Had a Spendy Summer? Join the Friendly Frugaleers as we Segue Smoothly into a Sensible September

[LivingInLaputa]

All welcome. Couldn’t see another thread!

I've made soup. Leek cauliflower and chicken it's delicious!

Dd just sicked on me. 😭

Dh keeps comparing Dd to ds. Who wasn’t a sicker. I’m hoping it’s just temporary as Dd has a cold.

Today we are trying the routine with dd. Eat. Little bit of play. Sleep. Wake up. Nappy change. Repeat. It worked for me when dh went back to work before mil arrived. And for two days last week. And yesterday morning. Dh thinks we need to pay her more attention. Not pop her in the basket to sleep. He’s frustrated (as am I) than she’s fussy in the evenings from 6-11. So I generally see the best of her. Then he comes home and gets screaming baby. Ds never did this. Maybe we were spoiled with him.

I think Dd is just overtired. So needs to do more decent day naps. Who knows. I’m quickly learning that babies do what they want.

Meditation retreat this afternoon. 130-5. Quiet reflection grounding time. Instructed to bring a blanket and a cushion. I may just have a nap.

Em How old is DD now? It's super common to be fussy in the evenings though isn't it, 'witching hours' and all that. I only BF til 12 weeks but DD would cluster feed every day from like 4 or 6pm until 10 or 11pm til I stopped BF and scream if I dared unlatch her or move lol. After I stopped BF the evenings were a lot better as I used the bottles to move things into a super flexible, vague routine of feeds and she usually slept 7-9pm after a bottle around 6 and then another bottle around 9 or 10 and then bed about 10/11 until til next bottle around 5-7am usually. We were v lucky that she didn't feed much in the night compared to most babies. BUT she did used to scream most of each day so I would rather her have screamed in the evening when I had DH come for support than in the day when I was alone with her most of the time tbh. Anyway you are doing great and all babes are different. Def have a nap!

Soup yum.

Spent £6 already taking DD to the music group thing. She did have a good time but there were only two drums and she commandeered one right at the beginning and cried if any other child tried to play it with her . Managed to prise it off her eventually so others could have a go! There was a mum with a toddler who literally cried the entire session. I felt sorry for her, but what is the point in staying if they are just tired and upset the whole time? And it was upsetting DD and some of the other kids too. Is it wanky of me to think she should have just chalked it up and left after a bit? I would have with DD.

We are going out for lunch for DH's relative's birthday which he completely sprang on me last night and being autistic I hate it when I don't know plans in advance etc so anxious about it. Especially as we are not meant to meet til 1 with the relative coming a bit later as it's a surprise, and DH's other relatives are literally like an hour late for everything. So how am I meant to keep DD amused in a restaurant for hours waiting around and it's also late for her lunch as she usually eats around 12 but that's kind of the time we will need to leave to get there for 1...I suggested DH just goes by himself but he said no to that. It's going to be raining all day too apparently so would be difficult to keep taking her out etc. That will be bit spendy too.

Spends so far:-

€12.53 in Lidl and €13.88 in Centra. I'm getting off lightly for groceries this week because DD is in Ex's for the weekend. And I've meat in the freezer to use up. So I mainly needed milk, bread and school lunch stuff for the week.

She’ll be 8 weeks tomorrow meadow crazy thing is I don’t remember ds being like this. Although may have just blocked that bit out!!

🙌🙌 managed to get the garden job done with a hand-saw and a bit of brute force so have already returned the electric saw we bought yesterday. Total saving £93!

Spends €32.69 Dunnes Stores, kind young girl allowed €5 off voucher even though she technically shouldn't have. Dog bed was €25, dog food €9 & toothpaste for dd €3.69 spent from bills account(going to stop calling it joint it's mostly my money going in )

Cash spends
€18 on play centre
€24.60 on lunch for 3 of us.
€2.20 on Fanta for ds
€1.20 on randoms for dd
€1.20 on snack bar for ds & i to share
€52 in gift shop on necklace for dm's 65th Birthday, nice cousin plaque for my cousin & a lovely a4 map of Ireland for framing
Ds owes me €3 from there
Dc spent their own money in smyths, ds needs to repay €5 to me when we get home.

