March Frugaleers continued. In which we report spends, share money saving advice, chat about pretty much everything and post pet pics.

[Cagliostro]

Welcome one and all! Newbies and lurkers always welcome 💐

Up to a point Fluffy - she can only have two doses of ibuprofen in 24 hours and 4 of calpol. In theory that covers 24 hours but she’s miserable before the doses have expired. I expect today /tomorrow is peak misery so it’ll be over soon enough. It’s DH’s birthday this weekend so I’d like the fever to break by then so she cheers up!

I have wasted thousands and thousands. I still have the spoils of my wastefulness (ie ‘stuff’) all over the house, getting in my way. I need to be ruthless, write it off to experience and get on with a less cluttered life in future. I’d really like to sell some stuff but I’m not sure it’s worth the time investment. Hmmm.

Up to a point Fluffy - she can only have two doses of ibuprofen in 24 hours and 4 of calpol. In theory that covers 24 hours but she’s miserable before the doses have expired. I expect today /tomorrow is peak misery so it’ll be over soon enough. It’s DH’s birthday this weekend so I’d like the fever to break by then so she cheers up!

I have wasted thousands and thousands. I still have the spoils of my wastefulness (ie ‘stuff’) all over the house, getting in my way. I need to be ruthless, write it off to experience and get on with a less cluttered life in future. I’d really like to sell some stuff but I’m not sure it’s worth the time investment. Hmmm.

I know what you mean meadow I want as easy a life as possible for my DCs. Being autistic is hard! At the same time, of course I wouldn’t change them. They have some seriously awesome quirky qualities. I totally understand your worries seacow I feel like I’m watching Cagletini like a hawk to spot signs, which is daft in a way as when the other two were this age (and until nursery age for DS, even older for DD) I was blissfully unaware anyway! At the same time I feel like I’m enjoying her more and am more aware of all the tiny milestones as well as the big ones like smiling.

DD has said sometimes, mum do you think Rowan will be autistic like us? And really I don’t know what to say as statistically it’s almost more likely than not. So I say, quite probably. And she pointed out in a wonderfully matter of fact way that I’d not really know what to do with a non-autistic child 😂😂 it’s true in a way. I’d be out of my comfort zone for sure 😂😂 that said, I would be muddling through no matter what. DD and DS are both technically the same ‘level’ of ASD and yet they are so different and need completely different parenting anyway. So no guarantees even if she does take after me.

I also see your point about people not seeing the benefit of ASD too. I forget sometimes that the world as a whole can be very autistic-unfriendly, we are lucky in the home ed community (as such a huge amount of us have DCs with SEN) but also that makes us quite sheltered I suppose. We celebrate the kids’ quirkiness a lot, so much that when I told DD about her diagnosis, she just smiled and said “cool” - it doesn’t take away her struggles (of which there are many) but it makes me happy that she sees the positives.

Morning all. Had to go out and get diesel last night as the car was running on fumes. £55.31. I’ve plugged the data into my new car monitoring app that was fitted when I had my service so by the next time I fill up I’ll have some stats to support better budgeting on fuel, I spend a lot less at the moment because I’m working at home/in London a lot and am not going to my posted office very much. That’s scheduled to change in 9 weeks unless I get a new job first so my fuel costs could easily climb back to £150-£200 per month which, as I’d be on a lower wage, is a bit of a scary prospect.
It’s very foggy and wet here, I’m spending the day on interview prep and house cleaning,have a good day frugelleers

Just popping by to say hi. It's manic here.

I only went and got the bloody job. Eeeek

Well done life It was in a new department?

wolf you have my sympathy with the travel costs. Well documented moaning here from my old job travel costs. It’s so depressing to see your hard earned cash disappear out the window. Fingers crossed for the interview next week.

Wolf That’s awful, I do hope you don’t have to do that. It’s like having an extra council tax bill going out.

Life I am so pleased for you. When can you start?

Call from EA last night. He said our buyers want an update as they’re thinking of pulling out of the sale. 😭. After some investigation it turns out their lawyer hadn’t told them about our suggestion of a retainer. Aaaaaahh

We’ve put a deadline on it. Will a retainer do it. That’s the question we want answering by 12 noon today. If it’s a yes we can then talk. If no then we know that it’s not going to happen.

We’re pushing so hard from our side but it seems they’re not from theirs. We told ea that we can’t enter into discussions unless we know what they want. So. Bloody. Frustrating.

Should be lsd today. Will need to get something for dinner.

Well done Life fantastic news

Oh no, Em. It's such a roller coaster, isn't it?

