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.

Breakfast def included not sure re after school. Would also have to book and pay in advance as its such a small school. They're just seeking interest to see if it's financially viable.

need. Sometimes a good cry is needed otherwise you are just bottling it all up.

Morning everyone. Just up to put washing in and make a to go back to bed with. Glad you enjoyed the curry Need and sounds like your cry actually helped you. Sometimes, we just have to let it all out. Good luck at the new house today, Em.

PS I couldn't ignore the washing up last night, so I did it and went to bed at 1 a.m.!

Wreck that sounds cheaper than the rates at our local school. I can't remember off the top of my head but I remember thinking it was expensive.

Hope you are ok, Need. Sometimes we all need a good cry. Your curry sounds amazing btw, I'm seriously craving curry at the moment.

It's going to be spendy today, we are running low on nappies and wipes plus need a few food bits. We bought 6 packs of nappies 2 weeks ago and they are almost gone!

Wreck that sounds about right, think dds last school was similar, not sure about current school as I use a cm! My cm is cheaper £4 an hr but no food included.

That nursery sounds amazing Em can you tag annual leave onto your maternity leave? Its so tricky with babies as they don't always turn up when they are supposed to so you could end up with more time off before baby arrives than you need or not enough (like me who worked up until I went into hospital!! Dd was early.)

Hugs Need agree that a good cry is needed sometimes.

Plan today is to take dd to her riding lesson, go into town as need a few bits, then meeting up with a friend. Am going to let dd go swimming with a friend on their own for the first time - eek! She is a strong swimmer but still makes me a bit anxious!

Hopefully won't be too spendy....

Ooh how grown up girlie! I wouldn't be able to do that as neither of mine can swim properly yet. But you did say you want her to do more stuff without grown ups so this sounds perfect!

Agree, a good cry is a damn good medicine. And it's great how much running helps! I am finding the same with fresh air, anything other than a walk is out of my league at the moment but I managed a walk I've avoided for ages yesterday (normally getting taxi/bus or just not going) and I felt soooo good for it mentally because I've not managed that particular route for a really long time.

DD happily at brownie camp, DS requested a games morning before DH goes to work.

Em can't wait to hear about the house!

Thanks everyone. Need I hope you're feeling better today.

£56.92 lidl which included washing powder and fabric softener
£3.45 in wilko on face wipes, a hairbrush and some Indian crisp things (hairbrushes in boots were £6/7! So glad I didn't get one there yesterday)
£28.50 peacocks on some bits for the dc the needed and socks for Dh.

Meal plan in no particular order:

Chilli x2
Bbq at friends
Southern fried chicken and chips (oven night)
Peppered steaks with salad
Pasta bolognese
Cheese burgers and salad

Beach sounds like it would do you good lovea
Em great news about the house, hope you enjoy the viewing.
need the curry sounds fab and as others have said it sounds like the cry did you good. I'd really like to do Parkrun but the time clashes with the group training that I do at the moment. I don't see myself doing the group training forever though & can't justify the cost long term so then I'll do Parkrun.

So, group training this morning was really hard but in a good way, I think! I got officially weighed & measured. From 5 weeks ago, 2 kg loss, 2 more cm off waist & 3cm off my hips. It's slower than I would ideally like it but I know that this way it's more sustainable. I can see the change clearly in the mirror and in my clothes and feel so much better. I've adjusted my timed goals to allow for the slower progress, 7kg more to lose by our holiday in August.
Yesterday was very busy at work but no spends. Then straight out to the cricket club where it's our beer festival. Dh and I were both working volunteer shifts in the kitchen and behind the bar & will be doing again tonight. It was the most successful first night we've had so should be looking at a great amount of money raised. Our new addition was a gin and Prosecco bar which looked amazing & was really popular.
I'm going to football this afternoon, DS is playing cricket, dd is scoring at a different game. Spending should be low until tonight...
In good news, dh is being awarded a bonus which he'll get in vouchers so that is an unexpected plus.
Remortgage seems to be going through okay so far. Just need to move current account now, thinking Co-op, M&S or First Direct.

Have a great weekend everyone.

