Frugal Friends Finding Financial Freedom In February

[Wolfcub]

New Fred

North that holiday looks amazing a real holiday of a lifetime. Glad ds is feeling better now.

Happier I don’t normally do lent as I’m not religious but that looks a good idea and benefits other people too, so I might give it a go.

Sea nice to see you and I hope that things with ds are improving

My MIL has been moved to a hospice but seems to be holding her own for now. It has the most amazing cafe which is hard to resist but it’s all for charity so I’m not trying too hard.

Is anyone stocking up in case the Coronavirus spreads more here? I got a bit of a shock when I saw the queues outside shops in Italy, I think it brought it home that that’s what will happen here if it spreads. I get paid tomorrow so might place a big online shop for tins, pasta etc. Oh and cat food, and cat litter. All things that won’t get wasted.

Hi again , all, I'm just back from Bologna .. where I took DH for his 60th so its been a Super non -frugal week for me !.. It was so fab though to get out into the sun , for a change. Bologna was brilliant though, really great city .. we walked loads but the food was so fantastic , I ate for Italy

Now all I have to do is worry about getting on the scales , and coronavirus... (but we were v careful ..)

Ill have to read back to catch up again !

Hey welcome back laksa

£1.50 eggs, £2.17 apples and carrots, ££ Primark on on and protein bars. £1.08 candles, £20 riding lesson, £5.08 chippy

Ahem 758 over

Wrong thread, soz

Happy first day in your almost-new-house happier!

Born the hospice cafe sounds lovely and very deserving (both you and the charitable donation) - hope things are ok.

Small spend day - £1.68 bread and milk. From the change jar again though so bank balance is the same

So this month totally has been un-frugal because of the birthday holiday which came out of my own money, and I bought myself a nice bag in Italy(not major designer , because that would have been bonkers, but expensive enough ) but the house .
, groceries , utilities bank account is looking well in the black still.
I've just booked the car in for its annual service and MOT.. up to now we've had a service plan which came with the car when it was new, .. Honda want to sell us a new one so I'll have to look and try and work out if that's actually going to be cost efficient.. We have no plans to get rid of the car .. Its a diesel and so now will be worth diddly squat , even though its only 4 yrs old... when we bought it , they were touting diesel as being the best cars for emissions , but now seems like they have changed their minds and we are potential child killers for even having one . (but we still have no car tax , because of low emissions ) .

Happier have you finally moved to your own place now ? Congratulations ! How is the new house?

Hope the move went well happier. So glad things have finally moved to this point you had the patience of a saint 🤞🍾

Happy move day Happier

Laska I know what you mean about diesels. I will run mine until it falls apart

£137 joules using discount code. Should have been 180. Holiday clothes and replacing some 10+ year old long sleeve tops that I've worn to death

£27 Sainsbury's and put in an ocado order for tomorrow, £100 all the CV talk is freaking me out

I have man flu

I threw my wedding dress in a skip

I desperately need diesel, car is running on fumes but it's not pay day until tomorrow midnight

I've started my job application for real and am doing lots to try and avoid it. If you see me on here during the day for the next week shout at me. I do not like the new behavioural indicators for seeing the big picture

Evening everyone 😀
Been busy today just sat down 😁
Thank you for all the Bob love 🤗♥️
@Happierwithouthim that is a great Lenten challenge 👍
Hope the move went well, the Christmas trip to Legoland sounds wonderful 😀
@northender glad your son is better 💐
Went to Aldi's for essentials £34 only 😁
Have a good night sleep everyone 😴💤

@Wolfcub hope you are feeling better soon 💐
I hated my wedding dress . l am lucky it's not because my DH is awful , just l hated it 🙄

I sold
My wedding dress wolf no need to keep it. Not going to wear it again.

happier happy moving day!!

Nsd today. Therapy session at lunchtime. Actually got emotional in this one.

Just finished yoga. Yay.

Day one no sugar and no social media. Done. It was hard. All I’ve wanted to do it eat cake. And biscuits. And sweets.

Sorry Happier I missed that moving day was today. Hope it went well!

Lovely photos North.

I have a cold. Also wondering whether to stock up in case of coronavirus. I don't like panic buying but I would be really stressed if I couldn't feed the kids!

Could I add my good wishes for the new home @Happierwithouthim
Everybody’s Lenten plans sound good. I have been given a Lent book to read and reflect upon so I’m going to try to do that. I do like the 40 things challenge, rather like a reverse advent.

I’m not having too frugal a week but am enjoying it very much. My friend and I went shopping yesterday and I upgraded my phone. Actually that will be a little frugal as DP will be having my present one. His is as old as the hills. Then to Costco, I stocked up on loo, kitchen roll, tissues and orange juice for Mum, also raspberries and a big spikey pineapple. I will stock her up further re Corona virus if she will let me. I have most of my Brexit stash left but will replenish when I get home.

