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Friendly frugaleers as the leaves fall our bank balances will rise, hopefully!

997 replies

lifelongfrugaleer · 30/09/2019 12:48

Couldn't see one so took the liberty of starting a new thread.

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36
maddenlightfoot · 01/10/2019 21:38

NSD 🙌🙌!

I've looked at my 'spends' budget for September (this is everything outside of bills - fuel, presents, days out, holiday savings, Christmas, diy/house costs, club subs, food out etc but not food shopping).

On Sept 1st I wrote down everything I could think of that we might spend over the month and then took note of actual cost and extra costs as we went through the month. I estimated £700 and it was about £750.

October will be spendier (half term, dh birthday, a night or two out) and I've figured £990 so let's see how that goes!

It sounds quite a lot on paper but £450 of that is for holiday savings. Part of that is putting away £100 for a cottage for a family get together at Christmas so will reduce to £350 from January.

Whichever way I look at it though it's the first time we've ever pre-empted spends. I've always been good at putting bits of money into savings pots but unfortunately just as good at taking it back out again 😂!

Girliefriendlikescake · 01/10/2019 22:19

Busy day here which started with a vomiting puppy 🤢 he must have eaten something rotten bless him. The dog seems completely fine now though but wasn't the best start to my day!

Work was okay and then dd had her club tonight so lots of rushing about.

Think I've managed another nsd though.

ibuiltahomeforyou · 01/10/2019 22:32

I just spent £6 today on essentials - nappies, cat biscuits, bread and biscuits to take to my friend's Wink

I have a coffee meeting on a Tuesday but today I dug two fully-stamped cards out of my purse at the local posh coffee shop to cover it. My colleague knows I'm budgeting so indulged me!

ChristmasSeacow · 02/10/2019 04:59

Thanks for the new thread - I hadn’t realised I’d finished the old one!

Happier your hand must be bad if you are still bandaged up - ouch! DD isn’t too bad, thanks for asking. Only one finger still looked sore the next day but it’s healing quickly. I think the pinning down hysteria was definitely the worst of it!

Poor vomity puppy.

I can’t sleep and I’m going to be wrecked tomorrow. I woke up just after 3am (after about 3.5 hrs sleep) and am wide awake but tired. After an hour I gave in and started writing lists.

Now, perhaps some veggies can help me? I’m away with a veggie friend this weekend and need to think of a naice meal for Saturday night. No doubt we will be exhausted after a full-on rainy day with our DDs at Peppa Pig World so I’d ideally like something that fits these criteria:

  • can be made quickly OR made in advance and cooked /assembled on the day without too much effort so we can get on with the gin and chat
  • is a bit special (so not pasta n pesto - bit more of a treat!)
  • isn’t curry, as we’re having that on Friday
  • ideally not too diet-wrecking

Any ideas? I like nuts, pulses, cheese, veggies, but not wildly keen on meat substitutes or blue cheese. Or quinoa.

I really need to sleep. Work tomorrow, ug.

ChristmasSeacow · 02/10/2019 05:02

Ps extra points for ideas containing goats cheese!

Accidentalaccountant · 02/10/2019 05:28

Also awake. Yesterday petrol and some fruit. Tonight should be £7 on exercise class but is outdoors so not sure will run. Christmas I do a sweet potato and goats cheese frittata. Roast sweet potato then add to eggs with spinach, cherry tomatoes and goats cheese. Tis yum 😋

Happierwithouthim · 02/10/2019 06:07

Seacow This Jamie Oliver Wellington I made it for Christmas party I had last year for my friends, I swapped mushrooms for sundried tomatoes. Even the non vegans tried & liked it.
My hand is actually worse now, bandage dried out & stuck to some of the burn & lifted top layer of skin. This morning I'm changed to germolene & plasters over most of it except blistered part.

