Festive frugaleering - Merry Christmas, and a happy 2019 to you all.

[AutumnLeaves12]

Welcome to the new thread!

Today's spends €7 on goggles for ds, used our gym membership to go swimming. I'm going to tot up the value we get out of - or reducing balance until we've got our money's worth maybe I'll do a new budget in ynab for it I'm a complete geek found goggles by the side & used them while I was there as we were first to pool so they were there since yesterday but handed to lifeguard when we were leaving.

Booked appointment for tomo to view communion dresses for dd with dm

Hello all, just checking in I've been working again today and it was super busy. Plus had a worried call from mum as Dd had a funny turn, I think she fainted 😦 she has been very quiet all day so will go back to Dr tomos. I'm wondering if she might be anaemic....

Bought lunch on the run £4.70

I had a pretty abusive upbringing regarding food so my freezer is ALWAYS crammed full. Will just need a few extra Tins, or I can exist off pasta.

Evening.

I have been learning French. According to the tinterweb I can be fluent in 6 months. Suspiciously it is all men who tell me this is possible. I suspect they have fewer day to day distractions. DS is being roped in to speak in nothing but French to me one day a week. I must learn key phrases like tidy your bedroom, dinner is ready, can you move this shit off the table please.

Frugal win today....wine is very cheap compared to the UK.

Girlie I hope that is all it is. I used to faint before my period was due. Usually in front of the most popular boy who I was trying to impress.

That's great that you have food now Sneaky. Well done for keeping yourself fed and safe.

sneaky my mum is the same. Always about 6 months worth of food in the house. She doesn't rotate it so the bits at the back of the cupboard are some times halfway to a new strain of antibiotic.

Sorry to hear that sneaky it does have a lasting effect when things like that mar your childhood. It is positive that you recognise it 💐

Oh no girlie my first thought was periods too, has she started hers yet? I don’t think we are too far off them with DD1.

Regretting asking Santa for toddler cutlery after Cagletini stabbed me in the boob with a small fork.

I can however say it's jars, tins and freezer food that I have literally three months worth of and not fridge food - I don't let anything go off like I assume your mum does Unescorted

Twas weird moving into the home and them going "Erm, yes you can eat outside of three meals a day and of course you don't have to finish all your food, and yes we can get the occasional McDonald's"

It was revolutionary!

I'm not stockpiling. My choice.

Always took you for a wall flower life....shy, retiring sort indeed.....😂

Curls - I use a really expensive face wash. I tried this year to use alternatives and it didn't work. To negate, I try to save some M&S vouchers and buy from there as they send me a £10 off beauty voucher too. If you've done your best value shopping then buy and enjoy!

wolf I'm in! Keeps us on track in terms of why we have this thread too. I'll have a think about a tip.

Veggie tagine in the instant pot. Using everything I have in already. Piles of veggies too as I'm roasting some as side dishes, added bonus is little clearing up and good use of putting on the oven. So little Christmas waste that we are back on normal food. Entirely different to previous years......

Your poor Dd is not having an easy time health wise girlie, poor soul. Would it be balance (feeling faint and off kilter) given the ear issue?

sneaky - I bet that was a difference to have choice indeed. Good for you to being self aware enough to understand and accept.

😂 at your post unescorted, your dry humour makes me smile.

Ha! Sneaky. Some of her tinned stuff dates back to before you were born. She just shoves the new stuff in the front of the cupboard so the stuff at the back never gets used. I don't think anyone one else has this system. In her defence she is quite short and can't see what is there. And the "fresh" stuff is really grim. She thinks I have a weird tick because I always open the fridge when I go to see her.....she thinks I am fridge raiding. I am just doing a quick check to see what needs throwing out before she poisons herself or visitors.

Your poor DD girlie. You both deserve some better health next year!

Sorry to hear things were so tough for you growing up sneaky

I was talking to our safeguarding lead on the last day of term, and they were telling me how quite a few children would be fighting going home that afternoon as their lives were so grim. Broke my heart more than a little

Some things are absolutely worth it Jam and Curls
Its the not wasting money thats key
Ive gone back to Lush 9-5 ,nothing compares to it and a bottle lasts me 6-8 months at least .
The Waitrose stuff was fine and I would use again if I had to economise.

Still finishing off leftovers here but had to buy more veg.

Hi all, thought I would drop in. Haven't been around since Em was pregnant first time around! So nice to see the same faces, even if there have been a few name changes.

I hate waste too, Blueskies, so have made my frugal turkey, ham and leek pie with a lot of leftovers. Still have a leftover mountain, but I have plans for it!

My top frugal tip:
-if you like reading or listening to books, or reading magazines, you can often get them free from your library via an app. Am currently binge reading back issues of Healthy Food Magazine.

I love libraries..... Sadly ours is being closed to pay for all the statutory services for people moving to our area when they retire. I will move off my soap box now.

