Super Scrimpers sashay, save & --squander-- their way through September

[lilacclery]

Thought I'd start us off!

snuggly genie thanks guys! I'm impressed at my patience. I'll admit I had this idea that we'd get a cat and she'd be bouncing about in my lap for cuddles from day 1. There was initial disappointment that she wasn't. But if time is all she needs that's fine. We have time. It's almost as though you can see she wants to trust us but won't let herself. were talking to her loads and telling her it's ok to be scared, but reassuring her that she's safe and that she's brave and that she's the best (if only I could tell myself these things haha!!) we'll get there. Slowly.

£291 in my ac (paid some ££ off credit card and pet insurance came out)
£1042.57joint ac (Dh bought fruit in m&s and there was the £40.40 shop yesterday to come out).
£105.88 in penny ac.

Em Just chucking my two frugal pennies into the mix. With the caveat that I know a good bit about dogs, and rescue, but not about cats. I would never stroke a newly rescued dog while it was eating. I would automatically assume, until I knew otherwise that a rescue could have food issues. If yours was a stray, she's likely to have known hunger. A dog would guard that resource by growling, air snapping or worse. I would leave well alone for the dog to relax and enjoy it's grub. Without fear it's going to disappear or have to scrap for it. In fact, I don't touch my pathetic spaniels. I figure I would want someone patting me on the head while I ate!

It's really early days. It might not feel like it, but it is. She's still establishing you are safe in her own time.

This week I have switched energy providers to Eon to save a tenner a month. £96 for duel fuel for a large 4 bed house. Plus £30 cashback.

I will have £35 coming back to me from the exam board as we got one of DS's GCSE's re-marked and it's gone up a grade, so you get a refund. Waiting for one more to come back.

Cancelled Abel and Cole as not good value.

Trying an Ocado delivery for the £20 off the first order, but it looks expensive so I am not sure if I will continue.

Soup for tea last night, home made carrot and orange. Carrots home grown so frugal.

Pasta for tea tonight so cheap again.

Spends today will be an Aldi shop for my Aldi staples and some nice fruit and salad from M&S. £5 Boxercise.

I've lost 5lb in 2 weeks by running more and eating less shit, no chocolate or crisps have passed my lips. Still drink wine as that's my pleasure, a nice glass of red in the evening.

I've not much to lose as I'm slim anyway, but want to race competitively again so need to be thin rather than slim.

Spends, covered by savings from above have been on 2 pairs of boots from Office (will keep one) both reduced to £35 from £85 (small feet) and an extra 10% off that on a discount code.

I covet some Mint Velvet boots, so will sell some stuff to cover those.

*wouldn't want

Well done to your ds need & for the fuel savings.

em has your dh come on board to loving Millie too?
Our second cat hasn't returned, the lady we got them off has more cats ready for new homes, I'm tempted for company for Tom but will see how he gets on alone for a while, and just give him more love and attention ourselves.

collie what age is your ds 2 years? Wishing you guys sleep tonight x

I've also been buying some stuff from Hush, as a capsule wardrobe, funded by Ebay sales in the main.

And here is where I need a bit of help, as follows.

My Christmas pressie to DH, for being stoic and putting up with all the time DD and me are away is to give him A Month of Treats. All in envelopes, one for each month of the year. Doesn't have to be expensive. So far I've got.

Tickets for a comedian.
Curry night at favourite restaurant.
A night away in a posh hotel close to us.
Afternoon tea at a hotel courtesy of Groupon.

Ideas welcome!

Thanks Fluffy, it was the 'take a chance subject' and the mark changed by 3 full marks, rather than UMS. English Language, he's a hairs width from an A*, so we will see.

Sorry about your cat Lilac. I've been immersed in getting DS sorted and done for the 6th form and been preoccupied. x

Wow need that is a fabulous present.

3 for 2 on toys in argos this weekend, dh has said him and his older ds will do the collecting while I'm at kids afternoon tea on sunday. Just need to figure out what we need & reserve.

need I thought that but the rescue lady said to do it...

Maybe it's not the right thing. It's difficult to know.

