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.

Fuzz Ds says did you go to the central library? I think he may be a bit confused about how this works.

Ladies (I think it's all ladies) can I sign up again?

Course you can tayto!
NSD today. Survived work but have a lot of catching up after last week.
Supermarket, pound shop and DD's haircut tomorrow so will be a bit spendy.
Right, off to get on with some marking...

Well done Slightly. Stir fry is better than only getting one meal out of it.

Welcome knitting

NSD

:) well it's the central library in our town, anyway :) lovely big one that has a home ed book club.

I always tell myself I won't get more books out (we have loads already) but I couldn't resist, Da Vinci (in preparation for science museum visit), Marie Curie and a book about astronomers including Copernicus, because we are learning about Poland in preparation for geography club... and some books about children's yoga and beginner's latin :o

Just spent £40 in aldi and waitrose on groceries. Should just need fruit and veg top up mid week, and must pop into h&b for peanut butter tomorrow.

NSD today, and yesterday, but got to get some things tomorrow. Here is my downfall... just popping out for a few things, two full trollies later! So will stick to dog fud, coffee pods and meat from Morrisons, plus milk and veg.

Need to sort out the elec as Britsh Gas have upped my dd to £116 a month, even though I got 13 back last month for the end of year adjustment. So do I call them first or just switch? Embarrassingly I have been with them since I moved here 8 years ago. Martin Lewis recons I could pay about £80 a month, which is a big saving.

Dd2 lost a molar today, and I have no change!! Hoping I have a random pound in the car.

NSD today, tomorrow it's £20 for the cleaner and I'll take the kids to sainsvury to get my 500 nectar points and a tiny treat. Tuesday is treat day as the cleaner hasn't finished by the time preschool kicks out and it's easier for us to waste a little time.

My testing product came, it's a pram!

Hi there! , this has got to be the busiest thread on MN!, DH is at home at weekends so Im never around ( or I am but not on MN..) and I always feel that I've missed such a lot when I get back on .

Did I miss any really hot gossip? Have you all survived the storm? .. We had winds of over 98mph recorded here .. (Needles IOW and I live just up the road from there, and we certainly had a real Hooley last night , )

Actually I have some goss myself.. , but its still in the making.. D(s)D is in hospital right now having a baby! So we will be grandparents again.. However shes been in there since last night, her waters broke , but nothing happening, so looks like she may have to be induced tomorrow All fingers crossed (esp as its a month early) .

Anyway ive just reconciled my YNAB , and all fine so far , but I've had a few spends.. over and above the usual,

I (naughtily) bought some ebay stuff (2 Tractor Ted dvds and books, as he loves them ) for DGS who will be here next weekend

Also ordered a pair of binoculars for DHs birthday in a week or so .. (Its also my Dsd and Dads birthday this month .. and with the new grandchild ,theres another one for February.)

so a spendy month , but however all budgetted ..

Still need to sort out pet insurance , but as I cant find the documents with his chip number , ill have to take hinm to the vet l to be scanned ( I suppose that will cost) , and ive made an appointment for a eye test and will definately need new specs this time..

Food-wise we are doing pretty well also l, (it helps that we have both given up for the month..

Out of my budget I've only spent £45 so far on food and toiletries

It does look like my job will be ok though .. fingers crossed.

.... Ooh and i've lost 9lb on the diet so far!!

Now to read back..

Laska I do hope so.

Knitting Ring them if you want but first do the Martin Lewis thing again and put in electric only and gas only. It was cheaper for me to have seperate suppliers. Mil rang bg and they wouldn't price match. She could've got it £700 a year cheaper but would not leave bg and they knocked £300 off.

Knitting when I last switched , I went with Ovo and am very happy with them so far, I was part of the MSE 'big switch' in 2014 to Eon, and they put my DD up in less than 4 months,, unimpressed!

With Ovo you get monthly readings and get monthly statements of usage, so you can really keep on track

Knitting def have a look at one of the Uswitch comparison type sites and if you can go through cashback do that, I reckon you could save quite a bit.

Hello Laska no hot goss that I can think of thats great about your job and let us know when the new baby arrives! This time 10 years ago I was in the same position as your dsd, after a 4 day labour I think I had given up on her being born

I have spent the evening tidying and getting ready for dds bday tomos, the banners are up and the gifts are all ready for her

Have you got a baby to put in that whatabout?!

Thanks all! Will have a go on uswitch tomorrow and def get it sorted out. We have a smart meter, so I know exact usage, but its high as we run 5 viv's, a 6foot fish tank, plus all the usual stuff. Can't get dual fuel as we are off grid lpg.

