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Stretching your budget? Share tips and advice to discuss budgeting and energy saving here. For the latest deals and discounts, sign up for Mumsnet Moneysaver emails.

Frugaleers chatting and saving into August...

990 replies

ipsogenix · 03/08/2016 21:40

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.

OP posts:
Thread gallery
14
Ememem84 · 09/08/2016 12:55

all yes! Off to Italy on Thursday - Pisa, la spezia, and florence. Can't wait!!

Fluffycloudland77 · 09/08/2016 13:30

Regional variation Creme. Jerseys London prices.

Prices vary wildly around here, it's possibly fake cnd shellac or she's not too fussy on hygiene. Or both

CremeEggThief · 09/08/2016 13:42

I suppose. Too used to northern prices after 7 years up here. I think my salon use Gelish.

Meal Plan:
Today: meal out with a friend I haven't seen since the Easter holidays.
Wednesday : leftover pasta, pesto,avocado and olives that I made last night.
Thursday : meal out with another friend.
Friday : veggie burger, oven chips and salad.
Saturday: veggie cottage pie from the freezer.
Sunday : vegetable Kiev with new potatoes and green beans.
Monday: tofu and veg stirfry with noodles.
Tuesday: same as Monday.
Wednesday: meal out with another friend.
Thursday: lentil Bolognese from the freezer with spaghetti.
Friday: veggie burger, oven chips and salad.

Going to make a big potato salad now to have with green leaves, cherry tomatoes, beetroot and hardboiled eggs for lunch for the next 3 days.

Fluffycloudland77 · 09/08/2016 13:53

Gelish is a quality product.

NSD.

needastrongone · 09/08/2016 14:05

Must be a regional thing, as my beautician uses Gelish, and it's £28 for hands and feet. In fact, the sum poor Em paid covered my hands, feet, brows, tan and DD's acrylics!

Lovely room Italian.

Potato salad sounds lovely Creme.

Colliefeatures · 09/08/2016 14:08

em Love the colour.

creme thank you :)

There's no numbers on my gas boiler. But I have just turned down the hot water by another 10° angle as it was still coming out far too hot. (I turned it down a few months ago!)

Colliefeatures · 09/08/2016 14:11

...... Unless DH turned it back up secretly? Shock

ItalianWiking84 · 09/08/2016 14:12

Thanks need and all. Dd loves the room. Got some moomin posters at the zoo, 3 for 10£. Zoo was free because we have annual passes.
All: we can keep each other on the loop next month checking our spends per day abd where it's spend Wink

Fluffycloudland77 · 09/08/2016 14:23

I think em has CND Shellac though, it's a more expensive system afaik. It's selling point is no buffing and a 5 minute soak off with no natural nail damage at all. I've even got mil having CND shellac & she was against salon applied polish after a tech buffed her sisters nails to oblivion.

Collie Shock sometimes Dh does things like that. Is it a combi boiler ie no hot water tank?. Of course I have no annoying traits at all Wink

needastrongone · 09/08/2016 14:49

I suspect, if that's the going rate for nails in Jersey, that's just what it is, and possibly overheads in Jersey being higher in general, which is a shame for Em. But she now has pretty nails and feels fabulous before her holidays, so all cool. Smile

Whataboutwhathuh · 09/08/2016 14:59

Job done. Only took 2.5 hours. My back hurts. Five years of ice gone!

Frugaleers chatting and saving into August...
ipsogenix · 09/08/2016 16:02

My microwave definitely causes a huge spike in energy usage. I'm always surprised because it doesn't make the kitchen hot like the oven does. It does heat things very fast though, so I suppose it's not surprising that it uses a lot of energy.

OP posts:
SnugglySnerd · 09/08/2016 16:28

That looks brand new, what!
DD has started a horrible new habit of rummaging in her dirty nappy and getting it all over her hands. I think we need to embrace toilet training, have bought her some pants - 7 pairs for £2.50 in Asda, bargain! I got 2 packs. She has grandparents looking after her on Thurs and Fri and we have a day out planned at the weekend so we'll start next week. Am dreading it!

allthebestplease · 09/08/2016 16:35

When we moved to our new 'tiny' house we got rid of the microwave and don't miss it.
So exciting to go on holiday to Italy.
The meal plan looks very healthy.
Well done cleaning the freezer, I need to attack our oven Angry.
Spent £12 at Tesco for lunch with my friend, which is cheaper than going out and I still have lots of salad left, but its highlighted to me how expensive it is just popping into the Tesco express over the rd from me - £1 for an avocado...
I'm actually looking forward to budgeting properly.

