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.

Thanks for the lovely welcome all!

Zampa we get organic eggs and organic chicken so I understand you wanting to get organic milk. I think it's fine even if it isn't cheaper!

Nsd for me today! Spent my post work sweeping and tidying the garden.

Also made a cooling foot gel as my feet are roasting as I'm pg - I mixed moisturiser with drops of peppermint and tea tree and rubbed it in - lovely and also FREE!

Best have you watched any of the videos or taken any classes? Facebook Group Link you can only work with the money you have. Maybe create a dummy budget if you want to plan out a month to play around with?

Italian that's fabulous of you & your dh especially when you've a small dd & another on the way

I got my electricity bill & I am €26 in credit & bill is €68 cheaper than this time last year. Proves my budgeting for the bi monthly bill weekly is working

Today's spends were €13 on a drink for me & non alcoholic ones for dh, dd & ds & €10 on end of summer disco we got chips & a drink included for that price though

Green that's not sad that's planning ahead

How are you feeling for a good nights sleep Snuggly? Any better. I imagine the whole exam thing for a teacher is very stressful.

Zampa, thank you for the congratulations. Could you do half and half for the milk? Half local, half supermarket? I buy an organic meat box from the local farm monthly, and participate in their veg growers scheme. It's not cheap. The quality of the meat in particular is excellent, and it's the most ethical option available for our meat eating family. I think that unless you are living in abject poverty, it's fine to make moral choices financially, impossible if you are in the former category.

The gel sounds lovely everdene. I'm using up all the lotions and potions I have in the house, rather than buy more.

My husband suffers with depression Italian, he is bi-polar. Mental health is a tough thing. You are being lovely friends.

Yesterdays spends were.
£35 M&S but had vouchers, so £0
£25 Aldi.
£5 DS Karate.

Today I don't plan on spending anything, DH and DD are going to Leeds Fest, so whatever they spend there.

nsd yesterday. Yay! Work has been tough this week. So glad it's a bank holiday!

Got a letter that wrecked my buzz yesterday. TESCO are reducing the club card points you earn on their credit from 1 for every €2 spent to 1 on every €8 spent. I've been putting everything through the card to build up points for our holiday ferry next year oh well better start saving for it as well

Oh that's a real shame Lilac. All my toy-buying budget for birthdays and Christmas comes from my Tesco points. Every year I buy a bunch of small lego sets and put them in a cupboard to smooth out the bumps in the year (surprise presents to make life easy during illness, and prizes for big progress). It will be very different trying to do my job now the Tesco boost has gone and now the tesco points are changing. I suppose if food got cheaper it would be worth it though.

Lilac- that's really annoying. Guessing it's too soon to book in advance?

Been missing off here for a few days as been in the Lakes on holiday (state in relative's caravan so free). Really pleased that (despite being away), we stuck to food/fuel budget and only real spending was £4.50 one day on parking and £12 one day on entry to the zoo. We did buy kids a couple of small toys but my mum gave us money for that. Oh, and I bought myself a £1 magazine and £21 ring out of my own personal budget of £50 for the month.

Today will be quite spendy as doing Aldi food shop and collecting a few birthday/Christmas presents (trying to spread cost). Will read back a bit tonight when I get on top of washing etc!

Exciting news yesterday not really exciting new tax rate came through. Now only 7% instead of 17% hoorah! So I can save a little bit more every month.

Riding today and BBQ on beach later. My eBay items are doing well too so hopefully tomorrow loads will sell! I love eBay and my new bathroom is almost finished! Yay!!!!

Weekends chores - meal plan and food shop list, might go blackberrying, will freeze until I have time to make jam.

dh needs to sort out our spare room as its full of junk. And I must clean the car. Must.

Morning everyone, I'm starting to feel better now thanks. I threw up at 8.30 last night which often happens when I have a really bad headache. After that I went to bed. Woke in the night to go to the loo and was so disorientated I walked into DH's bedside table instead of the bedroom door! Still felt terrible first thing but sat in bed sipping water and got up about an hour ago and had some cereal. Feel ok now, just a bit weak and wobbly.
We are getting a supermarket takeaway for tonight as a cheaper alternative to a proper takeaway. Already have some samosas in the freezer too.
DH is off work next week - hooray! Means I should be able to take it a bit easier for the last week of the hols before school starts. We have a few house jobs to do and hopefully will have a couple of days out. DD is desperate to go blackberrying so that'll be a nice frugal outing.

