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

[lifelongfrugaleer]

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

Happy birthday Em presents sound lovely, lucky girl!!

Amazing cake and happy birthday to your ds life

Glad dd has perked up meadow, dd always made a liar out of me at the drs as well

Happier as a wound care specialist nurse I'm not sure germaline and plasters are the best thing! Can you post a pic (pm me if you want!) I'm pleased things are still going well with the new fella.

Busy day here with work and puppy class straight from work. Puppies been fine today but is driving me mad as he has worked out that standing by the back door gets him some attention 🙄 I must have let him in and out about 10 times in the last half hour. It's Sod's law if I ignore him he will actually need a wee!

Bought petrol and a subway today £35.

Realised I forgot to factor in savings when I worked out this months budget, that'll be why the figures looked good on paper!!

Happy birthday life DS

Hope the burns heal ok happier and seacow DD

How irritating of DH wreck 😡

I am having a shit week at work. Truly fed up and considering resigning. But day off tomorrow is thankfully here, and I have just found a job advertised that could be really good! So I must actually apply.

We had Mcd’s for dinner as we had to go from work to a school open evening and then it was late and needed to eat

I need to go through the freezer tomorrow and see what we have already.

Happy birthday em! Sounds like you have received some lovely gifts. at a £25k pay check, I think I need to retrain!

Happy birthday em! Looking forward to seeing some Bake-Off-esque creations! (I'm seriously craving peanut brittle after seeing Steph's bombe last night 😋)

Oh love 😕 - sorry work is getting you down. Definitely get on and apply for the new one, nothing ventured!

My budget is slipping away already 😩. Have spent £30 on sports equipment for dd (essential but unbudgeted) and although I'd budgeted for gymnastics lessons I hadn't realised the yearly British Gym subscription was due, so another unbudgeted £25.

I'm hoping that I can offset some of this through lower grocery costs - still having cupboard/fridge/freezer tapas this week and am managing to keep my online shop (arriving Saturday) to around £40 atm. Meal plan will be:
Sun/Mon: toad in the hole, cauliflower cheese, veg, roasties
Tues: bolognaise
Wed: leek & potato soup
Thurs: pizza
Fri: hotdogs and corncobs
Sat: beans and cheese on toast

Happier - burns are awful, the pain lasts so long, I really feel for you. A while ago I leaned on a just out of the oven tray and it stuck to my forearm, the skin practically melted away and I had to keep having the dressing changed, eventually I ended up with what looked like an Always Ultra towel on my arm, it was actually a gel pad/dressing. But people we're a bit 🤔 when they spotted it, I'll never forget that pain, it left a bad scar too.

Spent £20 on a jacket/coat for dd2 after work, she doesn't like it so it's going back tomorrow, she can stick with her old coat, and I've saved £20

My 'budget' is also Shot to pieces and it's only the second day of the month, haven't eaten a single dinner that I'd planned so far this week, not great but it's mostly been down to timings and work related stuff. Yesterday was brand on toast and today only me and ds2 were home and he wasn't hungry.

Gave the three youngest a list of jobs each that I want them to do every day after school in order to earn pocket money, only dd2 has put any effort in so far so she's the only one I'll be paying!

I'm so tired this week, could really do with a day off, dh hasn't been around at all this week as he's working away, which is fine but I find it such a struggle. Closing your eyes on the tube is lethal too, I'm sure I'm going to miss my stop one day 😆

I really need to go on a diet, but keep telling myself that I can't afford it, which just makes me eat more! I need to try some kind of slimming world plan, but on my own without paying for the meetings.

Madden - you meal plan sounds yum 😋

Camden I hear you on the not being able to afford to diet - my meal plan sounds yummy mainly because it's 99.9% carby stodge, but that's the only way I can keep my shop low cost!!

I'm having some success with calories counting and fasting days recently though and generally that means I'm eating (costing!) less (I usually match dh on portion sizes, or actually make sure I get the biggest 😂). I think there's a frugal diet thread...

I should add that my mention of dhs pay cheque was in no way supposed to make anyone feel awkward. I’m so so proud of him. And it’s a one off as his sharesbhe gets in his employer have just paid out and this is 4 years in the making.

He’s an accountant. 5 years post qualified. Working with private equity funds. And he’s very good at his job. Super proud.

Lunch was awesome. Japanese steamed dumplings then a chefs choice sushi plate. Yummo.

Met dsis for coffee and cake. She has gifted me a spa afternoon with her. In half term. With lunch and wine. But most importantly it’s time with her.

Dds cot arrived today. Wahoooo. So now we just have to work out where to put it in her room.

