Fantastic Frugaleers Continuing Austere April!

[Cagliostro]

Hello! :)

Same here Purple

Your dinner sounds lovely em

Adora I know what you mean, it gets tiring fighting all the time.

£7 on wine to celebrate new table.

6p on doughnuts

Thanks Babs I'd not considered those types of resources! There was me thinking oh well printing is virtually cost free thanks to the subscription, I forgot we might actually, you know, need paper :o. For folders and that kind of thing, I've got quite a lot already, and I was going to get the pupils to bring their own stuff like pencils/notebooks. I've joined a 'self employed home educators' group on FB though so I'll ask on there too. :)

Mmm I love watermelon! Was so disappointed this week - ordered one and thought I was being virtuous by not leaving it a really long time (have been known to ignore them until they turn bad ) but it was horribly underripe. It looked anaemic!

Spends:
£1.70 coop
£2 charity shop (ha! I knew DH wouldn't resist the lure of the shop next to the dance club!)
£8.40 prescription

Are there any printing companies near you Cag? We got given loads of paper by one when I was little.

It was all letter headed the church of the Latter Day Saints and was really nice paper.

I do like nice paper! How did you get it free, was it just because it was surplus?

Of course I'd need to trim the header off it. So clearly I'd be justified in buying a paper guillotine like we had when I was young. Clearly.

I think they knew my dad had me & they had cancelled orders that would otherwise be pulped so it made sense to give it away rather than destroy it.

We gave loads to my school.

It was watermarked heavy paper too, organised religion is rarely poor.

Em - I'm a bit late coming in here, but I also don't drink. I've tried all sorts of explanations but the one that works best is "It doesn't make me relaxed like it does other people, it just makes me dizzy." People seem to accept that and those who can't manage without a drink don't feel judged by that explanation.

Cag I've been wishing I could find a newspaper for ds too. At the moment I lay the FT on his table in the morning and every single day he says "Have their been any robot car crashes today?" He quite enjoys having me read out the news from it and it is very child-friendly as it never has gory pictures. I get it delivered for only £1 a day, which is very good I think. It's a bit advanced for ds to actually read though. If you find a good children's one I'd be glad to hear about it.

I've not been very frugal at all this weekend as I bought the new climbing frame for the garden for ds's birthday. I spent the day today getting rid of stuff for the garden to make space and it looks a lot better now.

Back from my night out, was really nice meal and good to catch up with my friend. She has a 1yo, has recently gone back to work and is finding it all a bit overwhelming I think. I honestly don't think I could ever go back to the baby years

Only spent £20 which is pretty good really.

That sounds rough Collie are you necking cranberry juice or lemon barley? They are very good for flushing out UTIs! Also are you sure about there being no bun in the oven!

Have to admit Ipsos I don't really read the papers myself anymore! I've actually just seen on another thread that someone said First News is a bit fussy and that they prefer the Week Junior. From looking online it does look more accessible. Horrendously expensive though! Anyway, I'll grab both next time I'm in town (unless on having a quick flick through I can see it's not right for us) and let you know. I'm wondering if rather than subscribing it might be better to just pick one up now and again and really immerse ourselves in it before buying another issue. We are so busy that I'm not sure we'd get through one a week really.

I remember my grandma saving me all the 'Young Telegraph' papers, I think they were in the Sunday Telegraph or something. Fond memory, that. :)

:o at robot car crashes. I love hearing the ideas your DS comes out with. And forgot to say I'm glad his party went well :)

Girlie I know what you mean. When ds was two weeks old I took him to a cafe with my parents and carefully lifted him out of the pram. A nearby Granny-aged person was looking with interest and when she saw the tiny size of the baby she had a sharp intake of breath and said "Oh, I could never go back to that stage again!". I know now what she means.

Thanks Cag. I love my newspaper now but that's partly because I had wonky eyes in my youth and couldn't read properly until I was 28. Every morning now I get up and read the paper just because I can, and because that makes me so darned happy. I probably sound a total nob going on about the FT, but the relief of finally being able to read at all is indescribable.

