Saving into summer!

[SnugglySnerd]

New frugal thread.

Thanks lonely that's really helpful!

My 4 year old has an isla bike, every day DH is taking him out and getting him pedalling, by the end of the summer he will definitely be away on it. So exciting to see them pedalling off! At some point I am going to get a bike and learn to ride, I go to spinning a lot to try and build up to cycling outside. I find it really frightening!

I'm feeling quite contemplative this morning, it's 5 years ago today that I woke up with flu that I never quite bounced back from (was diagnosed that November with CFS and POTS). Quite a lot has changed since the last anniversary :o

I love Claud Butler bikes, I have one thats been great and dds first proper bike was one, both great bikes.

We could never afford an Isla bike!

Hello, DD has been a grumpy Velcro baby for a couple of days but her mood has turned a corner today after a gigantic poo . She still wants to be held though, I can't put her down for long so not getting much done.

Advice please: I am struggling to cook dinner at the same time as dealing with DS bedtime and DD's witching hour, even with DH around! So I need to start preparing dinner earlier in the day if poss. I have a slow cooker but do find most things come out a bit samey (brown and watery) and the things I know to make are a bit wintery. Any ideas about what I could cook that isn't chilli /spag Bol and which is reasonably appealing in the summer (not that it's especially sunny!). DH doesn't eat lamb or cheese...

Spendy here. I've bought a new changing bag for £60 because I wanted a bigger one which is backpack style. Will make life much easier though, as my old one can't fit nappies etc for both kids and doesn't hang from the handles of the buggy I'm using. Will hopefully sell my old one which is in excellent condition. I am about to list a few bits on local FB - my tens machine (bloody marvellous) and Medela breast pump etc since I am hanging up my ovaries. No more kids! too old, can't afford them . I'll also try to sell my old fancy pram. I've never really sold stuff so am a bit clueless but worth a try!

Well there's pulled pork in BBQ sauce, doner kebabs & meat balls would cook too but no browned off bits.

£9 Tesco. Part of that's food for the next two week shop too. Bought lots of liver and black pudding for iron.

On the move but risotto can be cooked in the SC.

Soups, minestrone is lovely.

Pasta dishes, just stick pasta in half an hour or so before the end.

Chicken breasts using a bought sauce and adding veggies

Seacow how much are you selling the TENS for please? I loved mine in labour with DS - got me through when it was too late for epidural (by the time the anaesthetist arrived I was in transition!) but I only hired it from Boots. I also found it fantastic for about a week after birth when my ligaments all went a bit loopy.

Also need do you use a specific recipe for slow cooker minestrone please, I made some on the hob once and it was pants so I never tried again.

Hello everyone, is it ok for me to join please?
I have managed 2 no spend days in a row (mainly because I can't drive at the moment due to an op on my hand). I love my slow cooker but could do with some tips of what else to cook that's not a stew or a bolognese please! I need to try to keep spends down this school holiday being a single mum with an 11 and 8 year old it can really mount up!!

@Wreck - neither could we, balance and first bike are hand me down Isla :) I remember almost falling over when family member purchased them. She who waits...

Just made meatloaf for dinner, Ree Drummond one, looks nice enough. I've made one big one for dinner and a smaller one to freeze that me and the boys can have next week when DH is away.

Fridge that's lucky! Even second hand they're extortionate! Both my dc have ridgebacks, one from a selling site for £25 and one given to us.

I know, I am trying to work out how unreasonable I would be to sell them on after we are done

2and

Everyone's welcome here. What kind of food do you eat?. I've cooked ready made pies in my sc in the past.

Not sure Cag - was thinking about £20-25 ish? It's the Elle brand, I still have the box, instructions and a new unused set of electrodes. That seems to be the rate for a few weeks hire, roughly, which I think is reasonable for buying second hand. That said, there are lots of new unbranded ones on eBay for under a tenner - no idea what they are like though. I won't be offended if you pass but PM if interested. I truly loved mine, I had no other pain relief first time and only tens plus gas and air second time (back to back labour ). Ah, happy memories

Thanks for the slow cooker suggestions and keen them coming if inspiration strikes! I now really fancy pulled pork. I must find some new interesting risottos too.

