The Mighty Frugaleers Meticulously March into March

[WreckTangled]

New thread. Sorry for lame title

I love Kon Marie too. The house still looks a bit untidy because of DD's toys and baby paraphernalia but our own stuff has stayed tidy for 2 years now and it really helped with organising our small kitchen.
One of the best advantages (a frugal one) is that I try to avoid clutter coming into the house in the first place so I'm a lot more selective about what I buy. Books for instance come from the library or onto my kindle. I buy fewer clothes and toiletries and think carefully about whether I really live them, if they fit well and if I will use them. It has helped cut expenditure as well as helping to be tidier.

£4.50 today on milk and a magazine. I rarely buy magazines as they are all the same and give me the rage but I've been warned I might be waiting around for a long time at the hospital.

Love thug kitchen.

Need to put the clean sheets on the bed. Hate doing that! Might have another glass of wine first.... Currently lying in bed with Ds whilst he falls asleep 😍

Need that cookbook looks fab! Are the recipes hard? I'm really not much of a cook but am veggie and like to try new recipes, I get really bored if I feel like I'm eating the same stuff over and over again (whereas DH doesn't seem to mind).

Cag Does your DSD get Disabled Students' Allowances? If not, she needs to apply for it ASAP now that she's got her diagnosis. Without DSAs I wouldn't be in my final year without a doubt, the support it's paid for has been life-changing for me. I just got a new laptop and printer for free from them and they pay for weekly academic mentoring sessions at uni plus ad-hoc sessions with ASC specialist at uni etc etc. Wrt to food, when I house-shared I would have to shop little and often because there was a real lack of freezer space in particular. I relied on chilled and cupboard food a lot more because there just wasn't much freezer space at all per person. But we had loads of cupboard space each. So maybe think about meals that can be made more from cupboard stuff like tinned veg instead of frozen etc.

I love that book need.

Ah thanks Meadow that's great advice she's just getting all her help sorted - the laptop is coming with loads of dictation software etc all paid bar £200 which she has to top up. I'm hoping we can delay that a bit. DSA, is that specifically used for paying for particular things, rather than a regular payment directly to her like PIP etc?

Good point re: types of food. Although she's currently being proud :o and saying no I'm fine. But she has promised she will give us a shout if it's hard to afford food!

Yes Cag, I agree about going easy on fridge and freezer stuff in one go, space is usually limited. Dry food and store cupboard stuff can always be kept in her room if not much cupboard space. Is her rent covered? If so then food is the only other absolute essential, an online shop will be really appreciated I'm sure.

Need I know a lot of people who would appreciate that book!

I really should take a look at Marie kondo. I am embarrassed that we have just cleared 8 boxes of stuff out to charity (mostly books) and still can't see the difference. Apart from baby stuff and resources for DS I am not buying much at the mo, and even baby stuff is pretty targeted as we have most if what we need. I think the tide is turning in me regarding acquisition of 'stuff' but we have a long way to go. I hate that housework takes ages because some things don't have proper 'homes'. That's my big incentive to declutter!

After my energetic start today I've done almost nothing since getting back from the charity market. Was pleased that my lemon drizzle cake and cheese scones sold out - that's £36 in the coffers for them. They are the local charity that supports kids and families with ASD and they do a lot of good on a teeny budget.

I have come down with a cough though - I woke up with a funny breathlessness in my chest and it has progressed to a nice dry cough and burning feeling. Really haven't got the energy to do much at all now. We'll clean the fish out tonight but the rest of the chores can wait till tomorrow.

Homeland on telly tonight -yay!

need I've just bought that book. Spent £4. Had a gift card on Amazon with a balance remaining. It sounds like our sort of thing.

Another I really like is the Leon cookbook. One recipe is for super slow cooked beef. It suggests putting the beef in the oven going out dancing then coming home making a cheese sandwich having a pint or two of water and going to bed. Next morning make bacon sandwich drink more water and cola. Check beef. Take out of oven after 23 hours to cure hangover. (Or something like that).

We aren't veggie or vegan but do eat a lot of veggie food. So it'll be good for us.

Catface soooo knows she's going to the vets tomorrow. She's acting strange.

Dh is on his way to Auckland. 4h 45 left of his flight.

Total fail today. I have taken to carrying a water bottle with me. Filled it up before I left the house and obviously didn't do it up properly. It leaked all in my handbag. Sigh. Thankfully my bag has an internal pocket where my phone and purse live. So they were safe and dry. But have had to empty bag throw away a ton of business cards and have had to leave my make up bag etc to dry. 😭

If we have a layover of four hours in Bangkok will we need local currency? I'm sure the dc will want a drink or something or should we just use a credit card? Four weeks today so much to sort out and no money to do it with

cag I agree re food for dsd. When I was a student we had one freezer drawer and a fridge shelf each. But a ton of cupboard space.

Tinned veggies are great. I've rediscovered them recently. I made a fishy pie a while back using tinned potatoes. They freaked me out initially because they were potatoes. In. A. Tin. My brain didn't think they were quite right.

wreck when we've had a layover in hk I've always just used my card. The first time I took hkd with me but if you don't know the cost of things you won't know how much to take iyswim.

Does the airport have anything special (e.g. I know Singapore airport has a pool you can use if your there for over 6 hours - we did this the first time I went to nz it was great. An hour in the pool swimming laps was enough to refresh relax get the muscles working and tire me out for the next leg).

