May we continue our furious frugaleering into June : )

[mammymammyIRL]

Anyone new, lurking or regular poster interested in getting the best value for their money big or small- this is our happy place join in

Oh we're a super friendly lot daisy It's taken a while, but I have curbed my pointless shopping ignores the trip to sainsburys today It is hard.

Dp and I just had pasta with red pesto, bacon and a poached egg. Tastiest meal for ages, but I think I was just super hungry. Had 350 calories up until then, but used 1200 biking 30 miles earlier. Have some dodgy new tan lines!

Welcome daisy

My tip for clothes buying (for next time- sorry!) is to not cut the tags off until you wear the item. Then if about three weeks later you haven't worn it, then you don't "need" it and return it for a refund

Not sure if I shared my formula buying tip? This is only for 6 month plus formula as you don't get it on newborn ones. Become a baby club member at Boots. You get 10 points per pound spend which is one of the most generous reward schemes. Normally if you buy two cans of formula you'll then qualify for a spend £15 get some extra points. Avoid all the other stuff in the shop!

Ooooh I want Chicken nuggets on the beach em. I nearly had my lunch on the beach today but hadn't brought any suncream so didn't dare risk turning into a lobster

Thanks again everyone for the welcomes and advice, silly thing is that once I've paid the debt off I should have around £100 a month spare to buy little bits we need.
Feeling slightly more positive, I've found three things still with tags so I've packaged them up to send back tomorrow. I'm also deleting the app and the balance will be around £190 owing. It's a start x

Ds bought home two snails from the childminders. Live ones. In a tub. With lettuce leaves etc. he won't let me set them free. Hopefully I can persuade him to make a home for them outside.

Just paid the childminder. That's 65% of my wages gone. Sob. Ah well it'll be less once ds is at school. Just have to keep plodding through until then.

Half term next week though so they'll no doubt be eating lots!

I just did a quick comparison to see what my percentage of childcare cost to salary was wreck. Just over 50% (one school age, one under three). Add on commute cost about 67%. Cannot wait until six weeks of school holidays when we'll only pay one day of nursery per week!

Welcome Daisy.
The one thing I miss since I moved 16 months ago is the sea. Where I lived previously my house overlooked the sea. Literally. Nothing but a small strip of park between me and the sea. It was glorious, even in the winter. I used to love the storms. Garden was all salt and sand though and the house needed painting every other year.
I would love dinner on the beach.
And I love the little chick. Well done for incubating her.
And my cucumbers are not ready yet. They are in my conservatory. Waiting for my greenhouse to be delivered.

Hi daisy.
Sorry about the start of your day em . Quite frankly no need but pleased he sorted it.
Hot here sick of people moaning it's too hot.
Cute chicky chick.
Doh the loft hatch. Must change the breeding this weekend too although it's forecast rain next week.

£42 in sainsbury on sunhats and top up food. £6 odd on stamps.

Phew thats that housework done!

Hi Daisy.. you sound a lot like me i was when i first came here but then I had 3k on CCs (and a clothes habit - which I still have!) . but I also had a big motivation to stop as retirement for DH and myself on horizon and I needed to get a grip and fast.. I have a reasonable income , but just couldnt manage it, and I knew that if i could just start over I'd find the motivation to start being a sensible spender with the help of the friendly, accepting and helpful people here . and I did!

Two and a bit years on I am now debt free ( inc mortgage free, but that with the help of my lovely Dh), and am now looking at leaving work this year .. I still love clothes as others here wil testify!! , but I now only buy what I can pay off each month .. In fact now once I have taken the lable off , ifs its on my credit card I transfer the money straight in to pay it , never mind if its due date or not yet.

The thing I always recommend to people (because it helped me so much) is a programme called You Need a Budget YNAB .Its really good for tracking spending and with its help i got my debt paid in a few months.. It totally was worth the money I spent on (it was $60 but i got it half price on a 'black friday' offer) have a look! btw its in $ you can easily change it to £s

As forthe clothes you have bought .,if you need them for summer id actually say keep them and start from now,.. Dont take them back if you are only going to buy again in a month.. Its totally up to you of course , but I would put a 'full stop' on it here. if you can afford it.. just dont buy any more summer stuff apart from absolute essentials

I think that being frugal is not supposed to be torture, but is about recognising that we all can make changes to help us live within our means and hopefully plan for the unexpected and that we make every possible effort to do so , (whatever those means are). , but also sometimes we do fail to or splurge but that we can forgive ourselves and move on as well ..

Anyway .this is a friendly corner.. we do love a good goss here too and support each other in all sorts of ways..

Hi all, thanks for all the encouragement re rounders!! It was fun but I am pretty hopeless, think I managed to hit the ball once and can't throw a ball to save my life oh well, it was a fun way to spend the evening. Dd ended up joining in as we were a player short and actually got a rounder she is so much better at sport than me!!

Am completely knackered now though, was out of the house from 7.45 this morning till 8.30 tonight, then back to the clearing up, sorting the cats, watering the pots and trying to convince dd to have a shower and go to bed not caught up with the thread at all, hopefully will have more time tomos!

Spends

£2 parking
£8 MacDonalds tea for me and dd
£4.50 rounders subs (will be £3 after today)
£3.60 ice creams after rounders.

