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!

What flask do you have Unescorted? I keep buying them but cannot find one that doesn’t leak after a short while and cannot risk a leak on work kit in my bag

Thank you for the tip unrecorded.
The using off cuts of veg for stock would things like the tops of carrots be ok for that ?
No apple pies yet my recipe folder went kaput while I was looking for the pie recipe so I've been going through the recipes with the dcs and going to put the favourites in a notebook I've found.

Welcome back copper

I've been in the abyss known as playroom since 3pm, 3 bin bags for rubbish so far

wreck can you withdraw the boots and then re list once you know for sure? That incident in town sounds traumatic, no wonder you needed at

Yes adora good idea. I will end and relist with suede style

There were other people there but I got really nervous phoning his wife and felt so sorry for him.

Woohoo just got cc2 statement & the balance is approx €400 less than I thought . Hadn't updated cc's on ynab in Dec

Can I join? I'm trying to have a low spend month as December was very expensive, not just Christmas but also some house stuff that needed doing.
But I've still bought DS new PJs, new trainers (x2 - cheaper ones for PE) and a new coat. All were sale items and needed anyway so at least I didn't pay full price. Ds2 has also gone up a shoe size and is now the size DS1 was, I'm debating if I can get him to wear DS1's old trainers at least and possibly school shoes. Is that frugal or just tight?

Welcome chem that's frugal - I buy dd plain white boys cotton vests so I can pass them on to ds!

Fluffy ok. I am just getting on with things. There isn't really much reason to worry until I know what I am dealing with. I am having really odd dreams which because I don't normally have dreams I can remember is a bit disconcerting, but I guess is my subconscious working through it all. The speed has taken me by surprise and I am overwhelmed by the support from people.
Wolf I have a Haglofs Kleen Kanteen. I don't know the cost because DS was given it when he did really well at a bike race. There is a Japanese one (Zojrushi) that a lot of my friends rave about - it costs about £30, but keeps the drink really well insulated all day.... Think of being able to hike in ice for a g&t for a wild camp. I keep dropping hints about needing one, but they fall on deaf ears. My Haglofs is good for a drink on my way to work (I am that irritating person on the train. I bring toast as well) but by lunchtime it is the cool side of drinking temperature. If I was buying it would be the Zojrushi. In terms of leaks I have used mine every day for the last 2-3 years. It leaked once when I didn't screw it up properly.

Chem our DS has always had hand me downs from his sister. He has become very adept at styling out pink glitter trainers.

Unescorted he is indeed gorgeous but the pic wasn’t posted by me, it was Em’s little guy ❤️ I do post pics of Cagletini but haven’t on this thread I think? Not yet anyway :o

Hope you are okay unescorted, good to see your employer being understanding. You are very much like me I think, worry when there's reason to. Which is not to say it won't play on your mind.

I've had a busy day doing lots of post Christmas stuff like charity shop drop offs and a big tip run.

I also did 15 miles in stupid stormy weather, hard work as I ran with the fast blokes on Sunday and was still a bit knackered.

I use my broccoli stalks and old veg for veg stock. I've a freezer drawer full of chicken stock too.

It's been an NSD though. I used an amazon voucher to get the HFW new book Even More Veg.

Vegeree tonight, tons left for lunch tomorrow.

chem I have a DD and DS, i used all of DS's baby gro's and vests etc for DD. Even now, if DS doesn't want a hoody, DD will have it.

em he's such a cutie, and the blanket is wonderful.

Oopppps. sorry cag & em.

pink I don't 'do' fussiness either. I respect genuine dislikes, for example DS dislikes sweet vegetables like sweet corn and peas etc and rarely eats deserts. And even as teenagers they have to have fruit or raw veg before they reach for the biscuit tin ha!

ann I'm not at all fussy about dates but I think 2/3 y/old meat might be a stretch too far. I don't think it's a safety thing, more taste. Seems such a shame doesn't it, I've had to chuck some myself recently.

Lastly, does anyone know if I can donate body spray to the food bank? Honestly, DS has been given so much for Christmas, even DH is using some (much to his disgust, says he's not a f**king teenager having to wear Lynx) but we won't get though it all.

Yes you can need. Also shampoo, soap, sanpro, etal.

Thanks unescorted, I'll drop some in. I drop in tins and pasta at the supermarket anyway. Brill. Less waste.

I’m working through my stash of products. Dh has a huge hoard too - may suggest he donates some.

Tomorrow will be a nsd. I’m going to start ebaying again. Tomorrow will be sort out Day. Then will list to start auctions on Sunday ending the following week.

Everything crossed for you unescorted

need your vegerie looks fab, that’s going on my list of neal options. at your DH using Lynx

I also have a modest stash of toiletries to work through. Luckily I didn’t get many sets this time. I haven’t got to grips with eBay.

Re: flasks, it’s early days but DH is loving the Contigo Autoseal so far. It was recommended on this and other threads over the last few months. I think thermoses are one of those things where it’s buy cheap buy twice really. You can even get a leaf tea infuser insert for it :o

I really want to tackle the fussiness this year and increase the amount they eat. It’s hard to know sometimes what is genuine (they are both autistic and have lots of sensory issues, especially with texture so this could easily apply to food) and what is trying it on (for example DS has gradually dropped things he happily ate for years, like sweetcorn). DD certainly eats well enough for a varied diet in terms of veg, and DS does at least eat some veg happily so it could be worse, but it is so bloody boring, and it’s hard to get enough protein into them, especially DS who won’t eat nuts seeds or eggs. I may have to go the reward chart route.

Got Cagletini properly asleep ages ago and I can’t sodding sleep! FFS.

I may spend tomorrow on a coat. My one is maybe four years old or so and while still warm it is now really tatty, and has holes in. I hate any form of clothes shopping for myself especially when it’s something expensive but I have cash from Christmas and I should really get something that fits nicely. I keep thinking what a contrast I am with the lovely bright buggy (I really do love it), scruffbag mum in a daggy dull old coat.

Afreshnewyear Just signed up to Topcash via you link. Enjoy your voucher!

Defo buy a coat if you need one Cag, you wear it every day. I bought one in the autumn and have not regretted it one bit. (Btw, you have posted a pic of Cagletini on here, hope you meant to?!)

I had bubble and squeak for dinner from leftovers and it was lush. One way or another I’ve eaten a lot of cabbage recently so may join Need on the windy bench .

The Christmas tree lives another day. Sigh. I wanted to take it down last night but fell asleep on the sofa. Tonight I was writing a formal letter to DS’s school querying how they are implementing his support package (EHCP). This is Stage 1 of my getting difficult with them. Needs must. The whole time I was writing it the bloody tree was winking at me but I resisted. Letter was more important. Tomorrow I need to dig out some paperwork for my tax return and pay my credit card. And take the bloomin tree down.

Sympathies to all those with fussy dcs. I can quite see a future where I cook three different meals, which I swore I would never do. I hadn’t reckoned on ASD though. Even now I am starting to make different dinners for the two dc and then cook again for us later. It is exhausting. And bloody boring.