Amazing April Austerity.

[CremeEggThief]

Hi All,
Taking the liberty of starting a new thread, as I went to post spends on the old one and it's full.

We had a lovely day out at the seaside and visited an old lighthouse as part of it. As we rely on public transport, that's always a big part of our days out spend.
£9.60 bus fares.
£9.60 train fares (with the family railcard).
£6 lunch from Sainsburys ( £3 meal deal each).
£4.50 entrance to the lighthouse.
£7.10 coffee, hot chocolate and cookies in a café afterwards.

Oh and DS needed a haircut, which I think was £6.50.

I know what you mean What. Getting a delivery frees up a lot of time. We are just getting to the point now when a trip to the supermarket can be a nice outing and ds is nearly 6.

What We usually get Sainsbury's delivery.... But I've been really slack lately. And I forgot so much shopping last week that we had to do a big top up shop to cover it! and as I'm going round the supermarket I tend to get more inspiration. I've been really struggling to meal plan recently.

I will start fresh next week and do a proper cupboard inventory. And meal plan properly!

Girlie hoping your DD has a better day at school today. She's not had it easy with her head injury then being hospitalised with flu a few weeks after

They keep giving me £8 off a £50 shop so I keep using it. Makes it a bit more reasonable.

Morning fellow Frugaleers!

I'm enjoying a nice quiet day in, as DH is off so he's doing all the home ed stuff. A whole day to myself! I have a pupil later so will at least have a little walk in the sunshine (assuming it stays, it's lovely ATM) but for now I'm resting and doing some very gentle decluttering/organising. And home ed 'lesson' planning! :o And watching lots of TV.

Girlie sorry DD is not enjoying school. Am guessing yr5? A new start sounds like a good idea. Are you moving far, I can't remember!

Hi all!

Can I join too? £120 into my overdraft already - and I have plenty to live on I think so shouldn't be overdrawn!!

Been frugal and reassessed mortgages (my house, mums house and a BTL) and waiting for a £900 PCM saving which will help!

New DD 9 weeks so a surge in spending there!

I support my Mum because I choose to - and am a lone parent, have been overspending on what I usually do for her as she's literally living here and deserves it! But I do have enough to do it all if I am more sensible...

Not bought clothes this month which I'm bad for! And top shop owe me £214!

Energy tarrif ends in May so I shall look around...

I'd like to aim for spending less on eating out and being better at food shopping, currently whizzing round M&S in a panic as knackered and no time and spending £100 a time on ready meal stuff!

Collie we need to get back to planning too. Lots of food wasted in the last few weeks. We'd been doing really well but since the holiday and then DH starting a new job we've been really chaotic!

We need to get used to DH's shifts. They are variable, but he does know 2-3 weeks ahead so really we should look through the diary each weekend and use that to plan. I do definitely like this shift work better though - DH has so much more time with the DCs now than he did when he was out 6.30am-6.30pm most days, and as a result is much more involved with home ed stuff as well. Last night we all snuggled up together doing research before the DCs went to bed, it was fab. :)

Where do you fellow frugaleers start when looking to spring clean finances?

Thanks :)

Welcome New and congratulations on the arrival of DD :)

My lovely friend treated me to coffee and cake at a garden centre near us, so spends today were the £4.30 return bus fare. Managed to resist buying anything too, which is hard, as it's full of wonderful things.

Welcome Newmama.

Need yes thank you I've got it all written down. I agree there is a lot of misunderstanding in society in general about illnesses such as the ones I (and many others on this thread) have.

I once heard some of the management team bitching about a colleague who was off with depression too. As in, not believing it to be a real illness etc. :( Totally different story when it's a visible illness/injury.

Anyway. On a lighter note! I'm back to decluttering :)

Thanks!! I just did a muscle food order, have more than a weeks worth of food plus smoothie packs as I'm really run down for £58. No M&S madness this week ;-) feels good!!

