Spending sparingly in early Spring - frugal friendly folk gather round.

[Justanothermile]

New 'fred

Oh and £7 on moonpig. A good example of lack of organisation and cheap card shops costing me lots of money.

Lovely few days away but glad to be home! Even cagletini cheered when we got to the gate :o

It goes to show how much happier we are in the new house though, as it didn’t feel nearly so luxurious being there 😂was really nice though. Had some friends visit yesterday too.

Faith in humanity both shaken and restored today a parcel was unfortunately delivered on Monday, it wasn’t meant to be, but a neighbour a few doors down signed for it. Then after two days they got annoyed and left it in the open on our doorstep but luckily our actual neighbour realised we weren’t around so took it in for us until they got back just now.

Well I won't be going food shopping because dh has gone to the pub 🙄 guess I'll have to go with the dc in tow tomorrow

£41 diesel
May need to give ds some pocket money for an outing tonight

Called electric co today. Apparently we’re on the wrong tariff. To get onto the most eco tariff we need to get an electrician to have a look at our rads and maybe hard wire them in.

Called electrician. He’s going. To come ina. Few days and take a look and give me a quote.

Annoying that we have to do this but if it saves money in the long run.

Nursery have sent me a 25% off voucher for my beauticians. For mother’s day. Which is nice! So I’ll use it to get my nails done or a facial or something.

Used some of my bonus money to treat me today. Bought a new pair of Sunnies. Originally a very unfrugal £185 (ray bans) but I managed to “only” spend £80 actual money. £45 off as they’re polarised and the shop had a promo on, an extra 15% for a mother’s Day promo and then the rest used up a gift card.

I tend to buy a new pair every couple of years and they’re all in super condition. 4 pairs. Rotated. Taken care of. Etc.

Also £10 amazon on drawer organisers for my socks and pants.

Just realised EE intend to put up my monthly DD to £37 😡 bit of a leap from £23!!! Ffs, can they even do that without telling you?!

It's only for phone and broadband, will have to ring them.

Evening all.

Had lunch with my lovely friend/colleague today. We had a good catch up! £5.40
Waiting for shopping to be delivered £41

£7 in Tesco on alcohol and chocolate

TopCashBack have £3 back on a box of chocolates costing at least £3. Obviously Maltesers were bought 😋

Love can that be from any supermarket?

It seems to be that lots of bills are going up as it's the end of the year

Yes wreck, you need to upload the receipt before 31/03 but always worth checking the offer is still live before you purchase

Is that on the standard topcashback site? Or is it an app or something

And does the receipt need to be just that item, or can it be in with the rest of the shopping?

You can have other things on the receipt. I've only been through the app as you just take the photo then on your phone

Here’s something baby girl is moving about. I can feel her. Today I’m more comfortable with this all going on. Which is nice although man she’s a wriggly one

Sea my DS2 is turning into a nightmare for discipline too. He's always been very placid and in fact the easier twin, but recently he is just horrid. I think the terrible threes have hit him hard; sometimes we have to stop on the way home from preschool as he's shaking with a tantrum and we have to sit on the pavement and have a hug! I've told him several times now that if he doesn't walk with me and hold my hand he'll have to have the baby reins on and that does work, if only because I have put the reins on him on occasion, and he doesn't like it!

I'm still trying to be as frugal as possible, but DP has now decided that we should go on holiday in August, and of course everything is £££... we shall see. He's been an absolute arse this evening and I'm not expecting anything for Mother's Day, at best I'll get some flowers from the market tomorrow I've made an effort for my mum and MIL though, and the DTs made me cards (complete with unflattering 'Mum' drawings!), which was lovely.

Bought a Groupon voucher to get my hair done as my current hairdresser had put their prices up by 10% last time I went I even got 20% extra off with a discount code. It's my birthday next month, I'll count that as my present to myself as no doubt DP won't bother again!

