Frugaleers Marching on!

[Cagliostro]

Hi everyone, new thread as previous one full.

All welcome to chat all things frugal (and a whole lot more besides) - do jump in, we are a friendly bunch!

polka make up wise I tried a lot of cheaper foundations but have always reverted back to clarins. It's not cheap by any means but it lasts ages. I tend to find the same for all their products.

Mascara's I'm currently switching between bourgois, no 7 and Dior (the dior is a pink/plum colour and I love it - pricey but worth every penny).

Eyeliner is a Dior one but it was a gift from a colleague. My go to is a bourgois kohl pencil. But I've used body shop and they're ok.

Re swfl the shampoo I don't understand. Either they're all using the pricey stuff and using too much or she's just using too much. I paid £20 for a litre and half of shampoo and conditioner from feelunique. These are tigi s factor ones which my hairdresser uses. The bottles are enormous and we're on clearance but the shampoo is good. I doubt I'll see an empty bottle until at least August. I can get away with only washing my hair three times a week (twice if I really push it). But once it's gone I'm giving the boots coconut one she used a try.

Polka Thanks so much for talking about your bi-polar experience on here. I didn't know much about it before, but after listening to you, I now know how to be positive and welcoming to anyone else that I meet with the problem, and that's really going to be useful (for me and them).

Good luck with your relationship. These things can be complex, but you sound really on-the-up there, with or without the guy.

My staggeringly first world dilemma today is whether to buy a metallic light blue car that I haven't met in person. (Will I like the colour!? )

It's very cheap and probably good, if old, car, which will depreciate very little.

It's either that or spend a stink load of cash on a new car that will depreciate like a falling rock, which seems like a bad idea.

Tricky though.

Polka I use boots no7 foundation and concealer and it is fab, often on 3 for 2 also.

Fluffy, you havent missed much - it was pretty rage inducing lol. I'm getting the rage just now remembering about it. Honestly though, even if it is all debt Em, how much debt could you get into living like this before it all comes crashing down? Surely it cant be servicable on their wages (a beautician and a mechanic was it?) to live like that long term - their car payment was over 500 quid a month alone!

St Patricks day here today so its a bank hol. DH is still in bed as hes had a very busy week this week with lots of overtime. Kids and I are pottering about, may go up to DMs for a coffee for a change of scene. Need to go through the fridge and sort out various leftovers to use up - DH hasnt really been home for tea so we've lost track a bit of whats in there.

More heating oil yesterday - £164 for 400L

Yep beautician and mechanic. He said he worked 14 hours 6 days a week.

I want to say poor guy but he was indulging her I think.

Ipsos I wouldnt worry too much about the colour as long as its a good runner - green excluded as they are harder to spot coming :)

I use the boots coconut shampoo (currently with a pantene conditioner but when it runs out I have the coconut conditioner to try) and I must say its been absolutely grand. I also quite like their 75p berries or coconut shower gel.

I've just made breakfast and in my way back to bed (my last day of holiday before work on Monday!) turned the radiators off. Bye bye heating until December. If we're still here. So that should save some £££

I see theres a free bottle of guinness in cliksnap today for paddys day :)

Ipso 😊 I'm not embarrassed at all and happy to answer any questions.

I use Estée Lauder double wear, a bottle lasts me about 7/8 weeks, I wear make up daily. Mum says I can re buy that if I want, they know how important it is to me, but I want to try another just to see, I could potentially save £20 pounds. I have more make up than she did last night 😟

When my shampoo runs out I'm going to try that boots range from last night. I usually use frizz ease, I have very thick dark hair, I'm fairly dark skinned and my hair is like wire.

As long as you don't feel sick in a metallic blue car 😁 stupid woman wasn't she, I really loved that Kia, that's a car I'd aspire to owning not turn my nose up at! I don't drive, but I'm hoping in six months or so that I'll be able to have driving lessons.

Hello! Was just stopping and by and noticed that Em is preggers!! So so so exciting!!

