Austere April continues with the Friendly Frugaleers! Join us as we discuss our direct debits, prattle about penny pinching and possibly babble about Brexit...

[Cagliostro]

All welcome!

Possible spendy day. IKEA, decathlon and other metro center shops

Hmm so in non frugal news it appears that I left the gas hob on after cooking tea last night and have only just discovered it, I am lucky the House didn’t burn down and the gas bill will be a bugger. Bloody consequence of not being able to smell or hear anything fksake

It’s raw if I run my tongue over it girly and I know it’s three if you see what I mean. Feels like an ulcer would except no ulcer

Just having a nice quiet cuppa in bed before getting up for sports and scouts. Will make a curry for tea as there are some naan that need eating.

Have a lovely frugal Sunday people

We have some early sun here Unescorted, hope it makes it over your way

I need a trip to Ikea Life, might go next Friday

It has

I have had a bit on a non frugal dinner fail. Because I am going to be out all day I thought I could get the lasagne on..... except I then went off to get ready & forgot. so it burnt. I am now making the sauce again! I could kick myself sometimes.

And I forgot to start the washing machine so the washing will have to be thrown in the dryer / across rads.

Oh no wolf I'm pleased nothing awful happened. Horrible thinking of the what ifs.

We're going out for breakfast this morning. Just the harvester. Then to the range to stock up on craft bits for homeworks 🙄

I think I spend the majority of my budget on eating out too foot. I’m trying to plan better. To think I used to laugh at my DSis for always taking packed lunches on their trips out! I totally get it now.

Got home late from the wedding last night & feeling hungover without the pleasure of drinking wine. So tired. Going to an Escape Room thing today which has already been paid for which should be fun. Just trying to drag myself out of bed.

Dh has taken ds out to run. He’s a little ball of energy at present. I couldn’t keep up with him yesterday!!

They’ve been gone since 9. Laundry out of machine on line (grey and rain threatening but windy...so we’ll see how long that lasts), more laundry in machine and another load sorted for washing. Hoovered upstairs. Emptied dishwasher and refilled it with breakfast things.

Bathroom to be cleaned next. Then hoover stairs and rug in living room.

Spends yesterday:
£17 supermarket including steaks for last night and a roast for today. We may end up having family over unexpectedly so good that I bought the roast.

£25.50 breakfast for four
9.24 the range
£5.50 car wash

Enjoy the escape room MrsG!

Ok we have a plan... we've had a big brunch and I've already prepared dinner for when we get back. I suggested to friends that we bring along flasks and cake to eat outside (using the excuse that the DTs are better with room to roam!). Friends are happy with this arrangement (maybe even pleased to also avoid ££ in the cafe?!)

Already counting down to Line of Duty tonight!!

£12 McDonald’s lunch more for speed than anything else.

We were good and got up to do the jnr parkrun this morning,

Oh not sure what I did there 😂

Anyway we then went to Morrisons and had breakfast £7, then picked up some shopping £40. They've got all their plants out atm so about £7 of that was plants and another £7 was a massive box of washing powder.

Stopped at pets at home spent £2 on bird food.

Have given dd £10 pocket money.

£6 car wash.

Plan to get planting in the garden this afternoon ☺️ it's cold but the wind has dropped thank god.

Wolf a sore mouth can be a sign of b12 deficiency.

Hi all, I hope everything is going well. It's sunny here at the moment and far less windy, too. Need to mark essays this afternoon but first I'm cuddling ds as he naps.

Eating out is our biggest discretionary expense - we've been doing very well overall in reducing this since the new year, so I'm pleased. I should try a bit harder with my work lunches though...perhaps giving myself a monthly target number of nsd days would help.

£54 ish yesterday for food at Morrison's but it was necessary food including fresh fruit and veg (should last us the week I hope!)
£2.50 charity shop for a nice sleeveless top and loose white trousers that will be perfect for the summer
I also dropped off 3 huge charity bags, mostly my own clothes, so the net 'in' isn't too bad really! Shame you can't see any real difference round the house.