Happy bank holiday weekend all! Finally caught up, week has been sooo busy with lots of travelling and working super hard. Went to parkrun this morning and shopping on the way back, hoping not to have to leave the house again today!

Cag and Meadow so sorry to hear about your bad experiences with PIP. What an awful system 😡

Sorry for others who have had bad days/unexpected bills/mental health troubles. Life is very tricky sometimes.

Congrats on house news Em. I feel slightly shamed into action by your talk of decluttering/planning move etc. I haven't started yet and it's been a month since offers were accepted 😳 Might ring a removal company today and arrange a quote. I don't think I can move myself sadly.

So far today I've spent £18 on food shopping. Mostly fruit and veg to try and make up for some bad eating this week 😳

House was awesome. Everything we wanted. So glad I trusted dh. 😁😁

still catching up due to crazy work but wanted to say hurrah to Em about the house

Great news, Em.

I'm really fed up today DD is being rather er...trying, I'm tired and really can't be arsed dealing with anything today. When do they stop asking "why?" every thirty seconds? It's draining.

Great news em!

Oh no snuggly, unfortunately the phase gets worse before it gets better ime...

Ah need, i echo what pp have said. Let it all out girl tis very cathartic.
Love hope you got out too and it helped
I used to love curry but was spoiled in India a few years back so now can eat English curry without feeling all toxed up. There is a gorgeous Bombay Street food curry house in town though let yum. Yours sounds lush need.

Overtime this morning £200 ish.
£43 aldi, £17 Morrison's. Will do sainsbury tomorrow or tonight, £59 DC swimming lessons, DD loves footy now so needs full kit, £55 hair cut this afternoon. Bye bye ot money, spent before I claim you.

I wish I could tellyou snuggly but I think it just gets replaced with aaawwww. Eyes stroppy DC..........

My local libdem candidate just confirmed that the libdems will dump the SATs if they get into power. That's going to make my voting decision easy then.

Oh yes sunny dd has sats soon (so assume your ds does too?). Dd is a bright monkey but prone to anxiety unfortunately.

You guys want a laugh?

Don't know if anyone remembers back in January I was panicking about my first ever (15-16) tax return (autism + filling in scary forms = meltdown)... well you will be pleased to know I just finished it 😂😳 narrowly avoiding further late fees...

It was easy in the end and now I feel silly because it was so easy, but once I've had confirmation back - I didn't earn enough for tax so won't need to do anything else - I'll crack on with 16-17, promise 😳😳😳

Aargh fell asleep before I managed to finish adding products to Tesco shop now have a mini shop of €9.50 worth of products being delivered for a €1

Right no one is awake here yet so going to catch up on the thread! Beware epic post

Spends yesterday €14.50 on drinks for me, a friend & dc. Really enjoyed an hour or so in the pub, spontaneously.

Dd has gotten gifts of penneys vouchers(primark) might go this morning as she & ds both need new wardrobes, hope it's not all summer stock though.

Congrats on new to you couch cag
Need read your comment about mascara with interest, what brand do you find good, I've gone through so many cheap ones & still not found the perfect one
How is dpony?

Hoping to go to an open farm this weekend it's €30 for family ticket & it's their tractor ted first anniversary party, dc will love it especially ds, they've got a tractor ted bouncing castle too, weather not promised too good Sunday so perhaps Monday. Might take a picnic with us.

Em loved your statement realistically it's got to come out that's exactly it & labour will finish with a beautiful baby making it all worthwhile
18 weeks already that's flown!

Cag that's not nice of someone to hint that because you've a baby you won't fit in with what they're doing as a he group

Sunny great news on your research paper

Seacow that was a tough day you had when ds had to give blood & not even a gin at the end of it as a reward This is my current treat low calorie soda water & lime with a slice of lime 2 bottles for €1.50 in Tesco

Fluffy we've a 5 bed detached on the edge of a field 1 mile from the coast our current electricity bill was €183.61, we've a lot of insulation!

North fantastic weight loss, keep it up. It's wet wild & windy here not conducive to running so I'm going to do a home workout instead from YouTube.

