Frugal Friends, planning, saving and considerate spending through July and August

[Wolfcubisthefemalenominal]

New Fred frugal friends

I've had a bit of rubbish afternoon, I was at work and a courier came up with a parcel to drop off, there was another guy waiting next to him when I went over, courier started singing the song from the radio about somebody's knocking at the door, somebody's ringing the bell, I said oh that song drives me mad it's so catchy, courier responds with "I can see somebody's been ringing your bell" I just ignored him and carried on filling out the form I was writing he then said "is it twins? Or just the one" And repeated it about three times, I was so embarrassed, i just shook my head and looked away from him, I'm not pregnant but I am overweight, I definitely don't look pregnant either just a bit fat, not massively overweight but I had an operation late last year and put some weight on that I'm really struggling to lose. I feel awful about my weight anyway!

There were two of my male colleagues about that would have caught the tail end of this and I just felt so humiliated but I didn't want to bring attention to the bloke and his comments.

I walked away and he was still going on but by this point I didn't want to hear anything else he had to say. The worst part is he was very overweight himself!

Completely ruined my day, I just don't know why someone would do that. I was only trying to be friendly.

Anyway made lasagne for dinner and have enough left over for lunch! Win!

Thanks for all puppy love, he has been fine so far, quiet but managed to do two poos and three wee's outside which I'm really impressed with! Dd is worried he will be too quiet for us 🙄 she thinks we should have gone with a more confident pup. I'm happy with a quieter dog and anyway it's very early days!!

No other spends today other than buying the puppy and 80p on bread.

I've not found food prices too bad but dd and I really don't eat that much. I probably buy too many cheap snacks though and not enough fruit and veg. It helps not buying much meat and we only eat fish a couple of times a week.

Ugh Camden some people are just absolute twats, he was unbelievably rude, please don't dwell on it - he was just a complete dick and hopefully karma will bite him very soon!!

@MeadowHay laundry’s one of the easier jobs here. Set machine to eco cycle which takes 2.5hr and then wait. And hang up outside.

I’m honestly not being too energetic. Am actually listening to advice this time and am resting loads!!

@CamdenTownie ah mannn people are twats really. Don’t dwell on it.

Dh is taking the night shift tonight. Dd is a bit unsettled.

Townie some people are just arseholes. Even if you were pregnant it would still be really perverted to say I see someone’s been ringing your bell. That’s so inappropriate. You could report him for comments like that.

Girlie cute puppy. What have you called him? What will he be doing when you are working? Mine goes to doggy daycare. Townie another voice for he was a twat

He was a twat townie.

What an arsehole @CamdenTownie, I'd report him.

Congratulations em!!! What a cutie, and a lovely name, and good to hear things are going well so far!

I'm not a dog person but those puppies are incredibly cute!

Welcome to the newbies!

We've been away to Edinburgh visiting DH's family again (and had to hire a car again this time), so need to rein in the spending this month. Thankfully his mum (in her late 80s) is doing better than originally thought - there was talk of a hospital visit, but she's feeling much better. So that's a relief!

I agree about food prices going up (and I'm sure some items also have less in them, e.g. 85g instead of 100g). Not too pleased about that, but trying to find deals when I can, even if they're not as good as before. Soya milk and tofu in particular are very pricey at the moment! More beans and lentils needed on the meal plan.

This year so far I've only saved 40% of my rather ambitious house down payment savings, so must try harder...it'll help a bit that my pay is going up by about £100 from this month onwards. Hopefully!

Tomorrow I'm not working so will spend the day with ds and DH, hopefully going for a nice cycle ride, weather permitting!

@MeadowHay yeah I know, but I hoped he will at least show sign of trying to sleep through. I guess my first one spoiled me a little bit (even if she was horror during daytime).