£17.99 Oddsmonkey subscription. I’ve got about £35 in free bets coming now and a £5 casino bonus and I made £8 instantly from a profit boost bet.

Top frugal tip, no convienience food.

I’m going to curry my turkey legs. Bit predictable but I like curry. I have loads of sprouted potatoes to use up too. Bombay potatoes look really easy.

Did you have a veggie Christmas Jam? We’re still on Turkey here, turkey arrabiata with pasta today. I must admit I am enjoying stretching the turkey out and glad today to eat something tomato-based and not rich! The end of the turkey is in sight.... but salmon tomorrow .

I’m not going to hoard things big time for Brexit. I can imagine:

1. shortages for a week or two caused by people panicking and hoarding - I have enough general stocks of rice, pasta to manage a couple of weeks or so
2. Difficulty getting hold of a few specific things for a little while due to import issues

I think what I’ll do is get in a bit extra of the stuff that DS in particular is fussy about (if I lay in a good stock of his normal peanut butter and some extra tins of tomatoes that will cover most essential bases). The rest of us could just be flexible about what we eat if we needed to be.

I am in agreement about trying to get back to frugal basics on this thread, I will try to be more focussed!

£80 today in the Jojo sale. I bought a stock of thick jersey cord leggings in the next 3 sizes as dd is living in hers this year. Was really pleased to grab them in the sale - I got there early today as I live 5 mins from our high st. Also got 3 nice cardigans in various sizes. Nothing too frilly as dd doesn’t suit the frilly look. Also got milk and bananas.

Unfrugal trip to the cinema tonight with DM, £27 for 2 tickets ( London). I suggested it randomly as mum’s not been for about 20 years and it’s not something that reminds her of dad, Iyswim. I was surprised but pleased that she fancied it. We’re seeing Mary Poppins . Hope I can stay awake!

DS has been pretty agitated today and has wet himself twice - Something he never does unless we are out of the house for ages with no ‘acceptable’ loo available - a very rare occurrence. He did it once yesterday too. I am wondering whether he may have a UTI. Might try and get a sample off him in the morning, no idea how though! I’m a bit worried about him.

Spent most of the afternoon compiling the info for my tax return and then cleaning out the heat exchanger on the tumble dryer . Fun times

That's not great sea. Could it be the come down after the excitement of Christmas?

If it is any consolation it takes me ages to clean the heat exchanger too.

Fluffy I don't get match betting. I think I am quite phobic about any betting (long story as to why..of the type that needs to be in a thriller one day) so I switch off stop my head exploding when people try to explain it to me. My rational head says it is a sensible thing....my emotional side is a quivering wreck.

No, but I bought a turkey crown and I got a size that was exactly for the number to feed. I'd usually be cautious and go large (😁), and order a full turkey. Just in case there wasn't enough....same idea for the trimming like stuffing and pigs in blankets etc. Bit of a gamble but there was plenty enough for the day and a couple of rounds of sandwiches.

Exactly the same as you re shortages... folk stocking up and a few specifics. Many things come from outside the EU anyway. Our hardest import/export scenario was Kazakhstan, and even then wasn't impossible, especially once you've got used to their requirements.

Hope DS is okay. Think it maybe the whole Christmas 'thing'? My friends DS struggles so badly at this time of year, for obvious reasons re routine etc.

Wilderness
You just reminded me I get free magazines with Prime .
Off for a look

I've had a glass of red on an empty stomach so my spelling and punctuation is shite.

Sorry, I’m a bit stop and start and usually several posts behind due to high-maintenance DC!

Girlie I hope dd is okay. I was a fainty child, nothing wrong, just naturally low blood pressure. My mum was the same. Has she ever fainted before?

Frugal tip: I agree about bar soap, I feel
cleaner using it than if I use gel too.

Em maybe you guys don’t need to worry about depleting your coast of seaweed etc as you have relatively a lot of coastline and not many people!

Sneaky that’s awful about food Gkad you are in a better place now

I've fainted a few times seacow normally when ill or rundown (or pregnant!) Dd never has before though and she has been off colour generally, kids are such a worry! That said she has eaten all her tea so hopefully is picking up a bit.

My frugal tips are use the cheap shops aldi/lidl/ pound land/wilkos/the works etc and just buy less stuff in general.

Yes at school safeguarding referrals always increase significantly in the last week of term. It's very sad but good that school can set the ball rolling to help them and their families. I like the pastoral side of my job. The children are so much more than numbers in a spreadsheet. The government could do with being reminded of that!

I've decided to stock up on basic medication including stuff for chicken pox and Calpol in case any of the dcs are ill. Also some tins and bags of rice, pasta and lentils and get some stuff in the freezer. Ours is usually pretty full anyway as we batch cook and also freeze leftovers but I'll also get some chips and veg in there.