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Cost of living

Stretching your budget? Share tips and advice to discuss budgeting and energy saving here. For the latest deals and discounts, sign up for Mumsnet Moneysaver emails.

September savers/frugaleers continue into October

999 replies

574ejones · 20/09/2015 17:43

All welcome!

OP posts:
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5
SpottyTeacakes · 01/10/2015 07:27

Oh NK that's tricky. I would probably have to say something equally passive aggressive back.

Collieputthekettleon · 01/10/2015 07:44

NK She's an arse. Can anyone anonymously complain to HR? We couldn't complain about the twunt who I worked with - everyone knew she was vile. Even HR! But nobody did anything to fix it. Sad

LSD today. Need to buy the Landlove Christmas Magazine as my work is in it. And semi skimmed milk, yoghurt, deodorant and individual apple juices.

needastrongone · 01/10/2015 09:03

Thanks ipsos. Yes, we are all pretty confident I guess, but your observation about us all needing our space was interesting. I obviously knew this, but didn't recognise it before you mentioned it! I would like a delete button too sometimes, it was good to post yesterday, but I half wished I didn't, so I know what you mean Smile

NK She sounds pretty toxic.

I think a NSD today, but had to pay the window cleaner last night, so £10 cash.

Just dropped the car off at the local garage for it's rear brake pads changing, but that is a company expense.

needastrongone · 01/10/2015 09:06

collie You couldn't stretch to shellac could you? It's about £15 here, but lasts me 3 weeks.

bobbly My DS at 16 is utterly crap too. Luckily, the school send letter via email too.

NK5BM3 · 01/10/2015 10:12

So it's not just me then. I thought I was being pre-menstrual. She's awful. Can't complain to HR because they are just plain useless.

Fluffycloudland77 · 01/10/2015 10:28

it would be a mistake to assume HR is on your side.

They never are. See how Austraila pans out.

ipsos · 01/10/2015 10:38

It's great to hear your thoughts need. Keep them coming. :-)

I tried writing to MNHQ to see if they could delete my back posts but they said they don't do that as a routine thing. I think it's a shame. We could be much more honest about things if we knew they didn't have to stand forever. Also with Mumsnet local using the same username there's always a very slight risk that we might be identifiable to local friends who can then read all our mumsnet ramblings. Tricky.

ipsos · 01/10/2015 11:07

Need there's an article in the Financial Times today by the Business Secretary about how important family run businesses are to the economy and how he wants to help them out. It's called "Full of potential — but held back" it should come out high on a google search. Thought you might like to know that he values your husband's work. Smile

ipsos · 01/10/2015 11:11

Do any of you have solar panels or other schemes to keep the house warm without fossil fuels? It seems that Mark Carney, the Governor of the Bank of England (and a sensible bloke who I rate highly), has come out and said that global warming is going to be a serious financial matter and that people who have invested in fossil fuels will lose money. I suppose he really means companies like BP and Shell, but it got me thinking. Does anybody here have solar panels, or any other way to circumvent the reliance on fossil fuels?

TheOnlyPink · 01/10/2015 11:13

nk sounds like there's a horrible atmosphere brewing in your office. Might be time to jump ship. I have no advice on how to deal with it (sahm for the past 9 years) but dh manager a few years back was like that. he fell from grace in a spectacular fashion though, and gave dh and his team huge enjoyment to watch it pan out. Dh often felt so frustrated that it was going unnoticed, but it very much wasn't, they just had to wait.

Low spend day today. Went to lidl in the hopes of getting Christmas fudge but they had none. Decided to get my top up shop while I was there, spent €9. Not sure I would do a weekly shop there, had a bit of a nose at prices on my regulars, and while it seems cheaper than tesco on a few items, eg porridge oats for 45c, the bag is half the size of tescos one for 90c. So no saving at all. Noticed it on packets of meat too. They didn't have a lot of things that I would buy regularly either. Not a lidl convert.

ipsos · 01/10/2015 11:37

I noticed that Tesco has a lot of things on half price offer at the moment if anybody wants to stock up. Things like Johnson's baby shampoo and simple bars of soap and kleenex tissues. I bought a whole lot to put in storage, so last month's budget was maxed out, but it should save me a bit in the coming months.

ipsos · 01/10/2015 11:40

Does anybody else ever wonder why cashmere jumpers exist? They seem to cost a lot and I bet the shrink like mad. I wonder who buys them and what they are doing to earn the money?

