Frugaleers Frolick Frugally through February

[Ipsomatic]

Just setting up the new thread for the chatty Frugaleers.

By popular request - copied from an old thread

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.

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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.

Fool where are you? Our county is the only one around here that has half term next week and not last week.

My electricity fixed tariff is coming to an end. Must sort that out tomorrow.

Thanks Life. I was wondering.

I get the aches with tonsillitis. Get well soon crème.

A basic bank account shouldn't affect your credit rating poorly. It's about your exposure to credit and how you manage it.

Go Seacrow on your daily rate. Well done

Well done to you too meadow. For helping and over coming your anxiety on this occasion

Half term here. We are north east but mixed in our area, some last week some this

It's half term here now too for the next week. So many people ditching work today to hop on ferries to take their kids skiing in France.

Dinner was nice too.

But.

Sadface alert. I may have a slight tummy bug. 😭 tummy feels all wibbly. Dh has reliably informed me I have the bug he had the past two days (thanks for telling me...!) sigh. But on the plus side, I've cancelled all my weekend plans and will hopefully be able to rest rest rest. I've been packed off to bed with mint tea,water and a rehydration drink (pre-emptive - dh said he felt dehydrated and achey in the middle of the night so has advised I start rehydrating now. In case).

Tummy was a bit off yesterday. But I googled and apparently tummy upsets are common in pregnancy. Hormones apparently. My mum said she got a few. So that's reassuring.

Dh also things I'm being strange by keeping notes. (Time between toilet trips etc). That's sensible right? Not odd? Tell me I'm not odd.

So I'm on bland food, clear drinks, Netflix.

Em if it helps take the notes. Writing things down clearly sooths you. Tummy's can feel a bit wobbly with the surging hormones but also a bug. Keep hydrated and nibble on toast, crackers etc to keep morning sickness at bay. Are you booked in with a midwife yet? Not sure how it works down your way?

Omg I had to call the fire brigade tonight, phoned 999 because my bread maker was on fire. They were here in less than 8 mins I reckon. House stinks of smoke, dd scared but they let her sit in the truck and hold the hose.
Can you believe it a plastic paintbrush had fallen from the cabinet onto the filament and burnt, id made bread and put the bread bin in as usual.

All safe and sound so ok. I had to go round the neighbours as had to get away from smoke and calm down.

So fun Friday 😊

We did not have a beautiful spring day it was sodding cold and windy. So I went shopping instead.

25% off tu clothing. Jammies for 2 of the dc, socks, a top and a swimming cossie. One bag of shopping was £57. Feel bad, I used to get such a rush from shopping (how sad is that), now I just feel a bit sick for spending.

I also got the last of the wood to fix the fence (can I order some spring weather for sunday/monday please), and the wood to make a greenhouse trellis arch to grow cucumbers up. I don't feel bad about this lot as I knew a I'd be buying these.

and

allthebest how scary. Hope you've had a cup of tea and calmed down now. Have you a big mess?

Hope you are ok allthebest

life had my booking appointment with my gp yesterday. Not met midwife yet. I suspect I'll get a call/email/letter next week.

So far tummys gone wibbly twice. Not throwing up. More of the ahem. Other. Not much I can do really though. Other than bland food clear drinks and see it off.

all wow scary times! Glad everything's ok. were the firemen hotties??

Glad everything is alright All. That's quite a scare! Hopefully DD will not be to traumatised (and will just have a good story from sitting in the fire engine!).

I worked for a hospital when, one weekend, an ice machine caught fire (electrical fault, thought it had been safety tested). No one was hurt and the fire didn't take hold but the smoke and water damage was quite something. Amazing how much chaos a small appliance can cause.

I didn't know it was 25% off Tu Knitting. I will look out for the next one as I might get some baby basics from there. I really liked their baby boys' clothes when DS was little.

Oh no All! Puts my fire-related issue into perspective... I may have put a candle too close to our set of drawers and melted one (an Ikea tray thing) :o

Annoyingly the bed we have from Ikea has been retired. So can't get a replacement part from there. Bugger. We'll stick the frame outside for now and shove the mattress on the floor.

