Join Money-saving May with the fantastic Frugaleers.

[northender]

Lots of support and advice here for frugaleers old and new.

Em that's crazy they think giving you a dog is a good idea! You'd think they'd realise a toddler and a new born will be more than enough work without adding a dog into the mix!!

That said i was dog window shopping online this morning!! There were some JRT puppies which looked cute but yes they wouldn't be my first choice of dog either.

Wolf your pots look fab.

We've had a nice quiet day, I finished a book and have been pottering in the garden, dd has been playing and chilling out.

Cag can't believe your dd has started her periods!! My dd is still waiting which tbh I'm grateful for as I don't see her coping that well them bless her. I've pm'ed you re the assessment.

wolf to be fair the trespassing looks like it happened before we bought. But the path is joint owned by all 5 houses in our row.

The rights of access were apparently approved by the parish in 1998. But the letter our neighbour has stated it’s soecifically for the children of the property they want to develop into the 7 houses.... hence the FOI request.

We feel that as the kids are now probably our age it is no longer relevant and was a tenporary thing.

It’s gone in my draft letter anyway.

We did know it’s a parish road (the path between our house). But it wasn’t maintained. The old gate is still there but overgrown. So it’s clearly not been used.

Em I would take pictures of the path in its current state, as much of it as you can before some bugger makes it look used!

Dh has told Fil that no way will we be having a dog. Fil is angry apparently that we’ve rejected a kind gift.

Dh has told him that jrt’s aren’t the most child friendly dogs and wouldn’t be our choice if we were to think about getting one. I’ve always said if we had a dog I’d like either a beagle, a whippet or a chocolate lab.

But. The expense. The time. Etc. Dh explained to Fil that we both work and wouldn’t have any time for a dog now. We’d have to pay a dog walker etc.

wolf Dh is on it. He’s taken pictures etc.

WTF at FIL em! Jeeeez! Sorry they are still getting one themselves though - I see so many threads on here about worries over dogs at relatives’ houses :(

Oh I was about to ask how your DD was getting on with periods in my reply to your PM girlie I wrongly thought she had for some reason. Yep, not great on a sensory level at all, I must say she has coped really well this month though, it’s mostly been embarrassment really :( although, it does mean she is actually picking her clothes up from the bathroom floor and putting them straight in the laundry basket so that’s something :o

She is still going on about BTS :o

I doubt whether the cat would enjoy a dog either, Em.
Sounds like dd2 is just starting her bedtime nonsense

Dh has said that ds won’t be going around unless the dog is properly trained. And they are not to bring dog to our house. If they do it stays outside.

Welcome new and welcome back returnee frugaleers.
Em good on DH standing firm and the photos and letters.
Wolf lovely pots.
Snugg that's a super cheap half term, well done.

I'm sure I've forgotten loads so waves
We went to Whitby today £7 parking, £10 crabbing stuff, £16 lunch, £8 Ice cream and snacks

Just had a fight with ds to get him into his bed and sleeping bag. He didn’t want to go. “Nonononononobuuubbbbbbiiii” (bubbi = Mummy).

Sorted some ironing to give reluctantly to Dm. She keeps offering. And I keep saying no it’s fine I can do it. When in reality I never bother. So I’ve thrown some stuff in a bag and will give it to her tomorrow.

Frugal win. Dsis gave me a shirt her ex boyf bought her. From jack wills. Plain white over head shirt. (Worth apparently £59).

It’s a size 6. But fits me now at 32 weeks preggo. Which is crazy. So am assuming the labelling is wrong. I know it’s meant to be oversized but there’s oversized and enormous. No way could I fit in a six usually. Unless it’s US sizing. Which this apparently isn’t.

But hey ho. Free shirt. And it’s ironed so wearing that tomorrow for work!

Dh is sorting all his stuff out. Usually I’d be annoyed that he’s choosing to do this right before bed. But fuck it. He’s doing it.

He’s doing “beauty products” at present. I’ve asked him to let me know if there is anything he needs. Apparently not.

I am on my last bar soap. So must buy some more next time I do a boots order. Dm gave me some shower gel minis today. So have enough stuff to get used for the next month or so.

I also need to work through my hotel toiletries stash.

Back to work tomorrow after a week off.

@happierwithouthim no I am female. :)

Today should be my third no spend day. I am surprised I am doing so well.

Gym membership £25 and physio today £40. Skate park £5. No other spends planned.

