Frugal friends follow each other frugally through Hallowe'en, COVID all welcome

[Happierwithouthim]

Here you go life

It's been a long day here with tired dcs. Bit fed up.

Snuggly have a nice cup of hot choc and snuggle up

Morning all! I've been up since 6am - woke up boiling hot as dh must have put the heating up mega-high and it's been on all night at around 25 degrees (I'm hot at 20 and we never have it on overnight 🥵)

I've had a good few frugal days. I got myself ready to write a lovely long post the other day but time got away with me. Dh was very confused by my post it note scribbled with your names and odd words like 'cosy mornings' 'what a bargain' etc etc! (Anyone else need to do this in order to remember who to reply to?!)

I'm quite looking forward to a weekend close to home. We'll go out to the park and on a bike ride and I'm going to get the children to make Christmas cards ready for grandparents.

Got NT tickets this afternoon so need to chill the car. A teashop visit will be the law. Might get takeaway tonight as cba to cook

I have to say Life that takeaway is high on my agenda today too.

May go for a walk after I've dropped ds off at exes

Failed in my aim to do as much cleaning as was needed yesterday so may do a bit of that today and might consider making some apple butter or spiced apple jelly. I may also start reading Christmas chronicle again

madden No but I should make notes.

Sorry to have enabled the Uniqlo spends.

Curls awesome news.

Love when I had a diabetes test (each time they employ a new Dr at the surgery or have a urine test... I have shakes and weird protein rich pee) they just get me not to eat or drink for 24 hours beforehand do a prick test, make me drink a super sugary drink and then test the blood sugar over the space of a couple of hours. No special equipment needed - but you do need to hang about for ages. One day they will satisfy their curiosity and work out what causes the shakes & I can reclaim the pads of my finger tips.

DD got really positive feedback on her work - she is now all "what is this home you speak of and who are you again?". I am so pleased.

unescorted that's great news from your dd, so reassuring for you. Ds is frustrating me at the moment, so able, but so little attention to detail. He's still waiting for his DSA laptop & software to come through, it is a long process.
wolf enjoy some you time.
life of course a teashop visit is the law!
Takeaways sound good.

Have just updated our budgeting spreadsheet & it's looking okay at the moment. Huge overspends in a couple of categories (eg holidays, Tobago, so worth it), but equally huge underspends in others (petrol/diesel). Dh used to get a monthly salary payment and then a lump sum allowance annually, but in the new job his total annual pay will be a bit more than before, but paid monthly so it will be much easier to plan for.

I'm at work today for a little while

madden when I've a lot to catch up on the thread I might open a second window at work to do it, in the app you can go in and out of a post so it's easier there. But I used to write little notes before you could do this!

We're going to pick up in Argos, also going to Tesco to use a €16 off €80 voucher and get ds a birthday cake. My Dunnes vouchers expire on Wed so I might use one of those Mon/Wed just to keep in with them too. I've got €127 in my Groceries category and this would bring me to just over €100 so it's alright.

life did you stock up or have you adapted to the reducing levels in your cupboards? I figure it's only a few shopping bags of food to move so I'm not emptying down this time around.

unescorted that's great about dd, not so great about diabetes testing!

north budgeting spreadsheet is a satisfying task isn't it.

My ynab days are at 127 now, which means the oldest money in my accounts is there that length of time, mine's a bit of a cheat though because it's from the sale of the house! Before that it used to sit at about 11 days!!! so not quite paycheck to paycheck but not much better really.

I didn't stock up happier. I've accepted some gaps in my cupboard but not too many.
I have a move date pencil in of 12 jan. No exchange date but I have a professional exam 14 Dec then it's Christmas so staying here. Cross everything we are under offer by then our I will be coming a landlord in February.

Can't remember the last takeaway I had. It better be worth it

Happier whatever it is (and I have had it since birth) it isn't diabetes. To be fair it doesn't bother me in the slightest - I think the Drs see it as a challenge. Even my work MOT people have got in on the act. They need a new hobby in my view.

north I think DD is really fortunate to have found her calling so early in life. Any other subject and she would be a world record holder in procrastination.

