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

[Cagliostro]

Hello all :)

Just logging progress of September goals:

September goals were:
No top up shops. at all (apart from milk) bollocks! Hasn't happened
Increase my Nectar balance by £5 yes! It's now almost £16
Begin Christmas shopping have bought my mum and dad's Xmas prezzie
Stay within my food shop budget yes
Start buying a food cupboard item every week for Christmas no
Find a frugal hairdresser for DH, DS & I no
Increase DS's veg intake with little waste (hide them savoury muffins?) Didn't make muffins as he loves raw carrot and sweet potato & that'll do for now
Keep heating off if possible yes!

I can't do Xmas food or much gift shopping as it's only more crap to move. Will start after we've moved in!

Relieved to read your news North :)

I have emailed giffgaff, obviously got an automated reply but hopefully will be cancelled in 5 days or so. Cineworld tried to get me to have a free month on the unlimited card and then phone up again to cancel next month, but I figured I'd forget and DSD has already moved anyway!

New pupil booked in for 2 weeks time as I'm away this Friday. I realised that this new pupil, coupled with cancelling the SIM cards and cinema thing, means I will be approx £70 a month better off! :)

Organising a drinks/food/game night in with a couple of friends, I might buy some cocktail stuff. We might see that Miss Peregrine film together as well. Having more friends is getting expensive! It is genuinely a new thing for me, I didn't have this kind of relationship with anyone, certainly no 'mum friends' until I started home ed. I only really had one true friend before (the one I saw yesterday, from school) and we tend to just hang out at mine or have a meal somewhere as we are both mega introverted. My two HE besties are extrovert enough for the three of us. :o

I am GUTTED, my DSD can't make the film we wanted to see together in London (part of the BFI festival). I am going to see it myself I think, won't be the same without my anime buddy :( but I haven't had time in London on my own since I was pregnant with my 9yo. So as I already know DH is off that day I may just have some time to myself in the city.

Also could anyone please explain the whole surveys for vouchers thing? I don't shop at Sainsbury's much so I may have let my Nectar card lapse but maybe it's worth getting one? I spend a lot of time having to rest anyway, so may as well do surveys.

Signing in, will read back tomorrow, both DH and I full of cold. NSD today.

Need, brilliant news about your angiogram.
Collie you make me feel guilty about my September goals.
I know I have achieved my 15 NSDs but still haven't changed bank. I have been away for most of the past 3,weeks and away most of next week, but will sort it out then.
Have opened a nationwide savings account though. Just waiting for the paperwork
Mega busy day here. Went blackberry picking but only got about 1 lb. most of them are still not ripe. But washed them and popped them in the freezer.
Froze lots of tomatoes and made a big stir fry with veg from the garden, enough for tomorrow as well.
Oh Cag, a day in London on your own. Bliss. I would spend it in the British museum or the natural history museum.
Em, I want to name change but I have forgotten my password

Namechange, it's surprisingly easy on the app!
Catch up later today

Got paid today a day early. Paid everything that needs paging and have hardly anything left

trying I am desperate for a garden to grow veggies in!

cag I'd love a day in London just for me would end up shopping though

Should be nsd today. Lunch packed no need to buy anything.

Must go to the post office today. Hoping the stuff I bought for catface has arrived.

Em Have you had epsom salts baths before? I tried one once but I was so dizzy afterwards I couldn't stand up. I gather it's something to do with the relaxant effect of the magnesium. I wondered if you knew how to get past that?

genie yes have used them before but never felt dizzy after. I only use a small amount though (not whatever the recommended amount it).

It's all go here this morning. Cat fed and talked to, lunches made, washing on, breakfast eaten, outfit sorted and I'm getting ready to walk to work.

Have popped an old make up/wash bag in my bag (I have so much make up/toiletries in my drawer at work - deodorant paracetamol lemsip make up etc but it's all floating about with pens and paper clips. At least this will contain it).

Wreck...I feel your pain!
I don't get paid til Friday and I'm £100 overdrawn (had to re fill my car with fuel and I bought a stupid device which didn't work and I can't return it. Grr)
It's my b day next month and I'm asking for money. It will mostly go on keeping me afloat on October :(
I might buy new pants! :)
I HATE 5 week months.
And I HATE having a job wth a different payday every damn month! (Last working day of each month)

On the plus side I've got £9 in my purse til Friday :) And I've already put the money in my nephews b day card for Saturday.

Feeling bleary eyed this morning. Not sure how many times I hit snooze! We are off to Brixton to visit the chocolate museum and have a workshop thing. EXCITED

How much do you put in Em? Sounds a good idea. Make up bag also sounds excellent.

Cag that sounds like quite a day you have planned there.

My neighbours are having a loft extension done and the staircase kit just arrived. Most exciting thing ever.

Off to see to the bees. Hoping to get them ready for winter. Just hope it stays fine. Rain and bees don't mix very well.
Cag, hope you get lots of free samples.

Morning. Went to Costco yesterday and spent £70 which will have to come out of the October food budget unless I can find enough underspent in my budget to cover it. It should mean we don't need to go again till late November. That's the plan so let's see.

I'm finding this month difficult budgeteise. We have been paid but I budget month to month and food has been much more than usual due to birthday parties and things. All my pots are looking quite sad and I'm going to have to potentially reign in Christmas spending quite hard. The children are done apart from stockings that will be filled from pound shops. I think adults are going to get a bottle of wine and something home made. I don't know what though!

