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Original poster

New frugal thread for autumn savings

999 replies

SnugglySnerd · 10/10/2017 10:05

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

OP posts:
Thread gallery
31
100yearsdotcom · 20/10/2017 17:12

I keep nearly catching up and then get behind again! Having a bit of a tough time with bugs and stuff but have done some good frugaleering: have started off a tax credits claim which I didn't even know we could get! Will be very helpful! Negotiated reductions in appliance insurance and discovered I've got over £400 due me in money off new appliances! Unfortunately found that we don't have soakaways but at least we know, and am about to start a PIP claim, get our house insurance reduced, and switch our utilities. I've also nearly completed our Christmas shopping and have been squirreling away a few food items per week and will try to make use of the nectar double up event.

Just wanted to say thank you to fluffy as I've been really motivated by all her advice!

cag >runs around the thread squeeing!< thinking of you and hoping for a very smooth induction and birth, and plenty of Cake afterwards! x

Cagliostro · 20/10/2017 17:30

Phew injection done, it really hurts now but I am very pleased to report that it was in my arm and not my bum :o :o :o

WreckTangled · 20/10/2017 17:33

Oooo your arm? Ouch!

SunnyLikeThursday · 20/10/2017 17:56

Well done Cag.

One frugal thing that is really bugging me is that I can't get 2% interest on savings, but I keep paying for things by paypal, which has a 2% surcharge. I really need to memorise my credit card number.

Cagliostro · 20/10/2017 18:14

Yup upper arm. Which may be a problem tomorrow - as they want to do it in the opposite arm from today, but that's where my flu jab was and that still hurts too (although not so bad) 😳

WreckTangled · 20/10/2017 18:20

Ask them to do it in your leg I’m sure they would

SunnyLikeThursday · 20/10/2017 18:27

That's a lot to deal with at once Cag. Flowers

Fluffycloudland77 · 20/10/2017 18:34
Blush

Your welcome 100

MeadowHay · 20/10/2017 18:40

Cag Injections in the butt are better I think, if they're done correctly they go into your squishy muscle or summat and they don't hurt much. I used to get the contraceptive injection in my butt every 3 months or so for a couple of years, it was fine. Good luck with your induction!! Grin Flowers

Have a letter from the GP asking me to call and book my flu vaccine Shock.

I've also realised that I actually am entitled to SMP after all because I will have been employed long enough by the time I go on leave. However our department is being sold to another company and we are merging in a few months, and the mat leave policies are slightly different I think. I have e-mailed them both to myself to look at with DH over the weekend, it's all confusing for me tbh Confused. I don't want to tell my employer I am pregnant yet just in case anything goes wrong still which is annoying as it means I will have to work back the time I take off the hospital appt but oh well.

NSD today as my mam came to my work canteen for lunch which she was cheddarded with and she paid for my lunch. Grin

WreckTangled · 20/10/2017 18:51

Meadow I’m pretty sure that you’re entitled to SMP despite anything your company policy says.* I worked out as long as you’ve been at your job for about two weeks before falling pregnant you’d be eligible (friend was trying to work out when she could start TTC so we were looking up the government guideline).*

LonelyOversharer · 20/10/2017 18:54

Got my little dd back, she was filthy and knackered, but I was so very happy that she was back. In the car I had a huge wave of contentedness, as all my people were there. Very odd feeling.

Macdonalds was £32! Six of us, all hungry. £27 top up in asda, mostly lollies and coke.

Yy to shopping around and meal planning. Just got the lego dimensions starter kit for ds for Christmas, paid £49 amazon prime for it, it was £64 in asda, wow. Dd2's little laptop arrived, it's refurbished, but it is in perfect a1 condition. So pleased. I was expecting it to look a bit used!

ememem84 · 20/10/2017 19:10

Bonjourbonjour.

LOOOONG day. Ds was awake at 4am. Sigh.

Nice day though. Lunch with friend (yay) but he place we went to is shit with disabled access/pram access. To access the lift they had to open and unlock the main doors. To access the cafe there are stairs. It was suggested when I asked them to unlock main doors I either left pram outside or carried it upstairs. I asked whether someone would watch pram outside or help me carry upstairs. No. So I insisted they open the main doors. Cue huffing from the box office lady (we were at cafe in local theatre). I asked what would have happened if I was in a wheelchair/had a disability which prevented me from walking/doing stairs. She shrugged, said “but you’re not”.

The cafe staff though were lovely. And lunch was nice.

Ventured on our own to boots for nappies (pampers 2 for £5) and M&S for cookies for dm as she’d had a hospital procedure today.

Then had cookies and tea with dm and met dh after work. Phew. Busy.

Haven’t been home so nothing got done here. I figured as ds was twitchy and wanted feeding/changing/holding all day nothing would have got done anyway so what difference did it make.

Home now have washed up, dh has made dinner, washing is on. Gin in hand. Phew.

laksa yay lebkuchen. Mmmm.

