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Original poster

The super savvy savers continue steering their way through September

996 replies

northender · 06/09/2015 11:22

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

OP posts:
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12
Freeandsinglewater · 17/09/2015 12:42

I've just popped my sausage casserole in the slow cooker, it's the first of the season!!!!!

BoogleMcGroogle · 17/09/2015 12:49

I didn't know that Pokémon was even a thing, beyond the collectable cards!

We had beef carbonnade on Tuesday, it felt properly Autumnal. Sausage casserole is perfect for Autumn.

Home alone today, and I've managed 600 words of my assignment, which is more than usual. But I'm getting in the garden this afternoon to clear the manky undergrowth and to avoid the temptation of an unnecessary trip to Sainsburys.

TheOnlyPink · 17/09/2015 13:21

ipsos not in Dublin, but hickeys is a chain, so there's one in the big cites. I adore it. Can't sew, but love looking at the rolls of beautiful fabric.

lilac don't worry about the phone number, tbh, I can't afford it. His coat from last year fits perfectly, I would only be buying it for the sake of it.

ipsos · 17/09/2015 13:29

Boogle I know just what you mean. I'm in a very similar position. A few years ago dh's salary got a lot better and we got a bit too comfy in the idea of having money. Now I find that although we have more coming in, we seem to save very little, which seems absurd. I hope to lower my spending expectations and I would really like to see the savings piling up as a result.

The Panasonic breadmakers are great, but it was through that I found that ds and I were wheat intolerant. . Not sure whether we maybe over did it, or really what was going on there at all.

I just broke my NSD by ordering a replacement screen for my laptop. I then dropped my mobile phone in the bath by mistake, but I have a £9 spare phone in a drawer so that's sorted that problem, while the other dries the airing cupboard. Smile

ipsos · 17/09/2015 13:30

Does anybody else have experience of servicing fan assisted ovens? I think I would like to learn how to maintain my own to save the call out charge. The fan makes a loud gronking sound that drowns out all conversation.

HairsprayQueen · 17/09/2015 13:30

Can I ask your opinions on mittens? I've seen some that are lambs wool with a fleece lining, will these be warmer than acrylic? I like them but can't decide if I want to pay the price they are (the delivery fee is pushing it above what I want to pay really) but if they will genuinely keep my hands nice and warm all winter I might.

ipsos · 17/09/2015 13:32

Hair the think that really works a treat for me in cold weather is to buy cheap thinsulate gloves and put fleece windproof mittens on top. That is really frost proof if you are going to be out in sub-zero temperatures a lot. They're both very washable and not bulky, which really helps.

HairsprayQueen · 17/09/2015 13:34

ipsos no oven experience but we've fixed all kinds of things using YouTube videos (I've often been amazed that people have taken the time to film them fixing random stuff but I'm glad they have!) with parts off eBay so I'd maybe start there.

HairsprayQueen · 17/09/2015 13:43

Thanks ipsos. I forgot about thinsulate gloves, I often borrowed DH's last year and they were great.

ipsos · 17/09/2015 13:45

Thanks Hair. I hadn't thought about YouTube.

Pink that's great that you also have Hickeys. I wish we had one.

ipsos · 17/09/2015 13:59

Wow! I found a great video on YouTube that showed exactly what I needed to know. That's amazing. I would never have thought to have looked there.

Thanks Hair!

Lovetoknit · 17/09/2015 14:13

ursula sorry to hear about your loss Flowers

welcome [boogle]
Thanks ipsos for your advice about trousers, I haven't made any in big sizes but I would like to have a go since it's hard to find the ones which fit just right
free I also have sausage casserole in the slow cooker Grin busy afternoon today with ballet and piano lessons straight after school run so it's nice to have dinner ready when we get back home
I used to make bread with my breadmaker all the time but since dh has started SW again and is not allowed bread, it's easier to buy rolls for dc for lunchboxes and I just make tear and share bread in my mixer when we have pasta or buy a baguette

ipsos · 17/09/2015 14:19

Well I took the panel off the oven but I think I needed to go in from the back instead of the front, which is harder. I'll try that another day I think. Fun though. :-)

annatha · 17/09/2015 14:47

So sorry for your loss ursulaFlowers

£70 spend at aldi today- weekly shop plus baby event goodies so weekly shop came to under £50 which is good for us. Hopefully we'll stick to it or at least be controlled about top up shops. Waiting for about £150 worth of refunds to come through at the minute and another delivery to return today. I wish shops stocked a decent range of maternity/plus sized clothes. Id love to try things on before buying them to return. Think I've found a lovely pair of winter boots though for £33, just need to size up on the calf fitting but will wait until some refunds come through.

