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Fearless Frugaleers Finding Their Feet in February

999 replies

SpottyTeacakes · 10/02/2016 12:54

Smile I've got fruflu Sad

OP posts:
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13
Ursulatodd · 17/02/2016 18:58

Thanks for the tip lilac Smile I signed up to groupon and got us an afternoon tea with bubbly!

Girlie you've been in my home city today! Glad your DD got something she really wanted.

Fuzz those rents are crazy! Despite you having a lot going on right now you always seem to have everything under control. Keep going, things can only get better!

Spends today: £21 Groupon, £2.97 for a school project.

fuzzpig · 17/02/2016 19:01

Yep Wreck some of the properties that come up on the bidding system are HA and more expensive than our rent Confused

fuzzpig · 17/02/2016 19:02

I had a T-rex grabber once from the Natural History Museum. Always get a little rush of nostalgia when I see a child with one :o

Ha, Ursula thank you I would definitely not say I had everything under control :o could be worse though :o

Pointlessfan · 17/02/2016 19:18

That is expensive fuzz.
Pleased you were able to spend some time with your friend need.
Good news about my cat is that he didn't need sedation and the vey thinks Petplan insurance will cover it and any ongoing treatment if he needs it, we'll find out tomorrow. So pleased I didn't cancel the insurance, last month I was thinking it was an unnecessary expense!
Spent a little more than I planned in Ikea but only 2 small impulse buys, the rest was planned it just cost a bit more than I thought. Very excited about fixing the wardrobe now!
Going to have a quiet day chilling/doing a few chores tomorrow and we're going to make bread with DD. Friday we're planning a day out, half term is going too quickly!

eastmidswarwicknightnanny · 17/02/2016 19:21

Well what I thought were weevil's in our flour before obv weren't as they were not black I opened the tuppleware pot and the flour was moving and teeny tiny v light almost clear things were in it (like mini headlice) dh chucked flour over back fence (dead space) and binned the pot.

Ds1 had first day at new holiday club really enjoyed it 12.50 day so much better than other one at £20/day.

eastmidswarwicknightnanny · 17/02/2016 19:24

Rent here for 3bed house is about £550 in a not so nice area up to £900 in a nice area. We paid £490 12yrs ago when we moved here from Sussex for a 3bed semi in v nice area and rented for 3yrs landlord never increased it despite him getting £650 for next door but he said he knew he would force us into buying sooner and he liked us no trouble and maintained property which he said was worth more than an empty property or dodgy tenants which was nice.

Laska5772 · 17/02/2016 19:26

everyone thanks for all the good wishes,..
Once again i'm catching up ,and the last message i read on Monday was from NK (but didnt get time to respond) .. and yes, DGD is is a large hospital just outside London, and they seem to have a really good facilities and consultants at the NICU ..

But happily the news is still good, and she is improving daily, I received some lovely photos just now and she even looks like she is smiling!! (ok its probably wind.., but she definately looks a lot better..) and she is responding to stimuli waking more and taking all her feeds .. they have ruled out a few things and Drs seem fairly positive so fingers crossed that the recovery continues ..

But I seem to have responded to all this by spending!! Buying the other DGCs presents,(clothes mostly) along with some things for me ..(a blouse inthe Monsoon sale, a denim skirt in Topshop (not in the sale) and uh-hum!..... more boots in Clarks sale Blush{blush])

Look, im confessing here because I feel I should .. despite this is a Frugal thread! .. My excuse for the boots and blouse is that they were stupidy cheap though as were in the the last knockings of the sales ..yes, I know, its just self jusification
Also have more have bought a couple more presents for DHs birthday this weekend .. So all in all have spent about £150 in 2 days .

I have the savings to do this so its not on any cards ..but I'd better stop this right now..

WreckTangled · 17/02/2016 19:32

East where were you in Sussex? I would consider moving but all of my family are here and therefore childcare and our jobs. I suppose it would have been easier before we had children.

Laska I don't blame you for spending tbh.

babsmam · 17/02/2016 19:34

Laska in the words of kondi do they spark love? Good news on dgd
Don't think ours are weevil they are more like mini woodlice and are light grey. Still binned everything. Will cost about £40 for tubs, £11 for oven gloves, £8 for icing and £10 ish to replace bake supplies.
House prices are bonkers

Laska5772 · 17/02/2016 19:41

Babs Mum spark joy definately!! (esp the boots!) Grin

Those are flour mites.. not dangerous, but you'll need to get rid of all your dry goods . cerals etc in the same cupboard,,.

Then invest in some tupperware or tins (or strong plasic bags and clips and keep each bag of flour and cereals seperate and sealed ..

Laska5772 · 17/02/2016 19:43

oh and empty the cupboard and clean it with a bleach solution.... that should get rid of them then

Pointlessfan · 17/02/2016 19:59

Pleased your DGD is making good progress Laska, I don't blame you for spending either!

needastrongone · 17/02/2016 20:04

So pleased for you Laska, and your family too of course. It's understandable to spend, I think. I would spend too, or hit the wine... or both... Smile

I am in the proverbial sht* with DD. Sat at a snowboarding lesson, only I wrote the time down wrong, so, very kindly, they have allowed her to go to the earlier lesson, then her stage lesson too. So she will be on the slopes for 2 hours, plus she's mucked out the stables twice today Smile

In fairness, the ski place waved me away when I said I would pay extra, so she's getting an extra hours tuition free! That's really good of them, and frugal of me, but DD is pissed off!

fuzzpig · 17/02/2016 20:09

Ah Laska I'm so glad DGD is getting the help she needs and that things are looking positive. And I too don't blame you at all for having a little retail therapy!