They have a spa the layover is 3.45 hours though so I'm thinking by the time we get off, get the dc dressed (the will be in their pjs), have a wander etc it'll be time to get back on?

Have just listed some bits on eBay including two pairs of converse which usually go well plus a pair of next pumps that dd doesn't fit.

Think so. You should have enough time for them to run around too!! I generally need to.

When we've had 4 hours it's been time enough to get off clears security have a shower have some noodle and a drink then do laps of the airport then get back on. Do. Not. Nap. Keep them awake for flight 1. Make them sleep flight 2. I always get this the wrong way round.

Ah we can't! We leave the uk at 21:25 so they will have to sleep the first leg! I'm thinking six hours then stay awake for twelve and then hopefully sleep the last bit of the second leg. I'm excited to go to Bangkok even if it is just the airport....

Just "won" an item on eBay. £8.98 for a parka for next winter, as the zip's just gone on my current one. There's no way a new zip would cost less than that,sadly.

Ah. To be fair though it's the sort of flight(s) that'll mess you up whatever you do. I always suffer super bad with the jet lag. Have the kids done it before? Who you flying with?

Bargain creme

Em the dc haven't done it and nor has Dh! We are flying with Thai airways and I've read really good things about them. At least when we finally arrive we have a 'home from home' which I think will make it a bit easier on the dc than a hotel or something.

Oops I seem to have polished off half a bottle of wine

I've never flown with hem but dh has. He really rates them. He flew business back from his last solo trip when he was stuck in Singapore due to the Icelandic volcano. Pretty attentive hosties too. And he said the food was good. For plane food. I'd be tempted to let dh look after the kids while you put feet up relax an dhave a wine. Or 12.

Do not let either dc wear shoes with squeakers on the plane. We were sat near a squeaker once. He was a cutie face. And it was cute watching him toddle up the aisle initially. But 10 hours in the squeak squeak squeak got old. I had to ask mum to take his shoes off.

Wreck I've killed time at Bangkok airport. Iirc many of the outlets took usd as well as local currency. I usually have a few usd on my for this dirt of reason, as if us useful anywhere. But in any case I think everywhere takes cards. For just a short stop I am sure it would be better to go with your card rate than try to fiddle with tiny currency exchanges.

Ooh, nice food at Bangkok airport! When do you go - is it over easter?

Haha no way would I let them do that! They will probably take their shoes off... We go on the 2nd April! And get back three weeks later

Because the seat formation is 3,3,3 we will have to take it in turns with the dc. I'm going to do the shift where they sleep

Good plan.

We had an almost empty cabin once. And we were premium economy air nz so got the Sky couch. Each. Which was great. If you can grab an extra seat or row....do it.

Em, you're pregnant!!! Congratulations!!! Sorry, been awol a bit, but fab news!

Haven't left the house, had a dreadful hangover, geeeez, I'm getting old. But I had a fab night with friends. Managed to spend £15 on ebay on a book and needed pyjamas.
Saved lots though by making a huge pot of soup instead if taking SIL out for lunch like I planned.
All good here. :)

Thanks 8

Thanks for all the advice. I will investigate the drain( ugggh!) when I get home( at DS's) and run it through on the hottest cycle and look at the arm thingys to see if they are blocked.

Cag Yeah, Disabled Students' Allowance is to pay for extra costs that disabled students have related to their studies. First you have to apply and they see if you are eligible, which requires filling out a form and sending off relevant evidence of the disability or specific learning difficulty. Then if they accept your application (which they do if you've sent off evidence, it's nothing like welfare benefit applications lol), then you have to arrange a 'Study Needs Assessment'. You go to that and then the study needs assessor talks to you about your conditions and how they might affect your studies etc and what equipment or non-medical helper support they could fund to help. They then write a report of suggested things to fund (could be equipment, computer software, non-medical support worker, travel costs, anything relevant) that Student Finance have to approve (which they always do). Then you arrange delivery of your equipment (if applicable) and liaise with your university about non-medical helper support (if applicable), and consumable allowances you spend yourself and then send off the receipts to have them reimbursed. However I've been told by my academic mentor that since this cohort of students (2016/17 yr I think, or possibly next year), the DSA budget has been cut to exclude lots of support that was available when I applied such as internet allowances and post-graduate student mentoring (both of which I receive). I really worry about how this will affect the incoming cohort of disabled students because without my academic mentoring which is done by a post-grad student that I've had all the way through my degree and have a really great relationship with, who also has ASC and mental health problems, there is absolutely no way I would still be doing my degree, I really do rate her that much. And DSA pay for her wages, I certainly wouldn't be able to.

Sorry for bit of thread hijack!

Haha Need I would love a dog and have been thinking seriously about when/if we could get one. I think we need to wait another year, dd will be older and more independent so able to take the dog out on longer walks and it will be clearer (hopefully) how my finances are going to pan out as well as how my cats are doing. That book looks hilarious!

Ipsos if your ds likes running it might be worth seeing if there is a junior parkrun near by, its fab exercise and free!! Dd has done a fair few and can do the course in 11mins now

Haven't read the Kon marie book but have skim read the thread I now fold my knickers in a certain way!!

Creme that sounds very industrious, the problem with having had a busy wend is my house looks like a bombs gone off and I haven't got the energy to do much about it