Frugaleers chatting and saving in the April sunshine.

[SunnyLikeThursday]

Welcome to the new thread. This is a support thread for chatting and discussion of family budgeting.

£6 ish on coffee and cake with DH. Not frugal but needed. He is seriously stressed after visiting the ILs we’re off out for a meeting tomorrow so there will be more coffees. Not sure about lunch.

I must learn to cook dhal.

Adora it was so easy Jamie Oliver recipee*

Three portions ready for freezing em and for lunches at work, cous cous often goes wrong at work by adding too much boiling water

79kcal per portion too incredible

Thanks Creme. I'm still working so hard at the pacing you, you know. I think you saved my bacon big time by explaining that to me. Thanks for that.

I love really Dhal.. tend to make it with red lentils ans with grated carrot in also (carrot) melts down so good for hidden veg! I often have it with h/m spinach and mushroom bhaji and rice.dollop of yoghurt and splash of chilli sauce. Le yum and cheap..

.. I need cheap to make up for the Hush habit!!

Spends yesterday
Toy shop £25 (game and puzzle out of my own budget although DS has taken over the puzzle already!)
Charity shop £2.50 - bargain geomag!
Food at various points £24 😱 included dinner after rehearsal though
£9 bus travel (I’m still free due to disabled pass but we had to go out of county so had to pay extra for the Caglets)
£4.50 ordering DD’s dinner for between today’s two ballet shows. She can come and sit with us in the cafe to eat, they aren’t allowed to leave the theatre.
£97 Tesco delivery [sigh]

Parents arriving in a couple of hours. I’m nice so I’ll let them share my smoked salmon philly bagels for lunch :o I’ve got baby cucumbers to have with it. Has anyone else had trouble with cucumbers lately (there’s a question I never thought I’d ask ) they just seem to go off really quickly. So I’m trying the baby ones as they were on offer.

Morning, thanks for the link mammy I've been looking for something good to go with pakora (dp makes delicious ones, we have a fryer) and I love spicy lentily things. Passing the dd test will be dicey, but I shall try!

I've calmed down about my credit cards. I think if I look on them as long term borrowing, like a mortgage, I can just pay them, and not panic. I already do Talkinpeace's thing, but will set standing orders up now, as my day to day spending has stabilised (thanks frugal thread). I just have got to pull my head out of the sand about it, and be realistic.

Christmas this year will be very skinny though, as the bulk goes on credit, but no more. I'm going to truly try not to spend at all on credit from now on. This is epic for me. They have been my crutch for the past 10 years. Hence the debt now.

I've got loads of work (both paid, craft orders and house) to get on with today.

And my cat is looking a lot better this morning, he didn't get me up at 5 for the first of 6 breakfasts, so hopefully his passengers died in the night. It's great that at 17 that he's fit enough to catch rabbits and mice, but does he have to eat them?

Yes cag just out of season I think, even for the huge greenhouses in Spain and Holland that they are grown in. I think the variety that overwinters doesn't keep so well. Dd3 eats a lot of cucumber. The ones on top in lidl yesterday were already over, so I poked about 3 boxes down and got nice ones. Same with the grapes.

Hope your dd1 enjoys her performances. It's such a pain waiting around during rehersals etc, but they get so much out of it.

I've never had Dahl I must make it!

Just had overnight oats... I decided I don't like cold porridge so microwaved it!!

Didn't get to the shops yesterday but did gut the girls room. Loads of space and more toys to take to the sale on Saturday.

Spends - smyths £27 on dd2 birthday present. She's been eyeing up the dc superhero girls high school but at christmas was way too much. Reduced to £14.99 on there. Bought 2 extra figures to go with it. So pretty chuffed with that!

Today I'm dropping off charity stuff, popping in co op for the essentials and going to the park. It's cold but dry at least!

Also need to book dd2 party - year one is the last year I do whole class parties. Booking a local soft play centre which is about £90 then cheap food and sweet cones instead of party bags.

Taking catface to the vet today - just to get her weighed, more flea stuff and nails clipped.

She knows.

