Festive Frugaleers gather round the (best value and carefully researched) Christmas Tree for support, advice and chat. All welcome.

[needastrongone]

New thread.

Well you need to spend money to eat, have transport & not be naked 🙄

Cag She's beautiful, they change so quickly at that age.

Lonely we are going to go for a "fun" walk this afternoon too! It's lovely weather here as I presume it is with you too?
Mammy Frugal Queen (whose blog has disappeared ) used to do a No spend October I think and that was nothing except groceries. Good luck with it if you decide to do it.
Pink the need v want is what we do too and it works for us.

I've just been looking back at our finances in 2017 and we've reduced our debt by approx £5k (loan & 0% credit card). The loan will be paid off in May which will free up £380 a month. We will save some of that as we will need to replace one or both of our cars in the next 2-3 years. Some we will put into overpaying the mortgage and some will just give us a little extra spending each month.

Immediate frugal things: the turkey bones have been boiled for stock which has gone into a veg soup. We had bubble & squeak with cold meats last night which was delish. Tonight we're going to my parents' for tea so no need to cook. When dh & ds went to the football yesterday, I sent them off with sandwiches, crisps, drinks etc so there was no need for them to pay extortionate prices at the ground. After therelative exces of Decembe, I do like to pare things back in January & use up freezer and store cupboard contents to keep the spending down.

Sorry, I missed out you Cag, what a gorgeous picture!

Exactly fluffy

Yes north clear and fine here. Waffles (18) eaten in seconds. Need to double up the recipie, again. All store cupboard stuff so no dint in "real food".

Will pop small gammon joint (from 3 for £10 morrisons) in the sc for tea. Plus macaroni and cheese.

Dp in an arsey mood. Joy! Jolly walk calls (this will not be jolly).

I suppose I should clarify we've a joint account and a personal account, I will just be doing no spend on personal account.

This morning I spent €131 on a pair of boots each for dc and a pair of runners for ds. Sale 20-30% off

I've used a £10 survey voucher to buy pants in M&S. I hate buying practical stuff like this. 50p account credit voucher left over.

I need to make more laundry gloop. I'm leaving the Zoflora out. Cba to go out just for that so it will cost 60p for two months laundry.

I want to make gloop while I'm on holiday too, are essential oils essential for it?

No, the perfume wears off anyway. As long as you've got soap & soda crystals your good.

That's why I'm not bothering with Zoflora, smells great at first but dissipates quickly.

Guess I'll need fuel at some point during the month as I've two 200mile round trip planned so fuel can't count either! I don't mind discounting the spending on alcohol on January 5th as I'm giving it up for the year then

Ok great because I remember you saying not to use citrus and I hate lavender so wasn't sure what to do

£20 on lunch, £14 on fitness for us all, £1.05 in next (£25 in voucher), £8 boyes, £4 parking

Good afternoong :) I am an ex frugaleer who got busy and kept falling off threads. I am hoping 2018 will be the year I stick to using YNAB and make our money go as far as it should!

Just had a day out "not spending anything" and it turned out to be:

£10 food shop
£60 petrol
£10 [science project necessities)
£10 lunch.

Not spending any money is surprisingly expensive.

The jolly walk was fecking freezing. 2 miles with kids and dogs on exposed moorland path, brrrr!

Dp has taken dd1, so he'll buy some milk, yay! So hopefully another nsd for me. The big car won't start, probably the battery. Dp will sort it. I'm just trying to warm up, then will start sorting out tea and churn the laundry.

Good lord cag beautiful babyface!!! 😍

Spends today £40 warehouse on a skirt and a cardigan. Can both be worn for work once I go back as well as casual. Gift voucher spend.

£5!!! In river island on a rust coloured chiffon sleeveless top. Bargain. Gift voucher spend.

£17 M&S on soup, bread, fruit, crisps and biscuits.

Dh took half his eyebrow offf today. Gross. It had scabbed over where he smashed his face into the road when he came off his bike. And the scab was peeling off today. He peeled it and took half eyebrow hairs with it. Eugh.

Have listed ds’ clothes on eBay. Ds is currently “napping” wriggling around in his cot.

Hello!

Room for a small one?

I have just quit my job to be a SAHM to our 4dc as was paying out almost my entire wage to childcare! So am looking at watching the pennies!

Today i have spent -

£8.50 in discount store
£6.50 in coop
£11 in aldi

< waves to cag >

Hi all, I like the sound of a NSJ but what about the sales? Have just been looking at the Next sale online and there are quite a few things I like the look of but the website crashed as I went to check out so frugal win I guess! That said surely more frugal to buy things we need while they are cheaper?!

Cag your baby girl is so cute!!

