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.

I bought the Aldi veg too, I didn't need potatoes and parsnips for Christmas Day (already prepped mine and put in freezer) but I got potatoes any way as they'll be eaten easily. I got the sprouts, carrots and broccoli. I've blanched the broccoli and sprouts and they are in the freezer. I saw that Asda are doing them for 20p but I'm not sure if they are the same size portions. I also bought a turkey in Aldi, a nice free range, slow grown roly poly. We had one last year and it was great.

Bottling up gingerbread syrup (goes in coffee and hot chcolate) for gifting, house smells lovely and a really nice but reasonably cheap gift.

That's a really good price trying but our aldi veg doesn't last so end up spending eleventy million times more at sainsburys

Adora, the driver is a fucker.

You are well prepared Mummy. Gingerbread syrup sounds lovely.

Adora. Fucking twat. Not you, of course. The driver.

£50 M&S, still using cash from DH.

Glad you had a lovely day Girlie.

Dh saw a dog get hit by a car, he stopped to look for it & couldn't find it.

Later on he drove past it being walked by its owner. It must have a skull like concrete.

We need ladders. We haven't got ladders.

Feck.

Oh poor Teddy, that's so sad.

Spends today:
€16 supermarket

Got to the bank today and should have the last of my Christmas cards written this evening.

adora hope dog is ok x x

crt interesting and it makes sense. Will give it a whirl.

I'd also read about evening primrose. I bought some ages ago. It's still sitting in its bag.

Spends today £24(!) in paper chase on gift wrap and tags.

Thanks everyone. I'm trying not to let my anger get in way of caring for Teddy

There has been progress today, he ate at the vet's 😊 and TMI alert, this not for the squeamish, she showed us before and after photos and there is much less necrotising flesh. She is is using wet to dry dressing and is taking it one day at a time In terms of deciding treatment. It's going to be a long road.

We're eating out. DD1 and I were due to go to a concert this week, neither of us want to now.

I have two ladders Fluffy you are welcome to borrow them

em that doesn't sound much for Paperchase, in my experience! It's a dangerous shop.

Have had two nice days really - yesterday my parents came for 'christmas' as they can't come on Christmas Day as they have no dog care (and DS is terrified of dogs) . Also dad can't eat roast dinners anyway - since his surgery he needs quite 'saucy' wet food. I made a beef stew and dumplings and it was divine! All previous stews of mine have been passable but this had thick, silky unctuous gravy. I think the answer is to use beef shin rather than just supermarket stewing beef, and to brown it really well in small batches (I am usually quite lazy about that). Mmm, fluffy chive dumplings too. Unfortunately no leftovers - I normally hugely over-cater so not sure what happened thete! The beef shin wasn't as bargainous as I expected but worth it. We also told mum and dad about the baby and they were thrilled.

This morning I had a friend and her two boys round for a play date. No money spent but friend brought loads of stuff - biscuits and lots of nice fruit etc. Was great. This afternoon DH and I went for the 12-week scan and all good - baby was very lively and wouldn't keep still for the measurements! Good to see everything moving again and we can now tell people. I feel strangely shy about that though and can't put my finger on why.

Broke the frugal day afterwards by going for a top up in tescos and buying sausages for dinner, nice mango (good for baby) and cheese balls (not so good for me and baby but so yummy and also Christmassy and nostalgic. I am not sure why cheese balls are Christmassy).

DS has his last two days of nursery coming up and I plan to deep clean the house. We'll see how my energy levels last.

Em Paperchase is lethal - I have an addiction to good stationery (I may have spent £17 on a diary earlier this year) and am thankful we don't have one in our local town.

Adora - encouraging news about the dog.

Have almost finished wrapping pressies, and have been for a walk today. NSD!

Seacow great news about the scan.

Adora - will the person who left the gate open contribute to the vet bills? They were responsible and should feel that way too. I really hope teddy is ok.

Seacrow- great news on the scan :-)

Ah but Wilderness diaries are worth the spend I find. It's a false economy to buy a cheapie one that might fall apart. Our 2016 one is from the British library and it's got illustrations from various Alice in wonderland versions. It's beautiful and is such a pleasure to use

Adora, that's good news about Teddy eating. All of us send good healing vibes to her. Just do whatever it takes to get through this week and don't worry about Frugaleering, as you have far more important things to think about.

Seacow, lovely news about your scan and meal with your parents. Maybe tell people in January, once the chaos of Christmas is over? It will cheer people up in a long, miserable month. IMO, January is the longest and worst month of the year.

Spends: £3.84 Co-op and £1.90 bus fare back from Pilates. Last class until 9th January!

Congratulations on your scan seacow, wonderful news.

Was looking at my budget just now, December has been a very expensive month and car insurance still has to be paid, will need to either dip into savings for it or put it on credit card to pay off in January which will put the 2017 budget under pressure from the very start. Hmmm

Popping in I've got fruflu eyes feel all heavy lidded, and nose is sniffly, throat scratchy

Was in bed at 8.30 last night & again tonight

Hi to all xxx

Bloody love paperchase. I bought 3 rolls of gift wrap tags tape bottle bags a unicorn keyring and some feathery sparkle pens.

Veggie and chicken sausage soup for dinner. Have started wrapping presents and....

Catface jumped up on the bed. She sat on my feet. We are there. We are best friends.

😻

Well done for not giving up on her.

Well done getting cat face to trust you em

Started trying to fill in housing form this morning. Ended up a sobbing mess. Fail.

Oh dear, Cag. Was it a paper copy or online? Could you and your DH do it together? I would gather anything like payslips, a tenancy agreement, utility bills and N.I. numbers together first, before attempting it again. Those forms are designed to confuse and frustrate, so don't let it get to you next time.

Oh dear Cag, was it because it made you think about all the negatives of your situation? I felt like that filling in the DLA forms for DS

The advice I was given was to do the forms with a bottle of wine. No good for me at the present time so I substituted with a pack of M&S walnut whips. Was still not a great experience ( 💩

Thank you

I was just feeling hopeless about it TBH. The instructions go on and on about how you mustn't expect it to work, that just because you're ill it's not enough. There is only space to write conditions already diagnosed on there so I'm panicking that they won't listen about the kids' issues.

DH started typing for me (it's a paper one but we agreed to type answers for future reference especially as I'll be doing PIP soon too) and he was asking me the questions and I just couldn't answer, I was in a lot of pain this morning and just really brain foggy and just ended up crying like a muppet instead! It's only the medical stuff so don't need evidence to go with it (they said so) - but forms frustrate and confuse me at the best of times. This just made me think about all the perfectly normal stuff I am incapable of doing

Christmas my ds got that from ice lollies. It went away with Zyrtex antihistamine syrup. That's branded Cetirizine. We also did the ninja thing with vaseline but got nowhere.

Em Great, I'll keep trying on the iron front too. I don't get on with supplements, but am eating loads of steak and having liver once a week. Costs a bit but tastes great.

The thought of 19p veg in Aldi really makes me worry for farmers.

I love that catface trusts me that much. although she's only done it once

Nsd today. Up early cat fed washing on (or in and timer set it's far too early to be putting the machine on) and tumble dryer emptied filled and on.

Must remember to take a pack of green tea into work.

cag would it help if you filled the form in for "someone else" or pretended to. Can you disassociate yourself from the situation?