Spending October organising our spends - friendly frugaleers this way!

[ememem84]

New thread because old one is almost full. All welcome. fluffy can you be a doll and please post the helpful threads? X x

Hi warm you are welcome here. This thread brought me to my senses. My ex (we have 3dd's together) was iffy (at best) with maintenance, controlling at worse, and is an ex pat, so I have to rely on his good grace. But through it I tried to keep my dc's standard of life the same... long story short, I no longer engage with ex, he puts money in with little fuss (since I called him out on being a bully - I trembled for about a week after that!), and I got a mortgage approved last week to transfer my "lets be jolly and keep everything the same" debt away from my credit cards. It's a hideous situation to be in.

Are your dc old enough to explain why there is less money?

A little bit of bad this morning...we have worn the dishwasher out. Slimline zanussi, had it 8 years, so not too bad really, as theres 6 of us! Motor had blown, it's unrepairable (dp has had it in bits already). It can wait for now!

Lonely don't envy you washing up for 6, get everyone on board with turns so you don't get stuck with it.

Our washing machine is on the blink, repair guy coming tomo or tues. I hope it can be repaired I don't want to be buying a machine with H now. It's 10 years old, but when he came last year he said it was a fantastic machine & worth putting parts into.

I'm going to outdoor laundry machines today €12 if I can get all into a big & small machine but I think €16 is more realistic because it'll be 2 big washes.

Yesterday I sorted boiler out myself without engaging H, woodpellets will need topping up though before long & there's no money saved for it.

eBay lonely? Those slim ones go for pennies.

Morning everyone. I can hardly move today as, on a whim, I decided to properly tidy ds2’s bedroom yesterday...it took me nine hours 😫 Moved all the furniture and have three black bags of rubbish and three for the charity shop. Have got rid of a small wardrobe and a chest of drawers which makes a huge difference as he has a small room that was jam packed with furniture. It needs repainted but hopefully that’ll be easier to do now there is less crap and more space.

I can’t face selling anything on eBay so it’s all going to the charity shop. I know if I tried I could make some money, but I’ve been holding on to it thinking I would sell it and it’s just taking up space.

Sorry should have said, welcome warm. What is it with these fathers not paying money for their own children???

That's amazing work born.

I'm bracing myself for orchestra fun with ds today. I think my mission today is to try to keep up and also not giggle in the back row. Day off until then, I think.

Morning all.
Welcome warm, I recently changed my gas and electricity supplier from british gas to Bulb and will save £22 a month, which is over £250 a year.

Today it is raining a lot, so a day indoors catching up with admin and helping the little one with homework.
Have a good Sunday everyone.

Chucking it down here as well ☔

Welcome warm how many kids have you got? Are you getting any tax credits/ help with childcare etc, also getting lone person discount on your council tax?

Will do some baking today, flapjack and banana bread for pack lunches. Also need to pop to morrisons for a few bits.

Rain rain rain here too.

Waiting for DS2 to come back from the in-laws. Had a fab night last night with DH and a few friends who we bumped into while we were out.

Excited for later. I’m in a Facebook group for people who follow the curly girl method and someone has organised a meet nearby. So I’m going to meet lots of other curly girls for a coffee or 2!

Have just spend £112 on Amazon that was on 14 items though and consists of a large chunk on dds Christmas presents. I also discovered the Max Factor foundation I like (miracle touch which I have really struggled to find in shops recently) is only £7 on Amazon when it is normally £12 in stores so have bought some and some other make up bits as well.

@Bornlazy it's because they see it as giving money to the mother. H even thought that of putting money in joint account when we were together.
Well done on the clear out

Interesting reading talk about changing energy suppliers I don't know what to do, house will be going up for sale, cheapest supplier I found hard work last time, next cheapest want level pay which you guys do I think for all, we just pay bills as they come in ROI. I don't know what to do, saving is €100.

We've a fabulous day here, yesterday was rain rain rain. I'm going to run when washing is in machine later.

Cancelled riding. Dh shouted at me for even wanting to go because I need to help him in the house (nothing needs doing that we can do anyway bar measuring and shops aren’t open today).

