Frugaleers Flying into the New Year All Welcome on the January Thread

[SpottyTeacakes]

New thread hopefully someone can add some old links?

Oops, I meant Collie's link, the NHS one.

Sorry, thanks Collie

AJ if you have a Sainsbury's close you can often get a main meal, pudding and bottle of wine for £10 in their meal deal. We've had, fe, beef with veg and potatoes, chocolate volcano, pack of 2, and a bottle of red.

Welcome jeepers.

I also want to add using my SC more. DH bought me a new cookbook for Christmas for SC. I love the SC, for the ease of use and how cheap it is to run. I do use it a lot, but could use it more!

Has anybody else noticed that this winter has been really good for being able to keep the heating down low? We've only had one spell of cold weather here which was in November and shows clearly on this graph. If things turn really cold in January I suspect it will make quite a difference to our heating costs.

It's ridiculously mild. Our daffs are in flower and our cherry tree is budding. They're going to get wiped out in Jan/Feb I reckon

Welcome jeepers and welcome back 574.
Almost managed NSD but needed to get eggs to make a cake to take round to a friend's house.
Weekly shop tomorrow, mostly veg and a few other bits. Aiming for around the £50 mark. DD has suddenly grown and none of her trousers fit so need to get her some more.

I just had a weird financial wake-up call. One of my great photography heroes has had to sell all his photography equipment because of financial hardship. Yikes. Must concentrate on saving money.

My 2016 goals revolve around about affording my life without me working. I'm on maternity leave till August but will stop being paid three months before that so around May. By May I need to be having £2-300 left in the bank account at the end of each month. I'm actually quite frightened about it all. Baby is screaming so can't think now. I'll be back.

I was going to say, the help to buy isa is something worth looking into if you're a first time buyer/your child will need a deposit. Needs £1000 deposit and £200 (max) in each month, no penalties if you miss a payment. Know there are pros and cons to it, but nothing gives you 25% interest, 29% if you open it with Halifax. 4% interest tax free us not easy to come by.

In the spirit of frugalness I have;

Frozen the liquid out of the brisket in an ice cube tray for future soups.
Peeled 2kg of mini King Edwards, par boiled and coated in beef dripping. They are freezing in a bread wrapper as we speak.

Got the mince out for to night so I don't get a takeaway.

Beef dripping is much, much tastier than goose or duck fat for roasties and only 50p for 250g.

Welcome Jeepers and welcome back Jones.

Excellent plan need. I don't understand the phone quandary though

Welcome to returners and newbies.

Thanks for the link Collie.

£25 for taxi to the airport. Narrowly avoided a £40 taxi at the other end caused by someone else's frugalleering. Em, your airport staff may possibly be getting the award for muppets of the day.

Thanks guys. Hes really showing no signs other than informing me that his nappy needs changed when its pooped. Today was a bit hit and miss really. Hes in bed now in a pullup. I have no qualms about getting him dry at night as aware of the medical side of that, but I would like for him to be dry by day when he hits nursery this September - I know its not essential but I'm sure it would make both his and the teachers life easier!

Problem is I'm now back at work and mega busy, other than this week I cant see when I'm going to have a full week to devote to this pre-September.

What - my financial goals this year are also about being able to survive with me not working. I plan to finish my GP training then (hopefully!) leave and become a SAHM for a few years while the kids are tiny / do minimal locum work, then take up a non-clinical role. This year I am trying to save up 6 months living expenses, we are 25% of the way there. My current job will end in Feb 2017 so I have until then to save up. Feeling very stressed about it all. Probably because I've been training for 12 years and now nearing the end!

Mmm dripping potatoes.

DIY goal with minimal expenditure also on my list

Ipsos just highlights the importance of a buffer, doesnt it :(

I was late to potty train, hv advised smacking me! They probably did too.

I got it just before I started nursery at 3.5yrs.

I worked with a girl whose mum made her feel bad about training as she had been dry at 9 months!. Neither of us believed the mum really.

You don't even know you have a bum at 9 months do you?.

rafa they regularly win that award.

Oh poor you fluffy!

Blue it's easier in the summer, can you not have a few days off in the summer holidays?

