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.

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.

Me too need.

Dh and I would probably be described as financially comfortable. He's an accountant and I'm legally qualified though non practising. We know that where we live means wages are higher than central London (not a stealth boast. Just fact). But everything is more expensive.

My house hunting has opened my eyes. Average price for a 3 bed mid terrace house £500k. But we're a captive audience.

We are saving for the new house (and now baby). And so we can have nice things for said house, good education for baby (whether we choose private or not there will be other things he/she will need/want) and our retirement.

We're planning on being mortgage free by 45. So about 13 years time. It is doable. But we're going to have to work hard for it.

So yeah. Financially comfortable or not I think that we can all learn from each other. I also enjoy the chat.

We have one mini me and one mini DH.

buying dog food today. Will catch up later.

Noooo don't you dare fuck off Need we missed you! Who cares that we're all in different situations financially - our goal is all the same, to spend less and save money. We can all support each other from our different circumstances. I'm glad you're back. :)

DH and the Caglets off to the sealife centre today in Brighton for a home ed thing. I'm enjoying some rest time although I'm going to stretch my legs in town for a bit.

cag I loved the sea life centre the last time I went to Brighton. We need a decent aquarium here. Or at least an aquarium. We don't have one which baffles me given our proximity to the sea!

Have had a productive morning. Once I'd got over the dentist shock I've done a load of washing, hoovered living room and have washed up (including dhs minging mouldy soup pot which he found lurking in his backpack yesterday....).

Have to go to the post office before I go to work as I've had a text to let me know something's arrived (it may be cat food).

I'm not really a soup-for-main-meal kind of person either. I used to love cheese toasties though. I must make one for ds now that he has discovered gluten-free bread. I'm sure he'd love that. For a long time I had cheese and ham toasty and chocolate milk for school lunch and it was great.

Hello Need missed you, this place isn't the same without you so don't you dare fuck off again

I have had a nice morning, popped into work to pick up my payslip, depressingly my wage was right its just that by the time the tax man has taken his chunk and the pension pot takes another load there is not as much left as I want!!

Em thats rubbish that you don't get free dentistry, I don't get why its so different as you are still part of the U.K? Doesn't seem fair.

My dd is completely different personality to me which came as a surprise, I always assumed any child of mine would be like me for some reason but no she is very much her person. in fact lots of ways we are complete opposites I read somewhere that children are like flowers, you get all different sorts of flowers and you can keep them healthy and encourage them to grow to be the best they can be but a tulip will awakes be a tulip and a daisy will always be a daisy.

Had an old school friend round for coffee this morning which was nice, we have been friends since we were 9yo! Popping over to see my SIL now, she has a BFG costume that am hoping will do for dd on WBD!!

Don't go need I love reading your menu's while feeding my lot the same six boring meals!

Have seen a sign in a shop in our village looking for staff. I am going to apply. I'm self employed just now, and help at the bike shop, but haven't had a bonefide job since 2002; so I know I won't get interviewed... but part time would be perfect (small local chain, so can apply online via website). The only way I can get myself out of this hole is to earn more money, so I must be brave and try.

Scrapped meal plan today and we're all having pancakes. Sweet and savoury, will need to use about 5 eggs for there to be enough I think.

Had loads of dentistry done when pregnant (my teeth sort of fell to bits after dd1), but now we have tax credit excemption cards, so free anyway.

Application done bar gcse results (so long ago I actually can't remember them), and my passport number (why?). Will finish tonight, and pdf it to the hr lady.

Application done bar gcse results (so long ago I actually can't remember them), and my passport number (why?). Will finish tonight, and pdf it to the hr lady.

Girlie I think you're totally right about children with your flower hypothesis. One of my great hopes with ds is that when he grows up and leaves home he won't have to undo a whole lot of stuff that I've done in order to be himself.

Knitting I bet you will get an interview, good luck!

Need I also love reading your meal plans; they're always healthy and frugal.

I bought the dc electric toothbrushes today. I got both for £26 as I get a discount in the chemist below work and they were in offer. They're £20+ each on Amazon and they came with free toothpaste.

Dinner will be chicken casserole with part baked baguettes. Yum.

girlie technically were not part of the U.K. We're part of the British isles but not the U.K. So yes. It sucks. sucks even more that Guernsey get it but I'm going to ask when I meet with the midwife. I had a search on the government website and couldn't see anything. But worth an ask. It may be that I can only visit the dentist at the hospital or something like that.

I need to go and speak to the tax office at some point too to see what I'm entitled to now. My mum doesn't think I should. But I work on the basis that I've paid into the system for years and am entitled to it. So why should I not have it.

