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.

Oh my goodness Italian she is beautiful - congratulations! I honestly wouldn't worry about getting a new born anything for Christmas, she isn't really going to know its any different to any other day. Why not just save the money and put it into a savings account for her?

Have just spent £44 on a wine tasting and cream tea gift experience for 2 with Tesco Direct, thats my dad and step mum sorted now for Christmas.

Ohhhh Italian congratulations she is absolutely scrumptious 😍❤️🌟

Thanks folks I kind of flip between feeling determined and feeling utterly hopeless so please keep giving me a kick if I start sounding pathetic again 😳

Been waiting all afternoon for my printer to be delivered again... not here yet. Which means I won't be able to register it today and get my refund/promised free months of instant ink sorted. Boo.

I agree with Need actually losing it is necessary sometimes I reckon. Kids test and test and test and sometimes they need to see that they've crossed a line. DD went through a phase of getting really violent mid meltdown and once she hit me right on my spine and I just totally lost my cool and cried and refused to be near her because I was so hurt and scared. I don't think she's ever forgotten it and she hasn't hit me since. No amount of consequences, talks etc had ever stopped it before.

Wow 2 year olds in school nursery? I am biased I guess but that is just so young.

It's originally part of the free 15 hours to parents on tax credits/ other benefits, but some working parents can pay, if there are spaces available. Schools in our region started doing it about 2 years ago, so it might not be in all regions yet. I'm not a fan of it at all myself: especially as a lot of settings don't have a Nursery teacher in the room at all times; just teaching assistants and teaching assistant apprentices, with the teacher popping in every now and again. So much for trying to raise the status and qualifications of Early Years. However, the school I regularly work in now always have a teacher in there and the room is carefully planned to be geared towards the interests and needs of 2 year olds, rather than trying to simplify existing pre-school provision.

I'm really ashamed of DS today, as a teacher phoned at home time to tell me he defied her and ignored her and walked off the school grounds, instead of attending the after-school detention he was rightly given for not bothering to do his homework. I honestly don't know where he gets it from; I would never have dared to behave like that. In fact, I've never even had a detention in my life. It's just as well I was out (still am, actually), as I was fuming. No pocket money for him this weekend and I'll make it clear I completely back the school in whatever sanctions they impose. I've texted his dad too, but he hasn't got back to me yet.

Anyway, spends: £7 bus travel; £21.53 B&M; £16 Wilkos and £2.20 Greggs. I also spent £35.99 on online gifts for my mum, her partner and my brother earlier today.

Oh no creme. I was a bit of a dick when I was at school, mainly because I was desperate to be liked by the cool kids.

Italian your baby is gorgeous

Thanks all, she weighed 3625 gram when born so she clearly hit the weigh very well inside me and was born 40+5.
Yeah it's a good ide with the saving money instead of buying something but big sister really wanna give her a gift and is counting on santa giving both of them a gift so want to try to find some smaller things and then put some money in saving. We got the first child support this month for her and they are already saved.

Congratulation Italian! Gorgeous.

Wow, Italian, she is gorgeous. Congratulations.
Cag, that's the attitude. You tell them you are going to be homeless.
Hope you warm up.
Just had to order all the stuff for the bathroom and ensuite. Too scared to look at the costs. If I ignore them they'll go away, right😀
Still I have been saving up for them for what seems like years.

I've got friends coming to stay next Thursday. Washing's overrated anyway.

Italian she is so beautiful. congratulations.
Sea as others have said ...we have all lost it with our kids at some point (and I am sure I will again)
Cag have you tried contacting the Housing Associations directly. Some of them don't put put their Affordable Rent (up to 80% market rent) and intermediate rent properties through the Council waiting list. PM me & I will give you a list of the ones in your area if you don't have it already.

North you runner is amazing. I have made some skirts and trousers over the last couple of weeks with fabric bought at the cheapy fabric shop. It is so satisfying.

oh wow thanks Unescorted will do that :) x

Thats a pretty good weight italian google tells me its about 7lbs 9oz - perfect! How is your older dd coping with a new baby in the house?!

I have spent the evening sorting out photos and updating photo frames, have some lovely pics so nice to get them out and on display.

Am working all this wend so it should be a LSW in theory! Checked my account and pretty much all of my wages have gone I get my tax credits next Thursday so will have to survive on them. I think I have done all my Christmas shopping though so no more big spends

They told me it would be finished by next Thursday. Not sure!

£6 in Morrison's.

