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.

Cag I am currently munching my way through a box from Hotel Chocolat that I bought my dad but he left them behind at my house and has now gone away for a month. I will of course have to replace them which is non -frugal but I couldn't resist.
Run out of loo roll so need to pop out and get some this morning. Also going to get some of those travel sickness arm bands as my nausea is back with a vengeance!
Realised I'll get paid on Friday, early because of Bank Holiday. Hooray!

My Ac: £300
Joint ac: £1169

Dh gets paid on Thursday so his money will his the joint ac then. Mortgage payment of £1300 due on 4 sept.

Spends today £15 fruit

I also need to buy him a birthday card.

Apparently we have a chunk of savings we can use to pay down the mortgage again from Dhs bonus. Which will be good.

Morning. It's a really sunny day here. Dd is asleep for her morning nap. I think once she's up we'll go to the local children's farm. We have an annual pass (£25, instead of £6.00 a visit!) and she can stare at some animals.

I also have membership to the local swimming pool, and she's free, so that's a good one to do for an hour.

What "free" things do you do? I can't go on long walks etc because of my mobility, but sitting in baby pool or meandering around a farm is ok.

Was supposed to be having a recipe called "whore's coddle" today, from hairy bikers books. Really not fancying it though so might make a jambalaya instead with the sausages. Just need a carrot, the rest of the ingredients are "store cupboard". Sorry, meal plan!

Meal plan for the week

Monday - left over pork wraps
Tuesday - chicken dippers and waffles (Dh is staying in London so I always do an easy dinner in case my darlings are being difficult)
Wednesday - pork hash (cubes of carrot and potato par boiled and then sautéed with onions and left over pork. Once all brown and crispy and yummy chuck in something green, parsley / spinach / peas / green beans, serve with Worcestershire sauce and a fried egg or two)
Thursday - sausage, Apple and sweet potato tray bake
Friday - satay chicken and rice.

We might go to the zoo after lunch we have an annual pass or to the woods where we have an annual parking pass.

That's great to be able to do that em that's my vision

Bloomin heck those wrist bands were expensive! Over £8! I think I feel better though so hopefully worth it.
Honey my free things are going to National Trust places so DD can run about in the lovely grounds. I am very lucky that my mum pays for our annual membership. Also the park and going to look at the pets in the garden centre. We had lots of fun last year walking around after dark looking at everyone's Xmas lights so I'm looking forward to doing that again.
Need to do a meal plan today.

Welcome Honey Collie normally has some amazing ideas for activities based around the season we are in! How old is your dd? When my dd was younger we did various walks, garden centres, parks and feeding the ducks etc, i have found now she is 10yo it gets more tricky to keep her entertained this way though! That said she quite enjoys a mooch round charity shops and we do things like bike rides/ swimming which don't cost much.

Thanks everyone for the well dones, dd was pleased and i was very proud of her. No idea where she gets a love of horses from as I am scared stiff on them Talking of horses where has Need got to? Em are you still having lessons?

Going to Lyme Regis today, (for anyone who has never been put it on your list of places to visit!) We love it down there, hoping weather will stay nice. Will take a pack lunch and spends should be contained to ice creams and chips! Am trying not to think about the fact that i am back to work on Wednesday and that is the start of a 5 day stretch The holidays go too fast.

We want to go to Lyme Regis! DD has been learning about Mary Anning.

Snuggly, Girlie thank you for the ideas. She's a 6 month old, frustrated by her inability to crawl.

Oops. Forgot to say. We went to the farm (free) and spent £1.30 on carrots and peppers for dinner, with lots of left overs.

Em Do you have a waitrose? Clicksnap is also doing Tate and lyle jam sugar £1 off at waitrose, redeemable 10 times. That's a lot of jam. It makes it half price. Mortgage overpayment sounds brilliant. I would love to do that.

£15 petrol
£11 McDonald's.

Tesco orchard vouchers arrived. Probably getting beef joints for winter.

£2.30 birthday card for my friend, 45p paracetamol.

Cag they have a fossil festival in the spring. A boy in my class went this year and told me all about it, it sounds brilliant.

£40 on acupuncture and £15 on prescription - that's all my budget money spent. Next budget money is Friday. So I have to be very frugal. (£30 left to buy groceries).

NSD here! Had a very intense physio session then had to see the nurse for blood tests. So haven't spent a penny. I need a strong cuppa but it's too damn hot for a cuppa.

Oooh! Thanks Snuggly I'll make a note of that. :)

Late post again, but up to date now.

Sunday 21st August
Money in Jar: £0.00
Money in Purse: £1.40
Money in Bank: £807.30
Grand Total: £808.70
Reduction since yesterday: £217.69
Days to Pay Day: 25

Spends:
£20.02 – DH petrol
£0.99 – Amazon Kindle book
£42.47 – Meat delivery
£130 – Cash DH
£2.50 – parking
£10.00 – cash DH!
£12.00 – Pizza (coming out of the grocery budget)
£3.00 – Pop & Milk

Still to spend:
Gyms: £43.99
DS2 Football (cash): £6.00
DS2 Football (standing order) £15.00
DS2 bus fare: £7.20
Interest: 0.55
Petrol Budget: £68.98 remaining
Grocery Budget: £206.08 remaining
Leaves for everything else: £460.90
Birthdays / nights out budget; £235 (Didn't go see the band)
…..................................................................................................................................................
Monday 22nd August
Money in Jar: £0.00
Money in Purse: £7.40
Money in Bank: £713.95
Grand Total: £721.35
Reduction since yesterday: £87.35
Days to Pay Day: 24