My friend and I did a ‘Poundland Challenge’ in Chester le Street too. The amount is £5 and we take a family member from the other person, so we each chose for the other’s partner. We also hit the charity shops and came away with a new bag each. My friend found a Fiorelli, I think I’m spelling this correctly, in a lovely raspberry pink, and I was lucky to find a Radley for £10 which will become my new work bag. I love it. The lady who had it before even left me a little bottle of scent in it!
We finished up with a meal out at a lovely pub just outside Beamish and the food was lovely. Such a treat not to cook! Mum came too and enjoyed it.

I've been awake since 5am 😩. Combination of loud rain, heavy period and one of my girls waking up; by the time I got back to bed I was wide awake.

We've been gifted an old, but little used, actifryer. Had chips in it last night. Anyone got one? What are they good for?

Morning £145 car tax. Diesel here too. ..
My wedding dress is hung up but I could see why you would skip it wolf.

Hope the first night went ok in the rental happier.

Sounds like a lovely day dutchess. And done great bargains.

Also sounds great laksa and well deserved.

Hi everyone else. Nothing to report here. Work and kids and sleep and routine

Morning everyone 😀
Hope for a no spending day today but you know what we are like 😁. Taking Mum to the dentist , then off to hang Bob's net curtains up for him. I have tried to persuade him not to have them because the room is dark already. I absolutely hate them they are so reminiscent of a Blackpool B&B to me 🙄
Or my Mum's/NDN home. As you can tell I don't like them 🤣🤯
Have a lovely day everyone 😀

Hope the move went well happier

Dd is still off school with her chest infection, getting a bit twitchy now as want her to start getting better! Kids are such a worry.

I took her to get some sea air Ystd but it was so cold we couldn't stay out long even though we were really well wrapped up. Got two hot chocs at the cafe £5 but no other spends. Spent the afternoon binge watching AJ and the Queen on Netflix.

Am debating if going to Crufts is a good idea, I haven't really been too stressed about the coronavirus but am thinking something like Crufts has to be risky. It's more dd that I worry about as she does seem suffer with chest/throat infections more than most plus the flu landed her in ITU a few years back!

I am procrastinating.

I have added numerous bits of crap to the skip. Chopped down a large bush and added it to the skip. Been to dm's to wish her happy birthday. Been for diesel. Stripped and washed the bedding. Cleaned the kitchen

I need to write competencies. Argh. I might be better just getting drunk and writing them then. That was always the trick at uni when I had writers block

ugh.. job applications.. I have written so many over the last few years ( not for me but helping DS as he is dyslexic) . Did I tell you that he now finally has a permanent contract? IT support. I am so proud of him, its been such a struggle because of his dyslexia , to even get a job , but he has managed to keep in employment - previously in Local govt - first a facilities management apprenticeship (which gave him the opportunity to finally get a recognised GCSE grade C equivalent English NVQ (which was what was holding him back from getting jobs) , then working in Council tax which he struggled with but stuck to , , and then finally what he really wanted and is good at - an IT job albeit all on temporary contracts, which has been very hard for him. But hes proved himself to be a real worker , and now its finally paid off as the new job is in IT front line support which is the sector he is really suited for .. . He is working for Liz Earle now .. so now we also get fantastic (75%!!) discounts on products and freebies .

I am still YNAB-ing , have just done our budget , we can eat !

Still have my wedding dress , it has been worn a few times since , but it was a v informal summer wedding and I had a blue silk one from Monsoon..

My lovely aunt sent me €50 for my birthday so I've bought a Salter 3 in 1 sandwich toaster/waffle maker/panini press from Amazon for €42.16.

My Kenwood Chefette arrived today

All I need now is the new house to put them in

laska I've moved to a rented house now temporarily while I wait for my divorce to go through and purchase of my own home. It's a lovely house with nice furniture and nice big rooms and lovely scenery so will be nice to be 'on holiday' there for a while.

Great that bank accounts are looking well too. I hear you about the diesel! My car will be paid off with sale of house, it's a 12 but like that worth very little so I'll keep driving it!

I gave my wedding dress to Angel Gowns who make little gowns for babies who don't make it.

madden actifry are great for everything - chips/fryer food/salmon fillets/roast chicken/sausages/ I use mine a lot!!

First night in rental went good - ds fell out of the bed but has no recollection of it, struggle to find clothes to wear to work and school this morning as no unpacking done yet.

Not keen on net curtins either, they are reminiscent of damp rooms for me and coldness

wolf do it in 30 min spurts, then reward yourself by doing something else for 30 mins and do a bit more

laska I just did up the last of my repeating transactions on my new aptly named Budget - Solo Budget!

£13 boots on nappies for Dd and porridge and melty sticks. Am about to spend £39 on my nails. Woo.

Dm put €60 into my card, might use it to get my hair done, hmm