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.

Vety quiet day here, mostly in the garden. My tiny willow tunnel is done, needs to grow in a bit, dd3 didn't even spot it! Need steps up to it now, will it ever end? Made a raised bed, but still need to level where I'm putting it. Am I've just built my cucumber trellis frame in the greenhouse. 190 tiny eyelets screwed in. Just need to string it up - dp was at my shoddy building.

Not a nsd as I bought some things online from suttons, but googled and got 10% off with a code. We are having fish fingers, chips and beans for tea, as the alternative was Burger King, a motorway drive away.

Great news on the house all hope it's plain sailing from here.

Lonely your gardening sounds fantastic. Did you say you got grafted cucumber plants from Homebase? I used to avoid them like the plague for plants but recently I had to buy plants urgently for the school flowerbed ofsted 24 hour notice and they had great plants. The garden centre I went to the following week was not so good. It made me think that I should try them more often.

We've had a barbeque this afternoon and we're rebuilding lego sets ready for a couple more to join the family on ds's birthday. Quite a good day really.

Hi all, I am very jealous reading about all your lovely wends enjoying the sun i have worked all wend and its been really busy and stressful but I have now finished for a whole week - so yay

Its been beautifully sunny here, dd has had a nice time with her Grandmother so thats good.

Been a LSW as only spends were £3 to dd for some snacks at a dance show she went to last night.

Working 5 days straight means the house is a tip and my brain is frazzled so plan for next few days is to unwind and catch up with myself a bit....

I've found homebase plants healthy too, not cheap but not extortionate either.

£4.80 two peroni and a multipack of hula hoops.

Well done All. I hope it goes smoothly.

Just caught up. Been frantic all weekend and been away so got behind.
Weird about that eBay stuff. I agree YUK.
Well done All....you've got the house. I'm sure it will work out well.
Sunny, your eyes sound like mine (does that make sense). I can't watch flashing lights, or even bright lights and have to wear sunglasses most of the time. I am much happier in semi darkness. Hope you find a new, welcoming Church.
Cag....3 months gosh, no wonder you felt sick. When are you due?
Christmas and Em....when are you both due please?
Spendy tomorrow....lots of food to get in as DGD is coming to,stay for the week.

copper I'm due end of sept.

Nice dinner at parents this evening. Sat in the garden for a bit then had dinner indoors. Had a nap on the couch. Oops.

Just checking in, had manic day. Will try and catch up tomorrow. Hope everyone's been enjoying the sunshine.

Has been a good weekend here. Dh & ds had a good day out at the football yesterday. Dd did her cricket scoring and so got her £15. I did lots of exercise yesterday, an early morning jog followed by a group training session rounded off with a brisk walk at the beach near the ground dd was at.
Today has been a domestic day, cooking, gardening, tidying etc. it has been good to catch up & hasn't cost anything.
Tomorrow is not going to be anything like as frugal, as dd & I are going to Manchester shopping. Having said that, it won't be my money as both the dc get a monthly allowance but have to buy all clothes, shoes etc from that (except school uniform & shoes & sports kit). I will buy lunch though and there's the train fare to pay for.

Great news All - remind me, is this the dream forever house but needs a bit of work?

I am due end of June Copper.

Where did the weekend go? Glad it's a 4-day week for DH.

Sainsburys Tu 25% off starts tomorrow.

Post office today to post eBay sales £30 for shoes to the eBay weirdos and £2.50 for a top.

We have zero milk today. So no cereal for me. Also not enough bread to make a sandwich after I'd had toast. So will have to buy one.

Washing out and new load on.

Tonight's chores: more washing (have really let this slide in the last few weeks) food plan and shopping list, sort out boxes of paperwork.

Lemon pasta for dinner. Mmm

Have clients in today so am dressed a bit smarter. My black pencil skirt is a bit snug.

DGuineaPig1 has gone to the vets with DH to get his lump lanced. He should be back home this afternoon fingers crossed (the guinea pig, DH will be back earlier I hope!!). It should be straightforward procedure but I can't help feeling anxious about it anyway, my little baby. DGuineaPig2 seems a little anxious in the cage alone and keeps looking about for his brother but is otherwise ok and eating hay normally. So today will be spendy cos of that but DH is paying as he's the one sorting it out because I have a revision session with my mentor later that may clash with the time DGuineaPig1 needs collecting from vets. So that's £150 for the treatment, plus £6 taxi there now and then possibly 3 more £6 taxi rides depending on what DH does straight after etc. It is very expensive not having a car sometimes (there is no realistic bus route to our vet)!

