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

[Cagliostro]

Hello all :)

I think the traceability would deter me need but kudos to you for doing it. I hope it worked for the prospective parents.
£50 diesel.
I second having a number of home made ready meals for unwell days.

Am feeling slightly smug that my lovely new house is still feeling warm enough to not need the heating on! Although that maybe to do with being down South maybe?!

Dd and her new friend had a good play date I think, they made some chocolate muffins which they enjoyed and look yummy.

Need that is the ultimate altruistic thing to do, not sure i could do it although am guessing my eggs would be past the sell by date now anyway

I'm please we don't need our heating on yet I've not even considered it tbh and won't until we've had a frost for a few consecutive days.

18° in the NE at the moment. No heating until below 16. I had the back door open today and upstairs windows to let the air in.

girlie we're in the SW in a new build too you silly sausage. But we're quite high up and we're currently being battered by coastal wind and rain.

My sexy crutches arrived today. That's obviously sarcasm! Hoping I won't need them this year but they look like a good herding Colliecat device.

Girlie, I bet if you suggested to DB and DSiL that you both just bought for kids they would also be relieved. Things are too expensive these days and the DCs I know have lots of toys anyway. I just put some money in the bank for my DGCs?
Need, so thoughtful of you to donate eggs. My DiL needed IVF and is was really traumatic for them. They have two naughty DCs now though.
Really spend your today but most of it couldn't be helped. Had to get keys cut for the house as I only had one set and I wanted to give a set to my next door neighbour and some to my friend £45 but that was for 3x 3keys.
And £2.20 parking, £9.24 for box, wrapping paper and card for DGD's birthday. And then I stupidly went into Waterstones. Spent £40.95 on books for the DGCs and a soft toy BFG which I couldn't resist and she will love. So £97.39 . So much for frugality.

Yes batch cooking is a good idea now that we have a freezer. I might set DH up to do a load of it over the next few weeks before he's allowed to start work. Give him something to do haha. I think maybe I need to make massive online shops too and order like loads of all the food cupboard things so we never run out!

Speaking of keys, the key to the front door of our building, which I only got cut about two weeks ago, literally snapped in half when DH was trying to use it to get into the building the other day!! So I need to go to Timpson's and get them to make me a new one! I didn't even know that was possible. The lock is pretty dodgey though so I'm guessing DH put too much pressure on it.

Thanks guys. You are kind. I had a need to do it though, so was satisfying my own selfish feelings in a way.

Fluffy, I haven't calculated the years, just the amount I can pay down without incurring charges, taking into account the excess we already pay. Up to the maximum.

I could spend a months wage in Waterstone's Trying!

Downstairs heating on for an hour and a big run on the pony tonight!

Stuffed peppers tonight with a big salad, yum...

genie re Epsom salts usually just use a handful.

need what an amazing thing to do.

£4ish in boots on tissues and £5 in cook shop on a blue jar with cork lid for my Epsom salts for bathroom.

Picked up all my cat food stuff. 4kg of cat food arrived. Yippee.

Leftover chicken pittas for dinner.

It was a great thing to do, Need. I remember thinking when they brought the traceability rules in that surely it would put a lot of people off; I know it put me off anyway.

NSD Monday, as I walked back from Pilates.

No heating on here (Durham) until at least the middle of October and ideally, first week of November. I haven't heard back yet from Ovo about their Warm Home discount. Eon had it sorted for me in mid-October last year, so I was able to put it towards the electricity straight away and then topped up the gas every week. Maybe it's different because I'm on a Smart Meter now.

Pleased you're happy with your new dining table, Life.

Just spent £40 from our Christmas budget on gifts for DS for his Christmas and Birthday. I wasn't going to do any shopping until after we move but it was 3 for 2 and I saved £15! I'm very pleased. I'm not getting him anything else apart from a small stocking full of little cars & playmobil figures. Feeling accomplished!

life our solid wood dining table has changed our lives. It's sturdy and reliable. The last one was wibbly wobbly! Well worth the extra ££

I am not putting the heating on in bloody September sweaters yes, but not heating.

need'that's an amazing thing to do

I'm trying to find out if I can donate blood. In Chile I couldn't because of having been here in the 90's, BSE/CJD issue, and other Latin American countries. Have emailed NHS, they said more info needed so I have to call them to discuss.

need that's most impressive, well done.