Em wow 10K saved that's fantastic

Been to penneys €170 spent updating dcs wardrobe they've sprouted, it was dh's Christmas bonus voucher I used, he's got about €80 left for himself now

Best sounds like not working has been a brilliant decision for you & your family

Meadow sounds like you've had a lovely time at your parents

Mummy interested to hear how you get on with phlat ball, I want one for dc!

Creme just read that you knew the father & son who died in fire last weekend. My dsis also knew them as she went to college in that town. So sad.

Em we purposely put our washing machine & dryer in the shed. I like it this way as if it leaks it's outside, if it is noisy it's outside plus we haven't much room for it anywhere else

Such a lot of people moving house on this thread in Ireland we don't tend to move much

Welcome back wreck how's new job & childminder going?

Seacow we plan on going to Canada my brother is living there since dd was six months, she was 7 last week!
Set up standing order for the €10 a week we need to put by along with monthly child benefit to pay for it. Dsis & her fella may go too this will reduce accommodation & car hire costs a bit. Would a third or a quarter be fair? There's me, dh & 2 dc plus them

What's Malay chicken need? How's your dh doing now?

Lonely definitely go for Asics runners they're brilliant. I'm hoping to buy some at outlet village next weekend if I go to Dublin must see if dh is around to be with dc first, I've mentioned it numerous times but got no proper answer

Copper sorry to hear your dgc is going through such a tough time.

Creme congrats on becoming an auntie again

Em ooh new house wow really exciting

Cag sorry your assessment was so tough
Girlie your dd is a busy lady- my dd has activities tues wed thurs & fri eve currently

Tayto wow that's a big car bill
Still haven't got my figure from mechanic work done over a month ago

On a less frugal note dh says I must stop using cheeky wipes as this month he had to take washing machine apart twice because they were stuck in the filter. Think I'll buy facecloths to replace. Will donate to a friend who's expecting number 4 & uses cloth nappies.

Interesting hearing talk about parkrun I haven't done any yet but plan on taking dd next month

Been typing that post on and off since morning

Ah Cag, it's often the way with the things we put off, they are never are hard as you imagined!

Thank you guys. I did need a good cry, release of emotion I think. You re right Fluffy, sometimes it's the thought there is always going to be a next time that can be tough to deal with sometimes.

I'm glad you loved the house Em.

Snuggly I've got no words or answers for you but I do remember the feeling (even now!) of being really bloody knackered and the toddler being, er, challenging. You don't always realise that this aspect of parenting at least is easier with just one (I know other stuff isn't, promise!).

God it feels that way sometimes doesn't it Life, money in, whoosh, money out.

Hope the parkrun went okay Holly.

I did parkrun too and surprised myself with 21 minutes 20 seconds. I've run every day this week and don't do speedwork (yet) so I'm chuffed with this time. 11th lady and 1st old codger!!!!

Spends.
£20 M&S
£40 Sainsburys (presents and beer)
£40 DS driving lesson.
£70 petrol.

Yep, Life, I know the feeling!

Indeed need! I have lost count of the number of things where I've thought afterwards "oh FFS Cag, that really didn't need so much stressing". But hey. My name is Cag and I am a Procrastinator. I'm just glad the first one is done now and the second one will be easier. And subsequent years it should be very simple indeed, because I'll no longer have any employment details to add (I officially stopped work during the 16-17 year).

Thank you mammy :)

I was going to nip into town for cake with DS this afternoon but decided against it, he's happy with a pyjama day and I'll have some of my cheap short-dated naice chocolate instead :o after all it needs eating.

I'm sorry to hear dpony is out for DDS last season need.
£90 sainsbury £36 refund
£10 Chinese

wreck yes my does too. Fortunately he doesn't seem to mind so far. Hope it stays that way.

I only recently found out that humans actually excrete stress hormones in tears. So we can literally wash away stress from our minds by crying. Rocktastic piece of biology that.

Snugg That sounds very hard when you're so tired

NSD. Have culled wardrobe.

Found out what's making me get a horrible rash on my cheeks. It's E223. I look like this >>>> because I had to test my hypothesis. Am refusing to leave house.

Luckily it's not in hard spirits or expensive wine.