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.

congratulations laska!!

LSD yesterday TV Guide €1.85

Spending so far today:-

Valentines Day card - €2.80
Potatoes - €2
Nutella (for pancakes) - €2.95

I'll need to give DD €3 later for cubs

Total spend €10.75

There was an old man buying a Valentines Day card in the shop, which I thought was kind of sweet.

What does everyone do for Valentines Day? I've gotten a bit cynical in my old age and have come to see it as a Hallmark holiday. DH and I exchange cards but that's as much for DD's sake (she still gets a bit excited about it) as for us. I don't like red roses so even if we were millionaires, I'd be horrified if DH parted with a small fortune for a dozen red roses.

Happy birthday to your DD Girlfriend

Hello all, stayed home sick today. Haven't felt well for nearly 2 weeks with headache and tiredness, today also have upset tummy and feel sick.

Yesterday was expensive. £38 for a Valentine's present for DH; the kids needed a plastic crate each for the theatre to keep their stuff in, £8 each, but they should last well. DD1 already has a "Panto" box, but these are much smaller. Then £45 on other shopping including light bulbs, lots of packs of instant pasta meals and soups for the kids to keep at the theatre.

I couldn't get all the bulbs we needed, so will order the rest online today.

Also need to pay some off my credit card. I have a fair chunk, but may need some for car deposit, I guess car deposit could go onto credit card, so I'll pay all £1,500 off the credit card, even if some goes back on rapidly.

Getting more and more behind on the thread, oops! Just popping by to post my spends while the DCs are quietly (gasp!) doing their writing. We've already done reading and lots of work on negative numbers/BC and AD timelines. I've promised them that we'll head to the Parkour training park before DD's lesson so I'll pack a lunch to ensure we don't get tempted by the shops on the way through. I need to actually get off my bum (all learning has been directed from the sofa this morning :o) and make the lunch, that's where I always mess up as I get so tired/dizzy. DH is going to start making it before he leaves, like he used to when the DCs were at school, but I didn't ask for today as it's interview day! Thanks again for all the positive thoughts Frugaleers :)

Sunday:
£98.52 Tesco delivery
£148 13wk bus pass for me
Monday:
£5.30 bus fares inc. DH
£16 4wk bus pass for DD
£24.99 DVD set (DH's pocket money - see this is why it works so well... if it was our money we wouldn't justify buying it as it's not something we both like - but he's saved up for a while)

Right, I'm off to pack a picnic and get everything ready. Then we should have time for a bit more work (learning about Poland for geography club - found a video about the legend of the Dragon of Krakow :))

I seem to have waffled on again! Sorry have a great day all.

Get well soon Audit

fuzzpig I enjoy the waffle. I've missed the friendliness of this thread.

Happy birthday to your DD, Girlie.

Rest up and get well soon, Audit.

Interview day! Fingers crossed for your dh fuzz :)

fuzz if you already get online shopping from tesco just log into tescoclubcard.co.uk with your usual login details and you'll be able to see what points you have for boosting there.

can't believe you're a year homeschooling I remember your anxiety about whether to do it or not

I think if I was home schooling we'd do a lot of baking and cooking!

Happy birthday to girlie's dd

audit hope you don't stay sick for long

Good luck fuzz's DH and get well soon audit.
I am making a " toblerange" for DH for Valentines day. It is a toblerone with a chocolate orange segment balanced between each triangle if that makes sense. He is a chocoholic so he will love it and the "ingredients" cost 2 quid! I might get him a couple of nice beers too and I'm going to get DD to make a card. We don't usually bother with it but we have so few treats these days we thought we'd do token gifts.
Shopping came to £61 plus another £20 on birthday cards, wrapping paper, small plastic containers, socks and a cardie for DD. She also had her hair cut which was £5. It's been a spendier day than I'd expected.
Going to do something I promised I wouldn't do when I went part time and do some marking on my day off. Would rather do it now than over half term.

Sounds fabulous pointless

Today will most likely be expensive. As DS is getting some new ice skates- he did have second hand ones however they're too big for him and he has a weird shaped foot. I'm sure he will get his use out of them though

23.50 on ice skating lessons.
?? On new ice skates.

