Friendly Frugaleers Ambling into Autumn, watching our wallets and the weather!

[Cagliostro]

Hello! All welcome as we continue trying to use our money wisely!

life an ABBA party sounds like so much fun. JAM when we you busting your moves.

I went to the pub this evening with dh and a friend..... If you ever want to know what happens in bloke world it is the dullest conversation. Northern bands plus beer = radio 6 without the irony. Dear effing god.... How can they take themselves so seriously. No wonder they are so enamoured with the off side rule. It is the highlight of the night.....

You'd be genuinely welcome but you'd have to bring gin and be prepared to listen to a few additional 80's tunes.

I'm a fan of Blue Monday at present. DH will insist on Uptown Funk or something by Mumford but I'll send him to the pub...

Un sounds great

Love Malibu, let yourself in, door on the latch

Can I come too Jam? Blue Monday is one of my faves. I'll bring the Pringles!
Well done on the relay.

Welcome Mischief.

Cag I know exactly what you mean about craving alone time. I don't know how to get any. I usually go to the supermarket alone on a Saturday morning but that's hardly peace and quiet!

I'm up again! I think ds is teething. I'm now finding that even though I'm exhausted I'm not sleeping well because I'm on edge waiting for one of the dcs to wake up. I know looking at my phone won't help me to sleep but it distracts me from thinking about work which also keeps me awake.

Oh snuggly you poor thing

Well done Jam
Life I hope you feel brighter for some sleep and that the call to ACAS today is helpful. We are all here for you.

Sleep didn’t come to casa Wolf. I lay awake for the majority of the night with a bad case of anxiety and the sads. I’m going to drop ds off and then try to nap for an hour so that I can get through the working day.

Cag fingers crossed dh’s boss can make a move happen

Snuggly hope you got some more sleep last night . We do a lot of bed swap in this house to aid sleep. I've been in with the little one since she woke a few hours ago so not a great night's sleep here but I know that tonight DH will sleep in the spare room and be on duty as I feel that on edge anticipation too - I need to know I'm completely off duty to be able to sleep.

Right - ABBA tunes going on Spotify! Working September is here and I'm feeling motivated! Have opened up two new savings accounts this morning - one for annual costs and one just because it's 5% interest. We're now paying our home insurance annually as well as car insurance and some other costs so I'm going to put aside £100pm for those.

I don't have any planned spends today and should be avoiding shops. I do have two of the DCs bdays this month and a few other gifts etc to sort but will just make s plan today.

Happy Monday everyone!

Morning all. Day off for me today. Yay. Just me and ds (who is hard work at the moment so wish me an easy day!!).

snuggly oh you poor thing. Xx

curvy fashion wise, I work out what suits me and what makes me look put together and stick with it. I’ve been pinteresting outfits. I love Pinterest.

Tomorrow for work I’m going in with - denim shirt tucked into black pencil skirt, black flats which I’ll change for heels once I get there and a mustrd yellow bag.

Today distressed skinny jeans and a Tshirt.

I like the sound of that outfit em. I need me clothes as mine don't fit well anymore. I'm thinking skinny fit trousers and more dresses and skirts.

That's jam. I'll pop over, one day....I love a bit of 80s. I'll Spotify blue Monday in prep.

Do you need a chat wolf? Pm me if you want. I'm WFH today.

Thanks y'all. I need to un wallow and get me butt into gear for some self care.
£25 Tomorrow for gym pass, unless dh is back in time tonight for me to go.
Need to return a bag to Sainsbury's and buty some bits.

Snuggly you poor thing, hope you managed a few more hours
I didn't sleep to well, I'm always a little bit anxious before I go back to work.

Em, thank you for the tip, I just think I need to find a style I like and stick with it...I really don't know what suits me anymore!
Good luck with your lovely ds today!

Today I'm wearing grey trousers, black boots and a white shirt with small leopards on it.

Off to work in a bit, hope you all have a great Monday!

Over budget on groceries this week €159.98 in Aldi & the aforementioned €25 in Dunnes this included birthday present for au pair, bottle of rose, homemade butter fudge and whiskey truffles, will pick up a Belgian choc cheesecake tomo as that's the actual day. Also babybels were on offer in Dunnes so purchased 24 instead of usual 6 and eat lean cheese, which wasn't needed but I've never had it and it was on offer in Dunnes too. Cupboards, fridge and freezer are groaning. There were 16.5 litres of milk drank in our house last week compared to usual 10 so I was allowing for that also.

