October Frugaleers part deux

[CremeEggThief]

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

Blueteapot I feel your pain with the non sleeping ds, he's around same age as my ds 23 months isn't he? Mon night up at 2am maybe 20 mins more sleep for the night last night up at 11.50 and that was it for the night, I was up at 11.50 and I finally gave in and went downstairs at 4am. wrecked!

ememem you sound like a great friend, that was a cute little surprise. Reminds me I must do something for my friend, sometimes we send each other a little something nice in the post so that it's not all bills. I've a lovely wallet card from her with a four leafed shamrock in it.

Very jealous of you guys being able to hook your solar panels up to the grid, ours just supply us with hot water, Ireland is not as advanced as you, and so few people have wood pellet boilers that you either get a big fill or buy in bags which is more expensive.

I've all of Dr Foster recorded but only have seen the first episode yet, I don't mind spoilers though I'll still watch it. annatha It's about a woman who realises her husband is having an affair.

Dd got invited to take part in a recording of a Christmas Single in next big town tomo evening, her usual dance & drama class wasn't on instead last night so that €5 will pay for her participation in Fri night's thing, but I will need to get food for myself out as will be going straight from work and thanks to wheatfree, a sandwich in the car isn't an option what do you do in those situations ipsos?

This weekend we're going to visit my parents, we will most likely buy lunch along the way but that should be it for spends really

binglet that's a wise move with the credit card.

My 5 year plan from start of this year was to be debt free apart from mortgage and buy a car with possibly one year of finance to pay, I will save my loan payments once the loan is repaid in June.

Another one shocked that an oven costs 50p an hour to run . I see a lot of salads in my meal planning in future!

I worked in my volunteer job yesterday, I was down to do the afternoon shift and was going to volunteer to stay for the evening but it was cold and I was tired so I came home instead and watched the Bake Off.
Spent £3.80 on parking at the station.
£2.00 on cake for DS and I to share, can't watch Bake Off without cake!

Today will be semi spendy, I have to go into town to return some bits to Debenhams and get DS some new t shirts. Will have to pay for parking but DS's clothes will come out of his 'fund'. I put money aside each money to cover bits and pieces he needs, we don't get child benefit.

I'm glad that some of you have had good news and the extra income makes life run a little more smoothly.

Has anyone watched the TV program called the super vet or something? They're filming their Christmas special next week and have ordered a Christmas tree from my dad he did one last year for the BBC; one of their Christmas cooking shows.

Is 50p an hour for electric ovens? My gas oven costs £6 a month to run and its used a lot, most days at least an hour.

Blue sounds like you got some good deals there, I need to start getting a bit more organised for Christmas instead of buying random stuff on Amazon! Have been naughty with Amazon this week which is entirely down to being at home more and impulse buying Not going to buy any more now before end of Oct pay day.

Hope poorly ddog is feeling better.

Plan for today is to go for a swim and meet my mum for lunch.

Oh and I'm another one who enjoyed last night telly Nadiya was my favourite so pleased she won and Dr foster was brilliant!

Oh I've no chance of keeping up, you all talk so much.

Spending yesterday -

£20 cleaner
£45 equine dentist
£50 rug for the pony
£18 farm shop

So a spendy day but that was following a lot of non spendy days.

DH and DS want to go somewhere for half term, a cottage in Scotland, just to escape and take the dogs, walk and fish. Figuring out if I can make that work within the monthly monies.

Hope ddog is ok babs

I WILL keep up from now on, as I am at home the next two days.

Tried to avoid Tescos yesterday, but gave in and bought some Jaffa cakes (no biscuits in house in my defence), to find DD asking to go to Costa after school. Oh well, Jaffa cakes will keep (unless they get eaten today).

DD has inset day, so looks like that's going to cost me bus fares, another coffee and cake trip somewhere (we have to keep up our energy) and I don't know what else - will report later.

I guess not all ovens cost 50p an hour to run, as my hot water (from combi boiler), oven (easily on an hour a day) & hob, washing machine (on most days), power points and lighting cost £10-12 a month in the summer.

Hello everyone!

lilac you could use gluten free bread and have a sandwich in the car! Supervalu do amazing gluten free round rolls, €1.99 for 4, and really are very good. They are made from rice and potato flour afaik! Wheat free tho, I get them for my coeliacs! For ds 2 if I need to bring things for him, I tend to bring rice cakes with cream cheese and ham, fruit, cold chicken, yogurt, veg sticks with almond butter mixed into the Greek yogurt, olives, trusty banana. I have a little cooler bag for him.

Well, €40 on a new mixer faucet, tap thing. I was shocked at how expensive it was, as that was on the sale rack! It was reduced from €65! It's not fancy or anything, just a basic kitchen tap! The other one I was looking at was reduced to €140! Easy knowing I don't do any much diy!