Yesterday's spends
€6 on lunch
€53 on diesel
€2 on parking
€80 solicitor
€30.35 on more makeup & a blusher brush for me & Halloween makeup for dc was €6.50 of this
€2 tooth fairy
Lodged cheque for €29.08 to bank account

Visit to solicitor went well, plan is for me to instruct her to send letter to H once we sign contracts for sale of house requesting that I get full proceeds from sale(as he will still own another house mortgage free & I'll need to buy & get another mortgage) and that he continue with the money he's putting into account as maintenance. We expect that both will be challenged but start high & settle for less is the plan.
H then text last night that there's good news from purchaser & that he'll call up to go through it with me this evening.

Great going with stamped cards ibuilt

Madden sounds good to have a plan in place
Girlie yuck
Moi nice to have niece visit if it doesn't put you under pressure

Got wedding invite for next month with 'happier & guest' so bf will be coming so need to tell dparents about his existence when they come back from holiday Wink

Wolfcub · 02/10/2019 06:22

Morning all sleepless night here too. Think I managed an hour and a half before tossing and turning for the rest of the night my brain is too full of work stuff to switch off

MeadowHay · 02/10/2019 10:06

Girlie Aw, hope pup is ok!

Happier Oh no, I have missed what has happened to you - burnt hand? - but sounds nasty, hope it recovers soon. Haha, good luck speaking to your DPs about your BF Grin. Wedding invite sounds lovely. I just went to a relative's wedding reception with my DM last weekend, it was my first night away from DD which felt weird but it was good to get a bit of space and have a nice time and not have to wake up super early and rush about after her. Actually the best part was probably a peaceful, leisurely hotel breakfast Blush.

I actually slept quite well last night compared to usual. We bought a secondhand Wii Fit for me to exercise and I've been doing a little bit every night for the last few nights since it arrived, and I have been sleeping a bit better for it. Just need to keep it up and not let the novelty wear off.

I am off on AL today looking after a poorly DD. Who either sits on my knee with a dummy in her mouth looking miserable, or screams. And even worse, I have to wake her up from a nap in a min to take her to the GP! I don't think she actually needs to go really but as she's had a fever for 3 days now my DH (who is a dr himself) advised me to take her to get checked over so...dreading that...I can't hear the dr talk half the time as she screams the entire time!! She was just there last week as well with infected nappy rash, poor love.

Lots of big spends so far already but hopefully no more:
Oct nursery fees, can't remember exact amount it was about £660. First time I've paid late but not late enough to incur penalty charge, phew.
£200 into each of me and DH's Help-to-buy ISAs (so investments, not spends)
£800 which is Sept + Oct rent as I forgot to pay Sept Blush (DF is our LL and he's not bothered as long as I pay)
Phew!

ememem84 · 02/10/2019 10:20

My gift from dh was a fire engine red kitchen aid stand mixer. I’ve wanted one of these for ages!!!! So so exciting. 😀👍🏻

Ds and Dd bought me a big ass lavender candle from white co. Dh has a shock when he noticed it didn’t come with a lid. 😂 apparently you have to buy these separately.

Dparents (I’m here now as had to do a work nursery drop off) have kindly given me a load of vouchers for new clothes etc. And some jo Malone shower gel and moisturiser.

Mil left a present with dh and bought me ooodles of clarins products. Mostly anti fatigue ones 😂👍🏻 But all stuff I’ll use. Also includes a full size double serum which I know costs a bomb.

I’m going for lunch with dparents today too. We’re goign for Japanese food. So maybe sushi. Dds coming too.

I might stop in the Apple store and look at an Apple Watch. I’ve been wanting one for ages and mentioned to dh that I might get myself one. He’s said if I want to get one to pop it on his credit card. (He has just recieved a chunky pay cheque from work - a disgusting over £25k pay cheque - containing his Normal salary plus his share scheme payout). Most of this has been lumped into a saving pot so we can do a mortgage overpayment and another so we’ve got cash to extend the house in a few years.

