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 don't think there are any local elections near here Laska, folk are somewhat fed up of going to the vote, I suspect turnout will be low for you today.

Its not too bad actually. Am really pleased to see how many young ones voting. Even though its locals. Hopefully there will be lots for the general . After last year it so matters

need lovely doggo!

copper catface has been with us for about 7 months now. We think someone switched her for a normal cat. But joking all aside she's come on amazingly. I think she may have a setback when we move but we're moving with her so she should have some comfort there.

The stuff dh bought me for my snots cold was strange. The nasal strips were very odd. But I think they worked. Could have done with one at work today if I'm honest. But they look super weird.

Nsd today. Yay!

Ooh and veggie stir fry with black bean sauce for dinner mmmm

Afternoon all. I've been flat out the last couple of days but just caught up. Quick update now while I feed DS. Not that I have a shred of inspiration for something he will actually want to eat (unless it's pizza!)

Welcome Ravioli. Great savings (Reminds me again that I must get DH to call Sky, they won't talk to me!). Does your user name refer to the Heinz variety? I am sure I ate that on toast when I was little I may have just added a tin to the Ocado order

So sorry things aren't looking any better with DPony Need. I imagine that's really hard on all of you

Glad you are feeling a bit better Meadow - I agree about getting checked for gallstones.

Well, I commuted into the city for the last 2 days to start my project. Phew, it is really tough physically! Nice to use my brain and experience but I think the travel is going to be very hard indeed. I am not too bad in the mornings but by the afternoon the pelvic pain has really ramped up and I am hobbling. Tube home is a nightmare of overcrowding. By the time I get home I can barely walk or even sit. I called the hospital and apparently my physio referral has got lost . So no imminent prospect of physio. Not that I expect them to be too useful but I would at least get crutches off them.

Anyway, all of this is leading to decidedly unfrugal behaviour: we had a rare ready meal last night as I couldn't even stand to cook. And I am going to have to get a cleaner, as the pushing and pulling of hoovering etc is making the SPD worse. I had a natural delivery last time and it was good, I don't want this to get really bad by the end or they will recommend a C section, which I am keen to avoid.

Anyway, enough moaning. I probably have no more than 7 weeks till I have the baby so I just have to muddle through. I doubt I can commute for more than the next 4 weeks (if that!) so after that I will have to finish my report /presentation at home. I am worried I won't get it done before the baby arrives so might try to pack the hours in early. The hourly rate is very decent so I can't complain! And as soon as a pay slip comes through I can apply for maternity allowance, woo hoo!

Alongside work deadlines I now have DS's draft plan for his EHCP (new statement of SN thingy). I have 15 days to respond, which is going to be a big job. It is pretty dire. I don't think I will be getting much sleep for the next couple of weeks as I will be burning the candle at both ends.

Baby's room is also not ready. Not the end of the world but I would like to consolidate all the 'stuff' in one place asap as it is all over the house!

Am trying not to get stressed about all of this and go with order of priority:

1. Outsource cleaning etc and no ready meal guilt
2. DS's EHCP
3. Work
4. Nothing else is essential

On a lighter note DS's school uniform has arrived. I am feeling all misty eyed at the little sweatshirt with the school logo on. I showed it to DS who was very unimpressed and said 'mummy is making [own name] cross!' that's extremely expressive for him!

SLT assistant didn't show up today due to a date mix up so no spends other than £3 for parking at SN playgroup. Less said about the last couple of days' lunchtime forays into Pret the better mmm, macaroni cheese

Sounds stressy seacow but so so worth it for the money and the maternity allowance. But with spd it will be tough. Ds is growing out of his tiddly school sweatshirts! In the last 2 terms he's turned into a little boy rather than my little toddler. Sigh. Last baby blues.

Was not too bad today... cross as I had to put fuel in the little car £20. Does anyone else use the buttons that dispense an exact amount of fuel? The cashier at tescos told me about them, I was a bit "who knew!"

Tescos £27 but I got all the bits for next weeks lunch bags (actimel on offer), plus crisps. Almost forgot the bloody handwash.