Spends:
£20.00 – hair
£6.40 – stamps
£38.86 – Asda (broken down into £17.00 gifts/cards, £10.60 personal spends (wax melts, tea-pot, 2 tins of rum/coke, £9.26 groceries)
£17.99 – Poundworld (broken down into £7.99 for a flask, £2.00 on school pens for DS2, £1.00 on school pens for DS1, £2 on pringles for ME, £1.00 on two drinks, £2 on sweets
£2.95 – personal spends (shop bought lunch from Greggs)
£1.15 – unaccounted for

Still to spend:
Gyms: £43.99
DS2 Football (cash): £6.00
DS2 Football (standing order) £15.00
DS2 bus fare: £7.20
Interest: 0.55
Petrol Budget: £68.98 remaining
Grocery Budget: £196.82 remaining
Leaves for everything else: £382.61
Birthdays / nights out budget; £180
…........................................................................................................................

Someone up thread asked me if I had considered YNAB - I trialled the free version of it but I didn't get on with it. The way I post on here is the best way I have found :-)

girlie yes still having riding lessons and still loving it. Cantered the other day without stirrups for the first time. Stayed on. Super confidence boost. id obviously cut back or give it up if We needed the cash as I realise it's a total luxury. But so far were OK.

fluffy thanks! Yes we have waitrose. I'll check it out.

Just been to see friend of mine and deliver a cuddly toy garlic to her daughter (18months) the coop were doing a series of stuffed veggies and fruits to encourage healthy eating. Little one loves her "gawick"

Friend also had tonnes of cooking apples so she's going to let me have some. If I get enough blackberries I'm going to make a pie.

£37 at boots - better than the £43 I would have spent online - I forgot my list but think they take the VAT off so would explain why it was cheaper. Same offers. Either that or I forgot something.

£7.59 in m&s on fruit.

NSD, but just ordered a take away through Just Eat to celebrate the return of DS. He wanted pizza instead of the curry I was longing for, ho, hum. Marvellous to see him though! So that'll be £14.10, when it comes out of my account. My food order's coming tomorrow morning too, which is good, as we've only got a few tins and cereal in. This will be the first proper shop in almost 3 weeks!

wow creme good work.

I'm annoyed as i can't find my gym card so didn't go this evening I'm going to have to pay £2 to get a new one. walked to and from work today, and had a stroll at lunch round the shops.

tomorrows lunch mission - walk to the gym to see if i can get a new card. then go to the gym in the evening. I know i could go without a card...but...couldnt be bothered.

walking challenge update - so far this year have walked 668km of my 1000km target. not bad...only just over 300km to go and just over 4 months left. can totally do this.

have also re-synched the bounts app (have forgotten which one of you lovelies put me onto that) now have 1100 points. need about 1300 to get a voucher for something, but i get 5 points a day providing i walk over 7000 steps...totally do-able.

am feeling less anxious about things at present. the holiday obviously did me the world of good. had time to relax and reflect and think about things.

Cag I have a feeling the Caglets would love Lyme, loads of crystal and fossil shops! My dd loves it and I make her take her own money as she always stocks up on gem stones and crystals. There is a brilliantly random dinosaur museum as well which is worth a visit!

We had a lovely day on the beach, dd caught a massive crab so was very excited about that!

Spends
£5 parking
£2.50 on lucky dip (dd)
£4 ice creams
£1.20 cup of tea
£4.40 fish n chips
£4 arcades

Last day of my holiday tomorrow face. Going to go to a discount village to get dds school shoes and then meeting a friend and her kids at a local out door pool, spendy but nice end to my hol.

Walked to the park a mile and a bit away and back. Wore out my 3 year old and he got to play in a giant sand pit. Ds2 had a nice time too. No spend and no petrol used.

Oooh also £93.48 in my "penny" account. From January. Insane!

Intrigued to see how much I'll get by 31 Dec.

Got a refund from fat face today £26.60 and sent my email to BA complaining and demanding compensation. Hopefully they'll give me some cash-money-dollar.

NSD here. A friend came up to visit so we had a picnic in the park and then she treated us to cake in the cafe. We just moved some of our savings to pay a bit off the mortgage too em. Saving interest rates are so rubbish and we got a letter the other day saying they're going down more in November, so we thought it would do us more good putting a bit towards the mortgage. I love the MSE overpayment calculator a bit too much!

Meal plan:
Today - Quorn spag bol
Tues - Jacket potato, beans and cheese
Wed - Cod with tomato/olive sauce and rice
Thurs- SW Sausage and tomato creamy pasta
Fri - At a wedding
Sat - Chilli con carne
Sun - Slow cooked chicken and red wine with potatoes and veg

Good going, Em. I'm watching one of the Frugaleers' faves- "Eat Well for Less", but not sure how much more I can watch. This programme drives me nuts!

Here's my meal plan, if the online shopping order does what it's supposed to -
Tomorrow: jacket potatoes with cheese and coleslaw for me and cheese and pesto for DS.
Wednesday: Fusilli with avocado, borlotti beans and pesto.
Thursday: probably just scrambled eggs on toast, as we'll be in York all day.
Friday: veggie burgers with chips and salad.
Saturday: pizza.
Sunday: Nandos with friends.
Monday: gnocchi with veggie sausages, peas and pesto.