Festive Frugaleers - Chatting and saving through Christmas.

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Just setting up the new thread for the chatty Frugaleers.

By popular request - copied from an old thread grin

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.

tayto spreadsheet is a great idea. Wish I'd thought of that!

Next year. Unless I still have the receipts...

I have seen pictures from last nights do. Mostly very respectable of me. There are two where I'm being a bit silly (wearing all the party hats...) but nothing crazy. Phew.

Sorry to hear that you're not feeling well Girlie; is it migraine?
Long time sufferer here!

Not sure Bertie when have spoken to the Dr in the past about them they couldn't decide if they were migraines or not! I'm not very good with new medications so have never been brave enough to try the immigran they gave me They are hormonal though and at their worse around the time of my period, quite disabling really as the pain is awful.

Been out to a friends this evening who was doing Christmas drinks and nibbles, picked up a few bits on the way £4 ish.

Headache sounds awful Girlie hope you get rid of it soon.

Fab boss indeed Need, glad you enjoyed your run.

em your DH did well with Doritos and Coke 👍

No insurance on the dogs. I keep telling DH we need it but he's not convinced . Teddy - dog's MN name coz he is my enormous teddy bear- is more severely injured than DH lead me to believe. Both his hind legs are damaged, he'll be anesthetised again tomorrow to clean the wounds. They are concerned about gangrene setting in. The vet says there is more than 50% chance of saving one of the legs. This happened on Thursday evening and was out alone until yesterday afternoon. He has lost a lot of weight. The other dogs know he is back but aren't allowed access to him. On the plus said she said the worst wound had improved overnight.

On the frugal front, we won't being going away over Christmas now. I didn't get out for my sister's present today. Will try tomorrow.

Tayto I've a spreadsheet for Christmas 14 & 15, one has prices on it other one doesn't. I changed colours as I had purchased things

This year I've been recording in ynab & started a Christmas budget there but didn't keep it up to date but it's all in the Christmas category in our main budget. I'm hoping to export this to excel afterwards. I loaned Christmas category €200 during the week to keep it up so this tells me what we budgeted during the year wasn't enough but I know we borrowed from it for turf so this might be that rogue €200. I will tally what was spent so we can budget what needs to be saved weekly for next year & am going to save it over months Jan-nov instead so that all money is there to be spent before December.

Adora i hope teddy will make a good recovery, was it a hit & run or have you car repairs to pay on top of vet bills? In Ireland at least the owner of animal is responsible for damage done by animal. Stupid plumber everyone knows if you find a door/gate closed you close it behind you

We had a spendy weekend but I can go to work without stressing about all that needs doing for Christmas now as all except Tesco order is complete. Dss & his girlfriend presents must be purchased dh is doing that & wreaths for graves & dh is doing that too.
I'm starting wrapping tonight

Poor teddy dog.

Soft play today to meet friends who moved in the summer 2 hours away.

Still haven't wrapped or meal planned the festive period. Feeling slightly frazzled but quite shattered.

So yesterday....

I accidentally bought the wrong train tickets (singles instead of returns as the difference was only 10p!) so had to get a refund and start again

Train £32.50 for all of us
£10 in winter wonderland on some rides for the kids
£16 something in Bella italia, I'm really annoyed because I had £60 of tesco vouchers and the bill was £58. The lady handed the receipt back to me and said I still owed £16 as drinks aren't included but she still used the full amount of vouchers! She could have asked if I wanted to just use two of them
£10 on the merry go round at Southbank
£8 on hot chocolates in Costa on the way home.
Used boots points to get some sandwiches for the kids.

Today I'm going to a friends all day and then I'm going to hospital to get a two week trial of a CGM machine. Exciting! Plus I can leave my car at my friends so don't need to pay parking. I need petrol too.

Oh poor poor teddydog. And having the stress of being away from his friends and human family needlessly. It was so pointless and easily avoided. I haven't got a similar kind of experience other than when ddog2 was attacked by another dog as a 9 month old puppy and the attack broke his leg. He had to endure a split for 4 months, has a small piece of bone floating in this leg that sometimes hurts him and he will most likely get arthritis, all because of a stupid bloody uncontrolled dog. Oh Adora.

I knew that frazzled and shattered feeling last week Life. Mad time of year.

Last day of work. Will be a LSD. Maybe not a NSD.

Adora your poor dog, you must be devastated. I hope he makes a good recovery. Did the driver stop?

So sorry about Teddy, Adora.

Oh no adora poor teddy :(

Wreck that's crappy service from Bella, I'd email them. Clubcard vouchers come in lots of £20, she should have only entered 2 of the codes and had you pay £18 on top. Basic. I'd email clubcard too.

Mammy hit and run 2 other motorists who saw it happen and stopped took the deceased dog and his sister, she wasn't wounded, to a nearby vet. Teddy had obviously kept going despite the impact as they only saw 2 dogs.

Just bought DSIS present and after dinner mints, £41

Utter scumbag .

Did the other motorists get the red number of the hit and run bastard

Girlie I have read that all period-related symptoms are somewhat improved by increasing iron in the diet, even in people who are not technically anaemic. I've been trying it for the last three months and the results have been encouraging enough to keep trying. I found that out in the medical literature online, so it's proven stuff. Might that be worth a try for your headache trouble?

Em might that also help you out?

John Lewis have sent me an email thanking me for returning some things and letting me know that they are sending out replacements. They must be so confused. I feel bad for them.

Girlie I get hormonal migraines. I have read that evening primrose oil might help.

Cag I think I might complain it seemed a strange way of her doing it.

Have had assorted friends here with their toddlers all afternoon, it's been chaos! DD has thoroughly enjoyed herself though and I haven't spent any money.

£93 paint & floetrol. Leaves £7 for frog tape.
£4 tester pot
£30 petrol
£10 top up shop

£8 fish and chips later.

Hi all Adora how can someone do that? Hope your other dog continues to make progress, poor thing.

Cath and Wreck I already take a multivitamin that has added iron and evening primrose a high dose everyday. Will try and see the Dr this week if I can....

Had a nice day, drove out across the hills to see my very best friend and had a lovely catch up.

NSD.

Got my free cgm trial. I can keep the reader but have to pay for sensors. For anyone who doesn't know this little thing reads your glucose levels every fifteen minutes plus when you scan it.

No registration number, car going too fast.

we're off to see Teddy now, he is back with the vet for a few days and we are taking food to him as he refused to eat for them. That could have been down to the trauma, not sure.

Have decided I am not happy with DSIS present so ordered another and will try to return today's purchase. Same store, same thing just a different colour.

Poor dog, hopefully he will eat for you.

Adora that's so sad what an utter bastard driving off like that.

Hope he eats Adora, and hope that bastard has a horrible Christmas. Hope he gets sick and his burgled and his/her partner leaves and someone steals his bloody car. Bastard!

Just been to Aldi and 1kg of carrots 19p, same for Maris Piper potatoes and Sprouts, parsnips and broccoli....all 19p each. Bought all of them and they will last over Christmas.

No, that's being soft on the bastard. I'll think of something worse!