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.

Did your DS wear the bonnet though Seacow?!

Good frugal win there All.

The dogs love Primula so I'll go for that offer.

Thanks guys. I don't feel like the bigger person. I have some pretty dark and angry thoughts at times about DM. I guess I'll have to deal with all that shit in my head at some point but I'll not give her the opportunity to see me stoop to her level. Anyways, I have you lot to moan to.

I've discovered the recipe section on the Ocado app and it's really good. Tonight is new potatoes and red pepper roasted in Sumac and olive oil in the oven, then 10 minutes before they are ready, adding in 4 mackerel fillets coated in Harissa and grated lemon, maybe a squeeze of lemon sprinkled over and some fresh herbs from the garden.

There's tons of easy and frugal recipes so that will save me buying any new books for a while.

DD and me are doing Boot Camp soon so that's £10, I've run already (my stress buster).

We had our cardio trip with ds and we've to keep loading in the iron with a funnel. He had black pudding for dinner. He didn't like the tests, but he did do them, so that was big progress.

Hi all, sorry to hear about your mum Need well done on still looking after her, even when she does't deserve it!! Glad the pony is a bit better, he is probably still sore and milking it for sympathy Dd loved the pony day, she had such a fab day and sounds like she learn a fair bit as well (she looked super smart!!)

I get really wound up about anti vaxxers, I have recently added a new friend on fb who is keeps posting anti vax stuff, it takes all my will power not to start ranting!! My feelings are as a parent I could cope with dd having a vaccination and having a side effect, I could not cope with her catching a preventable disease and potentially dying!!! I haven't heard all the pros and cons re the hpv vaccine yet but am 99% sure dd will be having it.

We have spent all day out in the garden and it is transformed [shocked] I am amazed at how beautiful it looks, quite emotional really as I have wanted a garden for so long. My lovely friend who has been down to help has bought me an apple tree I picked a few more plants up for £5. There is even a little wildlife area at the end of the garden for dd (and wildlife obv )

Am so tired now and the house looks like a bomb has gone off but am happy!!

Girlie Your garden sounds wonderful.

I have one friend on fb who posts anti-vax stuff, and while I'm not usually a ranter, I consider anti-vax posts to be totally fair game. The whole point about vaccination is that it doesn't work on the individual, it only works if the whole population does it. So I reckon every anti-vaxer who can be converted is a life saved, even if not their own life.

What did you put in your garden? It sounds lovely.

My M&S blueberries (reduced) were nice. I may be a convert!

Shop didn't have wide enough curtains. DP has been looking at made to measure ones online- very spendy. Old curtains may be going back up!

Did buy DC a new pair of shoes each £32

need glad to hear DPony is doing well and mother is ok (in that order).

seacow did Ds like the hat?

fluffy do you use the receipt hog app? Trying to work out if it's an app that genuinely pays out

No, I didn't think it worked in the uk.

I will look.

Receipt hog looks good to me & there's wombling potential (picking up dropped receipts).

I've figured out matched betting. It's not simple but it's not that difficult if you have a maths brain.

There's a thread in chat about it, I'm going to ask the op to move it to credit crunch so we don't lose the info.

I've used receipt hog but it took forever to even get anything.

Might start using again though.

Love the idea of peaches with mascara!

Pleased dpony is a bit more mobile, Need. I didn't know Ocado gad recipes, that's very interesting...

NSD although DH just bought himself some new work shirts in TU 25% off.

£2.50 at Carlisle castle parking. £5.51 gift shop.

Hey peeps.😁
Good to see you all where I left you.

We had a fifteen year old at work who was going to Kenya but mum was an anti vaxxer so she had never had any at all. The nurse had to do a whole childhood vaccine schedule and travel ones in two weeks. The daughter wanted them so the nurse told the mum that actually we could do them as her daughter was deemed capable of making the decision.

Cyclone expected here today. The weather has been shit 🙄 next week looks better though and we are going to go to Auckland. Em if we had to do either the zoo or sea life which would you do?

Hey unescorted 😀

If by sea life you mean Kelly Tarltons? Then Kelly Tarltons.

When I went there was the shark bus, an Antarctic expedition experience (awesome), penguins (amazing) baby penguins!!!, I held a star fish!! A ray smiled for me see pic and the shark tunnels. Oh and I saw sea horses for the first time. I didn't think they were real.

So yeah. Sea life.

Also sky tower. Walk on the glass floor.

And. And. If you are just with dh and no kiddies go to waiheke island and do a wine tour.