Wolf hope nap helps, I slept well last night, spent time with my Nan and my uncles wife yesterday

Excellent going jam.

Hope people managed to get some sleep

Some department stores offer a personal shopper for free. It's better to buy something you know you'll get a lot of wear out of than waste money.

I have heard the John Lewis ones can be a bit biased towards Ted Baker.

Green Jinn offers are a bit meh this week. There's free soft cheese x 2 on Shopmium if you have a waitrose nearby.

I love an ABBA sing along!

Back to work today but I still haven't got a new diary. So annoying. I looked in paper chase on Saturday but they were all shit.

I've skim read the last 2 pages...woke up worrying I'd come over a bit holier than thou in my last post.

I sometimes forget I was single with a 5yo, 1.8yo and newborn dd for almost 2 years. So clearly got used to having to give all my time to them. We just have a saying that is "one in, all in" so we've always done stuff together. I've never felt put upon. I know everyone is different, and I very luckily swerved pnd. My girls are lovely things, open and caring, and certainly don't treat me like a servant, although I still do way too much for them now they're 15,12,10. Ds is a different kettle, he's a bit spoiled! But by dp, he listens to me. He's still a cutie, the most tactile human I've met.

And theres always, you know, knitting!

♥️♥️

curvy I love fashion. But I’ve stopped buying the “fast” fashion stuff. I may buy a few bits each season but I don’t follow the fashion stuff - I have a friend who buys a full new wardrobe each season. She does a capsule thing, spends about £750 or so each season. She can afford it. And saves for this. and annoyingly is two sizes bigger than me I stick to what works for me.

Bad night sleep here too. DP starts his new job today (although doing his old job too) so he was restless. I have to go to a staff training day in a different location which always makes me nervous. I'm now here 30 minutes early but fortunately brought my travel mug of tea. I so hope we're not doing lots of group work as I do not shine in these situations as I am such an introvert 🤢

Good luck everyone going back to work/school

Going to have to eat a frog and go into my training day. Probably 150 people gone in so far but I only know/met about 5 people so far 😫

Hi all, Im home today ,. i have to do some stuff this morning then hopefully int he garden all day. Theres a lot to sort out ,after this really dry summer. and now we seem to becoming inundated with bramble through our hedges again.. ( it doesn't seem to have suffered n the way other things have)
Im still getting my head around being 'flexibly retired' thing. Its been a couple of months now ( one of which i was on holiday so doesnt count) . but ive realised that i have either spent my non working days either visiting elderly parents or somehow just feeling like I am playing hookey and not doing anything at all ( sort of holed up as if im not really allowed to put my head out of the door until its time to go back into work again IFYSWIM).

This is so daft! i suppose its readjustment .. I've spent all my working life being full time and so it really does feel like i 'should' be in everyday.. I'm not 'pulling sickies' i dont work these days!. -needs kick up bum here --

another thin g of course is that I'm having to rethink my 'style' Garden grunge may be it!! . one thing i have dont so far is go through the wardrobe and have got rid of a load of working clothes

I love fashion also. and now do prefer to spend more on one or two nice bits . but yes ,my 'need' for clothes is changing along with the lifestyle change.. for example.. shoes ..This is definitely needing a rethink. i wont be needing to wear boots and nice shoes so much now..coats wont really be a problem though.. its not the sort of thing I buy often ..

Eeek good luck with the training love

It is back to school on Wednesday here, at least, that’s the day the local secondaries start, so we are going with that. Just gradually easing them in first with bedtimes/alarm clocks and some online learning stuff before that day.

So much housework to do today. Then going to DH’s work for a brief charity thing that DD is involved in. Then tae kwon do which DH normally takes them to, but can’t because he’s working.

Sitting down with a hot lukewarmcup of earl grey and shop well for less.

Ds is napping and has destroyed the living room. Balls everywhere.

Washing on, Ive put the breakfast things in the dishwasher and have had a shower.

Today’s outfit is:

Khaki v neck sleeveless top from oasis
Denim pencil skirt - Dorothy Perkins
Reef flip flops

"Balls everywhere" ROFL