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.

Lilac- thank you. I've put it on another thread in this section under 'another YNAB' quetion- think I may have done it wrong from the start?

£15 top up shop in tescos incl prosecco.
£10 petrol.

Horrible day at work yesterday hence wine. People are horrible to HCP. I'm not saying Dr Shipman was right in what he did, but I can think of a few he missed.

snuggly I am sorry the vet wasn't more optimistic. How old is the cat?.

Hope you had a nice relaxing evening with the wine fluffy.

Thanks for that info re your cleaners lilac, I think we've been unlucky in that neither of the cleaners we have gotten have been particularly good at cleaning. I'm unsure whether to keep looking for someone else or just stick with the one we have and accept that they will only keep on top of things on a weekly basis and I will still have to do the deep cleans on occasion. Maybe I had unrealistic expectations that getting someone to clean my house for a few hours a week would mean that I would no longer have to think about cleaning.

Fluffy I got told of by one of the Drs yesterday for being too jovial on reception

Bertie - I think you should go for another cleaner, if you want a better clean then that's what you should get, so write them a list and say I want you to move the sofa to get underneath, I want you to move dining room chairs to hoover fully etc..
Once you've got a good cleaner, you'll be so much happier.

I like the sound of that Dr Wreck but I've often found them to be realistic about patients too.

I wouldn't want to be a GP.

Dhs paperwork for his new co-op bank came today so he's going to ring later to make sure the switch goes through. It's £150 cashback.

Oh no fluffy he actually told me off. I got in trouble.

You just can't win some days.

He's nearly 15, fluffy.
This week has been a disaster money-wise and DH has just had to go to the shop to get something for lunch. I've really underestimated how much more gets eaten with DD and me at home all day every day. I'm rubbish at at snacks. We have fruit which DD loves but I think is giving her a dodgy tummy. Otherwise I can only think of crap like biscuits or cakes. Constant nausea isn't helping as I'm struggling to think what I could eat or prepare it. I need to get my arse in gear next week. DD has watched too much tv this week and the school hols are ticking away without us doing very much. We have run out of money too for this month so trying to limit outings except to the park. We're getting a bit bored.
Sorry for all the negativity, I'll shut up now.

I'm majorly behind on the thread, not feeling great.

Anyone have any ideas for making roomsharing more bearable for my DCs? They're 9 and nearly 7. Their room is 12' x7'. We can't swap rooms with them as our bed won't even fit in their room. Can't afford to move as rent has increased massively, even in the cheapest parts of town (we're lucky the LL has kept ours the same for 7 years).

Sounds like everyone is doing well with the month. I have found just checking into this thread really useful to keep budgeting in the fore front of my mind really helps.

Had a good chat with DP about budgeting for the rest of the month this morning. He's off on a banger car rally on Thursday for a week across Europe. I thing his budget for the trip was more optimistic than realistic but we have it sorted now I think. Something someone said earlier on the thread about only spending each pound once resonated with both of us !

We are going into to town to buy him a few t shirts for his trip and get his Euros, plus an engagement present for the part we are going to later.
DS still away with his dad, they've gone to Spain today so I'm on pins now until him and DP get back.

I think you are right allthebest,, I'll try to get someone knew and then prepare a proper list of jobs for each room. I didn't do that up to now as I thought someone working as a cleaner would know better than I would what needs to be done, but maybe I'm more particular than I realised so need to tell them exactly what I want. Must have a look through the housekeeping topic here, I might find some tips for preparing a list.

No need to apologise for the negativity Snuggly, I'm sure you will feel a little better for venting a bit. From your mention of school hols, your DD is obviously a lot older than DS; he's only 1, but I give him the following snacks:
Babybels ( or pieces of normal cheddar)
Bread and butter/ scones
Low sugar Cheerios.

Carrot sticks.
Yoghurt is great too but I keep that to mealtimes because of the enormous mess he makes

wreck at you getting told off..

cag could they have bunkbeds that each have a tent above / on the side, or curtains? So both bed spaces are enclosed? The top bunk could be like a teepee and the bottom like curtains.

Or would you & DH consider having a small double to make a room swap work? I think I would fall out of a "small double bed" ! So can totally understand if you don't like that idea. I'll keep thinking

NSD here

snuggly we've always struggled with snack time and lunches too!
Definitely agree with Bertie. We found breadsticks, Cheerios, houmous, cheeses, bagels, scotch pancakes make good snacks too. And homemade milkshake!

Since hes been getting older I've made various types of trail mix - sunflower seeds, choc chips, dried fruit, popcorn, almond flakes. He loves it and it's easy to take a small pot with us to the park. I make it on a Saturday and it lasts all week in a plastic container.

