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.

Good luck today Em.
I'm going to have to go into town today to get a birthday present for my niece and a couple of other bits.

Good luck em!!

Yesterday was an NSD as boss paid for parking. Dinner was also paid for.

Today should be another NSD. Only 6 more days to pay day! Argh.

I have a slight dilemma. I've been asked to do some extra work for current place but when I've left here. Ie I will be working on a contract. This has been agreed by new place as well so it's not a problem. The problem is they've asked me how much I wanted. I know how much they pay the contractors (because I've negotiated many of them!) but I don't want to be greedy. What do I say?!!

Apivita why would you short yourself? Suggest what you think is reasonable based on what you know and you can always negotiate down, there's no such thing as negotiating up
Still trying to figure out who you are

Absurd frugal fail here: Just went out and bought 2 metres of white fur fabric to make a Captain Barnacles costume for ds, then came home and realised that Captain Barnacles has clothes on.

Can't you take it back, Ipso?

Unfortunately, it's non-returnable after it's been cut off the roll. Ds will love it anyway and I'm sure we can make something out of it. I also bought a ton of felt with the ideal applique-ing an octopus hat badge and compas for his belt. Then I got home and thought - "What am I thinking?!" and did it on photoshop instead. Definitely ds needs a mother with an ounce of energy left, much more than he needs a costume prize at school.

Ds really likes sewing projects so it will all be carefully and lovingly used. I'm just feeling a real noodle now at getting so caught up in a project that I really don't have the time or energy to do. It's to be worn on Friday. I've printed out the octopus and compas and am putting my feet up instead. Problem solved.

Ooops Ipso! Sounds like the sort of thing I do :o if you aren't able to return it... cushion cover perhaps? :)

Best of luck today Em!

I'm feeling so much brighter today. Written a list of home ed and housework stuff with the DCs and actually for once I feel like it's achievable!

Lesson cancelled for tonight as pupil is ill, but I'd only make a few quid from that anyway as I'd have had to get a taxi back from Brownies to be on time. So now we can take a leisurely wander to the bus stop instead, and not have to panic about tidying up so much . Four pupils tomorrow though! I'm two pupils down on the week after half term as well, so I must remember that (I often count on the cash for bus fares etc) and make the most of the chance to rest instead!

Well our trip is currently postponed whilst our car is in the garage having two new tyres and the tracking done. currently in morrisons cafe having

Oh Wreck. I hope you are on your way by now.
Ipso, at least you can use it for other stuff. Stuff that doesn't get used drives me barmy!

Grrr made cookies with DD today and they are horrible. It was a recipe I haven't used before and won't be again! Such a waste of ingredients.

Oh no Wreck! What a pain :(

My friend had this last week, managed to do the journey by public transport instead, is that worth a try? Although hopefully the car will be ready soon anyway.

The buses on the Isle of Wight are good. We used them lots in our week there last year.

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Aww wreck postponed isn't end of world I suppose but still [grr]
cag with the savings from not paying for taxi you're probably not too badly off.

I'm in constant debate with myself regarding my second job.
This week after getting paid & allocating my money to various expenses current & expected. I'll have €6 left. I am aggressively paying down debt so there's €110 of my wages gone towards that. I expect that in Sept I will have repaid my car loan and both credit cards BUT I want to change my car too so would ideally be putting this money towards a down payment on my next car.

From my second job I try to put half towards debt and the other half is for spends like clothes/hair/etc which is kept to an absolute minimum.

I do two evenings a week, I'm debating one evening per week from Sept onwards or none at all.

In another couple of weeks I will be able to put €50 extra per week against debt as dh will be back putting half into joint account again, I've been paying €50 more than him for a while now.

I suppose I'm wondering wwyd?

I feel I need to be around more for the children, but maybe this is based on dh's previous work where he wasn't around at all. Basically I spend a couple of hours Tues night prepping(after bedtime but I am hunting them to bed), and am away until bedtime Wed eve and after bedtime Thurs. Dc are 6 and 2.5.

purple I made 7up scones last night and they're fabulous. If you haven't tried them or don't have a much loved recipe for scones, try them.
325g self raising flour, 165ml natural yogurt, 165 ml 7up free, 1 tbsp artificial sweetener, 1 beaten egg. Mix dry ingredients, mix wet ingredients, fold wet into dry ingredients, turn out onto a floured surface and cut out. 225deg for about 10 mins.

It's awful disappointing when a recipe doesn't work out isn't it?

Still waiting

I have never heard of 7Up scones but they sound like they'd be fun to make.
I'm annoyed about my cookies because I have a fabulous tried & tested recipe but did one out of a children's recipe book instead as they were a bit easier. They are unbelievably sweet. I bet DH likes them, he has a sweet tooth!

Spends today :

€2 in work canteen
€3 on bread rolls, had one for lunch (delicious) and will pop the rest in the freezer for work lunches as they will be handy to pop in my bag on my way out the door. If I can find space In the freezer of course, I have a big larder freezer, when we bought it, I thought it would be great to have so much space and keep my freezer so organised and tidy but it's always just a crammed as my little one used to be .

Sending hurry uppy thoughts to Wreck's car!

Time for a new thread? I'm happy to start unless someone else has a good name for the new one, I'm all unimaginative today :o

eva I take everything out of the freezer about every 4 months and divide into type eg drawer for meat, veg, fish, portions of dinner, icepops, bread, milk etc. It helps to see what we've got too much of or what we're short of and it makes shopping list easier. If dh would stick to the allotted drawers I wouldn't need to do this at all!

Go ahead creme
May all who wish to live the best lives they can frugally join us here?

Lila- I do that too but then next time I go shopping all my drawers are full so I end up having to put things in anywhere they fit. I need to be better about using things up I know!

I have taken the liberty of starting a new thread, never started one before so hope you all join in!! www.mumsnet.com/Talk/credit_crunch/2645922-The-Fantastic-Frugalleers-Meander-into-May

NSD.
See you all on the new thread .