Frugal Friends Forging Forward Toward February and Further Financial Freedom

[Wolfcub]

New fred

Feb goals for me are trying to stay zen about house-moving! I feel in such a limbo atm waiting for dates.

Today has been a spend day... just couldn't get by with the poor amount of shopping from last week. However I've given our food budget a frugal boost... the dds got some M&S vouchers for Christmas and we'd decided to buy them all new shoes. For half the price of M&S I've ordered shoes from George and then done a top up shop at M&S with the vouchers (is that morally reprehensible to spend their vouchers? They're too young to care if their shoes are M&S or George and will grow out of them before they wear out 😬).
Also filled up with diesel for the first time this year as it was a spend day.

February:
NSDs: 0/28
Groceries: £3.06/£390
Everything else: £76.08/£350

Antibiotics and a burn cream.... and an apology for leaving me all day.

I hope you can get that sorted Unescorted, sounds sore!

Good news Sing!

I have started the month feeling very stressed and anxious, my stomach is churning and I'm not sleeping properly. Can't wait for half term in a couple of weeks!

I am so done with term already snug - the constant screen time is giving me headaches and neck pain. Debating ordering a standing desk think to put on the dining table so I can stand to work.

Gen there are some natty monitors that move up and down that might be a cheaper option. Standing desks / risers are weirdly expensive. The other things I have found that help are a good chair, touch typing so I don't have to look down the whole time and a head set. Also useful is desk yoga - set a timer.

I am in awe of teachers at the best of time - you are living my worst nightmare by having small kids asking why a million times a second. At the moment it must be like bee herding. Despite the vocal minority I think most parents understand that you are delivering an impossible ask and doing a really good job of it. I suspect some of the vocals are waking up to the fact they have children for the first time.

£17 grit bin
Dinner made and in the slow cooker
Pilates
Walk - hiking boots are rubbing the inside of my ankles so I now have a cuff of blisters round both ankles. Ouch

Glad you managed to speak to gp Unescorted, hope the antibiotics help

Gen also think about a separate keyboard and a laptop stand so the screen is more in your eye line

Madden well done on the savings

Also look at ironing boards..... at least they will have a use after you are back in the classroom.

Thank you Unescorted it's nice to hear some supportive comments.

Gen I just ordered a Wheatybag. You microwave it and it warms up them you put it round you neck and shoulders and it is soooo lovely and soothing. I paid a bit more for one with lovely lavender.

Ah sorry to hear that snug.. Teachers are doing a great job.
Hope the anti b help with the burn.

Fucking fuckerty fuck fuck. The people we are buying from have pulled out.

Sing - called its negative
Snuggly- I work in a primary school and I am the same. Trying to live in the moment. Last time I got corona virus at work I gave it my whole family. Dont think I can live with the guilt of making them all poorly again.
Joined some apps today, lidl, co-OP and tesco. Started doing surveys just to try and top up the kitty.
Unescorted- hope it gets better now
Hope your ok Gen. Happy 1st of Feb. Fresh month. I am writing January off, inspired by Em and her goals.

Sing*glad its negative...that should say

Yeah on the negative sing

Thanks all. Sorry there is so much anxiety around. January is shit at the best of times I find! But now it just feels a whole lot worse. Huge kudos those of you working in schools, it must be so scary and difficult.

Hope you feel better soon unescorted sounds awful :(

Sorry to hear about your sellers Life. Moving is so stressful.

Thanks for nice kind words everyone. I have had a rare Monday evening watching TV and feel a lot better for it!

Thanks unescorted, wolf and snug for tips, I need to do something as I can hardly move tonight - my neck is seized all down one side. My new specs have anti blue light built in and it definitely helps, I wore contacts today without the blue light filter and my eyes are so much more tired.
Lots of great veggie recipe ideas too, thank you!
NSD today - start the month off right mainly because I have no money to spend

Hiya everyone, up late again with heartburn and feeling uncomfortable. Restless leg syndrome is keeping me awake most nights now. Elijah is okay, I’ve got a vapour bubble bath from Asda and that seems to have helped a bit. He’s in my bed so I can keep an eye on him. We did some shape sorting today, he’s getting really good at it!.

em great that your DC slept through!. Hope you enjoyed your walk with your friend and her little one.

Thank you fear, glad to hear that you’re feeling more yourself!

Great news about Covid test sing!

I’m glad you’re sorted unescorted I hope you feel better soon!

Sorry to hear about the sellers life!

£102.2 weekly shop

Life that is a blow. Especially so close to the end of the stamp duty holiday. Did you take it off the market once you had the offer or did your EA keep doing viewings?

I am still without drugs.... I went to the pharmacy to pick them up and because I have never had a prescription in the 15 years we have lived here I was not on the electronic system. I hope it is done this morning - it is now looking so impressively manky that the Dfam are sympathetic.

It snows.... but the radio signal is dead

It's not our buyer unescorted it's the place we are moving to. We now have nowhere to go once we sell this.
Will look at options today.
Didn't sleep well so headache too

Bloody computer says no is a disgrace for no meds.

Hope you get the antibiotics today Unescorted

Life not surprised you didn't sleep

Lots of snow here. Gearing up for what is likely to be a crap week work wise. Found out last night my boss is playing silly buggers and trying to dump everyone else's HR problems on me. Grrr

That is particularly rubbish life Are they going to pay for your searches and abortive conveyancing work?

Wolf your manager is not very good at HR are they? At least you have confirmation that your pay taking months to sort out was not a personal thing...

Ds is going to be hopping mad when he realises that because he is not school he is not going to get a snow day even though school is closed. If he had been a little more consistently diligent I would have given him a snow day at home....

In office this morning. “They” (being our gov) have implemented a one way system up and down our high street. So to get to the office I had to walk from one end to the other to get on the correct side to get onto the road where the office is. Ffs. Apparently common sense is lacking. The “lanes” are small and we will apparently have to queue outside shops tomorrow when they open so this will create a problem re distancing.

Yet another reason to avoid the high street. Although if we shop online every purchase will now be subject to 5% gst. Currently it’s only those over £135. But as of next Monday it’s everything. Which is a fucking pain in the bum. Because some things just aren’t available here. And if they are we pay extortionate prices for them.

Haven't asked that and they have not been forthcoming. Might ask but I'm too cross at the minute

ask now while you're cross.

£4 in local coffee shop on two peanut butter chocolate brownies. one for me and one for dh. man they were good.

£5.10 at post office posting eBay sales.

dh is being a twat today. his eye is better by the way...

dsis bought him some gym stuff for christmas which despite the fact that we checked sizes with dh before buying it its not the right size. dh has just gotten round to sending it back, and i printed the wrong labels from the website. because dh sent me them. so i was just following instructions. apparently dh is having to return all his christmas gifts, because no one cares, and we've all bought him the wrong size so nothing he's been given can be used. blah blah blah.

have told him to sort things himself in future. and to go into the office to print off the labels himself if its that much of an issue. or buy a printer....

in other news, ds has learned the song "if you're happy and you know it" although does include the words "if you're happy and you know it get your willy out...." (he's 3 so its not quite as inappropriate as it might be).