Frugaleering, cakes and baby talk

[Taytocrisps]

Just starting off a new thread as the other one was getting full.

I've had a very stressful two weeks at work and woke up today with a cold and no energy. I was feeling very sorry for myself until I read Cag's post and that gave me the kick up the arse I needed. At least I can take all the cold remedies I need. Hugs Cag and get well soon.

Goodness some of you were up late! I was up early (4am) with DD2 although she did eventually got back to sleep at something past 5 until about 6.50.

Hoping for NS. Making soup and sc curry.

Em I have a touch lamp with three settings it was a life saver when I had to get up in the night with ds. Helped to keep things not too bright etc but I could still see.

Need I probably wouldn't have the flu jab if I wasn't a) diabetic and b) working in a healthcare environment. However, my sister and bil have it now ever since they had real flu as they never want it again. Poor ds! Good that his friends stayed with him.

Love I have a Tesco £15 one. It's great for us but that one need mentioned sounds great.

Ah the joys of leaky boobs!

Oh £66 Lidl £3 wilko. Food is just getting more and more expensive

Oh, God. Just after I posted, Tesco man called. And me still in my dressing gown . The shame! This means I can never order from Tesco again, right?

Ah bless you tayto and no despite hugs often being preceded by the word "unmumsnetty" I am pretty sure they happen so often that they are in fact rather mumsnetty after all :o hope you feel better too and that all the sleepless Frugaleers are able to chill today. Nothing wrong with feeling sorry for oneself when ill I think!

DH has just taken DD to ballroom and I've sent a list of hopefully suitable things to get at the local shop (same chain as he works for so discount yay).

Yes there's definitely something about baby boys peeing once the nappy is off! Something about the change in temperature I think. I would always open it to let the cold air in, and cover back up for a bit again as then DS would just pee in the old one. Then once he'd done that I'd change it. Not an exact science but definitely saved a lot of mess.

I should probably buy some nappies at some point shouldn't I? And cotton wool etc. Still haven't made it to Aldi! I have some Boots parenting club coupons to use too.

New cordless Vax should be arriving today :o :o (what happened to me that I'm excited about that? Ugh, adulting).

Welcome LaChatte :)

And thank you em boobs are completely amazing I agree :o the fact the milk changes according to what baby needs, like more watery on a hot day etc, it's mind blowing really!

Also if someone sneezes near you your body immediately starts making antibodies for that virus and it goes into the milk for the baby before it goes anywhere else

Bacon happened 🥓🥓 yum.

Today’s plan - post office, town - I have a birthday jumper to return - it’s just not my style. Dh said it looks ok, but I know dm would have spent about £50/60 on it, and that’s a lot to just look “ok”, Ds needs vests, and dh needs coffee. Usually we could do all of this in about 20 minutes. But I suspect it’ll take longer than that...

cag wreck seriously?!?! No way. That’s amazing. Well done boobs. 🍈🍈 no boobs emoji so that’ll have to do

The thing that blew my mind about bfing is that when you kiss your baby your body deliberately picks up on any germs that might be on him and then produces taylor made antibodies in your breast milk def a reason to kiss your babies lots

Need hope your ds feels o.kay today, I can remember doing that to my parents loads once or twice you can probably remember how ill dd was with flu so I am a massive advocate of everyone having it now. Even if you don't have flu symptoms yourself you can be a carrier and pass it on to someone more vulnerable. The flu vaccine is not live so there isn't any reason it should make you feel unwell, I normally have a sore arm for a day or two and thats it.

and to all of you getting disrupted sleep or not feeling great, I won't go on about how I had 11 hours kip last night love that dd is at the age where she just gets up and sorts herself out now!!

Today is going to be a lazy day, weather looks pretty rubbish. Need to do a cheap food shop and get myself a new cheap phone!! I know Wreck i keep noticing how much food is going up by, bloody Brexit

Oh and Em I work with someone who had a terrible accident with her baby while trying to change her in the dark, lights on is a must. The baby ended up in hospital and social services were involved. Your instincts are right, tell dh to sort the spare room out if it bothers him!!

I had so much milk and leaked/let down so often I got a bit blase about it. But the worst was unexpectedly going tingly and letting down milk in the supermarket when someone else's newborn cried

Am halfway through the sums for monies in, god I hate doing the vat. I'd forgotten we sold 2 3k+ bikes in june, so the figures are not as dire as I thought.

Welcome LaChatte - I'm not sure if you've posted here before?

If this time of year is extra expensive and funds are lower (I'm assuming you don't get paid over the summer?) then my advice is to make changes next year and put aside some savings each month to make up for the shortfall in September and October. But I know that's not much help right now.

Anyway, well done for recognizing that changes need to be made and making a plan to do that. Meal planning and list making is a pain but really helps to cut back on unnecessary spending. Mortgages and car loans are fixed expenses but food shopping is one area where you can make savings. I suppose you could cut out some of the activities but I'm guessing you don't want to do that unless you really have to.

After Tesco man left earlier, DD commented on how good online shopping is (someone else does all the work). Then she said, "Also, you don't get drawn into buying things you see but don't really need". I think she deserves a Junior Frugeleer medal .

Oh jeeeez. It happens with random babies too?!?! Noooooo!!!