Happierwithouthim · 02/10/2019 11:05

Happy Birthday em
Those mixers are dreamy - look forward to seeing all your bakes & cakes

I got good news from mortgage broker, looks like the house I wish to buy might be in my sights once more Grin

Thatsnotmyflamingo · 02/10/2019 11:41

Thanks for new thread @lifelongfrugaleer.

Spent £92 yesterday on new bed linen, some Halloween decos, a new sweeping brush and a mop head. Bed linen was the most expensive part but they are brushed cotton and we needed a second set of those.

lifelongfrugaleer · 02/10/2019 11:49

Happy birthday em. You share with DS

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lifelongfrugaleer · 02/10/2019 11:52

Great news on the mortgage happier

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WreckTangled · 02/10/2019 12:05

That's great happier!

Happy birthday em!

Meadow we've always advised a fever lasting three days or more needs checking out hope dd is ok

MeadowHay · 02/10/2019 13:32

Ah DD is ok - in true toddler style, as soon as I got her to the GP surgery she decided to eat a baby biscuit and a packet of baby rice wafers and then cruise around the surgery babbling loudly whilst we waited...Hmm. She still has a fever when the paracetamol wears off but it does come down with that. And otherwise seems slightly better today than yesterday, less crying and she had most of an egg and a quarter of a piece of toast for lunch which is the most she's eaten in a couple of days so that's good. She is having a nap now but dunno what to do with her once she's up, I hate it when they're ill and you can't really take them anywhere because of them passing it on to other little ones.

WreckTangled · 02/10/2019 16:39

Dh has really pissed me off. Tonight he's going to see his friend and last night I said 'are you eating there?' He said he didn't know what would be easier for me. I said 'well as you don't know shall we say you'll eat home as I've got the food anyway and have to make food for everyone otherwise I'll have to think of something else to do if it's just me and the dc'. Just got home from taking ds to an appointment and dh said 'don't worry about cooking for me tonight' I went a bit mad and so he said well ok cook for me it's fine. I said I'm not cooking for him to eat two dinners what a waste of food. Ffs it's really pissed me off I hate meal planning and I get so stressed trying to plan it all and stick to a budget and he doesn't give a shit. That's obviously the main thing that's pissed me off, not that he's going out to eat. Just give me some notice ffs

Happierwithouthim · 02/10/2019 16:54

wreck going to play devils advocate here but could you freeze dh's portion or use it for lunch tomorrow?

meadow great that dd is getting better, I got burned with wax from a nightlight on Fri night.

Today's a NSD.

Happy Birthday to life's ds

WreckTangled · 02/10/2019 17:05

Nope. Everyone is having toast Grin

lifelongfrugaleer · 02/10/2019 17:18

That pisses me off too wreck.
To fill of cake and pizza for my tea.
DS request normal cake with cream and fruit. So ta da.
£8.50 pizza, £11.summat Sainsbury's

Friendly frugaleers as the leaves fall our bank balances will rise, hopefully!
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CamdenTownie · 02/10/2019 17:29

Cake looks amazing life- my favourite kind!

NSD today, not sure what to do for dinner as it's just me and ds2 home.

Looking forward to an early night!

Happierwithouthim · 02/10/2019 17:44

Wreck when you asked he should've thought it through properly

Cake looks great life

lifelongfrugaleer · 02/10/2019 18:16

Too much cake....ate dinner too. Very full. Billions of calories

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Wolfcub · 02/10/2019 18:41

Happy birthday EmGin

Happy birthday Life’s ds Cake

moimichme · 02/10/2019 19:41

Happy birthday em and life ds - looks like a lovely cake and hope you've had a great day.

Hope the poorly and burnt ones are feeling much better very soon. Flowers

Spends today:
£12 groceries top up
£3 charity shop clothes for ds
£47 medicine for dcat feeling ridiculously relieved that the vet agreed to give me 2 months worth instead of one, although I still really, really hope that no deal doesn't happen
£5 collection for work colleagues who are off ill

Hoping for a NSD tomorrow!