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!

happier I’m useless with styling too. Hoping I can get into shape after DS2 is born & sort out my wardrobe. My plan is to look around online for some pics of stuff I like the look of & see if I can replicate it.

I have the cloud temper mattress - is that the same one em? It’s sooo comfy. Brilliant idea re the makeup - I wouldn’t have thought about doing anything like that!

Spends for today: £3 on a chai latte on the way to work & £10 on honey seeds for my breakfast - expensive but lasts forever (a year maybe?) & really lifts my porridge. As I took in packed lunch I transferred another £10 to pay off my CC, so that’s an additional £20 paid off this week. It started at £910 at the end of April & is now sitting at £510.

I've finally written to the bank to see if I had ppi on a loan I took out 15 years ago, it's worth asking right? It wasn't a big loan and is long since paid off.

Have been industrial this afternoon and made my veggie chicken pie again in preparation for dinner later, had some left over puff pasty so made garlic balls with some of it and mini pain au chocolates with the rest.

Can't believe it's the first of May, it's cold here today!!

Have a an emotional and financial rollercoaster of a morning 😩...

Despite car going in to garage last week for what the mechanic thought was a small fault, the car died on me this morning in city-centre rush-hour traffic with a lorry behind me and nowhere to pull over.

We've now been referred to a different garage but that can't happen until Tuesday and possibly cost £££. On top of that we have unavoidable commitments at the weekend and next week that involve long drives.

We were looking at having to hire a car for even more £££ but luckily MIL is going to lend us hers.

Back to the budget to work out how to pay for car repairs...

Will read back in a little while. Decided ds and I need a break so I’ve just booked a holiday cottage for the long weekend £280. Spendy but I think we need a change of scene

Oh no mad my last car was a complete money pit, is it worth spending loads on it? How old is it?

Sounds good wolf, will do you both good to get away for a bit.

We're back from dds riding lesson, I thought it went well but dd doesn't think so. She's struggling a bit this week, they're doing loads of assessments at school and it's stressed her out.

mrsg no idea re the mattress. All I know is it was possibly the most comfy thing ever.
Said to dh I absolutely want it. But maybe not yet. Our mattress is fine. And the temper is expensive.

I’m hoping that I get the free make up. But if not....worth an ask.

Home. Ds had a bit of a bump at nursery. Poor babbooo.

Feeling a bit disappointed in myself which I know is stupid. I was planning on making a packed lunch for work again tomorrow but I was just too exhausted tonight. I’ve worked every day so far this week (I’m usually 2-3 day p/w) & I felt physically drained tonight. My bump aches & I just wanted to lay down somewhere & have it propped up. So I didn’t make lunch & that means I’ll have to waste money on lunch tomorrow. Urgh so annoyed. Nothing I can do about it now.

mrsg me too. I’m so achey. Did some laundry then loaded and unloaded dishwasher and I’m done. Just can’t. Nope. Everything aches. Bump. Boobs. Legs. Everything. Dh isn’t super sympathetic.

I was reading something earlier about a woman who is a surrogate. She had been pregnant 7 times. Out of choice. Why?! How do you deal.?!

Thanks everyone, dcat is a bit perkier today and breathing better, so fingers crossed she'll be on the mend properly now. Poor wee thing.

Wolf That sounds like a great idea. I hope you have fun!

Mrsg Go easy on yourself, it's okay to rest sometimes!

em I hope your ds is okay.

NSD. I've been doing bullet journal tracking and I'm going to aim for 10 days this month. Should be a challenge but not too bad, with 31 days this month. And it's good to have clear goals. Especially since tomorrow will be spendy with travel needing booked.

Night all.

Checking in with spends for May 1st! Trying to turn over a new leaf with spending habits and eating ones too.....