I've got a discount on an ebay item, I messaged them to ask if it was complete, and there's one part missing - won't affect the use but he knocked the price down instantly which I wasn't expecting at all. Fab.

Thank goodness you are ok all.

Oh em hope you don't get ill! I had awful constipation in early pregnancy

Oh my goodness all! It's a good job you didn't leave it on whilst you left the house.

Not got anything planned today I have a bit of a cough and a sore chest.

Pleased you are ok, All. That has scared me though, we often leave our bread machine on overnight.

Half term next week here in Birmingham too.

Hope you feel better soon, Em.

Happy Saturday to all!
It's midterm with us too, dd off all week ds only has wed & thurs off but I'm keeping him off Monday so that we get 3 nights away at my db & sil's.

I had two frugal successes yesterday, I drove for four hours yesterday without stopping to buy junk food. Good for diet too. I ate a big lunch at work & then made a sandwich before leaving home at 6.30pm & brought a bottle of water with me also.
As au pair doesn't have to work mon & as I saved her cost of train tickets this weekend by driving for an extra hour to take her to her sons house, I've asked can fri nights babysitting be instead of mons work instead of costing extra and she agreed

All glad ye are safe
Creme I hope you feel better today or at least can rest up
Knitting isn't it amazing the kick from spending is now got by not spending!

All You had a lucky escape there. This is why you shouldn't leave things running when you leave the house. I imagine you've got quite a big clean up job ahead of you though.

Yesterday was;

Leggings for my nail tech uniform £7.50 from Tu.
Light bulbs for my IBX heat lamp £2.
Cat food £1.20
Aldi £35
Sains £6, £2 coming back from shopmium. Free mikado X 2 for not using them for a while.
Iceland £3.50
Lunch £3 but I put it on business account.
Hair £44.

Dh is going out and about today. We need cat litter so he'll buy that £10 ish.

Other than that no spends planned.

Going to get back on this wagon! Haven't been too bad with spending but I keep on track much better when posting here. Nsd today, day out to English heritage site with picnic. I've just done massive online shop, £120 but that's meals and packed lunches for 2 weeks plus breakfasts. I will top up bread and milk, plus have a veg box booked for next week.im going to catch up with the thread this evening.

Thanks for concern. House smells of smoke, wall is black, machine is by the bins outside. I will contact my insurance and see what the say but I might just clean and paint myself.
The machine wasn't at fault it was me who knocked the paint brush somehow without realising it.
The firemen were hot!

Just need to go to lidl today and not spend on anything else. Payday for dh is Monday.

Just paid £300 off my credit card. Eek.

Payday on Tuesday and lll probably pay another chunky off of it.

Am hoping for a bonus in march with a payrise as of 1 April. Will do as I did with bonus last year. Save all but the "under £100" amount. If I'm lucky enough to get one. Last year the bonus was £XX80. not a stealth boast I worked hard for it so I spent the £80 on myself and saved the rest.

While dh is away I am planning on seriously overhauling the house. Packing things away for the move spring cleaning and decluttering.

I've been reading threads about maternity clothes and nursing clothes (didn't know these existed!) dm popped into boots the other day and said she was so confused re the baby things which just didn't exist 30 years ago. She was a bit taken aback!!

She's said that her and df will give us money towards a pram. Which is super generous. And has also said they will have baby one day a week when I go back to work if it helps with childcare fees. So nice.

My friend gave me a list of things I'll need clothes wise but having had a look in the wardrobe I must have known I'd be pg this year. Most new clothes are stretchy and soft. I don't need a new coat as ill probably only need it end of oct November by which point baby will be done. And I'll have a birthday immediately before baby.

Em I've been reading those threads too. I found actual nursing clothes a bit fiddly and just did the vest top and t shirt trick. I have an old Topshop coat in a kind of poncho/cape type style that has seen me through both pregnancies. With a newborn it's worth just going in H&M or somewhere and buying a load of cheap tops that will wash and dry quickly because you get sicked on a lot and patterned tops don't show the sick so much, definitely avoid wearing black

I used to wear a vest top under everything so I could pull my jumper up and vest top down.

I highly recommend panache nursing bras too. Only place I could get a lovely 28E.