Friendly Frugaleers chat their way into February...

[Ipsos]

Just setting up the new thread for the chatty Frugaleers.

By popular request - copied from last year

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/other_subjects/1324074-For-those-who-cant-afford-to-use-central-heating-this-year-How-are-you-going-to-cope

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/credit_crunch/1543785-your-top-tips-for-money-saving-and-a-more-frugal-life

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/credit_crunch/1600030-Small-money-saving-habits-petty-even

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/credit_crunch/1628874-Gas-Elec-Bills-monthly-and-SKY-so-angry

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/mumsnet_classics/1911061-NO-MORE-COLD-MUMSNETTERS

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/_chat/2209167-Slow-Cookers-are-shit

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/_chat/2224969-saving-money

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/legal_money_matters/2258202-Debt-mutual-support-thread-number-6-start-the-new-year-with-a-clear-purpose-and-keep-moving-forwards-even-by-tiny-steps?

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ds is 5 years old 5minutes.

Oh rats, I just realised it's £130 a month, not for three months. Hmmm. That a bit different.

Plenty of recommendations for gnocchi there, Spotty. I think of it as pasta made from potatoes. Best of both worlds! I love it with pesto and any green veg or olives, but it also goes well with tomato based sauces and I've heard it's great with sausages, although I find it filling enough on its own. The only way you can go wrong with it is if you boil it for more than 3 minutes.

Is it still snowing in Yorkshire, Need? We had a few flakes here, but that was all. Enjoy your Chinese tonight.

It might still be worth it, ipsos, as trying to fill the summer holidays with activities and days out would probably come to around the same?

For the bus pass, Ipsos?

What are you likely to use in an average month?

It's for the gym membership rafa

Hmm that does change things rather ipsos :( are you likely to be able to use it 13 times in a month (if you were only swimming)

depends what else is included I guess

Oh no, the swimming, sorry.

How much is he likely to want to go? As Creme said, once you start to factor in stuff that you would have to pay for instead it might still be worth it.

Gnocchi is also great roasted in the oven until crispy on the outside either used as a side, or more often on our house, served hot with onion and garlic dip.

We twitched on a nespresso machine this afternoon in the snow. We have fallen out with the tassimo machine we've had for years, the coffee is just bland and have been umming and ahhhing about buying a new machine.

Making stir fry for tea but picked up some wantons and sea weed in the Chinese new year offer at Sainsbury to go with it to make it a bit more special

sounds yummy Wolf do you cook the gnocchi as normal in water first?

Thanks for all the gnocchi advice

Have eaten way too much pizza. Will have some wine in a minute and watch ninja warrior. Dd loves it

£130 a month is really expensive, I know you weren't keen on swimming lessons but I imagine there would be some good deals on week long swim courses for kids in the holidays. Dd swims with a company called SASP and they do a week of half hr lessons for £14 which is a bargain.

For £130 I would want to go on holiday for a week where there was a swimming pool

Have had a nice afternoon and not spent any money other than dds horse riding lesson which was a bonus. Talking of swimming am thinking may take her tomorrow as my new years resolution is to do some sort of exercise every wend last wend we went for a run - it nearly killed me!!

My washing got snowed on this afternoon need!
Think I'm coming down with "frugaleers flu" now and about to break 4 day NSD run with a take away!

I agree that's expensive. Private 1-1 lessons where dd goes is £22/half hour so you could get two a week for the same money.

Yes I think it's expensive too. The minimum term is three months so that would be £390 just for ds and me, and not even including dh. I could do a lot better with £390. The club is about 30 minutes away through heavy traffic too, which would only be worth it if it was going to be really good, and not at that price. Hey ho. Back to the drawing board.

Do you ever see private lessons where the mum goes in with the child? I'd be more keen to do that. I don't fancy sending him in on his own with a teacher.

I've stuck my robot lawn mower on ebay again. All fingers crossed.

fuzz No I just lightly oil either the gnocchi o the tray and start charging them in the oven. Depending on the brand they take between 20 and 35 mins. They need a shake every now and again.

Safety warning - do not use a pan out r deep fat fryer, apparently they explode like popcorn

I've not seen any private lessons going on tbh. Dd goes in a group and I left her crying the first time bad mum but she was fine by the time I sat down. I wish I could afford private though she'd be swimming much quicker.

I think I'll just teach ds myself in that case. My Mum taught me and it was lovely. I started teaching ds myself a couple of weeks ago and he took to it very quickly.

It's a nice feeling holding him up in the water while he paddles away with his hands and feet. I'd recommend it. It's like the naturalness of breastfeeding, holding a swimming child in the water. I must be channeling my dolphin ancestors.

Hello all. I am also not feeling 100%, I don't normally suffer ill health, but had a really bad headache yesterday, left work early because of it.

Yesterday £35 in Tesco buying packed lunch stuff and chilli ingredients, salad etc, mainly as I haven't done a shop for 2 weeks. Must motivate myself to do the shopping online.

Today 80p on a bag of sweets after DD2's swimming lesson.

Been out test driving new cars today. My company car is due to be replaced. Unfortunately, even using online brokers the car is £1,700 more than work pay for. Will speak to my boss in Monday. I could produce cash by paying less off my credit card. I have just got a pay rise, and the new car would cost me about £133 less in tax each month. My boss may offer to cover the difference and take back from my salary (hopefully). I will ask the local dealer to price match the Internet deal, but if not, will take the Internet deal. Frustratingly, ex demo cars are coming in more expensive than the Internet deal for a brand new one, although I'd prefer an ex demo in a higher spec.

Isn't it strange that so many are under the weather at the moment. I wonder if it is literally a reaction to the cold snap we have finally had. It has been so warm for so long this winter, then it went down briefly to almost zero and we all went over like ninepins. Odd.

I have crocusses, snowdrops and little irises and narcissi in my garden. I wonder if that means that spring is one the way.

I don't know ipsos we've had daffs since Christmas

I need new daffodils. Mine are sleeping dead and crispy must throw them away. Maybe tomorrow I might go for a nice walk and swipe some from the hedgerows buy some.

I love daffs they make me so happy

Tea out tonight. Dmums treat. Yippee. Walked to local pub for scallop scampis abd sweet potato fries had one small wine. Walked home. Just in time. The rain is back.

Still feeling rough as. Snuggled up in bed now with duvet blanket and bathrobe. Have hot water bottle and a nice tea.