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

989 replies

Cagliostro · 14/01/2017 23:22

Hello everyone! :)

OP posts:
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WreckTangled · 29/01/2017 07:23

I'm just having my second coffee dd woke up at 5:30 😴 ds is having couscous for breakfast Hmm

ememem84 · 29/01/2017 07:30

Woken up totally forgot where I was. The tide is high at present boats are bobbing along.

trying if you like I can test out more hotels. I'll let you know which are good!!!

It's been strange not being woken up by cat face.

ChristmasSeacow · 29/01/2017 07:58

Hotel sounds lovely Em

Wreck I hope your interview goes well. Always worth thinking through your answer to standard questions (career to date, why you want this job /organisation, what skills you will bring to the role). Also worth thinking through what experience they are looking for and examples whereby you can demonstrate that relevant experience. I have carried out hundreds of interviews in my time and it is surprising how few people can be clear (and reasonably concise!) about their answers

Up with DS, he's okay so far. We had a few 'moments' yesterday which I was actually quite glad of because DH could see what has been going on. I decided to try a behaviour reward system with tokens that was recommended on as ASD group, as DS will like posting them and try are very visual. Ordered for £25, hope he gets the point if it!

Trip on the Thames cable car thingy went well after a rocky start (meltdown over 'dirty trousers' (they were fine) before we even got to the tube). DS really liked being up so high, he was transfixed. Resisted cafes, hooray.

Top-up shop in Tesco was horrific though - £81! Shock. In addition to the list I realised I needed nappies (£20) and I bought some big granny pants for myself, and then just too many food bits and bobs. Not too much frivolous stuff, mostly proper food. I only go to a big supermarket in person every few months (mostly online shop with top up in local small Tesco or Coop) so it never ends well...

Lots of batch cooking planned today, plus lots of tidying and housework. House is a tip. Will get DH to throw DS around in the park for a bit to wear him out.

WreckTangled · 29/01/2017 08:02

Thanks seacow I might pick your brains later. I have already highlighted relevant parts of the job description and person specification and will write down notes for myself.

CathodeRayTube · 29/01/2017 08:44

That's amazing seeing a baby woodpecker Cag. Fantastic! Good luck on the forms.

Good luck on the interview Wreck. I think that really wanting to do the job and clearly being able to do it helps tbh. I've done a small number of interviews and the biggest thing I noticed was that lots of people were obviously applying because they needed a job, rather than because they wanted to actually do that job. There were also several who just were in entirely the wrong career. So if you're applying for a job that you would enjoy, and that you have the skills to do, then you're way ahead. Hope it goes well for you.

Girlie Thanks for asking, ds is much better now. He is all perky and happy again and eating biscuits. and I am hugging a hot water bottle and hoping it is also quick for me

Clarinet lessons sound wonderful. It's such a lovely instrument to listen to. Good luck to your dd.

Tayto yes he wasn't keen on the snake at all. We've rebuilt the lego into a wheeled thing now, which is better.

The last two days have been quite expensive here, because I used a lot of sticker books and things to keep ds happy while he wasn't well, but it did make things very much easier. The Usborne sticker dressing books are a big favourite here, and I had some in a cupboard, so just got them out.

I do love frugaleering, not necessarily because I save money, which I really don't, but because I can make informed decisions about when it makes sense to spend money to solve a problem. It takes such a weight off my own shoulders.

I hope all the other frugaleer lurgies are getting better there.

Fluffycloudland77 · 29/01/2017 08:52

Need is MIA. Presumed frugal.

em Definitely check out more hotels.

AdoraBell · 29/01/2017 09:15

Spendy day yesterday, £20- ish in butchers and about £14 in greencrocers, £2.70 on a loaf of gf bread for DH, £6-ish on birthday cards. Then £10 donation to a hospice.

Today should be an NSD.

Fingers crossed for tomorrow Wreck

I'll catch up later. Need more Brew

allthebestplease · 29/01/2017 09:20

em the hotel looks lush.
Am trying to find the energy to do something today that doesn't cost anything. May just go to the park. Am enjoying my breadmaker at moment as I've been adding son seeds and doing white with brown flour and bread is lovely.

ememem84 · 29/01/2017 09:30

This mornings view.

Breakfast was lush. I checked the menu and you can just book for breakfast here. It's £22.50 per person for the buffet. Shock but it includes a Buck's Fizz or a Bellini.

But. Everything was tasty and local. Locally made sausages bacon black pudding (eugh) home made jam and marmalade. Freshly made bread. Eggs from the chickens in the garden. Home made baked beans.

We've had a full breakfast then croissants (with apricot jam) pain chocs, pain raisins and apricot turnover things.

And oodles of tea and coffee.

I'm not going to need to eat until at least dinner time.

Frugaleers, keeping their frugal resolutions in the new year. Keep on, erm, resoluting!?
Frugaleers, keeping their frugal resolutions in the new year. Keep on, erm, resoluting!?
SnugglySnerd · 29/01/2017 09:35

That sounds amazing, Em. Pleased you are enjoying yourselves.

I made pancakes for breakfast with fresh fruit and Greek yoghurt.

Going to try and get some jobs done at home today.

CremeEggThief · 29/01/2017 10:05

Amazing, Em. Just amazing.

Yum, Snuggly. I'm going to have my usual Sunday breakfast of croissants (pain-au-chocolats) and proper coffee. It should be an NSD.

ChristmasSeacow · 29/01/2017 10:09

Hi Wreck please do! I am glad it didn't come across as patronising, I have just sat through a lot of poor interviews! Well said by Cath if you have genuine interest in the time and organisation that should come across and will really give you a head start.