Thanks for the kind words on the part. Ds and I are not very social types and we're both knackered now, but it worked and that's a bit of a triumph. :-)

Yikes am being told that I need to check the legal side of tutoring in case it counts as a school?! Trying to find good sources of info. Have also had public liability insurance suggested.

Everything is so much more complicated now isn't it? Back in the 80s tutors just taught kids for an hour, chivied the cat out of the kid's school bag, pocketed £15 and that was the end of it. Now we have tax returns and liability insurance.

Indeed! I don't mind though, it's all very exciting. As long as I can actually make some money at the end of it all! :) And I just can't wait to start putting all my ideas into practice with a real group of pupils. A lot of this stuff has been whizzing round my head for years, with nowhere to go and nobody to benefit from it. But this might change now - awesome! And terrifying too!

Good stuff. Sounds excellent.

Today will be spendy. I'm going to ikea woo hoo!

NSD planned today. Church then mams for lunch. There is a food thing on in my mams town but not sure if we will go

Lots to think about cag. Do you have a scrap store near you, they might have paper reams donated from companies?
Hope thing settle for your friend girlie. It is tough being a working parent. She should be ok once a new routine gets going. Before I get flamed I guess being a sahp is tough too but I've never experienced it so can't comment on that.

Ah wreck I love ikea. I need to go but the logistics are a nightmare.

Ocado shop done £75 but that's 2 weeks of meals to be delivered at end of the week. Will top up from aldi/pound land for packed lunches , or I may bake some flapjacks / cereal bars later. ( my last attempt was rubbish)

Yes Babs I think she is just knackered tbh, baby is waking up in the night and the last few days been up since 5am once you throw work onto the mix it tips the balance from just about manageable to rapid breakdown! Bless her, I reassured her it isn't forever and does eventually get easier but yes it is bloody handwork!!

I've had a nice lie in, am picking dd up in a bit she apparently had fun last night and all is well. This afternoon we are doing the high ropes at a local park, will cost £12 approx, will take drinks, snacks etc

Morning all! Productive day here. Been to the gym

And am now spending the rest of the day frugalling.

Am popping up to parents to clear their fridge (they always do a Shop right before they go away...no idea why but we always benefit with fruit & veg - we always do a shop for them before they come back too so they have stuff)

Dh is going to do his tax return

And write up his cv (hes going for a casual chat/interview re an internal move at work tomorrow)

I'm going to sort washing and look for more things to sell/charity shop.

My wellies are due to sell on ebay tonight. So far bidding is up to £11!!

Morning folks :) I am of the Ikea trip! Not that we actually need any more furniture but... meatballs

Have been added to another FB group, just for tutors of home ed children - so have posted there too for some advice. :)

DH taking the DCs out today, with DD's friend from school, to the nature park. So will be a bit spendy but they're taking a picnic. Really hope the weather holds as they were going to walk through the woods to get there rather than get the bus.

I'm going to chill, read (most of the way through The Island of Doctor Moreau - one of those 'books you feel guilty for not reading' - was quite hard work at the beginning with all the boaty mcboatface vocab!) and get on with sorting some of our craft/home ed stuff.

Ooh cag I'm also going to try and finish needful things. It's a Stephen King one. And the only one I can't finish. It's too scary

Mil classic this morning I should really write a book about that woman

Dhs cousin in Aussie has just found out she has terminal bowel, liver and lung cancer. Very sad time. other cousin (also in Aussie) is getting married in February. Mil is invited to the wedding.

Cousin 1 has been told she probably has about 9 months to live. She's 34. It's awful and rubbish. (I've met her once so am sad but it's not affecting me as much as the rest of the family iyswim).

Mil skyped Dh this morning and has said "it's so inconsiderate of cousin 1. It'll ruin cousin 2's wedding. She's probably doing. It because she's jealous"

I almost fell off my chair.

@ *Em's MIL. What an absolutely disgusting thing to say!