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Austere April Advances (even though it's mid March.....). Frugaleers Unite

1000 replies

needastrongone · 11/03/2016 15:43

New thread. Can't link. Smile

OP posts:
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needastrongone · 28/03/2016 18:50

Inspired by my last post, I have had a dig around by recipe books and picked out HFW River Cottage Veg. Some yummy soups. We are having kedgeree tomorrow, but I think I will try parsnip and ginger soup Wednesday, as I got 3 parsnips in the wonky veg box last time, and I always have ginger in. There's a nice mushroom soup to try too. Both frugal.

OP posts:
8FencingWire · 28/03/2016 19:23

money, there's always a solution, don't despair! Keeping my fingers crossed for you!
fluffy, thanks for the heads up.
Hello to everybody else:)

NSD today, nearly a very spendy day but we cancelled due to the storm.

Pointlessfan · 28/03/2016 19:27

Welcome money.
Spent about £20 in Tesco and another £9.50 on a cream tea then went for a blustery walk by the sea.
There is a games library where we are staying and we have discovered Othello. I'd never played it before but I'm already hooked! That'll provide free entertainment every evening this week!
Hope everyone is safe in the stormy weather.

Cagliostro · 28/03/2016 19:54

Ooh a games library! Sounds like my kind of facility :o I've not played the Othello board game, is it like that old Windows game 'Reversi'?

Em was the Night Manager any good? I've not watched any but was wondering about it.

Money I was also going to suggest frozen veg. We always have frozen carrots, broccoli/cauliflower (mixed bag), peas, and what is really good from Tesco is a value range bag of mixed veg. So easy and no waste. You could maybe get one or two each week rather than stocking up all in one go.

Ememem84 · 28/03/2016 20:03

cag yes. Really good. Watch it.

blueteapot · 28/03/2016 20:37

Money £10-15 is doable for a short time if you dont mind that it'll probably be quite carb heavy / f&v light (Im sure as long as it's filling is the priority?). Picking up reduced bits and pieces a good idea (freeze bread etc). Any food banks nearby? Do you cook? Plenty of cheap recipe ideas if you want any / any help meal planning

MoneyForNothing · 28/03/2016 21:28

Thank you so much for your support everyone, you're all so kind Flowers.

Thanks for the offer of Jack's book Need but I can't afford to pay you for the postage and I don't want you to be out of pocket, but thank you anyway. After I've been to the job centre tomorrow I'm taking DS to the big library in town so I'll see if they have it there. I'll check out her website too.

I'm a big fan of frozen peas and sweetcorn, so as soon as I have some cash I'll pick some up. I usually get Morrisons value ones and they're fine. I have no idea how to access food banks or even where there is one. I know there must be at least one relatively close by as I've donated in the past when they've had volunteers outside the supermarket collecting for it. I've never been in this situation so it kind of feels wrong to take from a food bank. I've been reading up, and providing I'm accepted onto JSA, that means DS will be able to access free school meals. I'm not sure how quickly that'll kick in and he's back at school next week so doubt it'll be that quickly. He usually has packed lunch, so if I can claim FSM that'll save a few pounds each week. I can just have a sandwich or cereal at lunchtimes until things improve.

I've got a few things for sale on local selling pages but nothing is selling. I'm just about holding it together emotionally. Hoping I can get through my job centre interview without bursting into tears.

IdStillRatherBeKnitting · 28/03/2016 21:48

need I just ordered that book! I spent a fair bit of last night watching the programmes and thought I needed more veg!

And, and I got my first greeny blue egg. Am sooo happy! Plus a few other first (tiny) eggs. I already have about 80 in the kitchen. Have a real thing about poached eggs just now, which is just as well! I bought an old fashioned poaching pan last year, it's ace.

Spendy day, went to the Gretna retail outlet, £60 in gap (half off everything in store), and £30 in the works (a little something for each of us). plus £8 on greggs' lunch for the dc.

Austere April Advances (even though it's mid March.....). Frugaleers Unite
Fluffycloudland77 · 28/03/2016 21:52

Keep going money, fsm would help loads. I wish someone would give me free lunches everyday. I was on jsa years ago.

