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

[needastrongone]

New thread.

adora poor teddydog. From memory he’s a big one isn’t he? A Lovely German Shepard (or similar)?

Wishes for lottery win for all of us for the new year.

Adora Does your pet insurance cover animal behaviourists?. I'm not surprised he's frightened. It was bloody unfair what those workmen did to your dogs after you went to such lengths to keep them. Will he go in the car?.

Em That's very generous if your friend. One of my relatives is a shl, she's my idol. She says men always want to take the tv.

North Good idea, I wouldn't have thought to use stuffing for meatballs. Dh bought posh chestnut stuffing then got upset it contained nuts. "But how did nuts get in there?".

Mmm, chestnut stuffing . We had to have sage and onion as my children react like Your DH Fluffy.

Well done little Cagletini!!

Hope it's a positive meeting for your sister today Em. She must be reeling.

I feel like Ive already won the lotto - I have a rare child free day and night! It could be a NSD, it could be a spendy day. I don't really know because I have NO plans. Glorious.

Using up leftovers here.
Plenty of vegetable biryani left from.last night and Im going to use the rest of the Christmas ham to make Nigellas ham pasta with peas.
Just need to buy a pot of cream .
Miserable icy cold weather here so fire,knitting and a boxset this afternoon.

I've been looking on Ocado again. I know the quality is so much better but I just can't see it being cheaper. I've hardly got anything in my basket and it's at £50!

Waitrose, use the £20 off a £100 shop and the mywaitrose card discounts.

I only buy household stuff when its on offer from Ocado Wreck
So a big Ocado shop once every 4-6 weeks.
Its very handy to have a delivery pass if Im ill and when DS was ill at uni I sent him a shop

€40 on 2 gift vouchers for my friends who had babies and €9.85 on sweets 🍫 🍬 🍭 for various dc including a bar celebrating my home county win in all Ireland this year I might send it to dB for his birthday at end of jan

Lawyers done. Bil wants a Sum of money and he’ll transfer his half of the property to dsis. He doesn’t want anything else.

Dsis told him she doesn’t have said sum to hand so he’ll have to wait until everything’s gone through lawyers. He didn’t think she’d get lawyers involved. She’s told him he’ll have to pay half of all costs. He disputed this but she said it was either pay half or pay all. He’s tried to kick her out of her home so it’s fair he pays at least half.

He’s picked up his things. That happened last night. No idea how he did it because he doesn’t drive and there was at least 2 vans worth of stuff. Not our problem.

We’ve spoken to the bank too. They said she’ll be ok in principle to take on the mortgage.

Lawyer said to act quickly so next week he’ll speak to the bank and chivvy them along.

Frugal win. Dsis cleared out her kitchen and we’ve been given all of “bils” food. She won’t eat it so we’ve gained a load of stuff. Tins of soup fancy coffee etc.

Mobile contract downgraded. £15 a month for 2gb data 200 minutes and 2000 texts. I was paying £25 for 10gb 1000 minutes and 10000 texts but as I’m on leave I’m home more so am using WiFi more. So don’t need the extra data.

Didn’t buy pjs. Will look at next online. The new store we have here is great. But the sale was such a jumble.

We're home... just popping in quickly to catch up

but a quick 'hope your Df is feeling a bit better now' to need and

Yes Tayto my DPs do have tendency to look on the black side.. esp DSF who is a few years youngr thean DM and has been convinced shes about to die every time she gets something for about the last 20 years now.
She is 92 now , so his anxiety over this is getting off the scale . i just wish he'd realise that if he'd only leave off fretting they could enjoy whats left of their lives so much more But he is who he is..

£33 on Amazon - babygate and assorted batteries

£3.80 fitness, £10 swimming, £7.38 Tesco for apples but forgot eggs. Will go to coop when I pick up take away as dh is out tonight and DC have requested one. Not helping my calorie deficit goal but hey ho

£45 oasis online - burgundy red skinny trousers reduced to £25 and a black blouse. Perfect for work. Free delivery as found a code on vouchercloud.

Have spent the afternoon on bed watching Netflix. Ds has napped a bit. Dh is dealing with him today. I’ve hit exhausted point taking care of everyone. So am just having a day/afternoon.

Been watching how to get away with murder. Yay!

Thanks garden. I've done Tesco now as had a £5 voucher but I will try it that way. I would really like to get into fortnightly shops with just a fresh top up. Tree is down and it looks very bare in here now!

AAAAArggghhhh!!!!.. I have just spend 2 hours looking for and wondering why on earth i cant find receipts forsome HOF stuff i ordered just before christmas and which i want to return, .

Ifinally went and looked at my order on online and it turns outto be a case of *Read the ruddy emails they send you Laska!**' It seems that HOF have gone over to electronic receipts... And relax.. Ah well at least the bedroom/study/ my desk/ recycling bin is tidy .. DUH!!

Pinkpeppermint .. Biryani!! great Idea!! Just what I fancy for dinner.. (fed up with Christmassy food ) ... I know we have some prawns in the freezer and also I think some sag bhajee I made before christmas

Laska wonders off to peruse veg basket/ fridge..

I'm really struggling to keep up with the thread at the moment. Another NSD today though.
Need to sit down and do budget for January.

Spam Bol for dinner here tonight. Dh and I have been together for 11 years today.

Spag not spam

I snorted derisively at "didn't think lawyers would be involved". Dhs ex had to pay half his costs for dragging out a simple seperation & property sale it cost her £13k & I had her arrested twice.

£12 Aldi
£2 morrisons
£2 Sains
£6 petrol.
£2 Tesco.

Have so far resisted the sales - haven't even looked

Low spend day today (under £10) and should be no spend days for the next three as working . Never mind I had a good spell off at Christmas and someone has to work.

Cag snowsuit posted, so hopefully will be with you soon.

Spam bol does sound very frugal

Sunny I meant to ask you how the Goose went..?

Prawn and veggie 'Biryani' s made.... Dh has been 'Man who make fire' i.e. burning garden stuff all afternoon..(its a big garden on the edge of farmland and so well away from other houses BTW).
So am just waiting for him to shower then hopefully ...Le Yum!

Thanks for the idea Pink .

We had NSD today ..yesterday we bought 4 cushions to go with our new sofa in JL..not v frugal but lovely I kept away from all other JL departments.

But we did also buy a fermenting jar from Lakeland as i want to have a go at making sauerkraut etc..

The family meal in restaurant yesterday was MILs treat

4.40 on lemsip and paracetamol.
Full of cold here😷😴

I've picked up an extra shift this Sunday which will be an extra 130 ish after tax. Need to be better by then.

I want to try the 'having several income streams' this year.
1st being my job
2nd agency work /extra shifts
3rd selling all my clutter on eBay bit by bit.

That's it I'm stuck. Need inspiration. Does anybody else have different income streams...if so what are they??