Tbf to them if someone hadn't taken the standard MN advice of not bothering to book seats together but just turn up at the airport and they have to seat you together there wouldn't have been a problem for them to fuck up sort out. 1hr it delayed us by. Luckily caught the last bus by 1 min.

Blue I would leave the potty training. If he's showing no signs there would be little point really. It's so stressful when they are showing signs that I'd wait otherwise. And careful of pull-ups at night unless it's a specific night time one. I've had a wet bed from them! Glad to know someone else is in a similar boat. My husband earns a good income but we are used to living on more. My work involves a lot of stress and travel and I just don't need it with two small's and a hopeful third.

I just twitched but it's before 1st Jan right? £35.95 on a Christmas present for my mum for next year that I know she'll love!

Ursula Xmas shopping for next year is super-organised and definitely allowed!

Part of my problem is one click spending. I justify things in my head and money just disappears.

Today

£11 on food at the zoo. We could have taken lunch but we were only going for s few hours and I couldn't be bothered. That's quite usual. We have annual passes so the trip was "free" otherwise.

£11 in sainsbury, pastry / own brand calpol (jabs this week) / two lots of bum cream for the severe nappy rash that has suddenly developed.

£7 on bin bags - we have a simple human bin with two canisters. This is for fifty liners, I'm thinking this is expensive.

£11 on a honey based barrier cream that was recommended.

So £40+ very easily today. I needed the pastry as the one I bought went out of date and I didn't notice. Gabriel has suddenly got awful nappy rash and was screaming in pain as though he was being burnt with cigarettes or something awful. I went and bought metanium and something else to try and then someone recommended a honey based one. I'll try anything. The bin bags I need because we are down to two. Being frugal I should have taken lunch to the zoo, made ny own pastry and given the bum cream I have a chance to work before twitching. I think I need to do s sort of daily review to try and focus for the next day. Tomorrow I am going to try and spend nothing except car parking at th forest for a walk. Amazon is my failure at the moment. I need to reign it in.

I am tempted to get perfume if it's cheap enough on line for DD1's Christmas 2016. It would need to be a good reduction though because I'm currently skint. And DH's birthday is coming up in a few weeks.

at that bloody HV Fluffy. Well down on your tiles though.

My two potty trained late, mostly because of pressure from MIL who told me, and I'm quoting directing, "all of mine were clean and dry by 12 months" with a cat's bum face. That was enough to ensure I waited until they showed signs of being ready. Then one had an immature bladder.

I would leave it a while longer Blue

ursula you're putting the rest of us to shame. Next years presents already....?!

Organised much?

That said I bought decorations on Christmas Eve for next year so who am I to talk.

I'm back at work tomorrow. Hoping its dress down am dressing down anyway and planning on cheering myself up with a chai latte £1.85. And some lunchtime shopping.

I have vouchers for m&s £30 next £30 and local dept store £200. Want some new jeans/jeggins so will look in m&s for these. And maybe next for a new pair of boots.

Dept store voucher has been allocated to either biker boots from dune or lovely clothes from oasis. or both depending of sale

What, you could make several blocks of pastry & freeze.

Even if you use 00 flour it's got to be cheaper than buying it.

I made some 23rd but it's only in the fridge so I'll cook a bit and see how it tastes. It may well be gopping by now.

Fluffy, good point. I am a perfectly competent pastry maker including puff, I could easily make 2-3 blocks of each and pop it in the freezer. I shall allocate a January morning to this. I'll also think about what else I can make and freeze to stop me spending. Organisation and time are often key.

Hello everyone. I hope you all had a lovely Christmas. I think I have been missing for about a month. Panto is going great guns, but some of the kids seem to gave a bug, we are ok so far.

We are waiting for the results of coeliac panel for DD1, this week she has had a lot less wheat, and she has certainly been better. About 2.5 weeks ago we spent a night in A&E with suspected appendicitis, that was ruled out, so now looking at coeliac's disease.

Today's spends: £17.10 in M&S on lunch for DD1 and I plus stuff for dinner.; £52 on new school shoes got DD1, hers had started leaking, but since she has gone up from 1.5 in April (checked them in September) to a 3!; £4 on parking for Panto.

Goals for this year: reduce the remaining credit card balance, continue repaying DH where he bailed me out (big time) start to build up a buffer towards work needed on the house.