Hi all, hard to keep track of spending in dribs and drabs on holiday,

Walked to ski centre yesterday morning and booked 2 lessons each for the 3 children, €225 to pay this afternoon. Shopping was about €12, estimate €30 euros for drinks and ice creams (DH paid so not sure)

I am going to the first interview for my ASD test in an hour, and I am going dressed to the 9s, with even my legs on show. It's pretty thrilling, I can tell you. Nothing more fun than an interview where I get to list all my shortcomings. Nothing, I tell you. If the interviewer is sexy, I may die of embarrassment.

Just catching up. I've been off work with chest infection. I was hoping that it was viral and I might get away without antibiotics but yesterday my temp started at 38 and was 39.7 by lunchtime so I managed to get a GP appointment & am now on a week of antibiotics. Felt dreadful yesterday but much improved and temp lower today.
sunny impressive sewing. I've never ventured into making clothes but enjoy quilting
lonely it sounds like you do have a plan for the cc debt which is half the battle I think, the other half is sticking to it! Great that your spending is more under control now too.

So sick of the wet weather now. It does seem to mean ds is doing more revision though! Dd has just tidied and cleaned the kitchen for me and is now making focaccia to go with tomato soup that I'm hoping ds is going to make.
Yesterday's spends £8 on a prescription, dh did a small top up shop at aldi but not sure how much it was. Today should be another LSD

sunny nice outfit 😀 love a dark red and grey combo.

I’m watching this morning. Absolute drivel today. They’re making pesto pasta. W. T. F.

Have done a load of washing and well that’s about it. Lazy day today. I’m saving my strength for wrestling catface into her box.

Em my cat would spread his legs as wide as he could so he couldn't fit in the box!

£1 on a big bottle of whole milk. Need dishwasher tablets which I forgot and can't be bothered wrestling the dts back into the pushchair so I'll send dh to the supermarket later.

snuggly she reverts to her feral past. She hides hisses bites for about half an hour gen gives up and just makes herself as flat as possible into the floor (and as far away from the box as possible) so I have to peel her off the floor and pour her into the box.

The box is out and just in the living room. She’s had a sniff, hit it and has run off.

Yay! Thanks Em. I walked past a tv camera on the way home in my nice shoes, so they may have been recorded for posterity. Also a neighbour complimented me on them as she cycled past. Pretty exciting day, all told.

That interview thing went fine. Phew! 2 year waiting list apparently, so I'll just keep stockpiling sleep and hope my sensory systems grow back to normal.

Was that an interview just to get onto the waiting list Sunny, rather than part of the assessment itself? Seems mad... but waiting times for diagnosis are dreadful. For some people who are really struggling (and for whom diagnosis would be enormously helpful) it’s a massive problem. Not to mention young children - we waited 7 months for a first appointment for my then (barely verbal) 3-year old, and that was quick compared to many areas. At a time when early intervention would make so much difference not that we got any intervention even after diagnosis

Stuck at home again today. It was nice this morning so we could have gone out except that I had a mobile hairdresser coming round to trim DS’s hair. £13 with tip. And now she’s been it’s started raining. In any case I am packing for our few days away in Devon. It’s always so complicated with little kids - snacks, bottles, steriliser, toys, bibs, kiddy toilet seat.... they can’t even guarantee parking at the Travelodge we are staying at so that’s going to be interesting. If this weekend is anything other than a disaster (family room, no sleep, raining) I will be amazed. So surely I can only be pleasantly surprised? At least we’ll see my Granny and she will see the dcs. I know that will make it all worth it because she’ll be thrilled to see them.

I still can’t find my kindle. It’s been missing for more than 9 months now. At what point do I give up and replace it?

Other spends - £14 on a Facebook site buying 3 duplicates of DD’s favourite comforter. The original was from Jojo but they’ve changed them so I was after the old style ones. It worked out loads cheaper and the ones I’ve got are in as-new condition as they are ones that other babies rejected . Dd chews it and can’t sleep without it so it’s for insurance (and I can keep washing and rotating them to avoid smells). I think that was a good day’s work!

Snuggly are you enjoying the Easter holidays? You made it through your first term !

