Frugal Friends Finding Financial Freedom In February

[Wolfcub]

New Fred

Have never heard of The Spicery but it looks fab! Curries are my very favourite. I love spicy food.i made veggie laksa tonight. It was delicious and very quick. Halved all the ingredients but forgot to halve the quantities for the spice paste so have put half in the freezer for next time.

madden up until now, I think she has been removed from it. She retired 20 years ago and all her friends are from church. Unfortunately the contact with my cousin is due to both my dad and aunt being too deaf to speak on the phone to each other and then it ramps her comments up again. I’m an avoid awkward subjects person, but I don’t want her saying things in front of my DC. Funny thing is, I‘ve never actually liked my cousin. He was horrible to us as children!

£41. Petrol. This filled the tank and will probably last u til feb payday. Ish. Once I’m back at work the car will be used less so that’s good.

Love I'd be offering to make tea and then realising that "the milk has run out". Families 🤷‍♀️

Looks lush life

Dear God l turn my back and lose the lot of you
Thank you for the new Fred @Wolfcub
I went to Tesco and spent £30 so not too bad , put things back in M&S and Boots so it's a good day for me Yay!

Eccentricity is a good thing @Bornlazy😺 And three! I wish we could have more but Puss is nervous. She was rescued by my sister in law who found her in the stairwell of the flats she lives in. A horrid neighbour had been unkind to her and turned her out. Sil took her to live with her cats but there was a dominant female cat and they fought. So we were asked to have her. She has become more confident now and is so loving and gentle.

Ds is awake. He’s singing a nursery rhyme remix of his own creation. Beendy beendy bider e I e I o beeeeedle dar

I've been trying (and failing) to catch up on the last thread. Think I'll just start from scratch.

A quiet day planned for today. DD is with her Dad this weekend. I need to pick up a few bits in Lidl. Dinner will be chicken pasta bake.

Batch cooking is working out really well and also cutting down on food waste. So win win.

I need to make an appointment with a solicitor to get moving on the separation. That will be €€€€. I have some money set aside for this but my Dad and brother have offered to help out also.

Happier I finally filled out an application form for the An Post current account. I'm going to use the main account for holiday savings and the two wallets for car insurance and home heating oil (plus a bit extra for boiler service). I have a Credit Union account with two saving accounts - one for long term savings and an add on for Christmas savings. Need to think about a car maintenance pot too. They really should teach all of this stuff at school.

Morning lovelies

Ds has me awake at 6.30 as he heffalumped downstairs to watch tv

Sports this morning so I shall wrap up warm and take coffee. Will have to buy ds lunch as it's a home game but otherwise no planned spends

Lovely cat Duchess

Found you! Lazy Sunday here, I’m still in bed with the dog, who is an affectionate cutie, love it!!
Yesterday £13 in Lidl and £18 in M&S (the £18 came off a £25 voucher I had).
NSD planned here :)

Yesterday £12.88 lunch with friend. Sat in the pub chatting for four hours. Sooooo needed. ❤️😁

We’re giving potty training a go. DD (2.5) is definitely ready but unfortunately completely resistant. She is refusing to go anywhere near the potty or toilet, even with the bribe of chocolate buttons. Running out of ideas! She’s in pants at the mo so I’m waiting for the disaster...

Off to find a bottle to try wolf's trick

Tayto forget about catching up just jump in, will you be able to negate the fees on this current account with money back or will it be your sole current account? It's €60 annually plus probably the debit card charge too. I totally agree that this stuff should be taught in school, budgeting is a life skill.

I use ynab which costs me about €50 annually but as well as budgeting I can easily find what I paid for what when & where too, plus the reporting tool shows me what stuff is costing annually too.

Bottle trick didn't work so I must buy a plunger hope local little shop has them because I don't want to drive to town (update they have but not open today, will get au pair to pick it up tomorrow, today will be nsd!)

Good luck seacow
Lane glad you had nice time out with your friend

Cat got in again last night & against my better judgement is still indoors

Tayto will ex contribute to separation?

Em just for you

Happier did you push it as far as you could into the u bend?