Life, that's fantastic news. Congratulations!

Congrats life well done

Spends this morning
€6.70 on kleenex balsam tissues, lemsip max cold & flu and can of pepsi max
Withdrew €120 cash from joint account
€20 horse riding dd
€10 owed to dc money from paying for ladybirds
€20 bus money dd
€26.50 cleaner
€20 for St Patricks Day spends
€20 I will replace from my own bank acc
Balance remaining €3.50 just like that

life well done xx

creme I said to dh last night that if we don’t be sell now we’re staying another year. In this time (if we push) we can get our mortgage down to around £80k. So another £30k paid off.

Thanks all. Yes in a different branch of Civil Service.

Wolf I've sent more pms

It will be an after Easter start. Still at first offer stage.

Well done life!

Em so frustrating for you.

Day off today but I'm going to get the food shopping then have the dentist for a filling 😭😭😭

Is everyone aware of the snow that's coming?

Oh well done life!

Not much on today, and it's meant to snow later ffs. This is just what we need.

Sounds like an excellent day wreck

We’re on a weather warning here from Sunday.

Ds and I are going to go for another walk today. Same area. Different way. Yesterday we went up the big hill and right right right right to bring us back home. Today up the big hill and left left left left.

I know what you mean about speech Christmas. That is where my ds is a little bit behind, and reception was very hard, because a little bit behind at that age means they can't say what's happening at school. Good luck with bringing on your ds. A little autistic girl that we know who was mute in reception is now predicting days of the week accurately which is really exciting. (What day is tomorrow? - Tuesday! )

I totally understand your worry, and also your love of them just as they are. Parenting is a very hard line to walk sometimes.

Is your dd old enough for readybrek yet? It's magical stuff for getting rid of infectious illness.

Right. £95 food shopping. Meal plan:

Fish cakes, mash and veg
Roast chicken dinner
Left over chicken with pasta
Pizza (swimming)
Roasted sausages and med veg with giant couscous
Chilli with nachos and rice
Chilli burritos
Gammon with Mac n cheese
Gammon with chips and eggs
Fresh ravioli
Oven meal of nuggets and chips for a swimming night
Chicken tikka but with quorn

Lunches are wraps, homemade soup, tuna, cheese, bread, spaghetti hoops, ham

Breakfasts are Cheerios, ready brek, toast, English muffins, fruit, yoghurt, brioche

Great news about the job Life!

House palaver Em

I can’t believe we’re meant to have snow here tomorrow, it’s lovely and sunny this morning and so warm that I undid my coat on the school run

Cag and Sunny I am glad you understand, though I sympathise with your worries too! I actually think that I love DS a little bit more due to his SN, definitely not less. Possibly because he is more vulnerable and will need me more. And his achievements are also sweeter for being so hard won.

I’m not going to be able to definitively know about DD for years but I suppose the later the signs, if any, the better. DS was perfectly ‘fine’ up until about 2 years old with the exception that he didn’t wave and hardly pointed (there’s a correlation between missing these developments by age 1 and later being diagnosed). I knew that at the time so I suppose the possibility was in my mind but he was very sociable with us, lots of eye contact and laughing, so it was the dysfunctional speech that really triggered my worries. If DD points and waves I will be much relieved!

Coincidentally Sunny my DS is very good at days, dates etc. When I don’t know the date I ask him and he’s always right . Useful.

DD still has a temperature and the grizzles but she’s a bit brighter than yesterday so we’re on the up. Unfortunately my friend cancelled lunch as she didn’t want the lurgy. My sister has also bowed out of babysitting (after I gave her the option) as she’s also keen to avoid getting ill. Both work in public sector finance and its year end deadlines so fair enough! Sadly that means no birthday meal out with DH. It was going to be the first time we’ve gone out for dinner JUST THE TWO OF US in almost 2 years. Now postponed. Hey ho.

FFS!!! I’ve been told this morning that our buyers are borrowing from a different bank. Not the one we thought. This works in our favour as the other flat which sold recently had lending from the same bank. They’ve set precedent. So.....

£30 Waitrose. Tonic water, falafels, pate, salad, haloumi, antipasti, humous, crisps, fruit.

The world is ok again. I have tonic so can have gin

£56 dentist. It went fine as my dentist is so nice. Phew!

Seacow I also had my coat undone it's so spring like right now! I'm going to hibernate this weekend.

Em I am stressed just reading your updates!

Em what a nightmare I’d be drinking gin out of the bottle with a straw if it was me