Frugaleers chatting and saving even further into August...

[AGenie]

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.

Well done to all with the great gcse results today.

We went out to the Olympic park to watch a football match this afternoon, went shopping first though and spent a lot...

£50.05 clarks - ds2 school shoes, had to buy men's as he's a size 11
£25.00 Claire's accessories - possibly unwisely paid for dd2s things as she had forgotten her money, should get £20 back
£8.00 flying tiger - herbs, spices, napkins, a funnel, pan scourers and a pe bag
£7.00 primark - knickers for dd2
£26 in the food court
£7.00 drinks* -* stadium prices are outrageous
£6.50 car park

£129.50 total - although shoes were budgeted for and I must make sur I get that £20 from dd2.

Busy and expensive day again tomorrow as we are out for dd1s birthday treat.

Great news about your house Ever.
Fluffy, good partnership there.
I would love to be a sahm especially now the children will be at school
Dh is taking dc out today, he's on strict instructions to not do his usual spend spend spend.

Girlie The woozy feeling is great isn't it? Luckily the hospital gave me a huge pack.

DH is here for a week or more now so she'll pay for a load of shopping! :D
Bills are coming out in 2 weeks time but money has come in today so I'll have to not touch that account :/
Still have red shorts and white shirt for DSS's PE kit
Do reception kids need school bags or just book bags?
Pants and bras for me
T-shirts and jeans for DP
Plus a trip to IKEA (already been told I'm sad for not going out on Saturday in order to have £50 to spend on IKEA trip next week)

Another NSD! I woke up and thought it was Wednesday. It's Friday already and I'm pretty sure I've had a successful No Spend Week I bloody did it!!

Weekends are different. But we'll likely be spending on two beers at the pub, perhaps a carpark, and some ice cream! So under £10 for the weekend.

Then it's payday on Tuesday.

I think we are off to Ikea next week too.
I did not sleep well last night. Woke up at 3 and couldn't get back to sleep. At 4 DH got me a drink and a banana and then I dozed until the alarm went off at 6. I feel all shaky.
Need to send a letter recorded delivery today and have things to drop off at charity shop. Might buy DD a toy if they have anything good.
Hoping to go for a walk round NT place later, it's a beautiful day here.

I've got a weird dilemma. Hip replacements seem to run in my family and I'm realising more and more that my left hip no longer enjoys having to be involved with the clutch pedal of our car. The obvious answer is to switch to an automatic, but that means buying a car. I've been quite enjoying having an old car that just ticks along. Hum.

Could you get a second hand automatic?

Dh got paid and I have done the September budget. It was not as easy this month. We are no longer getting child benefit and our utilities have just doubles the direct debit. Got to do some more cut backs.

shortlegz yes I think that is probably what we'll do. Just thinking about the numbers involved is hard work with the frugaleering hat on. :-)

Been away a bit, sorry. Friend tried comitting suicide 2 weeks ago so been spending a lot of time trying to be there for her to support... Will have a read trough and will post spends later

Oh dear Italian, really sorry to hear that.

Spends: £2.49 shop, £6.50 DS haircut and £4.20 window cleaner.Total: £12.19.

Witalian, so sorry about your friend and it's great that you could be there for her.
Spends today £9.41. This was supposed to be another NSD but I wanted to use up my glut of tomatoes and courgettes and make some courgette soup and I needed turmeric. And I needed mixed spice for my bread pudding using all the stale bread I keep in the freezer. If I have bread over that is going stale I just throw it in with the rest of it in the freezer, then when I have enough I make bread pudding or something similar. And I did not have enough mixed fruit.
I also make passata with my tomatoes and needed garlic.
So totally worth it.
Fed up though. I needed to use my new nectar card to register it so I called into Sainsburys for a garlic. 50p for 1 large one, so I bought it.
Went to Aldi for mixed fruit only to find garlic is 48p for about 5. Bought onions and parsnips because they were on offer and I use a lot of onions.

Really annoyed but I had to buy something to use the nectar card.
Can I just chop the parsnips and freeze them or do I have to parboil them first.....anybody know please?

I went to Aldi today and the whole shop was gone. I was surprised. I think it has been gutted to be replaced with a two storey building or something.

I sometimes freeze uncooked chopped parsnip, Trying.

I chop and bag celery for putting in stews and spaghetti. I did this today. One package does five bags.

Sorry to hear about your friend, Italian.

Had a lovely and cheap day except for posting something special delivery which cost over 6 quid! DH asked if they used gold stamps when I told him!

Have had banging headache all afternoon that won't shift. Have had paracetamol twice but can't take anything else due to pregnancy so just plastering on 4 Head. I feel horrendous.

Oh, Snuggly that horrible. Perhaps lying down in a dark room may help.
Thanks Creme, I am going to peel and chop my parsnips now.
Think I will have to buy a small chest freezer for the garage as mine is full.
Stupidly I made a preserving pan FULL of soup.....4 kg of tomatoes, 4kg of courgettes etc.....well I did have a glut and I have the same amount left and no room in the freezer. I didn't think ahead, did I?

NSD today! Yaaay! Nearly wasn't, I had planned a little trip to the beach (£9 just for parking!!!) and probably icecreams too.
As it is, DD had her best friend around and went to the park, came back for icecreams and cold drinks etc. And had a lovely time. I even caught the sun a bit reading my book.
Lovely day all in all.
Tomorrow it's raining here, I'll be baking most of the day: quiches and cakes :)

Thanks all, lost a friend in the beginning of the year who also committed suicide so it's ribbing up some bad memories. Unfortunately it's her 3rd attempt so really hope she'll get the proper help this time and more importantly take it... My very sweet dh offered to let her stay here for a bit, she's single and we think prop lonely and depressed about "not fitting in" so now we have her in the spare room staying. Think dh is amazing for suggesting it.
Spent 10£ today on 2 nursing dresses, 2 nursing tops and a blouse, second hand. All fit well and not that used looking so pleased with that. And ordered 3 maternity dresses from zealando, because we are invited to my cousins daughters baptisms in September and I have nothing nice looking that fits. Won't keep em all, but hope one fit, they were 60£ in total...

Snuggly: ha ha that reminds me of my dh and dad who always asks if there's gold included when they think the price is ridiculous lol

Lil - thanks for help with ynab, that's what ill do, ill get it ready for next time and work through my pay cheque, rather than per month.

Italian I was thinking of your other friend and her dc when you said. I'm so sorry that your friends are having such a tough time, and you with them. It's very kind of you to have your friend to stay. That is a lovely thing to do.

Agenie: thanks. I give all the credit to dh who suggested it and I defn think he's amazing for doing it.

NSD today! Dd and I sat in the garden and played. Do need more bread though, will have to pop out to the shops tomorrow morning. Also on the shopping list is baked beans and Pepsi Max. Exciting life.

Italian It sounds like you're being a great friend. I've lost someone to suicide and it's such a terrible thing to happen.

Snuggly Short of sitting exams for them, I'm sure you did everything possible. Hope that the headache passes.

Need Congrats to your DS!

Welcome back Ever. I'm new here too!

Currently debating the ethics in my budgeting. We have milk delivered from a local dairy, where more profit goes to the farmers. However, it is twice the price of Tesco milk, essentially an extra £50 a year. I think we should keep it up but DH things otherwise.

I'm also not sure what to do about meat. Again always try and get the ethical option (if meat eating can every be called ethical) but it's significantly more expensive. I'm thinking stick to the same but just buy less.

Anyone made a similar decision?