Meadowhay thanks for the thoughts on guinea pigs. Ds doesn't sleep when he has allergy trouble, so I think guinea pigs are probably not for us tbh. Our neighbour has them though so we enjoy watching hers.

I shamelessly put the heating on today. I've figured out that sitting in a cold house is one of the big things that kicks off illness for me, so I've decided not to do that this year. Also given that I actually already have the flu, I figured that would not be so bright.

This flu is a pita. I'm battening down the hatches and trying to rest to get rid of it.

Choc workshop was lovely! I did pretty well on the frugal front as I resisted the temptation to go out for lunch after and only got crisps on the way up, and BK chips on the way home.

I've saved £36 in 2017 as it suddenly occurred to me that we really don't need the full delivery saver at Tesco. So when our current plan (£6pm) runs out we will pay £30 for the whole year tues-thurs. Mostly get midweek delivery anyway but also now DH works for co-op it's not like we are stuck if we run out of something.

Going to read back through the thread.

Agree need donating eggs is bloody amazing. I wanted to do it as we were very lucky with fertility etc but I admit when I found out how invasive it is I discounted the idea. I suppose I wouldn't be allowed now anyway due to the health issues, wish I'd done it before now.

On a totally different note. It's always better to pay off debt than have savings isn't it? We have a bit in an isa but want to pay off some of the overdraft.

Forest school tomorrow, more travel costs. Blah.

Hi all! Name change alert!
Didn't get to check in at all yesterday & today's going to be busy too. Hope everyone's well!

If the interest rates on your debt or eat anything earned in your savings then yes pay off debt. I would keep a bit of savings for a buffer if you can do you don't start the debt spiral again when something comes up.
Nsd planned today. Making birthday cakes

Got an email yesterday Michael Fotis has sent you a payment via PayPal login to accept. I was very suspicious then remembered I did a survey ages ago with smartmoneypeople

Meadow I used ynab to budget & find it great. Students get the older version for free.

Collie stewart one pot pasta dish Martha Stewart One Pot Pasta great store cupboard & quick easy dinner also meadow & wreck

Need I admire you for your egg donation.

North great news

Dh spent €145.93 in aldi yesterday, he has doubled up on a lot of things. I'm going to eek it out & hopefully spend a lot less next week. Eg I buy 5 x 2l milk he bought 5x 3l! And 4 puddings for breakfast they will last about a month

Ds joined me at 6am I need to leave for work in 6 mins but want him to go back to sleep also

I have no idea who you are Mammy, but never do with name changes.

Cag, I agree, pay down debt but keep an easily accessible buffer for emergencies. Well done on the extra £70 pcm btw.

Adora You've made my mind up actually, I am going to donate blood next month. Now the season is over, I've got more time. It's something I have been meaning to do forever. Give something back etc.

Creme Yes, the donation coordinator said it would put people off, and that they only had 2/3 folk donate anyway a year, in a massive hospital, so expected 0/1. What a shame.

I've got the farrier to pay today, that will be £45. And a small shop at Aldi for me Aldi staples.

Also paying the chunk off the mortgage, which it wouldn't accept online last night, gah!

I can't follow the link mammy btw.

Credit card payment today £27.56. Will bring the balance to a nice round number.

Am just throwing money at it now. Must clear.

Try this link
I'm the person who recently gave up her second job need

Oooh I like that link! Thanks mammy! I think I know who you are. :)

I wish I could name change but I don't think anyone would guess who I am.

NSD today. Waiting in for DS's new clothes and a parcel from the postie

Morning spend £22 in Wilko ,£3 in Gregg's and £1.80 library fine they have changed to borrow for 3 weeks always throws me out . As home offers life can be busy sometimes.
. We put the heating on yesterday I have had back surgery lately and if I cold it causes me to go into spasm , need to way up the cost .