Yes! laksa to the fizzy boob feeling. I told dh about this yesterday. He was a bit

He’ll sort the spare room. The things which were stopping him were - a couple of baby gifts some towels and a pack of nappies on the bed. And the curtains were open. Again letting this slide. As no one thinks clearly at 330am.

Need Most new builds have them because it stops the Sewers getting flooded.

It's the preferred choice now for surface water.

The developers tell the water board about them but the accounts still get set up as standard. If you don't notice then they get extra money.

Some companies don't routinely rebate for past years but you've gotta try. We got one off Severn Trent and it said on the internet we might not.

The whole street of 40 houses got a rebate after I complained to Severn Trent. I don't think the ndn believes it was me who triggered it, they think they magically got a rebate. I don't look like the complaining type.

I've changed the way I eat to counteract the rising food bills. Vegan for lunch vegan cakes as treats. Homemade drinking chocolate, cheaper tea. Home made stone ground bread.

Amazon are doing subscribe & save offers on pet food, there's 20% off big packs of cat food at the moment.

Hmm well some money saved as the small shop didn't have much! I will be eating crisps for the first time since diagnosis though. Very excited :o I find spicy crisps really helpful when I have a scratchy throat!

Fizzy boobs yes that is exactly it! 😂 Have to admit I am really looking forward to BFing again. Loved feeding DS.

DH spent £4 in the charity shop (the one where we donated 9 big bags last week!) on a fecking HUGE box of Lego. Mostly Bionicle figures - with instructions - and early generation ones so probably worth £50+. Going to have a quiet Lego sort of afternoon I think. I don't mind extra Lego TBH especially at that ridiculously low price as it always gets used/added to existing stuff rather than being more clutter...

Vax has arrived! DS is strangely excited

Tayto I do that all the time. The only way I can get time for a bath is to do it while ds is at school and I'm waiting in for tesco man. I have bought an especially nice bathrobe so I look the part.

Em Since ds was born I also know in advance when my mobile phone is about to ring, in exactly the same way as I used to know when ds was about to wake up and need feeding. I have no idea what that is but it happens all the time.

I'm bracing myself to take ds to a scout jumble sale while I still have a slightly swimming head from the flu vaccine. Zzzzz

cag if the sets are complete with instructions, might they sell on ebay? You might have something unusual there. Great bargainous find as well.

The charity shops round here are so-so. I think they get scoured by the volunteers early. I usually buy jeans or some nice garment for the fabric. Went mooching in Whitley Bay once (I used to drive for hours to get dd1 to sleep), and the charity shops were amazing. Expensive day, that one.

I used to get a rush of happy hormone when I fed dd3. It was like a big flash of happy. Very odd, and only with her for some reason. One of my then 'mum' friends got it with all of hers, and she fed them all for years and years!

Have moved a lot of junk in the drizzle, and filled 2 green bags, clearing a path round the house to carry the breeze blocks through (I meant to do this last week). Back to the invoices now...

I like the seat and stew but my pot lining got damaged. Have one with high low and warm if you need staggered meals.

It's a rite of passage isn't need.

Spent loads in sainsbury in ,£10 batched to get the points. I got about 12, 000. £90 in Smyth's toys too. Took dd and she spent her £100 I have her. And she's happy.

Okay, I'll look into having the flu jab. If it's not live then no reason for side effects that I can think of, not that this would stop me.

Fluffy I have phoned the water board. I need to double check with the developer that we have one (I'm almost certain I do) but they said that if you are connected to the main drainage system then I still need to pay the charges?

I have also applied for a Sainsbury's Dual Offer Credit Card and been accepted for one, credit limit £11k . I can earn 1000 Nectar points every time I use the card and spend £35. in the first 2 months. This is in addition to the Nectar points you usually earn while shopping there. I can easily split my shopping. I don't need a balance transfer and have no debt so this one might work really well.

Brilliant find Cag, fab!

Oh Tayto [flowers}

Hi LeChatte, any way you can plan to save a little over the year for all these additional costs? Good that you have recognised this is an issue though.

Yes Tayto I was on here a couple of years ago (same time of year, ha!), I will learn one day, but it really is difficult to be careful in the long run (for me anyway). We earn a reasonable amount (and we are paid during the summer holidays too) but never put money away because there's always something to be bought/repaired/done.

I was massively organised last time I was on here, I did a speadsheet and everything (and was horrified by the amount of DD we had each month), I managed to get a good budget set up and was able to put €800 aside for savings. Then, then, well nothing happened in particular, I just gave up and we stopped saving and just used the money we got each month and did/ate/bought what we wanted (within reason, we don't earn thatmuch!!).

So glad I'm past the leaky boob and smelly nappy stage

I don't really fit into any of the 'at risk' categories and neither does anyone I come into contact with though, apart from DH who has asthma but won't have the jab anyway (don't go there....).

Lachatte nice to have you back.

Need maybe it would be worth getting it in the hope of your dh avoiding it. It's an especially bad strain this year they think. Also many companies offer to pay for their staff to have it as if they get it they'll need two weeks off work.

I want a new washing machine but know that's unreasonable as ours still works. Our quick was is an hour though and it's only a 7kg drum. It's ten years old so can't be very energy efficient...

That's a good thought wrecked, I can see the sense of that - thanks, I was looking at it the other way round.