May the frugaleering be with you - frugal chat and support for frugalers old and new.

[babsmam]

I took the liberty as we were nearly at the end of the last one.

ipsos if its not.too late, make a paste with bicarb and water (quite thick) put it on and plaster over . It work - draws it right up and a teeny squeeze tomorrow will shoot it out.
No use for tonight but you can also get something called magnesium sulphate paste which works wonders.

Lovely shoes Bee. I really like them.
Frugal NSD here but DP bought me some stuff in the garden centre.
Yes, what I like about this thread is that it's friendly. Some of the others are a bit bitchy as if people are judging each other.
Thank you for being nice.

Ah sorry bees I thought you had a size dilemma. They are nice shoes

No worries babs! I do have size issues. And that's why I have many shoes I don't really use coz they hurt. These are not just the 4In type heels that I use when I'm driven to and from destinations and so only need to pose !!

So I end up with some quite frumpy stuff or shoes where I need to swap around if I have to hike around work. I wore these fab looking shoes in Tokyo but had to have spare shoes to walk around tube stations.

Bees not too dressy in the end, I went with a summery dress and smartish sandals, dd was a bit more tricky given she hates dresses! She started off in a pretty yellow playsuit but I then got worried it was a bit short so changed her into a skirt and nice t.shirt combo. Other people there were dressed similarly so it felt about right! Dds friend looked lovely in a pretty white dress.

Did I tell you we went on a Bat Walk last night? We have joined a local wildlife group and went looking for bats last night, it was really good. Started off with a talk about bats and then went out on a walk, saw loads of bats as well!

Thanks so much for all of the suggestions on the thorn. I'll try those tomorrow if the thing doesn't pop out in the morning. The bicarb one sounds especially entertaining. Someone on chat suggested it too and said it was magical.

I've had a nice sort of a weekend. We went and bought sort of maple tree in a pot yesterday and planted it next to our new climbing frame so screen it from the neighbour's garden. I really really like it. Again I'm astonished to find out how cheering it can be to spend a bit of money on one's living quarters. :-)

We also went and dug over and replanted a herbaceous border at ds's school and that was really satisfying. Quite a good weekend, for those bits anyway, and cheap, except for the maple.

Oooh Girlie I am I LOVE bats!

Aiming for nsd today. Friend coming round for coffee looks like it's going to be sunny. I'm having trouble getting the honey into ds as he's used to runny honey and doesn't appear too keen on this one. He's being a right pain this morning and I'm pretty sure he just said fuck

😂

Ahem, shocking. Absolutely shocking.

Dh told his ndn to fuck off aged 5. Neither of his parents swear so Lord knows where he picked it up.

I didn't spend any money this weekend. Dh spent a few pounds making shelves in dd's wardrobe. Gives dd so much more storage space. She is madly into Shopkins and they seem to have exploded all round her room!!!

I am trying so hard to only get bits we really need - biggest thing is the amount of snacks I have in the house for dd's pack lunch etc. I haven't bought anything new for her for 3 weeks and I still have a tin full!!! Gotta shop smarter. You guys are all so lovely, sharing tips etc thank you.

Wreck I'm so glad it's not just us. Ds has taken to saying "fox sake" and claiming that he didn't actually swear. I'll be minced by the school if he does it in class. We're trying to convince him to say "badger" instead, but it's not helping that I swear like a trouper all the time. The atmosphere is distinctly frosty here after out thorn trouble yesterday too.

I just went to town and spent money on fish.

Just popping in to say 'Hi'. Busy few weeks but I'm still here. I'll have a proper read later.

Ipsos did the thorn come out?
Low spend day yesterday, no more than £5 on drinks, crisps etc at the cricket. Had a lovely bluebell walk with dd, totally free.
Dh's football team have made it to the play off final at Wenbley which is fab & exciting for him and ds but a bit pricey. Ordered match tickets and train tickets this morning and declared a month of porridge and beans on toast!!
Have a top up shop to do later but it shouldn't be more than £10
I need to get sun screen. We use Ultrasun which is pricey but I got a Gorgeous shop code for 15 % discount and there's 10% on topcashback so that's almost a 25% discount (not quite as the 10% will be off the discounted price)

Hope mini Ipso's foot is better!

I'm feeling more positive today. Pain has ebbed away a bit so I'm trying to chip away at the enormous to do list!