And I went a bit batshit in b&q and spent £40. Two huge bales of compost, a hose manifold and spray nozzle - but I went for own brand rather than hozelock, saving £22! Plus 4 50p tomato plants (reduced but growing well, 2 for my mum) and a load of turbo screws to finish off the chicken coop run.

Got home to find my sweet potato plants have arrived. I should never have to buy them again, as I'll be able to sprout next years plants from a few saved tubers, and so on. Thats the plan, anyway.

Mum, Pret, Seacow. The silver lining in the commuter cloud, eh?
Spends: £7.20 on an amazing waffle with honey, yogurt, blueberries, strawberries, banana and granola and a latte for a rare breakfast/brunch out. Le tres yum.

Thinking of you tomorrow, Need. You're a for the way in which you keep going.

Off to vote now. Meh, but I must.

I hate getting petrol, for no logical reason whatsoever, so it is mostly DH's department. I have never noticed such a button though.

I am resisting putting the heating on because IT IS MAY. But I am freezing.

I need to get off my bum and make dinner and 2 cakes for a wake tomorrow. I am going to the funeral of a local lady who was very kind and helpful to me when DS was diagnosed. She must have just been in her 50s, and it was quite sudden. She will be very much missed by the local community

Seacow don't worry about being a bit unfrugal, you need to take care of yourself, SPD is horrible. Try and rest up when you can.

I've spent the grand total of 10p today so very nearly another NSD.

Laska I was thinking of you when voting today. I love voting and find it so exciting.

My dh just saw our old GP getting the vote out. I wish I'd seen him but even dh who did actually see him was too surprised to manage to say "hello". I like how we see all our neighbours on voting day. It's so nice to see people coming out like hedgehogs at the end of hibernation.

Wow seacow so much going on! Firstly, how did you get so pregnant?! It's going so quickly. Can Dh do any of the at home bits like sorting the baby's room? All sounds very stressful so make sure you're eating and sleeping as best you can.

£1.60 hospital parking. I've got to have another procedure to see have fast my stomach digests food. Apparently it's mainly egg and milk based food I have to eat for it. The two things I hate.

I love pret.

I feel terrible for not voting today. DH dashed out first thing but I had to leave at half 7 for the hospital appt - 90min bus ride each way! The plan was to do my vote between clubs in the afternoon but DS is still coughing his little guts up and feverish, we cancelled all clubs today and DH had to leave for work as soon as I got home. He won't get back till 11 so no chance for me :(

(Appt was fine - thankfully she's referred me to a local consultant instead for future appts!)

Sunny l dont work in my home area polling station , not for any election reason its just that we tend to be allocated to the same ones every time. It is quite a social thing actually and i love it when people come in and chat especially when we have someone working fromthe actual area. But it does make me realise that even after 10 years i really dont know many people here. Its my fault , im not that good at joining in stuff. Thats a bit sad really isnt it.. ?

I do think though that if you move to anew area after your kids are school age,as we did,it is very hard to meet new people

Oooh new fun symptom (I think). The indigestion has hit. Hooray. Or I think it has. I did just wolf down a huge pile of veggies in black bean sauce and eggy fried rice. Homemade (but packet sauce - I'm not that good)

Got home and the baby down magazine has arrived. My mum must have sent it to me. It came with a £10 off voucher. Dammit.

Also the white co book. With a 15% off voucher. Double dammit.

I know I don't have to spend but so tempting.

Em I highly recommend ranitidine (generic version of Zantac and about 1/9 of the price). Much better than gaviscon etc.

I think I might have to go to bed soon so tired! I'm going to go food shopping tomorrow as I have the day off. Think Ds will be staying off pre school.

😻

Such a beauty cat!!

Hope it goes well tomorrow Need although I know you are expecting the worst.💐💐 Hope DD is ok.
Seacow...don't feel guilty. You are starting a stressful job and impossible commute ( I know, I was also on the tube in the rush hour today) at 32 weeks pregnant for goodness sake.
What's SPD.? Am I being particularly thick?

