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.

Hope he has a good week and Friday comes round quickly!

Thanks :-) He seems to have changed from a toddler shape (chubby slow moving) to a 7 year old shape (slim and strong looking) in the last two days, so I think he's been having a busy week internally.

Girlie the answer to that question is, it depends. For Panto the girls get 2 free tickets each. Depending on sales, we can often get cast price tickets.

But for bigger touring shows, we may be able to get reduced tickets at the last minute, or later in the run if there are lots of tickets left.

Last time DS was in the West End, we weren't offered any reductions at all. Generally, if I want to go on a specific day (e.g. My birthday) then I suck it up and pay full price. Same for taking the two grannies, there is any one Saturday that I am not chaperoning, so able to drive them to the theatre.

Other times, for example when I'd already seen Jesus Christ Superstar with DS and DD1, I didn't mind not seeing it again 3 weeks later, but I got a £10 ticket so watched it again.

Basically yes ipsos she loves the bag!

Wind is still howling outside. Police have issued a statement for people to only go out if it's necessary, to stay away from coast roads and trees. Not to walk. And not to drive. busses are cancelled. Roads are closed. Trees are down everywhere.

But. We still have power. We're in a valley here - those on top of hill have lost power.

Stay safe em

Yep, Em, it's blustery here too. Kept the pony warm and safe in his stable, given he's no longer got any fur when we went down this morning at 6am! Take care.

I just need to pop into Aldi today, as I forgot small cartons of orange in my supermarket shop (doh). I'll add a few bits and not go later in the week.

Interested to see the wonky veg box launch from Asda, for £3.50.

Em take care, it's wild here too.
Dh went to work at 3pm yesterday and hasn't returned yet, this was planned so I'm not worried but it meant I'd to do all the battening down of hatches myself yesterday evening. I was quite content that I did a good job except when I went out this morning armed with a bundle of washing to the shed I fell over a big ladder so now I've a big lump on my leg, I think I hit every rung on it when I fell as it was a helpless fall

Dh did shopping on Sat but couldn't get some bits so I went to SuperValu as well. Our fridges and freezers are full to capacity now and when I totalled our spends it was €110 over budget Will do a proper menu plan to ensure this stretches into next week. He doesn't do shopping often so I'd say he got a bit excited at being let loose

Dd needed new shoes for school, there was a sale on so she got a pair of Startrite boots, ecco shoes and geox runners all for €97 brilliant savings
I bought two pairs of boots totaling €80 but dm is paying for one pair for my birthday.

Sat in car with dh. Roads are crazy. Usually a 10 minute drive to work. Been in the car for 40 minutes and moved about 6ft.

If it wasn't so wild (and if I hadn't washed my hair this morning) I'd hop out the car and walk. But it's wild. And my nice straight hair will frizz like crazy if it gets wet. Umbrellas are useless. I've seen 5 flip inside out already.

Am grateful for indoors desk job.

Should be nsd today.

My car won't start. Shit shit shit. And dh isn't answering his fucking phone. Ffs fucking crap. Will have to put auto aid to the test. Only trouble is dh is the one with a credit card which is our only means of paying.

Hopefully today should be a NSD.

DS is at his dad's, I'm off so going to work out my budget for this week and plan things to do for half term next week.

I also need to apply for a new job that's come up that I'd love to take- hoping to drop my hours to 30 so I'm home more for DS and I can make up my hours elsewhere.

I have a doctors appointment tomorrow to review my sick note- I don't feel well enough to return to work just yet. My whole body feels exhausted since I had my op and I still have an open wound in a difficult place.

Hope you get the car sorted Spotty

I've made DH drive DDs to school. It's a 10 min walk for them but one is very petite and I was worried about the wind. I'm a, hefty for my height, 64 kilo mass and I was nearly blown over in the SE on Saturday. She is less than 40 kilos.

£30 on dinner money.

Sorry I've not been around for a week. The fruflu really knocked me for six. Expensive day coming up today the car is in for a service and mot- hopefully it'll be less than 150 all in. I've asked them to quote to fix damage from an accident last week - the guy doesn't want to put it on his insurance which is more hassle for me arranging quotes to repair the car. I've reported it to my insurers for info and told them I want them to pursue him vigorously if he doesn't cough up

Phew all fixed and they'll invoice auto aid direct. He thinks it was a temp sensor and it won't happen again.