21 Trail Mix Recipes

It's good for kids, stay at home parents and it's handy to take to work to graze on. I love it! In the winter I add cinnamon spice to it. Mmmm!

It's quite pricey to buy the ingredients the first time but they last ages - and we've built up a trail mix cupboard! DS who is almost 3 grazes all day long! Like a sheep

Snack ideas
Oatcakes with peanut butter
Fruit loaf with margarine
Scotch eggs / picnic food
Milk shake
Cheese and crackers
Ham and cheese roll ups.

Free activities

We go to the garden centre or pets at home and look at the animals
Treasure hunt in the woods - draw pictures of things to spot and cross them off feather / squirrel / butterfly / ant / nest / dandelion
Fort building with blankets and pillows

I don't think too much tv is a big deal really xx

Thanks, the tent idea might work! At the moment they both have beds with storage - DS has a cabin bed over wardrobe/drawers/bookshelves, and DD has a bed with drawers.

There is literally no way of fitting a double in (ours is narrow already), we would have to take the door off as it wouldn't open.

Did you mean this kind of thing?

www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00QV90TGY/ref=twister_B00R6AJPUI?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

I think it would work, if I could find one that was the full length of the bed

ooh...

www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/40296599/

wouldn't be able to get one on DS' bed (ladder is in the middle not the end) but DD could perhaps

I got the dc both trunkis and trunki satchels from eBay for £50. Collected them today. Hoping for good resale value too. Food shopping is coming in a bit.

Meal plan;

Tuna pasta bake
Wraps (coleslaw/salad/whatever I can find)
Lemon chicken with prawn crackers
Quiche with salad and new potatoes
Chicken burgers in baps
Fish cakes with mash and veg

Lazy day at home just doing almost nothing, not even doing cleaning lol... Picked up a doll nusery baby born table for dd second hand for 5£ and after a good cleaning it looks brilliant.. Oops so actually still did a bit of cleaning

cag yeah thats what I meant! It would be so cool! Kids love dens. so do i

snuggly I found my old Spring Bucket List - not sure if it may help? I write them down because my memory and imagination is crap. I need it written down and stuck on the fridge so I always have ideas.

Visit a farm
Catch the train
Plant some seeds
Woodland walk
Put some wild flowers in a vase
Visit a farmers market. (£5 spending limit)
Fish n chips at the beach
Visit the moors & spot ponies
Play poosticks (small sticks, stream/river and a footbridge)
Go puddle splashing.
Feed the ducks & ducklings
Fly a kite on a windy day
Decorate a flower pot
Plant some pansies (Aldi pansies)
Make some summer berry smoothies
Rainy day indoor picnic & treats
Buy a new book from charity shop (£3 limit)
Chalk drawings on the patio
Build a den with blankets and pillows
Throw all the cushions on the floor, duvets and sofa cushions for a big bounce!
Make daisy chains
Throw a frisbee
Fun water play with watering can, water pistol, bath or sink. Lots of bubbles, sponges and pouring things.
Bubbles in the garden
Teddy bear picnic in the garden or at the park
Clean the windows ;)
Make a bird feeder / bird feeder ball / anything
Dance to music
Make some sun catchers
Make some collages from buttons, fabric, feathers, sticks... Anything!
Play catch
Go for a walk in the country to spot butterflies
Make oat and raisin cookies
Catch a bus
Catch a taxi (DS loves taxis)
Decorate cookies or cupcakes.
£1 limit at a carboot / flea market
Make friendship bracelets
Collect sea glass and sea shells

It's a bit of a mish mash on ages and boys/girls because I had my niece with me in June so had to think of some extra stuff.

That toy looks fab italian. My colleague tried desperately to raise her Dd gender neutral & she made a bee line for the baby dolls on her first day of nursery

wreck. Good plan. Dh buys stuff and sells it for what he paid for it. I never manage it.

NSD because the food shop came out of the joint account.

Meal plan.

Home made pizza. Pepperoni for Dh, tuna and anchovy for me.
Chinese curry with Chinese roast pork and chicken.
Lamb kebabs.
Bolognaise with mushrooms.
Sausage based dinner of some sort.
Burgers, going to make McDonald's secret burger sauce. Turns out it's not secret.

Fluffy: ha ha dd loves playing with dolls and especially changing them and giving them clothes on. She also loves playing with cars and driving her scooter so I believe in giving her the toys that develops her and give her joy within our means... But in general in Denmark we just have toys and there's not so much focus on gender for toys, kids just plays...

I need to make a meal plan later and shopping list so we can ready for the new week where the holiday is over...