Frugaleers hurtling through November... is it too early to mention the C word? All welcome for money saving chat!

[Cagliostro]

Hi all, please settle in for chatting about all things frugal, and all things everything else :o

LLL my dress is just from Amazon. I found them on pintrest, was looking on a us website, and thought, just bloody look in amazon. Just the same. £14.99. The sizing has come up well, but stretchy too.

seacow have no collinette yarn, I bought one lot at a knit and stitch fair about 20 years ago, beautiful (my mum shrank the jumper I made!). Have you come across noro yarn? I adore the silk garden, but it is very pricey. I also love Malabringo merino.

I just got a stock alert for a fingerling, and have got a black one for ds. Good. Thats 3 found now. I want a sloth for dd1, but she a.won't care that I've scoured the world for it, b.probably not even open it, and 3.lose it under her bed. So I might not bother!

Talking of pintrest, wandered into the world of soap making last night. I love the idea of shower jellies! Look pretty simple. We shall see...

Supermarket shop today. I'm being good and making a list, that I will probably forget to take with me.

laska yes, it's bloody baltic up here! I have a base layer, sweater and my very thick merino poncho on, and still I'm too cold to move.

Morning all.
Been busy here too sorting out the last things for Christmas. Seems the more I get completed the more people I find to buy for. Been stocking up on some Christmas treats in recent food shops so it's not all a big expense come the middle of December which has been working well although managed to buy two jars of pickle having forgotten I had bought some previously. Going to mil and fil house for Christmas. First time being away from home and first time with dd. I've told dp next year were staying in.
Thanks for the advice on stocking fillers for dd. I managed to have a look around Amazon and she has quite a lot now. Some bath books, bath toys, toothbrush, a goodies selection box and some days of the week socks I got from Mothercare over black Friday. I think that will be enough.
I used to suffer with bad anxiety mainly around social situations. As a child I was berated and belittled by my parents although not maliciously. I think it was more they didn't realise the affect it was having. I'm a little better now. Off medication and I try and focus on being mindful. I still have bad days just as everybody else.
Am debating going into town today. I feel like it's more opportunity to spend on stuff I don't need but also would like to get out of the house. Shall see how the day goes...

seacow I meant to say, these jeans from tu are bloody ace. If you're looking for cheapies to tide you over. I have 2 pairs now. They come right up to your natural waist, so are v comfy, so stretchy. Lovely muted blue too. I don't like very blue blue jeans.

Playing catch up !
Had a lovely long weekend away for our anniversary (arranged by me )
Much needed and had a huge chat with DH and told him how I was feeling and that we were heading for divorce if he doesnt make some serious changes.
Sounds bad but he was shocked and we ended up having a good weekend .
Much spendiness and I purchased some gorgeous yarn Lonely
All presents now bought and will start wrapping them.
Missing my parents were the same ,to the point I stopped speaking for several months as a child -Im LC with them now -duty visits only as its just so miserable beibg around such critical,negative people.
Intetestingly Im probably someone who would be described as super resilient and I never have time off work or waver but then it will all pile on me every few years.
Working on that and saying no.DH has admitted he likes me doing stuff so he doesnt have to think and is going to work on that as well.
Dcat was very sniffy I had been away and wouldnt look at me.
Then a few hours later came up and pinned me to the bed and we made up

@Pink I'm working on the saying no as well, also to stop apologising for everything. I'm getting there slowly. Having dd has helped massively as I'm 100% in putting her first so I stand up for the both of us whilst standing up for her.

Feeling very proud of myself. DP had put an old pyjama top out for rags - literally coming to pieces.

I've just cut the sleeves off, sewed up the ends, stuffed them with remaining bits of pyjamas and a pile of odd socks that have been looking for their friends for about 2 years and made two small draught excluders. There's a gap under the inner porch door which has been annoying me for ages and letting in cold air. Remains to be seen if it makes a difference but feeling very proud of myself. Sewing is rubbish but I've saved muying myself some and used up some stuff that would otherwise have been chucked out!

We got our report back for ds and it says he's not diagnosable as anything. It gave some nice tips for the school though, and they said those will be useful, so that's good.

Thats a great idea lists
Its so cold !❄
We have a couple of draughty areas by the back door -I have fond memories of a sausage dog shaped draught excluder my granny mafe.

Just saw Julia Donaldson! Didn't get to talk to her though

Where did you see her Wreck? I love Julia!

It's bloody cold isn't it? DD didn't fancy the park today so we're keeping warm watching Frozen. Does this mean the park is out until spring? Not sure I can cope with that. It's literally the easiest place to go as we can walk there, babies nap and DD1 enjoys it.

Afraid I've had the heating on all day. For the babies more than for me although I'm enjoying the cosiness.

She was doing an assembly at one of he schools I go to!