Meal plan for this week:
Stir fry with fancy tofu and rice
Leftover curry with rice from DH
Butternut squash and chickpea mac and 'cheese'
Veggie sausage casserole with veg and rice
Butter beans with aubergine pesto couscous
Ratatouille lentil pasta
Leftovers or else takeaway!

Happy frugal Sunday all.

Moi I like the idea of a target of no spend days

I have a frugal dilemma I need some help with.

I have two cc debts which I am overpaying every month. Both on 0%. Both of which I will pay off before they charge interest at the rate I’m paying them. Total outgoing every month is £90. But if I divert the money that I put away for annual expenses for five months I think I can clear both debts totally. I also think I already have enough in the bank to pay what is due in those five months so diverting the money wouldn’t have a negative impact except that things might be a little tight for the money I’d need between say November and February - everything would be paid it’d just be a little less comfortable and obviously I’d divert the extra £90 to help top up the annual pot once the cc debt was cleared.

There’s no saving either way so I guess I’m asking what would you do if you were me?

I think I would clear the credits cards if I could @Wolfcubisthefemalenominal . It will feel great to have them completely cleared and I think it would be easier to cut back a little on day to day things to manage those annual expenses than it would be to cut back to pay off the credit cards.

I would leave it wolf. If you can but the end of the 0% ok as you are then keep on with the savings. Last thing you need is something coming up and you have no cushion or have to use the cards again in those months not on a zero.

£99.30 IKEA, £40 decathlon, £17 lunch, £9 MacDonald, £18 new look but I negotiated on at t-shirt as it was marked.

Nsd.

Annoyed at eBay as they’re charging me stupid shipping. Will have to log in properly and change my settings. I’m not international!!!!

Anyway.

Dinner with dparents. Ds has been carrying his baby round all day (much to dhs annoyance). A friend gave him a spare doll. And his weekend he’s taken such an interest in baby.

Baby has been wrapped in a tea towel and has napped with him. He’s taken baby in the car (and smashed it’s head against the window). He carries baby “gently by its leg. Poor baby.

Dh thinks it’s odd that he even has baby. But whatever.

He has learned (from Dm) to put his finger to his mouth and say “ssssh baby” Dm also found a shoebox for baby’s bed. Sadly baby has a disrupted sleep. Ds put the lid on shoe box and then stood on it. “Oh dear baby”

Absolutely knackered now. Anxiety through the roof this weekend with dh and his bug which has meant I’ve not been sleeping well. I’ve also exhausted myself with ds. Hopefully good sleep tonight.

Am in bed now. Catface is with me. even she’s been a bit off this weekend. I think it’s also the weather. Come and windy as hell. She wants to go out but doesn’t like the wind. Or the rain.

Have done three loads of laundry today. 𝖫𝗂𝗇𝖾 dried one. The other is hung up in the garage. Some bits in the dryer.

Ds used to always play with dolls, wear dresses/high heel play shoes, play kitchen etc etc. I'm sure you're telling dh he's being ridiculous though! He used to love taking the play pushchair to get dd from the bus too, I bet your ds would like something like that.

That's so sweet about your DS em. My DS1 has had meltdown after meltdown today..... sigh. He's such a poor sleeper that he gets incredibly overtired and the slightest little thing sets him off. Today's things included: he didn't like the way we'd planted a new shrub, he didn't want to wash his hands before eating, and he didn't like the underpants he was wearing.....

So much I want to do to be more frugal but no time/ energy to do it. Sigh

Morning all. Much better sleep last night. Not unbroken. But better than the past couple. Yay!

Morning all. Busy cricket weekend here & had friends staying. Will catch up properly tonight.

Morning all. Ds has his brace fitting in an hour. Should be an interesting start to the day

Hope the sleep helps the anxiety em. Tiredness always makes it worse. All boys play with dolls.

Nsd planned today but I need to take my shoes to be re heeled. Big bag of stuff to turn to Sainsbury's but not carrying it to work.

In frugal news I've saved myself buying a new belt and put a hike in this one with the carving fork