New frugal thread for autumn savings

[SnugglySnerd]

Just filled up the last one. Hope you all find the new one!

Oooh Christmas treats... now I want lebkuchen!

That's what I got Cag!

Yummmm!

Aaargh messed up yesterday as I sent a group message out to sports club people to cancel (weather) and I didn't realise that one person hadn't got it and they showed up wondering where we all were :( feel so guilty :(

And colostrum expressing is so far completely unproductive so all in all I'm feeling a bit rubbish this morning

6.50 in Tesco, mainly on chocolate.

Cag I don't think you need to beat yourself up about stuff at this point. Maybe just put your feet up and declare a national holiday, if you can.

Now that's a plan!

That sounds like money well spent Adora!

oh I do love a German Christmas treat. At any time of the year!

Am resolving to be more frugal after a rather hideous credit card bill.

So am I right in thinking here that you try and not spend when you don't have to... NSD = No spend day? I guess I won't be going to Aldi then

And look out for bargains?

And share money saving tips?

What are maybe your top 5 things to do?

Hi grump yep NSD is no spend day and LSD is low spend day not the drug :o

I'm not sure I really know what my top five would be. I am very much muddling through really (says she about to add an expensive new person to the family 😳😳😳)

Not spending on food when out and about is a big one for me though, we home ed and are always changing buses in town, so would often pick up snacks etc. Others might spend lots on coffees etc (the only reason I don't is that I don't like them!) so planning to avoid that is pretty good - multipacks of snacks with the weekly shop instead, there was some Thermos discussion somewhere upthread too.

Also a huge thing has been 0% balance transfer on any credit card debt

I have a fab (and easy) Lebkuchen recipe. Even though it uses butter its much more frugal than buying then i reckon .. ill look it out and post later on. May not be today though.

Got my 60p profit pumpkin, thanks fluffy . I may have now hidden said pumpkin until Tuesday next week. My parents are very anti Halloween (i’m quite ambivalent about it) and DD1 is visiting them on Monday. Hidden it so DD1 doesn’t tell on me .

DD2 is definitely feeling much better as she is being a right little so and so. Nice to see her better after a few rubbish weeks though

In frugal news, my appeal to get 30 free childcare was successful. However, a technical person still needs to fix my account so I still haven’t got the code. No doubt that will need chasing

I still haven’t got my change of hours sorted. I applied 11/09, meant to have a meeting within 28 days and written outcome 14 days after. So it’s getting close to their deadline. Am quite irritated now and i’m doubtful that informal chats count as a meeting anyway.

grumpy i’ve saved significant cash by parking in free places (and getting a bit of exercise) instead of car parks. Also cut down the drinks on the commute and take a travel mug

Some of us do online surveys for gift vouchers

Hmmm top 5 is interesting. I'll have to give it some thought.
Would love the recipe Laska.

Grumpy

Yes, the aim is no frittering, no overspending on bills & getting the essentials as cheap as possible.

1. Run the house cheaply. Move electric & gas suppliers, move broadband suppliers, switch mortgage if you're out of a fixed rate deal.
2. Old fashioned frugality. Switch lights off, close the curtains at night, turn things off at the plug, Draught proof as needed, lag the loft to 270mm, only boil the water you need, put lids on saucepans, buy a steamer & only use one ring to cook potatoes in the water & veg in the steamer, put the summer duvet under the fitted sheet to keep you extra warm in bed, wear proper clothes in the house not a thin t shirt in January with the heating pumping out, keep doors shut on rooms you heat, don't heat rarely used rooms.
3. Buy in bulk. Tea bags, pasta, rice, coffee, potatoes, cheese, big joints of meat, bags of frozen mince/sausages/chicken. Work out where it's cheaper & buy loads. See if it's cheaper on the fresh counter.
4. Cashback sites. Check everything on Topcashback before you buy it. Kidstart offer John Lewis & Amazon cashback.
5. Survey sites. Mind numbingly boring but it's a little boost. Survey sites are paying for all my Christmas presents & the Christmas food shop. I use valued opinions & on the nectar desktop site you can register for erewards, these pay out in nectar points 100-300 points per survey. I don't wait for invites I keep the emails & click on them hoping for a survey.

snuggly it was from sainsburys mag. But I just found it online!! Lebkuchen . Really easy and i often make double as the uncooked dough freezes well. Have often substituted the orange peel for chopped apricots also ( given I have had lebkuchen filled with apricot jam ) it works really well

My top tip is get YNAB it totally revolutionised my spending as really made me see what i was spending on.

Yes anduse cash back and voucher codes.. opt for free delivery and wait a bit longer .shop around and Never pay full price if you can help it. Also dont skimp on some things .. little luxuries like good coffee and butter are worth it.. things like posh toiletries not always so . Think long term and pay off credit first

My very top tip is to meal plan EVERYTHING breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks.

Nsd. Ds needs new waterproofs and wellies for school.

My top tip is to spend money on good medical advice rather than retail therapy. Spending the money where it counts has really helped us.

Off for my first lot of steroids. Do you think I'll get roid rage 😂😂😂

Might do, Dh did. Luckily he wasn't on them long.

£1.90 sausages & Vit c in sainsbos. Used a 100 nectar point coupon.
£5 two pairs lidl fleece lined tights
£9 Aldi on a top up shop. Stuck to the list.

I last had a Waitrose order 2 weeks ago, it was meant to last three weeks. I've still got 13 meals left somehow.

Good going fluffy. I got picked to try these fruit pouches to review which I’m really pleased about as they’ll be perfect snacks for the dc over half term. They’ve also got really cool lids so I can open them easily, I have muscle wastage in my hands so find things like that usually.

We just heard that ds's very nice teacher is leaving at Christmas. Bummer.

Another top tip is to remember that being frugal is not about denial.. We are frugal because we want to have cash for the things we want to do or have as well as to live within our budgets!

And if we have spare cash, always pay off credit cards first !! (Didnt I say that already? )

Thanks Laska.

That's good advice Wreck. I plan meals but always forget snacks. Luckily DD likes apples. She gets given them a lot!