October Frugaleers part deux

[CremeEggThief]

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

I've been known to struggle under a mound of groceries rather than buy another bag for life

Bought another bag for Life went out without one and needed more than would fit in my handbag.

So, stocking fillers and a bag To carry them home, £29.
£2 in a local Poundland-esque store on plástico plates and freezer/sandwich bags.

Fluffy they are going to enforced it and it now transpires that the mortgage provider has sold our mortgage, and now, two sales down the line, the new owner of the mortgage will not release funds post sale for another 4 months.
doesn't cover it.

I liked it the other day when a friend likened her balancing of groceries to avoid paying for a bag to the game Tetris!

Forgot, I ordered dog food for next week, £27, the bag lasts a bit more than 3 weeks. Dogs are seeing their new vet on Monday.

lilac no the rolls are Supervalu brand, and are definitely not made with wheat, dh and ds 2 are coeliac, so I have to be very careful with my shopping! They are in a red packet, and are with the gluten free stuff. dh and ds aren't keen on the aldi gluten free stuff. The rice krispies are fab, but the bread has a kind of chemical taste, haven't tried the soda bread tho, would be a nice change for ds 2 especially! Lidl do gluten free rolls too which are nice, but you get 3 for the same price as 4 of the Supervalu ones, and the Supervalu ones are devine. Lidl ones are slightly bigger, but worse quality.
Don't use the electric ireland rewards, I'm only recently after switching back to them, so will have a look, thanks!

Have to laugh at the bag for life problems. I went through a similar phase, but bought a fold up bag that stays in my handbag now and it's great. You really do get used to it!

Ds 1 has Roald Dahl dress up day at school tomorrow. Have decided that the most doable costume is Augustus gloop, and I'm stressing about it. Used to just buy something and not think twice about it.

adora don't understand mortgages etc but that sounds fucking awful, really unfair!! for you!!

Cool will check them out so Pink it's the shop that's most convenient for me on my way home this evening and their gluten free section is right inside the door next to the tills.

The soda bread is fab, kind of like treacle taste to it.

It's made with rice & chickpeas etc, can't find a recipe for it anywhere online, of course being a frugaleer I want to make my own rather than pay €3 for a small loaf!

I'm also conscious that it's recommended not to use gluten free products unless you're diagnosed a coeliac, which I'm not but think I'm probably wheat/gluten intolerant.

I try to have bags for life in the car, and then end up going into shop without them but I refuse to buy bags unless ds is being a crankypants and I end up carrying him, have been known to use one of those small trolleys just for 4/5 items just to have somewhere for him and the groceries

Sorry to hear your bad news adora and happy to hear your good news electrolux did you get your glasses sorted out?

I just searched what you could order online from SuperValu Pink will check instore tonight, branch I'm going to is fairly good.

Dds friend has just gone home, was a bit of a stressful play date actually as dd came out of school in a bad mood which continued to deteriorate to the extent that she wouldn't come out of her bedroom

Eventually I put a film on which seemed to calm the situation but not much of a fun play date, oh well I tried!

The other mum has offered to have dd over next week though which is nice, hopefully dd will be a bit chirpier by then

Just caught up - busy few days. Sorry about the mortgage news adora. Am so impressed with all the sewing/knitting some of you ladies do for clothes/presents etc. I am utterly rubbish at stuff like that!

Couple of lsd here as I've been at work. Had a bit of a hiccup yesterday when I noticed Simplyhealth had taken double the monthly fee out this month (so £78). Phoned them, turns out they didn't get their act together last month when I switched bank accounts so this is for last month too!

On the plus side, I put in to HMRC last month for income tax relief for union/professional body fees I hadn't realised I was entitled too. Cheque for just over £300 arrived yesterday . No wonder the taxman doesn't advertise these things!

Should be another lsd tomorrow except I need a birthday pressie for my niece - any ideas for a 3 year old??

Hi Lilac,

Do you have a Pret? They have good wheat-free salads. Jacket potatoes are also a good option if you can eat out. Also omelette and chips if that's an option. In extremis, a packed dinner with cold cooked potato is a thing, but not very thrilling.

