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 💐

Fluffy that's what i have been doing.. I actually think its gone and I'm just left with it feeling like it is still there..

((hugs)) mammy

NSD for me. DDs brought me breakfast in bed and chocolates, then DH paid for Pizza Express.

Nsd. Woop.

Laska I have a horrible feeling you still have a bone in there, if its still sore get yourself down to a&e tomos, they will have a proper look. If it has gone then great but if it is still there they can remove it.

Moan are you on holiday or in Uk? My DH is a birder, it is a lovely soothing hobby not that he ever gets to go these days

I meant to say before - you seem remarkably calm Mammy. I am sure the end of a long and significant relationship (with Kids!) must feel quite destabilising even when you know you are doing the right thing. I hope the process of separating goes as well as it can do. You are very resourceful and will definitely do just fine on your own. And sounds as though your RL network is right behind you.

Thanks for the kind words about DS. One good thing was not feeling self conscious about his behaviour on this occasion because everyone else who was there would totally get it (even the staff, who were so well trained and kind!). I try not to care what people think anyway but it is always hard when ds is behaving in a way that just looks like bad behaviour to an outsider. I feel protective of him because he doesn’t deserve to have people think that about him when he is actually a lovely well-behaved child when not overwhelmed. Anyway, DH and I made a decision a while ago that we would choose carefully but take him to do things he might like. And then if it goes tits up, we will just cut our losses, go home and try not to not fret. On we go....

sea they are amazing dinosaurs. Well done on going to the museum- I am not sure I would have tried, but I am the passive (shit) parent. For all his mardiness dh is a really awesome parent and does 99.9% of the kid stuff. If it was left to me they would be feral.
Wreck I had one of those last weekend...you have my sympathy. At least got to stay in bed most of the day.

Lonely did they manage to not fight.

My DD took me to see I, Tonya and bought me a bunch of flowers... I have taught her well £2 X2 from Aldi and rearrange to look expensive. DS got me a shopping bag and cadbury's recipe book....I think he needs more work.

My dc are feral. I'm a very passive parent! Today the difference in my and my sisters parenting styles was very clear. I pretty much let mine get on with it. They are super little people, and yes, my middle girls did not fight, all day!

I've got loads to do, but my head feels full of cotton wool. So I think I'm going to go to bed.

It's freezer/cupboard lucky dip for the next 4 days, as I only have £15 food budget left until the 15th. Lots of eggs, so we shall see how it goes (will need the £15 for endless milk and bread).

Hope everyone has had a good or better day today.

Spends: £50 Turkish meal out (shared a starter and dessert, had main, soft drink and coffee/tea each), including £5 tip and £35 Adidas tracksuit bottoms for DS, as he had none. To be fair, this is the first time he's ever asked for branded sportswear, aged 15, so I suppose it was inevitable at some point.

Happy mother’s day all!
Spends £20 DVDs and snacks, £45 dinner, just me and Caglets as DH working. Sea bass was epic. Baby was hard work! We are definitely out of the portable perma-sleepy newborn phase. Le sigh. It was really nice though. Presents in the morning, they unsubtly had been to the next town where my favourite shop in the universe is (Indy game store) :o :o

I have so so much stuff to sort out this week. Lots of little things I’ve been procrastinating over, I WILL do. Or try to. This includes some teaching, I’ve only started back with one session so far but have another tomorrow. Need the money and the routine I think.

I’ve moved another £200 into my ISA from PayPal, this is money from sports club (we offer a block payment option, and people generally just roll the money over if we have to cancel a session due to weather, rather than wanting a refund... I really need to update the income records, I’m going low tech writing it in the back of the diary this year) and the Book Day party. I basically have to keep £600 in there as this is the money for the trampolining club, so I’ll be paying the coach and hall hire throughout the year. Eep.

