Frugaleers, keeping their frugal resolutions in the new year. Keep on, erm, resoluting!?

[Cagliostro]

Hello everyone! :)

wreck leave the stuff there for him to come home to

I twitched and bought these boots
In my defence my purchases for myself in January have been a bra, a diary & these boots. A heel went in a pair I bought last january & the day I went to cobblers he wasn't back after Christmas yet.

Pjs & dressing gown came out of christmas money.

I hope you manage to do something to help with the headaches Girlie, and hope the GP gets back to you soon. Mine is great at saying that, it's the actual doing of it that's an issue.

I'll stick with Lemon, it's already there on my laptop which I use more.
I eat when I'm bored or feeling down, and it's always junk. Healthy food doesn't appeal when I'm in those moods.
For easier meals I've been buying these casserole mix to go in the slow cooker with sausages or similar. Cheap and does about 6 portions.
Cag I could do with a pedal machine or similar. Something to strengthen my legs without actually walking (ie bearing my weight).

I have that blender Girlie. I'm hoping to upgrade to Nutribullet though, so I can add some seeds and nuts in. Heard great things about Nutribullet but £65 for the basic one IIRC. MIL was telling me about no sugar February. Not sure I could manage it!

Still umming and ahhing about this thermos for DP. I might as well just order the bloody thing. I'm just worried it won't keep his food warm enough until dinner, so from 7am to upto 2pm.

Cleaner (MIL) came today, so that's -£30. House is clean and she's great company. I'm in many ways closer to MIL than DM so not the MN norm.
DP's car needs more petrol so that will be another £30.

He took a pack lunch today again, text me to say he'd enjoyed it. Cheese pasta salad. Cheap and cheerful wins again.

Girlie have a look at amitriptyline. It's originally a tricyclic antidepressant but it's mostly used at lower doses for pain relief now, it's amazing for my fibromyalgia pain and cluster headaches - when I come off them I really notice the difference.

Re: swallowing tablets is that in any form? DD prefers capsules and will take caplets if absolutely necessary but I'm the opposite.

Should get ready to go out soon but feeling a bit yucky. Ugh. Caglets finished their projects though and we've done some maths and spellings and played more board games! :o

Sympathies on the beanpole DC. We've been lucky really as we've barely had to just buy jammies - we get them a character pair/onesie each (well the elves do!) at Christmas, and PIL send a pair each for Christmas and summer birthdays. So really it's the first time in years we've had to specifically go and buy some iyswim. In fact some that DS has finally agreed to get rid of were bought when DD was 4... so 5 years ago!!! They've had a damn good run and the fabric is still great so it's going in the fabric stash (and ALL were from Mini Mode at Boots so I really recommend them for decent quality but affordable clothes for younger kids).

Same Lemon I can't do anything high impact so the pedal thing is great. I can't really do swimming either because of the dizziness, I enjoy it though!

I love smoothies, but what I'm really yearning for is a soup maker. Mum's is amazing, it comes out so smooth and it is ZERO effort, no needing to stand up for stirring or blending, nothing! It even has a self cleaning cycle thing so you just shove soapy water in. Really appealing.

I was on amitriptyline for nerve pain for my back. It did nothing and knocked me for six sadly. Hope you find a solution soon Girlie.

Love the boots Mammy.

Wrecked, my DH and DC have tried those sort of tricks too. I let it slide for a very long time, but they are now in no doubt of my expectations. Laughing aside, it honestly makes the running of the house so much easier if they all do a little bit, and they finally get it... at 55, 17 and 15 ha ha...

Spends -
£25 cleaner (was supposed to come Friday but DH left the chain on the door.....).
£30 in Home Bargains, including 2 throws for the dog chairs, reduced. Lots of storage pots, cleaning items, toothpaste and the like.
£12 M&S, more healthy stuff.
£5 class.

I've done 30k steps today as I've done a class, done a 5 mile run and walked the dogs for 4 miles.

Ah shame it didn't help you need it certainly does knock you out too - great for me, as I have sleep issues :o so it doubles as a sleeping pill for me. But not ideal for everyone (sorry girlie should have mentioned the sedative nature of it!). I'm only on 40mg which is about right for me normally, although have had to take a meds break for a couple of weeks so I'm sleeping even less than usual. 🙄

£310 tiler
15 petrol
85p tampons
£26 moisturiser & sunblock.