But thats just boring, a new baby is much more exciting, hope it is smooth sailing for your dsd laska!

Congratulations in advance laksa babies are exciting! I hope everyone is ok.

Am up stupidly early waiting for my lift to the airport. Stupid red eye flight.

Oh wow what!! What is it?

Exciting laska!

I think ds has croup he was up in the night with a fever and awful cough that sounded like a deranged sea lion. Anyway I have to leave for work in a minute and when I asked dh what we were going to do he said 'well this is the problem with you starting work so early' I'm tempted just to go without waking anyone up and let him sort it all out himself. (Ds was meant to be going to pre school today I'm sure my step mum would have him but I can't exactly call at 6am).

Anyway aiming for a nsd although dd has a book fair she wants me to take her too. I can't afford it though so I think I'll have to tell her no.

NSD yesterday, I am hoping for another one today.
I too like the 72h NSD idea :)

That's looks swish what. Have fun testing
Exciting laska. Hope it goes well for DSD.
No gossip though sorry.
Nsd today and tomorrow.
Filled the car up yesterday for £50

I have these if anyone wants them, valid until Feb 28th. They're no good in roi

Excited laska, I hope it all goes well. Hope your little one is better soon spotty, having croup is one of my earliest memories, it was horrible.
Meal plan:
Today - pasta &sauce, salad, pancakes with fruit and ice cream.
Wed - quiche, jacket potatoes and salad.
Thur - curry from freezer
Fri - nachos
Sat - root veg pancakes &salad
Sun - root veg & bulgar wheat stew.
Mon - leftovers.
Assorted leftovers, soups etc for lunches.
My autocorrect tried to change bulgar wheat to vulgar wheat!
We are trying an experiment of making a massive salad with lots of colourful veg and a nice dressing to last a few days as it's healthy and easier to take out portions for lunches etc than to chop etc every day. Hoping we'll eat more colourful veg as a result.

It's a stokke trailz, and yes the baby was asleep in it while his big brother pushed it around the lounge!

Great tester product what does your older boy love Gabriel?
spotty what is it about men that they don't think they should have equal responsibility for children being sick?
I'm down 5 hours in my wages this week because of taking dd to an appointment and there'll be another one in 3 weeks again but if dh takes her he'll lose a whole days wages.

Fab tester what, do you get to keep?

spotty My DS had croup as a young child. The main thing that helped was steam, lots of steam. So we would sit with him in the bathroom with the shower on hot, leave a bowl of steaming water under his bed, with menthol in etc. It kind of sounds way worse than it is though, the barking is horrendous to hear. Menthol on the chest, a humidifier. Also, using DH's blue inhaler.

Exciting times Laska

Thanks Lila, not something I use sadly.

Should be a LSD, need to pay some cheques into the bank. Get some bread from M&S, but will use vouchers.

Good grief I'm so far into my overdraft and the bus pass money (£164 total) hasn't even come out yet! :( Still I must remember that it'll save a lot of money overall - all those mad dashes to the cashpoint for bus fare money will no longer be necessary.

We did a really big shop on Sunday so hopefully this week I can be fully organised and not end up buying food anywhere else. I think DH will be having a tea in the cafe with DSS today (bless him, he offered to drive DH to and from the interview :) such a sweetheart). Not sure about Valentine's day - we won't be child free but usually would do something. I can't even check if we can boost some clubcard points for a restaurant voucher, as I can't find the clubcard and I don't know the number

I just realised I don't even know if DH paid for the new term of rock climbing yet (£150 for both DCs, takes them up to summer hols). This is a very expensive time of year!

Also I want to celebrate just after half term... it will be exactly a year since the DCs came out of school! It's been hectic but the change in them - in their mental health and happiness especially, but also their love of learning - has been astronomical :) :) need to think of something cheap to celebrate :o

Wow can't believe thats been a year Fuzz! Am occasionally jealous of your HS, my dd is pretty miserable at school atm they have swapped all the classes about to prepare the yr 6s for SATs and dd is finding it all a bit much.

That said I think there would be a good chance of us coming to blows as dd thinks I know nothing about anything and any attempt on my part to show her anything results in lots of huffing and eye rolling

Its dd 10th birthday today all the presents went down well but her absolute favourite Fuzz was the gemstone excavation kit this one she started on it before school and can't wait to get home to find some more!

Going to pop to Lidls in a bit to pick up a few bits, going to make a chocolate cake and need stuff for pancakes later. Dd has chosen Subway as her place of choice for birthday tea!!