Fantastic Frugaleers Continuing Austere April!

[Cagliostro]

Hello! :)

Hi folks, can I join in? I'm already quite frugal, and we're luck that we have no debts except our mortgage, BUT we're about to add 40k to our mortgage so it's going to be 170k which feels like a ridiculous and scary amount to me, so we'll be trying to overpay/save when we've reached the overpayment limit to try and get it back down.

I am more frugal than DH which causes some friction at times, but he's just a bit 'frittery' (for example we had a no more soft toys for the DC rule (they have loads) then I found out that he's bought one for DC2's first birthday next week because he thought it was just so cute) but then I can't be cross for long as it makes me feel so happy when he thinks of the kids like that, and after all to choose stuff for them all the time, like clothes where as he doesn't get involved with that side of things.

Anyway, here's to more money saving!

Off to lidl in a bit. Should be a cheap one. Need petrol too.

Welcome Mrscog

Hello Mrs cog

Found you all!!!

Morning all. Ready for a frugal day!

need ok. Fine. But I'm laying a claim on Henry Cavill. He's a local boy. So it's By far a more realistic dream...

Who was talking about the heated airers? They're great. Dm has one which we've borrowed a few times. Cheap to run.

I'm trying now to only use my tumble dryer for small things which will dry quickly (pants socks etc) abd to finish off towels bedding.

We're paying £77 a month for our electric (2 bed flat). Which is a lot. I've checked that were on the correct tarrif and we are. It changed in September I think (they look at the previous years useage...). Our account is in credit so I need to call and get the money out. And actually take a meter reading myself. To check the numbers.

Welcome mrscog.
Need to do a top up shop today for yoghurt mainly. I don't know what happens to yoghurt in this house, there are 3 of us and we've eaten 2kg of yoghurt since Tuesday!!

£16 yesterday on a birthday present for my lovely friend. And £4.50 on flowers for her .

Found you!
Thank you for the new thread!
Should be a LSD today, just the paper and some salad, I am making pizza for dinner.
NSD yesterday.

£60 in lidl and still need dw tablets. I did get a new frying pan though. We needed one as ours has no non stick and the bottom is all bent

Mrs cog I would be exactly the same about the cuddly toy! It's v sweet but we def do not need any more!

Hi MrsC welcome!

I had no idea there was an overpayment limit on mortgages. That seems all backwards!

DH had the info through for housing benefit etc - which is a big relief obviously, but the really sickening thing is, we will be better off now that DH is earning minimum wage. His wage before took us a few quid over the threshold, whereas now obviously we are way under, so things like council tax are reduced. So we will actually be more comfortable financially. One of those times where I can really see why it's called the benefit trap.

Might be spendy today, DD has dancing in the morning and her exam in the afternoon (she's fine - I'm really nervous as she's never had an exam before, though I'm not showing it obviously). Will be most likely using my family discount card in the shop :o and also the charity shop is right next to the dance hall... always dangerous. Ridiculously cheap, but dangerous.

Em Good idea. Otherwise you're making the electric company interest free loan.

Wreck Have you tried lidl dw tabs?. They work really well. I use half in each wash.

Sainsburys came in at £60. £7 skate park, out to a farm shop and cafe so spendy day and the kids want Chinese for tea.

We ofset our mortgage which gets round the cap. You don't pay the capital down but don't pay interest in the amount in your savings account.

I'm just so annoyed that we can't switch companies. As there is only one operating here. Same with gas but we don't have that
We've only had 3 phone providers allowed on island for 2 years...

The only way round that is solar panels & A+++ rated appliances.

When you have a house you can get induction hobs & put LED lights everywhere. I'd love a gas tumble dryer but dh is very against it, but they are so cheap to run, average use costs £15 a year.

Hmm I might try them then fluffy thanks.

£20 sainsburys
£30 petrol

Today is the day the skip comes to the village. It comes twice a year and is a big blue one. You can take all the crap from your shed and put it in there

We luffs our solar panels!!!
On my way to airport now.... To the country which recently had earthquakes. Brill. Bye for now!

Good luck, Bees. Stay safe.

I don't think we're allowed solar panels here... (I'm sure I read that somewhere recently...stupid as we get loads of sun).

But yes to led lights - we've started replacing ours with them. And all out appliances are a+++ rated. So it must be either the rads, the tumbler or the water heater system.

Dam posted too soon.

It'll settle down a bit now as we're coming into summer and are not using as much heating etc.

It must be a conservation area. I saw an ad for ones that look like normal house tiles in a Cotswolds life mag but I bet they are £££££.

Heating water on electric is expensive, I used to put ours on for an hour during the day and shut it down at night.

It'll be much better when you have a house with mains gas.

Been afraid to start clearing out, just in case I jinx the mortgage/move.
But enough is enough and I pulled 3 huge boxes from under dd's bed. I now have a bag for charity, a dustbin liner for the bin and a small box for her to choose what she keeps and what she is ready to give away herself. (The child is a hoarder. Seriously).
Hopefully in the afternoon I can do her clothes/wardrobe. I picked a pair of underwear for her and thought:these look tiny...well, they are 10-12 and she is in 12-14 ( as in years, not size). Time for a cull methinks.

8 I enjoy decluttering. I've managed to get my wardrobe down to half its size and have made almost £300 selling on eBay this year.

I tend to list things 3 times then they go to the charity shop.

Off riding in a bit. The sun is out so it should be a nice day.

Have also woken up very snotty today (gross). Am hoping this is the last of it. Have been feeling run down for ages.

Also going no make up today my skin has gone all wierd. So maybe it needs a break.

I love decluttering. I'm twice on eBay, once on Facebook and then charity.
£52 sainsburys on top of the earlier one.
In frugal news I've just saved £1000 as the table I wanted in the clearance sale was being sold as I walked into the shop

Oh that's brilliant, Babs. Result!

I love decluttering so much, I've actually wondered if I have a bit of a problem with it. I often find myself making mental lists of what can go next and I even get a buzz out of finding stuff for those charity bags that are posted through your door. I've googled it and excessive decluttering is recognised as a symptom of ocd. I have been a bit more careful since reading this as I have got ocd tendencies, mainly related to order. Everything in my house has to be in order all of the time for me to relax.