Ipsos I saw your other thread & him locking himself in the bathroom. I have to say I admire his style.

LOL! Fluffy, yes ds definitely has style. We surrendered at that point. The thorn is still in and he went to school in big wellies with a pronounced limp. He also has a black eye and bad eczema on his lips, which bleeds when he laughs, so he really looks a picture this morning. The foot is not red so I think hopefully the thorn will just grow out if I keep a poultice on it. I went into town and bought three kinds of fish, which I hope may help with the lip problem.

This morning the handle of my frying pan nearly fell off, and I was so grateful just there in that moment, that we have enough money to buy a new frying pan if we need it. I do really wonder how on earth people manage to keep a family together when they are really tight for money. Not just because of needing a frying pan, but just because constant penny pinching is so exhausting, and must add so much to the tensions in a family. Frugaleering really is an essential skill isn't it?

btw, I'm so extremely excited about the electoral commission having gone to the police about Conservative party funding of the campaigns in the last election. If all of the seats that are implicated have to go to a bi-election then the government could lose its majority before the year is out and we'd have a new government. I would like that very much.

Top up shop £16

It is wearing being frugal but needs must and it becomes harder to pay full price for anything without feeling slightly ripped off

I totally agree babs. It really irritates me if I have to pay more than 20% of RRP for things.

well this month has been a test of frugalling. yes, I have spent excessively on holidays but due to other expenses (e.g. work trips etc) I have struggled to pay for the credit cards this month, particularly the ones that needed paying off (ie the non 0% ones). I did pay them off but that has left me with £150 for the rest of the month or so. I'm seriously worrying. other than bread I think we can survive. perhaps this is the time to start eating out of the freezer and tins!

Ipsos I really didn't have you down as a foul mouth leftie

We took DS to A&E with a massive splinter under his nail bed on his big toe when he was about 5. They were brilliant with him, they extracted said splinter using the longest sort of tweezer/scisssor contraption thing I have ever seen. They gave him all the talk about being such a brave boy blah blah, and he didn't use any pain relief, therefore no nasty needles.

I haven't kept up with the thread as we've been away this weekend. Wonderful, beautiful, glorious Chatsworth House. The team came 3rd in their competition. Honoured to ride there. The crowds were huge, I would have been a wreck but DD says you don't notice them.

Spends.
Dentist for the pony £40
New phone for DS as his is so completely kaput it would have cost more to repair £110.
£25 jacket for DD
£20 Tesco DH.

Back now!

Nothing spent yesterday or today.

£4.49 in sainsburys on some bits I forgot in the food shopping.

£20 petrol.

Fencing it's $5 monthly or $50 for the year for ynab. I had ynab 4 so I'll get a 10% discount if I sign up for the year. Atm I'm doing monthly until I see what I think.

I know I'm spending money more wisely now though so I think it would be good to sign up for the year.

Our bank is now offering rewards with our debit cards. It had €10 off €50 spend in argos. I needed maxtra cartridges for my Brita water jug full price for 12 pack is €63.49 on offer currently €42.49. Dd's ot recommended getting a gym ball for her, that was €7.99 so €71.48 for €40.48. I've set up my current & joint account debit cards on it, must set up dh's joint account debit card on it too. The rewards will vary every fortnight. There's €5 back on irish rail purchases too must see if au pair wants to book her june train tickets before thurs

This evening I'm going for a consultation with a dermatologist regarding my folliculitis it will be €€€'s but this is a recurring issue so I need to go. She makes you strip naked and examines every inch of your skin I've borrowed the money out of christmas savings.

aww cag hugs, just think you are advancing with your life too, teaching little minds is a very important job, you're moulding adults of the future.

I went to town yesterday with dh, au pair and the two dc. In 3 hours we managed to spend over €300 and we had a voucher for €50 which covered most of our dinner.

Scary how quickly it goes €25.50 in dealz, €140 in aldi, €33.60(topping up voucher for meal out), €53.48 in argos €15 in chemist, and €2.50 for two zips. And everything was on the list except for a wand and a sword that dh & dc picked up in dealz €2.98 and they love them I came home thirsty as I wouldn't pay money for drinks in the shop even

east I detest playdoh too!

Bought the zips to replace ones on two pairs of jeans which have just started to fit me again. Also getting one pair repaired for possible resale and getting another pair taken up. I will have 4 'new' pairs of jeans again.