Frugaleers saving and chatting through April

[SunnyLikeThursday]

Newbies welcome to join us for a bit of chat about budgeting, saving, paying off debt, and everything else that comes along.

Oh meee toooo! Before our pizza last night we stopped in a hotel bar by the sea. I went to the bar and ordered a j2o and a beer for dh. The barman said "oh designated driver?" I said "yes but also pregnant and I could murder a icy cold glass of Sauvignon blanc haha" he said not to bother with j2o. Why would I want that when they had icy cold fresh lemonade and mint????

Best thing ever aside from the sip of dhs peroni

[ gin ]

fluffy I had no idea what clicksnap was. But was intrigued be free hot cross buns. Mmm.

Turns out clicksnap doesn't work here so I'll have to pay for my own hot buns. 😭

That sounds great then Em. One of the things I really wished I'd done before ds was born was to go along to a toddler group. Once you get to the groups you can really see what is working for people and what is not. That is where all the accrued knowledge is, and if you can tap into it, then it really helps.

Also holy-fuck-amoly batman! Our mobile bill for last month has just been emailed to me. £97!!!

That'll be dh roaming in nz. But still. Fuuuuuuuccccccckkkkkkk!!!!!

em that apartment sounds great. Maybe the agent wants that house with the dodgy roof for himself what a twat If you go on to have loads of kids (trust me, it happens when you're not looking sometimes!!) then a huge detached house could do then! A great apartment close to all the amenities you need does sound better than a fixer upper with a fucked roof to me, especially when you will be heavily pregnant when you move

Oh God, I can't drink gin. Not anymore. Enough said!

A sunny morning here, have super saturdays everyone x

sunny I'd never thought of that. Good idea. Maybe when I'm further along and super showing I'll pop into one so they don't think I'm an imposter and ask some questions.

Am I the only person who doesn't like gin? I hope I don't get banned from mn for that confession!

Plans for this weekend are to make the most of the nice weather by doing lots of washing, sprucing up the garden for DD to play in and going out for a picnic and the first ice cream of the year.

I expect we'll be selling on a lot of baby stuff in the next few months, I'd love to give pregnant frugaleers first refusal before eBay!

Snuggly I've been tea-total forever. I'm honestly batshit enough, without alcohol adding to the trouble.

Em That sounds good. I sort of think that I ought to be visiting secondary schools now. For years I fretted alone about babies, when I could have solved the problem by visiting toddlers groups. Then I worried endlessly about primary schools, when I now realise I should just have gone with a neighbour to the school gate at 3pm and I'd have learned all I needed to know. Clearly I should now be in secondary schools asking questions.

If you need an excuse to visit a toddler's group, you can just offer to volunteer handing round the coffee and biscuits. A lot of the Mums will be really struggling to do anything, as both hands are full while breastfeeding a newborn, so you can easily rock up at any time and be extremely welcome.

That's a good point, Sunny. I only read up on the labour last time round. I couldn't think beyond that and didn't know anything about looking after an actual baby. I stupidly thought I'd remember it all this time round but I've had to google a lot to remind me! Talking to some parents would have been really helpful.

Ah but snuggly surely looking after one baby is a breeze. But it's totally different with two?? remind me I said it's a breeze when I'm sleep deprived and angry

lonely should have clarified. This place is a house. It's just decorated just like our apartment. And it has a garden and three bedrooms. Where we've got no garden and two. Literally could just plonk our furniture down, flick the kettle on and be done.

I was the same Snuggly. The first 6 months were almost euphoric for me as I was so excited about the baby phase.

Then I got to six months (I hadn't read past six months in the book) and the weaning stuff came as a real shock. It was just so boring spending hours and house spooning goo into a cheesed off baby.

I don't think the baby books make the point clearly enough that parenting is an endurance sport, rather than a sprint race. A friend of mine says she tried to practice "sustainable parenting" and I think she's spot on with that.

Em I think the main difference this time round is having an older child to look after rather than an extra baby. It means we just have to get up and on with life pretty much as normal rather than sitting on the settee in my dressing gown wondering how to make the baby sleep! I'm actually finding it very enjoyable in a different way to last time. DH has taken DD1 out this morning so I actually am sitting on the settee in my pjs wondering why DS won't settle!