I used to wrap mine up and make them run around the park even when it was freezing.
I like the coming into a warm house the best when its really cold

Wow some of you are being so efficient with your Christmas shopping. I'm going to take your advise and talk to DB, SIL etc. about putting a price limit on adult presents.

Reading all your comments about anxiety is interesting. I do find that my spending goes far more out of control if I'm anxious or worried and that I comfort eat. Its almost as if I'm doing it as a distraction from what I'm worried about if that makes sense. There has been a lot of anxiety in my personal life the last 2 1/2 years or so and I've been spending too much. Fortunately for me, I get the same buzz out of buying stuff second hand as I do new - possibly more as I like a bargain!

Pork stirfry tonight, pasta and veg soup with garlic bread tomorrow, left over half joint of beef (must defrost!) veg, gravy and potatoes on Friday. Feels good being organised

Too damned cold to go out again and will try ot stay off shopping sites. Spend today £3 - Pack of stir fry veg and 2 packs of veg oxo cubes (two boxes for £2 )

My friend wanted to go out for coffee. I invited her over and made coffee here instead :)

I don't think anyone would want family spending more money than they are comfortable with at Xmas. I'd quite happily just get Dh presents.

£1 bottle bag.

Waitrose have sent me £15 off a £150 spend vouchers. Result.

£35 Sainsbury's. Jumper and jeggings for me, Harry Potter pjs for dd, choc bar for ds and sausage roll for me
£1.60 hospital parking, ds' eyes are all good

It is bloody cold!

I'm still at work best bit of the day was a rep coming in with subway sandwiches

It is oddly reassuring to hear how many of you also have had/are having anxiety issues. Sometimes I feel like a bit of a weirdo!

Sunny any time :) just let me know when you want to start. Is it good news that there is nothing to diagnose DS with or do you think the doctors have missed something?

Laska thank goodness you ordered these things early enough to realise they were unsuitable!

Pink sounds like a very productive weekend away. I do hope your DH realised what’s at stake and mends his ways. It’s not fair for you to have all the domestic load. This is something my DH and I are discussing too, as he has a terrible tendency to not do anything unless he’s asked, and sometimes I would just like him to use his brain and do something useful that will help me out!

Wreck I’m going to need to check those PJs out. DD1 would love them.

I am also freezing. I’m on my way home from work and it’s pitch black and absolutely Baltic. You’d think I’d be able to cope with this weather, being Scottish, but clearly not...

Blimey I just felt the door side of my pyjama sleeve draught excluders and they are seriously cold. So pleased that's no longer coming into the hall!!

The makeup brushes I wanted to get DD for Christmas are down to less than half price on Amazon - not quite such a low spend day as I hoped but was intending to buy them anyway. £8.29 down from £20.99!

Have you got enough loft insulation? You should have 11 inches. Or 27cm if you're young

Forgot, £1.95 lidl. 3 packs pitta bread, dried spaghetti (20p!) & a huge bottle of bubble bath.

Just withdrew my Quidco balance, £22, but got £25 as I got it as a debenhams gift card. Cool. Will be off there to buy christmas pressies soon (for the few grown ups I buy for: my parents).

Food prices have gone sqinty. Morrisons was £105, only £8 wasn't food, just £2 meat. Not even got that much for that. Not very impressed. And the lollies are smaller. Ice lollies can't be that much more to produce that it justifies changing all the factory moulds, surely? Am sick of shrinkflation. Watched a programme on it the other night.

Posted another 5 parcels, but all that was pre paid for.

lilly Thanks, that's brilliant. The non-diagnosis was fine. It was an ASD test and they said he's not diagnosable, which is what we thought. We have a to-do list though which is good. Also the school said it is enough for them to give him a little bit of tailored management, so that helps too.

What is a mindfulness buddy? I've never actually heard of that, but I know about mindfulness and the idea sounds great.

Sunny my dc do mindfulness at school every day.

Lilly they're really nice pjs I bet they'll sell out quickly though!

Mindfulness is fab. I learned about it in group therapy (for my CFS/ME) and it has made a huge difference to that escalating paranoia feeling I sometimes get. For example I often would get paranoid if sitting in a priority seat on the bus (I don't look ill but in flare ups would need that seat) and I'd just get more and more panicked that someone would confront or embarrass me. Then I'd get annoyed for being anxious as logically I knew it was unlikely. Just made me feel worse. But now I can just let myself be anxious and be kind to myself and it passes much faster. I have to say that much as my anxiety has majorly increased since the birth I am sure it would be much worse if I wasn't able to use mindfulness. I am accepting it which doesn't make it go away but it makes it easier and less damaging.

In other news I'm at taekwondo with DS. £3.70 on snacks and £2 in mothercare as I forgot Cagletini's hat and thanks to the closing down sale it was cheap to get two! I will keep one in the changing bag to avoid this in the future. At least we were in a hurry between buses so no time to browse and spend more!

LLL Wilkos have HP bedding reasonably priced too. Trying to resist but dd would love it!