I've done it twice and was going to back off for a bit. We have been sitting on the steps and seeing if she'll come out while we're there (we're a good distance away). And have started putting the food further from her hiding place (just a teeny bit further away each time).

It's super early days.

Noodle soup for lunch

collie that's odd - DC1 (3.5) has been doing the exact same thing for a week or so. We think it's looking for attention while her little sister's in bed - every now and then she just seems to want a lot of reassurance that we still love her as much as DC2, who I guess she sees us holding/carrying about all the time. We've found that one of us sleeping in with her or bringing her into our bed while one if us sleeps in hers, settles her best. Taking the path of least resistance atm as DC2 is also up at least once a night!

Em Just doesn't make logical sense to me, at least on the canine front What WOULD make sense is turning it round, so rather than tolerating being stroked while feeding, is dropping a few tasty treats into her bowl. Then you are The Magical Bringer of Tuna. My dogs love a cuddle after being fed, when they are relaxed and their bellies are full.

She has a wonderful caring owner, however long it takes.

Lila He's a lovely guy and deserves to be treated. Doesn't need to be expensive though. I was thinking of a selection of strawberry jam for one month, which he adores. And me organising him to be off work to go fishing his brother another month. It will remind me to appreciate him too

Need, that's a lovely idea for a present.
Em, you're a wonderful "mum" to Millie
Just returning home. At airport. Had another NSD yesterday. 3 in a row. That's 13 this month.

Cag: wow that is for sure lots of events coming up, so makes sense to have a slow January. But it sounds like very interesting stuffnyoj guys have planed. But yeah like to use the off peak season prices, last yeah we went from Wednesday to Sunday for 120£ which included the house, access to all the soft plays and water packs, that's very cheap.. And most importantly dd loved it And we loved it not being to full of ppl.

Had my massage, was absolutely wonderful and while she was massaging she didn't really talk, bliss. Only to confirm if I was laying well ect, so I really got a good chance of slumbering and enjoying it. Took 90 min and cost 25£ so think that's very good priced.

Lila: understand your thinking, not being interested in credit. We mainly have it for comfort, in case of something. We have yet to actually use it... I just like to know its there in case of emergency.

Collie: would it help if he sleeps in your bed? We do that with dd when she's going trough a fase of disturbed sleeping. Have always helped her and maintained our sleep... She's sleeping in general in her own bed but then once in a while she has like a week or so where it feels like she needs the extra comfort at night and then she sleeps with us.

Collie would it be worth getting him checked over by the Gp just to rule out ear infections or something else? It might just be nightmares or separation anxiety though poor little lad.

Em I wonder if millie has ever been properly domesticated? You are being patient, I guess time will tell but it might be that she hasn't had that much human contact (very important for cats to be handled from 4-6 weeks old) she is always going to be nervous around people.....

Need you are a lovely wife, that sounds so thoughtful.

Lila dd is currently doing 4 clubs, football, drama, swimming and riding It is def too much what with me working till gone 5pm most days, have decided that we will stop the swimming after this term. She can swim well and I only really continued with it as she gained a little bit of weight over the summer so thought the exercise would be helpful. That said since she has been back at school she has slimmed down again anyway!

I am having a day at home, have period pain so the plan is not to do very much!!

Need and Em I don't know anything about dogs but I know practically everything about cats, having be a cat lady in my teenage years. Stroking cats when they are eating is definitely fine. It's a throwback to the baby weeks when the Mum would have licked their backs when they were suckling to encourage them to feel safe and to feed more. Stroking is definitely good. Hang in there em.

Need that's really interesting about dogs. I've been wondering if ds would like a dog but on balance, I think I would stick with cats, since I understand them better.

Em I think our whole family have got your cold. I have the fever and odd stomach and achy shoulders and the others have sniffles. Must be September.

So yesterday I avoided putting anything else on the cc as I realised I had £5 in my account. So that got spent on bread, milk, eggs, washing up liquid and some cake to eat whilst watching bake off. It's amazing how far £5can stretch in Aldi.

Will have a nsd today as I've got nothing left but I have got £5 for my bus fare for work.

