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!

Can I join, please?

Went to town yesterday to get bits DD needs for a school residential trip. £16 on bloody bus fares, £4.30 on a sandwich for her in a cafe, got bits needed for good prices. Bought myself pined-for Fat Face jumper in sale, £20 off.

Spent zero today and also paid my 3p into the savings pot - to accumulate £700+ by end of year!!

Also, emailed a company that I'd had a trial membership with, that had then debited £84 from my bank cos of end of trial period. Shiiiiiit!! I gave them a sob story and asked for a refund - they replied today and are refunding me within 10 working days. So I am v chuffed about that. Pays for the residential trip

I am currently playing the waiting game. Left my job early december and waiting for tax credits to adjust, when they do we will likely also be entitled to some housing benefit reduction. So at the moment im trying to guess what money we will have! Hopefully be sorted soon but obv christmas has slowed things down

I also have a Contigo Cag
Bloody brilliant and hasnt leaked in the years Ive had it.
Also we all have Chillys water bottles which are brilliant at keeping water ice cold and really easy to clean.My bugbear with water bottles is the awful lids which you can clean vom face.
Cag and Seacrow I should clarify I was talking about fussy kids not sensory issues (which I have although not food related !) so I hope I havent offended either of you.
It must be exceptionally difficult not to mention expensive .

Storm is picking up outside at the moment & I've got to drive 100 miles, hoping to set off at 10am. My ensuite toilet water is gurgling due to wind pretty sure that hasn't happened before

NSD for me yesterday! It nearly was the day before but I ordered a disco light bulb from amazon just before I went to bed. As you do. I anticipate spending a bit today though if the weather doesn't look up. I will have a houseful of kids to entertain.

I posted way back about my kids birthday parties and how to keep cost down - I have proposed some places we can pay for with clubcard vouchers. They were very happy with the suggestions and I'm happy that I'll save myself around £100. Phew.

Morning all, first day back for my 2 big ones. After sleeping past 10 every day, I'm stunned we're up. Hoping for a lsd, dp is taking dd2 in, and posting for me - given him change from the pot, so this does not count! May only need milk perhaps later on.

We had to buy a new kettle just before new year. I wasn't impressed as our last one has only cost £25 but didn't seem to last long. I had the old kettle on the side to throw out and last night DH took it back to the shop and cane back with a £25 voucher which is brilliant as we often buy things in that particular shop. So very happy.

But we had to buy dishwasher tablets last night - any recommendations ? We normally buy LIDL or ALDI ?

Hope you all have a good day xx

Seacow my friends ds with asd will only eat Birdseye chicken nuggets. That's it. And sometimes plain crackers and Cheerios.

Back to work today after two weeks off 😭 will take lunch

Dds swimming teacher texted me this morning and it's a good job as I didn't think they were back on until next week!

Should be a nsd.

No worries Pink, I’m not remotely offended! I just know I will never win a battle of wills over food. DS doesn’t crack when he’s hungry, this was tested extensively before I realised he had ASD. In fact it was one of the red flags. He’s very rigid about most things, including food. And it is expensive, although I give daily thanks that we are past the only-fresh-food-he-will-eat-is-strawberries phase. That lasted almost 3 years.

Rubbish night with DD, who is currently waking every 2.5-3 hours for milk. I think she takes most of her food at night. I am trying to give her less each time so she is hungrier in the day but she’s also very stubborn. This has got worse since her recent lurgy. She’s still pooing a lot so I don’t think her tummy is back to normal.

2018 is the year I start getting 6 hours sleep a night. Sooner rather than later, I hope!

I’ve had one day back and already going back over old ground with the “shall I quit my job” discussion! Ha! I think i’ve been through the scenario so many times with you people

Anyway, I change my work pattern next week and at the moment I haven’t cancelled any of my childcare for the day I no longer work. Unfrugal I know, but in desperate need for some “me” time. Also seen a job I might apply for, and that is part of the reason for keeping the childcare so I have time to write job applications

£2.65 on a hot chocolate. It was motivation to actually step foot on the train and go to work. Couldn’t sleep last night so I am exhausted

Wow I didn't check in yesterday and I had 8 pages to catch up on!

I have a serious case of the January blues today. The weather isn't helping. I'm fed up of it being dark all the time now and ready for spring I think. The daffodils are starting to poke through the soil so that's giving me some hope!

3 days into my spreadsheet and so far I've logged everything and it's still green so all good. January is a long month though with no more maternity pay!

Today’s goals - budget spreadsheet, tidy flat, sort things for eBay.

Weather is atrocious. Have been in the car since 745 to drop dh to work. Am still in the car (engine off startionary in traffic). We haven’t made it to his work yet. It’s usually a 10 minute drive but all the coast roads are closed as rush hour helpfully coincides today with the high tide. It’s been a full moon so big tide and high winds. Coast roads closed as debris has been thrown over overnight and not safe. This means that all other roads into “town” are full of heavy traffic. Sigh. We haven’t moved for 20 minutes. Dh is fretting he’s going to be late. He could get out and walk the last bit but nope.

Am dying for a cup of tea. Wish I’d brought my travel mug with me!!! (incidently it’s just one from paperchase. Nothing fancy)

Morning all!

