The Fantastic Frugalleers Meander into May.....

[Girliefriendlikesflowers]

Thought it was about time I started a new thread

Ursula

I can't find it either. They don't have a reputation for giving a shit though.

Have you tried a private browser like google incognito? Then they can't see your cookies and price fix.

That way another airline might be a lot cheaper.

Thanks fluffy and lila! Yes I've been reading horror stories of their not giving a shit! I'm actually planning on changing some flights we already have booked to next year so all I wanted was some detailed info on when I might expect my desired dates to become available (on website up to end of March 2017 atm and we want Easter hols or May half term). I was being friendly and polite but also assertive that as I'd just waited for 20 mins to speak to someone id like a bit more info than 'look again next month' (the holiday I need to change is next month!!) the next thing I know I have dial tone having worked in call centres in my time i have always been told that it is a huge no- no to hang up on a customer unless they are literally swearing at you! I will certainly not be using Ryanair again and as a comparison, I needed to change some flights with Easyjet too and they issued me with a refund voucher so I can book for July next year as and when the flights become available and were extremely helpful and polite.

Have you tried Twitter?.

Em, that's exactly what happens to me too, including the monthly association. I find that if thinking calm thoughts doesn't help then Wrigleys Extra White chewing gum does. It's the peppermint that does the job.

Very well done for realising that the world will not end. That's a great step. :-) Do you understand the biology of adrenaline? It helps a lot if you do.

I think a GP would tell you that you have a stress-related IBS flare-up. Working out diet triggers will help a lot. (that's medical speak for try living on boiled potatoes and plain meat for a while)

Wreck I had no idea. Well done. :-)

I'm cleaning the house of the ILs. Much scuttling.

Sorry to hear you've lost track a bit need. I've been rushing around a lot too. I hope things are okay. Are you managing okay with your back pain medication?

Just won a £50 love2shop Voucjer through the insight thing. I may well use it for an end of term treat to take the kids to Thomas land. We already have a free child Voucjer from our trip at Christmas so it will be very frugal indeed!

ipsos forgive my very basic science knowledge. Adrenalines the "fight or flight" one right? Which is why when you're stressed/nervous/excited/frightened it sends heart rates going etc?

£36 in oasis on a new grey pencil skirt (replacing my old one which is looking a bit worse for wear) and a simple white shirt. All sale items and needed.

And £3 in paperchase for birthday card for mummy.

I also caved and bought a Coke. From McDonald's. There's something about McDonald's drinks. I know it's probably not the best. But I'm working on the basis that for he moment, if I really want it (food or drink) I can have it.

Better day today. I've cleared some work "shit" down and have sorted out my paperwork. Yippee!!

Congratulations what!

Well done what! Does anyone else have success with competitions? Maybe I should take it up...?!

I will look into Twitter fluffy (#completenovice!!)

Em the clothes sound like classics and bargains too!

Purple how are you feeling now?

About the same really ursula although I've been reading my book and snoozing while DD naps which has made me feel slightly better. I overthink things sometimes and get things out of proportion. I think this is one of those times! Going to take DD out for a walk and enjoy the sunshine while it lasts!!

Purple sorry to hear things are so stressful right now

Thanks ipsos!

What that's brilliant will be a v frugal day out

Ursula I won £250 John Lewis voucher from a mumsnet survey once!

I'm not on Twitter but ursula have you tried calling back? That has happened me before with emobile and I just call again and often you get a more knowledgeable person the next time!

Haven't had to change flights with ryanair but yes they're difficult to work with but we don't have much choice in Ireland and they're a lot more reasonable than the alternative.

what I have found when I do weeks like that not doing a full shop I pay for it the following week or week after but it's still a saving

Em That's right. Adrenaline is the fight or flight hormone. When we have an anxiety attack there is adrenaline rushing round our bodies trying to help us to be extra strong and fast so we can fight or escape from whatever is threatening us. The problem is that the adrenaline is a hormone and it isn't broken down until we have done some of that fighting or fleeing, so it can just build up in our body and gum up the works. The good news is that if we can find an outlet for your need to fight or flee, even in our imagination then the that will help with processing the adrenaline away. When I feel anxious I sometimes find it helps to imagine that I am running really really fast and that gets the need to run out of my system and calms everything down, if you see what I mean.

It might also be good if you read about something called "Chronic hyperventilation". One of the effects of adrenaline is to speed up the breath and make people chest breathe instead of breathing with the diaphragm. If this style of breathing goes on for too long then too much carbon dioxide gets breathed out and the acidity level of the blood changes, causing nausea. (As I understand it). So in an anxiety attack, it really helps if you can breath slowly down in your abdomen, using the diaphragm rather than up in the chest. There's a bunch of stuff about it online. It's well worth a look.

I just went to a party that I've been looking forward to for months and months, and I discovered that it was yesterday. What a prize nob I feel. And a disappointed nob at that. I was looking forward to that. Oh well.

ipsos and for you tonight

Thanks wreck.
Shame about the party ipsos.
That's interesting about adrenaline, I didn't realise it hung around! I suppose exercise would get rid of it?

Oops, Ipso.

Purple, why not take a few days off or get signed off for the rest of the term, if you feel this bad? How many days have you got left? If you took this week off, there are 3 weeks to go.

£2.41, on milk, Tic Tacs and muffins.

Hope you are ok purple, can you see the GP? Nearly the end of term. How many days do you work? Have you spoken to the SLT?

Hey, well done What on the voucher, that's a cracking win.