Sorry I haven't been around for a few months. I've been fairly poorly and we are trying so hard to sell our house and failing

But it will all work out whether we stay or whether we end up moving! Must stay calm and stress free.

Hope everyone is well :) :)

I'm still frugaleering behind the scenes. Although February was a nightmare because our car was serviced and it unexpectedly cost us £400.

Free 15 hours of childcare has made a huge difference to us though which started in January. We now save hundreds per month!

collie!!

😀😀 very exciting here (and scary and sometimes have those "WTF have we done" moments - but super happy)

Sorry to hear you've been poorly. Hope you're on the mend now.

Eugh house sales. I'm just embarking on that now. Forgot how stressful it can be. and I'm only viewing 4 places today and our flat isn't on the market yet

Good luck with it all lovely. X

Lovely to see you collie. Good luck with it all.

I watched that stoopid couple too. Sorry, who spends £70 on a kiddies hoddie? She really thought she was a wag, not a mecanics wife. Can't be seen on social medja in the same outfit twice, please!! Even dp (who doesn't conentrate enough on tv to chat about it) was yelling at them. You totally need branded sportswear to walk on your treadmill too. Bet they haven't really changed.

What does astound me with these programmes is how so many people believe that a top brand means a top product. Just means fancy packaging mostly I think.

Home today, so must get on. My house is a tip. On a scale most of you won't know of! Here is the side of the hearth. Extra points if you can spot the hoover!

btw that is to shame myself into tidying up.

There's lots of tidy floor between the mess and the camera there knittng and you can find the camera/phone, so you are definitely on the right side of the line.

That couple on the telly do sound weird. I feel weird about Next posting me a catalogue of branded clothes, and only occasionally go so far as to actually look inside it. The things inside are very expensive indeed. It always makes me wonder who has the money to buy them.

Creme I'm still trying to learn pacing here and I'm really interested that you wipe down the kitchen surfaces every day even when you are really knackered yourself.

Is that not a pacing error? I wipe down the kitchen surfaces once a week, but I did microbiology at University and I'm super-careful about always washing my hands after touching raw meat or fish or whatever, so I'm confident that the kitchen is fine hygiene-wise.

I just wondered if there is room for you to notch that down a bit and put your feet up instead?

I set up this housework rota a while ago so I do each room once a week, but as the warm weather comes in, and we are outside more often, I'm finding that most rooms don't even need done that often.

I don't wear branded clothes, I like Topshop and New Look. The children mostly wear George at Asda, they look smart and the clothes are practical. We have the odd Mini Boden piece I usually buy from eBay, it's fabulous quality.

Applied for council tax benefit for the next financial year, my award has come without it this year. So I've been proactive on that 😊

All of the dc need new school shoes 😰 I normally buy clarks, what do you all do? I've found they last incredibly well. All barring one of my four are very active and 'hard' on their shoes.

Two of mine need school shoes too polka, must get them this weekend. I go to a big retail park at gretna, and get their feet measuredin clarks, then buy clarks/sketchers/hush puppies whichever fits best. Usually at about 2/3 full retail, I tried tesco shoes once, and they lasted half a term, so a false economy. dd1 has hush puppies that last over a year, but she is sn adult 5, so vat makes them more.

Thanks ipso very diplomatic! I fall just the sane side of compulsive hoarding. Sounds flip to say it, but it is a struggle, and that pisses me off, because I'm a capable grown up; I should be able to deal with it.

Didn't take long to do that half of the living room, just under the table to go, then I can mop the floor. Have churned the laundry (wash on/ wet load spun/tumbler on/dry clothes folded into named boxes), and am gaving a coffee while I match up socks.

snuggly the only bit I saw of SWFL last night was when they were talking about buying the car. I was at buying a 26k car as in who can afford that, and even more at how little research they did on the financing.

Must down load the rest of it for the train journey next week.

Will pop back in later, just frugally zapped a sad looking pain au chocolat instead of binning it.

Hello collie

Knitting I know what you mean about having too much stuff.