Need glad DPony is recovering. And DM is going home.
My DCs have had all the jabs as have DGCs. DGD had to have then before school would let her start. I thought these days all kids had them. I have heard that means also has returned and it is because stupid people don't vaccinate.
Spend your day. Warwick castle with DGD. Had to do the horrid History maze. twice. And everything else. Took a picnic and was so glad. Food is poor, expensive and the queues were long. And DGD probably wouldn't have eaten it.
She had pocket money for the shop so only entry fee to pay. It was brilliant but I am now on my knees. Got out of the habit of taking young kids around castles.
Fluffy....you are so determined that I am sure you will achieve your goal. I admire you as you seem so single minded. Can't believe a client tried to snog you. Bloody cheek. DDiL is a podiatrist and she tells me most of her patients are elderly. She's NHS and specialises in diabetes so I suppose they would be old.

Thanks em yes that's what I meant. Dc are coming with us. I've done sky tower before not sure if Dh will want to do it.

wreck why would anyone let their kids go to E Africa without vaccinations is beyond bonkers.
Hey cag hows you? Did you get sorted in the end.

Depends what you mean by sorted 😳😂

DS had apparently refused to wear the hat but when I joined him on the parade he let me put it on him. I don't think he was too impressed but he was getting admiring glances from lots of 3-yr old thomas fans!

Too tired to post more.....zzzz

Le yum. Made by actual French people

Hello all! Been a very busy few days. I read back the last two pages only.

I am now at my parents' house in my home city. So spends today were £34 (!!!!!!!!) open return train ticket (and that is with my railcard!). Train fares are a disgrace in this country.

Had a lovely loooong catch-up with my mam. I miss her a lot not living close by.

Agree with everyone about vaccinations (not a scientist but my dad and DH and DB and one auntie all are). However I was the first year to get HPV vaccine at school I think, and my parents (my dad really) refused to allow me to get it in case there were bad side-effects. I wanted it done but they refused to sign the consent form for me to have them at school. I wanted to get it done when I was older but I didn't look into it for a few years and then I was past the age limit for who they would give them on the NHS. If I ever get cervical cancer I will be so angry!!

Seacow Glad DS let you put the bonnet on him for a bit .

Need Glad DP is recovering, poor little thing.

Snuggly You always seem to be on the go, I think you need to rest more, it must be so tiring with the new twins.

Hi unescorted I don't think I know you!

Agree with everyone M&S food is lush. But too expensive for us unfortunately!

Bed time now.

wreck le yum indeed. I love crepes/galette. Mmmmm.

Estate agent came over last night to take pics of our flat. And someone's viewing today. Eek.

Last day of work this week. Woohoo. Dh is going for a couple of drinks tonight and we're having sausages for tea. Yay!

Busy weekend planned. Lunch tomorrow, chill Saturday, family lunch Sunday and an afternoon at the races on Monday. Yay!! Joked with dh I'd put all my savings for new house on a horse....apparently he didn't think it was funny. 😂

Have been asked to work a weekend though (one of the next three) but will get double time off (so a full day for every half day worked). Have said I'll do a Sunday. Need to catch up on some stuff and get things in place for when I go on mat leave (client info folders up to date etc) so could use the quiet time.

Hey unescorted. How are you.

Spendy day today. Going into Keswick and will get some kit from new balance. Also going to try on North Face stuff for next season's footy line as they will be reduced.

wreck stay safe in the storms. When I went to NZ 25 years ago, South Island had widespread flooding & in Queenstown I've got pics of people canoeing in the streets.
need glad pony is improving a little. Stay strong re your mum, you are doing the right thing.
My only spend yesterday was 70p on a drink at cricket club committee. Oh, and £4 on bus fares for dd to get to meet my mum & spend the day with her. She had a great time. Since having issues with my dad at Christmas, she has done amazingly at dealing with it and continuing to have an incredibly close relationship with mum. It's amazing that a 12 year old can demonstrate such emotional maturity when my dad has almost none!
Today we have a massive list of jobs to get done before we set of for Somerset tonight. We need to get our remortgage application handed in and the legal documents sent off. Very strange not having to make choices based on cost (eg legal services) as its all being covered by existing lender. Still quite a bit of hassle though, especially when we only went through the last process last year.
Biggest spend today is when we pick up a limited edition poster we've had reframed. It's £££ but will look stunning I hope. We also need to take the dc to get various items of footwear. We would normally pay for ds' cricket shoes, but he seems to have lost his (hard to lose size 12 I would've thought but hey ho) so will have to pay for replacements himself. Dd needs everyday, casual shoes so will be paying for them herself too.