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.

Have a lovely holiday, Life.

I do like a gin and tonic, but it has to be in the right sized glass and with ice and a slice. It's what I like to drink if I know I only want 1 or 2 drinks and it's warm weather. It took me until I was 30 to like it though! I drink dry white wine and cider too, and in Ireland, I always drink Guinness in the pub.

Em, that house sounds perfect for you! Maybe the agent not putting an offer in on the house with roof problems was meant to be, if it means you get this one instead. It still wasn't his call to make though.

Spends so far: £53, on hair colour, cut and finish, gel polish on fingers and toes and a top lip wax. Going to meet a friend in Durham this afternoon, so back with other spends later.

New nails

Oooh creme pretty!!

Been riding. £25 and also filled car up £36

I am going to hurt tomorrow. Instructor made us take stirrups away and do a lap of riding trot. Using just out thigh strength to push ourselves up and down in the saddle.

cag I'm going to have a look for archers aqua. They must still sell them somewhere. If I find them I'll get a couple for the fridge and chill them until September.

Ooh pretty colours Creme!

Although for a split second there I thought you had your foot up on a piano/keyboard and I was about to faint in horror. :o

Maybe we should start a petition Em it worked for Cadbury's Wispa :o

Thanks creme. Love the nail colours

Need to spend time catching up here
This thread had even fallen off threads I'm on first time ever

Voluntarily the designated driver tonight to save funds & to be able for a 10K run tomo

So I posted in our family viber group to offer lifts to rest of dh's children. Dsd replies to say she's also driving, yet she never offered us a lift. Am I being over sensitive thinking that she could have

Thanks, Meadow. I'm keeping going for DD1 and also because if I keep busy I don't notice how tired is am. I am lucky to have amazing DH, friends and family who have been lending a hand too.

Just had first ice creams of 2017!

DD has just started her Easter holidays (two weeks). DH is off this week with her and I'm off next week except for Friday because we're too short staffed on Friday. I work in a small office and if you want leave, you have to apply for it months in advance.

We're planning a day out on Monday (we'll bring a big picnic and enjoy a walk by the beach somewhere).

On Thursday DH is taking DD to a theme park/zoo called Tayto Park. It's quite expensive but DD loves it and is very excited about going. He's taking two of DD's friends also so I've warned him to bring a big picnic and then maybe treat them to McDonalds afterwards. It will work out a lot cheaper than taking four people to the restaurant there.

Next week I'm taking DD to the cinema to see 'Beauty and the Beast' and we'll probably do some baking one day.

em you need to start an Easter Holiday saving fund

I can barely remember buying DD's pram. DH talked me into buying it because it was on special offer. It was navy and I said, "But what if we have a girl?". DH said, "Well, it's 50/50 if we have a boy or a girl and even if it's a girl, we might go on to have boys at a later stage". Of course, we had a girl and never went on to have any other kids . Once DD hit the toddler years, we traded the pram in for a buggy.

I had gin for the first time last summer. It was very refreshing but I'm more of a wine drinker. Nice for a change though.

I've to pick up some shower gel today. I've been eking out my shower gel by cutting the tops off some 'empty' bottles and using up the shower gunk that settles at the bottom. But I've ran out completely now. I also have to pick up an Easter egg for DD before they run out. Isn't it annoying the way the supermarkets have them for sale since January and then when you actually want to buy them (a few days before Easter), they're selling out everywhere?

It's mad Tayto same with advent calendars!

Frugal win of the day, DH found a Gryffindor cloak in the charity shop for £1.50

Oh and I got another letter inviting me to an earlier scan, yay! It's next Saturday. I wonder if they put me on a waiting list for earlier cancellations? It does mean I have to cut short my stay at mum's (just me and Caglets as DH is working 7 consecutive days - including Easter Sunday as Co-op is open!) but totally worth it for a shorter wait. Plus my parents might come with me, dad can sit with the Caglets in the waiting room and mum can come in with me if she wants. I may suggest trying the nearby tapas bar after because my parents love Spanish food.

Welcome back mammy it's so disconcerting when you fall off a thread!

Good news about the earlier scan Cag

Em Is that okay when pg? I thought you'd get bumped up and down awfully hard doing that. Do you perhaps have thighs of steel?

Cag that's super news about scan & lovely to be able to involve your parents too.
Em either you've thighs like arnie or you're not going to be able to walk tomorrow

I spent €60+ in health food store on cc but in my defence I had set up standing order to pay my cc & I've transferred the balance so it will be in credit to this amount so I'll just transfer it when I get refund.

Aldi €147.47 but this included €23.95 on Easter eggs. Two massive bunnies for dd & ds, he was in awe of one of quarter the size in Iceland so he'll be super excited at this one & three creation ones for dgd & 2 dgs.
When we first met dh used to buy for about 20 children
€8.60 on petrol for something chainsaw maybe, can't remember I was told to get it.

This is the week all out direct debits come out so joint account is super low now

Anyone drink soda water & lime?
Trying to avoid aspartame so my usual Diet Coke not an option

My dh drinks lime soda.

Tayto I'm like you for following week.
Dh had no bother getting off wed thurs fri, I wanted tues & wed so I've ended up working tues & fri & having wed & thurs off sounds like lovely holiday plans. No way my dh would attempt tayto park with three children.

