February Frugaleers United in Saving Money, Swapping Recipes & Supporting each other in finance, friendship & family life : )

[mammymammyIRL]

And so we continue ....

ds and i are going to lunch with my lovely friend today. we are either going to pub or beach cafe and then for a walk. hooray!

we didn't go swimming yesterday. DH asked me not to take him until he (dh) was there. he wants to be part of first swimming. i made zero comments about him taking time off work etc none nada zilch

Em you are a bigger woman than I am. I would have been snarky.
Sunny glad you are having a lovely break and the eye-man thinks he can help.

Our mornings are planned like a military campaign Em! It's the only way to get up and out but you definitely both need to be involved. At the moment our routine is dh dresses dts and makes tea/bottles. I get DD1 dressed and check we have everything for nursery etc. Whoever is ready first does breakfast. Dinner prepped the night before and a load of washing on every evening. It's boring and predictable but keeps us sane. Anything out of the ordinary like dh's train being delayed in the evening causes chaos!

Today should be NSD although dh is going out for lunch (somewhere cheap and cheerful though).

Just made minestrone type soup with odds and sods out of the fridge. It's very frugal, I've even chopped and added broccoli stalks. Have made enough for lunch today and over the weekend. It would be better with some Parmesan sprinkled over but we don't have any.

sunny I was wondering about the filtering glasses. Lots of people wear them now. And pink is way better than yellow ones! I tried out all the oakley lenses in the box choosing my sunnies, and the different colours really change how the workd looks. I have blue base lenses, they make the world look super cheerful.

Hope the zoo was great seacow we loved the giraffes! Went when my sister lived in colchester briefly.

em you are a more tolerant woman than me! I woukd have been snarky too!

I was default parent for the 5 years I had dc with my ex, being an only parent for the next 2 years was much easier for me, as there were no expectations to not be met, and no disappointment. With dp now (after 8 years and the dc are a lot bigger) we just come and go as we please. I think it gets so much easier once they can forage for food/toilet/entertain themselves. But we never have a childcare conversation anymore, just whoever is home watches them, or if the other is out they go out with whoever is home if needs be. No negotiations, bliss!

Well it is a super sunny day here, first one in forever. So I am going to build a polytunnel now.

How long are you there for Sunny? We were at the zoo there yesterday! Hope the glasses help.

Zoo was good by the way, once we got past the traffic queue to get it. I had planned a picnic but DH didn’t want to as it was cold and we’ve had a bad experience recently of trying to picnic when it was really far too cold to even take gloves off. However, the indoor restaurants had huge queues so we ended up buying baked potatoes and eating outside anyway. £14.20 for two jackets with chilli! I told DH that’s not happening again... but the sun had come out so it was actually quite nice to eat out.

Quiet day planned today. I’m cake decorating and DS is having his hair cut by the lady that comes to the house, £10 plus tip (I usually give £3 as DS isn’t the easiest client!) . Need a top up of bread, will send DH out and he sticks to the list so that’s good.

I am completely confused into thinking it’s Sunday today as DH took yesterday and today off. So lovely long weekend vibes here, yay!

Cag The NHS prescribes this one. www.wilko.com/dental/chlorhexidine-gluconate-mouthwash-peppermint-300ml/invt/0432815 I think it comes in clove flavour too.

Free porridge sachets on checkout smart, only in asda though.

wreck could you make the hummus to stretch your £10 further or is it specific flavours you need where the basic ingredients would cost you more?

I just did my SuperValu weekly shop, we've loads in so net cost to me was €99.15 - i used a €2.50 off coupon and a code for free delivery over €75. This frees up €50ish depending on substitutions from our grocery budget for lidl/aldi. 10 packs of the toilet roll on offer €27.40 leaves €23.45 to play with. Going to add as I go because last time I split between supervalu & aldi I went way over budget. I can reduce the # of packs of toilet roll if necessary. Need to get pasta because you can't amend order on same day deliveries and I didn't realise we were low.