Has collie disappeared? I haven't noticed her commenting for ages, but I've been really busy, so I might have missed if she was travelling or something.

ipsos I'm up in Scotland! And I thought I'd check in & saw your message. I'm really flipping tempted to move up here. I don't want to go home!!

And somehow had a No Spend Week!

Good for you, Collie. A No Spend Week on holiday is truly impressive.

Sainsburys delivery came tonight. It came in at £43.39 and they gave me an 83p brand match voucher too.
Other spends today were £7.70 travel and £2.20 on a pizza slice and bottle of water from Greggs, which was more frugal than the Costa I really wanted. I also spent £34.80 on my credit card in Primark, on pajamas, canvas shoes for indoors and underwear for DS and a burgundy top and hoody for me.

Pink they seem To make it up as they go over there.

Well done Orange

No Spend Week I am impressed Collie

Whereabouts in Scotland are you collie?I've often thought I'd love to move up there too - it's just so beautiful.

Wow no spend week putting the rest of us to shame!
No Pret in Ireland ipsos and I don't eat potato, chips grand but have the horrors of being force fed potato as a child
Love Scotland too, thinking weekend break in Edinburgh rather than the holiday in Turkey I'll lose €130 but better that than our lives

After all my thinking about dinner on the run tomo I got hungry this evening & stopped for a bag of choc covered hazelnuts & walkers baked €2.34 so neither good for my food or money diet

Nsd. Went to the supermarket with a list for everyone else.

Ddog has stopped being sick and is on a light diet. Fingers crossed Friday brings good news.
I like Scotland too collie? How did you find the journey, aren't you SW normally? Nsw is impressive.

Adora no wonder your angry.

North that's a fab idea but I don't have the willpower. I would find a way to get at the "extra money" in the savings account. We have a standing order now for £200 a month, going up to £350 in January after Xmas. I can't wait to be debt free.

Collie have a fabulous holiday.

Orange professional memberships are a massive expense aren't they. I got about £60 back last year though through HMRC. Worth doing. You've reminded me to do it again this year.

Sending sniffs and licks from BingPuppy to BabsDog.

What kind of snacks did you end up bringing for ds?

Pink I just got the sv seeded rolls they feel so light & springy! No prices on most things in the free from section & I only had coin & no cards so I literally bought the rolls & a pack of sliced chicken breast do you know the hot & smoke ones that tesco home delivery were giving as a free gift a few months ago? So €3.99 in all. I think leaving my banks cards at home has been good for my frugality.

Toni's sandwich chicken, cheese tomato, lettuce & olive oil mayonnaise grand total €1.50 as opposed to €5+ if I bought on the run tomo

Hey peeps.

the 5p per bag is making me feel v.v.v.vv smug. I nearly always bring my own bags so I no longer have to go through the "no I really don't want a bag" each time I pop into a shop. I am insufferable.

Electro did you get your glasses sorted - I have some frames which will take hefty lenses (blind as a bat me) which you can have. PM me if you want.

I have had a random day - saw a girl being assaulted by a pissed bloke. So spent most of the day giving statements. People keep saying I was brave - personally I think incandecent with rage was more like it. How dare a man make a girl going to work feel uncomfortable? If you see bad behaviour - take a picture it makes it so much easier for the police to do something.

Orange dosn't your employer pay prof fees?

unescorted I work for the NHS, so sadly no! Good on you for helping that girl today, it sounds brave to me!

Orange do you wear uniform and claim for tax relief on laundry and tights? Worth looking into, every little helps if you aren't already! www.gov.uk/tax-relief-for-employees/uniforms-work-clothing-and-tools

Thanks for that what. I saw it on the other form but felt a bit silly claiming for it when I just stick my uniform in the machine with our other washing. However, you're right. Every little helps and if you can back claim up to 5 years like with the fees, it could well be worth it! Might send another form off and see what happens.

Does anyone know if you have to claim every year? I read somewhere in the info that they just amend your tax code?

I may have just booked a little trip away got an email with a deal from Haven and got 4 nights for £103.50 in term time. In the holidays would've been £260ish for the same, so glad we don't have to keep to those now, and it should be quieter too I guess. It's only one fairly near, easy train journey.

I just had a 'fuck it' moment and booked it.

Wow Unescorted well done. You may say you weren't brave but honestly I think a lot of people would just have looked the other way.