@CamdenTownie - seriously, what a douche! Both comments very inappropriate! I always wish I had courage to answer cheekily like 'And where are your triples due', but comments like this always feel like slap on the face and leave person stunned. Just remember you can lose weight at some point and he always will be a twat :/

DS is sleeping, DD is full time nursery as unfortunately I am not a person who would be able to deal with both toddler and baby at home. Weekends are hard enough and that with DH being home.

Plan for today:

• finish tesco shopping list for delivery tomorrow. I miss shopping in aldi and lidl, but currently not an option. It makes me cringe every time I see the total to pay.
• do some light cleaning of the kitchen, unless monster wakes up
• one more laundry

Trying to stay away from amazon at the moment as I already though that it would be handy to get a travel steamer for clothes for holidays. Seriously, I have too much time to think how to spend money these days :/. I need to break the cycle. My extended mat pay is finishing this month and I am going on statutory starting September. That will be fun.

I think it is funny how mat pay only is an issue when guys consider taking parental leave and see what a pittance it is.

@prismwitch I hear you re toddler and baby at home. Ds is at nursery today too. Dropped him off for 9 and will pick him up later on today. Dh is home today.

We’ve just been out for breakfast with dd. She slept right through everything. Bacon and egg roll and huge flat white for me. I got to sleep at 430 this morning. 😴

Have told dh I’m having a nap and he is only to disturb me in an absolute emergency - ie house burning down type situation. He’s effectively on his own now with dd.

Managed to avoid the surf shop today (next to breakfast place) even though they have a sale and I’m in the market for new flip flops and a pair of boardies. And a snuggly hoody. And they’ve put loads of new stock ads on Facebook. Will wait until end of season for the clear out sale and will buy for next summer.

Have given dh jobs to do - laundry, empty bins, clean downstairs bathroom.

Oh I’d absolutely agree with the mat leave thing too. I get £216 a week. For 18 weeks. (Plus some money from work for 16 weeks) I’m taking 26 weeks off (roughly 6 months). I’m lucky that I also get pay from work as know a few people who don’t (because they’ve decided not to return to work so handed notices in etc) and although I think £216 pcw is more than I’d get in the U.K. for stat pay it’s still crap if that’s all you have to live on.

You really don't need a travel steamer. Step away from Amazon. Room clothes and borrow an iron when there.

Bit more garden redesign done today but I'm stuck now without a skip and a stronger person than me to move some sleepers.

Posted too soon.

Aldi and m&s in a bit. Ds skate lesson and both to trampoline park this afternoon

Welcome Prism

Townie that's such a rubbish comment that man made. What a thoughtless twat! Hope you have a better day today.

How's the puppy settling in, Girlie? Very cute?

Had a nap. Feel a lot better for a couple of hours sleep.

Dh didn’t do his jobs. Not that I thought he would. I’ve just done them - was emptying bins and he came up to help. Asked him why he only offers to help or do something when I’m almost finished a job?

Other things I told him needed doing - bottles in steriliser. Dishwasher loaded. Not done either.

It’s taken me an less than an hour to do the dishwasher, Chuck bottles in steriliser, laundry on line, laundry in washer, clean dry laundry folded and put away, bins emptied.

He’s also now in the habit of leaving dds dirty clothes on the floor and also nappies on the changing mat (apparently the nappy bin was full - so empty it?!?!)

Welcome newbies

at your DH em

I’m trying very hard to keep my cool with DP. His car went in for repair last week and we thought it would just be a couple of days and not got it back yet. He couldn’t get a courtesy car as he cannot find his licence. We need the car back for driving to the airport as I only have a small hatchback. He putting off ringing them and he’s never told them he needs the car back by this weekend 😡 I’m sure it’ll work out and he will be like “see it was fine” and I saved a phone call 🙄 But it’s adding to the things to think about before going away. Ahhhhh!

Trying to be frugal here although we had 6 hours childfree today and we had lunch at chiquitos. Used our taste card. Which was lovely with no DC!

Spends today - £48 Home Bargains, £26 Aldi, £8 Lidl and £8 in Greggs.