It will be beans on toast for a few nights until pay day on the 23rd, but I'm so proud of myself. We've had all these unexpected, shitty things crop up, in our worst month of the year for big bills, and we have enough to cover them without overdraft or credit card. I was afraid that we would have to use it, even though we've been paying off as much as possible over the past few months, and was afraid we would end up back where we started, but I really don't think we will. So I'm really chuffed with myself, and so grateful to all of you, for giving me the confidence to take charge and the accountability. It's made such a difference.

And for you, Pink, for figuring out how to sort it and sticking to your budget.

Shocked at how much the electric ovens cost! When I had to buy my own cooker moving into my H.A. house that is on meters, I deliberately went for gas. I didn't realise electric ovens were quite that dear though! I find the washing machine is almost the same as the dryer in cost, going from watching my meters run down. Both are 30-45p per use here.The electric shower is 15-30p.

I wasn't happy with the ending of "Dr. Foster".

Why weren't you happy creme re Dr Foster?

Well done pink for your budgeting and sticking to it when it's so hard. Something ALWAYS crops up that is unexpected doesn't it? Every. Single. Month.

Can't quite believe I picked up a stuffed pork joint for £3 yesterday from the farm shop. Meal tonight, tomorrow and sandwiches.

I don't really want to say too much, as I know a lot of people are still catching up, but there were a lot of reasons. I don't think Simon got his comeuppance.

Great news electrolux and well done pink
NSD today
Ds is at home for "home study" day because Year 6 are having introduction day at his school. Hardly any school work to do so he is playing with his train while I try to do some work.
I didn't realise electric ovens were so expensive to run but I usually try to cook more dishes at the same time.
Cottage pie for dinner, do I need to soak the red lentils before I add them, I was going to cook it in the slow cooker so it would be ready after dds piano lesson.

Spent £2 something in John Lewis. Resisted all of their lovely Christmas decorations!

Well done on resisting Spotty!

I have just done a muscle food order, I saw an offer for it and I've ordered Superlean for £60. I'm hoping it'll feel worth it when it arrives and will last a month. Not sure about chicken sausages or chicken meat balls but they sound healthy! Anyone used them?

You don't usually need to soak red lentils. Just a quick rinse in a sieve under the tap is fine, Lovetoknit.

I didn't realise electric ovens cost so much either but I did see a reduction in my bills when I started using slow cooker very often.

Random frugal win yesterday after seeing that pink got her electricity bill early I logged into my account and they had given me a €30 credit! Wasn't expecting it so I was very pleased. By end of this month I will have enough in credit to pay Oct & Dec electricity bills.

Must check out that bread Pink I pass a supervalu on my way home from my class tonight so could go in there.

Just noticed my cheap(€17 inc delivery) winter boots from aliexpress last year are starting to gape a bit(have been wearing them most of the year) I did a spot of browsing and I'll get better quality ones this year for under €10. My office is cold so this will be money well spent. The €24 pair from Penneys didn't even last 2 months last year.

I don't mind the spoilers about Dr Foster, it could be a month before I get around to watching it.

Taps are a shocking price, dh nearly hit the roof when we were shopping for ours for our house when we were building.

The rolls are they Juvela? Just look online they're made with wheat but the Kelkin brown bread isn't. I like the Aldi wheat free gluten free soda bread but it's more as an extra than a sandwich, the slices are teeny!

Chicken sausages are fab whatabout haven't had meatballs though

Lilac can you link to the boots?

I've been skimming through the new thread this week but have read back through today's posts to catch up. creme I was disappointed with the Dr F ending too.

spotty re the credit card, this is just aniother option but dh & I are doing the same as you in the use of 0% cards to eliminate our debt, but we make the minimum repayments and stash any extra in a harder to get at account so it makes money for us until you need to pay off the card.

I have been frugal today in cleaning the oven & grill instead of paying someone to come & do it. I can't make quite as good a job but the money saved is worth it & it is very satisfying. That is to offset the fact that I spent £50 on fabrics for Christmas quilting I should say that I am starting from scratch so had no fabric to start with, am making bunting & table runners (hopefully to be able to give as presents as well as use) and cushion covers. It's a big outlay but I love what I've got, it will go a long way and there should be some leftovers for next year.

£10 on lunch out with a friend which was lovely. Due to health issues over the past 12 months I've seen less & less of friends and so am making a concerted effort to catch up with people. £10 every week or two seems a small price to pay in the general scheme of things. I would do lunch at home but part of it is my need to get out more.

£8.25 on bus passes for the day, £10ish on lunch as I wasn't up early enough to make lunch . DH had to fork out a small fortune to get to a meeting with trains and taxis (why have a meeting in the middle of nowhere FFS?!) but thankfully that's all claimable.

whatabout Boots

Pink do you use Powering Rewards with Electric Ireland. I just got a voucher for a free tub of icecream from super valu, a halloween battery operated lantern from woodies and entered a draw to win cinema for free for a year. If I win that I'll have to give it to my brother and his wife as a present as there's no imc or odeon cinema near me!

Spent £4 in Poundland - was going to resist but then saw they had multi bags of marmite crisps in and couldn't help myself also got some pack lunch favourites and tissues. Did remember to take a carrier bag with me so saved 5p