Chickens Envy Dh said no to chickens.

Girliefriendlikesflowers · 28/03/2016 21:53

The job centre should be able to advice you on getting food bank vouchers, otherwise make an appointment with CAB and they can point you in the right direction. Good luck with the interview tomorrow Flowers

CremeEggThief · 28/03/2016 22:12

Welcome Money. Sorry things are temporarily so tough, but we'll keep you going. I'm also on a very low income and entitled to claim JSA, but I don't at present, as I can just about get by with child tax credits and child maintenance ( my XH is a relatively high earner).

I didn't go to the museum, as nobody else was bothered and I wasn't sure I had enough time. Instead, we took my niece to the park and had a nice lunch out, while her mum (my sister) went shopping! Lunch came to about £15 for me and DS. I then had to top up our Oyster cards again, by a fiver each, only to reach Kings Cross to find all trains on the east coast line were cancelled, due to storm damage to overhead lines!Shock The ticket inspectors told us to go to St. Pancras and get a train to Sheffield from there and then try to get a Cross Country train further north, as tickets were being honoured by all train companies. Given the circumstances, we were incredibly lucky to get seats on the Sheffield train and later on, our train to Durham. We had a Burger King meal each while waiting for our connection, which was £8.78. We reached Durham at 8.20 p.m., about an hour and fifty minutes late, so it could have been a lot worse. That said, I will put a complaint in. I did it before when this happened a few years ago and I got 2 free return train tickets. I also had to shell out £20 for a taxi home, as our last bus left before we got to Durham and £1.33 on milk, bread and chewing gum. Phew! Delighted to be home.

Cagliostro · 28/03/2016 22:25

Oh dang Em I've just seen The Night Manager has expired on iPlayer. Ah well.

Frugal wins - thanks to posting on FB and MN, I've been shown a few fantastic maths resources that are completely free. :)

Spends:
£6 Poundland, DH got rawl plugs and stuff like that. Still need curtain hook thingies though.

IdStillRatherBeKnitting · 28/03/2016 23:20

Hey money , sorry things are tough at the moment, it will get better Smile. This thread is great for support, we're all in very different circumstances, but all trying to save money, and in my case pay off £££ credit card debt. It's so hard when it feels hopeless Flowers but you will get there.

My last post was a bit me me me, how sad to be excited over a blue egg. I hatched that chicken from an egg I bought on ebay! So I'm overinvested in her (and the cockerel who also hatched).

Cagliostro · 28/03/2016 23:50

You bought an egg on eBay?! Wow that's so bizarre and awesome too :o not sad to be excited at all!

I've been browsing upwork and similar sites. Yes that's right I forgot my sleep meds AGAIN. They're so scary! I can't envisage having the guts to get started and being confident enough to sell myself IYSWIM.

I have been also been looking at an education website (I joined as an HE parent) and found out people can upload resources for free or for sale. I've written to find out if I (as a non-professional) am also permitted to do this, as this may be a good option - I've made a lot for my DCs, they're quite cool if I say so myself :o and I would love to share them. Not exactly lucrative of course but might be a fun outlet for my geeky habits! :)

Further spends today:
£20.28 birthday present for DSD

Cagliostro · 29/03/2016 02:33

Further further spends (really shouldn't be allowed near a computer in the middle of the night)
£16.95 Hotel Chocolat sale Blush (hopefully getting cashback via TCB)
£32.38 birthday/Christmas presents for DD (used a voucher code - Lottie doll site)
Just call me Spendy McFrivolous. FFS

WreckTangled · 29/03/2016 05:47

Glad you're home creme! The weather was awful.

Haha Cag i love hotel chocolat too!

Money I would definitely see about getting food vouchers for a food bank.

Should be a nsd off to work in a bit. Dreading it. First day open since last Thursday and half the Drs we have on a Monday...should be fun!

babsmam · 29/03/2016 06:36

Cag step away from the online shop. It might be cheaper to set a Meds reminder.
Good luck money. We do emotional support too as its all linked to your spending. If you get something confirming your claim the school might have some leeway as it benefits them with pupil premium. Go fo the good and too, that's why we help when times are good as we never know when we might need it.
Creme, that's rubbish. Claim for the lot.
Cag, could you also advertise your music stuff as well as your creativeness?
NSD planned today.

