Money-managing Masterfully into May - Frugaleers unite!

[needastrongone]

Thread continued for old faithfuls, new posters and anyone else that would like to contribute.

Financial talk, tips and discussion, with quite a lot of other stuff too.

We are a friendly bunch and there's lots of support for new and old.

I was feeling very good earlier. I put back the on offer branded handwash and replaced it with the Tesco version that was still 15p cheaper. Looked just now and realised the Tesco one had double the amount in it compared to the branded one so was even better value

It appears I am only a frugaleer in training and still have a lot to do!

laska a good phone can be money saving overall. Think of all the money saving apps and price checking you can do when out and about

Laska, it is absolutely lush! They're even generous with the avocado, bless 'em.

Right spends today.
£3.39 in boots points for lunch which was horrible
£1.20 Gregg's on a
£6.28 Lakeland (£3.28 cash, £3 voucher)
£50.04 debenhams £50 voucher 4p cash
£19.10 boots all cash
£17.66 brantano closing down sale
£9.50 build a bear (£5 voucher, £4.50 cash)
£26.50 IKEA all cash
£26.08 Argos (£25 voucher rest cash)
Still have my hof and primark as both disappointing.

Tried on sandals in Clark's and they are lush. £48 on line.... Can't justify them yet i have loads of brown sandals.

No bacon. Take the win. You put the more expensive one back. We are all learning each day as frugaleers.

Mac and cheese bleurg.

Hello everyone, I was back to work today and couldn't decide if dd was well enough for school so she went to her uncles for the day!! By the sounds of it they had a nice day and she does seem better so will def be back to school Monday.

I think having children always gives you something to talk about!! Being a nurse i would hope my ability to chat to everyone is fairly good anyway but having a child def gives you common ground with every other parent on the planet!!

Cag i am even more annoyed by that woman now, she has children ffs!! Whether they are adopted or not should not make any difference, she should get herself some therapy if every time some one is pregnant it is going to upset her. People are just so selfish it amazes me sometimes

Need glad dpony is feeling better.

My account is cleared out and then some so will be trying to not spend much money this wend.

I'm a chatter which is what i miss in this job and keep getting told off for as all my other jobs involved the public and interactions

My old galaxy s3 is on its last legs. I have had it nearly 4 years though. I watch the adverts for the s8, beautiful, but has got "you're joking" written all over it!

Spendy day, but we got dd1 a dress for the christening next month, a layered tunic thing, she picked it, and it's perfect! So hard to buy an adult-sized-child clothes! £35, £8 in craft shop also for dd1, plus greggs lunch £11, £12 in pet shop.

Hello everyone! I have been so busy the last few days .

Need I'm so glad DPony is on the mend, poor thing!

I have only read back the this page and the last, sorry, my eyes are tired.

Today we spent a few quid in the park café but DH paid and I don't even know how much it was.... Although DH is out now and will have paid for dinner, drinks, and snooker for himself too. But NSD for me technically . Tomorrow we are going to a pub for lunch with some of his family but probably he will pay for us again so I will sit in blissful ignorance claiming another NSD. And after that I am going out for dinner as well with my parents and siblings but my parents will pay. I am having a right good holiday considering I am still having to find time to revise for my exams!!

Crazy busy day in work and I can't even unwind with a glass of wine because I was doing my frugal thing and didn't order any wine with my shopping . Consoling myself with some crackers and cheese and a cuppa.

I'll catch up properly over the weekend.

Good news about Dpony, Need.
Just tea and toasted teacake in little chef on motorway.

£28 on pub tea for me and a friend. Yay. Cheeseburgers chips salads wine (for her) and Icy cold blackcurrent and lemonade for me. Mmmm.

@Coppersulphate - ah trip is off as the upgrade isn't happening, but when we go we'll take a picnic. We are going to go to an NT place with a picnic instead, no train costs!

£45 in aldi - I didn't take a list so let's hope we have enough food for the week.

£35 in argos, I got them to deliver same day as the things I wanted weren't in stock so I had to pay but it turned up within two hours. Funny for stuff that wasn't in stock locally.. To be fair by the time I had driven to the store and back with the stressful children I wouldn't be too much up. This was two birthday presents and two treats for Wilf. He has played to death his golf set so I have bought him a new one, he has been very well behaved so deserves it. I also bought a phlat ball which I will produce next weekend when we are away.

Managed to pick up an extra six hours work, so that is good.

When I was working full time we had so many work associated costs, we had a cleaner as I just had no time £120 a month, shopping delivered, £60 more a month, childcare £800 a month. I am now working freelance so I have no childcare costs and I am at home all day still so can fit in my chores and shopping. Although it is only £8 an hour 18-24 hours a week I am bringing in almost the same as my full time £40k job after all the costs we'd have (and student loan deductions).

Yes em the Penguins were awesome! There was a baby one it was so fluffy!