Your commute sounds awful Sea.

Need Such an awful stupid accident to befall a feisty cheeky pony like yours.

£4 salad and stuff in homebargains.

Thinking of you Need and giving you a virtual hand hold.

Is your baby due in 7 weeks Seacow?? Are you sure??

Have had an o.kay day off, had a friend over for coffee this morning and a nap this afternoon!!

Spends

£4.50 in the chemist on a few bits
£2.20 parking
£15 Wilkos got lots with that, mostly toiletries but also light bulbs and cleaning stuff.

Have felt slightly ropey all day, sore throat and achey which is really not good as about to start a 4 day stretch at work!!

Just wrote a long post which got lost. To summarise as can't be bothered to retype...

seacow have whatever lunches which help you through the day

Thinking of you need

I forgot to vote . I promise I will in June

Thank you guys again, stop being ACE!!!

Had a super walk this evening with my good friend, she text me suggesting a dog walk. She's seen me slide mentally for a few weeks now and knows me well enough to know it's when DH is struggling as I'm generally a very positive soul. She's good at combining general chit chat with interrogation

Fluffy I've noticed your use of HB for salad, I've seen some good fresh produce there myself.

Love the cat Wrecked.

Seacow Shit, you have a lot going on don't you. That commute must be trying to say the least. I'm so sorry about the funeral, early 50's no age, what a dreadful shame. Please take care of yourself though, you are pretty heavily pregnant now and have a lot on. I know you are a 'coper' like me, but we all have limits too. .

Wrecked Milk and eggs are my 2 favourite things!

Creme That waffle sounds amazing! Tres tres tres yum

Little DD is refusing to go to bed. Any tips on how to convince a two year old to bed? My kids normally just go off happily to sleep at 7pm so a bit stumped.

I want to go to bed!

Ha ha, yes, the time has gone very quickly! Same for all of us, just less noticeable if you are not hurtling towards The Deadline. I am due in 7.5 weeks but they will induce me the week before if I haven't popped already (as I'm over 40) so that's that.

The commute I have at the moment is actually the shortest I've ever had (less than half an hour on the tube, just one line). Busy but okay in the morning; the horrible bit is on the way home because the trains are so crammed. I Commuted further in my last pregnancy but it was actually a bit easier. I have realised the problem this time is that I get on at a city station where no one lives and there's no interchange, so no one gets off! That means I stand there for ages watching full train after full train go by. It's very disheartening. But I don't reckon i'll be able to do more than 5 weeks, 2 days on site. So that's only 10 return journeys. I can put up with that.

Copper SPD is symphysis pubis dysfunction. Also known as pelvic girdle pain. It's caused by pregnancy hormones, which run riot in some people (including me). When you are pregnant your body produces a hormone called relaxin which softens the ligaments in preparation for everything loosening and stretching in the pelvis for birth. Problem is if you have too much of it your pelvic ligaments relax too much and they stop holding the pelvic bones together properly. Lots of pain ensues from everyday things like walking, bending, sitting.... its grim. Like being stabbed in the crotch with every step. And I can't turn over in bed or lift my legs up when I'm sitting down - it's like things just aren't connected properly and some movements are very painful indeed. I am counting my blessings though - there is a local lady who was telling me today over FB (I was asking for physio recommendations) that she is housebound over it and on round-the-clock pain relief. Needs help going to the loo too. Yikes.

Em I get awful indigestion too. I think I eat rennie's in my sleep some nights. That (and the SPD) stopped within a couple of days of having DS, after months of discomfort. Hormones are powerful Things!

On unfrugalness, Pret will be enjoying my custom on my days in the office and no remorse here . I have also just approached a recommended cleaner to check her availability. Can't reach the skirting boards anyway and I don't want to get to the point where DH has to put me on the loo. Or where I have to have a c section, come to that. So I am not doing any exertion that can possibly be avoided or outsourced from now on.

Bacon I presume DD is in bed now? How late was it?

I have been baking. Cakes needed different temperatures so I had to do them in series, not parallel. Hence a bit of a late finish.

Night night.