Sound alike auto aid did well! Glad it's fixed.

Should be a nsd today.

that sucks wolf
great news spotty least you won't be anxious about ringing them again

my work is weather dependant so today will make for a long boring day and probably a long boring week with poor weather forecast going forward too

Pleased you got sorted spotty and result with no outlay.
Pleased you are feeling better wolf. Fingers crossed about the car.
£7 in primark on 2 ties for dh. £3/80 fitness and £9.70 in sainsburys on stuff not available on my order

Dont that sounds sore, are you taking a decent multivitamin? I'm a nurse so am hazarding a guess at the nature of the wound - ouch! Eating and drinking well plus vitamins will help speed up the healing process.

Audit I am really surprised that family aren't given some tickets! Although I suppose in a big show that would be a lot of free/discounted tickets! Even so for parents of kids in the show I think they should be given some preferential treatment!

Weather very stormy still here, the school just rang to say that the football tournament that dd is meant to be going to after school has been cancelled! I'm catching up on jobs, have just finished wrapping her presents for tomorrow, considering I have cut back this year she still has loads oh well she is my only child so can afford to spoil her sometimes I guess!

Need to pick up some more painkillers for my shoulder later which is slightly better but still sore but no other spends planned....

Glad that you are all recovering now. Take care, Don't.

No NSD here. Just paid £400 off the credit card debt. It's triggering my 'spending large sums of money' anxiety a bit but it's done now. Will try and do the same next month. Hopefully that will take the minimum payment down to a level where a) it isn't causing problems trying to balance the budget every month and b) I can afford to set up a standing order for more than the minimum.

Hope you feel better soon dont
Great news spotty hope it didn't take too long to sort out
Thank you for all the ideas for my lunch, I work from home so could have anything but lately find it hard to motivate myself to make something else rather then a sandwich
NSD yesterday and managed to finish all the painting in the bathroom so hopefully we can have the new floor put down this week.
NSD today
Meal plan done after I checked this weeks menu at dd school (her last year of free school dinners)
M - baked chicken legs or sausages with crispy potatoes and veg, plus I can cook couple jacket potatoes for my lunches at the same time
T - pasta and meatballs
W - stir fry
T - tacos/chilli and rice
F - fish and chips
S - spicy bratwurts and wedges/salad
S - roast dinner

Girlfriend I bet you can indeed guess the wound.. just think sacrum ha ha. I'm a nurse too and off work until it fully heals. I will of course discuss this with doctor tomorrow at my appointment- worried due to type of environment I'm in that I'll be more at risk of infection due to amount of exudate and what not.

I've decided I'm going to make a start on decluttering my bedroom. I want to make it into a place I'd rather be when I'm not doing much else rather than just a bedroom/storage place.

I wonder how much I will get rid of. There is years of clothes, old baby stuff, old university work etc. Also memories from the past which I think I should be at a place to get rid of now.

Hopefully nsd here. Started to go through the house and find things to list for eBay. Pulled out the old iPad with cracked screen so resetting that, it's not being used so better money in my pocket. Need to find the motivation to iron ds1s old babygrows and list those too. I'm such a procrastinator & will more likely than not put all this off for another day!
Blustery and wet here, but nowhere near as bad as it sounds for some! Stay safe everyone!

Get well soon don't. Maybe photographs of the sentimental stuff. An album takes up less space she says eying up crap in bedroom that desperately needs sorting

Crikey this thread is moving so fast!

Turns out a friend is selling a bed. Has storage underneath so that could be great, just need to see if we can rearrange the room to fit it in.

Got DD's photocard sorted and put a 4 week pass on for £16, she felt very grown up putting the card on the reader :o

don't I would really recommend the sainted Marie Kondo for decluttering things like that. I got rid of a lot of sentimental stuff when I had a kondo phase and she really helped. I also found I felt so much better once I'd done it. Plus her book is hilarious

I have to do the big shop today but will only get things for the meal plan. Shouldn't have any other spends today.