for the children's sandwiches.

Ooh, thank you Boogle no I didn't know that! Very helpful :) arf at the talking easter island head! brilliant.

We are all anime-crazy - been waiting for this film forEVER (ok maybe slightly exaggerated but doesn't it take flipping ages for Japanese films to come over to the UK!). We're seeing 'the boy and the beast' - 'when Marnie was there' was unsurprisingly sold out! But since that's a Ghibli it's more likely to be shown at a local cineworld at some point so hopefully we will still be able to see it.

I'd love to go to visit Studio Ghibli too. Have you seen the documentary 'the kingdom of dreams and madness'?

Love Ghibli. Went to the Ghibli museum in Japan a few years ago & picked up loads of books from there.

I make some bread but I don't use a bread maker. I have no space for any kitchen gadgets.

Just sold something for £40! And its "top up shop" tonight so making a list. I crave so much chocolate.

fuzzpig I've just looked up The Boy and The Beast and it looks really good. Can you recommend any Anime for a 6 year old (who doesn't cope well with peril!)? Totoro, Go Panda Go and Arietty are her favourites.

BTW- the BM schools room is down the stairs on the right as you come into the main atrium. There's also a really long bench in that part of the atrium which is perfect for a picnic. The café there is always heaving and really busy.

I am going to be looking for lots of bargain days out this winter, so any ideas would be great. Before we went to the zoo, but it will be over £200 to renew a family pass, which I just can't justify at the moment. Definitely London museums but we've also found some days hosted by our local wildlife trust (Essex). We are off batwatching in a couple of weeks! And my daughter has just decided to start a project on mushrooms and toadstools this Autumn, which should be free, bar the cost of a scrapbook to record pictures of her finds. The lovely local library assistant has given her her late husband's fungus spotters book to get started.

Collie do you use a bread tin or 'freehand'? DH often makes flatbreads, which are delicious but I want something I can use for sandwiches. I work 4 days a week so I'm not sure how practical the mess and work of hand made bread would be.

Collie ! :o

Boogle I've not really found any anime beyond Ghibli that is ok for little ones. We have most of them - Ponyo, Kiki's Delivery Service, the Cat Returns are other favourites with my DCs. And they love Castle of Cagliostro (not technically Ghibli IIRC but it's by Miyazaki). TBH with anime I tend to watch it without DCs first because it seems a lot more unpredictable and you can't rely on age ratings in the same way as Disney. I think Howl's Moving Castle and Spirited Away might be too scary for the moment.

I really really loved the Little Norse Prince, need to watch that again. Bit scary though.

I love the sound of a mushroom project with a scrapbook!

Oh and my DCs watch a lot of the original pokemon. I'm thinking of getting Mysterious Cities of Gold at Xmas, not actually sure if it's 'proper' anime but DH used to watch it.