But it is tipping down and thundering. So I don’t fancy riding.

£7.95 on vertical blind bottom replacements.

Morning!!!!! Just done 10 miles in the rain you bunch of softies

I have another brother fluffy too, I don't think he's in the will either...

The feed shop is remarkably cheap quite, I doubt they'd be able to give any more discount to be fair. Could always ask for a loyalty discount though

warm welcome (see what I did there....). Another tip, menu plan!! Saves a fortune and cuts out all those supermarket top ups or impulse buys.

Shopping with DD today. A rare treat for both involved. She has some money to spend. DH has given her £20 as the scrap man came round last week at work too.

Em does he know you cancelled because of weather not house?

Jam will run later but not ten miles & not in the rain

I thought that might be the case mammy. I have seen it happen to the most doting of fathers - it’s like they don’t realise that by punishing their Ex the kids suffer too.

Brave jam, I don't have wet running gear, even my trainers are not waterproof, any tips wear to get decent stuff?

He does mammy. He’s faffing around in the house now. I’ve made my list of essentials and non essentials. He’s having a poo and reading sports.

I’m taking the stuff to the dump that was in the attic.

Mmm marmite on toast on a rainy day makes me happy. Dd is in bed watching Christmas films on her kindle and ds is eating toast (having done his spellings) despite already eating two bowls of shredded wheat, a pain au chocolat, a crepe, raspberries, strawberries and grapes. Should have got some eggs. I'be put on another load of washing. Need to dry it now.

It's bucketing here too. I want to go and stand in it. #splosh

*were even.

On the subjects of exes, mine cheated on me so I told him to do one, (he wasn't a very nice person anyway, lots of low level abuse) so I was a lone parent trying to work out how to pay the 8 grand debt he left me with. He also thought that as I was getting money from the government he didn't need to pay towards the upkeep of his kids.

Blimey curvy, you've been through it. Re the running question, my answer is actually frugal! The genuinely waterproof gear is serious money. I run 6 days a week and couldn't justify the cost, it's for the extreme ultra guys and mountain runners. My tip is to wear as little as possible rather than layer up. Once you start running, you're generally getting warm, I found that if I wore a jacket and running top, that's just two layers of wet items you are wearing, and that you're actually colder for it.

Today I ran in a long sleeve top and shorts, obligatory his viz tabard. I made sure I had a dry top in the car to quickly change into for the end, that's all.

Trainers I am afraid just get wet whatever you do.

Madonna tribute thing last night. £12 bus/taxi. £20 Max on drinks. _2 church collection this morning.
£90 Aldi htf I don't know it's gotten expensive. £16 Iceland, £32 school photos,

Danced rather than drank so feeling fine but my Garmin didn't count my steps. My get hurt so I know I did loads.

Sunday roast and homework once DS back from footy. Also helping friend with some probate stuff.

Will catch up the rest in a bit.
Em pleased you love the house. That's the kind of think my fil would do. Lol at the defiant screwing up.

Jam, of course your dB is awesome...... Golden children are in not one either

Not as awesome as you though. X

Love the IKEA chat. I like it but go with a list like a ninja.

Welcome warm. Read the tips threads too.

Hope you had a good time wolf, you deserve it

Hope everyone else is doing/ feeling ok. I'm so far behind I can't remember more.

Jam, thanks, but no more than some of you really.

I'm in a much better place now, it was 16 years ago. I paid off half the debt and gave the companies his last known address and told them to chase him, he got very angry and we went nc for a while.
The kids wanted to see their dad so we had to come to an agreement. The kids are 20 and 17 now so I don't have to talk to the ex anymore.

I did met someone else and had another 2 kids and we have been together for 14 and a half years now, we have our ups and downs but he has my back, but there are times when I think it may not last forever, not sure why really.

Anyway re running, that makes sense, better to have just one wet layer. I'm not brave enough for shorts #thunderthighs
I still need to get a hi vis as I run when its light, but it is getting darker now.
Thank you

I have been practical and defiant today.

I’ve put a mirror over the fireplace screwed up hole. To make it look pretty.

I’ve made a list of everything we need and need to do. Have measured everything.