I too have been to the dentist this morning and also to the hospital yet again but that should be the last time now until Baby Day!

£4.75 parking plus £2 on a newspaper to read while waiting. When did papers get so expensive?

Dentist was free (sorry, Em) but I have to go back soon for a filing.

DH has finally chosen a laptop. £400. A bit over our £350 budget but not horrendous. I'll just be pleased to have a fully functioning computer!

snuggly if the dentist was free I'd be getting all the cosmetic work I want done done!! Straightening whitening etc.

em defo find out what you're entitled too.
need we need you on the thread otherwise my bread kneading skills wont work!
wreck I want to get my dd an elec toothbrush.

NSD am trying to go the whole week. I looked around Waitrose whilst my prescription was getting made up, but luckily I didn't have my purse. I would have spent billions otherwise.

Em we only got essential stuff free and none of the fillings etc are white. All basic stuff nothing cosmetic.

It just chucked it down whilst I was getting the dc from school!

£85 professional spray tan machine 😊
£6 Ellisons on work stuff.
£22 petrol
£4 3 months hair, skin, nails vitamins.
65p loo roll
80p hula hoops.

Minx training course completed today. Minx nails are very difficult. Just need to do my female waxing & intimate waxing now.

Em I'd claim the money in your shoes.

knitting Good luck.

wreck oh bum. Well. There goes my dream of perfect American actress teeths. Haha!

I'm definetly going to get everything I can. Every little helps right? (Part of me feels bad because I will still get my salary (between 90-100%) of it while on leave but then the other part says screw it. I'm entitled to it. Take it. )

Wow em I wish I'd been paid my salary on maternity leave, I wouldn't have cc debt at all if that was the case

I got a refund into our joint account and have no idea why - €24.79 budgeted 21.88 towards a monthly direct debit for house insurance and remainder towards my cc only €219.63 more needed to cover our direct debits for March. We'll be able to pay mechanic this time next week €500 and I'll be able to book my car in to repair the damaged door & wing.

Right well the bad news is, 1. TGI Fridays has seriously gone downhill. Lunch was a mega disappointment. Although cheap.

1. My pupils can't come today after all (it was only a potential thing so not a regular arrangement cancelled)

But the good news is, the blog people liked my guest writer application and are going to set me up an account. Yay! :)

Brilliant Cag! Not good about TGI's though. I like their crispy noodle chicken salad mmmm

Have just spent an obscene amount of money on those travel cushions for the dc, hope they work. I'll reselling on eBay once they're too big for them though and as they aren't available in the uk hopefully I'll be able to sell for 75% of the cost.

They had an epic time em and yes that is strange you don't have one! But I was also surprised the other day, did I read it right you don't have a uni over there either? I'd never really thought about it before. :)

Going to get the Caglets to write a review of Sealife for their magazine project which they're doing with St John (communication badge). Two birds etc. :o

I'm finding websites where kids can do badge work online too (or more likely submit their work by post) - when I told DD she has to stop Brownies it was the badge work she was most upset about. Turns out some charities do it.

A few small frugal bits today -

£1 spent on toddler group which is always great value as kids snack, coffee etc included.

Free nero coffee on o2 priority and I remembered to bring DD lunch into town. That healthcare 50 points popped up in my boot app again so I lifted another 25p pack of paracetamol. DH working late so we have had an off plan cupboard tea - macaroni cheese and cocktail sausages that needed using up. Skint first week of the month going well so far.

My goodness Em thats an excellent maternity package, I though NHS was good!

Dentistry free for a year after birth because pregnancy has such an effect on your calcium stores, teeth etc. It was only basic maintenance though. I needed a filling and paid extra for the white material but an amalgum(?) one would have been free

We are out of dishwasher tabs so last night I put on machine on hottest wash, they came out spotless. They can wait until I'm in town thurs eve.

My friend must have a sixth sense, she asked me to weigh in at her class thurs eve to offer a crutch to her dd who's running the class that evening. I will still pay but it gives me the motivation to go again this week.

Been to see my db this afternoon, bless him he is looking so sorry for himself, had a look on Amazon and got him a sling, a limbo thingy for the shower and some disposable wipes that will hopefully make going to the loo a bit easier!! My mum kindly paid his work remain wholly unsympathetic

Took my dads dog out for a walk over the fields near dds school which was nice and then came back and made pancakes, they were really yummy and as usual on pancake day I wonder why I don't make them more often!!

Anyone know of anything you could/ can do with crumbled up weetabix?! Ours seem to of disintegrated