We're at the airport waiting to go home 😭

Wreck hope you have some post-holiday treats lined up and that your journey goes well.

Frugal things from the past few days: have organised a day trip and meal out next weekend using clubcard vouchers; have returned to Aldi! Not for a full shop yet but figured I could manage little and often; lovely free day yesterday at skate park with DD on her bike; batch cooked a lot of soup and baby dinners (Thai butternut squash, cauliflower cheese)

Safe trip home wreck hope the jet lag on the other side isn't too horrific.

Busy day here. House viewing then riding then house viewing.

Dm came back from France yesterday. And presented me with lovely buttery french biscuits, gallons of Lipton iced tea and a bottle of wine.

Ha, we had a Pret lunch yesterday. I have literally not been in Pret for probably 15 years, so funny you should talk about it here. I had an amazing feta, butternut squash, spinach type flatbread thing and a mocha, DD had a mocha made with coconut milk!

Didn't get a prom outfit but we did at least try lots of things on and have narrowed down what works and what doesn't for the shape DD is. The school has a training day next Friday so the city will be quiet and we will go then.

DD got a pair of Vans for £12 that she loves and I bought a Yankee Candle, just to justify 4 hours at the shops, which was £12. It was an outlet, so parking was free.

Going to get a chicken out of the freezer in a minute. I've got loads of Harissa Sumac and Zatar spices in at the minute and lots of vegetables that work well roasted so I am going to smother both in the spices for a meal tonight.

Hope the viewings go well Em.

Safe journey Wrecked.

Laska I have missed your posts.

I read the posts about pret and Mac and cheese late late last night. It made me hungry!

We don't have pret here. They won't let them in. We have a ton of lovely sandwich places though. One of which does a Mac n cheese toastie.
Think about that for a while.

There was a chef on Breakfast tv yesterday making keema toasties as a quick/cheap alternative to samosas - they looked delicious! Mac n cheese toasties also have me salivating!

Safe journey home wreck
Welcome back laska
Good luck with the viewings Em
I don't know where our nearest Pret is. I used to go to London for meetings occasionally in a previous life & then used to get food from there.
Cricket training went well last night, kitchen was busy as ever.I didnt drink as I've got a group training session at 9.30 today so def didn't want a hangover.
Going to a quilting exhibition this afternoon with mum so will need to give myself a spending limit! 50th party tonight so no need for making tea.
Have a good weekend everyone.

We're making all sort of useful progress here, on all sorts of things, which is good. More medical stuff, but this time the insurance is paying.

Not very frugal otherwise as the food bill seems to have gone up and we have three birthdays coming soon, but it's sunny outside, and there's an election coming so I find it hard to be too bothered by anything.

Morning all, dd finally slept last night!! Woo hoo, she slept for nearly 12 hours which is amazing and much needed, seems like she is finally on the mend

Looks like it is going to be a nice wend weather wise so going to have a think about what we can do. Might let dd go and have a look at the hamsters in Pets at Home.....

Morning!

Safe trip home Wreck

Not sure about a mac n cheese toastie.... I fear the bread would take up carb room that would be better spent on more mac n cheese . I am always enthusiastic about cheesy things when out as DH doesn't eat it so we don't have it at home.

Love weekends. Love DH being around. I am feeling cheerful today because I have had a lie in .

A day of cooking and a spot of tidying ahead for me as we have some lovely friends round for dinner tonight - a chap I did my PhD with, and his partner. They are French and so I always try to pull out all the stops, for the honour of English cooks! I only see my friend once a year at most and we were very close so I am excited to see him.

Mind you, I love a quilt show Northender. Never frugal though, me around yummy fabrics or yarn.

PILs called yesterday and said they are sending us some money - something about DH's granny's estate. I am not sure how much but I think a 4-fig sum . That will be very helpful at the moment as I am about to have acute cash flow problems as I still haven't received any money from the liquidators who are dissolving my old company from when I was a self-employed contractor (that's the money I am meant to be living on this year - and my cash savings have now run out!). I need to chase the liquidators up this weekend, as well as writing some complaint letters regarding DS's EHCP process. And appealing my parking fine. That'll be tomorrow.

I have given DH a deadline of next weekend to finish emptying his study. DSis is coming the following weekend to paint it for the baby. Must pack my hospital bag in the next week or so too. I am feeling a bit excited about all that.

Have a good day everyone.

I am totally behind on the thread! Just saying hello :o

DD (9) is getting the bus on her own for the first time today :) DH normally brings her home from dancing before work but he has to start early. So he's going to see her onto the bus after the lesson, then phone me and I'll meet her at our stop. DH didn't want to let her! But it's like 8 stops and she knows to sit by the driver.

DH will buy milk I might ask for cookies or a croissant too so LSD, although I will be using some of my PayPal stash to buy a couple of bits from my usborne friend who is doing a sale. A maths thing I've been waiting for and a new fashion history book for DD's birthday. And probably some others depending if I can resist