Ugh I remember seeing little white bugs like that, oddly they were on the screens of the nintendo DS things?! Weird. And I saw little red mites once, a neighbour had got a home made cake for his little boy's birthday but there were tiny red bugs on it! He just brushed it off (metaphorically and literally) it was so awkward, he obviously had spent a lot on it :(

We used to wonder about moving further north. We always planned to stay here at least until DSCs all moved out (they live in the same town which is why we moved here, but none of them plan on staying in this town as adults) and then think about it, but actually I feel so much more at home here now. It's such a great home ed community here and not only have the DCs built up a great network, so have I! And I find that so so hard (never happened when DCs were in school) and I wouldn't want to leave it.

eastmidswarwicknightnanny · 17/02/2016 20:09

Wreck we had a flat on Eastbourne seafront that 12/13yrs ago cost us £400/mth for 1bed bet that's more than £600 now :)

babsmam · 17/02/2016 20:09

In that case laska keep them. Can't argue with kondi Wink
Everything has gone and I will shlep to the range tomorrow for tubs, failing that Lakeland or Amazon. Kid's are out tomorrow, have antibac the cupboard (when I found it as don't normally use it) and will bleach tomorrow. Everything left is unopened in plastic or in decent containers already.
Need annoying but bonus time for DD even though she doesn't see it now

eastmidswarwicknightnanny · 17/02/2016 20:11

Alaska thanks it was several months back although I now check the flour everytime I use it - how on earth do they get in a sealed tub?!?

colliepirate · 17/02/2016 20:27

We would love to move up north one day. It's our little dream. There's quite a few decent techie jobs up there for us with London salaries. But we have reasons for staying in Cornwall for now.

Sadly for us - wages are low here and rent is ridiculously high. £1250 for a 3 bed where I currently live.
I was checking Rightmove to see if we could move to Falmouth. No chance! No bank would lend us enough for a mortgage on a house and the rent is just way too much. And £150+ council tax a month for a 2 bed. Pah!

its truly heartbreaking.

Laska so pleased to hear your news. Fingers crossed she gets better and better

Spent £19 at the TU sale. But had put money aside for it.

Ememem84 · 17/02/2016 20:41

£10 on after work after appraisal wine.

I had mine and had to do an appraisal with my assistant. Who hasnt met her objectives. And has gone a bit nuts recently. It was awful. The feedback I had from other staff for her was not good. Hence the wine with friend.

collie eyebrows were a necessary spend. I'm having pictures taken tomorrow for work website and do not want to be known as the "eyebrow" girl. Cara Delevigne I am not.

Ipsos · 17/02/2016 20:48

Laska I totally understand you spending money under those circumstances. I had a heavy week last week and found myself standing staring into shop windows and toying with the idea of buying something necessary. It's hard not to sometimes. Glad to the the news is positive for you there.

collie I wonder if the SNP in Scotland and the Northern Powerhouse initiative will help with things up north. I hope they do. It's so silly for us to be all crowded out in one part of the island. :-) I'm watching and waiting anyway. I'm glad you have family where you are though. That is very nice.

AuditAngel · 17/02/2016 21:21

Wolfcub thanks for the suggestion, yes, I'd already found their package deals. I'll need to get roof bars/rails as the new car doesn't have them. I'm looking at a family box, one of the bigger ones they say one person can move. Generally I prep all the holiday stuff while DH is at work, so would prefer not to need help to put it on.

I'll also watch if any of the slightly damaged/returned ones would do me (to save more money)

Mum went to try to get DD1's Oyster card, and because we hadn't gone back within 24 hours (I gas but they were closed) they cut it up. I am incensed. £10 for replacement. While on the phone to TFL I discovered an unclaimed refund of £1.50 which helped a little. £10 to top up DS's oyster. I'll also be able to get back the £10 another parent put onto DD's card.

bootygirl · 17/02/2016 21:37

Laska that is great news re DGD!

Pointless. Great about you cat.

Teens are so blooming expensive, so far I ve given them €55!!

AuditAngel · 17/02/2016 21:46

Need I have given myself a talking to Grin

I need to plan ahead, remember to make/take my lunches to work, and try to avoid top up shops as that seems to be where I overspend. That said, I need fruit for tomorrow. I am working near an Asda tomorrow, and as it is the holidays I can leVe extra early and go there for what I need.

I also need to focus on the longer term plans, chipping away at my debt. Try to get to the stage where I can get some savings.

needastrongone · 17/02/2016 21:59

Grin Ah, I see audit. I think we both know, having pretty full on lives, that it's tough to plan when you are so busy doing, so I can understand that. Asda do wonky veg now, no idea if they do that for fruit too?

All the guys at work bar me and DH buy their lunches. Non of them earn huge salaries, I think there is scope for improvement in their diet and their finances, if you ask me Smile I would fall asleep eating what they do at lunch time!

needastrongone · 17/02/2016 22:03

My Massimo Dutti shoes have just sold on Ebay for £36.00, think I paid £20 tops in the sale Smile