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.

Going to another town tonight where they are open until 7 so could purchase and my fun money category has over €40 in it.

Thinking out loud, I still have sanctuary products not finished since last christmas and lots of body butters, going to keep my fun money category full!

I looked at the soap and glory set mammy but didn't think it was all that great, I just know I wouldn't use some of the products. So I kept my money too .

Spends today:
€2 canteen

Thanks Cag I am grateful but sometimes it feels a bit like charity iyswim and we're not that skint, its probably my fault for moaning about the cost of everything when she popped over the other day

Wreck i have suffered with neck trouble on and off for a long time, even as a child it would play me up at times. I probably should see a chiropractor or something but never seem to have enough time/ money. Its still really sore so am fed up, I don't do pain or not feeling well!

I did check fluffy but it wasn't on the authorised vouchers

Mammy you did the right thing. I love the smell of soap and glory but never use stuff. Dh always buys it for me but it just goes to waste.

Girlie how about a physio then it would be on the NHS you can self refer in our area.

Christmas tree done. £58!!!! (Last year we spent £40 and had a tree about 100 times the size but don't want catface pulling it down)

Dh spent £69 (snigger) at the shop. So we have food for a couple of weeks.

Em filthy mind

I just noticed that one of my Amazon orders has an estimate delivery date of 3 days ago. No 'where's my stuff' option on it though. Annoying.

cag I think it was you, who was into board games, would you post a list of the good ones that you play. Trying to buy more rather than use the iPad.
Also who wrote that great list of things to do that costs very little? Would love some ideas please.

Cag are you twitching???

Em dirty girl snigger

Exciting, slightly chaotic day here.

Ds got stung up a wasp at lunchtime and got so frantic that I got frantic too and accidentally gave him a double dose of calpol (having just switched up from infant to 6+) Ooops.

On the plus side I have now got an appointment booked with a really promising sounding dietician who may be able to help both of us. Now I need to get properly back on my feet by Saturday to get to the appointment. Hoping Bupa will pay for it.

I can't twitch any more as there's no guarantee anything would arrive now! Bit worried that this package won't turn up though.

allthebest without knowing ages etc I would say check out the following:

Ticket to Ride
Labyrinth
Dobble
Indigo
Marrakech
Sleeping Queens
Zeus on the Loose
Super Tooth
Castle Panic
Qwirkle Cubes
King of Tokyo
Steam Park
Nefarious
Forbidden Desert

A wasp in December?? That's a whole new horror to worry about, hope he is ok, CRT.
Managed to get through the day at work just about. Feeling rough though. NSD so a good start to the week.

NSD today which is just as well as am overdrawn and have had to move savings across.

Girlie, if you are still local to me, I can recommend Hurley Clinic on Staplegrove Rd. Expensive but definitely helped me.

Wow Em that is a lot for a tree - is that standard where you are? We paid just over £30 for a 6ft non-drop tree.

NSD here. At home with DS who is still not great after being ill at the weekend. He has hardly eaten anything today (though was pretty quick about getting to the advent calendar chocolate!) . We haven't left the house. We napped a bit and made some Christmas cards with glue and loose glitter, which I thought the grandparents/therapists would like. I now have significant regrets... Why would anyone in their right mind give glitter to a 4-year old? Every surface in the house is now glinting at me (including the walls of my newly painted hallway ). DS has even managed to get it on his genitals

Oh no seacow I hate glitter! I went and saw my friend and her new baby today, her ds is autistic (won't be going to mainstream school). She was so worried how he would react to the baby but he doesn't seem bothered by her. First of all he just ignored her, now if she cried he goes to her and says 'what's the matter [baby]?' So he's even showing empathy which is amazing for him. I'm so happy for them all.

seacow I believe moon sand is worse.

crt Ouch. I've only been stung once and it bloody hurt. We still have wasps and house flies here too.

Hope your neck feels better soon Girlie. Would a heat or ice pack help do you think? I use a hot water bottle on my neck regularly.

Updated spends:
€20 wash and blow dry.

Glitter, hama beads, drum kits, moon sand and chemistry kits.... all gifts loved by childless couples and recipient's parents who realised the folly before the child did and is now smugly giving them back to their nephews..... [evil] along with play doh recipes given to the parents in the kids hearing. Don't mess bro.

My family have been taking drugs... they are making dinner. I get the feeling that there may be a very big but.

Bertie hotter bottle has been hanging round my neck all day, may have a hot bath tonight to see if that helps as well.

Wilderness yes that is local, thanks will see how it goes but if no better will give them a ring.

Cath ouch! Poor ds, it must be global warming as dd got stung by a wasp in November last year!

Dd has annoyed me by not eating her dinner 'it tastes funny' and now moaning she is hungry flipping kids!!

I have started leaving DD's dinner for her to eat later if she doesn't want it. She's like a ninja picky eater - on the surface she appears to be a really good eater, she eats plenty of fruit and veg etc. But actually there lurks a right little fusspot as things like pizza are rejected if they aren't a very specific type because they aren't right.

What I meant to add was that this method now works when she's just not been bothered to eat her dinner. And then moans she's hungry. Recently she's actually even said herself - can you heat up my dinner for me.

wilderness dh usually gets our tree from someone he works with - her dad runs a garden centre. Last year we had tree which was about 7ft tall and 12ft wide for £40.

Tree this year is about 2ft tall. But we were concerned catface would go crazy and take the tree out.

So far she's sat and stared at it.

Mammy yes! We had it on Saturday. We all really enjoyed it, there was plenty and it was moist and really easy to cook. My mum had the turkey joint covered in bacon from the freezer section yesterday. She said that was excellent too. Dh wants me to buy another parcel for Christmas Day.

Seacow we let DD have glitter about 6 weeks ago and we are still finding it despite endless hoovering! The glitter glue solves the problem.
Christmas cards finally posted, it's only taken 8 days since we wrote them!