October continuing into Novemeber frugaleers part trois

[Lovetoknit]

Hope it's okay to start the new thread since the other one is already full
£1 at Cornwall Ambulance shop for 3 books for dc after I dropped off my old slow cooker and some books and £1 at Prospect hospice for some wool and fabric
Just made cauliflower cheese with some bacon and cavolo nero for dh who had it for lunch and there is enough for his dinner too, the rest of us are having homemade burgers, buns and wedges

Great! Thanks Babs

btw babs if my ds ever learns about icing, I'm going to be in real trouble. The most I ever do is sieve icing sugar over the cake, and he now stands over me and reminds me to do it.

Ooo Halloween smiley on app

Salmon broccoli cheesy bake in oven. Wine in glass. Rugby is over for another day. Nz. In the final!! Happy dh.

Spotty

LTB. That's just cruel.

You can freeze cakes etc but they need to be wrapped really well because it's so dry in freezers.

You should all be getting £12 www.hotukdeals.com/deals/make-sure-get-your-12-government-electricity-rebate-autumn-winter-any-domestic-household-2307417. It's better than a poke in they eye.

Thanks Fluffy. Good to know.

I got my £12 just after my £140.

Ooh even better creme. I bet hundreds of millions goes unclaimed each year by people really struggling.

I know some of our relatives will have £600 winter quarter bills. Because they use loads of gas on heating but wander round in t shirts.

Exactly, Fluffy. Awareness really needs to be raised.

I also freeze flapjacks and cake.

ds just did a nice painting and I could burst with pride.

Thanks fluffy

Hi all, that picture is lovely ipsos

Have been working all day, was busy but o.kay, luckily slept well last night and felt much better this morning than I did ystd. To make the most of dd being at her Grandads I had a looong soak in the bath when I got home and cooked a lovely chicken and rice dinner that dd would have moaned like hell about

Am very that am over drawn, ridiculous as have learnt more this month than I have in years. I think psychologically having more money has made me less careful when spending money plus have spent money on things that have been putting off for ages like clothes. Oh well, pay day on the 27th will try and stick to a budget a bit more carefully!!

Spends today £3.40 on lunch, thought would have time to nip home for lunch but didn't in the end!

Going to watch the Suffragettes tomos after work.

Girlfriend that's exactly what happened to me right after I joined the frugaleers. I suddenly realised that I'd been spending loads on certain areas of life (like filling the fridge with food that then went off, and pacifying ds) and nothing on myself. Then I cut back on food and ds and splurged a ton of money on my own clothes and ended the month in a really astonishing financial hole.

Definitely thinking more about money gives me ideas about spending money.

So glad to hear you had a good day and feel a bit better. That's great.

May I ask - do you all tend to put your pots and pans in the dishwasher?

I do, but it means I run the dishwasher at least twice a day. I'm wondering whether I'd be better to do them in the sink to save time loading and unloading. They don't come out very clean from the dishwasher anyway and often need rewashed. I'm thinking more about time-saved rather than money tbh.

What I am still reading the thread, but didn't want to forget to tell you that they can't do this. They cannot deduct vouchers from SMP they are required to give you the vouchers you normally have in addition to the SMP (earlier this year work had to pay me about £850 to correct an error from 4 years ago)

By the way, I'm back, been busy, will post when I'm up to date

Hi all, it has been mad recently and I don't really know why.

We are having the final survey for our solar panels on Monday and they are being fitted on 12 November. We have taken a loan to pay for them, but based on thnumbers we have ben given, I should be £83 a month better off after making the loan payments.

DD's both tried out a gymnastics lesson today as guests of their friends. DD1 did the beginners class, but was asked to try the advanced class. Her friend is disappointed. She will start in January as she can only make the advanced class once between now and the end of the year. Next week is half term, then karate tournament, then Lord Mayor's show, she could make the next week, then we have a cabaret for the Make a Wish ball (DS is on their website pictures from last year's ball, looking gorgeous, but I am biased ) then DD1 has panto for all December and the start of January.

DH is going to pay for DD1's gymnastics (£54 a month!) DMum gas offered to pay half for DD1, but I hope she'll contribute for DD2 instead (who'll be about £35 after sibling discount)

Money this month has been dire, DH gas still not given me the £375 from my medical cash back. I am going to tell him I'll hold the SO this month and only pay half next month. I borrowed £300 from DS to avoid going overdrawn. I did ask him first.