Gorgeous Italian
Crème, hope you get ds sorted.
Gosh I've lost time of the shouts I've done at the kids, better now but when they were younger. I agree holidays will be OK as it gives you a couple of months to get sorted.
Cag, keep in keeping on.

Girlie: dd1 is such an amazing big sister and she just wants to cuddle and kiss her little sister all the time. I am so proud of her

Trying that looks doable - paint on Monday, floor finish Tuesday and suite in on Wednesday. The things that take time - plaster drying, pipework have been done. They will have to turn up every day....

I am always amazed how quickly houses are finished - I turn up on site a month to the end of a build and the houses look half finished. Go back a fortnight later and the kitchens & bathrooms are being put in. 2 days after that and there are just snagging bits being done.

trying hope you get things sorted in time for your guests arriving. It is expensive, we ended up spending more than planned on the loft, mainly things that I had forgotten to include originally, furniture, extra bits.
seacow don't be too hard on yourself re losing it, it's natural. I'm with need we apologise for shouting but make sure they realise why it happened & that they apologise for whatever prompted it.

Thanks for all the comments on the sewing, cag have a go! A drawstring bag sounds like a great place to start, simple design and lots of straight line stitching.cant remember how old the cag lets are but it would be a good primary age home ed textile project I think. I am addicted to buy quite a lot of fabric new but also scour charity shops for bedding that I can deconstruct and use. Pillowcases are good, just enough fabric to be useful but easy to unpick!

Ds had 4 friends over last night. The dart board and pool/table tennis table are up in the loft now as well as the playstation so I think our house may become venue of choice for them. They were no trouble and even ordered takeaway pizza so I can't complain. They were allowed a lager each and assured me no one had brought any other alcohol.
I am on duty selling raffle tickets at the church Christmas fair this morning, will let dd do the spending, £10 max on tat & stuff we don't need!! I'm taking cakes too.
This afternoon dd is having a couple of friends over to have a belated birthday celebration & one of them is sleeping over. This is a major breakthrough for her so she is really looking forward to it. I can't believe how much her confidence has grown in a year....wonderful

Dh will be doing multiple trips to the tip today and I will try to sort through lots of old clothes/books/toys etc which has accumulated in our conservatory. Lots to charity shop & pass on.

Have a good day everyone.

Creme, that really doesn't sound like your DS at all from that which you post on here. Are you sure there isn't anything going on in his life that hasn't come to light? Even bravado in front of his mates.

North Very satisfying all those trips to the tip, you will feel completely de-cluttered afterwards! Lovely news about your DD too.

So. After yesterday's spendy day (which was budgeted for and saved for and was a surprise for parents - dm cried) in back on the frugal wagon.

Emailed Amazon last night re the cat food and complained about subscribe and save delivery. Asked for a refund for the additional food I had to buy.

Food arrived this morning.

Hush skirt arrived this morning too. So will have to send the second one back.

Riding today then am going to have a tidy up of my wardrobe. (Again)

And maybe pop into work. Dh is reading a book at present re time management/organisation. I need to declutter my inbox and sort through trays etc. There is so much paperwork to be filed. I just need to sit and mark it up for filing but haven't had time.

Hope everyone is enjoying their Saturdays.

I'm afraid it very much IS him, Need. He still does not accept how wrong he was and thinks the school are making too big a deal of it, by ringing me. Let's just say I usually post the positive...

£64 lidl
£33 wilkos but dd needed a new lunch bag, they both needed new toothbrushes (got them battery ones) and I got four photo frames for Christmas plus some toiletries.

Cag and Cath did you know you can get childrens newspapers? I've got the first six issues free of this week junior for dd. I will cancel it after that, she's really enjoying it.

Two full pages to catch up on hope everyone's having a great weekend, just checking in here from work. Will catch up properly later today or tomorrow

Congratulations Italian, beautiful little one.

Spends today :
€77 haircut and colour
€15 Xmas jumper (I'm pleased with this as I got it in a children's size so it's a good price, it's really pretty and it's almost more wintry than Christmassy so I'll wear it all through the winter.)

Spend 55£ in supermarket, which included a gift for baby dd that dd1 picked out and a toy basket with food for dd1. She is getting IKEA kitchen and loads of accessories for Christmas and dh is making her a whole little kitchen with cup board and work table. Invited my parents for Christmas food tomorrow night, looking forward to the first Christmas food night... dd1 is going to my dads work with them tomorrow for kids Christmas party, she is so excited to see santa again

Btw anybody who knows where I can get duplo train with Thomas the engine?