Lucsy that sounds like a good place to start! I've been using a spending app since Jan actually so have most of it down from my statements... Once you have that "overview" what do you do to budget?

I haven't included birthdays which is a big one, I've been the "cool aunty" for a LONG time! Currently sticking £20 in cards for all the young ones, I could maybe be more creative there???

I've kind of been working out what's left over split over the days - so £30 a day left to spend - but then petrol is £60 so that means 2 NSD s and then it kind of gets messy!

Impulse purchases need to GO! Like teeth whitening for me and mum £148 groupon (when I couldn't sleep after feeding DD at 5am and thought I looked like crap in the mirror ahem!)

I noticed the other day that Tesco have an interesting Christmas saver thing going. If you save up all your tesco tokens until Christmas then they'll add an extra 6% (so £100 becomes £106), and you can then double that value in the boost thing and buy £212 worth of Christmas presents or whatever.

It caught my eye, as I used to get 6% regularly on savings accounts but now am lucky to get 2%. That extra little bit could be well worth having, especially at Christmas.

I'm just a bit stumped now as I use my tokens as a mechanism to spread our toy spending over the year, and would usually use my current set for ds's birthday. Not sure whether to keep that as a spending control, or gain the 6%.

On balance, I think I'm likely to stick to my usual plan as it reign's in my spending during the year.

Hi Newmama,

Remember to get cashback on your new Gas / Electric plan. And with Broadband, phone, insurances etc.

Newmama welcome to our frugal group.
Definitely write down every possible thing that you spend money on, using your bank statements.

Then divide a page into columns and put it one column items that are essential and must be paid like mortgage etc, in another column things that are wants but not entirely essential eg clothes and haircuts, waxing etc, then in another impulse/frivilous stuff eg magazines etc . This will give you an idea of where your money is going.

For the essentials are they annual/monthly/weekly etc and what way do you get paid?

ipsos writing things down here is a great way to get focus isn't it?

I have done Christmas Saver for a couple of years but used my boost for ferry to Scotland this year with them took €210 off my bill!

Thanks Lilac!

I take company dividends so get lump sums around 3 times a year which doesn't help as I can dive into funds and not stick to my monthly budget grrrr....

That's my plan tonight to get some paper out and column everything as you've suggested, dreading seeing it all there in front of me yikes!!

Sorry if this sounds a bit dim, but I got a letter from HSBC today, giving me my policy number and date for the loan I took out in 2002 that I wasn't sure if I had ppi on. It says the policy type is graduate loan protection and gives me an address to write to, if I wish to make a complaint, along with giving me directions to a questionnaire on the Ombudsman's website. So, do you think graduate loan protection is another name for ppi?

Girlie, have you heard back from them yet? The letter is a response to the email I sent them from the email address you gave me.

Ooh I shall check the tesco saver as I have a metro on my road and am always in there!

Creme I think so certainly would have to be refunded if they missold it to. I.e - told you HAD to have it! Not 100% sure. My PPIs weren't actually called PPI. Mine were "credit insurance" and "credit protection" and it all fell under PPI

It's been a NSD so far apart from DS ice skating lesson. I shall fill my car up with petrol/pick up some bits for going away, either tonight or tomorrow. Depends how I'm feeling after tea. Having fish and chips. I feel very lethargic and have a scratchy throat coming on. Just what I need

Cheers Collie. I've printed the form, will fill it in and send it off tomorrow anyway!

Don't, I'm sure you'll feel better once you're packed and ready to go. If you don't have to set off too early, you may be as well to relax tonight and pack before you go.

Hi all, think I have managed a NSD today!

Collie yes this year has been rubbish for dd so far when she was in hospital with the flu they asked about the mark on her forehead I must have the unluckiest child ever!! She is in yr 5 so only the rest of this year and next and then secondary - eek!

Cag no not moving far, its probably about 3 miles away but where I live is a fairly small community so its still a completely different part of the town!

Need to have a proper read through and catch up with everyones news - will be back!