Highest overdraft figure: £350.40 (i.e the day before last payday)
Yesterday’s balance - £-346.54
Today’s balance: -£453.31
Difference - £106.77

spends since yesterday’s post
(not all of them have been over last 24hrs, most happened before the bank holidays)
25.98 – petrol
1.00 – loaf of bread
3.00 – 2 x 3 litre bottles of Pepsi Max (this is my weakness and it’s currently on offer)
17.97 – clear plastic zipped storage bags from Amazon (3 x packs of 2 – I have been organising my wardrobes over the holidays)
9.00 – belt – purchased on Good Friday before my epiphany
28.00 – we went out for tea on Thursday (champagne tastes, lager pocket)
6.24 – groceries at Asda on Good Friday
14.80 – Just eat on Good Friday (Pizza night)
6.89 – Amazon kindle books
17.88 – Dog food.

Total money Available
Bank: -102.91 (overdrawn over the highest figure)
Purse: £12.50 (+1.00 on yesterday)
£167.80 (-£25.98 on yesterday)
£42 – DS1 still owes me
£56 - expenses cheque – we’re going tomorrow.
£9.86 – asda price guarantee vouchers to spend which I keep forgetting about.
£3.30 – requested from Quidco
Actual balance taking these into account: +176.05

Days left to payday: 9

Moneysaving stuff I have done today....

1. Went to pay the cheque in but it won't clear until Tuesday so I'm not counting it in my available money yet.
2. Did a freezer audit - there is enough 'main meal' food in to last until payday so I'll just need vegetables, bread, milk, pop and cereal up to payday. Hopefully no more than £30 cash + Price guarantee voucher which is £8+

3 Used one of my Asda price guarantee vouchers towards the shopping which was £1.06 (spends will go on tomorrow's money post). DS1 (who is an adult but still lives at home) was pestering for stuff but I stood firm and said NO although I did cave in for 2 x packs of 5 jam doughnuts.

1. DH and I had planned a day out on Friday to a town about 20+ miles away which would have been transport costs + meal out + few drinks + probably spending in shops. He is on board for my debt busting so we're still going out but we are staying local and leaving the car in one town, walking 3 miles along the canal to another, eating in the Wetherspoons, couple of drinks in there, then a 3 mile walk back to the car. No rain is forecast or it might not be as nice as it sounds.

I'm off out to the theatre tonight with my friend (tickets bought ages ago) and we're off out for a meal first which is unavoidable but I shouldn't spend any more than £15 depending on whether a pud is consumed or not :-)

Hope you're all okay

scarlet I love a freezer audit, unless you do it very regularly there's usually a surprise or two. Well done too on re planning your night out, the walking will offset the food & drink a bit too!

Christmas yes that was the interview to get onto the 2 year waiting list for the ASD assessment. I think it was effectively the triage to check that I would be going on the right waiting list and to see if I needed more urgent looking at. I think I will write around and see if there is a private option available more quickly.

Very brave sunny well done.

I have taken the plunge and 'booked' dd2 and 3 into Grandmas for 2 nights. It's their usual sleepover nights, but not usually together. I'm going to finally fix the wall. The plaster has to come off one wall, and to the window on the external wall. Craked, holes scribbled on as the wall swelled when we had the bathroom leak, then crumbled when it dried.

So, tomorrow I will have to buy bonding plaster, but work to do before then moving stuff and prepping. I have been meaning to do this for over a year.

Spends so far, £2.79 on a jumper pattern for my mum to make for my dp. I cannot make him one as I can't be arsed because of the boyfriend curse. If wool warehouses website works later (site down, tragedy!) I may order him the yarn, paypal so ebay selling money.

£23 on posting a load of ebay sales. Had a wee flood this week, which is great. Will transfer from paypal to cover this.

Vets done. £55. She’s worth it though. Baby catface girl. She fought hard to stay out of the box then moulded herself to the box when the nurse went to get her out to do her pedicures. Barely any fuss though whilst nails were being clipped.

Home Now.

Ds stayed with Dm and df. They arrived and he shrieks with laughter. He has such a lovely time with them.

Thanks lonely. Good luck with the wall. That sounds brilliant. We need to do a bunch of plastering too. I'm not sure I can do plastering. I hear it's hard. Do you do that yourself?