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.

Collie

Realised tonight that my girl cat has a huge bald spot down one of her legs, not sure how I have not noticed it before vet trip on the agenda tomos as well now!

Nsd. But only because I didn't leave the house.

Spent a lot of the evening sobbing. Made the mistake of watching Marley and me. I don't think I need to say any more.

Well, after starting the thread, I've not been back! We've had a busy week and are having a hard time with dd which has been really stressful. We've got a meeting at school tomorrow which I feel positive about so fingers crossed.
Lots of money spent over the past few days but all necessary, not wasteful. Tonight our free fun was decorating the tree (after spending £40 buying it). No colour coordination, lots of tinsel, glitter and baubles, it won't be featured in ideal home magazine any time soon but we love it! Will read back through thread & catch up properly tomorrow

Awwww, looks fab!

Can't wait til my 2 are old enough to help without destroying it or each other decorate the tree!!
Love Christmas a little too much

Aw thank you collie

Sorry about losing so much family in such a short time, how horrible :(

I've not dared watch Marley and Me. I'm not even that crazy about dogs (never had one myself) but I don't think I could take it! A different type of ending of course, but I haven't watched Homeward Bound in years because I will cry like a baby. Shadooooow

north what a lovely tree. I love the lighting in that picture - I've always liked seeing the leafy shadows the tree lights make on the wall

Small spend today but unfrugal. I'm going to see my friend and her new baby so excited but I'm going to pick up a Costa on the way

Haha! Just HAD to add a cheesy cracker joke to the bottom of my doom & gloom.

Fuzz I cried a LOT at Homeward Bound. It was my best friends favourite film. Em Ive only watched Marley & Me once & I ran out the room sobbing.

north Your tree is gorgeous!

Watching the cat bat a decoration on the tree. It's so cute! girlie Collie cat gets bald spots on her legs. The vet said its due to stress & over grooming. Let me know what your vet says. :)

It may be a spendy day as DS has had a growth spurt & we need to replace his clothes with aged 2-3 stuff. Sainsbury's TU haven't had much non Christmas / Winter stuff & I wanted his new clothes to last all year. If possible!

Sorry to hear that dd is still struggling Girlie. Please do try and keep her off until she is properly well, will you? It'll be round the school in no time if you send her back too soon and a lot of kids will be having a miserable Christmas as a consequence.

Morning all, yes ipsos will stick to the 48 hour rule, she hasn't been sick since sat night so fingers crossed she will be o.kay for tomos. She seems much brighter this morning and has had breakfast so will see how she goes.

Fuzz i can't watch Marley and Me without sobbing at the end - its that sudden realisation that the dog is getting quite old.....

Vets at 11.30 Collie am wondering if it is linked to her auto immune condition which normally affects her mouth but am guessing it can affect other parts of the body as well.

girlie glad DD seems brighter! Hope girlie cat is OK. :)

There's a Sainsbury's TU sale online if anyone is interested. Mostly kids stuff though. I think they're selling off all the Winter / Christmas themed stuff.

Have just read back through yesterday's posts, sorry your dd hasn't been well girlfriend, hope she's firing on all cylinders again soon.
blue work does get in the way, doesn't it?! Agree with need about planning but I often can't be bothered to plan and that's when things go belly up!
Distracting myself on here before my meeting at school about dd.
Shouldn't spend much today. Will try to wrap presents and write some cards this afternoon. Tonight we are taking dd to a Kate Rusby Christmas concert which we do most years. It's a belated birthday treat for her and is always fab and very Christmassy. If you've never heard any of her Christmas music then youtube it, Christmas music folky style with brass band thrown in for good measure
I've taken a couple of annual leave days this week so I'm not back in work until Friday. Need to make sure I don't waste the time and get properly organised.

Good luck with the appointment north.

Gah what a morning. DS is complaining of toothache again, emergency dentist, he has an abscess, antibiotics and extractions next week (feeling like a shit parent) got him back to school 10 minutes before his nativity. Gorgeous boy IMO.

Hi everyone [waves]
Great news MrsDeath I got a refund of credit card insurance back this morning €64. I'm Also got refund of two dresses back from iclothing so one cc doesn't look as bad now, instead of over the limit it's €105 from limit now.

This weekend felt very spendy, nothing extravagant just felt like money was slipping through my fingers. I had locked my joint account card by entering pin wrong thurs night and when I can't separate money properly it annoys me, was transferring to my own a/c all weekend & this confuses things. Plus dh can't contribute his share to joint a/c this week due to being off so much when ds was in hospital so the balance looks low.

