The friendly frugaleers natter on through November...

[blueteapot]

Hope you dont mind me starting a shiny new thread

Nope, not sanded it at all and I don't imagine that we will need to any time soon. 4 years down and two dogs too.

I didn't even know that kind of floor existed! Love our laminate and it was only 400 quid for the lot on sale lol

Lunch with my lovely friend cost £13.60. Then I unexpectedly bumped into another friend I haven't seen for a couple of months and she kindly treated me to a coffee, as we decided to go for a catch-up. Other spends were travel at £7.70 and £5.93 on milk and a bottle of wine in the Co-op. It was a good day.

need def easier said than done. Today I had an epiphany and just went for it. Maybe part of this was to do with the fact I have my final law exam in two weeks falling off and breaking my arm seems preferable to exams

Spendy day as predicted but all fine as with good friends.

Creme you sound much happier today

I am thanks, Spotty. I felt a bit guilty about it earlier, after what happened in Paris, but the best thing we can do is carry on with our lives and show the terrorists our lives will carry on. I hope that makes sense!

Busy week this week.

Yesterday £15 travel card to London to play in the inter office netball match, which I am now really feeling. £4.40 on a chicken burger and chips on way home. £7 for 2 pairs of black gloves. DD1 needed a pair for the Lord Mayor's show today, someone else had mentioned they didn't have any so I grabbed a spare pair. She offered to take them (even though she'd got some) but they seem really warm so I'll keep Tim for DS.

Three separate trips to Sainsbury's today and I haven't done the week's shopping! £51 buying 3 birthday presents for parties for DD2 over next 2 weeks, plus a onesie fir DS for Christmas, an Eyeore brooch for DD2 to give DD1 and sone Christmas earrings for me. Then £19 buying stuff for tomorrow's dinner, can't remember what else.

£10 on half price Christmas crackers. £23 in Wilkinson's which was 4 suit covers needed for dance costumes plus lots of Christmas bits.

Back to Sainsbury's as we've run out if coffee.

Cancelled seeing Father Christmas at Legoland ad clashes with DD1's panto schedule. Was going to rebook (at £5 more each as the early booking offer us over), but didn't like the available times.

Oh, yes, that was £75 back.

Happy Birthday Blue
Concerned I'm overdoing frugality after finding myself reducing by half the amount of toilet roll I tear off to use.
Wet and windy here hope you're all managing to keep warm

Good luck with the exam Em. Sounds very exciting.

Winelady that's hilarious. :-) We can consider that a new standard in frugaleering I think, though I'm stumped to think of a polite name for it.

There's a howling gale outside. Glad I'm inside.

Winelady that's so funny!

Will be spendy today but for dh rather than me we're going to watch bond then do some Christmas shopping.

Just read back,
Happy belated birthday blue.

Thanks ipsos it's been a long slog but cannot wait for it to be over. Goodbye exams. I'm not even working in law anymore. But could t face just giving up on studies.

Today should be nsd. Have more revision to do then washing cleaning etc and heading to dms for dinner. Roast beef apparently. Yum.

Had words with dh yesterday about te state of the flat. He said he's sorry, he's just rubbish at cleaning and doesn't see why he should spend his time off work doing it. So won't be.

That's the first time he's said that. At least he's honest...

Sounds like you need a cleaner too Em.

Surely nobody wants to spend their time off work cleaning, but it doesn't happen by magic!

I've suggested a cleaner.

I am totally with him on the no one wants to spend time off cleaning. but it won't get done otherwise.

Today's mission. Cleaner. Find out how much. And how often.

Oooh massive frugal fail. I accidentally purchased Amazon Prime for £59 instead of paying for it monthly. We have a "rainy day" fund which I've transferred the money from. Also had to spend £40 on a vaporiser which has worked wonders. But I'm literally pissing pound coins at the moment.

Going into town now but if we find any good bargains we will be using vouchers or something. No debit cards!

Well I guess he has two choices, pay for a cleaner, or do the cleaning himself

Been up and about early as I am going out to a craft fair today. Actually took pity on DS and drove him to his paper round, given the driving rain and gales. I am very big on them doing stuff for themselves and DS was quite prepared to go out at 6.30 by himself, but I was a kind mummy!

So, kitchen has been cleaned, washing done, dogs walked and I have venison in the slow cooker!

My friend has a cleaner 4 hours a week for £30 or so I think?

Wine lady lol

Thanks for all the birthday wishes!

I am feeling really teary and low today and I don't know why. Might be because it's day 4 of this ridiculous virus with the toddler and the baby on top lol / DH working so much at the min. I have invited my family for lunch as I think I'm a bit lonely too. Need to snap out of it lol I don't normally do this kind of thing!

Or he could just rename the dust as "insulation".

Cleaner cost £10 an hour here.

Em

I would be raging at that, it's such a manchild response. Obviously those of us with two X chromosomes just love a bit of cleaning. It's the day to day tidying too, that's what pisses me off.

I blame the mums, mil never made dh clean but poor sil had to help out. Oddly fil is a star at doing housework. It makes no sense.

We have stuff on our worktop and it's all dh's crap. If the cat pisses on it so be it.

I was wondering about that prime subscription, I really want to see their top gear show when it starts but it's not on until next summer apparently so I might as well save my money as it's a bit tight between now and xmas. My professional fees of £400 go out on January 2nd.

Need milk for dh so I might as well go to tescos and get some more free sweeteners.

I'd love a cleaner but my dilemma is that my next door neighbour is a cleaner, I'd feel awkward asking her because she's a friend but I think she might be offended if I asked someone else!

I agree. MIL was completely and utterly no nonsense and DH was expected to cook, clean and iron, and he is consequently brill round the house. He is definitely messy by nature, and I do a lot of tidying up after him, but most prepared to pitch in and do his bit. And very good at it too, as he has always had to do it. My own brothers are useless.

Wonder why he married, poor sod got more of the same!

My cleaner is £20. She cleans our whole house, including 4 bathrooms. I am aware it's a bargain, I would be happy paying more.

blue I totally and utterly get where you are right now. A DH that works long hours and a baby and a toddler, been there, very hard. I've got no answers. I felt the same a lot. I kind of just plodded on, and slowly things got better, but that won't make you feel any better right now I know. Put the telly on for the toddler if you need. Leave the cleaning and washing. Be kind to yourself. A friend of mine posted on Facebook yesterday about how she was going to manage bathtime with the baby and the toddler as her DH was usually around, DH was NEVER there when my DC were tiny!!!!

In a fit of Sunday morning hulk rage I've taken all of his shit things that were lying about and have dumped them in bed. Under the duvet. On his side. childish?

Automatically the house looks tidier.

I think £10 an hour is the average round here. So will look into this.

When we lived with pil years ago I as constantly getting into trouble for making mess. And leaving my things lying about. Then I realised that I was expected to pick up after dh. I'm still expected too in mils eyes. She outwardly bristles if I dare to mention dh cooked dinner. Or if he irons his work shirts. Or if I go out dancing with friends and leave him alone for the evening to fend for himself. Poor lamb.

He doesn't mind. He likes cooking and is better at it than me. I iron creases into things. And he enjoys an evening alone to watch Netflix.

We are going to have a civilised conversation about this once exams are over.