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

[Laska5772]

...and here we go !
Welcome all!

Fluff 😂😂 no there will be none of those announcements anymore thank you. 😳😀

We are lucky with the water, our company does capped water rates for low income if you also have a health thing that requires more water, which DS does (eczema severe enough for dermatologist IYSWIM). Although would much rather he didn't have it of course. He has to wear disposable gloves at night because of it, and it's getting worse again at the mo

NSD!! Hooray :) and pay day too, along with a weekly dose of tax credits. I'm going to enjoy the brief moment where there is money in the bank :)

Ds has had a really bad IBS flare up this week so home Ed trips out have been postponed so the home Ed budget is to roll over this week. Today was new nails and eyebrow wax £25, Iceland £8, local boutique had a sale on £7and £36 in Asda and now home out of spending

Just checking in while the spaghetti cooks.

shoopshoop I have dabbled in needle felting, I'm better at wet felting as my fingers get very battered with the needles. Are you up north? We have Woolfest each year, it's like fleece mecca. I try to only go once every 3 or 4 years. I'm a knitter, but any craft will do!

Done well today, used free co-op money for milk and biscuits, put in diesel, but dp gave me cash back for this. Technically a nsd.

Two car loads (huge car) of stuff packed into my container. Loads more listed on ebay. Feeling positive.

Ladies what are your thoughts on muscle foods for meat, if any of your have used it?
£5 Morrison's, £5 skate park

We used to have someone who used it & rated it highly.

It always comes up on those Facebook groups "feed your family of 25 for £1 a week".

Can you get cashback on it or an opening offer?.

I'm going to look for offers and compare to a local butcher

fyf20quid.co.uk

This is the website I was thinking of. I like her meal planner & the breakdown of how much she spends on everything.

I don't think their good for things like sausages at a glance, or burgers.

I looked at the website a while ago. My concern was that there was no way to tell where the meat was from. I only buy British red tractor meat, and usually only from Morrissons and the coop for cooked meats, as they are predominantly british (I get salami and chorizo needs to be European, but I don't want chicken from Thailand just beacause it's cheap).

I try to buy less meat, but better quality than I used to (butchers when I'm feeling flush), and not waste a drop.

We got Italian seasoning from costco yesterday (dp paid so doesn't count) and it is sooo strong! I have to wonder how old my last pot was.

Haven’t managed to keep up today so will read later. Just want to say that tonight’s the night for the controlled crying to start and I’m going in! 😬😢🍀

I think I will just go to the butchers tbh. There is the faff of delivery and such like.
I like to interrogate as about the provenance of my meat.

*ask about

Crème is dipping in and out but mostly out for a bit. I'm in touch with her now and again.

Good luck Christmas!

Cag I have finally posted those baby things. Hope you like them. Unfortunately they only had massive posting bags at the PO so it might move around and get a bit creased. The lady did tape it down to make it smaller though. Also I'd written a little postcard to pop in but left it at home. Sorry about that. On the plus side there is a top with a hedgehog on and some little baby dungarees!

Good luck Christmas. We did controlled crying for about 45 seconds before I cracked.

Has anybody worked out what we're meant to do with Tesco tokens now there is no Tesco Boost event any more? I have a ton of vouchers built up and there's only so many magazines that a person can read.

Lonely I had no idea that chicken might come from Thailand. I must look out for red tractors.

Eeep! Best of luck!

Spends
£5 bus (didn't get my pass until later)
£7.69 hotel Chocolat as they still had some Xmas goodies left yay!
£5.45 Gregg's as I had a sausage roll while feeding DD after her jabs 😳😂 then impromptu playdate so picked up some treats. An off the wagon sort of day

Tomorrow I must pack a lunch as we have a transport science workshop, long bus journey out of county so need a voyager ticket for the Caglets (but of course I no longer have to pay my own bus fare at all woohoo!) and we will be traveling home at lunchtime so must prepare for that

Nsd today! Tomorrow will be spendy though as DS needs a haircut and we have to buy a present for MIL's birthday on Saturday. I want to get her something nice as she is really going out of her way for us at the moment. I'm on medication for my stress which means that I'm not allowed to drive, so four days a week she picks DC up from school and bring them home. We are really lucky to have her and want to show our appreciation.

The envelope system is proving very efficient in cutting down our food costs. We went over budget this week but only by a little over a pound. The first week we went over by about 10 p. Last week was more than 10£ under budget so all in all a success so far!

Ooh thank you so much snuggly that's so kind 💐 yay hedgehogs and I flipping love dungarees. 😍

Re Boost I use them mainly for restaurant vouchers. Free meals in pizza express or whatever (I think they don't cover drinks though). Also joined RSPB as a family this year

Tesco boost doesn't end till June.

Good luck Sea

We got a new sofa a few weeks ago and it's being delivered tomorrow. I (unfrugally?) gave our old one away on fb. It got collect today but a young pregnant lady. She was so grateful and said it was much nicer than she had thought it would be and I feel really good for doing something for someone else

Good luck Seacow.

Shirt Sounds like it is really working for you which is great!

My lovely LM had to let me down unfortunately, his boss said I can't work from home for two stupid reasons, the first because I'm in my probation still - but I'm only in my probation for about another month, and there's no like company-wide ban on people in probation WFH, policy is just that you don't have a formal right to request it before then, and the second because she doesn't want people on my level to work from home at all, because we often need help from higher levels/supervisor etc Which is again stupid because if I needed help I could call or e-mail someone in the office, and anyway I'm only asking to work the mornings from home, so I could get the help in the afternoon if I was stuck about something! Disappointed obviously but oh well...On the plus side my LM said he's fine for me to move my hours later (which I'm pretty sure he's not actually allowed to give permission for without his boss's approval either, as that comes under the flexible working policy, so I think he's sticking his neck out for me a bit here and thinking she won't find out - which she won't tbf, she's hardly ever around anyway). So the plan is I will try and work 10.30 or 11am-7pm on Monday and see if I'm able to get in for that time. I don't know if I will be able to but will give it a good go, desperate for the pay!

Spent £2 on a brownie in Costa so LSD, got a free cappuccino through Wuntu . Also returned two bras to Boux Avenue in the post that are too small/uncomfortable so that will be about £15 back when it goes through.

Also like mammy said, I'm pretty sure the only reason she's said no is because she's worried some of my other colleagues may then start requesting to WFH too - which they're entitled to do by company policy that says everyone out of probation is entitled to request it and have the request considered fairly, but it's still boss's decision. I think that's unfair given I only want to WFH temporarily, and for medical reasons supported by the fit note the GP wrote . I will stop moaning about it now though I promise .

Moan away meadow that does sound pants, would it not come under reasonable adjustments? Or is that only for long term disability? I had my hours permanently reduced (they made up a whole new hours structure for me) as an RA as that's what I needed

Hmm have you got a union there meadow? They really should make allowances for pregnancy even if you are on probation.. but i suppose allowing you to start later is something.

Spends today £4.95 on replacement thermos stopper .. I think we must have inadvertent thrown the other one away ..

Wreck great news on the sofa!! it was the one with all the cushion want it ? You may be sofaless right now but it looked lovely and snuggly .. good for you giving the last one away - not unfrugal , really kind- sounds like the recipient will get good use from it..

So no one has commented on my curtains... Are they horrid? I was quite pleased with them.... ..