I've had a good morning. I dropped in to the place where I am a volunteer (my old workplace) and I was worried I'd have nothing to say. However the person I ended up next to in the tea room was the man in charge of energy conservation in the department, so of course we had a huge amount in common. Frugaleer win!

Sounds good about having someone to chat too (Y) I always find someone new to talk to when i go into our community bungalow and ive done all sorts i never would normally.

Tea out at nans today for brothers birthday so could be spendy and birthday money for brother. might get ds a new book or similar on the way keep him occupied, my nan doesnt have much to do at her house but hopefully he will be busy chatting.

Lots of appointments and things coming up and travel to the hospital will be spendy but doesnt look like i will be able to get a lift as will need that person to pick ds up from school so needs must. frugal day tomorrow but incredibly busy seeing friend in morning, cookery class in afternoon ( free through volunteering) then ds eye test. he has never needed glasses before and says he wont wear them and will run away if he has to have them so heres hoping he doesnt! although to be fair i dont know why hes so against them as entire family including me wear them without complaint.

Yes it was nice to have a chat super.

Good luck at the opticians. I remember being massively miserable about getting glasses, and then just overwhelmed at the amazing vision I had with them. I didn't wear them for two years though, until I got to the point where I couldn't read the blackboard at all.

Ds1 (Wilfred) does love Gabriel but not as much As Gabe loves Wilf!!

I do get to keep it as long as I fill I the thread and write my review. The seat unit came today and if it stays dry after Wilf has a nap we will take it on its inaugural push!

Hi all, spent £45 in Lidls and got a ridiculous amount for that i actually felt like I was robbing them included 60 dw tablets, chicken, salmon, baking stuff plus all the usual stuff needed for a weekly shop. It is much cheaper than Morrisons but annoyingly doesn't offer a online delivery so can only go when I have the time!

Have baked a very delicious looking chocolate cake for bday tea later - yum!

Do you need any help on filling the thread?

Have been busy on u-switch, the best deal seems to be coop energy, should be about £80 a month, its 3p cheaper/kwh than I pay now. Britsh gas best tarrif would have saved me £3 a year! Um, no ta.

If I go through top cashback I'll get money back too. But I'm not a member yet. There is a referal deal thing going on, does anyone want to refer me so we both get extra back? As I'll switch the elec asap it will be over the qualifying amount to pay the bonus thing.

My gas usage graph reads like an inverse weather forecast now. Cold snap in November and January, and pretty decent otherwise. I can't imagine what it would have been like in 2010-2011 when we had -6 degrees outside for the best part of 3 months. Yikes!

So far nsd. Everything paid for. Am in hotel at the moment. Feel completely exhausted. As was up at 5 for the flight. Sigh.

But hey ho. Must soldier on.

Productive there I'd. I think fluffy deserves the referral personally

Girlie I am the same with Aldi sometimes, then other times I am like, 'is that it?' Strange. But definitely cheaper than Morrisons. I have the same issue re time, which stops me shopping around more. Hope DD enjoys her birthday and loves the cake.

I am firmly and cynically in the 'Valentines Day is a pile of marketing shite' camp. Luckily, so is DH and neither of us will bother with a card even. We do loads of small stuff for each other throughout the year that is kind and loving and thoughtful, not spending a tenner or whatever showing him what he already knows

Having a cuppa before cracking on. Just got in from work.

Managed to avoid buying any books at the book fair as it was too busy to get close to the books. Frugal win! Frugal fail I forgot to print off the 15% discount voucher for the hair dressers which I'm going to tomorrow and our printer isn't working wonder if they'll take a screen shot

£1.50 on pancake stuff.

I am just on my way home from a day out. Spends: £7.70 bus; £8.04 lunch and coffee; £3.75 cinema ticket and £2.50 ice cream. Total: £21.99.

Arrgh! Lots of financial demands re: DD.

So far it's:-

€100 - for school books/insurance/classroom supplies for the coming school year

€60 - for swimming classes with school

€110 - for dance class fees for the next term

It's not all due at once so I'm spreading it out over the next few pay days.

Imagine if I had 5 kids!!!!

Where are you Em