Forgot to say welcome prism and agree you don't need a travel steamer

I just had to look up travel steamers. Would you actually have time or inclination to use it on holiday?! The space in the suitcase would be better used for snacks as that would likely save you money

Dh has gone to do a food shop.

I have asked him to pick up my boots order. But doubt he will.

The things you think about when you are rocking baby to sleep . I will stay away from steamer. We are going to Central Parks, which lets be honest will have all the facilities, and I know it is just a compulsion and trying to make life better at the moment. Buying things doesn't make anything better though.

@ememem84 wow, just wow. I though my dh is bad, but at least if I tell him to do something he will do it. After DS was born, I was not allowed to do any housework for 6 weeks because of c section (planned). House started to look like a tip, because he never did stuff that needed doing and it got quite annoying to ask about every tiny bit that needs to be done.

Baby asleep in a pram, I will not touch him until he wakes up. So cup of tea time

What a wanker Camden he was obviously looking for a reaction.

£20 fuel today and £10 booking seats for our return flights. They tried to sit us in twos but I could move us together for the £10 so I did that. Ds has been playing out in the rain and came in soaked but happy. Dd is at a friends they're dropping her back later which I hate because we have a shitty council house and they have a million pound lovely detached house

Got my washing in before the downpour which was good.

Em dh always offers to do stuff just as I'm about to finish doing it he's generally pretty good though. We're having cheats carbonara tonight like you did (no pasta for me as I'm low carbing).

Townie he is an ignorant idiot, blessed with hard of thinking skills. I don't get where people think it is an acceptable way to behave. If you still have the tracking number contact the company he works for, because you can be guaranteed that he has made those types of comments before.

Meadow good news on the promotion.

Wreck sorry to hear that things are tough.

em I get the what can I do to help comments too. My usual response is stop eating and wearing clothes so I don't have to tidy up your crap. It bugs me that they think it is helping me to do the things they should be doing to help themselves. I would much prefer a thank you for helping them by cooking their dinner or doing their washing.

North I may have bought some fabric from the link you sent. £68 pounds down from £140 so I count that as a frugal win. And I have enough to do 2 quilts.

@prismWitch to be fair to him, he would have done it eventually later on this evening tomorrow. Delete as appropriate.

He’s just made the most delicious dinner. Cheesy gnocchi (cream cheese, Parmesan and cheddar) with veggies from the garden. Le yum.

I have asked why he didn’t do the jobs I asked him to do. He said he’ll help tomorrow. I’ve asked for him not to promise things like that because it means I won’t be let down.

@ememem84 (I only just realised that your names ISN'T Eminem84 ) @prismWitch as hard as it is having small children, I had three under 5, they are the best days, you are both doing so well to be keeping on top of everything, the early days are exhausting and the lack of sleep is the hardest part.

If I see the fella again, I have decided I will refuse to deal with him, as someone put it earlier he is just a wanker!

Taking more left overs into work for lunch tomorrow, might buy a banana tomorrow- living life on the edge today was a nsd, so pleased with that, plus I sent a few things back that I realised I didn't need so I've had the refunds go in to the bank today which is good!

I filled in my financial planner and I'm minus -£40 each month if I take every single penny I spend into account ( some money does go into savings so I can always change that) I didn't put any overtime i earn into the figures though so we should be ok. I'm budgeting £125 each well for food/toiletries/ household items which I think is probably quite generous - although there are 5/6 of us depending on ds1 being around.

I really need to stay away from shops such as Home Bargains, B&M, The Range and Poundland, I can spend a fortune in them without even trying!

It's my mums birthday at the weekend, and thankfully I had already bought a whole load of Emma Bridgewater mugs in the sale, so they were £5.99 each plus 4 for 3, I also got a couple for my brother and his girlfriend for Christmas so I'm planning ahead this year not quite sure how I'm going to work it with presents and such, but as my children are older I think I'll go with quality over quantity! Anyone else have any plans or ideas? Will have to start buy or saving soon as I won't be able to afford it otherwise.