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 have rescue remedy. And have sea sick wristbands which helped last time I flew. I know it's because I've been stressed and I'm tired.

Dh is ignoring it to a certain extent. He's just said (in a nice way) "get on with it. This happens every time. You know it does. You can get through it." He's right. It always happens. I get anxious nervous have a little cry. Then I'm ok.

Just checked in which probably didn't help the anxiety. It's made it more real. Eeek!

Off out now. Going to take my mind off it. Be more zen.

em that sucks.

Snuggly which version of Excel are you using? if it is 2010 let me know & I will crank up the work laptop to check whiich tab it is on .... I can see where it is, but just can't remember it's name. I love Excel.... so any excuse to make a new spreadsheet is welcome.

DD & I have finished sewing the top sheets for our (very swanky) quilts - the mill shop isn't open untill tomorrow so we can't buy the wadding & backsheets until then. It is so much cheaper than any other suppliers that I can't justify getting it from somewhere else.

Just did my weekly shop at Tesco online for £48!

Quiche and salad
Sausage roast
Pasta bake
Jacket potatoes, beans & cheese
Veggie burgers & chips
Chilli con carne
Spag bol with garlic bread

Very pleased with that result. That also includes washing powder, washing up liquid, Sheba cat food, shampoo and toilet roll.

That's a nice new name AGenie. I like it.
NSD here, so 3rd in August.
Me I read your post right through and I think you are brave facing up to it and posting the numbers. But the hard bit is now over. How old is DS? It's good for him to be making his own decisions because it will benefit him in the end. He will learn that money does not grow on trees, unlike my DGCs.

Nsd. Free riding lesson because I helped out today.

AGenie, can't you get the hearing test on the NHS?

Yes it is Windows 2010 Unescorted, thank you.
Agenie I don't think I'm stressed about it but I want to set up a spreadsheet at work too for monitoring my students' progress, I think it's the spreadsheet bit that's on my mind more than the frugaleering part!
Didn't do too badly at the shops. Got boxes from Hotel Chocolat for dad and MIL. Body shop have the hemp hand cream which I love half price so I stocked up. They also have lots of small items eg hand cream, shower gel, soap on 3 for 2 so I got a few stocking fillers. Christmas shopping 2016 has officially begun!

A year is bearable as at least you have a nice holiday to look forward to at the end of it, and children will remember a holiday more than school lunches.

We went swimming today £8 but was very good and took snacks with me and had lunch back at home so much better Tha my old ways of paying for a rubbish burger and chips at the rubbish cafe.

£9 on house bits in IKEA and £10 on lunch for three of us. I had a children's meal which was fine.

wreck last year you recommended some jeggings from M&S. Do they have belt loops and a zip / button? Or were they pull up ones.

Collie, I have some jeggings from M&S, but they're more like skinny jeans with belt loops, a button and a zip. I meant o add yesterday is there anyone your DH works with who lives or know people who live in the area you're not sure of? It would be good if so.

Wreck, hope you're having a great time at "Matilda".

Snuggly, long past the toddler stage (although teens are similar in some ways) and my 3 year old niece lives too far away, so no help , unfortunately. Today's boring jobs achieved were cleaning the microwave, kettle and toaster and wiping down all the lightswitches, doors and handles inside and out. Considering they're white and hadn't been done since I moved here last June, they weren't too bad at all.

What, that was brilliant for Ikea. Result!

Spends: £1.50 on bananas.

Nice name change, AGenie.

Thanks creme

I think I could trying but the health insurance is easier as we can pick a date at short notice. It's the good audiologist who is very expensive and I don't think she does NHS any more.

Creme the jeggings I bought sound exactly like that! I had a gift card so I bought new jeggings and l/s tshirt for colder weather.

Yeah his colleagues have been super helpful and are the ones who told us it wasn't a good area. DH walked up to the area in his lunch break and said he doesn't want to walk there ever again. Ha!