Morning guys.

Sorry, I haven't kept up with the thread this weekend as we were away at a competition for the first time this season. Back now, pretty tired but DH has done a sterling job at sorting the house, garden and washing.

Anyway, spends were minimal, other than filling the box up with fuel (£100) and food £30.

I've planned a few days menu but need to catch up.

• lentil bolognaise.
• leek and chorizo risotto.
• roast chicken dinner.
• probably chicken broth from the leftovers.

Em recipe for lemon pasta please, sounds lovely. That's as far back as I have read!

Picnic's made and we're on on our way to Dun Laoghaire (seaside town). We're planning to walk along the pier and have an ice cream and take the girls to the playground. I got a refund of €5 for something last night and I've €2 on a scratch card so that'll pay for the ice creams.

It's sunny but there's a cold breeze.

I just went to see my new NHS GP and he spent 40 minutes talking to me about everything and was really surprisingly helpful. I feel quite encouraged about that. NSD so far too.

need lemon pasta recipe is very much winging it. I had it in sorrento a few years ago and it was the freshest most nicest dish I had during our trip.

From memory:

Spaghetti
(Sorrento) Lemon zest fried off in olive oil
Toss spaghetti through lemon.
Squeeze of lemon juice
Oodles of black pepper
Teeny bit of Parmesan.

Maybe serve with tomato and rocket salad.

I'll let you know how it works out. This is my fave style of food. Simple but delicious.

Mmmm lemon pasta! Le yum. I've had one in a restaurant that was a little creamy too, think it also had sage leaves?

Back from the midwife! Will be consultant led care for various reasons and also because DS was a giant monster baby big birthweight I will be getting extra growth scans towards the end, and may be induced at 37 weeks. Pretty happy with all that. :)

Spends £6.20 taxi (bus was running late so jumped out at the station to grab one), £27 lunch - not worth it TBH so won't eat mains there again (milkshakes looked good though), £4 on a multiplication board for maths

Sounds great How big was your ds?

11lbs 14oz :o

Ouch. I missed how far along you are Cag.

Still don't know fluffy scan on Saturday

Wowzers, Cag, what a whopper!

Glad the competition went well, Need.

I'm going to make myself lemon pasta next week, while DS is away.I often add a squeeze of lime or lemon to pasta and pesto anyway. Cheers for the recipe, Em.

NSD so far, but I need to pay for a block of 4 Pilates lessons later and get the bus home, so that will be £30.

cag holy moly what a whopper!

I have my next appointment tomorrow. The boss just commented that I was looking a bit "plump" around the middle. He then apologised. He's not sure if he's meant to comment. Haha!

I'm expecting to be told I've put on a fair bit of weight. I've been grazing (albeit on fairly healthy stuff) a lot. Must watch this.

There's another pasta recipe I found which is delish. Cook safe leaves in butter, then fry off courgette ribbons (made with a potato peeler or I suppose a spiraliser would work too) throw buttery courgette sage mix over pasta with lashings of black pepper. Le yummo.

Cag That's amazing. I have a friend who was born at 14lbs and I remember noting the size of ds when he was 14lbs because of that 12lbs must have been quite something. My ds was only 7lbs.

Em It might be that your body just knows what to do weight-wise. I put on a fair bit at the beginning and then stopped and was just right at the end.

We've had a nice quite day today. We have yet another dentist to go and visit with ds tomorrow, and I'm just quietly wishing that I'd had time to recover from the travel to the last one. Hoping it all goes very easily tomorrow. Just a chat this time.

Woo hoo all
Bacon sounds like a nice day out
Now that you mention train dd wants us to go out for dinner in milanos, I could use Tesco boost & we go also go on train to next town to get there. Sounds like an idea for one of my days off next week

Frugal win dsd offered to have my dc for a sleepover one night this week so I chose the night I've a board meeting so no need to pay au pair overtime, dh on nights also means au pair gets a day off too following day