Festive frugaleers saving through to the new year!

[SnugglySnerd]

New thread! Tried to post on the old one and it was full. Newcomers welcome!

Thanks snuggly!

Hi everyone
wolf could you get H off the joint account?

Thanks Snuggly.

You are right Girlie they do still need you when they are older. Sometimes more than ever as there are so many important choices that they need to make and being there to steer them down the right path is really important.

I have managed ,so far, to hang on to my 23hrs and it is brilliant. I couldn’t have worked anymore than that as I had no more childcare and being a shift worker doesn’t really work with most nurseries.

Morning

How do you do 23 hours of a job? Is it like doing mornings, or term time only or something like that? That sounds like something that I could maybe work up to.

Thanks for the new thread snuggly, hope you are hanging on in there re the sleep, you poor thing.

I'm cross on your behalf wolf.

Em, 'knowing' you as I do - you need to work.

Born I fully agree, they need you more almost as they get older, or at least in a different way.

As my Dc are about to fly the nest, then I'm truly glad I worked. This has become more and more apparent as they get older, even though it was tough at times. Short term pain, long term gain.

seacow, you make a massively important point about pensions.

Xmas doo was cheap, I spend £20.
Petrol was £70 but I'll need to fuel again as used half a tank taking Dd to Oxford and driving back, it's a 350 plus round trip, I was quite knackered Sunday.

Yesterday NSD.

Today - will depend.

fluffy - DS has done a spreadsheet for his shopping and spends £20 per week. You should be proud.

jam minifrugaleerds

I brought my lunch to work like the good frugaleer I am and then realised I'm out for meeting at lunchtime and will be near home so I might defer today's lunch until tomorrow and grab something at home.

em I could not have been the sahp either, and I think we're similar in that way

I've decided to spend a tiny bit of the £300 on treating my bestie to dinner in town

Sneaky Are there any offers on?.

Jam I could not be more proud

I cooked a silverside of beef from frozen in the slow cooker (yes I know that was a stupid thing to do now) and it was a bit tough. Do you think it will soften up if I cook it on low tomorrow and curry it?.

That's a lovely idea Sneaky. I'm getting stressed about Xmas. The dcs won't stay asleep long enough to get any presents wrapped.

Thanks for new thread @snuggly.

Yesterday was NSD.

Spends today:
£2 work canteen
£38 Christmas gift for DS

Found you.

Spends £23 George
£32 jack wills
£19 boots (pregnancy vitamins bubble bath etc)
£89 pair of boots (black knee highs with brown tops from jones - reduced from £180...!)

Ddad spent £450 in one swoop on a beautifully simple gold bangle for Dm for Christmas. She is going to love it but will go apeshit when she sees the credit card bill!

Ddad now treating me to lunch in pub. Steak sandwiches x2 bowl of chippies a beer and a black currant and lemonade - bloody love pub blackcurrant!!

Your lunch has just made me very dissatisfied with my own cheese and crackers @em!

Thanks for the new fred snuggly didn't realise the last one was nearly full!

22.5 hours is 3 days a week autumn 9-5.

I've been into town and spent a fair bit, £30 super drug on various cough and cold remedies plus a gift for dm.

£13 in the entertainer on a game and gift for my niece.

£23 on the sherlock Holmes board game for dd, I checked it wasn't cheaper online first.

£10 a cd for my dad

£3 lunch

£4 Boots on plug in refills.

£34 lidl that includes two gifts.

Off to get dd in a min and see what the consultant thinks of her (general review of why she is as deaf as she is and has so many throat/chest issues.)

As I said to dh yesterday in answer to the “what do you want to do?” Question, “I want to go back to work and I don’t want to be forgotten”

So that’s what we need to work towards. For my own mental health I need to work. It will be tough. But need to do it.

Am currently tidying up. Moving things i today the right rooms and putting away.

Have popped some laundry on and emptied the bins.

I’ve asked dh for a lovely brown/tan leather handbag for Christmas. Big enough for an A4 folder (maternity notes). And some earrings. I usually wear nothing (just the holes in my ears) or pearl studs. I want a paid of diamond studs. Nothing fancy. Just small everyday diamonds. Or crystal ones. Bosses wife sells super sparkly crystal ones. At suggest dh goes and sees her.

Catface is come up for a snuggle. So May nap.

More money maths here. If I’ve calculated correctly I should get £3990 maternity pay (£216.80 per week for 18 weeks) from government. Plus a one off payment of £650.

Plus my employers maternity pay - which I believe now is 6 weeks at full pay, then 90% for the next 10 weeks. They retain 10% to be paid once back in role for 6 months. I’ve said to dh I’m looking to go back in January or February. Which would be 6/7 months off to include any accrued annual leave.

Need to get the ideas firmly in place now.

I’m going to tell boss tomorrow. Dh says not to. But I have appointment at 1 next Thursday so may be late back. If I don’t tell them I’m going to have to make up the time. If it’s preggo related I don’t have to do that!

Can you take DS1 out of Nursery while your on maternity leave or is that me being mental?. Or reduce his hours there?.

Snuggly Thank you for starting the next thead, could you get your dh to take all 3 out while you wrap?.

That's interesting that not being forgotten is a big thing for you em. With me, I'm increasingly realising that having intelligent men to talk to is very important. I hadn't really realised that would be in short supply at the school gate. I always did like male company and it's really starting to irritate me that I just don't see the fellas any more.

fluffy dh suggested that...but while it would be nice....it’s a no go from my perspective. If we remove him theres a chance we may not get him back in. It will give me a break - he’s only In 3 days a week so I’d have him Monday’s and Fridays. The other three days he can go and do his thing. And we can do ours.

I also want to limit the change for ds. It’s going to be a massive change for all of us. But I don’t want him to lose out.

I’d certainly give it a go fluffy, won’t make it tougher anyway, how about the pressure cooker?

Em, if it helps - I think that’s a good idea re nursery. We did the same with DS, it kept his routine, gave me a bit of space with Dd etc. Suddenly, with two, just having one at home is easy, so it did give me a break when they were both little. Asid from keeping the spot at nursery etc.

I think that’s a great idea sneaky. Enjoy the lunch.

NSD so far and using the IP for veg soup tonight.

Quick check in

Deffo keep some nursery hours for DS em whilst on mat leave. I needed that to keep my sanity with a newborn! I was fortunate DD1 was in her free 15 hours at the time

I can't remember the last time I had relations. Must add that to my to do list

Can picture you checking it off afterwards love
I could tell you the last time, but I won't

I’m determined to leave dh with the two of them as early as I can though. Just to prove it’s not easy! Haha.

Just picked the wee man up from nursery. They’ve had their Christmas pictures taken. I have a ridiculously photogenic child.

Tomorrow is Christmas party day. And Friday is angel day at nursery. Ds will do angel day on Thursday as he doesn’t go on Friday.

I might have to give it a deadline date to actually get it done autumn 🤔