Lemon Do you like dumplings? There very easy to make and make stew more interesting. I use beef suet because I have issues with palm oil. You can do suet sponge puddings in sc, jam or treacle are really cheap but filling & indulgent.

Can I join you all? Really need to get things in order. I have money on 2 credit cards which I am trying to pay off and we're trying to live on a relatively strict budget.

We (family of 4 - 2DS 11 and 14, DH and I) have really tried to reign things in since Jan. Today's bolt out of the blue was gas and electric, which came in at over £200 for the last month 😵. Im now gearing up for a family meeting over dinner this evening where I lecture everyone about left on lights. I've asked them all to be careful about this before but to no avail. I work shifts and constantly come home in the small hours to a house lit up like a beacon.

I'd really like to have paid off both credit cards by Jan 2018 - leaving us with just the mortgage.

Due to shifts I'll have to dip in and out -and can't post every day. But I think updating when I can and seeing how everyone else is doing will be motivating (and give me loads of tips!).

I've used amitriptyline in the past. Really great especially when you can't sleep on a night due to the pain. But it definitely doesn't suit all. Not sure if it would be any better than a beta blocker though.

Mammy those boots are gorgeous! I don't like 'shoe' shopping but boots are my weakness.

I will have a chat with DP and see if we can pull £30 for one of those pedal thingys. They have them on amazon and I should be able to do it, even if it's just 5 minutes 3 times a day, it's better than nothing.

Everyone's welcome here neenook

Ouch at that bill, I'd be telling them what needs to be cut back to pay it. Favourite food treats/outings/pocket money etc. Re the credit cards, are you paying over the minimum? Even a little extra makes a different, good trick is set up a Standing Order so next month you pay the same as this month. Then each month you are reducing the amount they use to calculate the interest.

Welcome neenook post as little as often as you can, that's what we all do
Consider led bulbs. Can you estimate the bill ahead of schedule to be prepared for it, my provider allows me to enter current meter reading to estimate the next bill.

Can you move credit card to 0% and then work how much you need to pay to clear them in the time frame you've allowed.

I advocate ynab even just to sign up for the classes and follow the blogs

Just paid a penalty notice for a journey dh took with my car two weeks ago, he assured me he had only gone through that toll once so instead of it costing €6.20 for two journeys it cost €9.30

I hate shopping but boots are so handy, comfy yet stylish for day/night wear

neenook Welcome. Do you have LED light bulbs? You can get them quite cheaply now & you'd notice a difference in your bill.

I even have them in the fridge (eBay for that one) and poundland candle shape in the cooker hood.

Is the house well insulated, fleece lining on the curtains & Draught proofed?.

You can check your tariff is the cheapest on money saving expert energy club, it shows you deals left out by uswitch etc.

£200

mammy great boots!!!

I have had a mishap. A stupid I hate wearing tights mishap. Fml.

Nsd today. Am currently in the pub waiting for lovely friend (is it just me or do I spend a lot of time a)waiting for people and b) waiting in the pub??) with a nice glass of rosé. Paid for with the loyalty card points. Yay.

It was actually £238 for the period from 17th Dec until today 😡

I'm gutted. But by way of a comparison, so I can illustrate just how wasteful they're being, can anyone give an idea of their monthly outgoings for gas and elec combined?

One credit card is on 0%, the other I hope to clear by end of March so hopefully won't have to move it. It's currently at £1700 😬

Sadly we have a large, old, tall house. New roof though and some double glazing. Decent lined curtains are lacking though. Will make that a priority.

Thanks everyone for the welcome.

Welcome Neenook.

I take 10/20 mg Amitriptyline as a muscle relaxant for my TMJ. It takes the edge off, but that's it. It certainly doesn't help me sleep better, as it gives me an incredibly dry mouth. I usually get through a whole pint of water, waking up a few times in the night with it.

I've managed to vacuum and mop downstairs and clean the bathroom and have a shower today. Still feeling rubbish, but not in the throes of 'flu. 4th NSD in a row. Back to work tomorrow.

Welcome Neenook our gas and electric combined is £60 a month but thats in a well insulated new build and only two of us (me and 10yo dd) are you on the cheapest tariff? When i have had high bills in the past I have rung up and moaned and they normally can get it cheaper one way or the other! Otherwise go through every room and look at unplugging things!! During the day I even turn off my radio alarm clock as it sets automatically when I switch it back on in the evening, switch everything off at the wall if you're not using it (kettle, toaster, microwave etc)

If all else fails switch companies, lots will do a set price tariff for a year.