Wolf I need to do housework too... bathroom, washing and windows. With the sun out I have realised how filthy the windows are.

I am tidying my cleaning product/toiletry stash and throwing out out of date medications. All because I know I bought a giant thing of vitamins six weeks ago and I can't find the sodding thing anywhere. Pretty sure I haven't wrapped it as a Christmas gift accidentally

Unescorted looks up benign essential tremor

Look up

Oh that's nice to have one last Christmas at home too life
*
Unescorted* I must have misread post sorry

€67.80 homesavers
Birthday cards & wrapping paper €4.09
3 packs of skinny whip bars €4
Addis chrome bin for my en-suite, spent a bit more because I'll be bringing it to new house €11
50 Envelopes €1.25
Rest of the spends were dcs & are paid for by them.

Tesco zero spends ds had a meltdown so I returned trolley and left.
Means going again tomorrow 30 mile round trip but unavoidable

I've redone our budget. Due to paying off something and our water and electricity bill reducing a bit we have a spare £80 a month in the 'bill' account. I'm going to move this to a separate account each month to use for any extras.

Happier that sounds stressful.

Evening everyone 😀
Have been busy so only on here now😊
@maddenlightfoot cannot bear the heating being on at night even when it is freezing ☺️
I do that re the scrap paper to remember ppls names and
whats happened too 🤣 😋

Just had a break for food 😋😋
Iife enjoy your takeaway , hope you get the house sold very quickly 🤗
North have never done a budget spreadsheet it sounds a lot of work am impressed well done! 👏
Wolf apple butter 😋😋😋
Unescorted my house is minging 😜 l should be ashamed of myself but l have no motivation after seeing to Mum and Bob.🤗
Happier we have all been there ☺️ 💐 Great you have those coupons! 👏👏I never seem to have any 😜
Wreck that is brilliant a visit to London with that much🤗👏
Have delivered Christmas presents l wrapped yesterday , booked the car in for a service on Weds afternoon £119, Tesco spent 34 on chocolate and booze for Christmas 19 in B&M on bird food .
Think that is all !! SCD on now yay!

School girl frugal error I let my car insurance auto renew as I just ran out of time to look.

£16 tea shop, £8 Chinese, £19 marks and Spencer. Tea was ok but not as nice as home made

Election result. Wow. Ka ma la! First female USA vp. Amazing. I’ve listened to some of her speeches and she is an incredible woman. She’s on a par in my view to michell Obama.

Also totally happy that the rage wotsit is out of the white house.

Yay!

£45 riding (for missing last week) and £90
Dinner dh and I. We went out out.

@lifelongfrugaleer

School girl frugal error I let my car insurance auto renew as I just ran out of time to look.

£16 tea shop, £8 Chinese, £19 marks and Spencer. Tea was ok but not as nice as home made

My car insurance is due to renew next week too, must sort!

Fruit soaking for xmas cake. Baking it tomorrow.

So pleased about American election

Mrs I've built up the spreadsheet over a long time. I've had to learn how to use excel too. Basically I have a sheet for each month, a list of all regular payments and I have 13 budget pots which are spread over the year. The pots are for holidays, cars, Christmas, birthdays, clothes etc. I'm sure I could make it better if I knew more about the workings of excel, but I find it really useful.
life takeaways never live up to expectations do they?

Had cottage pie followed by apple crumble last night and even the Dec had to admit it was good! Dd did a spa session for me last night which was lovely. She took it very seriously and enjoyed doing it. I may be a regular customer.
Lots of cleaning & sorting to be done today

£9 farm shop
Groceries delivered yesterday £62

Fairly chilled out day today, just got to cook a roast later.

It’s our wedding anniversary today, so I’ve got some fizz in the fridge.

Small spend of £2 on double cream to go with the chocolate cheesecake we’re having later.