Money transferred into regular saver. The way the Halifax deal with standing orders at weekends is really pissing me off. Essentially it means I receive money from h late in every month that the 1st falls on a weekend or bank holiday as they don’t pay the standing order until the next banking day. My other bank do not do this

Some Money moved to regular saver

Nsd planned, Pilates is already paid for

DS was awake at 545 “eeee iiii eeee iiii oooooooo! Ooooooh meeeeegillllll ello!” (millie girl = catface’s name)

So we’ve been up since then.

He needed the second “dose” of nit treatment so I’ve applied that and blow dried him.

Today I’ve got to pay for DS’s preschool fees for June (already allocated), take out cash for my niece’s birthday present (she’s 14) & buy her a card. The card shops near my house are super expensive (£4 for a normal card) so I might pick one up at the station near work instead tomorrow. Oh & I need to buy some cherry tomatoes for my lunch tomorrow because DH ate them last night 😡 so a little bit spendy today.

Quote to fix the damage I did to the car the other week £450 ffs amazing what one proud wall stone can do. Booked in so will try and squirrel enough to pay it across two months if I put it on the credit card. Really annoyed with myself. Did have a cheaper quote but that was based on photos rather than assessing it in person and in person has discovered further issues.
£14 cards and bits I needed including a big zip panel laundry bag. I’m going to pack up h’s wardrobe today so I can take it over with my clothes so they stop being squashed.

£77 cheque clearing from cattery from holiday over half term. Will have to pay dry cleaning for interview suit as well when I pick it up later today.
Need to spend basically nothing for the rest of June!! Not much planned though so should be doable as I get paid on 25th, only 22 days to go
Realised that ex-H broadband which he told me he had cancelled came out of my acc in May £37 so have asked him to pay me back.

What a shame Wolf that's a huge amount! Welcome newbies and returners.

Not caught up on the thread properly but June needs to be a frugal month here until I get money back from my work trip.

Meal plan for this week:
Lasagne and roasted broccoli
Cauliflower chickpea coconut curry with rice
Baked potatoes and leftover veg and beans
Butter bean aubergine pesto pasta
Stir fry with fancy tofu and rice
Leftovers or else takeaway!
Something DH will cook

Feeling tired and unproductive but will crack on with urgent essay marking now!

Since it’s a 4 week month I’ve divided my monthly budget weekly instead to see if that keeps me on track.

Bought a jumpsuit from Dorothy Perkins in the sale last month & they arrived today - 2 different sizes & thankfully one fits! Very comfy. Super casual though so perhaps even too casual for dress down Fridays at work 🤔 there’s a very fashionable girl & guy in my team so I’ll see what they think.

Day at home today with DH works from home with his business partner upstairs.

Another hand up here for a frugal June 🖐!

Wolf I totally get the Halifax thing - it's taken all weekend for DHs standing order to clear into our joint account, meanwhile bills have been coming out left right and centre - so annoying!

I haven't spent any money on 'stuff' today (one good thing about going back to work!) but I have just paid £38.50 for dds gymnastics. That's it now until September though so one less expense to think about in July and August.

Jeez, don’t insurance companies love trying their luck when it comes to renewals!

Just had the renewal letter for DHs motorbike. A £500 increase on last year! Same happened with his van insurance a few months back, that came in at almost double what he paid the year before. When I rang up to cancel as I’d found a better deal, even the guy I spoke to agreed it was taking the you know what.

Craziness.

It’s so weird I find it harder to be frugal when I’m in the overdraft... it’s like I just think “fuck it” and fritter left right and centre.

DH got back from his hospital appt. Surgeon confirmed there’s nothing he can do. The drill hole from last time is too big so any more would mean he risked a collapse of the bone. Kinda knew he’d say that really.

Ultra sun is today's special value @qvc wreck and anyone else. £1.95 postage makes it £44 but there is £5 off first orders.
Put QVC ultrasun into Google or I can try and link

Cheeky beggars curves.
Oh no Cag, what now? Or is it pain management?
£44 QVC. :)

I'm def up for a frugal June, May was very spendy!

I checked my payslip and was surprised as there was still a weekend enhancement on there, do the NHS pay a month behind? So this months was for the wend I worked in April? Otherwise it's a mistake and means I owe them some money

It also means that my pay is going to be down a fair bit from the end of this month, plus my tax credits have been reduced again so all in all money will be tight.

My car and house contents insurance is due, the car insurance has pretty much stayed the same so will stay with them. The house insurance has gone up a bit but is still fairly reasonable at £10 a month (contents only.)

This month I have a few bdays to pay for (nephew, sil and my best friends 40th) they will total around £60 for all three. I also have the balance to pay on my flooring £100 but will use savings for this, car insurance came in at £250 for a year and includes breakdown cover, have a separate savings account for all things car related.

Food budget £120.
Petrol £50
Two social events £50

In theory no other spends planned.....