Bought a few things at a craft fair yesterday - nice present to myself of a nautical theme oil cloth shopping bag, a painted glass bottle for dh - had a vw campervan on it dh really wants a campervan it's a retirement plan and my mother bought two little canvas personalised paintings for my two so I bought dd's little friend one as well.

Also my mother offered to babysit for us on Sat night so went for a few drinks €34 not too bad.

Picked up 2 papers yesterday with €10 off €50 aldi spends so will use one this evening and one at weekend for next week or maybe use two today and get enough to do us until we head away for Christmas. They have a lovely side of salmon for €9.99 so getting two of these for nothing will mean 14 portions of salmon for free

We dont get decent Aldi vouchers anymore, They have abandoned us

Babs Shit parents dont take their kids to the dentist. You will have to try much harder . Maybe he has a good pain threshold?.

Switched electric and gas. I went with two separate suppliers instead of dual fuel which saved us another £2 a month. It's now £17 for electric and £15 for gas. No cashback though because they arent on the switching sites. I'm 48 days away from my fixed tariff ending so I can switch penalty free now.

The electric is variable not fixed but no exit fee so I can jump if I need to.

lilac I know exactly what you mean about money slipping through your fingers at the moment, it's just the same here.
Babs, your poor ds, as fluffy says, good mum for getting it sorted now, you weren't to know. Most of us play down ilnesses/injuries I think.
The school meeting went well. I feel like a ton weight has been lifted off my shoulders. Dd is going to get the support she needs and it will all be handed over to high school too so it will be ongoing. Still a long way to go but it feels much better already.

Babs I have problems with my teeth and it's just genetic don't beat yourself up.

£15 something in Costa.
£30 petrol.

Have come home to three tesco vouchers one £7 off and two £5 off.

Yep, no shit mum badge you yet Babs, hope the antibiotics kick in quickly and extraction goes smoothly.

Girlie hope DD is much improved and DCat gets sorted easliy.

Glad school meeting went so well North, tree looks lovely.

Hope the Amazon deliveries get sorted soon. Some of mine arrived today, 1 ordered late on Saturday and the other 2 weeks ago

Today is looking like another NSD. Sainsbo's delivering tomorrow. I'm out of milk as it was UB yesterday, but I made pancakes for DD's breakfast so I could avoid another top up.

Babs you weren't to know! You are definitely not a shite mum.
north glad the meeting went well.

Big ish news ere. DH has been offered a job in Somerset! In a large ish town. Looks gorgeous. Not sure if he will take the job and the company doesn't need to know until New Year. So we have time to think. His new salary would be £32000. And there are loads of jobs for me there. We used to live in Somerset so we like the thought of going back. I was getting used to the thought of moving to Durham though (we have family there).

Decisions, decisions!

Exciting.

Thanks you lot. He does have a high pain threshold so when he complains I know it hurts.
Took some thing back to Argos that I twitched on £30 refund. Spent £27.20 on a top but was £22 , £9 on a much needed TLC lunch. ££35 in sainsburys getting what asda forgot . they didn't deliver a whole crate of shopping

Ooo Collie where in Somerset (inbox me if you want!) i am in Somerset as well its a lovely part of the world, close to the coast, country side as well big cities like Bristol as well. Plus low crime and good schools (have I sold it to you yet?! )

So been out this morning, took girl cat to the vets. They think its probably is the condition she has flaring up so have to increase her steroids for a while. Only charged me £8.50 for some reason though, did query it with the receptionist but she said thats right!

Had lunch in Dun Elm, £10, bought a few bits and pieces £8.50 and got some stuff for the cats including 24 tins of cat food for £10. Had a voucher for 30% of cat bedding so treated girl cat to nice new bed for £10.50 down from £15.

Was planning on going to Morrisons to do a shop but dd was flagging so stopped at Tesco express instead, got two big bags of food for £8.50! Should do my weekly shop there more often

babs will they just refund what they didn't deliver or give you something by way of recompense? Prior to joining this thread I got a shop delivered to our new house, first shop there so huge shop and it was christmas too, it was my first online delivery they forgot to give us 4 crates of storecupboard items and I just accepted that they'd drop it off next day to our shed while I was at work, if it was now I'd be pushing for something by way of apology.

collie congrats to your dh that's great news and time to think too

They refunded the items without question lilac.

Oh Collie good news about the job. how exciting.

Exciting collie!

Girlie do you have a Somerset accent I looooove it!

My friends baby is soooooo small he's super cute

Great to have options Collie.