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!

Morning all!

Escape room was fab yesterday. We didn’t escape (spent too much time at the beginning trying to learn how to lassoo) but had a great time and it’s nice to get your full hour’s worth

Don’t usually work Mondays but manager is off so I offered to go in for the afternoon after the dentist. Really don’t feel like going in now but I’ve already invoiced them for it so no choice really 😂 I need to decide whether to go in on Wednesday or not. I’m taking Friday off as we are going to Centreparcs for the weekend, so to make up the day I should go in Wednesday. But that would be working Monday afternoon, Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday. My new frugal-self is telling me to do it. My 22w pregnant lazy self is telling me not to 😂

Won’t be a NSD today I don’t think because I need to buy in bits from Tesco for my lunch for the rest of the week. Still so much cheaper than buying lunch everyday- in London it was easily costing me £10 a day.

Wolf I would clear the CC. I’m desperate to clear mine (not huge, just over £900 & on 0%) because I think it’ll be a huge psychological weight off my shoulders. This month I’m hitting it with £350 & hoping to pay it off completely next month. Still, I feel incredibly guilty not adding to savings.

I visited a friend with an 18m DD the other day em & DS made a beeline for her doll. He absolutely adored it. I’ve got a boy baby doll in my Amazon basket & I’m thinking of asking someone to get it for DS for his birthday in June. My DH also thinks it’s a bit weird

Ha ha Em - is DH worries that if DS plays with dolls he might turn out to be.... a dad ?

Not got time to post much so feel very selfish not being able to comment much - I do read but can’t keep much in my head atm! Am on the tube at the mo so can’t even flick back. Work is manic, I’ve been working most of the weekend and feel horrible for ignoring DH and the DCs, especially DD who keeps asking me to read her a story /sit on the sofa /come in the garden with her . Mad amounts of work on, I’ve been up working past 1am for 5 out of the last 7 nights too. I am actually being interviewed this morning for the fixed term position and right now I’m not sure I even want it! But it’s just an unlucky convergence of deadlines, it shouldn’t be like this constantly

It’s not helping the frugal cause either. I am still cooking from scratch because of diet, so not falling into the convenience food trap, but I am finding myself sliding back into old habits re. emotional Spending on stuff (clothes for me and dc, mostly). Because I feel I ‘deserve’ to be able to. It has to stop.

Lots of spend yesterday, between work work work. I measured DS’s feet and they’d gone up a whole size (I thought so, from the squeeze test and his very noticeable recent growth spurt ) so that was a big spend: new school shoes, casual leather shoes (waterproof) and some trainers. Also bought him new wellies and some crocs for the garden/beach, and some trekker sandals for summer. That’s the whole range of footwear he ever has in one go but at this time of year we might need any of them! It was £££ but he’s had his school shoes /trainers /wellies/casual shoes since last Easter so I can’t really complain. Got sandals for DD too (needed) and a pair of canvas Mary Janes in a ladybird design (not strictly needed!). And a handbag for myself, which may should go back. Shoes from Clark’s, sandals, wellies and other bits from Next. At least it’s payday time.

I did take DD to a taster session of baby ballet on Saturday morning and she loved it! Except the parts where they took the props (wand, tambourine, toys etc) back - many tears then! And on the way home when she wanted to ‘go back and do more dancing! I say pleeeeeaaase mummy ’. I guess we’re signing up then - it’s £80-odd for the term AND 9am starts on Saturdays. But so cute.

Also forgot I spent £40-odd on access to the Health Service Journal . Hoping I can get it through work in the future.

Have arrived at work now so time to do some interview prep! Back later... hope everyone has a good day

Spent £15.50 in Tesco getting bits in for lunch/work snacks for the week & £2 on rolls for today from the bakery. No more spends planned. Pay day is tomorrow but my online banking is down so who knows if I’ll even be able to use it!

I have a DS Sea with another on the way. I must admit baby ballet is something that makes me very envious of mums with DDs. Must be ridiculously cute.

So finally got my wage slip. Take home drop is not as bad as I expected but it has dropped due to significant rise in NI payments so my tax has gone down £22 a month and my Nat insurance has gone up by £26. They giveth with one hand and takers with another so net reduction of £4.16 which is much better than the £300 the wage calculators were showing. Phew

Good luck with the interview Sea

Call from Dm today. They have ds on a Monday. They took “baby” with them.

Baby had been for a swim. In the toilet. 😂

Poor baby. Mums chucked it in the washing machine as it’s a cloth bodied one. Ffs. Little monkey.

I give no shits about ds playing with a doll. I think Dh thinks ds will get too attached then be overly invested in dc2.

That’s good Wolf!

I’ve been thinking that every day I take in my lunch/breakfast to work I’m saving £10, so every day I manage to do that I’ll transfer that £10 to pay off my CC. Every little helps I guess? REALLY trying to pay it off ASAP. Is that a good idea? I’ve managed to do packed lunches for 2 weeks now (I think that’s my record). Might inspire me to keep going

Oh no poor baby!!

Wolf I'm thrilled for you that wages has worked out in your favour, you've had enough going on.

Ate out twice yesterday €25 on lunch for myself & dc, €30 using 25% off code for Milano's aka Pizza Express

€45 on tiara for dds communion (saved already)
€11 on sweets to entertain myself & dc while we waited for au pairs bus

Great day out to end the holidays so money well spent

Mrsg nothing to stop a boy going to baby ballet! I was disappointed there weren’t any there tbh, there should be. Boys that can dance get all the girls (or boys, if that’s their preference). Either way it’s a great life skill 👍🏻. There’s not much dancing involved st this stage though, it’s mostly prancing about with wands and the like, but I’m loving having a weekend class to take her to. Great chance for a working parent.

