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 love my tumble drier too.

Cath did you get an appointment for ds? I've just got home from work it was super busy but we got everyone see.

Just having crackers, cheese and stuffing for lunch!

DD is badly needing new shoes. Her old ones were starting to leak so I was very pleased. Im hoping to grab another pair tonight as she needs a 'backup' pair for going with her Dad. They come back from walks like swamp monsters

I've gone the other way with the tumble drier, I used to use it very occasionally but we were having condensation problems from drying washing inside in winter so I use it a lot more now especially for big things like towels and bedding. I use the washing line as much as possible though, that's definitely my preferred way to dry washing.
Have made savoury Chelsea buns to use up leftover cheese, cranberry sauce and stuffing and also broccoli and stilton soup.
We still seem to have a lot of things to use up including a whole bag of potatoes. I'm now playing a little game with myself to see how long we can last without going to the supermarket. Milkman due tomorrow so no problem there but I expect DD will be upset when we run out of fruit and yoghurt (which we almost have) so we'll have to go then.

The swamp monster look is a sure sign of a good walk :o

I am very happy and a little bit embarrassed. Don't know if any of you had seen the advert for the latest National Geographic publication thing. Normally I ignore any of this type of thing, but I saw this one (DH bought the cheap 1st issue as they sell it at work) and we were both so SO tempted but just couldn't justify the cost. It's a maths book series so very very me.

Anyway my dad just phoned me and said he'd seen the advert a few times, had thought of me and wanted to subscribe to it for me. AWWW. How lovely is that? Maths has always been our thing - in fact the subject of the first book, the golden ratio, is particularly special as I still remember him explaining it to me when I was about 5 as we watched Donald in Mathmagic Land :o :o aaaah I am so pleased.

That's very sweet of your dad, Cag.

It is! :) :)

Thanks for asking Wreck. Ds has been on round the clock calpol for a couple of days just to stop him coughing, but this morning he didn't need it and wasn't coughing so it seemed silly to take up a GPs time at such a busy time of year.

I was in two minds because I totally get Em's point about documenting everything, but I also feel that we shouldn't bother a GP with a cough that's getting better, and just as likely pick up something else from another patient and mess up our holiday. It's tricky to decide really.

The good thing is that the cough seems a lot better, and this is day 5 which is when the Pediatrician said it should be starting to get better. I am giving him lots of fortified stuff, and drinks, and have been keeping him stock still on the couch under a duvet watching tv (Also Em's advice - thanks for that. ). Hoping it continues to improve now.

That's great that you managed to fit everyone in Wreck. They must have been really glad to have you there.

£13.85 on dd's milk for he term
£19.80 on a Jojo wetsuit hopefully that'll make ds less cold in swimming lessons and he won't cry so much

Cag that's so sweet of him!

Cath glad he appears to be on the mend. Well we hope so, we got about 70+ boxes of chocolates etc at Christmas so at least some of them appreciate us we also have appointments to pre book for tomorrow, Friday and next week so they really can't complain!

Dh got this remote as a joke present years ago it was hibernating in a locker since. It's just solved our problem of not being able to change av input on tv in au pairs room to view android box

Hello all - used to be a regular on these threads but dropped off due to incredibly busy year at work doing my PGCE on the job while working full time. Now a term into my NQT year and things are calming down.
We have had a rough year financially and have about £7k debt to clear (wrote off my car in bad crash and had to fly abroad for funeral, somw other stuff like that).
Have set goal to clear debt by my 32nd birthday in June and then to save up for house deposit, sitting down with DH tonight to work out a budget. At least we know we can do it after clearing a lot of debt in 2013. This time we have cut up the cards and instead have set aside an emergency fund, hopefully it won't be used.
Have caught up on this thread and saw some familiar faces as it were, nice to be back and hello to all those who I haven't seen before

PEONIES!!! Oh my word I haven't seen you on here for ages. Hello!

And I just realised you probably won't recognise my namechange :o I was on the minimalism thread as well as this one.

You would get on very well with my DS Cag, his entire life has been maths, he loves it. It will be his degree choice for sure.

Seems like great advice from the Pediatrician Cath. I would expect most childhood 'normal' (for want of a better word!) illnesses to last about 5 days, or at least see signs of improvement after this time frame. It's also useful to be able to say to your regular GP 'look, this cough and high temperature has now lasted 5 days, I've tried calpol, fluids, rest etc, and it hasn't worked, can you check him please?' Or whatever you say.

So, my spends a little higher than anticipated as I did a fair few jobs on the go today.

£20 M&S on fruit, salad, and reduced stuffing!
£10 Home Bargains, usual shite like toothbrushes, cleaning stuff.
£49 ordering 45 (!!) small pork pies from local butchers. Pie and pea supper for our NYE party, way cheaper than a buffet.
£80 Sainsburys, £60 booze for party, £20 washing tablets, and their 'posh' culinary spices and cooking stuff like harissa paste and umami paste. Sainsburys is great for these, otherwise too expensive I think.
£40 Amazon, linseed oil for the pony and oil for his legs.
£12 Cheeky wipes.