Colliefeatures · 09/08/2016 16:50

snuggly good luck with potty training! Hopefully we can train DS soon! So nervous though... And he needs a toddler bed. Lots of changes are due. Eeek. I'm so nervous about it all.

Ipsos that's very interesting!!

what looks great! I cleaned mine last week so it's ready to move house with.

Just found a lovely, well priced house for sale. But apparently it's well priced because it's a shite area. Sad

CremeEggThief · 09/08/2016 17:06

Best of luck with the potty training, Snuggly and Collie.

Great job on the freezer, What. I haven't done mine in the 3 years I've had it. I'll leave it until I the drawers no longer close. I just did my inside windows this afternoon, for the first time since moving in here last June. I have a window cleaner for the outside, so should aim to do inside more often.

I have to say I love my microwave and use it at least a few times a week, for heating milk, baked beans, soup, frozen veg and rice, etc and de-frosting bread products. I deliberately bought a cheap, basic one a few years ago, as I think the simpler they are, the less chance of anything going wrong. It's about 5 years old now, so not bad for £30.

Collie, is there any way you could scouts the area more? It might not be as bad as its reputation suggests. Where I live is seen as a rough area, and although it's deprived, it's not bad at all. Most people are quiet and keep themselves to themselves and we have decent facilities for a village of this size.

Colliefeatures · 09/08/2016 17:44

I've been looking for a cheap small ish microwave. Mine is so gigantic is deeper than the worktop by a few mm. I'd love some work top space back! It was a gift so I felt like I had to use it.

Just bought some Winter boots for £40. They are suitable for Winter walks on Dartmoor so I'm very pleased! They were £90!

Creme that's a good idea! We'll have a nose around at the weekend. I'm hoping it's lovely! It has sea views too.

The parcel I was waiting for yesterday arrived and I'm sending it back for a £55 refund! Pah.

If anyone needs any boys clothes - Sainsbury's TU has some gorgeous stuff in for Autumn.

WigelsPigels · 09/08/2016 18:00

First post:

Just used uswith and save an estimated £400 a year. Using reusable nappies on baby 95% of the time and also bought reusable wipes. Breastfeeding saves a lot too GrinLooked at all DD's, none not needed. Allotment not very fruitful this year due to pregnancy and now little baby. Next year will be much better again.
Also going to start taking cash for shopping and leave card at home. Used to do this, works well for me.

Meal planning is great too, I cook all the time apart from the odd takeaway, try and keep it to once a month.

Methenyouplus4 · 09/08/2016 18:05

Well, I'very been busy...

Firstly joined YNAB-eye opener (will not bore you with details) but realised we weren't being precise enough with budget and 'disposable' was far too vague. Now we have been more specific, we actually only have £200 per month that is truly disposable, not the £800+ we thought.

Rang electric company and now know tariff and usage so i'm going to compare later then swap using topcashback.

Hang on, kids want out of bath so will finish message later...

Whataboutwhathuh · 09/08/2016 18:14

Well done me then! It is an eye opener when you start allocating it out.

We haven't left the house today so no spends (through I have done a tiny bit of bargain Christmas shopping) and no fuel used. I still have 200 miles of fuel in my car, I'll probably use 50 miles of that this week. Next week we will use a lot as dh is off Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. We are planning a trip to a butterfly farm, a trip to a NT place fairly near my folks and a trip to a steam railway. After that I shouldn't have too many trips for the rest of the Month. I'm really trying to be mindful of my fuel usage and I'm sure I'm cutting down. I'll try and work out my June and July petrol spends to see.

Fluffycloudland77 · 09/08/2016 18:17

If you download the frankie and benny app you get a £10 voucher 24 hours later.

ipsogenix · 09/08/2016 18:18

collie the last two bumps in the electricity curve on this graph are me turning on the microwave for about 8 or 10 minutes on the 950w setting. Does that help any?

Frugaleers chatting and saving into August...
OP posts:
Whataboutwhathuh · 09/08/2016 18:18

Tgi Fridays app was giving a free appetiser when you downloaded.

allthebestplease · 09/08/2016 18:29

Be prepared to be shocked and appalled - I need to sort my spending out.
So last full month (July)
We spent:
Tesco (shop over the rd) £335
Cash (I think a lot ended up being spent at Tesco) £360
Shops (clothes and stuff and toys) £335
Going out £107
House items/diy £140
Yikes well over a grand.

Spending from last pay to today...
Lidl: £170
Tesco: £337
Shops: £287
Cash: £60
Going out: £25
House/diy: £140

No wonder we go over the over draft and into credit cards.

Tell me to buck my ideas up.

ipsogenix · 09/08/2016 18:36

allthebest well done for getting it all itemised like that. That's a huge step.

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