Think rounders will end up quite expensive as have to buy something to eat out as no time to come home between work, collecting dd from high ropes and getting there, oh well its worth I guess and only for the summer.

Am off to bed now

Welcome Daisy.

I had a meeting about ds with the GP and school together yesterday. I summoned up my courage and gave everyone a good talking to. You would have been proud of me.

Now still feeling a little bit on fire.

Morning! Another lovely day. Typically it's not going to last past tomorrow need to pick up the food shopping later should be about £68. I finish at one on a Friday which is nice.

Oh yesterday the dr phoned me. I do have a uti but I told him I would wait for the lab results before I took abx. Meh.

Also for those with early wakers (bacon?). Mine were getting up at five every day for ages. Dd has just got up and ds is still asleep. It does get better!

Wow laska, totally agree with you about saving money is not meant to be torture. It's about making good saving habits and priorities.

daisy you'll see we all admit to a few splurges here (I did yesterday!)

Missing Nectar Points if anyone's collecting them take a look at this article.

Wreck sorry to hear you've a uti they're the worst. Nice to finish early on fri hope you get to do something to enjoy the sunshine ☀️

Welcome daisy well done on packaging up the things that still have tags on. I second laska on ynab it's made an incredible difference for me.
You do need to spend time sifting through your accounts & working out your annual bills, monthly bills and direct debits & then see how you're fixed. One thing I always do is put a small amount in my fun money category each week when I get paid, this covers getting my lunch out or some treats and I aim to spend as little as possible but don't feel guilty if I spend it.

Girlie sounds like ye had fun & nice that dd could join in too. Could ye pack a picnic or put something in slow cooker to have when ye get in? Or make it yer weekly summer treat as it's an evening out together?

Second what wreck says the early mornings do stretch a bit eventually, two weeks ago I'd to call mine at 8.15 on sat to be somewhere at 9! Ds was always up before I left for work last year now he never is!

Morning all and welcome Daisy.

I feel a bit more refreshed today - think I will crack on with trimming bushes out the front, which have gone a bit wild. In-laws are coming on Sunday and I always feel a bit 'judged' for the state of the garden, more so than the house!

I really want my toes painted now the weather has turned. I tried to do it myself last night and gave up at the first toe - that just ain't gonna happen! So I will go to a 'nail place'. Question - do I want gels or 'normal'? I never get my nails done so don't really know what gels are.

Thames water is digging up our street putting in water meters to 'homes that have been notified'. We don't believe we have been but i need to check. I suspect we are slightly on the side of heavier users as we do lots of washing and DS has a bath every night.

Seacow I think normal for your toes because they don't go through as much torture as our hands. I love French manicure on toes. Actually you've inspired me, I'm having a half day next fri & getting my hair done might get my toe nails done too.

French polish obviously it's a pedicure on your toes

seacow id probably go normal on toes too.

I'm not a huge fan of french polish on toes. But mostly because my little toes look weird with it.

Neon pink or dark dark purple/blue/black here

Defo won't be the French polish look - looks fab on good toes but not on mine... I need the camouflage. I was all set for an orangey red yesterday and still fancy that. Or bright pink. Hope I can get an appointment this arvo while DS is at pre school.

I'd do gel polish on toes, just lasts longer.

Sorry, I've been a touch busy in RL last few days.

Life I've not been able to read your message as I'm now on Ipad/phone at home and that doesn't let you (unless I'm being really stupid and someone can point it out it me where you access them?). Will be back at work Tuesday and will send then. x

Should be able to keep up now.

Last exam this morning eeeeeeek!!

Gorgeous weather here too but like other people said it's not meant to last much longer.

Argh super anxious but I can do this and then it's all finished...

Welcome Daisy. Often you can return clothes without tags on but they try to give you like store credit then sometimes which is useless for you. But anyway just return the ones with tags on like you said and enjoy the other ones and try and draw a line under it and move on from here I guess. Don't be too hard on yourself. (I am a massive Dorothy Perkins fan so particularly sympathetic .)

Girlie Rounders sounds well fun.

Em Seacow I like bright, bold colours on my toes too. I need to paint mine I've been so busy with exams I haven't gotten around to it. My finger nails are currently alternating fingers bright blue and silver :') I am odd.

Christmas If you get gel you have to think how your going to remove it. CND vinylux & OPI are both really good. Minx toe nails are brilliant & you can just warm them with a hair dryer & peel them off.

Welcome daisy!

Well done sunny what did they say at the meeting?

Lots of chat going on yesterday I see! I had no signal (not even for calls/texts) by the seaside yesterday. Awesome day. Spendy. But totally awesome and just what we needed as a family.

Especially nice for me as when DH has taken the Caglets out for the day before normally I don't go so I stay resting at home. But I hate missing out and the Caglets do too. So it was awesome that the four (four and a half! :o) of us could be together. And I managed it, I had to sit out of a couple of things (the pic is my view of them exploring the beach) and I was sleepy last night but I feel so much better for having gone. :)

Which beach did you go to Cag?

I'm just sitting outside a school waiting to go in as I'm a bit early. I really need a wee for the fiftieth time this morning and a coffee. This school is the school I went to, I left 20 years ago!