The Mighty Frugaleers Meticulously March into March

[WreckTangled]

New thread. Sorry for lame title

Welcome polka you're very welcome here. Great of your parents to bail you out & give you a guiding hand recovering from debt also.

I'd a frugal win today. Boot camp class that was meant to cost €200 upfront & €100 back when you've completed each session is on an introductory rate so €100 upfront & €50 back at the end

Welcome polkadot

Nsd. Ended up taking dd to the Drs because she was wheezing. She's been put back onto a stronger steroid inhaler until we get back from NZ her sats were on the low size but chest was clear so no need for abx luckily.

Welcome polka. Glad to hear you have real life support from your parents too.

£29 Tesco
£30 to after school/breakfast club. Luckily April has two weeks of school holidays

Hi everyone :) welcome polka

£1 on toddlers today, £3 at local shop on bread and milk

Took kids to the library and local park for a play after school this afternoon

Dinner was a bit of a kids one as I had a load of leftover mashed potato so we had fishfingers, beans and mash to use it up. Yum.

If anyone has o2 priority I see they are doing a free small bag of thorntons for mothers day - I'll probably get one next time I am in town. Normally we go on a tues to take advantage of the free coffee they do on a tuesday but today was so cold and blustery I couldnt face it lol.

The fire is lit. I think at the moment with the price of heating oil its actually the more economical heating method, for us anyway. Messy though clearing it out!

My nails are a mauve colour, I painted them today. They are already half destroyed though as they seem to take so flipping long to actually dry hard, nomatter the brand of polish. Must look into getting a set of gel nails done. Love the neon pink!

Knitting I need some garden landscaping done and it seems you are just the person lol! Room and board included! But no actual pay

Desperately trying to ignore some things on my Amazon watchlist. Considering putting the money I don't spend into a jar to see what I've saved by the end of the month.

Welcome Polka. That's great that you have help from your parents. You'll be teaching your new good habits to your 4 dc too, which is a great lesson for their future life. Well done and welcome.

We had a cheap day, with a nice playdate today and an unexpectedly nice phone call from family, which was good.

Here they are

Welcome Polka.

Blue, that shade is EXACTLY my kind of colour, love it.

Hi all

Welcome Polka have you got a card WareHouse near you? They are great for bargain cards, I tend to keep a stash in now.

Wreck thats great re CQC, we were inspected last week would be surprised if we did that well

Very jealous of all the lovely nails mine are an embarrassment as i bite them

Been a busy day at work, then picked dd up and walked the dog. Dd had her dinner at the cms and I have just had fried egg on toast, dd has football tonight and its pay week so £20.

Thanks need, purple is definitely my favourite colour - my entire life is in shades of mauve lol.

Girlie I used to bite mine to the quick, gor years, and I mean short short, so short they hurt... the minute I left work I just lost the urge. Now they are long for the first time in my adult life so I am enjoying painting them all different colours although the white part starts far too far back because of how badly they were bitten

for years

Wreck I hope the steroids settle your DD down

Hi all, and welcome Polka.

Useless day at home - with this nasty cough and cold I am really laid up, especially without the benefit of drugs. Took paracetamol this afternoon as I was alternately shivering and sweating, it did help a bit but I miss the good stuff! I've been a bit unlucky with colds this pregnancy.

I managed to do a couple more loads of washing -,nearly caught up now with all the baby stuff out of storage divationsxall freshened up. Tumble dryer has been busy so I dread to think what has happened to our electricity consumption! Other than that I Lounged on the sofa reading up about the SEN code of practice and starting to draft our parents' statement for DS's Education and Health Care Plan. I really* need to do some proper elbow grease housework - bathrooms and hoovering and mopping throughout, but simply haven't got the strength at the mo. Mum is coming up tomorrow night so I will have to do the floors and change beds tomorrow. Sooo tired though.

Did a small top up shop for dried fruit and nuts for grazing on, plus milk and bananas. and Tena Ladies - praying they do the job while this cold lasts

Might go to bed soon.

Great nails blue

wilderness missed your post yesterday. Yes cat food was from Amazon. I've emailed them. And pointed out the rankness.

I've also started a claim on PayPal for my new watch (the super cute leopard print cat one). Ordered in December. It still hasn't arrived. The tracker they've provided doesn't work. I've had enough. So have started a dispute.

Had dinner with dm. She's made salmon en crout. With cheese sauce. So. Tasty. (And cherry raspberry sponge puddings). I'm full. Full to bursting. So full. But so happy.