Might buy some more storage tomorrow. And probably will look at chemistry books in Smiths (before buying used copies). And get a huge piece of green card for a poster because we are studying Ireland this week :o

I thought I might get some potato farls... what is nice to eat them with? I only tried them with butter once.

I am quite passive too actually - I don’t think I’d ever be the sort of parent who runs kids from one after-school activity to another... but we do have to get DS out in the world a bit. And I do like a bit of science myself

Dinosaurs biscuits are really easy as it’s just a set of cutters that make pieces that fit together. The only ‘tricky’ bit is finding a decent biscuit recipe that doesn’t spread too much in the oven (I use a gingerbread recipe) and rolling the dough to the optimal thickness in the first place. I think the cutters were from a company called Suck UK, if anyone is interested. But a few years ago now.

Poached or fried eggs Cag. And a spot of bacon. Mmmm.

Babies that need routine /proper sleep - v annoying. Another annoying development is babies that notice everything, especially phones, so I can’t read mn over DD’s shoulder during slow feeds any more. She’s very selfish.

That is the disadvantage of babies interacting more :o I had to be very careful with my drink today and finally DH understands why both Caglets broke a pair of my glasses when they were babies, as R grabbed his right off his face this evening :o

I am going to regret being up so late.

Morning. I'm in for a crazy couple of days as dh working away for 2 days. Interview tomorrow but have taken the day off work so might go and spend my Christmas vouchers while my specs are being repaired

Argh still so tired despite ten hours sleep!

Need to buy my nan a birthday card today and pick up the flea stuff which is £33.

Today I am speaking to the lawyer. (Hopefully while ds sleeps).

I essentially need to know by close tomorrow whether we are going ahead with the sale. I’m in limbo at present. Have to let removals know, pay to change addresses, cut off electric etc and have to give x days notice for all these things.

Ds has learned to gurgle...it’s not my favourite of all his noises. And is almost rolling over. He gets to his side and sometimes flips right over. Sometimes doesn’t.

Morning. I've been feeling awful all weekend so I've an made an appointment to see the doctor today. I think it might be a sinus infection.

em hope you get some kind of resolution with the lawyer. So frustrating.

Spoken to lawyer. He (annoyingly) doesn’t seem hopeful. His opinion (which annoyingly I’m inclined to agree with him on) is that if the banks say they won’t lend they won’t lend no matter what we tell them. Sigh.

I’ve done the thing I didn’t want to do and asked estate agent to ask our buyers whether they’ll wait.

Frustrated isn’t the word.

£32 flea stuff
£4 something on water, sausage roll and birthday card for my nan
£5 on flowers for my nan (all co op flowers are half price)

Aw no, Em. What a pain!

Back from the doctor. €50 for appointment + €12.50 for prescription. We have health insurance through DH's job so we can claim some of the money back for the appointment.

em I just saw your update. You must be so fed up!

seacow thanks I think I'm just dealing with the situation practically. Obviously there are tears at times but all disappointment for my children rather than grief over end of relationship. I know, in my heart and soul, it's definitely a it's you, not me situation

tayto sorry to hear you're not feeling well, just the reward you need after doing loads of overtime.

em that's so frustrating! Hopefully it'll get resolved sooner rather than later. How's the packing going?

Speaking of packing, hope I don't have to move, I'll need a skip! I'll probably get through the decluttering quicker when I've decluttered my husband!

Going to lunchbreak will continue later!

I just went to the GP over a tricky thing and he was nice and helpful. Yay!

Thanks all. It’s super frustrating. Re the packing...it’s on hold. There’s realistically nothing more I can do. Dm has said that she’ll help me on weds to pack up if it does go through. Dh has Thursday Friday off.

Manager of building has said we don’t need said certificate because of the ratio of owner occupied/rented. Aaaahhgg. So we need him to confirm this in writing. And then see if the buyers bank will accept.

Dms said though that if it falls flat she’ll help me deep clean and unpack and do a proper sort out.

em the waiting games is so annoying and especially when you've a small baby