BOO! The Freaky Frugaleers prepare for Halloween and beyond. All welcome!

[Cagliostro]

:)

Have had a lovely day today. Some friends who we haven't see stayed last night so we went out for a walk with them and their dogs today. It was perfect and we finished off with a drink and cake at our favourite cafe. Spent £10.
Had fish, chips & peas from the freezer tonight. Will go to Remembrance service tomorrow & not sure what else yet.

Creme and North I am a bit envious your lovely days out! It has poured with rain all day here but we did have a beautiful red sunset once the rain stopped so hopefully that means tomorrow will be nice. Should be NSD too!

I had a great afternoon playing with our new android box, we've watched minions & secret life of pets since & had a Chinese. Not sure how much will sort out dh for it in next few days.

Morning, really have to do my job application today. Competency based urgh.
Also will go to sainsburys for food, make Christmas cake, avoid the Christmas thread not , ds football, kids want to go trampolining, plus usual housekeeping. Also having a flap as it's 6 weeks to go and I've only just started shopping, thankfully managed to save a bit through the year by having a birthday/ Christmas pot.

Lifelong when you've the money saved, 6 weeks is lots of time
Good luck with job app

Thanks, and I know I'm fortunate to be able to save a bit.

Will be nsd today. Bil is treating us to a roast, Shane it's at a pub where we think the food is shit but as we aren't paying we don't like to say anything

Sounds like two lovely days out there Creme and North. It looks like being a super day here.

You've got time Life, lots of time. The Christmas thread might not be great for making you feel that way maybe? Most folk won't have bought a thing IRL!

Yesterday was busy. I ran 9.5 miles with friends at 7am. Then dropped DS at his charity work. Popped to Sainsbo's £40. Picked him up. Sorted house. Dropped DD at farm. Picked up. Usual piles of washing and tidying. Friends came round with their family at 5pm (I picked them up too!!) and we had takeout pizza, but shared in the main, so bill was £40. They pay when it's theirs. Other spends were £40 on DS driving lesson. 2 hours.

Today we've got DB and family over and DM/MIL. I'm cooking a beef joint and a chicken.

Having a go at a batch of Jamie's chocolate porridge soon, but just having a welcome chill and cuppa.

Jut found a dead vole under the table thanks biscuit

Loads of time life

I've bought one gift so far. And have written a list for the others. Everyone is getting something they want something they need something to eat (or drink) and something to read. Have budgeted £40 per mum dad sister bil. Dh wants a new bike jacket (super reflective one) it is pricey at £120 but we're trying to use the car less and it'll keep him visible in the evenings so money well spent in my opinion. He's buying me a voucher for new underwear.

I had a Nintendo mini on pre order with Amazon but they've sold out and will email once they come back in. So may or may not get this for "us"

We have s coin jar which we are smashing open on 30 November for our Christmas dinner/house spends (beef for the Wellington, tree,drinks etc) Last time it had over £400 in it. So am hoping for A similar amount. And left overs will go towards the NZ holiday in march.

Today should be an nsd.

Love the idea of the 'something they want, something they need.....etc' idea, Em. That's super.

I've just made the chocolate porridge from the Jamie Oliver book. Super nutritious. Makes 12 portions at least, so although some of the ingredients are not so cheap, it's way cheaper overall than a box of cereal.

I have fallen for the hype and bought the M&S beauty advent calendar, which I may split up for stocking fillers because it's a cracking deal never the less.

Thanks need it's something my grandparents used to do. It means I have to put a bit of thought into it too.

I've bought dm an urban decay naked basics pallet £23. So have £17 left to spend.

Just took the anti-ostrich step of downloading the Natwest app to my phone. I am determined to check my balance and transactions every day now rather than burying my head in the sand about it

Mammy what do you mean by an android box. I'm trying to set up an android virtual machine on windows at the moment and I'm interested by the idea that you might have just bought one.

