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Cost of living

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Friendly Frugaleers chat their way into February...

999 replies

Ipsos · 26/01/2016 12:51

Just setting up the new thread for the chatty Frugaleers.

By popular request - copied from last year Grin

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.

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8
Girlfriend36 · 03/02/2016 11:42

Hello all, so nipped into town and spent £30 in Primark - got lots for this including 2 lots of pjs, 2 tops, 3 rolls of wrapping paper, slippers and about 100 hair bands Grin

Also £14 in Wilkos on party stuff for dds bday party on Sunday, also got 4 packs of face wipes which were 50p each.

£1.30 parking.

Took £100 out to pay for the party!

Hopefully no more spends today....

SpottyTeacakes · 03/02/2016 11:47

Ours is just from tesco and is absolutely fine it's never come off.

£20 petrol.

Dd doesn't have to have casts (for now at least) so pleased!

fuzzpig · 03/02/2016 12:30

This is the coin album I'm thinking of - there are others that are fancier on there, but this was cheap (I'm not sure if it's going to be a long lasting hobby or not, but it has 120 pockets I think so enough for a while anyway!) and her favourite colour is blue so she'll love it anyway. :)

Good to read about the cereal box things, DH was wondering about that too, the tupperware ones, but I'm sooo tempted by the fancy dispensers like they have in Sheldon's kitchen on BBT :o not that we have space in them!

Sewing machine I've ordered is the Janome 145M, it is apparently the same one that John Lewis sell (but with different casing). I decided against the really cheap Hobbycraft one, as I found out it doesn't even have a backstitch or anything - apparently that's better for someone who already knows how to use the machines, but just wants something quick for repairs and stuff, and the Janome one is better for a child learning. I hope so anyway as it was £40! She will be ecstatic anyway. I need to get some hand sewing done before her birthday though, as I want her to learn that first.

Had a productive morning home ed wise, just having a biscuit MN break now until DH comes home. He went in early as usual today but I managed to get him an appt so he's seen the GP and is now coming home. His pharmacist at work said it sounds like the gastritis/ulcer type issue - not a surprise as he's been feeling acidy (!) for weeks now. Stress definitely not helping. He applied for a few more jobs last night.

SlightlyTired · 03/02/2016 12:56

We also have spotty's cereal boxes. I love them because I can instantly see what we are running low on. I got them years ago when I had an outbreak of moths in the kitchen 😒 and decided no more open packets of stuff. I definitely paid more for them than the Amazon price though!

SlightlyTired · 03/02/2016 12:56

Thanks fuzz! Will look up that machine!

fuzzpig · 03/02/2016 12:59

Oops haven't caught up with thread yet but thank you leboob I may take you up on that kind offer at some point depending on postage costs and all that :)

Girl my DD loved her gemstone box at Christmas! Our DD's sound like they'd get on. I'm tempted to get her the fossil hunter Lottie doll at some point. :)

Pointlessfan · 03/02/2016 13:06

Am feeling slightly better! Have had some bread and yoghurt. Going to have a shower and get dressed then attempt Asda, my mum is taking us and said if I'm struggling then she'll do the shopping and I can sit in the cafe. I hope I'm not overdoing it but after 3 days I'm desperate to leave the house.

fuzzpig · 03/02/2016 13:07

Spends:
Monday:
£10.90 bus fares
£2.26 drinks (my fault as forgot the DCs' water bottles)
Tuesday:
£8.60 bus fares
£4 snack (my fault again, left in a rush!)
£2.50 creative writing
£2.50 anime DVD in Cex (my pocket money)

Mojito100 · 03/02/2016 13:07

Finally nsd today. February is a bit of a stretch with all three kids birthdays this month. Will do my best reducing costs rather than just the usual blow out.

Ememem84 · 03/02/2016 13:14

Nsd. So far. I'm off to the doctors later as have a raging sore throat. probably shouldn't be at work to be honest

It was nice they made a fuss of me. I cried a bit. So lovely.

Baked gnocchi for dinner. With lots of cheese.

Fluffycloudland77 · 03/02/2016 13:19

Well that's a big relief for you Spotty.

£3.90 sains but claimed £3.25 back for it on shopitize. Free biscuits for when people come round and radox.

£2 in halfords, 4 peach skin microfibres cloths. 6p cashback.

£6.88 in morrisons. 3l of robinsons squash, 4 Alberto shampoos and conditioners for dh, soya custard and chilli sauce for home made kebab night.

£3 Aldi on cheapy bin bags, bramley apples for tonight's crumble and soya milk.

Sky broadband is up and running. My slow cooker is a Tesco one, it's got to go back so I'll print out the order number etc because I paid in clubcard points and I want them back so I can boost them.

There's free deli turkey on topcashback from Tesco so I will pick some up when I take the sc back.

lilacclery · 03/02/2016 14:00

rich people get rich by acting like they are poor...poor people get poor acting like they are rich

Isn't this quote brilliant?
I really feel like I'm on the turn to conquering my debt. Saved all year last year for my holiday last weekend and there was no pressure, everything was paid for, didn't have to worry about a thing, and when credit card bill came yesterday the amount I paid in was €100 more than what was spent on it and I'd made an extra payment yesterday because I had excess money in my bank account after holiday.