Decided fri night it's time to visit solicitor again, sort out division of proceeds of house & maintenance & hopefully get a set plan in place for access.
Must check my safety order see how long it's for too

Excellent saving madden
They're all different em & it's so much tougher with two

Tayto very low grocery spends, sometimes I'd spend that much in centra on sweets
Those are life experiences too, if they're spaced out a bit I'd go for it. I also don't like dc to miss school though so I understand your rationale.
Cinema trip on your own sounds fab. I've €9 left on an Omniplex gift card but nothing appeals to me at the moment.
How are you doing?

Hope today goes well meadow
unescorted great price for tv, ours is 42" & was crazy money 11 years ago

DM's jewellery was 20% off so €40 instead of €50

Bit of a result getting refund for on the mobile top up voucher I bought in error. After a quick phone call Tesco just refunded the £10 there and then immediately negated by the Prosecco then purchased!!

Hi everyone, just catching up with the thread - seems like everyone has had a good weekend!

I have spent waaay too much!

Yesterday I spent £80 in Asda plus £20 at the market which is all of the money I had left in the food budget!

Took £78 worth of stuff back to Matalan, spent £12 on a jumper in the next sale. £6 in savers on bog roll and deodorant & shower gel for ds2. Dh had spent all day trying to clear the garden as it was looking like waste ground, he wanted a Chinese so I collected it and he paid for it out of some cash he had.

Today I had to drop dd2 of for dance rehearsals in town, took dd1 with me (mistake!!) popped into Superdrug and picked up 3 of the £3.50 olay whip moisturiser that's on offer from £34.99

Dd wanted to try the Bonfire spice hot chocolate in Costa - £6 ish for two and it was disgusting! She said she liked it though. Got some deck shoes for Dh in the sale reduced to £16 from £48. A T-shirt for ds2 in JD sports reduced to £10 From £32 as dd need to pick something up in there.

Then went to decathlon to pick up
A click And collect for ds, £50 in next home on 2 candles, and 4 x duvet covers. £12 in home sense, and £10 in home bargains on cleaning stuff and headphones for dd2. Almost £130 spent today eekk- I used to do that every week.

Won't be spending anything this week as there's nothing left! Payday on Friday and it can't come soon enough.

Just about to start the ironing for the coming week, made the mistake of emptying the airing cupboard before I left to pick dd up
And now I've got to sort it all and put back!

€15.90 in McDonald's 2 happy meals plus 40c extra for milk shakes & a med wrap meal for me - for those of us on weight loss thread I did contemplate the 18kcal salad but went with the 377kcal fries instead.

We spent the afternoon with family which was lovely

Good result Dorset
Camden I'm in lust with the gold lamp but pink one is more in my budget, I'll see after I find & purchase a house
Sounds like you got good value though

Happy Sunday everyone, it's been decent weather here this weekend, so we've tried to enjoy it.

Yesterday spent £5 on veg and rolls in the market for this week

Spends today were £36 for a 3-in-1 jacket for ds (!) Pricey but properly waterproof and it'll last for ages because ds is small for his age, and should be more practical than separates. DH and I wear ours a lot, so we'll match!

£6.20 vegan cakes in a cafe
£18 early dinner
DH paid £10 ish for our train tickets and £5 ish for coffee

Aiming for a NSD tomorrow but may get coffee with my work colleague

Meal plan this week:
Refried beans and Spanish rice
Leftover Thai curry with rice
Ratatouille lentil pasta
Aubergine towers with rice
Burgers and chips
Whatever DH cooks Saturday and Sunday!

Hope everyone is feeling better soon.

Lovely weekend here, made the most of lingering sunshine by getting jobs down in the garden (added bonus of NSD today)

DH and I are going away next weekend with a group of people for a friend's 40th. trouble is I have no clue what to get her. I want to get her something thoughtful but budget is a max of £50 (already paid quite a lot for the weekend away).