DS's school have asked for about £1,180 in 3 weeks for 3 separate trips. One a 2 night 3 day trip to France, Disney and French markets £260 for 40 kids, we said no. £680 for 9 days in Spain for aster sports, but it is when we have our family holiday so have said no.

Final trip we are waiting to hear if he has a place. 4 nights 5 days to sing at a festival of spiritual music in the Czech Republic, not too expensive at £245

I forgot to confess to £190 shop in Tesco. Annoyingly I tried to use Sainsbury's as I had a voucher for £18 off £60 but their website wouldn't load.

Also trying to change my Sainsbury's gas tariff as my bill says I could save £290 in a year.

Someone asked about Ovo, I found them great, yes customer service was good, when I had to call. Only moved as Sainsbury's was cheaper.

That's an exciting time you're having Audit. Do your kids go to a fee paying school then?

I'm looking into getting solar panels before the end of December too. How funny that you're doing the same. I hope it goes well.

Our night out was a bit of a disaster, really disappointed I thought I'd still be drinking in town now but am in bed! Cheaper though I suppose and I did find £15 in a clutch bag I haven't used for ages. Checking all other unused bags tomorrow...

Oh no pointless what happened?

Great painting ipsos

Dc got up at 4:30. Stupid clocks.

Nice one on finding the money but bad look on the night out.
Yes Ipsos icing is a mess but fun i sometimes dread the "can we bake"
Ooof audit that it expensive in such a short timespan.
Spotty [thisad] hope DC get sleep sorted soon.

Went shopping last night after church £2 for collection, £52 in lidl post voucher, £6.17 in Aldi, Iceland was shut so will go later in the week, £42 in sainsburys.
Probably lunch out today as DC want to go to outdoor skate park, so will go see the garden centre Christmas lights and Toys r us for list ideas.

£39 in lidl last night, £7 of this was wine / xmas paper for gifts.

Need to get a ream of paper somewhere today for printing but otherwise hopefully a NSD.

How much are the solar panels costing Audit? MILs friend got caught with the 'free' ones recently but I was wondering how much they would cost just to out on our own

Lovely picture ipsos and yes we put select pans in dishwasher, none with spuds on as that tends to leave everything with a film of spuds, and no tomato stuff as it dyes everything plastic orange :/

Ipsos

What brand of dishwasher do you have? we had an electrolux and it was rubbish.

The rotor arms need taking off and swilling out in hot soapy water and then run it empty on the hottest cycle with half a cup of soda crystals. If it's blocked anywhere that should sort it out.

Do you scrape everything before it goes in? your meant to really but I imagine most people don't. I have a poundshop spatula I keep it in the machine and scrape everything into the bin.

I once watched someone washing up a bowl under running water in my house and thinking that's more water than the dw uses to do ALL the dishes for a whole day. They were keen to tell me it saved putting the dw on

That's a shame about your night out wasn't what you hoped pointless, why was that?

Lovely picture ipsos. I am the same as you, recently I have tried to everything that I can in the dishwasher, but it is obviously then on more frequently, and I do wonder if this is the most efficient way to do things.

audit That sounds pretty unusual re the school trips. The DC's trips can cost a fair bit, but we are told about them way (literally 2 school years) in advance and then offered a payment scheme so you can chip away at the balance.

I got quite sucked into the clubs and activities scene when the DC were younger, we did something every night apart from Friday (when they had their mates round) and swam on Saturdays. I wonder now if this was necessary really. They ultimately can't continue them all when they reach secondary school. Mine are the sort that will have a bash at anything, so said yes to every bloomin club going, so I felt guilty if I didn't let them have the opportunity.

We have also had a spendy time over the last few days, but I've front loaded the spends hopefully so I can manage the rest of the month knowing the big stuff has gone.

£50 comedy tickets
£55 (!!) cinema tickets for Star Wars movie Xmas Eve
£70 wine (some boxes for Xmas, trying to spread out the cost)
£130 (!!) New walking boots for DH. I was at the price he paid, but now wonder if he's actually being sensible. I have bought him 3 pairs of cheap boots in the last 2 years, all over which last less than a few months. Time will tell.
£50 gym clothes for DS.

DS asked me if he could have a gym membership, so he's joined the local council gym for £15 per month. This covers full use of the gym, classes and swimming pool, so I think is good value. He also needs a physical skill for his Duke of Edinburgh Silver, as he's using karate for another skill. However, he had his induction and had to use his school PE kit, hence the spends yesterday!

Today will be the cost of a riding lesson for DD.

I have a Morrisons delivery booked for tomorrow for DH and DS to take away with them. DD and myself will do lots of stuff with the pony.