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!

Born it sounds like we're on the same deal. Is yours £17 now?

Evening all,

Em dd fell down the stairs a couple of times when she was a toddler 😳 I remember screaming as well 😱 it's scary to see. Lucky toddlers are so robust!!

I've managed a couple of nsds and been good at making lunches etc. Planning a quiet weekend as well, need to do a top up shop at some point but that's about it.

Also a quiet weekend planned here, last weekend was very busy, still catching up.
Spent some time today pricing around for DH's car insurance, didn't find anything to beat his renewal offer so think I'll just renew next week.

Hi all.
Spends today £15.10 on a top up shop, which should see us through to Wednesday, when I get paid.

If anyone is thinking of swapping energy suppliers, I have a referral for bulb, we will both share £150, so £75 credit each on our bills, but is only for a week. PM me if you like

Ruby Topcashback has a 7.35% cashback on regatta at the moment. knocks the price of the jacket down a bit further

Evening everyone

It was the wheelylads turn to cook but they convinced me to get coop pizzas instead. £25ish later

They will cook tomorrow for sure.

Tomorrow I need to empty the freezer and plan meals around using up its contents. Then i can get it on ebay. I had a kitchen done and everything was replaced so now have my old fridge freezer loitering at the back of the kitchen. It must go.

I've signed up to a few more things to earn extra cash...will keep you posted if they're wothwhile.

Also tomorrow need to redo my broadband and pet insurance. Will go through topcashback website as they have some good deals. Also need to set up a nationwide and TSB bank account. Nationwide has a 5% interest rate and TSB has 3%. I'll stash the christmas and birthday money etc in one account and then hopefully earnings from any freelance work.

Early morning here. Started with hey duggee and now it’s teepee time

Teepee arrived yesterday and I put it up last night so ds could see it this morning. Super excited.

Also so easy to put up and also transport (so might take it to the beach on beach days as it’s much better than a pop up tent!!)

Teepee looks ace and ds is super cute. Where is the puffin mug from Em?

I bought the mug in our local garden centre wolf but a quick google says you can buy them on amazon. They also do other birds (I know this because colleagues at work have them)

Yesterday was a VERY spendy day. Didn’t have time to make breakfast or lunch so spent £12 in total 😳 then went Nando’s for dinner (£10) before DH met me to go theatre (which was fantastic!!). Still attempting to get to Matalan at some point this weekend, otherwise nothing planned so hopefully won’t spend too much.

Love the teepee em!

Oh em! Everything about your morning looks just lovely 😊

What did you see at the theatre MrsG? I'd love to find some low-cost ways of seeing more plays. Should really investigate some of the smaller local theatres.

Ruby how did your boys like the school? Are they going to be in the same class? I'm not sure how I feel about keeping them together or separating them yet (but I still have time to mull it over - mine don't start pre-school until January)

Thanks for all of the costly car commiserations. It was 'only' £850 in the end 😩. Has completely wiped us out but we'd been preparing ourselves for anything up to and beyond £1k so it did ease the blow. Obviously we were so relieved that we had money in emergency savings to pay for it without credit but now we're faced with the seemingly impossible task of building the savings pot back up with zero spare cash. Il at least try and divert £20pm for now and any more as and when I can. Just have to keep fingers crossed we don't have any more emergency payouts until January (when childcare costs will go down a bit as our 30 hours kick in). Dodgy dishwasher I'm looking at you 😂

Curvy we just switched to Bulb (dammit as I could really do with £75!!) - I'm very impressed so far. I'm going to run and remember to submit regular meter readings to keep on top of energy usage. Plus I'm pleased to report that I've only used the tumble dryer once in 5 weeks!! (I better see the results in lower bills!)

We're visiting friends in Somerset today so are planning a trip to the beach - Lyme Regis I think - it's sunny but a bit windy so will still need to wrap up warm.

Will read back in a bit but I need frugal help.

We are visiting London Monday to Friday in July. Staying near Euston. Going to Watford on the Tuesday which I have tickets for.

What is my most cost effective travel option around London? I thought I was reasonably intelligent but I'm confused
2 adults, 2dc aged 9&11

Life under 11 is free. Use contactless card for adults. I can't help with your 11 year old but hopefully someone else can.

I have planted my bargain plants and done a bit of weeding. Word of warning to other non-gardeners; they go dry faster than you think and spraying is not the same as watering

Just back from the park. Frugally I took coffee cake and some fruit for a park picnic. Ds loved it.

visitorshop.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/london-travelcard/
life if you visit the above site it has lots of info about travel cards and oyster visiting cards.

Oh madden that's a shame, I've been with them since October and can't fault them.

em, what a great start to the day.

I think that's the site I was on but still confused if I need a travel card or oyster for DC. I might ring them Monday.

Love the tp em.

£120 train return ticket to London, £54 to Watford for the day, £5 footy, £5 present, free parking as machine broken, £3 postage, £3.14 chips lunch for DS and DH. £17 riding lesson later.

Em your morning sounds bliss! and loving the puffin cup....tempted to get myself one for work but will hold offff as trying not to spend lol Well done though for taking the picnic to the park!

Life I dont have any useful mpney saving tips for traveling around london. Accept an obvious one which im assuming people know is that if you use your bank card to tap the barrier pads then apparently it somehow works the cheapest charge depending on how what when and where travelled around london on tube. Please check this out though. And if you do any oyster cards etc...check if you can put the deal through topcashback. All the 1-2-3-4-pounds do add up, trust me. Oh and again i dont know if this helps but i noticed on ebay people selling there merekat one meal for two deals for 0.99p. Not sure what meals you can get or if helpful...but you never know

Where did you get your bargain plants from wolf? Im after some cheap bedding plants.

And Madden you've just reminded me about Bulb. A couple of friends have switchd to them and really rate it as a company. My energy deal runs out in August but I think Bulb do a deal to pay switching fee. Adding Bulb to my to do list today.
Im off to do weekly budget and sign up to a few more things.

Frugal win

The teepee I bought from amazon that we were playing with this mornin is the second one I ordered. The first one was delayed delivery delayed delivery and then cancelled and refunded by amazon.

Guess what’s just arrived....?!

I made a joke to dh that I’m so stressed about it all (because I’m two tents...too tense...) he eye rolled.

But. Hm. Might take one to dparents for their garden. Or see if a friend wants it.

I'd return it.

I didn't know that Wheely, thanks. I usually just get it all wrapped up in a package through work so paying for myself is a novelty

life, sorry I wasn't much help then. I thought it would be quite straight forward.
I guess these things are here to test us!