Fearless Frugaleers Finding Their Feet in February

[SpottyTeacakes]

I've got fruflu

Ah, that's how you spell halloumi

Brill news Collie, really chuffed for you

That's great news Collie. Well done your DH. :-)

I've done an hour of writing work this morning. Time for a stop I think.

I'm enjoying doing this work. I like the writing and I like feeling that I'm contributing to the family finances rather than just frantically trying not to run them down too much. Time for a well earned rest now (to do housework probably, but still...)

well done collie's DH! :)

had a few spendy days. Friday last week, in London for son's hospital visit. Trains were £45. Lunch was £12 (which was amazingly cheap?). then we went to Hamleys (after the hospital - as a treat - because he didn't do too well at the blood taking. - 4 vials!). Spent £42 at Hamleys which was not too bad I suppose given it was Hamleys. Killed 4 hours there.

Tried to go home but Oxford Circus tube was closed so we hopped on a bus and took it to Chinatown where we ended up at a lovely restaurant (that I'd been wanting to try for a while but never knew where it was - C&R Café - it serves really yummy and authentic Malaysian/Singaporean food). got to the mainline train station after that and got back here about 9pm.

£20 yesterday treating some people lunch. But will probably 'get it back' when I visit them in their country in 2 months' time.

£30 petrol. Smear done and over in about twenty seconds.

Thanks all! I'm so pleased and proud. It'll give us £200 extra per month. Which is good timing as we need to start looking after the car, savings/buffer and our health.

wreck my last smear was so easy too. The nurse was fab. Much less embarrassing than when the guy who gave me an internal vaginal scan bumped into me down the milk aisle in Sainsbury's only hours after my appointment with him.

Ugh smears. My last one she scraped so bad I bled for ages , but then had a mirena put in too. Still settling down some 4 months later. I know it's the best thing as I don't want any more children (4 is enough, no?), and detest periods; but am still having panicky 'foreign body' moments, stupid brain.

em first period after stopping the pill? I always found it the worst, like my body was having a right old clean out then pregnant both times before next period

Aiming for a NSD today, have left the electric oven on 100deg with a piece of brisket in. So hopefully lovely cooked tea when I get home after school run. I think the smell will drive the dogs mad though!

Afternoon everyone :) only just mind.

ds still being a horror. im hoping after how rude he was this morning losing his electricals will give him the kick in the pants he needs to think before he speaks. that and some early nights/more getting off his bum. the three of them seem to have gotten very used to lazing about whilst ive been unwell and not doing as much and now things are going to be very hard to reign back in!

really short of cash this week but paid the things that need paying so staying in today to avoid shopping but have printed a tonne of coupons from supersavvyme so might go down tomorrow.

Fab news Collie

Well done Mrneed for delegating the travel.

£12 on a school zoo trip, that should be all for me today. DH is out and about today so will probably buy lunch/snacks.

DD2's school bag has broken but I'm waiting until next week rather than go into over draft.

I hate having a smear done. Apparently my cervix is off to one side so really not easy to reach . I do need to get one done though.

I second the sunblock everyday. I haven't been mistaken for a 20 yr old but most people don't believe I'm very close to 50.

Great news collie

fluffy really?? I never knew that. I found out the other day that apparently deodourant has an ingredient in it that can render a minute percentage of people infertile.

I don't think I have anything with retina a in it. But will check. Just to be safe.

I do always wear sunscreen though. Well now I do. All trough the winter on my face (factor 50) and from about may onwards everywhere else. I burn really badly. Have finally after years of sunshine holidays laying out on days one and two burning and having to sit in the shade/not join in learned to apply sunscreen. Sun safe people. It's the way forwards.

Yep, sunscreen and retin A. You won't have anything with it in, it's prescription only in this country.

If serums worked they wouldn't photoshop the promo material , anything non prescription isn't strong enough to affect the deeper layers of skin. If it doesn't do that it can't work.

Don't get me started on derma rolling. I have to hide threads on derma rolling. It's bat shit crazy and based on cod science.

Have caught up but too many posts to comment on so I'm just going to pass

Lasagne for dinner. Used the bolognese I cooked the other day so felt much easier than if I had had to do it all. I'm so hungry!

to buy or not to buy Frugal Foodie Cookbook €1.77

It's a win win wreck isn't it two nights dinners for one cooking session. I always made my own cheese sauce for lasagne until recently when under pressure I bought Dolmio Light white sauce for lasagne and everyone loved it me included as it meant not washing a milky saucepan bought 4 on special offer last week so that'll keep us going a few months

Beef in oven fail!
I didn't leave the oven hot enough, so it was warm, def not cooked! Will have it tomorrow, and chalk that one up! Dp now bringing chippy home (which he will pay for) So NSD for me.

Went to the bank to pay in dp's takings, and by the time I got there had made a list of things to pick up from asda (next to bank). Gave myself a talking to and came straight back!

Am now waiting to see if/when ex puts money in. But this month I am not panicking, I am up to date with everything, and am about 600 off the end of my overdraft, which is unheard of. That is thanks to this thread and all of you

lila downloaded a sample of that book, I love chatty cookbooks, hadn't thought of putting one on my tablet before.
Randomly it has started snowing hard here

Phew.

Am in nail place now. Getting a pampering. My nails have gotten too long to function. And I have lost all but two french tips.

Will post a picture of new unfrugal nails later

£1.48 on Google play books. Looks good

Ooo I'm jealous em! Would love nice nails! Do you think those multivitamins aimed at your nails really work?

Loads to catch up on, but just want to add my congratulations to Collie and DH.

My new tumbler came this morning. It's way fancier than my old one, with about 15 different settings! Complicated machines always worry me, as I think much more can go wrong with them. Thankfully, it also has settings programmed to 15 minutes (great for finishing off things that have almost dried on the line, in line drying weather), 40 minutes and 60 minutes, which is all I really need, as I never put anything in for longer than 70/80 minutes anyway.

I recently won a book called Stuffocation in a Mumsnet book giveaway, which arrived today . So look out for my review of it once I've read it. I bang on about getting rid of stuff often, but I bet I'll still get some tips from the book.

Spends today were £4.35 on a latte and brownie, in a gorgeous little cafe I stopped off in during my walk and £1.54 on reduced cheese and a bottle of water.

My nails after my manicure yesterday.

Babs, I hope your eye is a bit better now.

The Dolmio sauce is a special buy at Aldi at the minute. I use it mid week for lasagne, it's really tasty. I used a pot of cheese sauce for my fish pie yesterday, it needed using up and mid week meals, when you have been working, it needs to be easy, but still healthy imho.

Em I get my nails done every 3 weeks. They need doing after 2 really, but I stretch it out. Having dogs, chickens and horses wreck my hands, they are hidden under dark shellac at all times. It makes me feel more polished though at work and out and about.

£50 Aldi and Morrisons are coming later for another £50. The Aldi shop includes a big lasagne dish. I forgot my cards, so was somewhat relived to find I had enough cash, I usually don't.

Creme Agree, I bet I use 2 washes from my fancy washing machine

Exactly, Need. Going by the suggestions on the tumbler, do they think people are presumed/expected to dry everything separately as well now? There are settings for jeans, shirts and silks, among others, on there!

Like we all have the time to split it all down like that