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Aspiring to Affording April Amusements

996 replies

mammymammyIRL · 11/04/2018 22:29

Any other suggestions?

OP posts:
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ememem84 · 17/04/2018 12:36

Have just gone through a budget of sorts with dh and he’s gone to the shop. We’ve meal planned and shopping listed. He’s much better at food shopping than me - I get distracted by yummy things.

Someone a couple of days ago asked whether we could cut back on things or renegotiate tariffs.

We can’t really. The renegotiating anyway. There is one electricity supplier here. So we use them or have no electric. Our bill will probably go up in the next few months as it’s been winter and we’ve been heating ds’ room (pre Ds we wouldn’t have had the rad on full time in that room) and using tumble drier more. Sigh.

Car insurance is paid until September as is contents insurance. But once we sell we can hopefully get some of the contents insurance refunded. Same with our parish rates (similar to council tax).

Car insurance will be negotiated once it comes up for renewal as will catfaces insurance.

Dh is aiming for a food shop of £45.

Obviously once we sell we won’t have a mortgage/utilities to pay for a month or so while we’re living with dparents.

We’ve just done a stop at the naice charity shop (which sells only furniture and house items) and will absolutely use them once we get the new house. Some lovely things. Ds had to pull me away from vintage mint condition Pyrex dishes (like dgrandma had!) £2 each with lids... i May sneak back tomorrow and grab them though...

We are slowly trying to get back on track. Tomorrow will be my spendy day. Haircut which I estimate at around £125 (cut colour and blow dry) and facial (free with a voucher).

We are still trying to go low waste and low plastic. I’ve asked dh not to get any fruit or veg in plastic. We shall see if he manages it.

ChristmasSeacow · 17/04/2018 13:13

M&S click n collect order had been sent back an hour before I got there Angry. Have reordered, relieved it’s still in stock

Attached photo is DD's lunch. So the carrot and houmous wraps went down well then Hmm. I am coming to the conclusion she only likes pasta, watermelon and satsumas 🙄. And anything non-food that she’s not meant to reach. She can crawl now so I’ve had to hide some house plants...

Aspiring to Affording April Amusements
ememem84 · 17/04/2018 13:14

sea ds is in that “every bloody thing he can get his hands on goes in his mouth” I’ve had to tell people before they take him that their scarf/earrings/hair/necklace etc etc may get licked.

Wolfcub · 17/04/2018 15:57

Ah I love that stage when they are exploring food. It’s lovely. Em that’s a good low food budget, can I ask what’s on your meal plan?

LonelyOversharer · 17/04/2018 15:59

Dd1 was a hair puller. 15 years on and I still knot my hair back tight each day.

So, spends £20 unleaded into my c1, this will last a week or so. £3.40 posting an etsy order, £6.90 posting an ebay sale (I dropped it off at the spar, quite novel), and £4.99 on gaviscon for dp who gets indigestion as soon as he lies down.

I have potted up my new climbers, bought weeks ago, and plated potatoes, peas and beans outside, and potted on the rose and sweet peas. So productive, not that you'd notice as theres still a big "for the tip" pile out the front.

Dp and I had left over chicken from yesterday, the dc are having omelettes and chips for tea.

girlie you must be so angry. I hope the water company come and sort the drains. For new builds, you shouldn't have enough crap built up to send a smell through I'd have thought?

mammynowanauntyIRL · 17/04/2018 16:22

Mediation rang me back and we are #8 on their list so will be scheduled for next month Grin

girlie what a bugger after all your work cleaning out your machine Angry

read up to end page 16

mammynowanauntyIRL · 17/04/2018 16:26

bornlazy pretty sure there's an app for sharing meal plans and shopping lists etc, Google Keep it's called, both you and dh could use it. I wanted H to use it, he didn't comply.

em I asked that rather tongue in cheek though, as in where did he think the extra money was going to come from Confused

Fluffycloudland77 · 17/04/2018 16:34

You'd hope no ones putting fat down the sinks. Have you tried putting some caustic soda down the sinks? £1 in homebargains and you'll get 10 uses out of it mixed with cold water. I leave mine down a few hours.

You shouldn't get any back flow though in modern domestic plumbing though.

£45 cats cystitis tablets.
60p lettuce in the co-op.

Frugal things;
Made stain remover using water and washing up liquid in a spray pump for dhs t shirts where he spills vape liquid down himself.
Got three bags of wild freedom dry cat food to try out. 1.2kg.
Ordered another two samples of dry cat food. Arden grange and vets kitchen.

If nothing else our local cats protection is in for a treat if he rejects all of them.

Can he get tablets on prescription for that Lonely? Dh does after telling the dr about his rennie consumption.

We've done the eBay click and collect thing too. So much easier than traipsing to a post office.

Girliefriendlikesflowers · 17/04/2018 16:43

Yeah I am pissed off, so frustrating! That said I risked another wash this afternoon and it smells fine 😞 I reckon in total I've spent about £360 so far trying to sort this out 😢😣 and the thought that I got rid of my beloved old WM for no reason is making me feel very sad. Ugh.

Dd has had a long day at school as they are doing assessments all week, have let her put a dvd on so she can chill for a bit.

I spent a ridiculous amount in aldi (I blame the WM stress) spent £61 and have got enough food to last at least 2 weeks or more.

Went to the reuse shop and spent £10 on 3 large pots for the garden.

