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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.

OP posts:
Thread gallery
8
fuzzpig · 29/01/2016 18:51

Frozen rice, that's intriguing...

Girlfriend36 · 29/01/2016 19:06

Its Friday - woo hoo!!

Another busy day at work, am so glad for the wend Smile felt bit sorry for dd who was the last child at the after school club (she was sat in the corner reading a book bless her) and then managed to bang her head on the car door!

Anyway she cheered up when we stopped at the shop for some sweets, also picked up a few essentials spent £4. LSD.

Nice buffet at work for lunch and had (from the freezer) pizza with salad for dinner which was delicious.

Hope your ds feels better soon ipsos

Hope all you snotty lot feel better soon as well, are you all taking your vitamins? Wink

Am slightly worried about my house as the developers seem to think it is already under offer, am hoping this is a mistake on their part but am waiting to hear Sad

Girlfriend36 · 29/01/2016 19:10

Super agree with Fuzz re the mindfulness, just noticing the anxiety but not reacting to it or giving it too much thought is really helpful. I am the same re dd, she came home wit a letter today about a school trip to London and I cold feel my anxiety levels creeping up. She will be going though!!

Pointlessfan · 29/01/2016 19:22

That does sound fun, creme, but windy!!
My friend is a health inspector and is evangelical about not reheating rice, especially from takeaways as she says it has usually been cooled and reheated once already.
Fuzz we always have tinned fruit in for emergencies, DD loves tinned peaches and pineapple and it makes me nostalgic for having it with evaporated milk at my nan's!

fuzzpig · 29/01/2016 20:59

Girlfriend I have my fingers crossed for you and the house! London trip, that brings back memories. DD's first school trip in reception was the entire infant school going up to London. I was in a state all day! She loved it though, despite the awful weather.

Mmm tinned peaches. I was going to have that today but DD requested mandarins and I thought fair enough, extra vitamin C Wink. I don't really know what evaporated milk is, but with tinned peaches is pretty much the only way I actually like vanilla ice cream.

Spends:
£1.60 bus for DH
£15.19 top up shop, looking forward to a hot squash and honey at bedtime. Managed to get everything except blood oranges (ah well) and Dr Pepper (NOOOO! :()

Actually quite enjoyed the pasta (probably more cheese than pasta TBF) so doubly glad we didn't go for pizza.

SpottyTeacakes · 29/01/2016 21:04

My pasta bake was undercooked Sad I like tinned peaches with custard. It sounds gross but I promise it's not!

AdoraBell · 29/01/2016 21:13

Signing in, thanks for the new thread Ipsos Thanks

AdoraBell · 29/01/2016 21:14

Tinned peaches with custard is lush Spotty don't let anyone tell you otherwise Grin

5minutestobed · 29/01/2016 21:35

Another poorly one here, we are all poorly though so it will make for a few NSDs over the weekend. It sounds horrible outside so I'm not too sad to be stuck indoors.
I'm on the hot blackcurrant and honey as we speak and we had tinned peaches and custard earlier, great minds and all that ;-)
Hope everyone has a nice weekend and we all feel better soon!

SpottyTeacakes · 29/01/2016 21:38

I'm glad you all agree Grin

Lovetoknit · 29/01/2016 21:58

Flowers for anyone not feeling well and hope you feel better soon
Wet and windy down here again; fed up with the weather Sad

£20 at Asda today after my physio appointment for my bad back - I have been told to look after myself and not just everybody else. I should go for walks, go swimming and do the exercise she recommended to help with the pain. Now I just have to wait till 15th for the follow up appointment about my knee.
Homemade chips and fish from freezer for dinner and lemon drizzle cake for pudding Smile

Ememem84 · 29/01/2016 22:04

Film finished. Two glasses of wine down and a pizza. Happy em.

Still feel like shit. But a bit wine addled. So happy.

Enjoyed the movie, had read the book but dh hadn't. So he was shouting at the tv a lot. He can't quite believe how sociopathic she was!!!! Made me promise not to go that crazy....

Am really going to try harder in Feb to be more frugal.

SpottyTeacakes · 30/01/2016 06:16

Off to lidl this morning. I haven't really meal planned I will do it as I got along. I've got a rough idea.

SlightlyTired · 30/01/2016 07:23

Good morning all. My 8 year old woke me up this morning asking where her sports kit was and telling me it was 7.30. It was 6.30. And in any event she doesn't have to be at school til 9.30 today. Confused Soo, some quiet time with iPad and tea before everyone else gets up. Did freezer audit yesterday. Surprising amount of food in there. I need to consolidate open packets of things like fish fingers into freezer bags so I can see at a glance what is left, and I should probably keep a running list of freezer contents as well. Anyone got any tips for keeping control of/making the most of the freezer? Had I not checked it yesterday I would have added a lot more meat to my shopping list today. As it is, with some careful meal planning I think I can get away with buying just some fruit and the veg that I know won't come in the veg box on Thursday. (I sorted out the larder a few weeks ago and now I can see immediately how many tins I have because they are all stacked like a supermarket, and dry goods are in glass jars. That has made a surprising difference to my shopping. My DH thinks I am insane.)

Ipsos · 30/01/2016 08:01

Slightlytired I'e found that getting control of the cupboards, fridge and freezer has really helped too. I used to buy too much, then I couldn't see what was in various places, so I bought more. I now only buy what I need so there is lots of space and it's easy to see the options. One of the major differences was when I switched from buying bags of apples, carrots and parsnips to buying two apples, two carrots and two parsnips a week. That frees up a huge amount of space and brings back a lot of control.