Bless you pink not offended at all! :) I will look up that water bottle now thanks, I hear you on the uncleanable lids! Hopefully we will have a dishwasher when we move but until then, ugggggh. We had filter bottles for a while but it’s expensive keeping up with that.

YAY DH got PPI paid today! £300 from an old abbey national thing way before we met. Will be used for our holiday. Hoping to go back to Lyme Regis/Charmouth but for longer this time so DD can get a couple of days fossil hunting :o also has the advantage of being somewhere familiar for the first trip with baby. We must be more organised with trains this time as last year was a last minute thing and there were no cheap tickets left. Also need to reserve seats.

Hello, please can I join? Been following this thread and previous for a while but never commented! I am pregnant with out first baby due in June and have just discovered how crappy smp is! So I am determined to save as much as I can from now to then with my full pay to give me some extra ££ as I would like to take the full year off. My husband can cover mortgage/bills/car when I'm off but will be tight. Already food shop in Aldi with a meal plan and list which saves us so much.
I just get better with buying rubbish I don't need in other supermarkets (Sainsbury's I'm looking at you) and also clothes for myself - I've bought s few maternity bits off eBay and any more I need I will look there first.
Sorry to ramble but it helps to write it down! Makes me accountable for it!

Agree about uncleanable lids . That is my bugbear with lots of children’s bottles too.

I have a Contigo but tbh I don’t really get on with it as it is too insulating! I made a brew for the drive to the inlaws recently. When we arrived 2 hours later it was still too hot to drink

Love don’t blame you for the childcare thing. You could do it for a while and then evaluate how worthwhile it is but enjoy the break!

DD definitely not right - lotta dirty nappies today. Ug.

Right, nappy change then baubles off the tree.

seacow your poor little girl, she can't catch a break can she. Did they pin down her fever in the end? Was it something gastric which is "coming through" now, as it were?

I felt a lot better after taking the tree down, seems I sort of 'missed' Christmas this time, don't know why.

Just emptied (sorted onto my bed) 3 laundry baskets of clean clothes. Two more to go, and one lot in the dryer. Just took my eye off it for a week or so and it bloody breeds. Ashamed that I was actually thinking of buying new laundry baskets. That way madness lies.

Spent £10 on new trousers yesterday, but husband spent more as he did the top up shop and also bought the toddler's birthday present while it was cheap. (£30 instead of£50)

Today no spending!

Spent quite a lot yesterday - had to pop into Boots for a face cream (£7) and stocked up on toothpaste and DD2's expensive hair curl cream as both were on offer. 2 soap dishes from Tiger (I'm reducing plastic and so have moved back to soap and away from bottles of shower gel/hand wash/shampoo etc - separate thread about that), and some muesli for breakfasts at work from Waitrose - where I got a free coffee (no lid).

All spends recorded in notebook - it's quite alarming to see it adding up so fast and we are only on 4th! Its a worthwhile exercise.

I also started a list of things I will need to buy when we move, which helps settle my brain a bit. So much whirling around in there, it helps to focus a bit. I'm going to be using this notebook an awful lot over the next month of so.

Drinks bottle kids I soak ours in hot soak water and give them a once over with a bottle brush then once a week I soak them in sterilizing solution, the type you use for baby bottles. I just buy what ever cheap brand I can find at the time.

Thanks all for the flask advice I will have a poke around the shops for those brands

Going for NSD today.

I found a tin under the bed with loose change this morning amounting to £51.07 and with £70 christmas money this will cover upcoming spa day.

Trying to sell some stuff to cover cost of dm birthday present.

Also taking back two candle sticks bought in the sale saving £17.50.

The best leakproof travel mug i have ever got was from TKmaxx about 4 years ago and still good.. on the bottom it has stamped 'Fine elements' and I think its this one Looks like it in stock here .

need I may have ordered something in the Hush Sale

Love i know exactly what you mean .. As you know I was all set to go September , then hung onto December until i could get my BT pension which was due then , and now i am Still there.. waiting because they are making more cuts and there will be redundancies.. .
But you know what? I also did a really weird thing .. Just before christmas I applied for another job there ! Another area but my skillset almost exactly .

This has sort of confused myself.. I did it because i was bored and had all the requirements and qualification . I now hope they dont offer me an interview so I dont have to think about it any more ..
I know I am frustrated and completely underworked in my present role ( which has pretty much disappeared due to government policies. and funding and yet they still say they 'need' me ) and that is not helping my thinking at all..

Ive been it all through loads of times here and with everyone.. I could (just about afford to go ) . I want to go . . but right now it would be daft until i find out whether they will make me redundant.. .. (it makes a big difference to my pension if they do as i would be retiring at 60 ).

Copper how is your DGS ? and how are you getting on with Greenhouse plans for this year ?..

Today i have spent £15.47 on food and toileteries. Plus £39.94 on non essentials.

Picked up some sale stuff for upcoming ds birthday and some for next christmas (£1 tshirt and £1.69 cup and bowl set) Also some storage boxes as hall resembles jumble sale with 6 peoples shoes hats gloves bags etc.

Trying to keep track of what i spend on food as i dont know what it is!

So far this week food and toileteries is up to £52.17

Hoorah! A boat came in last night so some of my online orders have come through. Woop.

Razor and blades, baby wipes and a book I no longer wanted but can’t be arsed to send back so will read and pass along...