The boots I bought yesterday are being returned. They don't fit and the material is very cheap.

Mine are peach, so I wear them in summer, but I am very happy with them, Collie. Shame about the area, but at least you know not to waste any more time on it. Sounds like a lovely house, but location is more important.

Tryingto- he's nearly 12. We spoke in the car today and he said he thinks he's going to opt for trip over school dinners-I hope so as, like you, I think it will be a much more memorable experience.

£11.25 spend today: £7 on orchid for friend, £2 on cake to take to her house and £2.25 on milk and cream. On the plus side, lovely friend have me huge pile of books, gorgeous wooden dolls house (both going away for DD for Christmas), a huge bin bag of clothes and shoes for DD to grow into and an outside plastic table&chair set for the kids-brilliant as we were (pre-new budget) considering buying one.

Still need to make q meal plan for food shop on Friday. Tonight I will make a couple of pans of soup (1 to freeze) with veg that is past it's best (rather than binning) and make a couple of loafs of bread.

Tomorrow will need to spend £20 on car (is in garage at the moment) but we are super lucky that we have super honest/reasonable mechanic that my family has used for years so feel like I really can't sniff at £20!

Do people find it helpful whend other post their meal plans for the week? Happy to later but don't want to bore people!

Yes, I see AGenie. If you can get the best with insurance go for it. My little DGS has a medical issue but his parents are insured and it makes such a difference. Like you say, you can pick the date, more or less, and the consultant. Hope it goes well.

Me, post away. You won't bore anybody. And like like to look for ideas and pinch them.

collie I've got a few pairs of the m&s jeggings. The 5 pocket ones. They're great. I wear them all the time.

me yes post away. I like looking at meal plans. Gives me ideas.

Packed. Just. My flight anxiety isn't helped by the fact that I have to pack two bags (one hand luggage with clothes in and toiletries) and one hold bag. Learned the hard way with BA to do this. We have about an hour and a half between flights tomorrow. So want to make sure that our bags arrive.

Also good to know Dh has packed a huge suitcase. room for souvineers

i have packed a ton of toiletries which I am going to use up while we're away so am hoping to come back with an empty make up/wash bag. Have so much I need to use up!

I have some success...after sharing our money/budget issues with DH he's agreed to not drink in the week - so that should save money.

Yes to meal plan ideas.

Also I didn't think about budgeting for Christmas, am going to have put some pennies away for that.

I wonder how many people drink in airports to beat flight anxiety Em? Can you have a nice glass of something before boarding?.

Today was

£1.50 cake but will get 60p back off Shopitize.
£2 children's pizza but will get all of it back off Shopmium.
£1.25 beer I owed Dh.
£10 petrol. Did you know sainsburys pumps can be set to dispense a certain price? I pre set for £10 and it just did it.

We had a Chinese curry out of "The takeaway secret" tonight. The meat was BBQ pork, tastes just the same as takeaway, but the sauce was Jamie Oliver. It was lush. Way cheaper than a Chinese takeaway.

I think You can download it as a PDF. I bought mine second hand.

Em hooray! I can't wait until mine arrive. Comfy jeans are so rare!

me yes please post your meal plan

fluffy that sounds too tasty.

creme I ordered a standard blue denim so it'll fit with my stripey top addiction. I wanted a berry colour but they didn't have one yet. Yeah we chose house over location here big big big mistake. But we were desperate to get out of our very horrible rental property.

"You never know what your bad luck has saved you from!" I often think this...

I think I'll revise the shop. I think I can do better!! love a good challenge

How on earth did you only spend £9 in Ikea, what? I've never managed to come away without spending 2 hundred quid.
I've been useless with DD today. I'm exhausted, so is she and we've both been grumpy. I haven't had the energy to entertain her properly so by 5pm she was climbing the walls! Must be better tomorrow.

It was em not me I currently have asda ones.

Matilda was awesome.