Today:
Bus £2.50
Cafe £11.65
Sainsburys £7.43

Total = £21.58, but I used £30 birthday money from MIL to cover it. Which is handy as I paid the deposit on our summer holiday earlier this week and now am skint for a good few days! DP decided at the last minute that we should book something but neglected to mention how we would pay for it when we hadn't budgeted for it

Sorry to hear about your car mad. I try as much as possible not to rely on mine as I drove old bangers for years (this one is relatively new, but old habits etc!). It's really hard though, it cost me more today to get the bus than it would have to drive, but the DC like the bus - how does that encourage people to use public transport though when it's £££?!

Glad your DCat is on the mend moi

And hope your DS is ok em - DS1 has been sick this evening and has a temperature, no preschool for him tomorrow, poor little boy. He's fallen asleep watching a bit of TV, I hope that he gets a good sleep (and that I do too to cope with the DTs tomorrow!!).

Sympathy to the pregnant frugaleers that tiredness is just overwhelming

Wolf great decision

Thanks all. I’m sure ds will be fine. He’s just had a bit of a bump.

He woke up at 4. I was awake at 345 and noticed a light. Turns out we hadn’t shut the spare room curtains so the light was coming through. Eye mask on and back to sleep though.

I’m going to be brave and get my legs out today. Skirt time no tights. As a) I don’t have maternity tights and b) I don’t eat tights as a rule from May to November.

On the 7am train to London for a conference. I’d forgotten how grim an early morning train was (I first joined the Frugaleers when I was spending 3 hours a day commuting via train). I haven’t been on a train in over a year.

Lunch is included so hopefully it will be nice.

£5 on hot chocolate and pastry. I parked on a residential road for free. This is why I had to stop commuting 😂

Don’t feel bad Mrsg. You are allowed a treat day especially if you have worked more hours. And pregnant.

Hope everyone has a good frugal day

My tights are annoying me today em. I think I need bigger tights as I struggled to get them up

Thanks everyone. I was up a bit earlier today so at least I was able to make breakfast. I n very good frugaleer news I found £7.50 I didn’t know I had so that will help with lunch. I also had a small win on the premium bonds this morning - £75!

We are off to Centreparcs tomorrow for the weekend which will include 3 hours in the pool/spa area tomorrow & an hour mum-to-be massage/facial on Saturday which I desperately need. My DH isnt massively sympathetic either em but he’s practically a SAHD at the moment including all the early mornings while I’m working so he’s doing his bit.

£100 win on the premium bonds. Yippee.

£5 lunch. Booo. But I did bring a fruit pot. Yay.

Sitting here at my desk absolutely exhausted. Have to waddle (have a definite waddle today) to the dr later on to see the midwife. Will mention the tiredness but am sure it’s totally normal when you’ve got a toddler to run after!! It’s just completely wiped me out.

Yeah good win em.
Nsd today.

@ememem84 I found parenting a toddler and newborn a breeze compared to the work of parenting a toddler while heavily pregnant.

I think I might get some premium bonds! Where's the best place to get some??

I've had a nice day, am enjoying my induction so far. Spent £11 on parking at the hospital but will claim back in expenses.

Popping out soon to take a friends bday gift and card round.

Great win Em

Love try Snag tights, I’ve been very impressed with them so far

£5 coffees, there were no meeting rooms free at work so we had to adjourn to the coffee shop. Saved £1.10 between us with discount cards though so not completely unfrugal

£3 ds’s activity

Still need to go and vote but Pilates diets

First not diets

I've voted. In our area we had the following choice:

Conservatives
UKIP
Lin Dem
Conservatives

Not even anyone running for labour. Tells you a lot about where I live!

Also quite fancy the guy in the polling station. He's always there so as good a reason as any to go

hirlie get them direct from ns&i.

I do postal votes as a hangover from shift working days.
Feel sorry for the school staff were trying to find a new home for the kettle as the polling station takes over the staff room.

God yes, pregnant with a toddler = bloody knackered + hot/warm weather = fottfsof.

Wasn't a nsd £3 scouts, £24 cleaner