Springing into the New Year with the 2017 Frugaleers

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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.

Welcome Brightermornings I know what you mean about getting in muddle with money because of the worry of dealing with it. Glad you've joined. Coming on here for a natter is a great way to deal with worries instead of spending money. Have you seen the YNAB tutorials? They helped me when I started.

Welcome Stilllivinginazoo too. It seems as though you are doing everything fairly cheaply tbh. Can you at least get the kids to do their own cooking and washing so you can put your feet up? Maybe that would give them something to do and then they wouldn't eat from boredom. That may be a daft suggestion though. I only have one and herding one is kind of easier maybe.

I do know about food intolerances as Wreck says but I have such a hard time cooking cheaply. We average £800 a month on groceries for three people and no pets, and that's with being really really careful, and my ds eats like a mouse. Not sure I can help that much there tbh.

The big problem is that with three of us having different diets we end up cooking three different meals every time and that really makes it mount up. The one thing I've found that helps, I suppose, is buying things where I can take one portion out of the packet and shut the packet again without it going off.

So for example a packet of 6 non-freezable sausages is no use unless ds wants sausages for 3 consecutive meals, or dh can be persuaded to join him. But frozen fish cakes are better as I can take one out of the packet and shove the rest back in the freezer.

My one cheap thing is rice which can be had in huge bags for cheap, but I suppose that depends if they like to eat it. Tesco has rice on half price at the moment and if you eat cracked white rice then I think that is even cheaper.

It's hard to ask, but are you really really struggling financially, or are you just trying to cut down a bit because you feel your spending is wasteful and you should be saving more each month? That makes a big difference.

Wreck thank you for saying I know about something. I never thought of having food intolerance as a useful skill before.

Welcome Still and Brighter. You'll get lots of help here.
Spent just over 100 quid in DIY store, all on much-needed stuff though.

cath that is exactly the sort of thing I'd buy. I'm a sucker for beauty stuff.

I'm on another thread at present trying to use up my beauty stash.

donned a new hairbrush though

cath Necessity sadly
I buy frozen fish cakes,lots frozen veg rather than fresh
The zoolets eat almost everything except jam and offal(allergies excluding of course) can't have peanuts in house as dd1acute allergy, and whilst isn't full time(at uni own lodgings)as she has adrenaline pens not worth the risk!
Ds eats cashews,almonds and hazelnuts. Due start try introduce brazils then walnuts last as we allergic bunch(dd1allergic them all,but only dangerously peanuts)loves sunflower seeds
I but coconut milk as a powder to cut any waste.bake lot muffins etc.use loys vegan tecipes as havent always got eggs in.Currently trawling net cheap recipe sites
Rice in all forms adored,so will look at bulk buying that.thank you

£1 on tooth fairy tonight... Dd is only six and has just lost her 10th tooth! She did have an extra one but still...

Welcome zoo and brighter

cath I may be stating the bleeding obvious here but could you buy sausages (for example) then freeze them in pairs? That way you're still buying and ds doesn't have eat them for 3 straight dinners?

I do this with chicken buy them depackage and then freeze in freezer bags. In pairs.
Just a thought.

Other spends today £5 on a cork board for our kitchen wall and £3 for a couple of bags of prawn crackers. Dh is making Chinese chicken for dinner. Yummy.

Have spent the afternoon reading book (jo nesbo the devils star) and drinking water and green tea whilst waiting for the washing to finish. Nice and chill.

Hi still and brighter. Lots of chat, support and ideas here. Nothing is off limits, no judgey pants as it's supportive and nice here.
£3.75 aldi, £10 trampoline place

Girlie Which podiatry school did he graduate from?. What tosh. But it's her money.

zoo I have a milk allergy & I just cut it out too rather than buy free from food. A girl called Jack recipes might suit you, lots of her stuff is vegan.

£44 hair & tip.

Think yesterday was an NSD. Dropped DS1 back at uni today:
£18 breakfast en route
£6 brownies (they are amazing)!
£65 grocery shop for DS (inc £27 printer ink)
£50 grocery shop for us.

Will now read back through what I've missed.

Exactly Fluffy unfortunately my mum is such a sucker for stuff like that!

Welcome newbies are you shopping at Lidls/ Aldi? I save a lot when we shop there! Esp good for basics etc, also make sure you are going through all your direct debits and getting rid of any that aren't essential. Also look at ways to increase your income if possible or make the most of eBay/ selling sites.

My top tips!!

Plan try sell few outgrown toys shortly.there a local fb page for mums selling where I live(saves FAFF postage)
Just whizz up batch banana and ginger muffins as D's love banana, lil zoo doesn't,but adores ginger,so its win win when ovens on cooking something else and I located 2almost black bananas I'd been squirreling away(D's eats by the bunch if let him)
I try n keep fill box baking basics like cheap flour,baking powder,spices etc.I find baking therapeutic (depression/anxiety issues) and I feel good esp on school days when they get in from school n place smells good and something nice to eat awaiting for them.you can only eat so much toast after school before you just want murder someone!!tend batch bake and freeze if lots excess,or double bake and trade a cake for services(friend help bit diy in exchange ginger cake)

Welcome Brighter and Still.

