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?

orchard.tesco.com/ Sign up to this.

www.topcashback.co.uk/home And this.

www.quidco.com/home/ And this

www.moneysavingexpert.com/ And this

www.moneysavingexpert.com/cheapenergyclub ditto.

www.checkoutsmart.com/ Plus this.

www.hotukdeals.com/all/deals/new?page=3 Check this daily.

Our car (if petrol tax and insurance) costs us £160/month plus £160 for dh's diesel. I sat down and now I'm regretting it...

ememem,

Yes!!! Gold star!

creme I adore maple pecan pastries. They are my absolute favourite. If all exam results go to plan on Tuesday I'm getting one for breakfast.

have sat down and succumbed to fruflu. Blanket couch hot squash and am just staring at the to. Dh is watching interstellar.

On the subject of foreign objects in washing machines... I just found a penny in the tumble dryer.

It was nice and clean, though!

Needed a quick sit down after daring to exert myself, you know, by doing laundry so I'll start my hour at quarter past.

Interesting idea re: budgeting by school spends. I have absolutely no idea what that would've been TBH! Will discuss it with DH.

allguns thanks. That sounds exactly like something I could do. And sort of do already. I like lists. I carry a notebook with me and keep lists of things I need to buy things I have to do etc.

I note what I've spent in my Filofax. Dh thinks I'm crazy being so old school. But I love it.

£4 skate park, £10 trampoline, £125 on food and still need meat which will be £20-30 tomorrow

Creme Yes we live further south. tbh I'd give my eye teeth to be in Scotland but dh's work only exists in the south and in the US. Also whenever I go back north the soft water and lack of vitamin D from the gentler sunshine plays merry hell with whatever's wrong with my digestive system. I always end up just about holding my health together and then come back to spend about three weeks recovering. I grew up in Scotland, but I don't think I'm tough enough for the climate.

You're quite right that money goes much further where you are. It amuses me no end that everyone I know stores their vacuum cleaner in plain view in the middle of the living room, as there's nowhere else to put it.

The costa thing is a real element in my budget I think. I used to get a lot of my protein and calories from milk and cheese and from buns and cakes and toast. Since I gave up wheat and dairy those are closed off to me, which is why I constantly come back to meat for my protein and calories. It's all potatoes and rice for carbs, which is why I cook such a lot.

Hi all, just sitting down and catching up

So we did go swimming in the end that was £6, I gave a chap £1 who asked me for 39p to buy some food in Morrisons bless him wish I'd given him more now tbh he told me his benefits had been stopped - I hate this Government so much

Spent £10 in Poundland on mostly snacky stuff for pack lunches.

£3 on Hamster food.

Quiet rest of the day now.

Oooh FFS! Computer driving me insane. Keeps pausing and then coming up with a little message saying the graphics card stopped responding and then recovered it's making typing very annoying. I managed one measly chapter.

I hate technology sometime. I'm going to channel the IT Crowd and try switching it off and on again :o

Well done Girlie. It's really cheesing me off that the banks are still a mess and starting giving bonuses again when the NHS is under stuch great strain. I feel as though we should be having something like the French revolution to sort it out.

Anyone for a slice of carrot cake?

beautiful!

I have still put off the big shop, there is plenty in the freezer, but I really need to buy the other stuff. Hoping to run down the freezer a bit to do a muscle good order.

Did yet another top up shop, so have spent last week's good budget, without much to show for it. £40 in Sainsbury's buying ribs for dinner, to have with salad and accompaniments; chicken and veg plus slow cooker packet mixes to make curry for tomorrow's dinner. DS and DD1 have rehearsal in London, will be making lots extra for lunches/freezing. Some packed lunch stuff to cover tea for the next couple of days for rehearsal.

Also had to buy some baking ingredients for DS's homework. He told me to buy cookie cutters for making scones, I pointed out that we have a cupboard full of cups and beakers and one of those would do!

Spotty, mmmmm

That looks delicious! None for me until I'm thin! :-)

Ooh yes please, Spotty!

I just got brownie points from ds. He is recovering and said he wanted fruit salad. I only had a sad looking apple and half a banana in the house, but then I remembered I had a box of frozen raspberries in the freezer. He was pleased.

Yes please spotty

Need happy belated birthday for last week. You share with my DS.

Laska we do the hay box when we go camping - box with a sleeping bag works well.

Fluffy Roberts & Co at e-coffee.co.uk do a fab range of beans and ground. They used to be based in the Royal Exchange in Manchester but went mail order when they were bombed out by the IRA. I love their Italian roast - really rich.

Fuzz hope your Dh interview goes / went well.

5min is your DH mine? I love gnocchi but he complains every single time I make it. The steward.

I has been a busy fwe week - Fruflu has gone but I have been cleaning up all the mud from Strathpuffer. The Tipi is still drying in the living room.

I am not sure what fwe was even meant to be.....

Forgot to say my mum had a scan and biopsy etc and it appears that her chemo / radio has got rid of the cancer. Thanks eveyone for all the support - it means a lot.

"few weeks"?

Unescorted, I didn't know your mum was ill, but I am delighted to hear your good news.

That's great news unescorted. Well done all of you.

unescorted what wonderful news for you and your family.

Have all the gnocchi fans out there tried Bill Granger's gnocchi bake? It is delicious and a great store cupboard standby as most of the ingredients have a long shelf life. It also takes minutes to throw together. Cook 500g gnocchi 2 minutes. In an oven proof shallow pan, simmer a tin of chopped tomatoes 2 minutes. Take off heat, add crushed garlic clove and tbsp olive oil. Drain gnocchi and add to tomatoes. Stir in handful of torn basil leaves. Top with 2 balls torn mozzarella and 2 tbsp Parmesan. Drizzle with olive oil, bake 200 C 15-20 mins until cheese melted and sauce bubbling. Serves 4, apparently.

I just looked up what the most valuable crop is that I could grow in the garden. Apparently it's Ginseng, but I'd need a forest and 20-40 inches of rain a year. That does not sound like my garden.