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First Frugalling month of 2018 almost done , so Forging forward into Feb we go

999 replies

Laska5772 · 23/01/2018 22:52

...and here we go !
Welcome all!

OP posts:
Thread gallery
31
Girliefriendlikesflowers · 28/01/2018 21:48

Haha wreck i did a double read as well 😂

AuditAngel · 28/01/2018 22:13

Hi all, driven 120 miles today. Sister asked me to take mum for scan, but failed to tell me which hospital it was at! Fortunately mum queried the route I was taking.

Spends £13 on lunch for DD2 and I, plus comic for her whole waiting for mum, £1.50 on tip. Popped out while DD2 was at her party,, planned on getting coffee but ended up going into Beefeater, mum had late lunch, I had Diet Coke, mum paid but I put down the tip.

CamdenTownie · 28/01/2018 22:35

Can I join please?

Massively overspent during December, which had a knock on effect for January, when I had to transfer all of our savings (supposed to be used for our holiday) and used my credit card, so now have that to pay off too.

I've put pen to paper and done my sums and after paying all bills we will have £400 left for everything including a new School blazer for ds2, which is/has been desperately needed for a while.

So my plan is to buy the blazer, meal plan, budget, try not to make any impulsive purchases (keep away from those middle aisles in Lidl) two of my hour children also have February birthdays, but I've already planned ahead for those.

I'm hoping this thread will motivate me!

AdoraBell · 28/01/2018 22:35

£16 on Office/ school bits, £6 on coffee and cake with DD2.

AdoraBell · 28/01/2018 22:37

Welcome Camden, you’ll get lots of support and advice here.

LonelyOversharer · 28/01/2018 23:29

catface I've been reading your posts for over a year, I hope I'm not overstepping, but you seem very down. Not your usual posting style. If you give yourself a couple of weeks to look after you a bit, and if you feel no brighter, would you go to the gp? I know theres a lot going on, but a bit of pnd is possible in any of us xxFlowers if it's just your family being wonky (your dh's all seem so lovely Hmm) then thats just massivley unhelpful, being a new mum and all.

Cut ds' hair, and coal tar gooed dd2's. She has some sort of scalp dermatitis or psoriasis going on. Coal tar makes me heave. Done some work too. Roll on a new week!

TheDuchessofDukeStreet · 29/01/2018 03:58

Meh, can't sleep.

Recipie for chocolate cake
Take
6 oz SR flour
4 heaped tablespoons cocoa powder
1 level teaspoon baking powder
7 oz caster sugar
1 dessertspoon black treacle
5 fluid oz sunflower oil
5 fluid oz milk
2 large eggs

Mix in electric mixer/big bowl all together. Bake in 2x 7 inch pans 20/ 25 minutes at gas 3/170 c /320f. I have baked this as buns also. It's lovely sandwiched with cream and strawberries, but you can use what you like, buttercream, jam, whatever.

Have had a good time cooking this weekend, chicken, leek and mushroom fricasse was successful and DP pronounced it good. Have squirrelled portion in the freezer. Leek and potato soup, four portions in freezer for me to take for lunches. Apple crumble for pudding.

Enjoying frugal hedonism book (though I'd say order from the library or get it second hand) . Writers delightfully bonkers. Decided to have our own hedonistic day yesterday so woke slightly bemused DP with cooked breakfast, tea, toast and marmalade using all my pretty china. Drove to local open air museum (Weald and Downland)and took out membership for a year each. It's £15 to get in for one day and £34 for the year. We have visited before and loved it so plan to hang out there a lot this year. We explored all the Tudor houses, made friends with the farm cat and contemplated the ducks while having tea from a flask and chocolate biscuits. Had nice time cooking when we got home. Blissy time, has really set me up for the week.

lifelongfrugaleer · 29/01/2018 06:22

Catface that sounds shite. Hope you feel better after some sleep but YY your posting tone is down in the dumps at the minute.

A bit of frugal headomism sound fun.

Hi new frugaleers.

Jo Jo bows are awful and thankfully banned at school. My dd loved them for a bit. Thankfully a market stall in town did a rip off.

Still didn't make scones. Not going to this morning so will go to Morrison's on way to work.