Tomorrow it’s chores in the morning. Then lunch with a colleague. Then maybe a walk in the afternoon.

Dh and ds are taking the bus. I can’t do another rush hour run. It’s killing me.

Happy birthday Em. Spends yesterday class did happen as it finally stopped raining. Pet food and Tesco so £88 in total.

@CamdenTownie I also want to do slimming world again, I've noticed a direct comparison between low cost meals and my weight gain!!

Yesterday I spent £5 in Aldi on stuff for harvest festival. Have to give a box for the food bank.

I had far too much coffee yesterday. I’ve been awake since around 230 when Dd stirred.

She just dozed off on me mid bottle. So popped her back into her bed. She is now crying and unsettled. It’s because I’ve got some breakfast and a tea. 😂😂

Day off today, plan is to catch up on housework which has definitely slid a bit recently! Upstairs is particularly grim and needs a good once over.

Trouble is I sat on the sofa and now the puppy has fallen asleep on me!

Winter work boots went on Monday, thermal vest today

Must get more thermal vests because the two I have are grey having being worn and washed for two winters. I've got a spare pair of fleecy insoles at home so will add those to the boots this evening. Boots are wrecked but they'll do fine for work. Cost €17 a few years ago so haven't definitely paid their way.

girlie I don't think you can pm pics but I will post one and everyone avert their eyes if they are squeamish
It was very sore yesterday if I dropped my hand down but I left it to the air last night and have it uncovered today & it's not hurting unless I flex my hand. Thanks for the kind words about bf.

love best of luck with job application, sorry work is unpleasant.

I'm tired, talked on phone late to bf, then ds woke me at 3 to know if it was nearer to morning than nighttime, he called out again at 4.30am which woke me but I didn't answer him and he must've gone back to sleep then.

If there are any other Irish posters or lurkers on thread - Supervalu 48 hour sale is on meridian 1kg peanut butter for under €3, it would involve me driving to town though so I'll pass, travel costs would negate the savings.

camden join us on the frugaleers diet thread - Link here even if you only calorie counted it would make an impact. Thanks madden for mentioning it.

My dressings were very dramatic looking too, I brought them along today but have left it out to air so far.

Nice to have that plan with dsis em and well done to your H and glad he's treating you out of it too

@Girliefriendlikescake this is wound(s) today

girlie my housework has slipped too, can't do it now, I'm injured

Booked my flu vaccine for next Thurs that'll be €20

Thanks madden and Happier- I've joined the thread, hope I can give it a go without self sabotaging!

Happier - ouch!! That looks bad, what an awkward place to have the worst of it 😬 I'm not sure if the dressing helps or not but it must be very painful to use that hand

Yes we've got winter coats out now too. We also put the heating on for an hour when we got up, it was so cold! Tumble drier is on too. Definitely coming into the more expensive time of year fuel-wise.

I need to book my flu jab. Have arranged all the nasal sprays for the dcs.

I turned my thermostat down this morning so stop my heating coming on

Having a terrible day - took my cat to the vet, then my car wouldn't start outside 😳😳😳 I can feel my bank account draining as we speak.

I think I may need a new car - what is the most cost-effective option? I have a 12 year old Ford Focus.

My heating didn't come on yesterday because the wood pellet silo needed tlc, did that & it's working now. Went to bed last night to discover not only was there no heating but my window was open in my room all day, like an icicle!

Need to organise ds’ flu vaccine. Was debating having it myself. Don’t usually but did last winter as was pregnant. This year I probably should as am off and if I go down with it we’re stuffed. Also don’t want Dd to get it.

Can I join?
I've just returned to work and DH is taking the last 15 weeks of shared parental leave - 13 of which are completely unpaid.
So from now until end of Jan, responsibility for all bills and budgeting falls on me!

I bought myself a really handy budget book (a spend I know!) at the end of Sept and spent a while filling it in for Oct, and have been studiously filling in every spend so far. I've set budgets for things like groceries etc and want to focus each month on coming in under budget. This month is groceries!

Belated happy birthday @ememem84. I’ve just signed the online consent form for DS2s flu jab that he gets at school. Well it’s a nasal spray I think they get.

But talking of jabs, I’m looking into getting DS1 the hpv vaccine. He’s 14 so has just missed it being rolled out in schools. DS2 will have it at school when he’s old enough and the bottom line is if DS1 didn’t have it and anything happened to him that the hpv could’ve prevented, I’d never forgive myself. As he’s under 15 he needs a course of 2 jabs which Boots do for about £165 each. Pricey but it’s something I think we have to do.

@Happierwithouthim ouch that hand! Burns are horrible, definitely no housework for you!