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Original poster

October Frugaleers part deux

999 replies

CremeEggThief · 06/10/2015 14:15

HI all, took the liberty of starting a new thread.

OP posts:
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Original poster
CremeEggThief · 09/10/2015 22:19

Thanks everyone. Fuzz, if I could get the 2 -3 days a week in supply that I need to get by, I wouldn't go back, even part-time. I just wish I could find a way to do the job I am trained to do, but in the way that suits me. I forgot to say well done for finding such a bargain holiday before too. We had a Haven holiday 3 years ago and DS loved it.

OP posts:
Original poster
CremeEggThief · 09/10/2015 22:23

Kids just don't understand, Fuzz. My DS has said some very unkind and thoughtless things about me not having a full time job at times too, and he's a lot older. I only told him I have CFS a few months ago, but I don't think he really gets it.

OP posts:
AdoraBell · 09/10/2015 22:52

DD1 has started paying for her own take-always. I'm certainly not going to pay for crap food that can be made here just because she wants crap what they deliver. And she's trotted out the stinging línes too. Few years ago it was "you don't do anything all day"

Fingers crossed for both of you, fuzz and creme

Original poster
CremeEggThief · 09/10/2015 22:56

Thanks Adora.

OP posts:
fuzzpig · 09/10/2015 23:09

Thanks Adora :)

And thank you Creme it's nice to know I'm not alone in finding this - but not good you also suffer obviously (my memory is rubbish, but have you come over to the CFS/ME/Fibro thread on General Health?). DD is 8, and has only recently started to get the concept of having enough money (or not!) to do stuff IYSWIM. I actually told her that if I worked more, she would have to go to a childminder all the time, and she would hate that. Not my finest moment Blush but I needed in that moment for her to understand. We had a big cuddle after and I told her I knew she hadn't meant to be rude, because she didn't. I hope I managed to swing it into a positive thing because now I have tutoring to make some money and generally they can just play in their room while I teach so don't need childcare and it allows us to spend more time together. I'm not planning on telling her about the job situation unless I actually do lose it - as even if they bring it up in this meeting, I'm pretty certain it would not be immediate because they have to follow strict procedure.

Is there any way you could tutor do you think, Creme? I don't know your specialism etc but if there's any way of supplementing your income with that it might work well? Sorry if that sounds patronising but I'm glad I finally bit the bullet and advertised. You could even look into the local home educator community as they will quite likely bite your hand off - round here there are loads of teachers offering tuition for individuals or groups of home ed children/teens in a huge range of subjects. Many are upfront about why they are looking to tutor - they don't all HE their own children, some just do it as they want more work-life balance, or to fit in with their health.

fuzzpig · 09/10/2015 23:23

On a totally unrelated note. I am still catching up on Doctor Foster and oh dear, Simon might be a cheating bastard but he's quite easy on the eye isn't he Blush

blueteapot · 09/10/2015 23:45

Today was a write off of sorts, £3.75 got DS into soft play with unlimited nice coffees for DM, DH (off today) and I who accompanied him and DS a bag of crisps and unlimited juice. Love this softplay they are so friendly and really good value for money. Then we took DM out for a lovely lunch (approx £25, not too sure as DH settled up). This evening I spent £10 on printer ink, £12.99 on a new bin (needed), £17.99 in halfords, £9 in boots on nappies, hand cream, tampons and cotton buds, and not entirely sure in tesco express as again DH sorted it but definitely bread, milk, a treat for DS and a bottle of wine pour moi

I am dying to know what pointless DH did in Dunelm! Come on pointless cheer us all up :D

SpottyTeacakes · 10/10/2015 06:51

Food shopping today. Going to lidl and hoping for a cheap one. I need to be back by ten as my friend is coming round and lidl is forty mins away so I really need to get my skates on!

babsmam · 10/10/2015 07:01

Nsd. Dd birthday party so unless I have forgotten anything I won't need to go to a shop

Ememem84 · 10/10/2015 07:55

Riding lesson today £25 and meeting my old boss for a coffee and a catch up.

ipsos · 10/10/2015 08:00

Hair the monitor is a Loop one www.your-loop.com/
It was £70. It was easy to fix. There's a thing that clips round the wire from the electricity meter and then a separate thing plugs into the wireless router and into an electric socket. A further separate thing sticks onto the front of the gas meter. I presume the electricity and gas bits have a battery powered wireless transmitter and I'm not totally sure what happens when that runs out of oomph.

ipsos · 10/10/2015 08:03

Collie Perthshire is meant to be one of the nicest bits of Scotland. I've never been there though.

ipsos · 10/10/2015 08:07

I'm doing a loop experiment today. I've turned on the oven's pyrolytic cleaner, and also the central heating at the same time. Eeep!