I've just spent €34.34 on an online order from healthfood shop for a week's supply of Revive Active (formerly Revive Q10+) recommended by health food shop for energy boost after being ill and a months supply of magnesium with calcium, my sleep is all over the place at the moment and magnesium always gives me a restful nights sleep. Revive Active is €60 for a months supply so I'll try a week first to see if it's effective.

Mammy I think at 65p a tub it's cheaper to buy ready made. I've borrowed £10 from dds piggy bank. Like before we do have savings I just want to try not to touch them

Cheers fluffy you’re so clever knowing all this stuff! I’ll remember that next time, we have a Wilko in town.

Mum made me try on a load of jeans that don’t fit her. Some fit really well (current pairs getting a bit loose) so I’m taking them home. Score! I HATE shopping for trousers.

Still need to choose a coat though. I’m procrastinating big time about that.

wreck Definitely hummus is fairly dear in Ireland, getting to end of the month and only needing £10 is mighty.

cag win win there, your mum gets a tidier wardrobe and you get some new jeans! I hate shopping for jeans/trousers too, I'm very much a chunky thighed lady Thanks Mammy
Should be sales on coats now

Christmas how funny that you were here yesterday. We were at the zoo today.

It was very full of people, but not too cold. We had lunch at an unexpectedly posh little restaurant with table ordering only. There was a big window to open at our table and we saw some falconry-type stuff right outside the window. I say falconry-type stuff because it included skunks. :-) It was nice. Our ears are still ringing a bit from the crowds.

We go back home tomorrow but it's been good to have a proper holiday. We've only ever been away to family before, except on our honeymoon, when we were knackered from wedding organisation. This has been a nice quiet break.

Well I spent £12 in Aldi and then £8 in Sainsbury's as noticed dd has a veruca so needed treatment. Also got oaty milk for me. Could do with a snooze now.

Dds physio appt wasn't great as, due to her growing, her calves have got extra tights so if we can't stretch the muscles then she will need to go into casts for three weeks which won't be fun.

Lunch was lovely. Food great - cheese chicken mayo toasty and curly fries. Mmm.

Oooh curly fries 😍

Anyone have any thoughts on travel cots? Decided to get one for mum's along with a cheap umbrella buggy (to keep there as still doing journey with sling) but never bought one before. I remember trying one in a hotel once with one of the Caglets and it seemed really uncomfortable but maybe there are decent ones around for not too much?!

Hi Cag
I went into town and Tiger had the memory card game
Pm me and Ill pop in the post

Lovely day catching up with old friends
Nice lunch (used vouchers) and also had free coffee and cake in JL
Got home and they have sent me ,DH and DD more vouchers 😁
Planned spend in Bravissimo on new Freya bra and pants £46 (£50 budgeted)
Hope no one is reeling with shock but Im well endowed ()() and probably buy 2 sets a year which are well looked after.
Got M&S meal deal for 2 £10 for Chinese New Year.

Cag with the travel cot we had at my parents we got a mattress for it as the dc were there two days a week. With the one we had as a spare we didn't but layered it with extra blankets as it was only occasional use.

cag we bought one from local fb selling page. It’s a Mothercare one. And we just bought a matress for it as it’ll stay at dparents.

Aw thanks so much quite will PM 💐⭐️

That’s useful thanks em and wreck do you mean an actual cot mattress? As in the same one I’d buy for a proper cot?

NSD & my shoe dyes have arrived.

No, they're specific travel for mattresses. Not expensive

Excellent :o I think the one we tried once only had a super thin thing on the base as you could feel the folding bit underneath.

Cag that travel cot mattress are super thin but I always put a blanket on it and dc always slept happily in them

Quite I think most of us here believe in quality & price per wear for bras so not need to

My online delivery is late but I'm not cross because it meant I got to feed the dogs 🐕 🐕 and eat dinner before it arrives.

I ran yesterday for first bit of exercise in 3.5 weeks & I survived. My journey to race on Sunday will involve a 20 min ferry ride, haven't been on said ferry in maybe 25 years so I'm kind nostalgic about it

€25 fuel on fuel card which will get me 4c off per litre

at free cake