October Frugaleers part deux

[CremeEggThief]

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

Ooh Collie I need a draught excluder, how did you make it? I'm rubbish at sewing!
Just did weekly shop for £46, that's the best I've managed in ages, I'm so pleased. Just need to nip back on Friday for a pizza.
Meal plan:
Today - freezer meal
Wed - veggie shepherd's pie
Thursday - jacket potatoes with a little bit of Bolognese I found in the freezer and grated cheese.
Fri - pizza, salad, sweet potato wedges
Sat - either slow cooker chick pea curry or take away as a birthday treat for my mum.
Sun - chops for DH, quinoa burgers for me with veg and potatoes
Mon - left overs from Sat or freezer.

Hope to catch up with the thread today, I've only read as far as page 10. Looking forward to catching up, missed ye past few days. Ds not sleeping at night so I haven't been online much.

It's so quick & easy..

1. find an old pair of trousers or pyjama bottoms. And chop off a leg.
2. find two hair bands or elastic bands
3. chop off a leg of an old pair of tights.
4. stuff the tight leg with spare fabric or newspaper. I used old muslin squares. I had loads! And tie a knot in the end. Roll it like dough into an even sausagey shape.
5. put the stuffed tight leg into the trouser leg and tie the end with hair bands.
6. I managed to tuck in the ends with the loose fabric like an envelope. This tightened the trouser fabric (I think it was due to the shape of the trousers)

Mine is petite as I have short legs but it fits perfectly next to a draughty side window on my patio doors. I'll fill the spare legs for the other side.

Hope that helps. I'm not very good with instructions

Yes the £3k was with a relined flue.

Collie Well done on the making. A couple of felt ears, eyes, a nose and a tongue would make that draught excluder into a cracking wee sausage dog. Are you home now?

Well done collie I did bit of sewing with mine and used both legs from ds old school trousers and stuffed it with old bits of fabric and wool. It's great for the door in my office
ipsos even with the relined flue that's sound way too much, we were quoted £1800 with flue, woodstove and all the work which at the moment is too much for us so we are using the fireplace in the dining room as an open fire. As long as you use clean wood and have your chimney swept you shouldn't have any smoke coming back into the house.
Heating is still off, so onesies,blankets and hot water bottles are out.
£13 at Aldi for top up shop, they have lot of wool in at the moment but I was very good and din't buy any since I am trying to reduce my stash

Thanks collie. I'm hoping DH will let me cut up his old jeans...

Hi all, have been to the local hospital this morning for a routine ENT appointment with dd, was pleased as her hearing has improved! The consultant was really surprised as they had told me that her hearing loss would be permanent he thinks now that it must be a middle ear problem rather than inner ear which is much better and means there is a chance by the time she is an adult her hearing will be normal

Parking was £3.70 and treated us to a hot choc and caramel slice in Costa after the appointment which came to £8 - they don't call it 'Costa packet' for nothing do they?

No other spends though and the rest of this week should be fairly low spend....

That's great news Girlfriend. Your daughter must be really pleased too.

Hello can I join in? We are mega skint ATM and have been for a few years. Getting better at being frugal but it would be nice to chat to others who live the same way!
Have a toddler DS and another on the way. Trying to do more no spend days and have a giant ebay pile to work through.
Off to read the rest of the thread...

Yeah I'm home now. I forgot to mention that. I'm shattered after the journey home & a miserable toddler.

Anyway.... Just ticked some more off my Autumn bucket list. love doing stuff for free!

Welcome bish. That's great news about your DD Girlie.
I've just wasted the best part of an hour while DD naps, loads of jobs need doing but I'm so tired. Think I'll make a brew and see if that perks me up!

After the discussion about dishwasher and washing machine settings I have just realised I have always read quick wash to mean the economy cycle so religiously use it. I've just realised there is an economy cycle. It takes 2.5hrs but I'm assuming will cost me less than the quick cycle?

Girlie great news about the hearing!

Welcome Bish, I think you'll be right at home here

Collie hope you manage to catch up on some sleep, toddlers are so tiring!

Bish, welcome.

Electrolux, ouch, that's a massive amount for a water bill - was it based on a water meter reading?, How much have you paid on average in the past?

Girlfriend, great news.

Heating is officially on here. We never turn it off actually, it's just set to come on if it drops below 17.5c in the hall. Heard a clank of metal yesterday afternoon and it came on, and was on again this morning. Our gas and electric in our old house used to be £70pm, but now £50pm so I don't mind it's on (especially as I was told yesterday morning for the first time).

Today Lidl £4.16, Tescos £6.63 (included two cream cakes which I've scoffed) and exercise class £4

Completely fell off the thread and off being frugal this week. Sigh. Back to it today with a NSD. Must try harder.

I think our heating is officially on now too. The timer is set to turn it on but the house warms up quickly so it gets turned off again after about half an hour.
I still haven't done anything useful this afternoon, I'm going to be annoyed with myself later!

My muscle food order arrived and I put it away. I'm going to put a load of washing on and then I will feel I've achieved stuff. Horrid colds all round today so my bar is low. Cleaner came, £20, but she's so worth it. Other than that NSD. I've done most of my Christmas shopping now so trying hard not to go on Amazon and graZe!

Interesting the different ways we manage our heating. I put ours on for an hour this morning, took the chill off the house. I need to work out how to draft proof our front door, we live in a new built and are very exposed at the front (nothing at all in front of my house until you hit a farm a mile away). I'm considering a thick curtain to hang in front of it like we did at home. Won't look too pretty though!

I was thinking that water bill was high electro. What do you think is making it that much?. At least you have the money coming to pay it.

Welcome Bish. I hope your OH is on board too.

NSD & £16 refund off tescos plus DH made me get the free specs I'm entitled to under their contact lens plan. I have a high prescription but thin lenses are£60-90 so I will just have to look like Olive from on the buses.

There's £1 off coupon on kerrygold butter's facebook page and it's two for £2 in most supermarkets so dh got two packs of butter for £1.

Pointless, I haven't done anything useful this afternoon either. Came back from work and eat two cream cakes while on there. About to hoover hall and living room, might tidy up a bit and then get washing in (really should do the dusting and a bit of gardening as well).

Hooray! Last payment this month on our sofa, so that £60 a month will now go towards the gas & electric dd each month, hopefully keeping that under control.

Total food spend this week is £26 as we are mainly eating out of the freezer.
I've managed to swipe 2 extra shifts this week & next week so that's extra towards our wee caravan holiday at half term. Excited about that !!!!

Savings are taking a hit as dh started his master's degree this week and we have to pay the fees soon, but in the long run that will pay for itself and more. Masters= better job prospects.
All looking good on the financial front this week/month.
That could, of course change in an instant.
Sigh.

Great news girlie!

Our heater in our sitting room is on (all electric). It's only twelve degrees today though.

Nsd here.

Electro www.savewatersavemoney.co.uk/free-water-saving-packs Try this site, it has free shower savers and tap inserts. The energy saving trust has water saving tips too.

I have low flush loo's but I still put a 1.5l bottle of water in there to reduce the flush.