I don't like either! Or most spirits TBH. Or wine, or beer, or cider. Give me a nice fruity cocktail with a limited number of weaker spirits and I'm happy. Or my proper classy can of Malibu and cola/Archers and lemonade.

I don't remember the baby phase much TBH. I was ok with the practical stuff but had PND both times and was quite isolated especially second time round as we'd moved away from the few friends I had. PND is pretty likely to happen again I guess but I'm prepared for that. One thing that I am really happy about though is that this time round I know I am autistic! I think a lot of the issues I had before were beating myself up over the struggles I had due to ASD, whereas now I accept myself IYSWIM.

Grand National today, DH is putting a quid each on four different horses each way. Once a year thing.

Snuggly you literally sound like superwoman to me when I read your posts. You have a toddler and have just had twins and you seem to be just like breezing through it all baking and whatnot!!!

I like gin with lemonade or cranberry juice. I don't drink much though, can't remember the last time I had gin, think it was about a year ago. Although in the last week I've had two glasses of red wine at a meal out and then a half-cider in the pub which is very unusual as I usually go a few weeks at a time without a drink.

I don't think I've ever tried gin. And for some reason I have no interest in trying- unadventurous me.

cag I am also a lover of archers and lemonade . Also have a liking for alcopops. I think I just like alcohol that tastes like fizzy pop! I don't really like wine- it appears my taste buds have never grown up.

Free Hot cross buns have been purchased. £67 in Tesco. Blimey. But we are all home on holiday this week- probably food will last about three days!

em a smaller garden would be helpful if you both intend to still work quite a lot. Unless you can afford to hire a gardener

Bacon re: wine I remember my dad saying don't worry you'll grow into it 😂 Well I'm 30 now so possibly not! Don't mind though, saves money 😀

cag mmm archers lemonade. Do they still make archers aqua? The raspberry version of that was amazing in my yoooooof.

I never used to like wine. But I taught myself to like it. Still not a fan of red. But give me a lovely cold glass of Sauvignon blanc Pinot Grigio or a muscadet and I'm a happy Ems.

bacon nope. Can't afford a gardener. 😭 Neither of us have hardened before so maybe small garden is best. To be honest all I want is somewhere outside to dry clothes and sit and drink tea/wine. 😀

OMG archers aqua!!! I had forgotten about those. Don't think they exist now!

My ds is going to be 7 in a little bit less than one month. That feels like a new stage somehow.

I hadn't noticed really, until he said this morning: "Mum, you need to order my birthday presents soon." I think he's going to be a manager when he grows up.

Mmmmm Archers Aqua

Spent a vast amount on holiday food. Well get more in the lakes tomorrow as don't want to travel with alot of fresh stuff in the car as we are doing at nt on the way. any excuse to go to Booths
Lonely. I think we might be near you and as i have a mamil would love to support a small business. If you feel comfortable pm your shop details of not don't worry i don't mind.

Happy house hunting em.
I don't like gin either but maybe that's cos I've only smelt Gordon's when i did bar work and it's too perfumed.
Tbf i only drink high days and holidays.

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I find gin soooo refreshing but then I don't really like sweet drinks, Archers and the like. I think we can all still be friends though . Fresh lemonade and mint is right up my street Em - unless there is something like that I just drink fizzy water for 'speshul' atm. Coke etc makes me shudder. I don't miss wine /beer until the sun shines, then I am a bit at DH. Am out tonight but tomorrow I think I will try the gin syrup that Fluffy made me buy last week.

DH is cutting the scruffy lawn and then we are thinking of putting up the bouncy castle. I am v excited... eep. It's such a gorgeous day here, really lovely. I should be making DH clear out his study (the eternal battle 🙄) but just can't waste the weather. So garden it is.

I could defo enjoy a bigger garden if I had more time but with both of us usually working our small garden is plenty for us (as Em says, somewhere to sit out and a bit of space for DS to play). I feel as though the weeds are winning as it is!

Friend's birthday tonight, so dinner and karaoke. Only one of us can go and DH says I should because I have had some tricky times recently. He is lovely ❤️