Ocado order put in for pay day next Friday expensive as I've run out of vanish powder for mucky kit and I need another weevil-proof box for oats (not envy)

That's a lovely cat Happier!

Ds is is the same with potty training Sea. He did a wee on the potty weeks ago and satisfied himself he had done it and hasn't gone near it since. I though if he saw his sister getting lots of attention for doing it he would follow suit but no, not interested! Dd is pretty reliable now so that's one out of nappies at least. To be honest I think I need a break from it before starting Round 2 with ds!

Hope work, nursery and so on go well tomorrow, Em.

Yep wolf for a finish I emptied both loos, it was some blockage that was causing one toilet upstairs to fill when other one was flushed & I used one of the loo brushes as a plunger and poured a kettle of boiling water down, not sure what worked but they're both free now, Rather grim Sunday morning activity

I eventually got her to sit on the potty with trousers on, with help from a new Elmer book. THEN after much effort I got her to sit on the potty with trousers down (by whisking her sideways into it while what hung Hey Duggee on my phone). She doesn’t normally get choc buttons or my phone / much telly so I am hoping this makes it more appealing.

However, after an hour of that we gave her lunch and while she was having lunch she wet herself. Looooong way to go. I don’t envy you Snuggly with double trouble!

Have made caramel Shortbread today, just waiting for the chocolate to set. DS’s eyes are on stalks. Roast chicken and trimmings this arvo. Found some pigs and blankets from Christmas in the freezer so am slinging them in the oven too.

Hi Ystd was spendy, spent around £25 in town on bday presents for my niece and nephew. Then spent £75 in Morrisons, got a fair amount of food for that though and I haven't done a big shop for ages.

I get paid tomorrow and can see on payments pending it's less than usual I think due to my millage claims bring low in December. February is going to be just as shit as January then

Have an Odeon voucher so think will go to the cinema later with dd to see little women.

Work bag is packed, gym bag packed.

Not yet chosen outfit (all my trousers are still a bit snug...) but will sort something out.

We’re having a roast chicken too. Dh has rubbed it with masala paste and we’re having spinachy rice and Dahl with it. And maybe some curried butternut.

Work tomorrow. Eeek. Dh is home with both kiddos.

Afternoon everyone
I have been cleaning today and wrapping presents for my DD1 birthday and my DMum birthday so have managed a
NSD on sundries but a massive spenny on car Ins
Went through all the price comparison sites first, it is true, it really pays off to do this. My renewal in the post from the company l was with last year was £525 and l got it down to £333 with Admiral. Only thing is the online quote wouldn't accept payment , so had to spend ages on the phone to them because it wouldn't go through online. It was definitely worth it though !

Wolf I never thanked you for the new thread.

Laska it's lovely to see you back on these threads. I was thinking of you during the summer. My DSis and DBIL bought a camper van.

madden I can understand your dilemma. I think agonizing over difficult decisions is the worst bit. Once you've made up your mind (one way or the other), you just get on with things.

Lane glad you took some time out for yourself.

Seacow you've a stubborn little madam there .

Happier my main current account is with ptsb. I want to use the An Post account for my saving pots. I'm aware of the €5 a month charge but that's ok. I'm happy to pay that if it means I can manage my money better going forward. My understanding is that Ex will have to get his own solicitor for the separation, so we'll both have legal costs. We cancelled/cashed in our joint life insurance policy before Christmas, so I'm going to use that money for the separation. I applied for my own life insurance policy before Christmas but I haven't heard anything back. I must follow up on that. I think the fact that I'm taking an anti-depressant raised a red flag . Seems incredibly unfair that I might be refused life insurance because I went through a tough time when my 'D'H left me with little or no warning.

A very warm welcome to all the new posters. Mrsmadevans I think I know you from the Christmas countdown threads. I lurk there sometimes. You sound lovely.

Hi everyone, I’m a long time lurker on frugal threads, but after reading a lonely thread elsewhere and wondering who I’ve spoken to today, I thought I’d jump in. (Just the checkout lady at Lidl, the dog, cats and grunting DH if you were wondering). You are all doing so well at this. I used a £5 off voucher, from a booklet that came with the post, in Lidl today, so made a saving!