Fearless Frugaleers Finding Their Feet in February

[SpottyTeacakes]

I've got fruflu

Thanks for the new thread, Spotty. Hope you can still make your hair appointment.

Currently have a casserole in the oven, using potatoes, leftover carrot, parsnip and broccoli from Sunday roast, green lentils AND leftover Quorn roast. Well, if the meat eaters of Mumsnet can do it with a chicken, I thought I would give it a vegetarian whirl.

Thanks for the thread Spotty.

btw, I went to the GP yesterday and felt much less intimidated by the receptionist because now I imagine in my mind that she might be a nice person like you. Yay! I had never thought of GP receptionists as real people with lives before. No idea why.

Hello all! Sorry about the fruflu, hope it passes soon.

I think I need to replace my sauté pan, the bottom has warped. Gah.

Hi Spotty thanks for the new fabulously-named thread! [offers Lemsip]

I rung the doctors to apologise about missing my appointment, they've said there are on-the-day ones for my GP tomorrow (but at the surgery in town which is easier to get to by bus i.e. much less walking) so I'll have to phone up at 8.30.

On a more positive note, I need some ideas please! DD has said she would really like a science kit for her birthday. YAY! I was thinking of putting together my own one for her, I guess it'd end up more expensive but hopefully more versatile? As a lot of the kits seem to only have a few set experiments. I'd like to get more sort of 'raw materials' IYSWIM, like electronics supplies, safe chemicals (!) and stuff like that. Just wondered if anyone knew where I might get that sort of thing cheaply..?

Fuzz For things like that you can get them cheaply but you need to know exactly what you want to do in advance. For example electronics components are about 20p each but you need to have exactly the right set in order to make a given experiment work. Chemicals are harder because they tend to come in massive pots and be quite expensive. e.g. I tried to buy a tub of agarose last year and it would have been £200. Medical and biological research supplies tend to be very pricey. I always feel bad when someone bravely raises £20 for cancer research and I think how little that will actually buy for a lab.

I would definitely say a kit would be the best bet to be honest.

This is great:
www.amazon.co.uk/John-Adams-Hot-Wires-Electronics/dp/B0006SK3WG/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1455110625&sr=8-2&keywords=electronics+kit

Thanks for new thread Spotty

I don't think so. She was very proud of the fact that she hadn't fallen over all day her physio will see her Friday next week, they're not sure what it could be if it's still like it when she gets home I might take her to MIU.

I have been so sick with vomitting bug since Sunday! Just managed my first cuppa & toast! Think I must have picked it up when I was in hospital last week... Hoping to be able to go back to work tomorrow. I ll have to pay for another dr cert!

No idea what we have spent this week😔 But not planning on doing anything for valentines bar a card for dh.

Hi all!

Thanks spotty, can't believe we're on a new thread already. Hope you and all the other poorly people are better soon.
fuzz you can probably order science stuff from one of the school suppliers like ESPO - just don't look at all the amazing craft stuff they do! I don't know if you can get it on small quantities, do you know any other home ed people who might split an order with you?

Creme Did you read that Asda are doing a wonky veg box for £3.50? Seems excellent value.

Thank you for the new thread.

Def NSD today, and I have done loads in the house too. I shall use tonight to list my monthly 2 items on Ebay. I have some unworn Massimo Dutti silver loafers, and a pony sweat rug from our old pony that was hardly used but is too big for Charlie.

We are having salmon tonight. With jacket potatoes, steamed carrots and mange tout (Aldi Super 6, need using). Will bake the salmon in orange, lemon and a honey sauce, DD isn't a massive fan of fish but I hope the sweetness will help.

Thank you Spotty. Fruflu passes quickly. Crepe pan would be cheaper, and dishwasher proof & easier to store. Everything has to be dw proof here.

O2 emailed, they won't give me any money for my old phone, it was fucked so fair do's but I'll still get £3 CB and convert it into Tesco points.

£5 Tesco orchard voucher arrived for flowers arrived so I'll use it for Mother's Day.

Whatabout Has somebody, by that I mean a man, put cold water into while it's hot? Dh used to do that. Tk maxx & wilkos are good for pans.