On packed lunches, I almost never buy mine and take packed instead (I do have some frugal habits, phew!). It saves loads and loads. And yes, with £900 debt, at £50 pw saved on lunches, that’s the debt gone in 18 weeks (being very generous of course but you get the idea!). Defo worth it, especially if you can get DP to do the same. (Of course, I spend my ‘saving’ on other luxuries like kids’ clothes, must stop that 😬)

Em overly invested is a good thing! And kids copy what they see so when you are looking after a new baby there’ll probably be even more interest in ‘baby’. I believe you can buy baby slings for dolls, get one for DS and strap the ‘baby’ on, that’ll rattle DH’s cage

Interview was okay (thanks Wolf!) - I don’t think I was at my most coherent so I could have been more polished but it was fine. I will hopefully hear something today, if not then tomorrow. Hopefully all fine.

On my way to get ds from school, then home, dinner for ds, lunch for me, then back out with ds to get DD from nursery. Always a bit of an ordeal having to take DS on errands 😬. I will have earned a naice chocolate or two this evening. And we’ve saved Line of Duty to watch as I had too much work on yesterday. Fingers crossed I don’t have to do anything urgently tonight as I am EXCITED!

I’m not going to take baby away from ds. If he gets bored with it then that’s his choice!

He is good though. He probably has no idea what’s going on in reality.

I try to take lunch in every day but have missed the last 2 weeks. Must. Get. Back. On. This.

Am going to make popcorn as a snack for tomorrow. And a sandwich. Savings of at least £6 a day.

Must check bank account too. Haven’t checked in recently. Terrified to check!!!

mrsg another benefit of boys dancing is a sports one. A load of the pro rugby players take ballet classes for stretching and agility.

If ds wants to do it I’ll absolutely let him. Not forcing it though.

Only forcing swimming. Island life = beach life = sea life = swimming is s life skill. They both need to learn to swim confidently. Not bothered about any awards. But must be safe in the water.

There’s an adult course re water/beach safety we can do too. Might sign up.

Got the job, at 30 hours pw . They interviewed two other people so I’m glad that I didn’t mess up completely!

I feel I should celebrate but first I must eat lunch...

Well done sea that's great news!

I'm always really confused by the number of excellent dads I know who do loads for their babies and yet take issue with their young ds's playing with a doll it makes no sense!! I'd get him a little play buggy for the baby em, all toddlers love their own little buggy!!

I've had a busy day, been on another ward today which was good but hectic.

Our front door isn't locking very well, think I'll have to get a locksmith out as dd couldn't get out this morning. I've got it working now but it's not right.

Spent £11 on parking which I can claim back.

Wreck was the extra payment you said nhs staff got? Inbox me if you want, I did have an extra payment and am wondering if that's what it is.

I didn't get an extra payment because I'm not top of my band but everyone I know who is got an extra payment. It's a one off. I assume that last month your wages are still from your old job and therefore you got the extra payment?

Well done sea.
My DS did ballet and modern for a bit but there were "to many girls".
Pleased the pay was not such a big drop wolf.

£10 shoe reheel and that's it today

Congratulations Sea that’s fantastic

Well done seacow on the job. It’s fixed term though. Could you save and then take a break for a while once it ends?

Great news on the pay being ok wolf

We cured the buying lunch/coffees on the go by moving jobs with no where to buy lunch/coffee nearby I miss my hot chocolates and my civil service perks/pay

I’m doing a 5 day week this week. I may not be very functioning by the end of it. Thankfully we then have the b/h weekend after!

Already made my lunch for tomorrow. Feeling very positive about sorting out my finances 💪🏻

I’ll talk to DH about baby ballet for DS2 & that’s a brilliant way to sell it to DH em! I certainly won’t be repeating some of the classes I had to sit through last time!

Congratulations on the job Sea!!!!

Just checked my Monzo app. I had 9 NSDs in April. I think that’s pretty good going! Will try to beat that in May.

€106 in Dunnes stores, got loads of yellow sticker deals 10c bags of apples, 75c Denny's fire & smoke chicken etc

I'm sorted for dinners/lunches etc for week ahead ✅

Congrats seacow

Pay day wooo. Paid myself first of course although having done that before getting out of bed I’m now slightly late for work

Happy frugal Tuesday people

Officially payday here today too but money doesn't transfer to our joint account til tomorrow so can't do any budgeting or paying ourselves first til then!

I'm going to try to actually budget for the first time this month. We always pay money to small savings pots for car, insurance, house etc but we never plan what spends that might be so e.g. we always pay £50pm into the car pot to cover tax, repairs etc but never transfer money for petrol into this account even though o know every month it's at least £100. So tomorrow, £150 will be transferred to the car pot.

I think I'm going to be shocked to see how little there is left for frivolous spending

Forgot to change standing order to credit card & my account is down to €7.68, going to ring bank later and see if I can reverse it

Shameless ynab referral link for those of you trying to budget

I love payday & distributing all the money everywhere. I have a set amount to spend each month on me/lunch so luckily I don’t get a shock. Looking back at my spends last month there seems to always be a flurry of spending right at the start of the month. I really need to curb that. If I can manage to be so good in the last week why can’t I do that in the first?? Maybe I’m a binge spender 🤔