What does ynab stand for please?

lilacclery · 17/09/2015 14:50

ipsos I'm on the final chapter of Wheatbelly now so thinking I will go wheatfree starting Monday, just give me a chance to buy in some pasta made from rice flour etc, if I get to shops before then I will put it in place earlier.

We have a breadmaker which dh bought despite me saying we'd enough appliances and it wouldn't get used! I over used when we had it first and had big bloated belly regular from too much honey and oat bread and haven't used it in months now! Incidentally our neighbour bought one when he was diagnosed as coeliac as gluten free products were so expensive and not nice.

pink I got a number for you anyhow so if you need to order anything another time let me know

Collieputthekettleon · 17/09/2015 14:56

Just put on a jumper to find a huge hole. And the elastic in my socks are loose so they keep falling off. I think my washing machine is destroying my clothes Sad this is all stuff I had bought 2 winters ago.

Are women's clothes manufactured to be disposable? DH clothes are lovely and last for ages Blush just wondering...

lilacclery · 17/09/2015 15:00

collie does he spend more and buy less frequently and you buy cheaper but more often? I would be a cheaper and more often type of girl Smile

ipsos · 17/09/2015 15:01

Lilac Wow! I had no idea that you were ploughing right through wheatbelly. I'll be very interested to hear what you find when you try going wheat free. I found it hard at first but I have these alternatives that may help:

McCain classic oven chips
Bird's Eye rice (frozen, microwaveable)
Sliced potatoes, oven cooked are great
Rice, boiled and then some chorizo stirred in is tasty.
Rice boiled then sundried tomatoes stirred in, also great.
Bird's eye potato waffles
Salt 'n' shake crisps
Nairn's oat cakes.

I find these really handy as staples which I can constantly fall back on without having to think too much. I think it would have really helped me to know about them when I took the first steps. Weirdly, although I ate a ton of oven chips and crisps at the beginning, because I immediately stopped craving food and became full up more often, I rapidly started to lose weight without trying.

One of the huge things is that snacking when out in the shops (Costa etc) becomes very tricky, which really helps. That takes a bit of getting used to, but you can carry salt 'n' shake crisps and nairn's oat cakes with you in case you get hungry.

Good luck with it! I hope it goes well for you and your slimming class folks - if it makes it as far as them.

Collieputthekettleon · 17/09/2015 15:10

lilac the stuff that is falling apart is all from Next or Sainsbury's Blush DH buys clothes from there too and his seem fine. BlushConfused (we don't have primark or h&m here) perhaps expecting it to last 2 years+ was just too much.

AdoraBell · 17/09/2015 15:33

Ursular very sorry for your loss Thanks

Had to buy a phone for the landline, £34 I need one with an answerphone to screen calls
Top up shop £14, tomorrow is a major date in the Chilean calendar and DDs really feel they are missing out so I'm doing the traditional foods for them.
Fleece PJs for DDs £31

babsmam · 17/09/2015 15:36

Ursula Flowers

Collieputthekettleon · 17/09/2015 16:48

For Nectar card users - Sainsbury's are doing 10 x Nectar Points for each litre of fuel from October 1st.

574ejones · 17/09/2015 17:17

So sorry Ursula.

Welcome Boogle. I use my breadmaker 4-5 times a week. See if a friend or relative has one you can borrow to see how you get on with it before you make a commitment.

NSD!

BoogleMcGroogle · 17/09/2015 17:45

574 good idea about borrowing one from someone. I bet my mum has one stashed away somewhere.

Well, I had an afternoon to myself, and rather than going to Sainsburys to buy random stuff (which I would often normally do) I got out in the garden. The weather was glorious and I felt so much better for it.

I have an itching for cushions, but my mother called to ask what I wanted for Christmas (I know, I know) and she was actually rather pleased when I asked for John Lewis vouchers to buy a couple of cushions. She's also agreed to buy family tickets to the local panto, rather than more toys for the children. Having heaved out 21 bin bags of stuff last week, I am determined not to refill the cupboards.

NSD, although choir subs this evening (£27). Will hopefully be NSD tomorrow as DS is at home and we have swimming, library and more gardening. There will be major rebellion if I deny the Friday trip to the local sweetshop, but will raid the kid's piggy bank for that.

I've really enjoyed reading the posts on this thread. It's so refreshing, both to hear about other people's experiences of turning round their spending habits and just to be able to talk about money for a change.

SpottyTeacakes · 17/09/2015 18:06

£2.80 posting parcel
£1.05 on a twirl and Milky Way

Dd had swimming again. I really fancy her instructor