Thank you for the warm welcomes.

I bought the cards in card factory, it's all we have here. They're cheap though and in our family we just buy Xmas presents to save money through the year. Although saying that, we've planned a sister weekend in April and I've not broached that with my parents yet, my sisters want to go to a spa and I'd have to pay £85 for travel as well. I will tell them of the idea this week.

They're very supportive, and I'm lucky enough to have them help me. I'm happy to share all my spending with them so they will help me, even though it will initially feel like I have no control.

I just have plain bare nails; I'm a trainee beauty therapist and nail technician so I'm not allowed them even painted, and have to file them short, which I really hate.

I'm currently signed off sick with sciatica, huge doses of codeine and diazepam and tbh fearing my next months wages on sick pay, terrible timing really.

I don't plan to spend any more money this week, other than £16 to school for dinners and breakfast club and my water bill (£651).

Included in the money they gave me was money to clothe the dc and buy them shoes, so I need to think about that as well. Just 'basic' clothes, you know from George or something, shoes from Clarks. And a PE kit for dc2 who 'lost' his.

Got all ready for yoga and then had a panic attack and couldn't go out the door. Feeling pretty grim.

Welcome Polka. It's kind of funny that you're a beauty therapist but can't do your own nails although I guess I can see why. I like having my nails painted when they are done but I'm rubbish at doing them because of my coordination problems (Asperger's Syndrome).

I'm not allowed them in case a client is allergic, or if I scratch them (I do facials and waxing and things too). My natural nails were so long and beautiful and I always had them done. Oh well, at least I don't spend money on them now and I do them myself for an occasion anyway.

I've had panic attacks before, so sorry for you. It's difficult isn't it. :(

polka I was thinking if you fancy going all out extreme on the not spending etc you could stop buying cards (I'm more than happy not to receive a card) and not buying presents (again I'm not wanting anything and I be happy for dd to not either). Also say no to the Spa, it would show your parents your commitment and prove to yourself you have the courage to say no (even if your parents were to say "go"). Also is there a way to increase wages by doing some cash in hand work on the side?
But ignore me as its hard and especially hard with 4dc on your own. Keep smiling 😊

Today i did some photocopying at DH so I didn't have to pay for it. So rock n roll.

My mum did say not to get a card, but I live far from all of my family members so I feel a card is the least I can offer.

I did think that about the spa, you know. My parents massively encourage our sister adventures but this time, I may have to pass and then later in the year I may be able to attend. The spa day is £87, the train £85, plus everything else, and to be honest that's my monthly repayment to my parents I promised to make and you're right, they will see I'm committed.

I want to do what my parents have asked, it's a respect thing, it was a large sum and they don't work (early retired). Plus, I'll be better for it.

Extra work; I'm signed off at the moment, sciatica. I could offer some beauty treatments from home, and do occasionally, but usually I only have one day a week off and a very full life, and need that one day a week.

I did eBay some things. I do have things I could eBay but would be loathe to part with.

I've also phoned the CSA or whatever they're called now to get money from Ds1 father. It's been left too long and that will help my household run.

Welcome polka. Lots of support here.

Good frugal day here, OVO agreed to reduce the monthly dd amount from £97 to £85. Dh's car insurance renewal is the cheapest I can find so that makes life easier.
I was shopping today & tempted to buy some cooked beetroot I wanted for my lunch. I checked out the prices & got more than twice as many raw beetroot for a third the price of the cooked. It only took half an hour to cook so definitely worth it.

I'm meal planning as I go this week. We had toad in the hole last night, cottage pie tonight (enough for 2 lunches as well), I've made a tomato soup & a broccoli & blue cheese soup for tomorrow's tea with enough for a couple of lunches too.

Hi everyone! I'm up at this time feeding babies! We have one of each and they are gorgeous. Still working on some names.

That's wonderful, perfect new snuggly, so happy for you. One of each, how lovely.

Snuggly congratulations to you all!
That's fantastic news!!

Finally got my refund from eMobile - I've budgeted it like this €100 bootcamp will get €50 back in one month. €28.10 on 3 months supply of Overdrive a supplement containing chromium b vitamins vitamin c & e & grapeseed, it's meant to help increase energy levels & reduce fatigue and the remaining €3.39 on day out with dh this weekend. Total €131.49

Diesel is the only personal spend I've planned this week

Welcome polka

Ah snuggly massive congratulations. How you feeling?