SunnyLikeThursday · 29/01/2018 06:23

I'm sorry to hear you're finding things stressful Catface. Do you have any idea why you are drinking more? I know that house hunting and selling can be hard.

I have a lot of RL stuff that's going quite well at the moment but it's all stuff I can't repeat as it's all family, not be iyswim, and not my business to pass on. It's nice to have some little successes though.

Merry I like the idea of having a frugaleer who works in $s. We haven't had one of those before. We could learn such a lot from hearing about how your life works there. Please do join and keep telling us all about it.

Welcome Camden!

WreckTangled · 29/01/2018 06:52

Ooo duchess you must be local to me!

Jojo bows haven't come to our school, one of the positives of having a tiny village school Grin

Busy ish day at work I've got three schools to go to then back to the office. Will have soup for lunch with an orange and hm flapjack. Have a cereal bar for a snack/breakfast which I know is £££ but they're yum

MerryShitmas · 29/01/2018 07:02

SunnyLikeThursday
Sure I will Smile
NSD which is great. Payday Thursday/Friday (dhs on Thursday mine on Friday bills all due Friday) so fingers crossed I can get to then without spending anything (we have everything we need) then my meal plan will kick in.

Our bigger spending (so insurance and internet and so forth) can't really be cut down any further. It is weird though because not 2 kms away you can get ADSL, ADSL 2, NBN (basically fibre broadband). But because I can only get one type of internet I'm limited to 2 providers. I still don't get how that works! Hmm

QuiteCleanBandit · 29/01/2018 07:08

Are JoJo bows those huge things that cover the front of their heads ?
Hmm

Thats sounds awful Catface rude caaaah Grin
How crass to make a point regarding your drink - ill mannered my bil is like this.
Stress is a bugger,it creeps up on you .
What is DH doing to take some of the load ??

Brew
WreckTangled · 29/01/2018 07:50

Just checked and ds completely split his lip tie yesterday, no wonder there was so much blood!

Loveabaconsandwich · 29/01/2018 08:09

This morning I am in a complete grump. DD1 woke us up at 4.20am with a bad dream and I swopped my working day to today and now have to go on a training day where networking is on the agenda and I have to mentor colleagues in something i’m good at Hmm . These days are so so painful for a complete introvert like me and during networking sessions I always end up standing there focussing on my coffee cup. People don’t choose to talk to me as I am very much bottom of the food chain and I do try but still end up standing alone like an idiot. On the plus side, I will mentor people on frugaleering today as can’t think of anything else.

If I expect the absolute worst, then the day can only be better?!

£4.65 on hot chocolate and pastry.

Mummycatface · 29/01/2018 08:21

lifelonelysunny

I think I’m feeling down because a) January b) ds isn’t day napping much - but silver lining is that he sleeps through the night pretty much
C) I have a lot to do - I’ve got 6 viewings lines up so far this week, packing storage etc. Dh is working long hours as it’s january and year end (it’s always like this in January for him) so he’s not around a lot and I’m taking the brunt of everything.
D) family stuff. I said earlier that I’m the sounding board for everyone else’s issues. I know if I try to speak to someone about my issues (ie my mum) she’ll tell me that we all have problems etc etc.

Blah blah blah.

The drinking is because it’s there. Dh bought me a naice gin for Christmas. And it is lovely. And I have been enjoying it. We usually enjoy a bottle of wine of a Friday evening maybe another on a Saturday/Sunday. I’m having the odd glass because I can. Because it’s there. Because I feel I deserve it after a tough day. In reality it’s not doing me much good. Im tired but not sleeping well partly I suspect because I’m not drinking enough (water that is!!) and I’m not really exercising.

I will speak to someone in a couple of weeks if I’m not feeling any better. I think I need to. I can’t continue like this.

The plan for today and onwards is thus:

  • drink more water and stay hydrated - I have a water bottle so will make sure I drink 2 of them a day.
  • take multivitamin. I haven’t been and notice the difference.
  • gym. Go. To. The. Gym. I’ve been making excuses. But today I’m going. I’m going to pick up Dm in a bit. And take her with me. She will walk ds in his buggy round the track then sit in the cafe and wait for me. I’ll be 30 minutes. It’s not long but as a start it’s enough.
  • try and realise that it’s ok if “everything” doesn’t get done.
  • stop the “what if” game in my head. We will find somewhere to live. We will not be homeless.