I'm not looking forward to the December pay predicament. You know when you get paid before Christmas and it has to last until the end of January? It screws us up every bloody year so this year I am planning ahead!

I will hoard a weeks worth of cupboard meals in advanced. I will plan now and buy after we move.

Cupboard meal ideas anyone?

So far I've got Tuna pesto pasta, Tuna pasta bake and chickpea curry

Oh yeah and this week it'll be a No Spend WEEK! Payday is on Friday. (Thanks to the car as it needed fixing)

Morning all

Day off today which is lovely although have woken up with a really bad headache/ migraine so have knocked back 2 solpodol already. Its taken the edge of but now I feel all woozy Annoying as have lots to do!

My cat had a serious hypo ystd (diabetic) I popped home from work at lunchtime and thought it was odd that he didn't come down to see me as he always does. Anyway his blood sugar was 1.3 (for a cat it should be around 10) he could hardly stand and I had to squeeze honey into his mouth! He came round and his fine now, the vet said cats can sometimes self cure themselves of diabetes so am hoping that might be happening. Would be amazing if so.

Need to drag myself to Morrisons in a bit as food is low again but also need loo rolls and washing powder etc.

October is going to be really tight, won't get any millage as didn't get my claim in on time which makes a difference. Not sure how will afford Christmas this year, there is no spare money! Dd will have less than usual and I will be seriously cutting back on other relatives, my brother and sil have 3 kids and I am thinking I may suggest I only buy for the kids or just buy a token gift for the adults....

Ouchies girlie hope you feel better soon :( and poor Girlieboycat.

October until February is going to be tight for us so I'm going to use the envelope system. Do you think that could help you too? I'm hoping I will feel too clingy to the pound notes as I find it too easy to hand my debit card over I have 8 envelopes ready for 8 different types of spending.

Just buy for the kids. I'm sure they'd understand! Or do a date night hamper thing for them. A bag of popcorn and a movie. or pop to Sainsbury's and get something in the TU sale like gloves and socks? I saw some pretty gloves in there yesterday for £4.50 and pretty canvas bags for £3.75. I was so so so tempted.

Nsd yesterday, but really lovely baptism...
Dh has hurt his back to off to the chiropractor soon, luckily the state pays a part of it but don't know how much our part will be, but better get it fixed than have pain..

Sorry to hear your mil is such a horrible person, I'm genuinely surprised that people can act like that and think it's acceptable. Luckily I have nice pil, we get alone fine and I know they both respect and care for me. Unfortunately we have the language barrier because mil only speak Indonesian, but fil speaks quite ok German so we try the best we can. I try my best to acknowledge the cultural differences and embrace them and I know they try hard to understand Danish way of doing things. But all in all lovely ppl and the best is that dhs 2 brothers are the best and I really feel that I gained brothers too. Mil is coming up to stay when baby dd is born for a month, that's traditional in their culture, I know it will sometimes be a bit difficult for me but she does it out of a good heart and she will be cooking cleaning laundering and spending time playing with dd1 who would love having her here.
My mil is no doubt the reason why my breastfeeding dd1 went so over the loon brilliantly. She gave me the trust to do it, looked after me and hushed ppl out so I could get peace.

Very very nice of you Need to do to donate your eggs. I'ved pumped out milk when I breastfeed because I had loads and gave to the the hospital, they use it for premature babies.

Hope all the ones feeling poor will soon feel bette again

My grandmother is making a baby nest for baby dd, cost in material is 25£, buying in stores the cheapest are 60£ and I think it's nice knowing she'll have something her great grandmother has made, septemberblog.dk/lav-din-egen-babynest-diy-paa-septemberblog.html

And love reading all the animal stuff, I love animals and our cat is a fluffy lazy hair ball but would be devastated if she wasn't here. Also think it's good for kids growing up with animals, it's suddenly benefiting dd who learns about the care of our cat, love and patience and she loves to cuddle it, give her kisses and play ball with her she even goes with walk with her laying in her little brio pram.... ( the cat hops up herself and have plenty of oppetunities to jump out, but I think she likes the walks )

I've just priced up Christmas and I think it will cost £520 from now till then. I'm going to give handmade soaps and truffles and decorated biscuits and a bottle to most people. I've got three toddlers to buy for but might consider seeing if I can sew them some personalised clothes or toys. I'll have to see if it worth it. I've bought the bits to make the soaps and they'll work out at about £2.50 per bar I think. I've spent £38 and it'll be a nice activity. The soaps are shea butter and sls free so nice quality I hope.

You sound as though you have a lovely family Italian. That's really wonderful thing. I've just gained a SIL and she is lovely too.

Mummy I love a handmade Christmas. We did a handmade Christmas a few years back but I think we failed miserably. And then last year I handmade Xmas cards which weren't received well either. I don't know how to tackle this Christmas. Coal for everybody!

Agenie: yeah when reading these horror stories about mil and in general in laws I feel very lucky... And dh is very close to my family too and often talks with them without me and I know he feels close to them...
I haven't thought of Christmas yet, prop need to given baby dd is being born in mid November so god knows how much time I have after for sorting that out. I know we are celebrating with my parents so no food prep. And we don't give many gifts for adults, so for adults just need for my parents, grand parents and great grand parents, pil and 2 bils. Dh and me don't buy for each other, we "give" instead us as a family the stay at lalandia.... But I need 8 advent gifts, 2 siinter klaas gifts, 2 Christmas gifts for our dds and 2 smaller gifts for my 2 god daughters.