We’ve had our Merry Thriftmas, now bring on the Happy Fru Year! All welcome as we Frugaleer our way into January 2018.

[Cagliostro]

A new thread in case we are too tipsy (or in my case, asleep on the sofa) to remember later.

This is a friendly group where we chat all things money related and all things everything else related. Everyone welcome so settle in and let’s make 2018 the year we save money!

[Cagliostro]

New thread www.mumsnet.com/Talk/credit_crunch/3135988-Keeping-our-Fru-Year-Resolutions-Frugal-January-thread-two-already-all-welcome?watched=1

As we seemed to suddenly get to 1000 messages! Chatty bunch we are! 😀

[Wolfcub]

If anyone is thinking about mamas and papas they have a factory shop in West Yorkshire - not always a great range of choice but definitely good savings

[Unescorted]

Thanks wreck I might try to get that from the library.
Lonely not specialist but one of the best in Manchester. We have really bad school provision in the North of Derbyshire. Only 1 school that isn't failing or inadequate. None offer sixth form so all the kids have to travel at least 7 miles to the next one just over the border into GM. It is not great. So all have a bus train bus or bus bus journey to a half decent one. DD will have the bus train bus...

[ememem84]

meadow we have a mamas & papas flip xt2 we bought a bundle (pram carry cot foot muff adapters for car seat) it’s super easy to get up and down fits in the boot of our car etc.

We’ve used the carrycot a handful of times. Easier for us to clip the car seat in if we’re out in the car. Are you in an apartment? Ours is heavy to carry up the stairs so I leave the wheels in the car. If you do weight is important.

[WreckTangled]

Unescorted it's a Jamie olive five ingredients but I can't find it online

[Wolfcub]

Just home, totally on my knees. Dh is making frugal corn beef hash for tea

[LonelyOversharer]

meadow I was going to say thats its sort of traditional for gp's to offer to pay for the pram, but then read that your dad uses it as a control, so I'm not sure now. I would recommend you do a lot of looking and research, especially for size, ease of putting up and folding, how long it will last...not all babies like the carry cot bits, so a second hand carry cot for a new buggy system is a good idea. The carry cot I got on ebay was as new, the owner said her baby went in it twice! Ds also hated it, so I was glad I spent £20 instead of £95.

[SnugglySnerd]

Well done Unescorted's dd!

NSD.

[LonelyOversharer]

girlie I'd be very tempted to call dd in sick that day, if you can get her in on it, and it's far enough away from home for there not to be a school trip that day! Or, just take her and email school with a sorry, unavoidable event random evasive type thing!

Todays spends were minimal. £12.50 postage to America for the camels, she paid over $20 so I'm not out of pocket. £1.50 sweets and £5.08 in the coop.

Dp made tea, cod from the freezer made into chunky fish fingers, chips, beans. Quick and tasty, but it appears that dd1 has "gone off" white fish. Sigh. When does fussy eating end?

unescorted your dd must be so pleased. Is it a specialist arty 6th form, or one she just fancies? My eldest is in yr 10 and will have to just stay on at her school for a-levels. Luckily (as it's the only school within about 20 miles) its a good school.

[MeadowHay]

Unescorted congrats to your DD! Also ahhh would love to see Guys and Dolls at the theatre. We hardly ever go to the theatre, I took DH for his first time ever about a year ago to see Rent and we both had a fab time so we really should try to go more often.

Girlie That woman sounds, um, odd !

You lot are so chatty I can't keep up I'm afraid.

Work was a bit more tougher today, I vomited once in the morning, then once en-route, then once more at work, bleurghh. I think the exhaustion is making me a bit worse and I'm terrified of relapsing but equally it's still manageable. I think I will ask to just do afternoons next week again as I can't imagine increasing my hours just yet, I think that will make me a lot worse. I just don't know whether they will let me .

Got my pitiful payslip for December as my LM had it, nearly cried when I saw it . We've taken such a huge hit financially with me being off sick, it's a worry.