We have two fridges. Once it slightly broken and has a very wobbly temperature control. We use it for storing things like potatoes that don't really mind what temperature they are kept at as long as below about 15 and not frozen. It really helps a lot to have the extra space.

OP posts:
supermariossister · 30/01/2016 08:31

Another one joining the lurgy club. Family meal tonight so need to recover a bit before tonight, any good ideas send them my way.

Wolfcub · 30/01/2016 09:05

I'm another on the poorly bench, definitely need to be better before next weekend and have a really busy work week next week too. I need a new watch battery and some new kitchen scales today so will have to venture out and spend.

JeepersMcoy · 30/01/2016 09:09

Shove over on the snot bench. Fully signed up member of the cold ridden lurgy club coming through.

I'm rather pleased today as I have checked my money dashboard after payday and managed to achieve my goal of not going into my overdraft last month. Even better I did it while keeping a few hundred quid in dh's account and putting my planned savings aside. I finally feel like I'm starting to get on top of this money business Smile

There was talk of library visit today but I really can't be arsed, think I might just take dd to the shops to spend pocket her money on magazines and buy myself some paracetamol.

Ememem84 · 30/01/2016 09:18

Still in bed with a cup of tea. I think it's raining which will make my riding lesson more fun Hmm still feeling crap but will hop off about bench and hop on pony (didn't cancel yesterday so will have to pay for today's lesson regardless of whether I go or not - may as well go).

Need to take Amazon returns to post office. So will do that in the way.

I'm pleased at my spends for January. They haven't been bad. And with the stuff I've sold I've brought my credit card down to under £300 just

Am not taking it out with me now. Just leaving it in the drawer.

Off to London in 2 weeks will take it there but only for emergencies. Even though I have time for shopping I probably won't indulge. I don't need anything really (except vests and ts from primark) and would probably enjoy a museum or gallery way more.

SpottyTeacakes · 30/01/2016 09:26

£53.40 in lidl (yes I've been and come back already!)

Meal plan:

Roast chicken dinner
Left over chicken in wraps
Minced lamb with jacket potatoes (it's really nice)
Spag bol
Chicken soup with cheese toasties
Chorizo risotto
Beef stir fry
Pizza

LadyPenelope68 · 30/01/2016 09:40

Fluffycloud - try Costa espresso, it's absolutely gorgeous!

fuzzpig · 30/01/2016 10:12

Nooo not more ill frugaleers! Really is doing the rounds. I find for a sore throat, crisps are good as they scratch the itch so to speak. Hot apple juice, or squash made from the kettle, is great with honey.

I am cautiously celebrating, as I didn't get wheezy last night - so often when I get a cold it goes to my chest (which really scares me, because it was an ongoing chest infection that triggered my first major CFS/ME episode). But I think if it didn't happen last night, it probably won't, so I think I'm over the worst now. Fingers crossed!

So we'll be going to dancing and then to town, just for the bank and McD, won't be going into any shops so will only be bus fare and lunch.

DH is going to do something with the DCs tomorrow, so I'll have a chance to get a huge amount of the editing done, which is good as I've got a bit behind. It really depresses me how a simple cold can throw me so much TBH. But such is life with what I have. The last doctor I saw was talking about how I have to give myself time to accept and grieve for what I can no longer do, because this is what my life is now. Depressing much! She was right though.

Sorry, on to more positive things! Blush

We're looking at a couple of day trips in the next few months, I might have to stay home though which I hate, but then it gives DH and the DCs some (pretty rare) time together and gets him more involved in their learning, and saves money too I guess. There's some stuff on Easter weekend at a castle and a working museum which are really near each other, and then there's the space bit of the Science Museum - and they've got a Leonardo Da Vinci exhibit from next month which sounds amazing. Then there's a Roald Dahl thing at the Southbank centre. And at some point there's a rock and gem show thing in Brighton.

I like that we have more time to do these things now, not sure the bank balance does though! :o But it's a good incentive to be more frugal in other areas, if it means more fun/educational trips can be had.

supermariossister · 30/01/2016 10:31

I'm on the warm squash and honey today too got to be well enough to go tonight when I want to curl up in a ball and sleep.

I have a question, what age do you think we could use the high beds with nothing underneath until. Ds and ss share a room and there is no space at all for them to spread stuff out, play but I'm worried if I get ss a loft bed it will be a waste of money due to him being 11. Any ideas?

sportinguista · 30/01/2016 11:08

Hi, Can I come back?

I've been off thread for a while due to things getting mega busy over Christmas, then first week of Jan flu hit both DH and myself only DS was spared as he had flu jab. So then had to catch up on work!

Then week after dining room ceiling fell in due to water leak, cue calls to insurance etc which have all taken time now we have to do repairs and are planning to redecorate room.

And now I've just surfaced from tax return hell.

A speedy recovery to all frugaleers who have sucumbed to the various lurgy doing the rounds, it seems very few have been spared! I recommend a portuguese lemon tea recipe:

Take the rind off a lemon, taking care not to take much white (I do it with a peeler), put in just boiled water on hob, simmer for 5/8 minutes. Put honey in mug (generous amount) add lemon water (take out peel), stir and sip slowly. It's great for preventing colds as well, we often have in winter instead of tea/coffee.

Need to be super frugal this year as need to save for holiday and we want to put house on the market. So at the moment we are trying to be frugal with shopping and bills etc but any tips for saving more would be welcome...Smile

LadyPenelope68 · 30/01/2016 11:09

Ooh tinned peaches with custard is lush!!! Tinned pears and custard are gorgeous as well!

I'm another none liker of slow cookers, everything just tastes the same/has the same texture, not for me at all