Payday tomorrow. Looking forward to a fresh month to be frugal! Though I will be taking advantage of the Argos 3 for 2 and make a small start on Christmas.

We tried him in our bed but it continued. Usually he sleeps well on us if he's poorly but he can't even do that at the moment :( girlie it's so sad to see him so fragile. We took him to the GP this morning and they think he has a dietary intolerance so he's off certain foods for a week. Our GP is brilliant and checked his ears and chest & gave the all clear.

So I'm off to adjust the meal plan and snacks for next week. This is going to be hard work! I'm clueless.

Happy to be corrected Genie, as I am far more dog than cat . Still doesn't seem logical, as bitches do exactly the same thing to encourage pups to feed and milk to flow. Plus, Millie's reaction , when Em stroked her while feeding would suggest she wasn't comfortable with the action.

My dogs are fine to be stroked while feeding btw, I just don't, as I leave them to it. However, each dog wolfs down the food, then goes and inspects the others bowl, hoping there's some left. Neither dog has ever left any food, but they still do it every day!!

Girlie Exactly the same with dogs, the early weeks are crucial for socialisation, and you can't fully get it back at a later stage. Plus Em, some dogs are just naturally more reticent despite the best upbringing. Ddog2 is a natural born worrier, despite coming from an excellent breeder and only having positive interaction his whole life.

I also started Christmas shopping, with some perfume from Groupon on offer, for DN, and DD.

Need our two dogs do the exact same thing checking each others bowl and often leave a bit in their bowl for the other one
italian I think I would get into habit of using overdraft if I had it, on joint account it would be useful to cover when dh's transfer takes a while to show up but he's changing to same bank and it will be instant then.

girlie hugs and for the period pain
need I have a number of runs booked next year, this is only part of the reason I want to lose weight, well done on your 5lbs loss. I've 5k in jan, 5m in feb, 10k in mar, 10m in apr, hope then to do half marathon in June

need Yes I can see that Em's cat has had a hard time. If she in particular is not enjoying being stroked while eating then clearly backing off would be the thing. I hadn't seen that comment from Em.

Lila: yeah then it's not so good to have. So fare we haven't had that issue, but I think it's also to do with us not thinking about having it in our everyday. Perhaps because we had it from the start

Ohh always. I've to have caused a bit of a debate!

I want Millie to associate me as the bringer of food. And may actually let her have some Tuna tonight. because I've almost run out of wet food for her and the Amazon order hasn't arrived yet

I'm not going to push her though. We don't fully know her background. The cat shelter lady thought that she had been domesticated as although she was living rough she was in very good condition. So it's difficult to know. Whatever we do, it's going to take time patience and love. And that's all that matters.

She is thoroughly smitten with her. He was trying to get her interested in the rugby last week. And the American football....

Ginger chicken noodle soup for lunch (homemade). Hoping it sorts my cold out.

So far nsd.

Em, in my opinion, carry on as you are with Millie's and you can't go too far wrong.

NSD here so far, unless the window cleaners turn up. They either come Thursday or Friday. £4.20 per time.

Poor little guy, Collie, sounds awful for you all. Do you think it could be nightmares or night terrors?

Good debate, I hope though Em. I agree, she's lucky to have you guys. Whether it takes 2 weeks or 2 months, you will get there I am sure.

I spent £25 in Boots on a pile of toiletries. I get the majority of stuff cheap at Aldi etc, but some stuff I have tried cheap, and figured it doesn't work and gone back to mid range products. All on 3 for 2 though.

£40 at M&S but got a pile of biscuits and chocolates for Christmas. And also a Poppy pin for DMIL. I've debated that for ages as it was £15 and there's no real reason to buy it, but she is very big on remembering the fallen and she's lovely too.

However, I've saved an extra £100 this month, chucked £250 in high interest savings and £50 into DS's ISA. So it's been really good financially.

Both pairs of Office boots are going back. Should have bought the coveted ones in the first place...

Creme I was delighted to find I have £207 in the Topcashback account, with £30 pending too. Must never have transferred it.