SunnyLikeThursday · 20/10/2017 19:10

I'm all booked up to show my secret invention tomorrow at a big inventors exhibition. It's going to be interesting lugging it across the city. Fingers crossed it all goes okay. The organiser told me I'm the only one out of 40 teams who actually got my invention finished and working, so I'm quite pleased about that.

Girliefriendlikesflowers · 20/10/2017 19:24

Super busy day here, work has gone a bit mad with lots of visits, was glad to finish today and thats me done for a week Smile

Dd went to a friends after school and had a nice time although has been complaining of a headache since being home, would be about right timing for her to be ill right before half term Hmm she seems better since calpol so we will see....

Gave dd £1.50 for sweets for her and her mate. LSD.

My top 5 frugal tips.

Avoid going into town! Sounds obvious but avoiding shops and not going into town very often saves me lots and when I do go in I have a set list which I try to stick to.

Shop around and never pay full price for anything, wait for the sales, try not to impulse buy anything so you can compare prices elsewhere.

Know your 'cheap' shops, know what you can get in Poundland/ Wilkos/ Primark/ Poundstretchers etc

Regularly review your direct debits, do not be loyal to any one company!

Ask yourself do you really need what ever it is you are about to buy, wanting it is not enough of a reason to buy it!!

Original poster
SnugglySnerd · 20/10/2017 19:30

Long day here too. Everyone has been bundled off to bed now. I really hope they all stay there tonight. Few too many sleepless nights lately.
I was thinking it was never this bad with DD but I think I've just blanked it. Also I didn't have a 3 yo to look after then!

OP posts:
WreckTangled · 20/10/2017 19:38

I just dropped my dinner on the kitchen floor 😭

100yearsdotcom · 20/10/2017 19:46

Aw lonely that's properly lovely.

sunny you're far too modest, that's amazing! Good luck!

wreck gutted for you Gin

100yearsdotcom · 20/10/2017 19:48

Yeah iirc smp is nothing to do with your company as it's a statutory government payment.

Laska5772 · 20/10/2017 19:53

wreck 5 second rule applies..if its only been on the floor 5 secs its still ok to eat !!

WreckTangled · 20/10/2017 19:59

Laska it was pizza and it landed upside down.* It was a ‘wet’ Hmm pizza too so lost all its topping. I flounced off in a strop and left dh to save what he could. He told me it’s not worth getting upset over and brought over my naked pizza and garlic bread.*

I’m so glad it’s half term Grin

Original poster
SnugglySnerd · 20/10/2017 20:04

Oh no Wreck! I think I'd have cried.

OP posts:
Cagliostro · 20/10/2017 20:39

Noooo not floor pizza!!! :(

Sunny all the very best with it, what an achievement!!!

Sooooo I just fell right off the Frugaleer wagon into Amazon. £98.50 later... Blush last minute panic retail therapy. And it's not even baby stuff apart from the ear thermometer (but that was the excuse for going on Amazon in the first place you see). Other little bits for the Caglets, and quite a lot for me, just because Confused Blush

ChristmasSeacow · 20/10/2017 20:44

I feel your Iain Wreck, DH dropped our dinner on Wednesday! He unfrugally went out for a ready meal to replace it. Grr.

Meadow all employers' policies will be the same with respect to SMP as it is according to government rules. It's the occupational (i.e. Company extra) policies that vary.

As you are employed now, you will either be entitled to SMP or maternity allowance (not sure which as I can't remember the cut off where one switches to the other). And they are worth the same amount of money. Difference is whether you claim from your employer (if you've been working long enough) or the DWP. So worry not!

Parents' 'evening' this morning at DS's school. A little depressing, TBH. And DS remained quite upset all day about school being closed. DH is out tonight at a beer festival so I've just done bedtime with both kids on my own. After the mood DS was in he'd better come home with a medal for me Wink. It was comically terrible, with DD screaming and throwing up on one knee while I read to DS sitting on the other knee. I wasn't allowed to pause Tiddler! Done now, phew!

I am trying to do a slimming world meal plan which is tasty but realistic about how much home cooking I can do. I used to be quite in the groove with this but am very out of practice... feels good to get a grip though. I don't think it will work out more expensive than my old shopping habits as I'll save a fortune on chocolate

ChristmasSeacow · 20/10/2017 20:45

Your pain wreck. Not suggesting you have an Iain. Or that I would feel him if you did.

GrumpyMcGrumpFace · 20/10/2017 20:46

lots of fab tips there, thank you!

Cagliostro amazon is totally my downfall, doesn't feel like spending. You do need an ear thermometer though!

I am excited to try making Lebkuchen - I honestly thought it wasn't the sort of thing you could do at home Blush

I can add a tip - if you are a natwest customer - they give you money back with a Rewards account for all sorts of DDs and random other stuff. I make loads more than the cost of the account. And there is nothing so joyful as getting free money! At one point you could swap advantageously for amazon vouchers, which did fuel my bad habit Hmm