We are back home now, had a the annual family games night last night which was loads of fun but have been knackered today, so looking forward to sleeping in my own bed tonight.

Have sorted and found homes for a lot of the Christmas stuff, its been a really good year and have liked/ needed all my gifts as has dd.

What did they decide it was with ds in the end Wreck?

I'm back to work tomos

girlie I think of you buy now it won’t count towards nsj!!

£437 gym membership renewal. Dh has said he’ll pay this for me. Hoorah so must remember to ask him for the money.

I’ve sorted out my clothes and don’t think I need anything new. Maybe pants but that’s about it.

Ventured into our new next store today to look at the sales. It is a shame ds doesn’t need anything really as there were some lovely things.

We now have next home though which will be nice when we move.

I’m on bed with a blanket. Ds is with dh watching tipping point. I’m reading a book. Woop. Quiet time!

Cheese and ham stuffed chicken for dinner. With stir fried veggies. Mmm. But of an odd one but need to use things up.

Food shop tomorrow. Taking dsis with me as she’s sad at the moment and needs occupying. Bil left her yesterday. Just told her it was over. So she has so much to sort out.

Welcome Turkey

I’ve beenaway for a few days being off the phone over the festive period. I’ve just caught up with the thread.

I haven’t seen any other threads on cutting spends but agree about people dipping in here and taking things out of context.especially as we are all here allthe time and not just for a month of resolution or whatever. Though I for one could definitely do a lot better.

Anyway, Christmas wasn’t great for us. DD was quite ill (and still is) so that’s been hard and a bit worrying. It’s a virus so we can’t do much about it but it’s been pretty touch-and-go as to whether we can get enough fluids into her. We’re on Day 5 of the fever now and with her stomach rather upset I have a lot of laundry! DS waszalso dreadful over Christmas - completely overwhelmed and lots of screeching and asking to go home (we were at pils). ASD and Christmas aren’t a great combination. He opened three stocking presents on the day, nothing else . I felt PILs were disappointed in him and relieved when we left and that made me sad. I was glad to get home yesterday and more than a little tearful. DH is working today but then off till 2nd so I’ve just to get through today on my own with sick baby and upset DS! Phew!

We’ve had NSDs for two days. Back to spending again today with our car insurance renewal- ouch. Ocado is also due tonight and it is quite a big one (£160) as we are hosting my family Christmas at the weekend and I splashed out on a rib of beef. Never cooked one before so I hope I don’t mess it up! I’ve just ordered a meat thermometer from Amazon for £6 to help.... it also includes ingredients for NYE desserts as I am making tiramisu and sticky toffee pudding for 15 as my contribution.

I am

Weird - that froze as I was posting and the end went missing!

I’m not really in the mood for sale shopping so that’s good. I bought some shoes today that I had bookmarked - the colour I wanted wasn’t on sale but a red pair was for £20 so I went for it! I sometimes buy things for the dc to grow into (next year’s shorts in the summer sale, for example) but I can’t be bothered to join the scrum, even online. So I think that’s it for me.

Poor dsis Em - did she see it coming? Have they got kids? That happened to a friend of mine (no kids, no warning) and she was devastated for quite some time afterwards. Now has lovely dp and baby but it left its mark.

These shoes, in case anyone else fancies a bargain!

www.clarks.co.uk/c/Lillia-Lola/p/26128134

seacow sorry to hear dd is still unwell. Poor little thing.

It came completely out of the blue for dsis. No kids but they own property. So that’s to be sorted. Sigh. She said he said he’d been thinking about it for a year. so why choose Christmas

Anyway. I’m helping her as much as I can.

Oh em your poor dsis

Seacow sorry you haven't had a great Christmas

Girlie they didn't know said his ear was a bit red. I couldn't get a tribe sample. The dr asked me if I wanted abx and I said not if he doesn't need them! She said he obviously isn't fighting whatever it was so she would give them to us. He's still not great today has hardly eaten and had more diarrhoea.

The Christmas present my aunt bought ds doesn't work at all. I feel bad for her for wasting money and bad for him too! Don't know if I should tell her or not? I feel guilty! If she doesn't have the receipt she will feel bad too.

Ah cute photo.

Welcome new and returning frugaleers

Ah em, that's tough for dsis

£215 on 3 blinds for 3 Windows. In the sale
Dd had needed a new bed for ages but we are not agreeing. She wants a tent one with wooden struts and a roof. I want a single with a roll out underneath. Might look for a 4 poster I can add fabric to and fit a roll bed underneath

Leftover beef into a chilli for tea. Cold meat, egg & chips tomorrow.

Wreck, where was it from and could you take it for a swap?