Wilko homeware is really good too. I'm usually more of a John Lewis girl but it looked good to me. Especially lanterns and tea light holders.

And, to make you all smile, DH has, every day for a week now, text me with 'you are awesome', then 'you are even more awesome today than yesterday' onwards. Frugal love

Aww need so sweet! I'm in MIU dd still can't weight bear, well she can on her toes but I want to make sure she isn't doing any more damage or anything she's quite complex.

Found you all! How are we all doing?

As predicted I have had to transfer some money from savings to cover us til the end of the month - kids birthday / car repairs & mot / DH being short this month have snookered my good intentions.

Have set up a 5% regular saver as I noticed my ISA is earning less than 1% at the min.

£2.20 on softplay today and £5 on DS haircut.

Yesterday i owed my friend lunch, £11. Went to bed early with a pounding headache which thankfully disappeared. It was stress related I think.

DD is being cute today but v energetic! What I wouldnt give for half an hours break! (Ds currently napping but shes up again!)

One thing I like about this thread is the fact that we represent such a varied cross-section of the community, each with common goals. I am desperate to either leave or downsize my job but at the minute am earning a decent wage - still being as frugal as possible in the hope to boost my 'freedom fund' :)
Had applied for something but got a rejection this morning so feeling a bit dejected. Glad I have you guys to talk to about it because other than to DH I could never mention that in real life

Home now. They think it's ligament damage but go back if not better in 48 hours and they want her ankle brace back on tomorrow which was too painful today. Not sure what to do about dinner I got mince out the freezer but no time now hopefully it'll keep until tomorrow

Was going yo be a NSD here (honestly, before last week I never ever had one of these), but had to take cash out for DD1 lunches, so spent £6 in the coop on milk and choc to split the note.

Now making pork casserole for tea, and the thingy on the top of the pressure cooker is missing! Bugger. Am improvising with a spoon, but am terrified it is going to explode. Might see if DP has some spare cash for a new one, has anyone tried a pressure cooker that plugs in like a slow cooker? The one on the hob has always rather scared me.

I'm irrationally scared of pressure cookers. I just expect them to explode at any moment... Sorry, that's probably not helping

Just bought some lunch for a few quid today and a bit of travel, but I'll claim that back from work.

Dietician was a bit up and down. In the one hand she tried to persuade me to just stop the low FODMAP diet completely and then just cut out a thing at a time, which I absolutely refused to do. sort of like I refuse to go home and stick knives in my stomach

In the end we agreed I would start stay be low FODMAP but start on the reintroduction process. I have a little booklet with set foods and amounts and stuff. Very exciting

Thanks for the new thread spotty sorry to hear you have the fruflu, I am still suffer mild symptoms in week three. Hope you can rest and get better quickly. Busy work week t this week and will be up at around 4am for work tomorrow so I'm hoping for an early night. The car service and Mot was under £100 so I didn't think that was too bad. Have one quote for accident damage and need to get a second. Happy frugalling frugaleers

Thanks for the new thread, trying to catch up.
I lufs everyone here and our unique situations help keep perspective. No one leave [stern face]. Pleased collie is OK. Ditto miss a and other MIA frugaleers.
£17 in aldi
Back later when rtft

Ok to join? Need to knuckle down and stop money slipping away - especially on random stuff that I don't really need. Trying to save for a house deposit and it's going very slowly...

Thanks babs for the humour. I've had a sh*t day in pretty much all respects. A joke is good.

Ah I'm sorry to hear that ipsos.
Hi vvv

Thanks for the ideas. Going in with some other home edders is a good idea, might be able to do that.

I have tried hotwires Ipsos I think that kind of thing is great, but DD really wants 'proper wires and stuff' :o for the chemical type stuff it does sound like a kit may be more economical though.

Ooh, and actually on the subject of ESPO (you know I'm going to have to look at their craft stuff now and it's all your fault Pointless :o) my BF is a teacher, I could ask her if she knows any other suppliers too.

DD's birthday isn't til June so I have a good long while to plan/source etc.

£22 top up