SpottyTeacakes · 01/10/2015 12:09

Ok I've put the washing on the line and I've got beef casserole in the slow cooker.

I need someone to come and talk SE sense into dh for me. He refuses to use anything other than the quick wash on the dw because he thinks having it on for 2.5 hours is ridiculous. This obviously means he has to wash up any saucepans/big dishes etc. ffs what's the point in having a dw then?! Idiot.

Fluffycloudland77 · 01/10/2015 12:53

Would you like me to come round and destroy his argument with logic?.

The Eco cycle on ours is 3h 24m. It uses 9l of water and 900w of electric.

The quick wash is 30 minutes long. Because it has to work harder it uses 1.1kw of electric and 12-17l of water.

I know this because it has a built in water and electric consumption meter and shows me what it's used at the end of every cycle.

SpottyTeacakes · 01/10/2015 13:21

I love you fluffyStar

Lovetoknit · 01/10/2015 13:42

This thread is moving superfast again Grin

£62 at Lidl today but luckily I did have another £5 off voucher and it did include battery charger for £13.99 for dh, I did have to buy couple extra bits so I can make honeycake for harvest festival auction at the pub tomorrow, it's for Children's hospice so they will get some homemade jam and runner beans from the garden too Smile

Also need to pay for dd grade 1 piano exam £37 but I did tell her if she doesn't do her practice properly and fails it she will have to pay me back

How many days do you think I should give school's Senco to call me back? I am trying to get an appointment with her about ds(11) who is really struggling with all the writing at school. I think he not only has dyslexia like my dh but also dysgraphia but so far it has been really hard to get any clear diagnosis and his case just gets passed around like pass the parcel.

ipsos · 01/10/2015 13:50

Fluffy that's amazing. I had no idea that you could find that out about a dishwasher. I wish I knew that about mine. It doesn't have that meter, but it does have an eco setting. I must try it. I suppose the details must be in the manual.

TheOnlyPink · 01/10/2015 14:16

fluffy I love that kind of info. I have an app that shows how much electricity general items use, I'm constantly at it!

Boiler man has been and gone, feels good to have it serviced. I was having to turn the thermostat up really high to get it to work towards the end of last winter. He said that's fixed now. Hoping it will save a bit on this winter's gas bills. Haven't had the heating on yet, so it's all ready to go now!

Collieputthekettleon · 01/10/2015 14:49

My new (worn twice) denim leggings from Next just ripped. The waistband came away.... Full refund on its way & there are no more in stock.
Fed up of shite quality! Sad

ipsos · 01/10/2015 14:52

Sorry to hear that Collie. I'm fed up with things that are barely worth the name too. I seem to send 75% of things back these days. Except Lego obviously, which is mysteriously always perfect. Smile

I've got a strep throat now. This has been a real month for bugs in our house. I wonder if that will end at some point?

Fluffycloudland77 · 01/10/2015 15:28

Strep throats awful, I used to drink glass after glass of cold water when I had bad throats. It makes you feel so bleurgh too.

I'd love to have our boiler done but it will have to wait until November.

NSD and a super fun morning putting a water saving device into the loo cistern. It got a bit hairy for a while but it's flushing again now.

Fluffycloudland77 · 01/10/2015 15:30

Cashmere is for rich people by the way. It's a bastard to wash.

ipsos · 01/10/2015 15:54

Good to know about the cashmere fluffy. I think we should get M&S to send out a questionnaire with all cashmere jumpers asking the people where they get their money from and what unreasonable sacrifices they mad to make to get there.

Well done on the water saving device. Excellent work. Glad the loo still works.

I'm in the first few days of the strep thoat where I'm always in two minds about my own changes of survival. In my case, boiling water drinks and many jumpers. Duvets, scarves, you name it, I'm wearing it.

ipsos · 01/10/2015 17:35

What kind of dishwasher do you have fluffy?

CremeEggThief · 01/10/2015 17:38

Oh Ipsos, strep throat is nasty. Take care of yourself Brew.
NSD. I couldn't get it together today and gave in to fatigue and went back to bed for a few hours at midday. I have to say I feel better for it and I had a lovely hour sitting outside in the sun, in the late afternoon.