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

[Cagliostro]

Hello everyone! :)

Can I ask quickly what people class as a Low Spend Day? x

I would class it as less than £5 personally

Thanks for the jacket potatoes tips, all.

Girlie, glad you're feeling better. That's interesting to see your budget breakdown too.

Seacow, sounds like a rough day. Hope you can have a bit of a breather over the weekend, if your DH is around.

Oh no, Cath. Last thing you need.

Spends: £9.70 travel to work, £6.95 on an amazing chickpea and sweet potato curry in a fab cafe and £2.70 on a latte and 2 cakes from Greggs.

Dd back from school said 11 children were off with illness ystd nearly half her class!! Unsurprisingly her poor teacher was also off today.

I class a LSD as spends under £5 but for others its under £10.

Today will be a LSD
49p on sweetie friday and £2 to dd later as there is a movie night at her school that she wants to go to.

Yes I'd agree with Wreck around the £5 mark or below.

That's brilliant Wreck. They must have a special talent.

Thanks all. There's just been another bout of tears (from both of us! First time I have ever cried properly in front of DS ). No mum awards for me today... just need to write today off and start again tomorrow. DH is around all weekend, thankfully.

Half the class at once Girlie ? I don't think that ever happened in my entire school career!

Yay Snuggly. When I went on mat leave the first time I felt as though I had put down a heavy burden - it was an amazing feeling! The following Monday found me texting DH from the Costa in our giant Mothercare declaring that i felt so free and was having the best spendy day ever!

Under £5 here too.
Poor you Seacow, I really feel for you. Try and look after yourself. You are important too. Hope you have a better weekend.

I had 6 kids off in one day this week and had two days off myself.
for seacow sounds so hard, you also sound so patient and lovely, your DS is lucky to have such a mum
Not LSD here as work lunch out then date night with DH, tomorrow off to London for a trip, staying in an airbnb. Going to a free exhibition and then cinema, coffeee with old uni friends then on Sunday DH has a bread baking course that was his xmas present from me and I'll head home. Can't wait for DH to be paid as we will out first chunk into our savings for house.

Girlie and peonies It must be the season for it. Ds is not in good form, poor lad. I'm on bleaching duty. Gives one a sense of perspective on the usual difficulties at least.

Seacow Sorry to hear you're having a tough time. Definitely see if you can get free nappies for DS at least it will take some of the financial pressure off. And don't be too hard on yourself, you are doing a great job! I am on the autistic spectrum too but only Asperger's/HFA so mild really.

Did 11-4.30 day today combination of work & uni which especially after 9-4 yesterday is really good and unusual for me. So exhausted, having a brew on the sofa and all my legs and feet and fingers and eyes ache, blerghh. And I need to clean out the guinea pigs cage, make dinner, tidy/clean up for my relatives coming to visit tomorrow.......don't know how much I will manage though.

NSD on the plus side!

App is updating so it's not as easy to read posts here on my phone web browser. Today has been a nsd for me I don't count direct debits as they're planned regular expenditure. I tend to only spend money on thurs & sat usually

£5 in subway (I have a habit )
Petrol and parking but can claim back
3.5 of extra hours worked so claimable as TOIL and will use at half term

Anyone here in the proof reading business? Looking at doing a course with the hope of getting some work which I could do from home. Wouldn't be ditching the day job anytime soon though. Used to do some proof reading in my old job and used to love finding all the mistakes!

GWS poorly frugaleers

Seacow you are doing such a great job

Signed ds up for one on one lessons after another awful lesson. Will be an additional £45 a month 😭

Seacow definitely a night for -vino- an early night. Does your ds sleep through? Would dh take him out tomo to give you a break, or do you need to get out yourself for a break from those four walls?

Girlie that's very disappointing not to have the extra money but it'll make next months paycheque bigger
I loved reading your budget.
Your dd is very lucky, birthday presents here tend to be about €30-50.

Dd is gone to Ladybirds two weeks ago I helped supervise & ds3 was with me he helped himself to €4 which I didn't realise until the Sunday I made him give it back tonight but I'm not sure if it registered with him or not.

I've had a difficult week at work as well as home with dh being still grumpy, we didn't see much of each other this week though so it'll be tomorrow evening before last weekends drama will be discussed.
I'm glad it's Friday.

That was a strikethrough fail seacow I know you can't have wine

Supermarket shop today 25£ and petrol 35£. Going to ikea on Monday with my mom, have a looooong list

Wreck, good luck for the interview

And belated happy birthday need

Gws to all of you who'd under the weather

I have a hair dresser appointment tomorrow, it's so expensive here, missing uk prices

Thanks Creme and Mammy* it felt a bit weird putting my budget on here (i'm too British I think when it comes to discussing money ) but it def helps me see where the money goes!! I need to check my payslips to see why I didn't get as much in the way of enhancements as I expected.

In the school newsletter the Head said she has never known it this bad Seacow am just grateful we seem to be over the worse it also said they reckon the school budget will be cut by £70 000 next year that can't be right surely??? Bloody Tories

Dd had a nice time hanging out with her mates at film night at her school, she looked very grown up going off, didn't want me to walk her to the door! She also for the first time ever wore skinny jeans (well jeggings really) but even so this is a massive event as she has only worn jogging bottoms for the last few years due to sensory issues with clothes. I felt a bit emotional about it!!

Girlie how come your council tax is so cheap? I think maybe as you moved in during the current financial year you might not get your tax free months (sorry).

Aw, Girlie. . Proud Mummy moment.

Just "won" a pair of grey Converse low tops that have apparently only been worn once on eBay, for £16 + £3.30 postage, so pleased with that.

Hope everyone has a good weekend, with some time for R&R.

Ugh feel like shit. Dh has man flu so is doing a swan song. I have woman flu heavy cold, aches, DD has fractured her foot that I have been treating as a bad bruise for 2 weeks.

Christmas that does sound rough. Don't worry about ranting here.
Welcome sw.
We have cheap curtains at the door that I lined with IKEA fleece blankets. Could you use the suction hook thingies to hold some thing up?

Is it cheap Wreck? I get a single person discount but it still seems loads to me! Oh really? thats a shame, seems like this month will be shit as well then!

Thanks Creme dd seems so grown up all of a sudden, just had a very frank conversation about periods as wouldn't be that surprised if she started them soon. Its scary how quickly they grow up but also lovely to watch them develop into actual people!!

Oh Life sounds like a similar bug to the one we are just getting over, if its any consolation its been fairly short lived here. Foot fractures are really difficult to spot.

Might be helpful here.
http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/foodandd_recipes/2839321-Super-fast-meal-ideas-to-avoid-buying-a-takeaway
Pic of my scrummy dinner, have discovered that Iceland do Birdseye steamfresh veg 4 portions for €1.50, so handy.

Quick catch up!

Hope everyone with poorly dc or poorly themselves is ok x x

Whoever had subway is a legend.

I have finally cracked it with catface. Money saving doesn't matter anymore. I've got my lapcat.

My patience paid off. She is alsleep. Purring like there's no tomorrow. I can't move. I need more gin. But I can't move.

I am happy.

Hi all. Lovely NSD for me here (DH is getting milk though). Went to a friend's house for a playdate - her DH picked us up en route from a nearby client, they live out in the sticks - really really in the sticks, it was AMAZING!

Had a letter from EDF though - can't remember who was asking about monthly electric/gas bill, well I didn't know because it comes out of DH's account but it turns out it was £69 a month, we only have electric. Small 2 bed with 4 people. But anyway the letter said they're increasing it to £89 a month. :(