Marvellous Frugaleers - Chatting and saving through November, and into December.

[CathodeRayTube]

Just setting up the new thread for the chatty Frugaleers.

By popular request - copied from an old thread

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/other_subjects/1324074-For-those-who-cant-afford-to-use-central-heating-this-year-How-are-you-going-to-cope

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/credit_crunch/1543785-your-top-tips-for-money-saving-and-a-more-frugal-life

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/credit_crunch/1600030-Small-money-saving-habits-petty-even

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/credit_crunch/1628874-Gas-Elec-Bills-monthly-and-SKY-so-angry

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/mumsnet_classics/1911061-NO-MORE-COLD-MUMSNETTERS

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/_chat/2209167-Slow-Cookers-are-shit

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/_chat/2224969-saving-money

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/legal_money_matters/2258202-Debt-mutual-support-thread-number-6-start-the-new-year-with-a-clear-purpose-and-keep-moving-forwards-even-by-tiny-steps?

orchard.tesco.com/ Sign up to this.

www.topcashback.co.uk/home And this.

www.quidco.com/home/ And this

www.moneysavingexpert.com/ And this

www.moneysavingexpert.com/cheapenergyclub ditto.

www.checkoutsmart.com/ Plus this.

www.hotukdeals.com/all/deals/new?page=3 Check this daily.

Ponies spook at stupid stuff. Our spooks at traffic cones. This is despite DD charging up and down arenas putting flags in cones at every competition. Good that your DD stayed on Girlie and good that the abs hurt Em, shows you worked correctly.

Em Would one individual lesson every other week give you a bigger training benefit while not costing any more to your pocket? Just a thought, especially given the weather might factor over the winter.

Glad you enjoyed the German market Adora Love cheese!

Life I will try and find the link to my winter coat that I use for dog walking and for standing in fields all weekend at competitions. Not cheap, but effective and pretty stylish too imho.

Mammy Any change in DH's mood?

Had a brilliant time today. 5 mile XC race. Mud, hills, mud, hills, streams, ditches, mud, hills. I drove, so post race diet Coke was paid for by running friend. 2nd lady in for our club, so chuffed with that.

NSD.

DH is cooking a roast dinner. Menu plan done for the week,

adora yes could treat myself from joint account. Either that or will just tell dh what he's buying.

need I throw in a private lesson every now and then. But I like the group lessons. I find being able to watch others is really useful.

I've also been going up half hour or so earlier to watch the lesson before mine. And to help tack up. Moneywise to throw in a private lesson every other week instead of group would cost me £20 more than the group. It's £25 for the hour group. £35 for half hour private. So less time more money. But bonus of more attention.

Adora this evening we did a grand trial of GF mince pies. We had Waitrose, M&S and a third brand from the garden centre. Waitrose was the clear winner.

Do you have other GF stuff that you use?

Adora we had an enforced day at home because I'm a twat and can't find my keys. Brain fog is especially bad today!

We've not tried GF mince pies - DH is a coeliac but doesn't like them anyway. I'm not crazy about them myself TBH.

On a scale of one to batshit, how crazy is it to order a takeaway but only order dessert?

£19 teacher presents
£6 something on photos for Christmas presents

FRUGAL THINGS:

Made goat horns and beard for ds for his Christmas play and got my completely unqualified friend to cut five inches off my hair for free

Nice!

Have you ever tried the Mumsnet Haircut? Works well for me (although my hair is too short for it now) and I do it on DD who gets loads of compliments and "OMG you cut that YOURSELF?!" comments :o

No I haven't! Should have tried that!

What's a mumsnet haircut?
Worked all day
NSD
Fluffy, Just been told not to change from GB energy until everyone gets the new provider. They will, apparently, honour any credits we have....then change. Just take meter reading and wait til we hear.

I forgot to be honest. It will be ok.

MN haircut I believe is when you have wet hair, lean right over so it all falls forward, pull it into a ponytail right at the front of your forehead. Pull the ponytail taut and snip. It only works on long hair though and I would probably not risk it if your hair is very straight - mine and DD's are wavy so it masks any uneven bits. DD's never had a haircut in a salon, but always gets compliments (as for me I tie my hair back pretty much 24/7 so not that fussed :o but it has looked nice when I've done it)

why does being sad make me (and many others) want to spend spend spend?!

cag no. Not batshit to only order dessert. One of my fave things is to go to my sisters for wine on a Friday evening and order hot donuts from the pizza place.

I'm the same. I get sad I want to shop. classic emotional spender me

Dinner at dms. Delish. Roast beef with apple pie for dessert. Le yum yum.

Absolutely stuffed now.