Oh and continue to be frugal etc.

Dh is helping as much as he can but with working long hours it’s tough on him too. I’ve scheduled my gym classes in so while logistically it’ll be a nightmare as I’ll have to get ready get Ds ready drive to dh’s work drop him off then hot foot it to the gym spin/body attack/yoga then come back to pick them up it’s doable. And I’ll feel better for it.

I’m scheduling an acupuncture session.

And am going to go back to practising meditation and mindfulness. Someone is doing a “things I’m grateful for” on instafacetweetbook so May try this. Three things each day.

And am going to try and follow the 52 small changes. Starting with water. More water. Hydration is the key. My brain feels dry and shrivelled. I suspect the fun part of me just needs to be rehydrated.

#stopmoping #ivereallygotnothingtomopeabout #thingscouldbealotworse

Grateful things for yesterday.

  • lovely slunch. It was lovely. Aside from the odd conversations. Fil spoke loads with me re horses. He used to be a jockey. Fascinating stuff.
  • dh and ds went for a walk yesterday morning. Leaving me Home to enjoy some quiet time.
  • daffodils. On their walk they raised the hedgerows and picked me a bunch of daffs. Hoorah. Lovely bright happy yellow flowers to brighten up dull winters days.
Mummycatface · 29/01/2018 08:21

Wow that was a long rambling post.

Aiming for nsd today. Must also meal plan. And do a food shopping list.

WreckTangled · 29/01/2018 08:26

Love that sounds like my worst nightmare!

Loveabaconsandwich · 29/01/2018 08:29

I seriously considered calling in sick wreck. In fact I still could, i’m only half way to work Grin

Laska5772 · 29/01/2018 08:30

wreck oh no! That sounds awful will he need to get stitches?(wince)
merry welcome .Smile
Duchess I love the Weald andDownland havent been there for some time now though..Cag it would be agreat place for a Home Ed trip in the spring if youve not been ( though youd need transport)
catface ive almost completed dry jan (although mine is for dieting... will be carrying on through Feb also .) I often find i am drinkibg a glass or two a night which just gets into a habit and just creeps up on you.. I find as long as i have a 'drink ( Fizzy water ice and lemon works for me)' its no prob (mostly) . Seedlip Garden is good also with tonic.as fake g&t. you can get it on amazon.
As for inheritance.. just wait until people start arbitarily laying down their opinions on who is family or not (or who has moral right to inherit or not!) Hmm

OP posts:
Laska5772 · 29/01/2018 08:42

Love I am the same i hate these things also I am really not interested in joining in corporate small talk or 'networking ' .and thats why i have never been on the 'popular and promotion' list .Smile. Luckily i can get away with it as i am research and stats person.. they all think they need me and that i am terribly clever and all that so weirdness is acceptedalso im not expected to go on office nights out anymore.... A Good blag eh? Ive got away with it ! Grin

OP posts:
Fluffycloudland77 · 29/01/2018 08:43

Love

That's my idea of hell too. I even dislike weddings & parties.

Loveabaconsandwich · 29/01/2018 08:45

Me too fluffy. One of the main reasons i’m not married!

Laska5772 · 29/01/2018 08:46

Ive even got the 'terribly clever but not really quite the thing specs' to look over the top of at meetings !!

OP posts:
Loveabaconsandwich · 29/01/2018 08:46

Hope no one is trying to get to London Waterloo today. Sounds a nightmare. Sadly my part of the journey on that line has run

MissingMo · 29/01/2018 08:50

Morning all. Nsd yesterday. Had order ready for Sainsbury's today but dp found his Tesco vouchers so had to do mad dash last night cancelling Sainsbury's and re ordering at tesco. Saved £10 but not coming until tuesday as they had no monday slots left Angry will amend meal plan slightly so I don't have to go to the shop and spend money. Instead I will use what we have here.
Hoping to do the housework today, there is a mountain to wash and with dd rolling you can really tell when you've left the hoovering too long.
@wreck what a brave ds you have, I hope he heals quickly
@catface hopefully the small changes will effect you in big ways and you feel better soon. It's almost February already