The Friendly Frugaleers, figuring out our finances with furry feline photos!

[Cagliostro]

Hello all :)

Okay and here's the brocolli-on-the-hob version. I turned off the heating (1.30pm) and then boiled water on the hob with 300g frozen brocolli in the water. After reaching boiling I left it on for 5 minutes. It's hard to say whether the heating was on for the whole half hour between 1pm and 1.30pm when I turned it off and turned the hob on. Seems probable that it was as the thermostat clicked when I turned it down to turn the heating off.

Bottom line, I would say, is that it costs about 2p to microwave or boil about 300g brocolli.

The boiled brocolli comes out much softer than the microwaved stuff, so I imagine taste preference would play a much bigger role in the the choice than cost.

btw the big spikes in the second electricity graph are me running two 70 degree bed linen washes and then tumble drying them. Knocks the brocolli expenditure into a cocked hat energy-wise.

fluffy have removed with acetone nail polish remover. Nails trimmed down and moisturiser. Have officially given up work today. Back to Gilmore girls.

Flare up central here. Not cool. Had to cancel this morning's pupil. Have to keep DD off Brownies - she gets a lift there, but I pick her up and I just can't do it today. Epic mum guilt.

In better news though, DH took the Caglets to the GP (armed with a list of evidence) and she agreed to refer them to the child development centre to discuss ASD.

sierra I've just blocked it out of my mind. My suggestion of rent was knocked on the head by dh because they'd only be there a few months, he now regrets that decision

the £7 offer seems to apply if you haven't purchased giftcards before, may sign dh up to amazon to see if he's eligible

I can't find my driving license, must search as it's a penalty points offence if you're stopped. Otherwise will be buying a new one 6 months early.

I like the padding idea too

Thanks for amazon link, I will see if I'm eligible for the offer when on laptop. As well as trying more surveys. It's mounting up fast at the moment. Also have about £35 between TCB/Quidco. Haven't paid mums cheque in yet.

Cag what sort of evidence is needed for asd referral (if you don't mind my asking).

I use parcel motel, a fake UK address to take advantage of the cheaper shipping rates from uk to roi, it's €3.95 per time and dh must collect at depot 13 miles away. Just signed up for AddressPal from An Post, same service for €3.50 and can collect at local post office, au pair will do this for me or I can collect on Saturdays. Especially useful at this time of year

€130.25 on Tesco delivery for this evening €25.76 in butchers yesterday.

Put groceries on cc as it's the last few days of tesco boosting the spends on tesco cc 1 pt per €2 spent, after 8th oct it'll be 1 pt per €8 spent. Will transfer money from joint account after payday and mortgage being paid

I've found a bottle of White Company hand lotion. Smells a bit too strong for my liking but will do for the downstairs loo without having to buy more.

Not frugal related, but on days like this, when I have time to think and breathe, I sometimes think I could stay at home full time. I couldn't really, but think I could. I have achieved lots today.

We are not going out this weekend, and DH being away will mean another 2 weeks of low social spend, if anything, so I will meal plan to avoid the rest of the family begging for a weekend takeaway.

Today is lasagna, and tomorrow will be carrot and butternut squash soup with ginger. Friday will be morrocon pork with chick peas.

I am impressed with Ocado and how much I have for the price. Probably like every supermarket, if you shop savvy, you can eat good quality stuff.

I think a replacement licence is £20.

I microwave frozen veg (unless it's frozen onion, stirfry, casserole or Mediterranean veg) and I steam or boil fresh vegetables.

£9.70 travel and £10 deposit towards a Christmas meal I've been invited to attend the school I do a day's supply at.

This one is nice Fluffy, it's Gel Polish.

Not frugal related, sorry.

Creme you microwave frozen veg too. Good to know. Hope we haven't just found the secret cause of CFS.

Ha, ha, Genie. I also microwave canned beans and pulses and ready-made or homemade fresh soup, but for some reason, I always make tinned soup on the hob.

I might steal that colour the next time I get my nails done, Need. I've been au-naturel since July, to give my nails a bit of a break. It's just gel polish where I go, so file off old gel polish, reshape and new gel polish on.

Creme interesting. I do that too. I really like microwaved stuff. Especially vegetables. The brocolli I did on the hob tasted pretty awful.

Online shop done which was £61. Not bad at all!

Love the idea of padding! We're totally going to start doing that in February when everything calms down financially.

Spent £2 on a 2017 family calendar to breakup a £10 note for the bus. The bus cost £2 to get home.

My stuff from Forever21 arrived. My £1.99 bobble hat is pretty good!

DH and I found a house we love for £1.5million down 'ere. Found a similar (with much better gardens!) house up in Darlington for £500k. Frugal win in my dreams

Sorry to hear people are still poorly, and that you have had a flare up, Cag.
Very annoyed that I started weighing out ingredients for cakes and discovered we were out of sugar so had to walk to local shop to get some which is more expensive than supermarket where I went this morning! We had a nice walk though.
Have done a lot today, tired now.

Being off sick is not helping my bank balance. £24 in body shop online. topcashback sent me an email and I am weak weak I say

In my defence, I did need a new felt tip eyeliner. Mine dried up. may not have needed the emerald green eyeliner and the green tea shower gel

Or is it a brand called CND, I now can't remember, I think it's that actually! My friend has period breaks as her nails go weak if she doesn't. My nails never seem to need it, we were just saying this last week when I had them done, they are indestructible. They don't deserve to be, given the life they lead.

We don't have a microwave. We only ever did jacket spuds in one anyway and I like a minimalist kitchen surface!

Bodyshop have a 'spend £50, get £25 off' at the minute, I'm not sure if it's usable via topcashback too.

Love the padding idea here too! Will definitely look into it next year when I'm back at work and have more disposable income.

£11 in Co-op and £35 on opticians, but will be able to claim half of that back. Monthly takeaway tonight - budgeted for.

Need do you ever cook vegetables to be eaten on their own or do you always mix them in? If so, do you boil or steam of what? Thanks!

I steam Genie. Using a cheap steamer from Amazon. I have no idea if it is energy efficient, but I have teenagers, with all their chargers and leaving lights on and doors open and the like, it makes no difference.

If I am cooking pasta, I will chuck broccoli or fast cooking veg into the water for the last few minutes.

I will also roast, if using the oven. Flavour-wise, that's my favourite way to cook any vegetable at all really.

I've just used the Topcashback site to buy my Body Shop bits and bobs for DD's stocking fillers. I spend £50, to get £25 off, and got 7.5% cashback too.

Ours are €55 to replace need and need a form stamped at Garda Station if I don't find my current license to say it's lost or stolen.

I'm going to put monthly takeaway/meal out in the budget for next year. Sounds like a good treat and something to work towards. We get paid weekly so not as easy to assign money to something as it is to divide out a monthly pay check

I have never roasted brocolli - do I need to try it?