The Fantastic Frugalleers Meander into May.....

[Girliefriendlikesflowers]

Thought it was about time I started a new thread

All is well thanks for your concern! All clear!!

Glad to hear it, Apivita. Take it easy.

Happy Birthday Wrecked, lovely watch. Ouch to the bruise.

How you feeling today Creme?

And thanks for all the thoughts on the paintings. You are all so right, the pleasure they give me is immense, I know nothing of art but they fill me with joy. I've offered on both. DH and myself talked about it last night, we love both. Resale would surely be at least 75% for an original. Suggestion was artist would maybe accept 10% less than advertised price for 2 paintings, I've offered less than this as an opener.

Em, love the cow print, lucky you, getting to 'play' with other folks money The artists name is Aldo Balding.

No spends today.

Frugal win, interest on the Santander account, for a month was £50, plus £4 for cashback on D/debits on utilities. Complete result, money in a current account thumping any interest rate I can find for savings account, bar M&S high interest. Over £600 a year.

Pasta bake for tea, extra veggies and salad chucked in.

See, all working out Cag, your positivity in your posts is fab at the minute

£53 in aldi including a bike stand for dh to service his bike and stuff for a big roast on Sunday. The bike stand was reduced by £10 so a very good deal indeed.

Tired now, Need, but I only had work this afternoon, so I was able to hoover, put a load of laundry away, sort post and emails, make 2 phone calls I've been putting off and have a shower before work. Long term, I can't sustain this, ( some of my journeys by bus take about 2 hours; by car they would be 30 minutes) but while the work's there, I'll do as much as I can for the next few weeks. Thanks for asking.

Happy birthday wreck! I'm sorry to say I'm quickly posting as the thread fell off my app...I am reading avidly but also very busy, no data left on phone and feeling very poor this month . Starting the month with half term has really knocked out our account. Have less than £100 for rest of month but two weekends away planned. Il move some money from my savings pots but it still depresses me to see 'holidays' pot decrease even though really, that's what it's there for!

Happy birthday Wreck. Love the watch, it's gorgeous.
That's a bruise to be proud of.

Wreck ouch
Hey Ursula see you either on WiFi or when your data renews. You will get there. School holidays are tough on the cash

Happy Birthday Wreck I don't really do birthdays anymore either! Ouch that bruise looks sore, have you got some arnica you can put on it?

Trying here is a link to the York Museum, its called York Castle museum I think and is free although they ask for a donation, imho its a lot better than the Jorvik centre. www.yorkcastlemuseum.org.uk

I have had managed a NSD at long last! Although did give dd £2.50 for a school dinner.

Am tired work was so hectic today, really full on - I already feel like I need another holiday oh and it looks like contracts could be exchanged on Friday............

Right, have you arranged house insurance for Friday?. From memory you're responsible if anyone injures themselves etc.

Fluffster is correct, get the insurance sorted Girlie, how exciting.

My cheeky offer has been accepted on the paintings

Buildings insurance is covered by the housing association so I just have to sort out contents insurance, I did ring the current company that covers me for contents insurance as they are very reasonable but thats due to being a council tenant. Not sure being 50% of a HA tenant will be quite as beneficial!

There is so much to think about my head is spinning!

That's great need, you must be delighted.

Spends today:
€1 work canteen
€30 diesel.

I think I'm going to be brave and start a thread in AIBU. It's not a real AIBU but I know there's lots of traffic there, and I'm hoping for some advice on how I can be more efficient when I'm at home. I'm at home four days a week and each evening when DS gets to bed, downstairs is such a mess, it takes me ages to sort it out and get dinner done. I would love to be more efficient with my time and tidy and clean as I go so that I can sit down and relax a little earlier in the evening.

Maybe look at the fly lady threads?

I am somewhat biased but I agree, hop over to the FlyLady thread :)

Girlie eeeek! How exciting! :o

Well done Creme I'd take short cuts with house stuff if you can. In mad busy weeks I'd do things like getting easier food just to take the pressure off a bit.

Need YAY I'm so happy you've gone for the paintings. I don't think resale value is so relevant if you will love them and want to keep them, rather than them just being an asset. I had a google of the artist and WOW those paintings are just so... alive. The light is incredible in them. :)

It's quite ridiculous that I'm awake AGAIN. Why oh why do I keep doing this?! I have sooo much to do tomorrow, argh. DH is popping to the shops early tomorrow as we're out of milk and bread. I may have to be unfrugal and request something fizzy and caffeinated as well or the day may be a write-off.