£1.40 on a stamp for an rsvp going to America, told my friends that are getting married in Ireland that we can't go, I can't afford it and I can't take dd out of school. Will def take dd to Ireland at some point though once have saved some money up!! Will pop in on our Irish frugallers 😉

Meal plan
Spaghetti bol
Sausage casserole
Salmon and rice with veg
Fish, chips and peas
Hot dogs and salad
Roast dinner

ememem84 · 17/04/2018 16:57

mammy ah. Obviously my “tongue j. Cheek monitor” wasn’t working the other day! Haha!

wolf rough meal plan

Tuesday - carbonara
Wednesday - courgette meatballs and pasta
Thursday - peanut chicken
Friday - homemade pizza
Saturday - chicken curry - maybe Thai red and flatbreads
Sunday - pasta Bake - broccoli garlic cream cheesey.
Monday - veg stir fry and noodle with pork sriracha meatballs.

ememem84 · 17/04/2018 17:02

Ds is Home! Today was his longest nursery day (930 to 4) so far! He was fine! Are sqooshed jacket potato and mince and beans. Good boy.

£52 at coop today.

We also went to the beach. Yippee. £0.79 parking at the beach. Sat and read my book whilst dh snoozed for an hour. Also got my shorts on. 17 degrees here which means shorts and flip flops!!!

mammynowanauntyIRL · 17/04/2018 17:16

I've just got a free month of ynab thanks to someone who subscribed after getting a free trial using my referral link, if it's someone here, thank you and best of luck with it Referral Link if anyone wants it!

girlie welcome to visit me anytime and we could meet up with tayto Grin

em I like your meal plan, it looks similar to what mine will once I no longer live with H. What's courgette meatballs? Meatballs with courgette grated into mix or meatballs & courgetti? Actually everything sounds yum! I've still got thermal vest on here, shorts definitely not an option!

I've got a meeting tonight and laser and must pick up dd and a 60th birthday card, think I'll be eating my toasted ham and cheese sandwich in the car between appointments. I had dinner at lunch as I predicted it might go this way.

scattyspice · 17/04/2018 18:17

Work today, £30 petrol and £12 Lidl (bread, milk, cheese etc ) dc are mostly pack lunch now so need to get more in.

Our drains are stinky as old property and keep blocking, dh bought some rods to clean out regularly. Never had smelly washing though.

WreckTangled · 17/04/2018 18:22

Nsd

MeadowHay · 17/04/2018 18:51

Hi everyone! Hope everyone is well.

We have had a rough time of it recently. After approximately 5 weeks of fighting and intensive nursing, we had to make the heartbreaking decision to put our poorly piggy to sleep on the advice of the vet on Thursday. We have both been devastated. These are my first pets, and I have lost family members before but not very close ones, so I genuinely think this is my first experience of actual grief...and it is not nice. Still, each day it gets more bearable than the last and we made the right decision for him and he had a lovely life with us albeit shorter than we would have liked. We are busy adapting again to all this free time we have now that we don't need to nurse him every few hours, it is odd. And also need to sort out a new friend or two for our other piggy who is doing ok but is clingier than usual with him being on his own at the moment bless him.

Bornlazy · 17/04/2018 19:09

Flowers Meadow losing a pet is heart breaking - they are such a big part of our lives. When we had to get our cat put down it really was like a death in the family.

ememem84 · 17/04/2018 19:12

Oh meadow Flowers

lifelongfrugaleer · 17/04/2018 19:18

Ah meadow that is horrible. Sorry for you. It's such a hard decision to make. Flowers

mammynowanauntyIRL · 17/04/2018 19:27

Aww meadow sorry to hear that, when you're growing life inside you too you feel these things on the double Thanks

Nsd so far but about to change €50 on laser treatment, hopefully last one & need to get a birthday card too.

QuiteCleanBandit · 17/04/2018 19:30

Meadowpoor piggy Flowers
Fluffy I have to ask -where does the fat come from ?Blush
Ive heard of fat bergs but where do you get the fat from?
NSD
em
Ne'er cast a clout til May is out Grin

Fluffycloudland77 · 17/04/2018 19:45

Washing up water, dishwasher water, small amount from the washing machine and people who put fat down the sink or toilet.

Meadow I’m so sorry you had to do that. Can you get a rescue piggy?. It’d be nice to offer one a second chance.

WreckTangled · 17/04/2018 19:48

Oh no meadow so sorry about your dpiggy Thanks

QuiteCleanBandit · 17/04/2018 19:51

Oh I see -pretty unavoidable then if you are just washing up /dishwashing.
I imagined people just pouring it down

ChristmasSeacow · 17/04/2018 19:57

Oh I’m so sorry Meadow. It’s so hard to lose a pet, they’re family Sad.

Girlie I am gutted for you getting rid of your washing machine for possibly no reason Shock.

Nice name change Mammy. Is this your first niece/nephew then?

I’ve got DS’s school shorts out as it’s going to be 25C here on Thursday! Unfortunately he is always about 2 months behind the weather and is still refusing to go out without his school sweatshirt and coat on (zipped up), and will do for some weeks yet I’m sure. He must have been boiling on the way home today. I do get some stares in the height of summer, I think passers by think I’m just a neurotic Mum, bordering on cruel!

I love seeing his little stick legs sticking out of his school shorts though ❤️

WreckTangled · 17/04/2018 20:03

Seacow ds had shorts on today, so cute!

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