I don't like aspartame either although making an exception at the mo, water (whether tap or bottled) is making me feel sick so having very dilute squash in order to get enough down me. It's so hard to get squash without sweeteners! And I can't handle sucralose so half the alternatives are out. Ah well it's only temporary.

DH is pretty upset today as certain family members have been really quite nasty about the pregnancy. Thankfully nobody who lives round here but it's become apparent one has been bitching about us for quite some time. Practicing my best "fuck what they think" face. TBH I expect and accept a lot of judging for this whole situation, we are judging ourselves pretty harshly! But the actual outright bitching from these people isn't too dignified. I mean, it's happened, we are getting on with it, it doesn't affect them at all and I don't know what they think they are achieving. And actually we've done pretty bloody well lately with sorting all kinds of shit out (money, house, decluttering, setting up a business etc) so... sod 'em! Right? :o

Times like this I am glad my own side of the family is tiny. I was super worried about telling my parents but they have been nothing but supportive, I know they are worried but they're behind us 100%.

Sorry for the totally non-frugaleer-related rant there! :o

Back to frugal stuff. NSD for me but DH popping to the shops with the Caglets for milk and bread and possibly hot cross buns which is all Fluffy's fault - he also got squash at the shop by the dance school earlier, along with jam donuts so I love him even more now, I'm going to put mine in the microwave because they are best with the jam super hot. Le yum!

mammy they're 12 and 13 so it's a lot easier than taking smaller kids.

Cag Some people just love to be nasty about anyone and everyone for any reason they can think of so I would just try to ignore them as it's not about you and your DH it's about them and their own insecurities.

Volunteering felt like it went a bit better this week although that was mostly because I kept out of trying to discipline the naughty boys and left it to other people lol. I'm no good at getting them to listen to me when they're being naughty, how do teachers manage that??? . I have been really enjoying it but there is a major conflict going on atm between the guy whose charity I work for and the people who run the venue who have sort of leeched onto his charity and tried to take over it . So he is looking for a new venue which may take a few weeks to sort and now I'm off it for three weeks anyway so it's probs a good time for me to take a break from it all anyway given all of the tensions atm.

Weather lovely here, 18 degrees, wore my cropped jeans for the first time since about September. And went out without a jacket on too (although still with a thin-ish cardie).

Spends:
50p on a loaf of bread. That's it.

Cag it's been my experience that the people who are happy and secure in their own lives don't bother too much about what other people are doing.

Ooooh meadow I must look out my cropped jeans. Sounds like a break for a few weeks might be a good thing. Also gives you a bit more time too!

Cag people always have an opinion and people do show their true colours at the most difficult of times. You guys sound like you have your stuff together, I think you sound remarkable at what you achieve so stuff them

£85 on a new BBQ. Old one needed to be replaced last summer and we never got round too it but the burner burnt through the last time we used it
£35 in Homebase's on paint and weed killer but had £25 voucher. Two large tubs of dulux endurance paint were meant to be £21 each but scanned at £12ish so feeling very pleased. Let's hope it doesn't run out as I guess the colour must be being discontinued

This week we will be decorating, may have to try out

sunny the horse riding? It's fine. The first gp I saw said no way (although he wanted to know why I'd want to do it anyway) he said I'd bruise my vagina. Second gp and midwife wanted to know if he was actually a doctor...not sure how I can bruise my vag internally by riding. And to be honest as I said to him surely I've already done it? So continuing isn't going to make any difference...

Second gp I saw said to continue doing all exercise I already do (including the riding) as it'd be worse for me mentally to stop.
Midwife said it's great exercise for core strength and pelvic floor.

Instructor won't let me continue past 6/7 months. But she's not pushing me. I'm taking it as easy as I can (more placid horse no jumping unless it's one on one lesson - so more controlled).

I'm spending lessons working on the basics. It's not meant to be bumpy. Instructor says if it's bumpy I'm doing it wrong 😀

mammy I most definetly do NOT have thighs like Arnie. I'm already hurting from the rising trot today. It's the first time I've done it no stirrups not holding the saddle so just leg power.

Ice cream in the sun too. Yay!

Em Mmm ice cream. I've had loads over the last week or so . I would love to go riding but I need to save the money for driving lessons and also it would take up soo much time cos it would be a very long bus ride to the nearest riding school. I went on a little ride in September on holiday in Northumbria and it was lush, I absolutely loved it even though my horse was a bit of a maverick and wanted to keep stopping to eat . I used to go poney riding when I was like 5-7 until the stables I went to closed down, never lost my love of horses and desire to return to it! One day eh?

Cag I'm sorry to hear about the family trouble. That is very nasty of them to be anything but supportive in this situation. If it's any help, although I see that another baby is going to be hard for you, I also slightly wish that I could just throw caution to the wind and follow you down this tricky road. Possibly your relations are a bit jealous too.

Sorry to hear you can't manage bottled or tap water. I can't drink tap water, but fortunately I've always been okay with Evian. It feels bonkers living on Evian but it makes life feasible and I'm careful not to waste any. Hang in there.

LOL! Em that's hilarious. I was scything at this stage so I'm in no position to comment.

I've been gardening. It was good.