Frugaleers chatting and saving into August...

[ipsogenix]

Just setting up the new thread for the chatty Frugaleers.

Useful links copied from last year:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/other_subjects/1324074-For-those-who-cant-afford-to-use-central-heating-this-year-How-are-you-going-to-cope

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/credit_crunch/1543785-your-top-tips-for-money-saving-and-a-more-frugal-life

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/credit_crunch/1600030-Small-money-saving-habits-petty-even

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/credit_crunch/1628874-Gas-Elec-Bills-monthly-and-SKY-so-angry

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/mumsnet_classics/1911061-NO-MORE-COLD-MUMSNETTERS

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/_chat/2209167-Slow-Cookers-are-shit

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/_chat/2224969-saving-money

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/legal_money_matters/2258202-Debt-mutual-support-thread-number-6-start-the-new-year-with-a-clear-purpose-and-keep-moving-forwards-even-by-tiny-steps?

orchard.tesco.com/ Sign up to this.

www.topcashback.co.uk/home And this.

www.quidco.com/home/ And this

www.moneysavingexpert.com/ And this

www.moneysavingexpert.com/cheapenergyclub ditto.

www.checkoutsmart.com/ Plus this.

www.hotukdeals.com/all/deals/new?page=3 Check this daily.

I got a new stainless steel slow cooker for my 41st birthday and am testing it. Exciting! It was also less than half price.

Ooh what are you making ipsos? I'm planning a slow cooker veg casserole for tomorrow. Yes I know it's the height of summer but I'm really struggling to think of things I can face eating at the moment. I'm also making a big pot of soup for lunches this week!
Planning NSD, have been doing some house work and we might go to the park later if the rain holds off, it looks pretty gloomy out.

I am on holiday 2 whole weeks of not having to catch the cattle truck that is my daily train commute.

DD & I are having a go at making a quilt (or 2 because we couldn't agree on colours). We have chosen a really easy one that doesn't require us to be accurate with the cutting or seam allowances.

Snuggly I started with plain boiled rice because that gives me a good idea of whether the taste is going to altered in a good way. Next is chilli. I'm not very successful with slow cookers, have previously returned 3 to the shop, so this is a big test and I need to finish it before the 7 day return period is up. Fun stuff though. The sear function works well and the user interface is good.

I love my slow cooker. I use it lots in the winter but I am fairly limited in what I can make. I need some recipes.

That's great trying. I'm hoping to do better with this as it has a sear function and a stainless steel pot. The sear works well. I got kettle-boiler water to a fast boil in two minutes with it today. The when I switched it down to high slow cook it was clearly bubbling just a little bit, which is what I want.

I still use my sc loads in the summer. Joints of meat in particular. My seat and stew is starting to chip on the coating so may need to look for another cheap one. I find it cooks quicker than the ceramic ones though.

I love my slow cooker too ipso Favourite has to be pulled pork - le yum!

collie great deals on Verbaudet. I really like their stuff but always wait until the end of season when they have 50-60% off and by the next size up for the DC.

Yesterday spends - £34 on new shoes for DC1 but definitely needed. Then £2 on a carousel ride and £4 on facepainting for her. It was lovely to have a day out just the 2 of us - DC2 had been very clingy recently and I've felt a bit sorry for her. Might look into some home face painting stuff for her for Christmas as it will probably save a fortune in the long run!

Should be NSD today. Lovely and sunny so plan for library and park. Have a good day all!

Wasn't quite NSD yesterday as DH got some uber cheap bottles of my favourite shampoo from work. Should be NSD for me today but DH will get some milk.

Was supposed to be meeting somebody today but they had to work, a shame but I'm quite glad of another quiet day in. Tomorrow we're off to the seaside for a circus open day, and DD is doing a trapeze workshop. :o Will get the bus, takes a loooong time but a family pass is only £12.50 to get all the way there, and the trains are apparently on strike yet again. Also going to the library there as a friend who works there has put aside a very rare book for me to look at (it is then being sent to an auction house). Our friends can no longer go with us, DD is quite sad about that so I've promised a nice day just the three of us. Will look up clubcard vouchers for lunch and apparently there's a costume museum which DD will love but not sure I have the energy for everything!

My summer slow cooker meals are:

Mushroom risotto
Chilli
Sweet and sour chicken
Chorizo & sausage casserole
Chickpea and sweet potato curries

My slow cooker was my most favourite thing. It broke a few months ago after years of constant usage but my mum had one that she never used. Which I absolutely adore now. I'd be lost without it.