She's not a massive jewellery fan or alcohol drinker so that kind of discounts a lot of gifts.

Evening all, very busy wend here.

We went and had a nice time at my dads for the wend, I'm still full of cold but glad we went.

Today we stopped at a discount village on the way home, spent about £150 I think which will have to come out of savings but it's all stuff that was needed. I got myself some work clothes as need clothes for meetings etc now also got two new pairs of work suitable shoes. I bought some trousers in Next which will be going back as look awful on.

Dd got a new rucksack for school as hers fell apart last week and new wellies.

The puppies done well being away and doing lots of different things all wend.

Dds periods started again and is very heavy again 😩 the period knickers plus a pad still not enough to prevent leaks.

Oh and the ski trip was £1100!! She's not going and tbf dd understood it was too much money.

That is a lot of money Girlie

I’ve been reading but not had tine to write - work vvv busy this week and it was DS’s birthday this weekend so lots of work for that, including THE CAKE (see pic).

Just wanted to say: glad you are hanging on in Lap and I hope the diagnosis helps you to get what you need.

Also Camden it sounds as though you are making progress with the building work, if only towards watertight. That must be such a boost. I know you were worried about your DH’s mental health, is the bit of house progress helping?

I’ve just made 40 cake pops for DS’s class and am now whacked! We had the grandparents and aunties over for lunch today, and it was good - For once DS took an interest in his presents and played with them a bit (he’s not really into toys so gift-giving can be a deflating experience but today we all did good!). Ate too much, especially leftover chocolate buttercream, so feel 🐷. DD has also been rather upset that it wasn’t her birthday today!

That cake is amazing Sea

Ds got back at midnight, I am dead on my feet. The are 🏆

Meditation mindfulness yesterday was awesome. Definetly must do more at home.

More being present less just surviving.

In other news. The holiday we booked for next year to Mexico has just gone as TC have gone under. So. We’re having to book flights etc now if we want to still go to see our friends get married.

Fabulous cake.
Pleased people had a good weekend. Ours wasnt and that was mostly mil related.
£84 in the farmways shop on riding boots needed, doggo toys and a joules top, not needed.
£27 in superdrug but I used £9 of points. Also got the 3 whip

For those wondering olay whip is reduced from £34.99 to £3.50, buy 3 get a free miniature. Last page of Christmas thread 2.

£4 Sainsbury's on milk. £60 dive club renewal

Saturday £77 Aldi, ££ Iceland, £55 Sainsbury's, £6 trampoline and about another £15 on the slotties to treat DS £14 pizza for DD sleepover,

Craft moment for the rest (can't remember a fucking thing)

Tired today

Oh no. Hope that doesn't undo yesterday mindfulness.

Sea that's amazing!

Em that's annoying. I know people on holiday with them now! The wedding wasn't booked via Thomas Cook was it? Do you think other companies will hike prices?

I also have TC flights booked for next year. Not atol protected, not booked on credit card 😩.

Sea- cake is amazing! Must have taken days to put that together! Dh def doing a bit better as work is progressing, I'm now worried about the way he will take it when money runs out, but will criss that bridge when we come to it!

Most of us seem to have had a speedy w/end, feels good at the time but I regret it afterwards, definitely well impressed with the Olay Whip though, nigh see if I can get some more near work today!

Anyone know of an alternative to the Uniqlo ultra light pack away jacket? I want navy or blank but at £59.90 it's just a bit too expensive, I did order one from next in a cornflower blue, for £14, but I returned it as the colour just wasn't for me and I knew I wouldn't wear it.

Sorry to hear about everyone that's booked holidays or flights with T.C, I used to work for a travel company and remember when Monarch folded it was heart breaking taking calls from people who had booked with them.

Gosh TC going under is huge. Madden check mse. You might still be able to do a debit card chargeback or through your travel insurance

Apparently the Smyth's toys event starts tomorrow. Annoying in store only. My nearest is 30 min driving away