Have just coaxed catface out from under our bed to play with mousie. She enjoys it. I enjoy it. We're besties now. She sat on my lap earlier this evening when it was dinner time. And she licked dh's knee wierdo

Work tomorrow. 4.5 day week this week. Then a full week they a 4 dayer. Then a full week. Then no work until January 3.

Oh yes, spending when sad. I do that with phone in one hand, slab of chocolate in the other.

I think it is quite mad to order a takeaway dessert only, but that is because I ALWAYS have chocolate in the house. Needs must, Cag.

Girlie I hate picking hair out of the plughole, really one of the worst jobs in the house. Makes me gag (and it is just my hair!).

Mammy sorry your DH was a bit of a pain on your trip. Have marital relations thawed yet?

It's been a mixed weekend. Took DS to a miniature railway yesterday to meet Santa. He doesn't really get the concept of Santa and Christmas but he does love a train ride so relatively successful. Tickets bought in advance, so just a tenner for drinks and cake all round. Then a trip to Waitrose to buy some actual food- I did an Ocado shop for Friday delivery, put all the store cupboard stuff in the basket and checked out to keep my slot, but then forgot to add fresh food as per the meal plan that I had not actually got round to writing . So spent another £60 in Waitrose on some stuff for batch cooking and also the first mince pies of the season. Must now do the cooking!

Not off to a great start today because after taking DS to a drop in sensory session for ASD kids this morning I was so knackered I napped for half the afternoon. No cooking done at all. NSD so far, though am about to buy my mum's Christmas present (magazine subscription).

Am so tired with this pregnancy, I am sure it is worse than last time though it is hard to remember exactly. I am 9 weeks now, I hope I perk up soon as the house is descending into a midden

Ah well. 50-50 split, which despite the small sample size I shall take as a coin-flip. Reader, I ordered it. Although I added drinks as well. Ben and Jerry's awaits. Fuck it. Fuck it I say!

I can definitely feel my mental health slipping quite dramatically I'm off to tidy up downstairs (I have been hibernating in my room most of the day) and then plan what needs doing next week. I have returns to sort out, the printer needs sorting too, and lessons to book etc.

I don't always have chocolate in the house but usually I can just text DH if I am feeling the need - but he's running home today so can't carry anything. But I suppose the fact he's home much earlier makes up for it :o :o

Well I sort of voted for dessert Cag - only wouldn't do it myself because I have an alternative on hand (massive chocolate hoarder here). But if you don't then the way is clear .

I rarely eat ice cream but really want some now.

Wow, never thought to do that about dessert. Don't you have to order over a certain amount though, for reduced or free delivery?

Shame about the lack of outing Cag

I haven't tried either M & or Waitrose GF mince pies yet, DH is happy with the Sainsbo's ones and I've tried another brand from Holland and Barratt, can't remember the name right now but they are nice hot but not so much cold.

I forgot another spend, waffles for DDs and snack/drinks for us, £23 because I also bought naice coffee beans from Starbucks.

Cag I would have voted for desert had I seen it earlier. Glad you ordered it

YAY :o yes minimum spend but I ordered a drink with it which I can have tomorrow :) as I have a feeling I will need the caffeine!

Practically frugal then Cag

I'm off to bed, long day.

Night peeps.

Night Adora. In my area, you'd have to spend about a tenner to get cheap or free delivery, Cag. Maybe I'll come and visit you and we can order as much dessert as we like!

Nowhere delivers where I live

Looking after my friends kids today. Two will be at school so I'll have ds and his best friend. I'm going to take them to the garden centre soft play.

I forgot about heating them up Adora. I'll do that.

I've managed to be quite frugal about Christmas presents this year and ds was great about choosing a sensible couple of things. But now his best friend is bragging about getting a huge mountain of lego for Christmas which is putting questions in ds's head. I feel a discussion of opportunity cost coming on. This must be why all my relatives are so keen on economics.

£17 on soft play and snacks I might have had a sausage bap..

£300 leant to my friend until Friday as her dh didn't get paid as his boss is on holiday.

I've booked a consultation at the orthodontist

It's difficult isn't it CRT when other kids get a whole lot more! This year there will definitely be less than usual on the toy front (as much for the sake of clutter as cost), they will still have plenty to open but more of it is useful stuff that most of their friends would be given throughout the year (bedding sets etc). It was worse for them when they were at school though I think, we are in a pretty wealthy area so most of their friends were getting ipads, consoles etc.

I am very glad I ordered a Dr Pepper last night with my ice cream :o I'm trying to get going now - total first world problem, but DH has been leaving me to sleep really late recently. Obviously totally kindly meant but I think it's stopping me then getting to sleep that night, so the cycle continues. So last night I stayed downstairs knowing that it'd make me wake up earlier when the Caglets woke up. Hoping that'll break the vicious circle!