Off to the post office to return some clothes that I never confessed to buying... I doubted I'd keep much anyway but am not keeping anything in the end. I am feeling a bit clothes-less as my pre-pregnancy summer clothes are a bit small (I'd lost weight) and the maternity stuff is hanging off me now! But I think I need to go to an actual shop. I have lots of JL vouchers so might take DD for a day out.

2and I love my slow cooker too but tend to cook the same things in it

Fridge not unreasonable at all

We will eat more or less anything so any suggestions will be very appreciated! I have a few slow cooker recipe books but some of the ingredients are quite expensive.

Welcome 2 :)

I don't really use the slow cooker as we have absolutely no counter space. Any chopping is done in front of other stuff! The dream is that when we move the kitchen has enough space to keep both the slow cooker and the food processor out all the time, as they are both super useful. The more extreme dream is that we also then have space for a fryer :o because chips...

Thanks seacow I may well do, obviously if someone local wants to buy it from you then that'll be easier without postage etc but I'll have a look around, I know this will have to be the final baby but actually they are quite useful for pain relief generally so might be worth having it for keeps!

Somebody stop me finishing the m&ms?!

I use normal recipes & leave out any liquid.

So, any curry, chile, ragu style dishes, ratatouilles, parcel food like chicken breasts & leeks in foil wraps, pies, doner kebabs, meatballs in sauces, joints of meat, chicken breasts wrapped in bacon with a layer of stuffing,pulled pork, gammon joints, whole chickens, sausage casseroles, any meat in sauce really that isn't too fatty eg breast of lamb.

Pintrest is your friend for recipes! I can spend a long time mooching about. I have a slow cooker board, and yesterday added a "courgette mountain" board. Cookies, cake ideas, all there!

Most of the kids bikes we get in for repair are from Halfords (thats our dirty word) as the quality is really rubbish. They put cheap plastic parts on even their more expensive ranges. Dp has become very diplomatic! It's cheaper to buy another one than fix most times. The Isla bikes tend to be hand me downs, much used and fixed up (good components, worth fixing), and no one ever admits to buying one from new!

Your Claud Butlers, ridgebacks, giants etc are all great bikes. Should do 2 or 3 dc without much maintenance or care! We use the term "fit for purpose"

Popped to Asda. Only took a little trolley. £79 later, with a sack of dog food, and 24 tins of meat... loads of reduced bread too, plus my coconut milk is on £1 at the moment.

Bin bag from the living room corner, bin bag from the fridge (it is a bloody huge fridge), and will clean it later. The oldest sad yoghurt (a frube) wedged at the back was dated april ffs. Best job of the day, cleaned the bio-orb. We can see the goldfish again! Am stunned at how much actual rubbish there is, I thought it was all "stuff".

cag chuck me the bag of m&m's, I seem to be eating everything in sight today!

lonely what about cuda? It's a minefield!

Hi all, welcome 2

I never got on with my slow cooker, it is now gathering dust under then the stairs I found everything came out tasting the same, it was probably the way i prepared stuff though tbf.

Have discovered that dd really likes chicken legs which is fab as they are really cheap and easy to cook!! Have bought a load and frozen them onto separate portions.

Had a nice day and NSD.

Rang tax credits to tell them dd wouldn't be going to the cm anymore so assume my money will drop again.

Need to make a list of stuff to remember for when we go camping the week after next! Anyone on here a camper? Whats the must haves?!!

Girlie can I recommend two duvets. One goes under the air bed and one obviously ones on you. That extra layer under the air bed really helps to keep you warm and cozy.

Evening all

Welcome 2!

finally a NSD I can't find my purse basically, which reminds me..bugger I need to find my purse