Soon it'll be stews, stroganoff, red wine chicken, beef curries, minestrone soup, chicken casserole with sage dumplings and rice pudding.

Oh. The museum is free :o and has fossils/geology etc too. I think we will make the effort to go then. I love it when places are free, it means you don't feel pressured to see everything to 'get your money's worth' which is very helpful when you have limited energy! :) :)

Cag that trapeze workshop sounds like so much fun - my daredevil DD would love it. She loves zipwires and rollercoasters etc.

The costume museum sounds interesting too. What kind of costumes are they displaying - is it historical costumes?

Sounds like your DC are having a fun summer.

Sierra I've got a pulled pork going in the slow cooker today! Had a leg given by DH's farmer uncle so apart from the sauce it's a no cost dinner. Huge as well so I'll batch freeze. DS2 has a clinic apt. today, we'd normally have lunch out but my new thrifty thinking means lunch before we go - probably a saving of £15.
I've got an Asda order coming tomorrow, have carefully meal planned, gone through cupboards to check I really need the NHS and have managed a weeks shopping for £62 - just have to make sure I don't ruin it by topping up! I'm hopeful I should manage...
So far I'm really encouraged and still shocked by how thoughtlessly we've been spending. Looking forward to the end of the month to see the difference!

Really need the NHS???

Thanks, DD is really into gymnastics and she's always doing tumbles over bars etc so I think she will enjoy it! It was £10 for an hour of trapeze AND an hour of 'aerial skills' which seems like a bargain, only 8 in a group so not too busy for her. The museum turns out to be just a regular town museum but it happens to have a big costume collection - historical from what I gather. DD's cup of tea, she got it from my mum, all that stuff totally skipped a generation with me much to mum's disappointment :o (I mean I can appreciate that they are impressive/well made etc, it just doesn't interest me).

Ffs seller has refunded the trunk work have authorised my leave for NZ which is good. Nsd.

Trunki... Not trunk

italian saw this and thought of you

www.theguardian.com/books/2016/aug/06/danish-way-of-parenting-review

As people have been sharing tips (I'm still catching up on the thread!) I thought I'd share something I've been doing lately. The talk of the cash vs card debate reminded me.

I put a pot on the piano, just one of those ramekins you get from Gu puddings (le yum!). We now both put all our cash into it at the end of each day. Probably lots of you already do this! But it didn't occur to me. Before this, we'd each keep it in various bags/pockets etc and never really know how much we had between us, so often needed emergency runs to the local ATM etc. But now it's easier to keep track and is slightly helping with being less spendy too. It's also been quite useful when I have pupils pay me as I have a ready supply of change. I've been counting it every day :o - anything 10p and above, plus notes, stay in there, and 1/2/5ps go into the locked moneybox. DH said this morning, do you need me to get cash out for tomorrow's bus fare - normally I'd have just said yes without thinking but I knew we had more than enough to cover it, so no need. I'm using cash more - the other day I checked my online banking (I really need to do this more!) and I had only used my card once in over a week!

That's annoying Wreck - shame you're not nearer as I was going to sell DS' trunki :o

I wonder if they refunded as it didn't make as much as they expected? That seems to happen a lot. Wish people would just put reserves on their items if they're so bothered.

I didn't think you were able to refund if it didn't meet what you wanted but I suppose they could just say it has broken. That's very annoying though

Spent £3.85 on lunch and £10.25 in savers on toiletries so not quite NSD but I'm planning to go to aldi tonight to get things in for making my lunch. I spend at least £3.50 per day on lunches. Work 4 days so I'm sure I can save a fair bit each money by taking lunch to work

Yes I think that's what they've done as they didn't give a reason it was green too which is Ds' favourite colour

Wondering if anyone can help, I've set up YNAB but it won't link to my current accounts, is it only US accounts that can link to it? I also don't understand why it's asking me to allocate my savings and budget down to zero? Do I not include my savings accounts?
Sorry for all the questions

Bloody annoying Wreck, I didn't know that could happen.

Ipsos, the sear and stew is a great SC, I use mine the most, although I have a cheaper, ceramic one from Aldi too. It does cook slightly faster though, which seems to be the general consensus on reviews too.

No idea about YNAB, I found it a bit faffy for my liking.

Sierra, I used to feel like that about DS too, when DD was born, I felt I had to time alone with him.

Trapeze club sounds great