Am I right in thinking you are in healthcare? That's where I was too...

ChristmasSeacow · 29/01/2017 10:09

Em I want your breakfast Envy

Hope Need is okay, it's funny without her.

confusedandemployed · 29/01/2017 10:28

Morning all. I've had a fairly spendy couple of days. Went out on Fri, not sure how much I spent Blush but my stash of cash is diminishing. Yesterday £30 fuel, £6.50 soft play entry and drinks, then my mate and I took the kids for lunch at a cafe - £8.70.

Today will be spendy, Lidl and Tesco weekly shop (I get most in Lidl and just a few things I can only get in Tesco). But I have a list and a meal plan so going to aim for sub- £50 in total.

Meals this week:
Roast chicken, bakers and salad
Chicken pasta in cream cheese sauce thing
Beef kofta (I know, hardly authentic but lamb is unjustifiably high in fat!) with couscous.
Quorn curry
Veggie sausages and mash (sausages from a packet mix which is 2 1/2 years out of date). Potential emergency fish n chips night!
Chorizo risotto.

Will now catch up, then update later.

Brightermornings · 29/01/2017 10:54

Today should be a nsd for me 😀😀.
I really struggle to have nsd because I usually buy my lunch at work.
Two days I have my main meal there and then 3 days a sandwich. I take my own fruit and yoghurts as they are expensive in comparison to taking your own.
A main meal is about £2 and a sandwich £1.25 and some days 60p it is a subsidised canteen.
If I buy my own stuff for sandwiches I end up throwing half of it away brown bread (dd doesn't eat it prefers white) salad to put on gets thrown as there's only me that eats it.

Beeneatingburnttoast · 29/01/2017 11:30

Sounds like you have had a terrible weekend em. Not jealous in the slightest! Smile

£7 something spent in Tesco. Got a sad looking bunch of Tesco finest flowers reduced from £15 to £1.20. They've perked up and look great now in water and plant food.

Set a reminder on my phone each night to get the frozen food that need defrosting out the freezer. Pigs in blanket weren't able to be cooked from frozen just now so piggies will have to wait another week.

Changed my meal plan to use up frozen mince this week instead of a pasta meal. Really enjoying the challenge of eating things up. Duck will have to be frozen as will be out of date by Wednesday. But thinking ahead will cut down on waste Halo

ememem84 · 29/01/2017 12:02

Awful weekend. Truly terrible. Wink

Home now. Have left a nice review on trip advisor.

Checked my cashback ac and I have £31.50 payable! Yippee!!

And my savings have matured so they've been paid into my account. Around £3k which will help with the house fund.

Am hoping there will be a chunky bonus and payrise this year. I've worked hard enough for it.

Spending The rest of the day doing washing meal planning and food shopping listing.

Beeneatingburnttoast · 29/01/2017 12:15

Any recommendations for cheap kindle books? My Amazon credit expires on 31st Jan and I have £10 to spend. I do too much online shopping...

Wildernesstips · 29/01/2017 12:27

£30 yesterday in TK Maxx, included 2 sports bras and three reed diffusers. £6 in WHSmiths on 2 cards - won't be making that mistake again!!

Cagliostro · 29/01/2017 13:12

2 and a half years out of date?! Do we need to send the search parties out if you don't report back after..?

Quiet day here, I'm going to order a couple of replacement bits on Amazon that are needed (and I've added the Barefoot Book of Heroines for £2.80 to get up to free delivery - needless to say that's for DD :)). DH has gone to work. Lasagne peas and garlic bread from the Co-op frozen deal for dinner. Lots of laundry to do.

Must plan the next food delivery too. We haven't had one this week - the others went to Tesco instead - but we've now moved over to midweek deliveries only (the saver thing is half the price of the normal one) so the earliest we can get is Tuesday.

I'm feeling a bit hormonal and yuck but my other mission for the day is to get back onto the survey sites - I was making a few quid from them before Christmas and then got out of the habit, but if I'm going to be lazing around I may as well do something useful! :o

OP posts:
WreckTangled · 29/01/2017 13:12

Yes seacow but clerical. Am applying for a school health assistant role though... Not at all patronising. I think I know the basics for interviews but obviously it's always good to get some buzz words/tips.

£12.50 massage
£3.90 parking
£8 something coffee and cake
£18.50 on deodorant and primer
£4.50 headbands for dd.

Frugaleers, keeping their frugal resolutions in the new year. Keep on, erm, resoluting!?
Brightermornings · 29/01/2017 13:34

Cag I do surveys got really lazy last year vowed to lee on top this year. Blitzed a load and I'm waiting for £35 in vouchers from 3 different sites to come 😀
I've also got free john Frieda shampoo conditioner and volumiser from bzz agent to try.

WreckTangled · 29/01/2017 13:53

Oh and £12 on two pairs of earrings. I can only wear gold (plated) but I don't like gold gold. Accessorize to rose gold plated.

lifelongfrugaleer · 29/01/2017 14:11

£6 on chips for lunch. Had a ride out to get a bit of fresh air. No other spends planned

Frazzled74 · 29/01/2017 14:21

Em your breakfast sounds lush. Can I asked where you stayed? Brighter who do you do surveys for? I signed up for a few a while back but never got into the swing of it. It would be nice to earn a few vouchers to go towards birthdays etc. I'm attempting a chocolate cake in the bread maker for dcs pudding this eve.Wreck I had a similar interview a couple of years ago and the questions were largely around safeguarding and confidentiality etc.Good luck .