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

[LivingInLaputa]

All welcome. Couldn’t see another thread!

Morning.

Today I will be mostly making a quilt and weeding the garden. And being a party taxi for dd.

Wreck have an awesome holiday.

Got fourth load of washing in. Not wasting a drying day. Beds stripped.

£60 school shoes
£20 trainers which I consider getting off lightly
£2 parking
£10 mcds breakfast

Will order rugby boots online. Need to buy beer and snacks on way home

£46 breakfast - two Americans four flat whites one shakshuka one poached eggs and salmon one avo on toast one mini baby breakfast (ds - beans sausage and an eggy) and a milky (Dd).

Took ds for a run on the beach after. Tide is on its way in (high at 1230). Ds was in shorts and wanted to have a splash the water. So we went. I’m wearing jeans. They are currently wet to about my knees!! We had loads of fun though.

He’s napping now. Mil has gone back to her friends to do her laundry. Dh is with dd who is fussing. I’ve been awake since around 2am. So am having a lie down and might get a nap in.

£55 Sainsbury’s including new duvet for me as I think mine might be contributing to my non stop sneezing
£45 local sports shop on rugby boots, gumshield and size bigger outdoor pe top for school as my mother is convinced the current one doesn’t fit

£120 so far on food but not done Sainsbury's yet. Probably nearer £200 by the time finished. Still no idea what we are going to eat though

Em the thought of not having access to a car at all times breaks me out in a cold sweat! Would you be in a position to buy yourself a car with or without dhs permission? You could get a little run around like my aygo which costs nothing to run and is so kind on the environment you don't even pay tax on it!!

Happy holidays wreck

Lazy morning here, much needed after a busy week. Going out later to a friends house, the dump and pets at home in that order!

Puppy is currently snoozing, here's a recent pic.

£56 on diesel this morning.

@WreckTangled have a lovely holiday!

@Girliefriendlikescake awww beautiful!

We only have one car usually but have had to borrow one from friends numerous times this year because logistics just did not work as a one car family. I think we will stick with one, we don't need it for work as I walk and dh cycles, however I have got used to having another car around!

Today is a nsd. Having another bbq later but still have supplies from yesterday.

Just checking in.

All our babies took ages to wind. Dd1 would always bring up a load of milk with it too. Usually all over me. We had about a billion muslins when she was a baby.

£21 top up shop. If I'm honest it included beer and ice cream. Necessary on such a hot day though!

girlie yes I would. Well once I go back to work and save a bit more. I’ve talked to dh about it again and would probably get a hyundai i10 or i20. Simply because Dm and dsis have one and I’ve driven them and they’re nice reasonably priced small cars.

We have a car at present. Dh has said if I want a new one I can trade ours in. But he is adamant that we don’t need two cars.

I disagree. On Tuesday I’m going Riding (first time in about 5 months!) dh wants to take ds into town. He’ll have to get the bus with both ds and Dd. Which he’s never done before.

I could borrow DMs car. But am not going to ask. Because dh thinks he can be car free.

We've just dropped to one car as of last week. But my DC are older and DH gets a work car. If he didn't get the work car we would need one

chocla I haven't used ynab but it sounds like it could be good for you.
girlie the puppy is very cute.
unescorted is this the batik quilt you're doing? I'm on countdown to the quilt show in Harrogate now. 5 days to go & we dropped our 3 generations of show quilts off at the local quilting shop on Friday. Excited. I need to set a budget for the show as there will be lots of lovely fabrics there.
wreck have a great holiday
wolf £20 for trainers is definitely getting off lightly. Dd needs school shoes & trainers so I've got that joy to come.

So, all of mum's 80th celebrations are now done. Her birthday on Friday was perfect and she described it as the most enjoyable day of her life which means mission accomplished for me. Without going into lots of detail, she has overcome a lot all through her life and has had 50 years of a relatively joyless marriage to my miserable dad. Despite it all she has been and continues to be an inspiration to me, my dd, her sisters & nieces & so many others, so Friday was important to me. There were 25 ladies for a breakfast/brunch which was served like an afternoon tea & was fantastic. We then picked up dad, dh & ds & 8 of us spent the rest of the day at a beach hut which was just lovely. I paid for that (£85) as my present & it was perfect, as was the weather.

Spends haven't been too bad as mum paid for everyone's breakfasts & dinner out last night & dad paid for fish & chips on Friday. Our spends were £4.50 car parking, £20 pitch & putt & drinks, probably £30 on drinks yesterday.

My stress levels have settled a bit now, although it's mum & dad's golden wedding on Wednesday & then ds' 18th the following Monday. Pil arrive on Friday for 4 nights & sil arrives with her family for 2 nights the following Thursday. So dh & I sat down with calendar & diaries yesterday for a logistics meeting! We have meal planned & written lists so I feel a bit more sorted.

Spends generally have been over budget this month, but that's not overly surprising & it has been worth it.
It's sunny & hot again here already. Annual family fun day at the cricket club today so we'll all be there. Have a good day whatever you're doing.

