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.

Cag thats lovely
Not sure who missed Saibsburys 25% off but there is 50% off some TU atm

Cag that’s really wonderful well done to your dd

Well done cag dd

Cag That’s lovely, I’d be a bag of nerves being on stage. Kids performances always make me cry. Little donkey has a Pavlovian effect on my tear ducts.

I tried Superdrug’s coconut deep conditioner, really good and only £4, it’s usually half price or bogof. It’ll save me loads compared to the Schwartzkopf one I used to use.

I'm bleaching my tea spoons today. Does it get better than this!?

Cag that's great!

I'm having a blood test today. Been extra tired recently so strong my iron, thyroid and vitamin d tested. I know it's not the best time to test vitamin d but I think I'll need something stronger than otc supplements for it.

Fluffy is there an art to crying in a dignified manner in public? I've never been any good at that, and am consequently hopelessly bottled up.

We have lovely sunshine. Good heavens! Expenses claim made, tyre fixed. Busy work day today but will take ds for a haircut afterwards (£15) and pick up something for tea as I am tired, achy and just can’t be bothered!

Ah that’s lovely Cag.

Life

We are on the road to Devon - amazingly just 20 mins behind my target departure time . The sun is shining for the first time in days but I gather we will be leaving it behind as we head SW 🙄

Thank you all 💐

Sunny I’m glad you had your first interview. Sorry I completely failed to PM you, my head has been all over the place! 😳

I’m really glad I took the time to write all my regular bills in the diary this year. I need to get better at actually looking at them as I got a bit of a shock today, I think due to easter some were delayed, and all the things I spent on my card were too, and it all came out at once. But I’m grateful that I can now look ahead and know that I’ll be fine nothing regular is due until 16th, I know when child benefit and PIP go in, and I also know when the Caglets’ bus passes run out and how much I need to have for that.

DH has transferred a small amount but I’m pretty sure it’s not necessary. But considering this time last year it would’ve been complete panic, not knowing when anything was coming in or going out, and most notably the shock would have been that I was near my overdraft limit, not that I just had less money (in the black) than I thought... I think this is a huge improvement!

I think the next stage for me is keeping an exact track of what I use my card for. I do keep a vague note of spends but I get a bit confused by how long things take to come out if the account and sometimes I forget by the time they do. So maybe I need to specifically write down debit card spends so I can keep track better. I’m also wondering if maybe getting cash out would be a better way? Obviously I’d still need to use my card for big things like Tesco delivery. My main worry is how do I work out what amount is sensible to take out? If I have cash I blow it.

DH and I are saving all our cash from teaching BTW, the exact amount goes into one of those saving tins you have to open with a can opener. PayPal income from teaching (mostly sports club) stays in PayPal until chunks of it go to the ISA for moving costs. So we don’t have that income to use for general spends. We are terrible fritterers! Any thoughts on cash budgeting?

Don't worry about it Cag. I'm quite sure you have enough to deal with already. I hope it's going well there. I'm really glad you dd did so well on stage, that's brilliant.

We are trying to have a NS Easter holiday which is a pretty tall order. It's going okay though. The weather is amazing here today.

Beautiful weather here today. I’ve been awake since 4... someone (ds) was singing to himself and when I went in he was on his tummy at the opposite end of the cot.

Dh then brought him into bed with us. So I didn’t get much more sleep.

Dropped dh into work and then dropped ds off at dparents. Dad and I went to the gym.

Have got my feet out of boots today and am wearing my espadrilles.

We’re off for lunch today. Meeting. Dparents friend.

Unfortunately not Sunny. It’s only acceptable at weddings and funerals. Dh won’t go with me to cinema due to this. He used to sit there hissing ”Are you leaking again.”

£12 work supplies.
£8 profender tape worm stuff for the cat.

If you fritter cash might not be the way forward Cag unless your really disciplined and can get £20 out for the week & not replenish it. If you can crack impulse spends your laughing.

That's useful to know fluffy. I always wondered how people did that. I've only been to two funerals and two weddings. The funerals creeped the hell out of me, and the weddings were just hilarious. I always get the sharp elbow from dh for inappropriate giggling in these situations, because I have no idea how else to react.

Weddings are a trial. I only went to mine because you can’t marry by proxy.

Fluffy

I usually hate them ,( my first was rubbish, but then I wasnt marrying someone I liked that much... )

My 2nd was fab!! really cheapo do , reg office , with just our good friends,kids and parents and a small party in our back garden on a hot sunny day with lots of yummy food and wine..

I enjoyed it once I was there & I hadn’t stuttered saying my vows therefore looking a tit in front of the whole family.

Checking in.
Frugal win on train tickets to see parents in couple of weeks, £96 return from London to up north. Downside is late train on the outward journey but will take a flask of tea and coze up with a book.

Fish and chips for dinner, yummy Marks crumbed fish, six for £10 so some for the freezer and homemade wedges. We have quite a nice chippy in town but it’s expensive.

Re crying in public, Fluffy and Sunny, it’s all about the hankies as I read in one of the Miss Manners etiquette books “weeping into paper tissues is disgusting, weeping into fine linen is romantic drama!”

And another £32 on birthday present for Mum. She has been enjoying the seventies series The Cedar Tree, rather like Upstairs Downstairs, so I have ordered the second and third series to complete her set. Must get off line before I spend any more.

Should have £40 coming back shortly though, DP and I bought a power bank that apparently charges all your tech and will even start the car if the battery goes flat. Well, it didn’t even charge the iPad so back it goes.

The plaster is off the wall. It didn't fight at all. Think my house might be held together with layers of paint only.

Letting the considerable dust settle before lugging it all outside. Had a long shower, washed my hair twice, and I still feel gritty.

Tip run, then £37 on plaster, a mixer thing and a decent brush to help with skimming. £20 diesel so I could get home, and £9 in the coop.

Dropped off the girls, and scored mums old ercol seat cushions. She's just had the suite redone, and they brought the big bits back, so they will be perfect for the dd's mezzanine chill out bit, saves me getting floor cushions.

£9.99 one metre of mirror finish window foil for the back door. It’ll keep all the sunlight out so the utility stays cool for the cat during the day.

A perfect fit blind was £60 🤔

I’ve got a shower cap from Homebargains I wear for messy diy. Turquoise with white polka dots. Quite hideous but does the job.

Such a class act fluffster.

£0 in house of Fraser as dd was not letting me look, £0 in town ditto. £10 Argos but from a Christmas voucher, £25 footy fees, £20 i owe DS, £5 later for Zumba, £85 Sainsbury's ffs

Fluffy that sounds very stylish.

Duchess I was just thinking about The Cedar Tree the other day. I used to watch it with my Mum in the year before I started school, along with Pebble Mill at One. I remember really liking the music.