O come all ye festive frugaleers, gather round for festive chat and frugaleering

[northender]

Haven't been on the old thread for a few days so thought I'd start a new thread as it's nearly full.

NSD here too, I've made cirnfkake marshmallow wreaths and my Yule log is in the oven. Still to make a batch of biscuits and considering throwing together some fairy cakes. My pudding is in the slow cooker and looking much better. I think I just didn't give it long enough hit enough. The slow cooker is excellent!!! Thank you.

I'd not realised that there was a new EWFL on!

Really weird thing - I have been buying some clothes online/in town for the DCs as they need some, and I'm wrapping them for Christmas. I wasn't adding up as I went, or even really taking much note of what I was getting. I went to update my Christmas spreadsheet and it turns out that the amount I spent on each of them was only 14p different how funny.

Not that it's relevant to frugaleering because it wasn't a very frugal amount! Even in H&M and Asda some of the trousers are a tenner. Adds up. But should see them through til summer hopefully.

ooh, cornflake marshmallow wreaths sound intriguing.

They look interesting.

I've just made a batch of cup cakes and something is wrong with them. I'm not sure they are edible. I think it's too much baking soda. :-(

I am crap at baking so I can't help you there! Hoping that wreaths will be easy enough for me I've no idea where the food colouring is though, might have to buy some green. I was wondering about using a little white chocolate as well as marshmallows.

It'll just be me and the DCs on Boxing Day but SIL and family might be dropping in in the evening, so I might see if I can make them in the morning. DH and DN are coeliac so if I get GF cornflakes everyone can eat them.

luxy that's fascinating! I think I'm guilty of a few of those points. We ditched the iron too and noticed a huge difference!

Really fancy a curry or Chinese. But DH said no. It's my fault - I trained him up to be a Frugaleer.

Saturday: we are doing the dreaded Christmas food shop. Nervous! Doing some in Sainsbury's and some in Aldi.

Sunday: NSD but going to a Carol concert.

I need to do some baking! DH and I can do it together.

Fuzz Where to you get gluten free cornflakes? My ds can't eat cornflakes and I've give my eye teeth to find some that he could have, especially if they had vitamins added. Thanks!

That's brilliant luxy. Well done. I meant to do that kind of thing but quickly realised that I myself am in serious need or rest and recuperation and that for now, it's better to let the electricity take a lot of my workload. I'll keep your schemes in mind though for when I have some oomph.

I've been doing a massive reorganisation of our living room to make room for new toys at Christmas. Lots of things moved to the attic and lots of tidying of the things that remain. It looks a fair bit better now.

That's amazing luxy well done.
I've found that cooking more than one meal at a time really cuts down electricity use and saves time too.

Luxy That is brilliant energy reduction. Well done you.

£10 petrol
£10 scented candle
£5 magnesium tablets for dh.

Lidl voucher in some newspapers tomorrow. £10 off a £50 spend.

Well done luxy.
Watching ewfl.
Gah DD has announced she does not want to go to the pantomime tomorrow. £25 down the drain unless I force her to go

Ewfl is pissing me off, turned it off.

Well done Luxy I think i do a few of those things now as well, I don't iron unless I absolutely have to, only heat one room (although the mild winter has also helped!) hand washing out etc.

We went out and had a MacDonalds tonight that was £10, was a nice treat to celebrate end of term.

Oh no luxy that's rubbish. Sorry to hear about the bullying. I haven't seen your thread but hope it gets sorted

erm that should say hang washing out!

X posts Luxy sorry to hear that, how old is your child being bullied? Kids can be so horrible at times yeah the wine will be fine

Luxy your poor dd it's my worst nightmare tbh.

Have skim read as not been home long. Am in bed now as in a lot of pain. My phone says we walked ten miles today I know I'll pay for it tomorrow but it was worth it. Pretty sure we didn't go over budget either and I even got some new clothes!

Food shopping is coming tomorrow. Sure I forgot something...

Pointless EWFL on I player. I watched it last night and their Xmas food/booze bill is more then my entire monthly outgoings!!! Found it really annoying actually. Struggle to believe it's not scripted sometimes!

Luxy those tips are great, well done on the usage. I'm gonna look into a smart meter I think!
Sorry to read about bullying. That must be soul destroying. My eldest is only 3.5 so this stuff hasn't happened to me but for you and DD.

Went to Dd's nursery Christmas party today. Thankfully DS was well enough. He was very grumpy and clingy but his temperature is down and his cough seems to come worse when he's tired. Strange.

£1.74 on sausages for dinner.
£4 radio times (but free Stick Man activity book! Yay)
£5 deposit on turkey

When DH relinquishes the laptop I shall create some speed sheets. A simple cash flow monitoring sounds great!

Loving joining this thread. Your all so clever with money!

Luxy I think the people on that thread are quite right that you should print out your opening post and take it. I read that post and I can think of one little girl in ds's school who is just like that and she does indeed say things in a way that just make my skin crawl every time. I'd bet you anything that that girl in your dd's class irritates the teachers no end too. The headteacher will be very aware of ASD these days so should have a good understanding of your issues too. Good luck.

Gosh I just read the rest. What a time you've been having. I won't go on here as I know it's off topic on this thread, but I'm thinking of you. Take care all of your there luxy and LuxyDD*.

Morning, I've been up for an hour already, why im up sp early when the kids are all in bed I have no idea. I really want to watch EWFL now but I've just put the tv on and the BT box just keeps restarting

Luxy, so sorry to hear about the bullying, my dd is a similar age and I know how horrible it is. I hope it gets sorted out for you both

Got my food shopping coming today but I also have friends coming for lunch before the food arrives so I'll need to pop out and get a few bits this morning. I'm just going to sandwiches and cheeses etc

Sorry to hear about the bullying luxy, I hope you enjoyed your wine and don't have a sore head this morning!
I accidentally started a row with DH last night because he misunderstood something I said. Basically he texted at 9.15 said party was rubbish and he was about to get train, bone by 10. It got to 10.20 and I was starting to think he'd fallen asleep on the train or something when he came in so I asked him why he was so late. That's not really what I meant, I just meant why had it taken so long to get home but he thought I was having a go at him and got all grumpy. Grrrr.
Then I woke up at 4 am realising I haven't got pressies for 2 relatives we'll see today. Cannot face town on Saturday before Xmas so going to local farm shop to get treats for them.
Very tired today after such a rubbish night!

Home by ten, not bone - it wasn't that sort of text

Don't worry pointless just tell him it was a misunderstanding. Lots of people are getting stressed out now it's getting close to Christmas. He'll understand.

Luxy sorry to read about the bullying. I worked in a primary school and I have seen how young girls can be so cruel.

We have to go Sainsbury's soon. On the Saturday before Christmas! What am I thinking! madness.