Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Cost of living

Stretching your budget? Share tips and advice to discuss budgeting and energy saving here. For the latest deals and discounts, sign up for Mumsnet Moneysaver emails.

Friendly Frugaleers Furtively Ferreting Away to Find Fabulous Savings

999 replies

Wolfcub · 05/02/2019 21:49

New fred

OP posts:
Thread gallery
30
Wolfcub · 17/02/2019 15:53

Sheets and towels on the line and Soupy’s flapjack in the oven. Dparents are taking us to the seaside tomorrow and will provide us with a packed lunch and fish and chip tea so I thought I’d make some to take and will of course not touch even a tiny bit beforehand liar

OP posts:
Girliefriendlikescake · 17/02/2019 16:19

Hi all quick catch up, am really missing mn on my phone and seems like such an effort to catch up on the laptop instead!

Lonely that is a speedy day but great that it was all budgeted for, my bra situation will soon hit crisis point as I hate all of them and none fit me properly Sad I hate bra shopping though.

Jam great time on the Parkrun, we went ystd as it was my mums 100th Parkrun!! My time was abysmal and I felt very faint as I came round the last bit Blush I need to try and get into running regularly again. Dd did well though 33mins and 7th in her age category.

Happier I must have missed some news about a new romance?! Thats exciting, really pleased for you.

Meadow I would think an ISA would be the best for savings but interest rates generally are shit atm.

Sorry to hear about your mil Adora

We have had a busy wend but not too spendy, ystd was a NSD and today
was £13 on hamster and cat stuff. Dd has bought herself a new hammy, its a Syrian hamster so larger than the last ones we had (russian dwarf hamsters) but very cute and dd is pleased. I also bought myself a saw for £5 as have some wood that needs cutting up.

MeadowHay · 17/02/2019 16:35

Sorry for your loss Adora Flowers.

Today is spendy...£42ish in a little supermarket on groceries and laundry/cleaning stuff. Then pre-ordered pizza takeaway for tea for a late valentine's day celebration as we didn't do anything on the actual day £16ish will come later. Not frugal but feel we deserve it Grin. Oh and about £8 in pet shop for things for DGuineaPig.

Taytocrisps · 17/02/2019 18:11

Dinner was tasty - lasagne and left over salad from yesterday.

Happier I finally saw a bit of that money programme earlier. The couple featured seemed very sensible to me - they were overpaying their mortgage and overpaying a loan from a family member. They'd saved all the child benefit they'd received and put it into a savings account (post office I think) with the intention of using it for college. But the financial advisor wasn't happy with this at all. He advised them to put €1,000 a month into a pension (€600 a month after tax). In order to achieve the savings necessary to come up with €600, he advised them to pay less each month to the family member they'd borrowed from - the loan would still be paid off but over a longer period. He advised them to put their savings into a long term investment plan which would yield a lot more. He also advised them to spend more on leisure and entertainment - he told them to spend €100 a week on this! As a result of all these changes, he estimated that the couple would be financially independent when the husband reached 59, rather than 73 if they continued as before. It was an interesting way of looking at money but I hope the family member didn't mind waiting longer for their loan back. I'm intrigued now - might look up the other programmes on RTE Player.

LonelyOversharer · 17/02/2019 18:18

I did the weekly food shop while dd was at the farm, roughly £100, but got loads for that. Probably 2 weeks of meat as we are having 3 low/no meat days now (which I forgot about), luckily the freezer absorbs the extra. Even though it's 1/2 term I bought all the usual lunch box stuff on auto pilot. It will all get eaten.

And £12 on 2 huge (reduced) cuddly toys for dd3. £2 latte, and £46 in b&q, but got about 10 packs of seeds for 50p each, Suttons ones, all useful stuff. And a tin of gloss that can only be described as midnight-blue-purple.

adora so sorry for your loss Flowers

girlie have you tried Debenhams? I find the ladies a) know what they are doing, and b) aren't at all patronising. I find the Fantasie brand are brilliant for fit and support. I wear them until they are grey and holey as they cost £36 a go

Spent the afternoon working (£50 extra this weekend), sorting the front end of the living room (full binbag), and have dyed some curtains I got in a charity shop navy blue in the machine. Jurys out as they are currently on the after wash.

It looks like we will be getting some Guinea Pigs for dd3's birthday. This time they will be outdoor pets.

lifelongfrugaleer · 17/02/2019 18:26

Sorry to hear that Adora.

Wolfcub · 17/02/2019 18:33

I’d recommend John Lewis for bra Fitting as well although the last time I went I must have spent £200 Blush. I like fantasie but the ones I have now are triumph and they are very good, wash well and don’t go out of shape

OP posts:
lifelongfrugaleer · 17/02/2019 18:35

£40 cinema, snack, parking and to local begger.
I don't believe in giving to them but DS gets very upset. They sit outside the cinema and car park.
Made Dahl for tea with sweet potato and spinach. It was quite nice.
Have seen a coconut and chick pea one for late in the week.

SneakyGremlins · 17/02/2019 18:42

I buy them a hot drink but I won't give them money.

lifelongfrugaleer · 17/02/2019 18:45

I don't like giving money as I know where it goes. Huge generalisation there I know.
There is a coffee shop next to the cinema that gives joy good and drink which you can pay for but they were shut.
My beautiful and sensitive DS's feelings are more important though right at that time.