Thanks for the vote of confidence Girlie! *Ruby my ds has ASD so everything is complicated as he hasn’t got much language and also doesn’t really respond to social cues /pressures. But I do have to remind myself that everyone goes through some of this stuff, it’s just what having kids is about! I don’t have an asd mind though so don’t always see the world from his pout if view or know how to approach problems.

Anyway, ds was a bit calmer after school so I’m going with the flow for now. He was very happy to see a big tub of Lonely flapjack!

Em the kicking was absolutely the best thing about being pregnant. I sometimes feel sad I’ll never feel that again. It’s so special.

Food spending is getting out of hand here. I need to get a grip. I’ve also worked out what I’ll get paid after tax once I move onto an employment contract. Boy, the pension contribution stings! Still a good investment though. Im going to do a new budget with DH when I can get the old spends spreadsheet off my broken laptop . We really need to start saving again.

Also Ruby I appreciate not everyone jumps on the Hallmark holiday bandwagons but would your dh really not get you anything for your birthday? That is very crap.

Morning all.

Ds has a play date with dh’s old nanny’s grandson this morning. Dh is taking him. I don’t want to go as nanny is a bit annoying. So snowy and pushy and loud and everything is a competition. Also she said ds was lazy the last time we saw her. Because he’s not talking yet. Dh can go on his own. I need to sort his clothes clean kitchen etc anyway.... some days I love cleaning 😉

I’ve also asked dh if we can go to the garden centre this afternoon. I want to get some lavender plants. And a lemon tree. And maybe a bee house.

Our neighbour (who I met last week who lives 4 doors down - I had to give her a cheque for the drain inspection...) is an avid saviour of bees and butterflies and asked me to make sure we get plants which will attract them. I’m all for that.

Hi missed a week been exhausted trying to just get through the day emotionally draining. My stbex is still refusing to leave been asked by my solicitor three times. Us all in this melting pot at home is horrendous.

read some of your posts will try and catch up on them over weekend.

Spends wise had a few biggish spends this week.

£50 tesco
£50 dentist
£20 aldi
£50 on birthday gifts and easter eggs and mothers day gifts.
£20 on kids clothes
£20 on stationary as well known store is closing and had 50% off pens etc.

Just catching up on thread now. @ChristmasSeacow I'm certainly no expert but my approach when DS has been/is at his most heedless (running off is a specialty of his), is that I have to enforce consequences, however upsetting, where he is doing things that are physically dangerous; otherwise, i tend to be more lenient, or our relationship would consist of continual conflict. Of course the ASD makes things more complicated for you.
Spends yesterday:
£52 supermarket
£24 supermarket
£6 naice deli

£72 Aldi
£11 Sainsbury's including some miniature hero's for the TopCashback £3 chocolates (thanks!)
£30 fuel.

Will post meal plan in a bit.

£20 M&S on fresh fruit. Strawberries raspberries grapes blueberries and bananas. Two bottles of posh fizzy drinks (passion fruit and also a raspberry and lemon presse) and some fruit pastilles.

I walked. It took me 30 minutes. 10 there. 10 back. 10 in the shop. Nice walk.

Glorious day here. 17 degrees. Flip flops on. If I had shorts (that fitted) I’d pop those on too. But am in jeans. Because no maternity shorts I have skirts. But haven’t shaved my legs and to be honest can’t be arsed. 😂😱

Hi all.
Today will consist of washing, drying and ironing, plus a general tidy up.
Should also be a NSD

Just been outside and thinned our my geraniums. All the damaged leaves are gone. Dh and ds are back. Ds is having a well earned nap. And dh is hacking a spiky plant up and removing it from one of the raised beds we have.

I’ve sorted ds’ clothes out and out all his new stuff in the drawers. A lot of his 1-18m stuff still fits so have kept the majority in the drawers.

Spends £22 in the tattoo place. I now have earrings! Hurt a little bit but it wasn’t proper repiercing, she only had to force one of the four (two in each lobe) - I’m pleased considering I’ve not worn any for years and was convinced they were properly closed. Just got plain ball ones for now. DD will be annoyed as I’ll be able to change mine sooner than her :o