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

[Cagliostro]

Hello all :)

Oh dear, I hope it wasn't my kettle that started the epidemic of appliances breaking down.
Our cat has a flea allergy and has pulled out his fur before. The vet gave him a steroid injection which calmed it down and he's fine now. Looking very smart with his winter coat!

I'm just about to go for a run Life, I'll pop by yours on the way for a slice.

Should be a NSD.

Collie we got the new vax cordless and it's brilliant. Glad you're feeling a bit better.

Cag definitely treat yourself!

Boobs we flea once a month and worm six monthly.

Fluffy and girlie he had a steroid injection last time we took him to the vets I suppose we will have to go again. Hopefully once it gets colder the fleas will start dying?!

Should be nsd today. Bacon in English muffins for breakfast le yum!

How annoying about all the appliances packing up :( we are having washing machine trouble at the minute, its covered and they keep coming out to repair it but this time theyve had to order something in... frustrating as having to lug all the laundry to DMs in the meantime :(

Need to use up a bag of pears - havent decided between a crumble or a sponge. For some reason pears dont go down well with the kids in this house I dont know why I keep buying them!

I love pears. We had a pear and blueberry crumble last week with frozen blueberries. It was delicious!

Nsd here today hopefully

Must get washing done, bag up charity shop stuff and list on eBay and want to deep deep clean kitchen and bathrooms. And Hoover floors.

Can only achieve all this with dh's help. will not be happy if he fafs about and pretends to help but actually doesn't help like he did yesterday. Emptied my box of cake pans took them all into the kitchen then realised we didn't have room in the kitchen so brought them back to the spare room cupboard. Where they were. It took him an hour. But he stopped for coffee.

Fluffy The MSE website is really very good isn't it? I've just been having a longer look as I usually dip in and out. Brilliant information about all things financial.

Sorry to hear about everyone's appliances breaking down. Our kettle goes regularly, I think I'll take out insurance on it next time in Argos.
I'm lucky dh is very good at diy, when our washing machine gave trouble we just ordered part & he fitted it.
Next year I'm adding a category for replacing appliances. We moved in end of 2008, have replaced dishwasher once, microwave a few times(square plates, don't use them in it anymore !) and of course kettle.

My little pony cake is amazing, my dd adores my little pony.

I made goujons also off tasty video, marinade in BBQ sauce, crush tortilla chips and roll in them. They were fab! Le yum! Our drinkies last night cost us about €20, Guinness for dh, some nibbles, everything else we had in already.

I just had a Christmas idea. I was thinking that when I see things that are needed in the house (like we currently need a new bathmat and I need a new bathrobe) instead of just buying them, I could put them on a Christmas ideas list. That way when it comes to Christmas, instead of thinking "Oh no I shouldn't spend money on myself." I could just buy all the things on that list and feel as though I'm spoiling myself, but actually just be buying stuff I would have bought anyway. Might be rather nice to have a pile of stuff on Christmas day. Maybe same for DH.

We're lucky that our microwave is over nine years old, washing machine and tumble 8 years old. Doubt we have much left of them

Hi AGenie, yes I think paying into a pension is a good idea. I pay £30 per month into my DGCs and HMRC pay an extra £6 into . My DGD already has 7 years worth. It's not a lot each month but with compound interest it adds up. She can't touch it until she is 55 which is great.
Unit trusts are an amalgamation of shares and the price goes up and down. I always get Higón income ones and the interest is reinvested in more units. The DGCs pensions are invested in unit trusts. Some in UK shares, some global because in the long term the bit of e tea risk with some of it is worth it.

The shares I have are things like national grid, water companies because they are not going to go bust. At least I bloody hope not.

I would take kids ISAs out for the grandkids but they get the money at 16. Red sports car springs to mind.

Hello everyone - hoping to catch up and join back in now that I'm emerging from post-birth cocoon! My twins arrived safely at 36 weeks and we're all home and doing well (if a little sleep deprived!). I'd recommend twins as a frugal lifestyle choice - I can't drive anywhere (post c-section), I can't go into any cafes (stupidly big double buggy!), and it takes so long to leave the house we're staying in most of the time! Plus our shopping bill has dropped as friends and family are keeping our fridge well stocked with ready made meals! Plan for today - pjs and catching up with the thread

Trying that sounds really good. I will have a read about all that. I like the idea of buying shares in the water company. I really do think we need them. :-) Thanks for explaining.

Ursula! Welcome back and massive congratulations! I was thinking about you yesterday and wondering if the twins had arrived. Pleased to hear twins will help me to be frugal, you'll have to share all your twin tips with me!
Hope you are recovering well from the c section.

We have an account for appliances I suppose. Because of the way our coop works here, we are all shareholders. We get dividends paid into our accounts. And if we shop on a tues or a weds we get double dividend on everything.

Also get stamps (which I must take to the branch and pay into my account). Stamps must be stuck onto a card (either £1 of 4p stamps or £5 of £1 stamps) and can be paid in and then withdrawn at a later date or saved until December where you get an additional 20p per pound if you use them in store winds me up something chronic when people use them to pay for a bigvchristmas shop

I usually pay them in then when something breaks, pop into branch, get the cash/vouchers from my account (if you get vouchers you get an extra 15%) and pop it towards a new "thing". We bought new washing machine this way. Only paid about £60 actual cash money for it.

Someone at work was surprised I don't do thrift in the pub (is that a thing where you'd guys are??) she pays in £20 a week to the pub. Then at Christmas they go to the pub and get their money back.

IMO too risky. Suggested that she gets a money box instead..:

I can imagine that happening here 30 years ago but not now. Money box much safer. Or a bank account

Welcome back Ursula congratulations on the babies.

Mse is indeed fab Need. I learnt about spin dryers & halogen ovens on there.

Dh has said he will find electrician for the chop cloc . Feels like a cop out to me. In the meantime I will continue to set a timer on the iPad & manually switch the heating off and on.

I just noticed we only have 8 posts left on this thread so I have made a new one. See you there!

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/credit_crunch/2751711-The-Friendly-Frugaleers-saving-and-chatting-as-autumn-arrives?watched=1

I'll post on the new thread (thanks Genie) but massive congratulations to Ursula. Brilliant news.

Congratulations ursula xx

Some children's savings don't let them touch it until they're 25. That's what we have setup for DS.

Congratulations Ursula

Huge congrats to Ursula.

See you all on the new thread.

Poor Tom hasn't appeared here much! We're sitting enjoying sunshine after washing 3 cars & putting one up for sale

Just to fill up the thread i will post one. more. post..........

Mammy your puss is very like my boy cat - I never got organised to put a pic of either of my two!!

Congrats Ursula twins are amazing - are they boys, girls or one of each?