August Always Adds Pocket Pressure, Frugal Friends Thrive Thriftily

[Wolfcub]

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You most certainly can have a bit of my motivation Unescorted
I am currently driving my Dh mad by keeping on about how much l have eaten and what l am going to eat

I need to get back over to the weight loss thread. I had a bit of a break towards the end of my holiday and ate EVERYTHING the week after but am back on it now. I want 2 stone off by Christmas (I have quite a bit to lose though).

We managed to save a good chunk of cash last month and that’s because we’ve saved on childcare. It makes so much difference. We were paying almost £1300 last year and that was with one in school and me only doing a 4-day week! It will really makes a dent in the cost of the loft conversion if we save that money each month over the next year.

I am perusing holiday cottages in the Shetland’s fig next year. Would be quite expensive as we’d have to fly and hire a car. But looks so lovely!

Worked hard today while DH managed the kids. DS is incredibly highly strung at the moment - it’s the anxiety and excitement about going back to school tomorrow. I am really hoping he’ll calm down once tomorrow is over as he is literally screeching his head off as soon as DD raises her voice or gets even a tiny bit upset or told off (which is often). Seriously, the screaming is shredding my very nerves. The whole house is treading on eggshells 🙄

Oh, but the covid test was negative, hurrah!

We've had a nanny since I went back to work after our dts. Ours now get funded hours too but our nanny now does before and after school care, as I've recently changed jobs, so childcare costs haven't dropped very dramatically. I don't mind though - she's amazing and flexible and by the time I get home the children are fed and the house is sparkling!

NSD yesterday. So glad it's Friday - tiring first week back 🥱

@ChristmasSeacow

Oh, but the covid test was negative, hurrah!

Hooray!!

Sorry I've been AWOL. Really stressful time with dc & my parents & work. Will catch up over the weekend.

Yay to the Covid test Sea. Hope ds is a good first day back at school. If ds is with dh would noise cancelling headphones work for you to cut out the screeching for a bit?

Looong week at work. Bank holiday weeks always feel the longest weirdly.

Need to go and choose some carpet today. Joiner hasn't been yet which is really annoying me but I need to be patient as he's Fitting me in around other jobs. As long as he's done before the end of the month when the decorator comes to do the stairs all is good

Morning all.

Sea hope you got DS off to school OK. And YaY to the -ve Covid test.

North It is good to have you back. I am sorry to hear it has been stressful.

Wolf it is odd isn't it. I have taken this week off just because I hate the stress of getting 5 days work done in 4.

It seems as if we are now in post summer mode now - School & work regimes all back in plan. The same but different. I will still be wfh, DS will need dropping and picking up from school and DD off to uni. Autumn feels just around the corner. It feels all new and awkward but oddly familiar.

Unescorted you’ve summed it up perfectly there- “new and awkward but oddly familiar”

DD1 is into her new school. Only an hour and a half until I have to pick her up again though!

Things are rather stressful here for close family (not wedding related). It’s one of those situations that needs to follow a process, but awful for everyone involved. There’s nothing we can do to help

I really hate change. Even the seasons changing knocks me off a bit. Once I'm in a routine I'm fine but the initial finding my feet bit stresses me out. Ds1 starts college next week and I am finding that unsettling and worrying how it's all going to pan out. I think this period is harder than any other, but I'm trying not to show it as that will annoy ds.

Nice to see you north hope things settle for you soon.

Madden your nanny sounds like a godsend.

Dusted everywhere.

Cleaned all the dried on paint out of the sink

Two loads of washing

Trying not to want to throttle elderly neighbour as I've been able to hear every sodding word from her tv since 6am. It's absolutely blaring

Been to carpet shop and arranged measuring

Broke down a load of boxes for the recycling bin

Ds being a pain in the arse

Quote from lawn guy came through £600. I haven’t accepted it yet but more than likely will do as:

• they can book in for first week of Oct and get it done earlier if a space comes available
• I want new green grass not the patchy mess we currently have.
• I can’t be bothered to hunt around for a second quote
• a client at work suggested them once we had already approached them (so reinforced my thinking).

Dh is working on a design for downstairs. I’ve asked him to do it and run me through it. He has a vision apparently for layout and which wall to be taken down etc. I’m not fussed. He’s said though that I’m in charge of kitchen design (as in colours and storage and finishes).

Yippee.

Done zero house stuff today. Took dd for her jabs (no more for her until she’s 3!) and am sat at dparents with a virtuous cup of green tea. Dd is napping. Dparents and ds have gone to the beach I think.

Meeting Dfriend later for a walk. Picking dh up from work and then will send him home with kiddos and I’ll catch up with friend and get bus home. Yay!

Hope you are ok North.

Today is dragging... went to Sainsburys for some fruit and accidentally bought 3 tops so not frugal.

Dts are tired after first week back at nursery and nothing is right for them. They keep fighting over who sits on my lap. They are really missing dd1 who is at school as she is good at thinking of games and things for them. I was just made to "play cars" and I didn't really know what to do!

Two pairs of shoes on clarks online. A lot of leopard print loafers and a pair of pewter brogues. I’ve had my eyes on the brogues for ages.

Desperately trying to get both kiddos to sleep. They are over tired. Sigh. They are resisting. It’s because I just made a tea isn’t it?!

I was eyeing up the leopardy loafers Em. I love a bit of leopard!

My DC have bickered ALL afternoon. We’ve just gone for a walk/scoot/cycle round the block to save my sanity. Bring on full days of school next week!!

The dc haven’t napped. Ds did a massive poo and Dd is cranky after her jabs.

So they’re making as much noise as is humanly possibly.

£70 lunch and parking in the city. That's definitely the end of the summer hols marked now.

Dropped some books at the charity shop earlier

£2.50 compass. Despite buying ds two helix geometry sets neither contains a compass

Fairly spendy day here. First and only trip out of the summer, DD1 has been wanting to go to Chinatown for ages so I took her and DS to London for a few hours. Although actually most of the spends were birthday money (spent a while in the Lego store) so not all mine! Also got the family and friends railcard free on club card vouchers this morning. Realised we’ve got over £100 left so must decide what to do with the ones that expire soon!

Car cost £900 to fix 🙈 but that's it MOTd and it is so nice not to feel like it's scraping the road whenever there's a speed bump.
£280 on eBay bought some Christmas perfumes and Aftershaves with the 20% off that's some retailers have at the moment. I have a few birthdays before Christmas actually so will use a few for that.

Tesco delivery coming tonight should be about £60 but that includes a bottle of gin. No more spends planned this weekend as I'm working.

Ouch! Born that's a big repair bill!

Sing I recently discovered that there is a Lego store in Birmingham. I haven't trusted myself to take dd yet as she loves Lego and would want everything and I also love Lego and would just buy it!

Born (and other gin fans) have a look at Isle of Barra gin

Snuggly have you seen the John Lewis Lego offer on the Xmas thread?