We managed with one car when ds was little as it was manageable with our jobs at the time. Once we changed jobs & relocated up north we needed 2 & still do for now. It depends entirely on your circumstances & access to public transport I think.

We are a 1 car family - but our kids are older and my work is an easy cycle/train away. It is quicker for me to cycle the first bit than it is to drive to the station & park up.

I have been getting these really awful headaches & nausea - think the worst hangover you have ever had so yesterday was a washout, but also a NSD. Just as well it is a bank holiday weekend.

Friday's breakfast. Followed by baps with bacon, sausage & egg!

Wow north that food looks amazing! Sounds like you did your mum a lovely do, happy birthday to her! Also sounds like a very busy time, good luck organising everything!!

Puppy is getting loads better at night, he went from 10pm until 5.45am when he needed the loo, then went back until 7am. Not bad given he's still very small, also doing well on the toilet training front 😇 good boy 😉

Plan today is to drop puppy at my mums and take dd into town for school shoes. This is my least favourite job over the summer as is always stressful, fingers crossed she likes the first pair she tries on I would die of shock if this actually happens

Dd has a kayak lesson later which my mum booked for her and we have a potential puppy sitter popping over so busy day.

@northender that looks delicious.

I’m ashamed to say that we have four cars! Well one is a camper. Dh,dd and I have a car each. Living so rurally and working in opposite directions we need cars to get to work. We walk whenever we can but its to the beach, the moors or local harbour.

Your mum's birthday sounds brilliant North. What a lot of celebrations you have coming up! I hope you enjoy them all as much as your mum's birthday.

Not much planned here today. We seem to have a lit of bread to use up so lunch will be either sandwich or toast-based!

North that looks a beautiful brunch, glad to hear your mum had a lovely day. Having your quilts displayed will be fabulous.
Girlie he is so cute glad to hear he’s getting better at sleeping.

We have always been a one car family but only because I was the only one who could drive and now there’s just me but it was a pain in the arse being the only driver at times. Em I reckon a few bus trips with two smalls and he will change his tune
Awake for four hours in the middle of the night, knackered. I have also woken up with a throat like razors and an ulcer that’s running the length of my cheek (i think I must have bitten the inside of my mouth by the state of it) so I’m going to have an easy day, mow the lawn. Label and pack yesterday’s uniform purchases and watch shite on tv

Dhs family had 6 cars at one time when he was growing up. Mil and Fil each had one. Plus fils work van then each of the three kids had a car when they turned 17.

If I’m honest it is the hypothetical “what if we need to be in 2 places at once” which is making me think about a second car.

Dh say something we should wait until we need one to think about it (like this week when we could have done with two with mil here....). I’ve said I’ll wait until I’ve been back at work for a full year. And will then look seriously for a decent second hand one. although I desperately want a new mini

Dh has made a bold statement that we’d probably save money if we got rid of our car and relied solely on busses and taxis. I can see that we’d save on the initial outlay for a car and the insurance and petrol and servicing. But factoring in all of us on the bus and taxi fares to get places the bus doesn’t go....

Busses from where we live now into “town” (where the bus station is) run every hour I think. But to get anywhere else you need to go into town then get another bus which depending on where you want to go may not be very frequent.

Eg to get from here to my parents you’d have to be on the 50 minute to the hour bus to town. It takes half an hour (arriving at 20 past roughly) Then you’d have to wait at the bus station for another 40 minutes at the station for the next bus to my parents (as it runs on the hour or at 20 past the hour.

Not practical.

Oops. Posted a bit soon.

It’s a moot point anyway for the moment. But the challenge for dh still stands.

Hell never be able to do it and will just sit at home. I’m “allowing” him lifts if I’m going that way anyway. But he’ll need to work around me. Eg on Wednesday morning I have the dentist. So am dropping ds at nursery, Dd will come with me, then I’m going to my parents for a bit then meeting colleagues for lunch. Dh has an acupuncture appointment (near my dentist) but half hour later than my appointment so if he wants a lift he will have to be up and ready to go when we leave for nursery. He will also have to find his own way home.

I'd love to join - have done lots of frugal activity under a different username, and DH has finally realised he is useless at finance and is going to hand over all finance to me. Saved £318 by switching gas and electric this week.

That looks lush North.
£93 Sainsbury's

Welcome ibuilt

Send you DH off on the bus with both DC, plus pushchair and to get a few bags of shopping in em. That will cure that idea!

£6 parking at the beach yesterday. We had ice creams once we got home

Melting here today. 26 degrees. Filled the paddling pool for the DC.

I have to go back to work on Tuesday but once I finish we might go to the beach again as we work shorter days until school termtime starts.

My mum let me know a couple of days ago that my dad has dementia so getting my head around that at the moment. My mum wants to keep the DC away from him so they don’t remember him like that. doesn’t think he will be around much longer