SlightlyTired · 03/02/2016 15:26

I love that quote lilac. I am going to email it to my DH and propose it as our new mantra. And well done on regaining control. I'm not quite there yet but it feels so good to be taking steps. I have been head in the sand for so long and poor DH has had to think about this stuff without me being properly engaged. I think I always felt like it was too hard and too stressful. But actually, what is stressful is not facing reality and keeping on top of it. Now I obsessively refresh money dashboard a couple of times a day. I know my balances and what I've spent where and on what. This is a brave new world for me.

fuzzpig · 03/02/2016 15:27

That quote makes total sense! :)

Jeepers Kindle sounds like a good bet. Mine were about the same age when they started using our old iPad. There's so many good apps out there - Toca Boca and Sago Mini do great ones, although not sure they are available on Android. They are paid apps but I think especially with DCs that young it is worth paying up front, because it is so easy for little ones to click on adverts and/or in app purchase buttons that seem to be sodding EVERYWHERE on a lot of free games. No idea how to lock in app purchases on android, presumably it's as easy as on iOS, but I don't think there's any way of stopping adverts from loading/being clicked etc? They are so irritating.

Love happy birthday! Cake :)

I had a mega-frugal cup soup thing for lunch, it was actually quite nice although needless to say not very filling. I figured it'd be useful to have those on standby though. Brownies tonight so DD will have scrambled eggs/chorizo etc, DS has a cheese quesadilla - I'm really pleased, I even froze the right amount of grated cheese for that, so I knew it wouldn't run out or go off. Here's to smaller things adding up to big savings!

I've retreated upstairs to get some editing done, but my concentration is shit so I'm sticking to half hour chunks. DH wanted to do some topic work with the DCs when he got home (space - his passion so I was happy to leave them all chatting about the Big Bang!) and they're now curled up watching a movie.

Need to somehow between us get the energy up to tidy the living room. It's an utter pit.

Pointlessfan · 03/02/2016 15:54

£57 in Asda, bought a lot of fruit and veg, hope I'm well enough to eat it. Have returned to bed now, I am exhausted after that and feel very sick.

lilacclery · 03/02/2016 16:08

I haven't caught up on thread yet but pointless I hope you feel better soon
fuzz that's very organised to have the cheese already grated and frozen, I'm definitely not that organised
pancakes are a winner easy meal in our house and dd will now eat the ones made with just banana and egg so that's better again!

slightly it is good isn't it. I check my online banking a few times per day

Ipsos · 03/02/2016 16:13

Lilac I know some rich people who go that way be being borderline cleptomaniacal. Smile

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lilacclery · 03/02/2016 16:20

Fine line I guess ipsos

fuzzpig · 03/02/2016 16:41

Oh I didn't grate the cheese myself this time Blush it was from a bag of grated mozzarella/cheddar! I'm paranoid about leaving that too long as it seems to go off quicker than block cheese (increased surface area I guess). Next time I will grate it myself though. Actually that might be a use for the small tupperware I bought... maybe I could just grate portions of cheese and then defrost one for when the DCs have pasta!? Is defrosted cheese nice 'raw' so to speak?

Ipsos · 03/02/2016 16:59

It wasn't very fine in their case Lilac. They got banned from the library for pinching 300 cds.

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CremeEggThief · 03/02/2016 17:02

I've heard that quote before, Lilac, and yes, it's very true.

Great news about your DD, Spotty.

Happy birthday to LoveCake.

£1.90 at the post office.

babsmam · 03/02/2016 18:07

Nsd. Hope poorly people don't stay poorly much longer.

Allgunsblazing · 03/02/2016 18:10

Not yet, but I will have to pay £20 for having two rings resized.
NSD today. I had to go to the bank with my £2 coins stash (£80) and I became so tight I refused to pay £1.20 for the carpark, I parked on the outskirts and walked in. I also returned a cashmere dressing gown (£124)-had it delivered to the shop, tried it on and...no, not £124 (from £250), not this time. There, I was good.
I also did the moneysavingexpert switch today. I don't like British Gas' customer care at all, but the estimate for this contract is £75 for dual. I pay 120 for dual. I'll grit my teeth for a year.
I also returned a not very good running bra. You know when you buy it and say it will do? Turns out is not as confortable as my very very old running bra. So there. Came back home :) empty handed.

Girlfriend36 · 03/02/2016 18:40

Have had a lovely day, managed to drive to Bristol and back on the motorway which was fine, this had become something i was getting very anxious about so am pleased. The Last Tango was amazing - my mum and I both cried it was so good!

Fuzz I saw those dolls the other day, think my dd is getting slightly too old for them now Sad but they would have been perfect a year or so ago. I have now added both the coin album and gemstones to be Amazon basket Grin

Ipsos · 03/02/2016 18:47

Well done allGuns. I save a lot of money by being choosy about what's worth spending money on.

Have we lost Collie?

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