Ds and I have ended up stuck in the house a lot on our own because of illness and I tend to keep us busy with toys that I bought frugally enough on tesco tokens. It does mean that the house is a bit full though.

I don't like to throw things away because they are good things, like lego, and a wooden trainset and books and whathaveyou. It does make the house rather full though.

Well done on the tidying. It's kind of an endless job, but it does make that house feel nice doesn't it? My house is a bit messy at the moment because I've been pacing somewhat too carefully.

I have downloaded swfl for later. I always feel better realising that I am nowhere near as ridiculous as some people! I am a twat who drives a 4 wheel drive in the city though.... does it help that I didn't know it was 4wd when I bought it?! I was upsizing from a beloved Honda jazz to Honda CR-V (as we struggled on self catering /driving hols with DS's stuff and small car, and were hoping for another sprog). I bought the car and it was only when I went to insure it that I noticed that my particular model only had the 4wd option on the insurance menu. I rang the dealership to query and they laughed at me for not realising . Handy for all that snow we never have in the Thames valley though . As mentioned before I also can't park it so I am a double twat.

Truth be told I really miss that Honda jazz. I gave it to my sister (it had only done 30k miles and her car was on its last legs and she was broke) so I still get to pat it from time to time.

I don't do label clothes myself (though i do love a bit of mini Boden for DS). I use bare minerals foundation but am going to try something cheaper next time. I don't love it anyway - I was trying to find a replacement for the Estée Lauder stuff they discontinued (current range is too dark for me - I am so pale I am actually green!). I am sure that I can find a decent cheaper brand, might ask on Style and Beauty for recommendations.

I have taken DS out for lunch as we haven't been for his favourite pizza for ages and I wanted to get out after the session with SLT earlier. Just had a delicious goats cheese pizza for £5 and am now watching DS eat his last two bits of margarita one minuscule nibble at a time. Not sure whether he will finish the pizza before I have this baby but he will not entertain the idea of taking the last bit home for later 🙄.

When I get home I am going to make a giant vat of iced latte for myself. We have loads of milk to use up and I am not buying a coffee out!

Nice to see you popping in Collie

I've had a productive day, cleared out the porch and shoe cupboard. Also told work I'll be back a week today, hoping that extra week will really help with my back.

Back to college on Monday, and I have an ear piercing course on Wednesday so that will be fun. Pre paid.

Veggie tacos for dinner tonight, my dds like them so much they often draw pictures of them

Go on polka put up a DD's picture of a veggie taco

Hello everyone. Still proper ill . E-mailed into work sick, deffo right decision, I didn't manage to get out of bed until about 1pm! DH is home today so looking after me, phew.

Polka I think very cheap shoes can often be false economy especially for children. We always wore Clarks shoes when we were little and they lasted good (but my parents weren't strapped for cash so obv if you can't afford you just can't afford).

I was amazed at whoever said they wipe down kitchen benches like twice a day even well ill. Makes me feel like a right slob!! It's funny how different peoples standards of cleanliness/tidiness are. I don't think we're particularly bad but definitely let out standards slip a bit sometimes but not if we're having visitors or anything then it has to be like super tidy & clean for their comfort.

NSD.

Polka I am using No7 Stay Perfect foundation at the moment, I quite like it but it's not amazing. I don't wear it more than once a week or so really though and I don't know loads about makeup.

I may have thrown them away because I hate mess 😁 I'll ask them to recreate one later.

I can afford clarks and they've always had them, just the cost is eye watering for four of them. Gah. I just wondered if anyone had tried a different place and found them as good. However exH said he would pay for one extra pair on top of his maintenance so that's nice 😊 (I just asked for one)

I clean all the time. Every day I clean the house, after work or college.

Polka. The Mac Arthur Glen shopping parks and other discount outlets often have clarks outlets in them. It's worth a Google.

I do valued opinion surveys, Ipsos surveys and gfk computer monitoring for free vouchers. I've made £128 since January. They pay out in lots of different vouchers but it would pay for nice make up.

I've been known to manipulate the truth to qualify for a survey.