Ipsos, I'm really sorry about your party, especially as you were looking forward to it too. Bugger. We all do it though, every one of us at some point. Thanks for asking, the tablets are kicking in for the pain, but they make me so dizzy and tired until they settle. I fell asleep for 2 hours on the sofa last night, then slept all night. I am usually pottering about all evening How's your DS, has he recovered from the trip?

£20 cash for DC haircuts.
£20 M&S, I'm getting too used to popping in, and the DC too used to all their lovely food.

Managed well this month, and got DD her birthday presents too. Within disposable income.

Next month will hurt, as we all need clothes for our holiday. And DS needs extra stuff for 6th form (he is so not clothes orientated). Plus a prom suit for next week. 2 more GCSE's to do (Physics and Chemistry) then he's done .

I'm on the hunt for a coffee table with storage, that isn't too big, as it needs to go in the study, which we are turning into more of a snug. Tried M&S, local shops, John L, Ebay, Next. If anyone has any ideas, I would love to know.

Stir fry for tea, and ironing...

In other news, I have been given further responsibilities at work, kind of a Company Secretary role, plus some other stuff. I need more things to do, the stuff I have always done was brilliant for the hours I did when the DC were little, but I am bored now. I love working there though, the team are all brilliant and I can still work the hours I want, I don't want to leave.

Hi all, NSD again - good good. Checked my account ystd and have £40 to last till pay day - 6 days away! Should be o.kay as only spends should be on food.

Have started packing and the place looks a state, reminds me how much I hate living in chaos! Missing dd now as well, its hard not hearing anything from her although am sure she is fine and will be home before iI know it.

My day started off by rescuing a hedgehog it was by the curb just sat on the road, not obviously injured but not running away either. I had no clue what to do and was on my way to work so put it in one of packing boxes with food and water and rang a wildlife place! They were very good and a volunteer came out on my lunch break to take it, they rang me back later to say they think it might have been knocked by a car as it was very unsteady on its feet. They were going to take it to a vet so am hoping he will be alright and not PTS

Great news about the job, Need. I am shattered, but really enjoying working more, over the last few weeks. What about Dunelm Mill for the coffee table? Mine came from there and it has 2 drawers and a rack for coffee table books and magazines.

Well done, Girlie. I love hedgehogs. Hope s/he makes it.

Well done girlie, I love hedgehogs too! I rescued one from the middle of a busy dual carriageway once! I was about 13 and my mum stopped the car and made me get out and move it as lorries thundered past! Nice to know she put hedgehog welfare above mine
Thanks for kind words and advice. I thought about seeing the GP but one if the main problems is that there is so much to do before we break up. I kind of think being signed off would be worse as I wouldn't get the work done and I'd spend the holidays stressing about it! The summer term is always a bit like this, I hate it.
I am wondering what else I could do. I love teaching and I'd miss being in the classroom but I can't imagine doing this job for much longer. I don't have the energy and I don't cope well with stress. I don't really do a good subject for tutoring.
I'd be good at something like proof-reading and I know you can do a course to train then work from home. Not sure how well it pays though??
It's something I've considered for a while now.

How about working for an exam board purple? They must employ ex teachers writing exam papers and compliance with the curriculum I suppose. I hope we're not letting kids take exams from people who aren't educators.

Always money in pharmaceuticals if you're science based.

I always though you worked for your Dh need. Don't know why.

£25 in JL sale.
£4.25 top up shop.

I would be interested in contributing to text books or something fluffy which I suppose is similar. I'd like to do something a bit creative.
I've always wanted to work with animals. Not sure in what capacity.

I do work for DH Fluffy, but I am very much an employee, not the little wifey who swans in an does a couple of hours here and there. I do love it too, and fancy the extra responsibility.

Just looking on the Dunelm website Creme, thanks, I hadn't thought of them at all Are you shattered in a good way or not good?

Not caught up with the thread to the end yet but wanted to say Purple I know you said your subject isn't one that normally leads to extra tuition, but - and obviously I'm somewhat biased here - is there a possibility of a home education group? If there's a few teens around who like the subject, you may be snapped up to run a little class. Even if it's just one hour long session a week it'd be something. Doesn't have to be exam/syllabus based, as not all home edders are interested in that, but they may still like input from a qualified teacher. :)

Also AWWWW at the kittens. Took me a while to figure out why calling them Jack and Danny may be frowned upon . I always remember my form tutor discussing her new kittens with us, and she (being a Shakespeare-mad English teacher) really wanted to call them Bottom and Titania. But her DH overruled her as he didn't want to be calling them in at night shouting 'bottom and tit'. :o :o

Spectacularly unfrugal week here. Like ridiculously so. I've realised that spending is a reaction not just to bad feelings but good ones too. It's like any big change has me freaking out, even if it's a good change, I get very overwhelmed and I'm running on adrenaline. So buying nice things is something that centres me because surrounding myself with them is 'safe'. It's pure luck that I don't have expensive taste and the stuff I'm getting is cheap board games for family fun. I'd be utterly fucked if I liked fancy clothes for example. But the odd tenner here and there, it's still stupid.

And it looks like DD's birthday party has gone bottom arse over tit[ania] as well. The room I'd been allocated is now not available after all. Not even an apology or anything. Thankfully I won't lose any money, and I hadn't paid a deposit to the entertainer as she just takes cash on the day, but I feel awful (and am dreading telling her, which I'm going to do in a moment) as I know she could've booked someone else. But we might do a joint party for both DCs in July, so I'll book her for that and do a bigger one so more money for her as well which may sweeten the deal a bit. But argh. It is my own fault though for failing to get it 100% earlier. Parenting fail.