Was that all because of your school kids' exam results Snuggly? I had no idea that the teachers got stressed about it too. I'm glad you're on the mend.

I don't know, I have been worried about results but I think it's a mixture of that plus pregnancy and I haven't been sleeping very well for a couple of weeks. It doesn't happen very often luckily, maybe once a year.

Sorry guys if I wasn't clear boost isn't gone it's the points for spending on TESCO credit card that are being reduced

Em that's really exciting news 10% is a huge difference
Methenyou that was fantastic to keep to your regular budget while away & still have treats of days out & toys & your ring.

Today I'm having breakfast in a cafe with a friend & my dc. I must buy diesel, meat deal for €20 & my weekly treat of Irish daily mail, it comes with a fab magazine all for just €1.40 & has meant I haven't bought a magazine in years. Then it's home to pack up the stuff from my second job to return tomo.

I put a couple of dds jackets up on Facebook for sale too

Lilac Tesco announced a few months ago that the boost scheme had been cancelled too.

That's good that it doesn't happen often snuggly. I hope you're getting a rest there.

lilac pretty happy with the tax saving. I pay as I earn too so will be able to save over £1000 by the end of the year with the reduction! Which will help enormously.

Our local bhs closed last week. And already they've announced its replacement. Flannels. Not one of heard of before but have googled and seen that they only stock designers. Which is lovely. But unaffordable. We already have two dept stores selling the majority of the designer brands they sell. Do we need another? No.

I would love to say NSD but that's a load of bollocks.
£8 on a veg peeler for poorly hands
£6 in Holland & Barret for DS vitamins but it'll last until Christmas and they make a huge difference. He hasn't been ill since he started taking them!
£7 in WHSmith on a new book

And I saw some AW16 boxy jumpers, skirts and tights that I wanted but I'm holding back for a few days.

Em that's really exciting news 10% is a huge difference
Methenyou that was fantastic to keep to your regular budget while away & still have treats of days out & toys & your ring.

Today I'm having breakfast in a cafe with a friend & my dc. I must buy diesel, meat deal for €20 & my weekly treat of Irish daily mail, it comes with a fab magazine all for just €1.40 & has meant I haven't bought a magazine in years. Then it's home to pack up the stuff from my second job to return tomo.

I put a couple of dds jackets up on Facebook for sale too

I didn't know that AGenie I'd better boost what I have so for my ferry journey

That's brilliant em
I'm trying to decide whether to deregister as self employed this month & take the hit on my tax return this year or wait until next year so that I can save for it if necessary

Littlewoods codes for ROI

Just ordered a small chest freezer for the garage from currys for £99 but DP says he will give me the money so am delighted about that. It's coming on Monday . Got a few £ cashback through TCB.
Means I can now go blackberrying without worrying where to put them and a kind neighbour is going to give me a load of cooking apples, so jam and pies, I hope.
Glad you feel better Snuggly.
TESCO must really be struggling. They can't compete with LIDL and ALDI
Have a good weekend everyone.

Littlewoods codes for ROI

Sorry for double post app said it failed to post

Majorly unproductive day yesterday! Had loads of child-free time thanks to DSD taking them to work with her in the morning (she works at the adventure playground childcare place) and a party in the afternoon. Did absolutely sod all with that time! There is so much I should be doing!

Friend coming up this afternoon. Going to play DS' new board game again (as friend already has it so she knows what she's doing! We lost the first game, it's a co-op).

Frugal win the other day - one of the Caglets' new slightly older friends from our street was having a clear-out, and insisted on giving her old TMNT truck/figures to DS, and two pairs of Nike trainers to DD (which will be fine for DS once she outgrows them).

The tent on DD's bed is working a treat. She didn't come down AT ALL last night. She said it was too hot in the tent, so she put the fan next to it, and I think that must've worked as white noise as she didn't ask for the 'waves' (youtube video, 10hrs of waves lapping the shore). I've decided to get a clip fan - the clip light is working brilliantly, so I thought we could clip a fan next to it. Found one for £12 on Amazon but might try Wilkos etc first.

Brilliant news cag about the tent & about you doing nothing yesterday your body needs the rest.