We spent yesterday at a local Christmas market. We took a stall and got DD to do a clear out of her toys and also threw in some books and DVDs we were finished with. The jigsaws, childens' DVDs and cuddly toys were very popular. The adult DVDs and books were less popular. It was a bit sobering to see all the DVDs which probably cost €10 - €15 when purchased new sitting there on the table and we couldn't even flog them for 50c. It made me think a bit about the value of things and how much money we're all spending on Christmas presents and how many of these items will end up on a market stall or in a charity shop in a year or two for a fraction of their current price. Don't get me wrong, I love Christmas and I love exchanging presents but it all seems to have gone a bit crazy.

Anyway, we made €50 although I spent €8 on a nice homemade Christmas decoration and €1.50 on three books.

We had a quiet evening at home watching a TOTP Christmas special (DD's observations on the fashions and hairstyles of the '70s and '80s were very funny) and then a Royle family Christmas special.

Cathode we have cancelled sky so got an android tv box from Amazon to stream tv instead. It's a nexbox we have.
It has apps preinstalled for streaking movies & tv series & I installed some apps for Irish tv channels
What's the purpose of yours?

Tayto that's interesting about Christmas market, there's a car boot sale every Sunday in our local town, I saw it was very busy a few weeks ago when I went to nct centre there. It cost €5 per car to attend whether buying or selling.

I'm not shy but I'm nervous about selling stuff there

it probably is the Christmas thread making me feel that way, and i'm usually much more organised but its only 1 day and we can spend it together this year which hasn't always happened due to work. Christmas cake is weighted out and the tin is lined.

£85 sainsburys but forgot my list so forgot a few bits. £17 on boxes to pack up the downstairs for carpet fitting next week.

While i was in store i got the nectar double up leaflet so here goes:

16-22 (as creme said). Go to cust services to exchange your voucher but some stores do a bespoke till.
Top tip1 - get your shopping from each department first and have a rough idea of how much you have spent so you don't waste points.
Top tip 2 - there is a £20 limit per department but thats only per day - i went back on a few days and got multiple vouchers for the same department last year but on different days (hope they let up do that this year)

Departments included :
Seasonal (Christmas)
Electrical
Entertainment
TU clothing
Homeware
toys
taste the difference - wine champagne, port, sherry.

There are lists of inclusions and exclusions in each dept in the book i have so let me know if you want to know what's in and whats out.

Thanks for all the info, Life.

NSD here; first since last Sunday.

£53 on Pricilla queen of the desert tickets (v excited)
£65 on DH Christmas pressie (some bike stuff)

Have written some application stuff - will do more tomorrow and have Tuesday off to do more again.

That's interesting Mammy. That's effectively a desktop pc running android OS but with sockets to run a television. I'm putting an android virtual machine over windows in order to programme a Sphero robot.

Stuffed after lunch out then a trip to the playground.

My friend is having Ds tomorrow so I can go into town and finish the dc's Christmas presents. We don't have loads of cheap shops but have the works and ummm poundland. I've got £7 of boots points which isn't loads but will help have also got a £75 marks and spencer gift card.

Hi all, we made it the discount village place today so its been spendy!

£3 parking
£75 in Clarkes got dd a pair of boots and new work shoes for me for that, my old work shoes must be at least 5 years old and are falling to bits.
£6 on drinks and cake
£35 on a coat for dd from Mountain WareHouse, its a proper winter one and at least a size too big so hoping will last two winters at least!!
£10 to dd for her to buy me something for my bday next week
£5 on underwear
£55 on new clothes for me, a rare treat! Got a new dress to wear out for my bday and the Christmas do both coming up in the next few weeks and a new jumper/top. Bought from a shop called Yumi which I absolutely love, they do such nice stuff.

So total nearly £200 hoping for some bday money next week which will in effect buy my clothes!!

Tired now, having a sit down before starting on dinner.

45p on sweets.

£58 cashback came through but I can't change my account details for my new account so I'll try again tm. Saving for a robot vacuum cleaner.

Nsd. Took some stuff back to dm and had a cuppa.

Came home and have settled on the couch and have watched Gilmore girls pretty much all afternoon.

nice chill day.

Did hoovering and a bit of tidying up this morning. Dh cleaned the kitchen the house is a bit more presentable now. Tempted to have a bath and a fake tan after dinner...