Justanothermile · 17/02/2019 18:54

So very sorry for your families loss Adora. Xx

Justanothermile · 17/02/2019 18:57

Sorry, I don't know why but you buying a saw made me smile girlie😁. Well done to your mum on her 100th parkrun. And to your Dd. Did you eat enough before you ran or think it was you pushing to the limit at the end?

Wolfcub · 17/02/2019 19:33

I’m watching the rich kid programme. I thought it might be a lesson for ds about people needing to budget and life within their means but it’s just making me feel stabby

OP posts:
moimichme · 17/02/2019 19:43

Sorry for your loss Adora. Flowers

Nsd for me today, but DH bought more food...I wonder if he is having flashbacks of when we lived in a very cold place without a car and had to be careful with shopping?! But it was warmer weather today, so I dunno. He took ds to the park while I tidied up and sorted stuff for charity, so I'm not sure how they ended up at Morrison's yet again.

Meal plan for this week:
Veg and tofu pasta
Leftover curry with rice (from DH)
Aubergine pesto butter bean pasta
Grilled 'cheese' (Violife) and tomato soup
Nut roast with potatoes and roasted veg
Veggie sausage and vegetable casserole
Leftovers

Happy Sunday night all, and gws to those not feeling very well.

moimichme · 17/02/2019 19:46

P.S. Since Snuggly says no '2' cake tin needed for the twins, does anyone else need or want it soon? Let me know here or pm if you prefer.

Happierwithouthim · 17/02/2019 19:54

Tayto must look at them myself, found you & your money magazine by Eddie Hobbs in my clear out yesterday so going to re read that too

Adora sorry for your loss

I really rate the bras I got at m&s in July but with weight loss I'm not filling them as well now, will wait for my back size to reduce also before I go bra shopping again though

I'm having a hungry day, think my glands are swelling, going to have bath as soon as dc are in bed & get to bed early myself..

H broke washing machine door & came into house accusing me of breaking it. I didn't rise to the bait and said calmly back. It wasn't broken yesterday when I used it and it's broken today so I don't think I'm at fault here. I think I saw steam coming out of his ears Wink I looked at it today at lower hinge is gone but upper one still to the good so I'm going to let it be for now, it's operational.

MeadowHay · 17/02/2019 20:09

If anyone is a D cup or bigger, Bravissimo is the best fitting experiences I have ever had. I only started going there during pregnancy and even though it works out more expensive for me as I used to only buy bras that were in cheaper packs or reduced, the experience is so much less stressful than anywhere else. I used to go to Debenhams and John Lewis and both were ok but I always felt a bit rushed and anxious, and they didn't sell many bras in my size and I didn't feel like I got much help from the staff to actually find bras in my size once they'd ascertained my size. Bravissimo I've been to 3 times in the past year and they've been amazing every time, so calm and helpful. In late pregnancy I was really struggling to find anything that wasn't uncomfortable for me and they were really busy and the fitter spend aaaages with me until I found a few that I liked.

ememem84 · 17/02/2019 20:59

Eugh I need to do the preggo bra fitting thing. The twins have definetly got the message that we’re havung a baby. 🍈🍈 ffs. Maybe on payday.

Been to Dparents for dinner. Home for 8. Ds in bed. I tried on the yellow trousers. They’re ace. A bit snug. But I’m going to see how I go in them tomorrow morning. If they’re still snug (when I haven’t eaten a massive meal) I’ll save them until I’m not preggo. Maybe very unfrugal. But I love them!!

Cagliostro · 17/02/2019 21:05

Bravissimo is lovely. Our nearest is quite a way though so maybe I will try John Lewis now we can get the bus to the town it’s in 🤔 I am seriously lacking in bras and clothes generally. I watched an episode of Marie Kondo with mum and she was like, that’s not THAT many clothes, I was 😱😱😱

I spent about £18 in Tesco as I managed to walk there (vast anxiety the last few days) and then ordered the exercise bike, £106. Totally chuffed we have space for it now. I wasn’t thinking we would get it quite so quickly (I was very wary of being too pushy about “replacing” running IYSWIM? DH needs to come to terms with it) but he actually suggested it because he is seizing up very quickly without exercise. So it’s a good start at keeping him moving without the impact of running.

Oh and £27 on a board game 🤫😳 one I’ve wanted for years finally found at a decent price

Cagliostro · 17/02/2019 21:07

(That’s my February/remains of January personal spends though, on the game)

Wolfcub · 17/02/2019 21:22

Cag you know you can’t post that without telling me what the game is!

OP posts:
Cagliostro · 17/02/2019 21:23

😂 my bad. Flash point fire rescue. Have played a friend’s copy a couple of times and really love it

Cagliostro · 17/02/2019 21:24

Ohh and have you played Organ Attack? Can’t remember if I mentioned that was last month’s purchase :o had to risk a Hong Kong copy though as very hard to get otherwise. Sooooo cute and educational of course :o

Wolfcub · 17/02/2019 21:29

Ah I remember you saying you wanted flashpoint.
I might have a look at organ attack. We’ve played Fleet, Gubs and Five Tribes recently. Trying to work through and see which of our games work with two

OP posts:
Cagliostro · 17/02/2019 21:33

Gubs is one of the few games DD really likes and can understand (she struggles a lot with her ?dyslexia so tends to shy away from anything complex) and five tribes is just. So. Beautiful 😍 I love it. Not tried fleet.