Ememem84 · 29/03/2016 06:57

cag so annoying. We had to get episode 1 from Amazon prime. Grr.

lilacclery · 29/03/2016 07:17

Cag you definitely need some kind of reminder for your meds Smile
Day out with kiddos today to an open farm asked dd to call me when she woke up, she came in at 2.50amGrin
Haven't spoken to my mother yet, but here for another night.
Childminder cancelled for wed & that's when I was going to counselling not sure how I'm going to manage now.

Ememem84 · 29/03/2016 07:35

Should be nsd today. Leftover rissotto for lunch. It's raining ad I'm not going out anywhere. May try to get to the gym after work.

Had calm words with Dh yesterday about our holiday in August. Told him that I won't be going if mil does. So he needs to sort that. Also told him that I think it's silly us spending money on a holiday when we have a new bathroom to get done.

Our main bathroom Sprung a leak a year ago. It's dried out. And needs fixing. We've been ok because we have an en suite shower. But I'm getting desperate to have a bath now and can't even go in the room as it makes me angry we've left it so long.

Told Dh I'm not booking anything for holidays until it's finished. Which is a bit of an ultimatum but it's in my sleep deprived state the best use of our money right now.

Weather was awful last night. Pretty sure I was awake every couple of hours. Sad

MoneyForNothing · 29/03/2016 09:09

Thanks IdStillRather. I also have debt - lots of it - and servicing it was fine when I was working but becoming impossible now. So far I haven't missed any payments though, thankfully, although I'm worried that might happen soon and it will hit my credit rating. Sad

Cag Definitely set a reminder on your phone to take your meds, then take them as soon as it goes off. I'm on Upwork and PPH, and the amount of competition is immense. I really struggle to get any work from there, hence my current situation of being about to sign on. Do you get work from those types of sites yourself?

Colliefeatures · 29/03/2016 09:50

I've missed so much of the thread. Oops! Lots of NSD / LSDs. Had to scrape around looking for coins to buy milk yesterday. Hurry up pay day (Thursday!).

April is full of birthdays and the dreaded MOT! Then May is another month full of birthdays and a week on holiday. I'm feeling a little wobbly about finances.

Where can I buy a bulk of birthday cards? They are too expensive.

Wolfcub · 29/03/2016 10:20

I've still not caught up with the thread but I thought I'd share that I made my final payment on all student l loans today woooohooooo

Cagliostro · 29/03/2016 10:35

Ah you're all so right, I must go back to setting a reminder (one morning and one evening) - I did have this before but still would forget, I'd think oh I'll get them in a minute and then... wouldn't Blush

I only just woke up anyway, so still managed a reasonable amount of sleep thanks to kind DCs who just played lego quietly. DH has gone to work, I vaguely heard him get the phonecall to say he is now on the system but I have no idea what time that was!

Collie I've got lovely sets of cards from the Book People - I'd always wait until there's a voucher code though. Alternatively if you have a Card Factory they are ridiculously cheap.

Money I've only just started looking at those sites (although had forgotten PPH so am looking that one up now) so haven't actually even signed up yet. I'd be very happy with transcribing and stuff like that but it feels like without any initial experience on the site I wouldn't get picked for anything! I will probably sign up properly when my work situation is sorted out (I'm currently waiting for redeployment to a desk role due to my health problems, but I'm not really expecting anything to come of it, so I may be given the boot in a couple of weeks).

Babs do you mean advertise the fact that I teach? I've not done that for a long time as I want to get the work issue sorted. I've had more parents approach me lately but that's been by word of mouth :)

Cagliostro · 29/03/2016 11:16

www.thebookpeople.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?storeId=10001&catalogId=10051&langId=100&categoryId=152248&topCatId=152235

Those are all eligible for 15% using code BUNNY I think, Collie

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