I went out by myself for a lovely pub lunch earlier. £6.95, for a ciabatta melt, chips and salad and lime soda and £2.75 for a café latte afterwards, so £9.70 total. Le yum! Still stuffed from it, which is just as well, as the Sainsburys order isn't coming until 8-9 p.m. So I might have pizza then, if I'm hungry. I cleaned all the kitchen cupboards and the hob when I came back, so getting there with the kitchen deep-clean. The delivery will be approximately £48, but it won't come out until Monday.

Meal plan:
Tonight: pizza (maybe).
Tomorrow : the last frozen cheesy veg cakes from Ikea with mash, gravy and frozen mixed veg.
Monday: pasta with avocado, hard boiled eggs and pesto.
Tuesday : veggie chilli and rice.
Wednesday : same.
Thursday : veggie burgers and chips with salad.
Friday : pizza.

Welcome new folk. I am a regular, but will admit to having only skim read the posts for today, as it's been 'one of those'. Thank heaven for teen DC's who have pitched in and helped this afternoon.

Spends today.
£1 on lemon and limes, for recipes and to stick in hot water, it's really refreshing.
£44 on 2 pairs of trainers for DS. He's joining a gym. The trainers were such a bargain, reduced from £120 to £22. He only likes plain ones, so I bought 2 pairs. Luckily his feet seemed to have stopped growing.

Instead of takeout, I've made chicken jalfreizi, and I picked up some reduced Indian starters in M&S for 60p that I froze earlier in the week.

Sainbo's today, frugal win though as DH paid 😀 He picked up 2 car magazines and I asked if he was paying for those separately from the grocery budget

Other than that, £12 fruit and veg and £35 in butchers, lamb, pork, minced beef and eggs. Oh, and £2.50 on a sausage sarny for DD1 too, butcher does them outside the shop.

Teddy now has only 1 bandaged. The leg they thought he would lose is now at the stage it needs fresh air. We are super pleased with his progress 😁😁

Aw, that's super news about Teddy, Adora.

Brilliant about Teddy, Adora. So chuffed about that.

Ha Cath, I'm far from perfect. But I do like to be busy.

Also, I've cancelled the DC's phone contracts and will set up Giff Gaff accounts. One will save £20 pcm, the other I am not sure as DD's phone is buggered, so I need to factor that in too.

Em That would seem sensible and I did try it, but the extra faff of defrosting and then oven cooking turned out to be too much since I also have to cook different meals for dh and myself at the same time.

Until recently both ds and myself were not able to tolerate vitamin supplementation so each day's menu had to be nutritionally complete for ds and myself too (enough iron, and calcium and everything) which was a total nightmare tbh.

Fortunately ds can have ready brek and rice krispies now which are both fortified so it's not all on my shoulders any more. I'm still trying to cook without vitamin fortification for myself, which is not really working, which is why I'm frequently under the weather.

I'm seeing a dietician next week hopefully and really hoping she can help.

ds calls, I'll be back in a bit.

Spent quite a bit today on random house stuff, a small top-up shop
Of fresh food to supplement freezer stuff.
Bought some new small Tupperware boxes so I can bring chopped fruit
into work- on Fridays I work 0845am-11.30pm and work provide food but it's really terrible canteen food and I'm sure it's partly why I'm gaining weight so last night brought home made vegetable curry and fruit.

Watching rocky horror show let's do the time warp again. Filmed in 2016. It's awesome.

Oh i love Rocky Horror

You Ok Need?

Hurrah for teddy, please he is making good progress.

Still - Aldi is great for baking stuff best price v quality imo.

Just booked our holiday so £240 on teh CCbut have a pile of stuff to try and sell or charity shop when i get too over whelmed

Welcome newbies. I've learnt loads on this thread and have been inspired. I think a change in mindset is the greatest benefit. To not go 'shopping' just for pleasure. Plus the increasing of income has help me. Just from tutoring I've netted extra dosh, which I'd never done before, but there's a demand.

Spent £35 on food shopping.

Have just told dh that next time it's shown here we're going. I haven't worn my silver sequin hot pants for aaaggges!!

Back again.

So the key thing (for em) is that fish cakes come frozen with instructions on the packet for cooking from frozen.

Sausages on the other hand, do not have instructions for cooking from frozen, so if I freeze them then I have to faff around and defrost them and then cook them, which is just too much effort.

Mainly because I'm effectively running a cafeteria, with a turnover rate of about two sausages a day, with the sausages coming in packets of 6, and being super-expensive wheat-free ones. Blah blah blah.

Ds and dh come home for lunch every day too which really helps with a lot of things. We get to have a good chat with ds while he is not yet tired from a full day at school, and he gets to talk to his Dad while they are both on form, and I get to have all the chances to get really good food into ds to get him back on his feet properly. It does mean that I'm doing the three different meal trick three times a day though, which is a lot.

Great news Adora.

Does this count as frugal? Walked away from buying a single nail varnish when waiting for a prescription at the chemists as it was £5 and not strictly essential but then saw the exact bottle I wanted (the 72 NICE) plus four others for only £7. I had exactly £7 left from my £100 weekly budget and it all just seemed to say 'buy me'!

Do your nails and take a photo. Such good colours.