I am so full of cold its ridiculous!!

Thanks for the thoughts on amitriptyline, tbh I would be extremely wary of taking it as I had a really bad reaction to a drug a few years ago and it makes me very nervous of taking anything new!! Thats why I thought a cream might be a good option but still waiting for the Dr to ring me back

Dd not been too bad today but not sure she will be up for school tomorrow which is a problem as I am working, will see how she is in the morning I guess.

Creme You must be feeling better to do that

Our bill in winter is £30 gas & £22 electric. But I'm very frugal with what we use. Summer gas use for water is £6.

You can buy cheap fleece throws for windowsill length curtains and pin it on with safety pins.

em can you sew that up?.

Ah that's understandable girlie I hate taking anything at the best of times but when a bad reaction is thrown in it makes it scary :( everyone's different anyhow, hopefully you can find something that helps ASAP

I guess I am, Fluffy. I didn't dust, clean the mirrors and screens, clean the Venetian blinds or clean the sink and drainer though; just the basics.

I pay £20-24 a week for both this time of year on a pre-payment smart meter, Neenook. In summer, it's more like £10-12 a week. 3 bed 30s semi.

mammy that's a good idea for dealing with angry outbursts.

Sorry to hear about the lurgy Girlie. Good luck there and I hope the GP helps with the migraines.

I plucked up the courage to go and talk to the Cool Mums at the school gate after while of not doing it today, and then totally regretted it as they were all getting over really horrid viruses. Should have just stayed on my park-bench-with-a-view.

Quite an expensive day today as it was a big food shop, but the family is so much more cheerful when the house is full of good food, that I don't mind. Ds has recently taken to Babybel cheese, and it's a big hit now.

Wreck it's really really cold here too, but I'm very much enjoying the bright sun and blue skies. Do you have those too?

On way back from tap. Fancy pants new buses have wifi and USB chargers on every seat 😱
Feeling smuggy smuggerson again as bus fares went up today but we have our key cards so it doesn't affect us. 😇

£56.50 in primark 😱😱😱 6x pyjamas (all character stuff from the boys section in the end as there was sod all else and the girls stuff was hideous!) dressing gown for DS, jumper for DD and her first crop tops! Got sporty ones though so hopefully not too annoying with straps etc but still a little extra support/warmth.
£1.65 crisps (FYI Boots don't sell twiglets)

REALLY could murder a KFC right now, was very tempted as we had a long cold wait for the bus. But I'll attempt to stand up long enough to cook something when we get in

cath yesterday the fog didn't clear at all but it did today. I hope you don't get the lurgy!

We pay £100 a month electric, no gas here.

I tried amitriptyline but it didn't work for me so I take gabapentin when I need to. I also take co-codamol 30/500 and arcoxia but only when I really need to. Dh is always telling me off for saying I'm in pain but not taking anything, I just like to get through without if I can.

I did tidy the house. Dh won't be back until eight so it needed doing. He does usually make the beds and open the curtains (as I moan otherwise) I suppose as he left an hour earlier than usual today he didn't manage it.

I got dd a hat from fat face in September and kept it for her stocking. She went to put it on this morning and all the stitching had come undone I've posted on fb to them but not sure they will do anything, understand if not, I'm a bit pissed off though.

Right, crikey - that is rather shocking! Will look at switching. A smart meter sounds good actually.

Finally got a chance to catch up...
wreck your kids look cute
Been a couple of nsd but spendy today because we ordered a tablet for dd, we ordered it over Amazon so is curious to see if it works without issues here. Dh said it's should be fine working here. Tablet cost 120£ but due to the pound being so low compared to DKR it's cheaper buying it in the U.K.
Gws to all feeling under the water and low.

I take Gabapentin every day. It's more expensive than Amitriptyline, hence you get offered the latter before the former. I'm supposed to take 3 x 300mg, but I take 1 or 2 tablets and am fine. Funny, the stronger I am making my abdominal muscles and strength/flexibility issues, the less I need. Which is a lesson in itself. To me.

Were the Cool Mums nice though Cath? Even if they were germ ridden

We've had chicken fajitas, I make my own seasoning mix and cook a whole chicken, to use the leftovers for sandwiches soup and stock. Actually, I used warm baguettes instead of fajitas, and it was a scrummy alternative.