Eva, my first thought would be why is it such a mess. I don't mean to sound like a cow there btw but I think without the why you can't address the problem.
Is it too much clutter, nothing has a place, prioritises ie dc before house, illness or something else?

Talk through it here if you want. We are not aibu but these things can affect frugality as you may end up throwing money at it for one reason or another. Also we like a good chat about anything.

Need , fab about the paintings

Contents insurance on its own shouldn't be more than £50-75 tops before cashback.

Unless my Dh organises it and it costs £18 a month

I spread buy easy food, Cag. Last night, I made ratatouille with frozen chopped onions, peppers, mixed Med veg, chopped tomatoes and mushrooms, served with cous-cous. That's about as fancy as I get! All I do in the evenings when working is make dinner and packed lunch, wash up, wipe the kitchen surfaces and make sure the house is tidy, as I can't cope with mess. The only extras to this that I did this week were 2 loads of washing, emptying the kitchen bin, putting the recycling out for the bin men and hoovering downstairs.

*spread is already!

Eva The flylady thread would be perfect. Little and often? Take something upstairs each time you go up, bring something down each time you go down? Get DS to help clean and tidy, play with just a few toys only before getting another out, put away?

I also used to make it clear that I would play for X amount of time, then it was time for mummy to do some jobs, because that's what happens in a house. They could help, or play on their own.

It's hard!

Glad you like the paintings Cag. I wholeheartedly agree, the use of light is the aspect that fascinates me the most. I have spend ages just looking at them. Art hasn't ever moved me like this before. I feel glad about the decision, rather than nervous actually. I'm sorry you can't sleep. I have the same issues when I wake up and switch on too.

Creme Same tactics here on working days.

Bit down today. I have a dodgy back, I have had it for years. Not sure I have ever mentioned this before. A leaking disc, which causes nerve pain, not disc pain, subtle difference. Anyway, I have had all the injections and procedures, then for a long time I was on nerve pain drugs. They are very strong and make you feel pissed all the time. Also expensive for the NHS. I weaned myself off them gradually a couple of years ago, they are not really meant for long term use (except in circumstances like mine). Had a good run, but the pain is really bad, and has been for weeks, so I've been back to the doctors today, and my GP has put me back on them, a really high dose too. It takes about 2/3 weeks for the effects to kick in, and I know I will feel shocking for a week or two while my body adjusts, but I will still have the nerve pain. Ho hum. I will be fine, just need to get my head round it all again.

Another epic post catching up on pages 15-30!

First of all Happy Birthday Wreck

Just got paid and as I was holidays last week there's no overtime in it so I'm -115 or so, was expecting this week to be tight anyhow. Updated my YNAB and did some forecasting on my debt. My car will be fully mine in 19.5 payments [happy][happy] I would like to clear my credit cards in this time frame as well it's doable but will be quite tight, an extra month would be easier so I'll aim for 20 weeks and see how I get on

Quick post as busy, busy, busy. Have managed to keep spending low this week. Lovely meals thanks to all the batch cooking at the start of the week and lots in the freezer for next week.
Just done my first proper session with personal trainer and feel knackered but really positive.
Giving blood later, then watching football, taxiing dd, packing for weekend staying with pil then finally relaxing watching some cricket.

girlie gorgeous photo of your dd on hols, sounds like us, you didn't spend money you didn't have but remainder of month will be tight as a result

creme glad to hear you got work after the misunderstanding with the first school

cag one of my colleagues has spaghetti hoops on toast as a lunch maybe twice a month, it's a lazy lunch for her. I sometimes have beans on toast also.

I binged last night and had an entire small easter egg and the smarties in the middle of it. Easter was what 3 months ago
I've noticed a pattern of a binge two/three nights before I get my excuse for a TOM, this is happening every two weeks though, obviously not the binge to that extent but still a little binge

purple that's great about your credit card balance [some day looks wistfully into the future]

fluffy your talk about wood burner made me smile, we bought 5 hoppers of turf recently for €200 this will make 100s of bags of turf which a few years ago we were buying for €6 a bag, it will also give dh some exercise and fresh air time too and two of his friends bought some too so it's boy time as well which he desperately needs

wreck is verity day same as birthday or what?
caught up to end of page 20, going to lunch now ....

Sorry to hear about the back pain Need. It sounds as if you've been through the mill there. Take care and do tell us more about it if it helps, especially in the coming weeks as you're waiting for the pain killers to work.

I'm having a quiet day today. I'm knackered after that school trip. Our wonderful headmistress noticed that ds is also bushed and has given him four afternoons off without my even asking. Lovely lady.