Positive frugal stuff though, DH's aunt who has his little cousin who is 2.5 sent him a huge list of stuff we can have for baby. She said she had a lot but we didn't expect it to be that much! So that will save us tons of money. I guess they're not planning on having another as she listed everything even the pram! I know the pram will be the biggest expense but I still want us to pick and buy our own though, I think I would feel a bit sad not getting to go and buy a pram together. My DM has offered to pay for the pram too but I don't really want them to as DF's given us a load of money over the last two months already (he kept asking me if we needed money, I said no every time and then he just transfers it into my bank account anyway) and I feel crap when they spend lots of money on us. My DF has always used money as like a control thing so I hate taking it off them.

[Unescorted]

Wolf enjoy being home.

[Unescorted]

Sorry that is girlie ...soz.

[Unescorted]

wreck your dinner looks amazing. Can you link to the recipe please ☺

Wolf just take the cub. I was given tickets to see Guys and Dolls just before Christmas. It was amazing. She will get so much out of it.

[Wolfcub]

That’s fantastic well done Unescorted’s dd

[Unescorted]

She did it....DD has passed all her mocks and the letter from the college was an unconditional offer (well get 5s in English, Maths and Art)
I have had a nsd just because I left my purse at home. I might do that more often.
Now off to see what you have all been up to..... I may be some time 😁 you chatty ladies.

[Girliefriendlikesflowers]

Thats annoying Wolf I would probably not ask and just lie make up some excuse on the day I think it would be a great experience for her and we would have a lovely day so will do it I think...

I also spent £4.99 in Dun Elm on a lava lamp type thing that was in the sale for dds bday.

Had a lovely couple of hours in the garden this afternoon, just tidying it up really. I have missed it recently as the weather has been so rubbish, quite a few bulbs coming through already

[Wolfcub]

Girlie I would take her out too. We tried to do this with ds once but school didn’t respond to our request so we didn’t go. When school eventually got round to responding they apologised and said we should have just gone to the event because it would have been a brilliant learning experience

[WreckTangled]

I think it's fine girlie. It's only one day and it's not like she's in the middle of her GCSE's.

Glad you escaped the crazy lady

[Girliefriendlikesflowers]

I survived my morrisons meet up but the woman was batshit crazy 😮 she kept asking me when I was next going to be there and when I refused to tell her she got annoyed! She wouldn't tell me why she wanted to know, so weird. Really not worth it for £4 but hey ho.

Spent £17 in morrisons on stuff I can't get in aldi and some primroses.

What's the consensus on taking dd out of school for a day to see a musical?! Hairspray is coming to Bristol and I know dd would love to see it but the only reasonable tickets are midweek...

Had to pick her up early from school as she was feeling ill again, has been perfectly fine since being home

[Wolfcub]

On way home after two long tiring days away. I will be glad to see my own bed. 56 on presents for new neice. Lunch bought but can reclaim most of this and will have to pay 38 parking when the train lands but can claim this back too.

[AdoraBell]

Hope you get more hours soon Polly

Girlie hope that migraine eases off PDQ.

em you don’t need another make-up pallet , aww at God mother

Spent £3 odd on coffee, we we’re out all morning, then 46p and some Nectar points on a few things that were missed off the order.

I have shoes to send back. But need to decide weather to keep the muted purple or the pale pink. Decisions decisions.

[WreckTangled]

£1.99 on three months of kindle unlimited. Dd was so excited to read more Harry Potter despite having read them all twice already

Rendang beef with cauliflower rice for dinner literally took 20 mins start to finish so easy.

[Bornlazy]

Spent £53.37 in Lidl today! Only went in for bread, milk, rice and cat litter. Got the ingredients for five dinners in that and some fruit and yogurts, so I suppose not too bad. Picked up a couple of bargainous sketchbooks for DS2 and then put them back... That is definitely progress for me.

[PollyShelbyLifeCoachServices]

Snugglysnerd, yes I work in a school and have found the same! Hence my comment...

[PollyShelbyLifeCoachServices]

Glad for your news unescorted....