Cash from DH in most cases.

Not speaking to the pony as when I put him back in the field I turned to close the gate and he took off my pink sparkly hat with his mouth and chucked it in the mud. Git.

Woop woop Peonies. How lovely to hear from you. I am so sorry about the accident and funeral. Welcome back.

Hmmm cag was your previous name something that sounded like it might be a hedgehog? That sounds super cryptic haha sorry!
Need DH to tell me exactly how much he has on his CC - he has only given me an estimate.
Adora how is your poor dog?

Mammy that's funny!

Hi MissA!! I was SpottyTeacakes.

I want a new kettle. Ours has got a bit scummy as we have really hard water. BUT it still works so I shouldn't get one right?

Car seems to be ok. Dh doesn't believe it but my uncle, quick fit and the Peugeot garage have all said it seems ok ffs.

So, we now have £200 Christmas money spare. I want new vinyl for the kitchen (£130 I think it's 4mx5m) and the rest I want to use to go to the theatre

Yes that's me Peonies :o

Welcome back, MissA Sorry to hear about your bad year, but we're glad to see you back.

Wreck, new vinyl flooring and theatre tickets sound good. Get some limescale remover solution for the kettle or boil some white Vinegar in it to de-scale.

£2.85; on milk, washing up liquid and crackers, as I still have enough cheese for a couple of nights. Dinner tonight will be the last of the leftover nut roast and veg. Just chocolates and 3 mince pies to go after that.

My cousin's vital signs are very slowly improving, so that's good. She'll be on the ventilator til the weekend at least.

Eugh I feel awful. Really sick and sad. I've made an appointment for the dr on Friday. I am sick of spending most of the month feeling sick before my period.

I've just cried at dh and explained exactly how awful I feel. I showed him my period chart/diary. And made him read the notes.

He doesn't get it he can't empathise. But I just needed him to realise how bad I feel.

Hopefully I can speak to the dr and can get some help. It's really getting me down

I mentioned to dh that when we're meant to travel to nz I'll be on the beginnings of my period. And when we travel home it'll be the same. I cannot sit on a plane for 26 hours feeling like this.

In frugal news nsd and we had a really nice walk on the beach earlier

Welcome back, MissA I remember you from this thread and I think the Kondo threads too. I have also name changed since then, I was a popular tea time quiz! Hope your NQT year is going well, I remember mine well - I bet you were ready for the holidays!

Sorry to hear you are feeling rough again, Em, hope the doctor can help.

More leftovers for tea...

Thanks snuggly

I think it's time to actually have a sit down and have a chat properly with someone I have to see the man doctor though as the lady one I usually see has left and the new one isn't back until mid jan--

It's just so draining.

Hello MissA. Sorry you've had a bad year but you've saved once so you can do it again.

creme It sounds hopeful for your cousin then?.

Need Pets do what they like, they know they can't be sacked.

Cag Your dad sounds great.

Wreck Silly question but have you tried soaking kitchen roll in white vinegar or lemon juice & leaving it on the bad bits for an hour? It should peel off then. You scrunch up the paper so there's plenty in contact with the scale.

NSD & I sprayed neat bleach over the patio to clean it. I kept the cat in while it dried but I still up end him and smell his paws when he comes in. He's having the Xmas turkey to compensate for this strangeness.

Good idea to see someone Em. I have a similar situation and have long since given up travelling as we just ended up cancelling everything.

GPs just tell me that it's anxiety, by which I think they mean that I've been hothoused and pushed in every area of life, and given constant demands for so long that my body has resigned its commission and gone on strike. It needs a radical rethink about priorities and how hard I'm prepared to be pushed, if they are right. Does that fit with you too or do you think you have something different going on?

This is the sort of thing:

www.telegraph.co.uk/women/work/generation-burnout-three-quarters-of-women-suffer-from-stress-re/

Hi missa it was along time ago since I did my NQT and I'm afraid to say you have it a lot harder now, so make sure you don't beat yourself up, too much planning kills your soul.
Periods are rubbish, I have an implant and hardly ever get a period now adays, maybe 4 a year for a couple of days.
I found some walking shoes in the sale so am pleased that's all I'm purchasing. I'm still on a no purchasing of clothing for myself challenge, I want to do a year....mmmm now I'm not sure if those walking shoes count.

Hugs em sorry you are feeling so crap. Hopefully it's still just adjusting from coming off the pill.

Thinking some more about all my resolutions! Lots of ways I want to save and things I need to get done!

I'm sure a part of it is anxiety related but a big part I think is hormonal from coming off the pill.

Every month though it's been getting a bit worse. I felt like I was going to throw up earlier. Eugh. And I don't want to eat. Which is very unlike me. I'm. It really getting joy from food anymore. Just eatin because I have to.

Which puts a downer on dh as he loves to cook and try new foods etc.

were meant to be hosting nye. But I'm tempted to cancel. I'll see how I feel tomorrow. It's just a. Couple of friends but I'm Not feeling at all social. Just said to dh all I want to do it curl up and watch tv. Not hostess behaviour.