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.

Cag, NSI would write to you if your premium bonds had won, but you can also check using their prize checker app.

Collie I've also opened a new bank account to allow me to have a monthly account and a weekly spend account. I've decided my payday is Friday so I move the money to my current account to cover that weeks direct debits and my weekly spend budget. Last week worked well and it allowed me to have a little spend last night as I had a bit left over from the week
Today DP and I are taking the kids (14 & 11) to a adventure park where you pay for each activity rather than an entry price. That suits us as we will just watch the kids rather than join in.

We were going to grab a tesco meal deal to take with us but I thought of my fellow frugaleers and I bought sandwich stuff and made them myself. It wasn't cheaper but we had much more for the money and it will last all weekend.

Thanks I will try and find a web version of the prize checker. The premium bonds were bought for me when I was a baby, and I didn't know about them until I was an adult, so they don't even have my address or anything!

Just joined topcashback, but how does it actually work? Couldn't see an obvious explanation section. Do I have to log on to that site if (for example) I want to buy it off ebay and go through their link?

£13 in budgens on lunch and snack stuff plus fruit and I got four mugs they were £1 each.

I need some help setting a budget for food and for household items. For a family of 4, DH drinks wine every night so I can make that bit a separate budget. (I wish he didn't drink but hey)

We shop at lidl and the Tesco express, which is literally across the road from us. But its quite ad hoc.
What amount should I aim for?

It's 3 USD for a small bottle of water here Em in the parks. About £2. Or, £8 for 4 of us.....

We have another week Girlie. I love America too. We fancy doing a road trip at some point. Orlando is a certain kind of holiday, and really brilliant in it's way, but we fancy really broadening our horizons and seeing 'real' America.

Meth, yes, you click on the link on the TCB site to claim the cash back.

Welcome, new people.

Yesterday we went to Busch Gardens, which is a lovely park about an hour from here. Paid for drinks etc in the park and a meal on the way home at a diner. Today is Epcot, but not until later.

Welcome to newbies
Still having to rest up so not much spending going on. My mum took dd to finish getting her high school uniform yesterday £42. All she needs now is shirts which is the easiest bit. Ds needs new shoes and a coat too.
Having home made tomato soup and focaccia for lunch which is all smelling lovely at the moment.
Still no word from the insurance company, hopefully that's a good thing & they don't have any queries.

Dh and the dc emptied the loft last night in preparation for the building work to start on Monday. Let's just say dh has a lot of sorting to do!! Loads & loads of football programmes and audio cassettes! Guess who's the hoarder.....

I just bought a Fitbit. I really want to use it to motivate me to be more active, and to get more sleep as well.

I'm not to be trusted to be let out with a debit card. £20 mountain warehouse, £38 sainsburys, £11 football socks, £13 in boots but used points.
I have foolishly or wisely time will tell joined the Christmas thread too.
Welcome more new people.

£22 on ear defenders. Hopefully worth it!

Super poor this next 2 weeks

So did a budget shop yesterday for £52 that was including baby milk.

NSD today..yay! First day in a long time I haven't spent a penny
Go me!

It's been a shitter of a day. DS wouldn't nap so we've had lots of whining, crying, screaming, tantrums. Arghhh!

BUT - we contacted the bank, changed a few things around and now we'll be £130 a month better off a month. Can't bloody believe it. I can't believe that the bank wanted to help us out so much.

Which is good because our monthly budget will drastically change when we move and now the extra £130 will make it frugal yet comfortable. Phew! (Houses are very pricey where we are moving to)

space I have a fitness tracker and it's amazing! I naturally walk 6000 steps per day but it makes me aim for 8000-9000 steps a day. it also records my heart rate. It's so weird because last week I suddenly felt very faint and the tracker recorded the change in my body!

Quidco update, the in store thing tracked :) just took a couple of days, which come to think of it seems to be par for the course with debit card purchases appearing on my bank statement anyway, so I shall expect that in future. I did live chat about the Haven thing, and they told me to open a claim, so I put all my info in and hopefully that'll work out - although they said Haven don't start to process it until 30 days after you pay?! So it'll take a while. Will be worth it for nearly a fiver extra though.

NSD. DS1 had his preschool jabs and I promised a biscuit from the supermarket after. He was so traumatised he asked to just go home.

Oh and £7 body shop and £1 on mould remover.
Body shop have 30% off everything with their loyalty card which is free and a gift with spends over £25

That's good about quidco cag. They are pretty good. A lot of places take ages to pay out cash back.
Oh collie days like that are awful but it will be bedtime soon. Good news about the extra money
Poor little what

Methenyou

When you buy something log in to quidco, search the retailer, click the link then shop straightaway. Try topcashback and Kidstart too.

Well done collie

NSD here, woo!

Hope little want is ok.

bertie I'm not sure. I hope I can still be frugal...but....I have some money saved up specially for holiday treats.

NSD, although my online Sainsburys for £48.62 will probably come out later. Sounds like a productive day,Collie, although sorry your DS was playing up. I switched broadband today, as Plusnet are putting up their prices and say they won't charge early exit fees, if you decide to leave because of this. I went through Topcashback and switched to EE. £27.50 a month (£10 fibre and £17.50 line rental) for fibre broadband for 18 months and £50.50 cashback.

Welcome to all our newbies too!

Carpet and curtain bought, was 130£ in total... She's going to get the cutest girls room, might be a bit prizie but totally worth it...

Ffs. £3.50 on hospital parking. In A&E with ds. £5 on food for his tea. Idiot Mam deserves a good slap for this

Oh no, what happened?

Hope he's OK life hope all the other little people who are having a bad day are feeling better / happier soon too.

I popped to Sainsbury's and bought a £15 wetsuit for DS! It is needed but I bet if I waited a week they'd be reduced. I'm an idiot. But it means he can go surfing tomorrow with us. Hangs head in shame.