I was congratulating myself on not having the heating on yet today then discovered that ds had left the front door wide open in freezing weather and that all the lights were one in empty rooms upstairs. Oh well.

ipsos · 10/10/2015 08:08

Hair I just checked and the transmitters do have batteries but they are designed to last at least 10 years.

Orangeisthenewbanana · 10/10/2015 08:11

Meeting my DSIS for lunch today and then am off to the rugby with my Dad at Twickenham Grin! Might be a bit spendy, but it is doubling as DDad's Christmas present.

wheelycote · 10/10/2015 08:13

Found you all!! :) Determined to keep up with this one..

So far this month
290 pounds for monthly food shop.
Awaiting to hear back from the ombudsman 're energy supplier.
Start a 2nd job tommorrow eeeek (so nervous) through agency on Sundays.
Given up with joining hsbc for the switch fee...they've draggedddddd it out and still don't have an account despite being accepted months ago freight.

wheelycote · 10/10/2015 08:15

Ooops not ' freight'....meant to say grrhhhh (blumin predictive text)

Fluffycloudland77 · 10/10/2015 08:20

ipsos

Should be interesting.

Have you heard of chopclocks? It switches the heating off for 15-45 minutes every hour and apparently saves money with no discernible loss of heat. It's meant to work really well with oil powered boilers but it gets really good reviews.

Audit Have you looked into boilers that generate electric when the gas is being used? an energy company called flow do them. It might save you more than a wood pellet boiler.

Fluffycloudland77 · 10/10/2015 08:21

wheely Try halifax, I applied on a sunday night at nearly 10pm and had the £100 Friday morning.

It's £125 at the moment.

ipsos · 10/10/2015 08:39

Thanks fluffy I'll look into that.

I just made a total cod of selling baby stuff on ebay. Two stairgates sold for so low a price that it barely covers the cost of posting.

On the plus side I've found a new parcel comparison site that gives me much better prices. www.parcel2go.com/

This one will charge me a fiver to post a stairgate, while myparceldelivery.com will charge me £12.

Pointlessfan · 10/10/2015 09:07

Since you asked...he reached for something on a high shelf and knocked over a glass chopping board which flew through the air and missed another customer's head by mm before smashing on the floor. The woman was not at all impressed and gave him a mouthful while he grovelled and I hid round the corner trying not to laugh!
We're going to try Homesense first as it's nearer but might brave Dunelm tomorrow.

SpottyTeacakes · 10/10/2015 09:43

£64.73 in lidl Sad £30 petrol

bobblypop · 10/10/2015 10:00

Morning all.
Dc just don't get it sometimes do they. I often explain to mine the reason they can't have something is we don't have the spare cash. I have also explained to mine at various times when they moan that if they wanted more money, I would have to work more hours which would mean more hours at after school club etc for them.I think it is OK to explain things like that to them, it is important I think they being to have some concept of having to work for money etc. . When I was little my parents would never say anything like that to me. Instead they worked themselves very,very hard and bought us way more than we really needed but with massive costs to their mental health and family relations.
Anyway.....
Big spends today.....
Iceland shopping delivery 140, but I will have 10ish days of meals, snacks and lunches from that
Dog food delivery 32.99
Have also sort of just spent 10 on amazon on various stocking fillers for dc!
And I'm going to the hairdressers for the first time in about 5 years! !

Meal plan for next 10 days
Sunday , roast gammon
Monday, cottage pie
Tuesday,pasta bake using left over gammon
Wednesday, sticky bbq chicken and potato wedges
Thursday,enchilladas
Friday, freezer night (chicken nuggets, pizza)
Saturday, Thai green curry
Sunday, fish pie
Monday Italian chicken and rice
Tuesday pasta carbonara

I am totally obsessed with my new spending tracker app! It is fab. It shows you pie charts, bar charts etc and adds up totals for categories for monthly, weekly etc...it is great and really helping me to see where the money goes!

wheelycote · 10/10/2015 10:26

Fluffy thanks...already with Halifax. An wow that's fab, them paying it so quicly!!

Bobbly what app you using?

Taking dtweens to movies with budgeted money and smuggling in goodies :D

Girlfriend36 · 10/10/2015 10:33

Morning all Smile

Fuzz my dd has come out with some corkers like that over the years, I think its fine to show them that what they say can be upsetting. My dd made me cry once by saying she wished she had never been born after I asked her to help me upload the dishwasher Hmm It def made her think (hopefully) about whether what she is saying could be hurtful.

When I increased my hours to 30 last month I did sit down and explain to dd that this would mean she was going to be in the after school club/ childminders much more but would also mean that hopefully we would have a bit more money coming in. She seemed to understand and accept this which was reassuring.

Need to log on and check whats going on with my account but am a bit nervous as this week has been so spendy! Going to pop to Lidls as some point today and dd has a horse riding lesson £15. No other spends planned.