Savvy savers sashaying through September

[ememem84]

New thread. All welcome.

Nsd yesterday.

Nsd today too. Lunch in fancy pants place with prospective client. Will expense it back. Yay.

Alfie that is really hard. I would be tempted to use it as a bribe to get her talking to you again. As you say she will cry off at the last minute and £150 is a lot of money...... but would you pay £150 to have your DD speaking to you?

Em you are a glamour puss.

What is it about other people's grime.... grim grim grim.

My lovely frugaleers..... where can I buy nice, plain, functional jeans that don't look like "mum" jeans, but don't cost an arm and a leg?

Having a quiet evening here. DD had her teeth out. Two of them came out quite easily but the other two involved a lot of twisting and pulling. She didn't feel anything at the time but the pain kicked in almost as soon as we left the dentist's. She couldn't eat or drink anything for a few hours afterwards but has now had some soup and a yoghurt. I'm going to keep her home from school tomorrow - it will be easier for her to gargle with salt water at home and to eat soft things. I expect her gums will be quite sore tomorrow.

The cost of the extractions was €420 and another few € for Panadol, Nurofen and a bandage for her finger which she hurt playing basketball. It hasn't been her best week!

I'm starting to get excited about Christmas but I'm also mindful of how easy it is to get carried away and overspend on presents or treat myself to things 'because it's Christmas' . Aside from the cost, there's the environmental impact too. So I'm making a list of Christmassy things to do that are free/low cost.

So far I have:-

• watch Christmas movies
• join the MN 'Christmas Chronicles' readalong (free because I bought the book last year)
• watch the Late Late Toy Show
• decorate the house and put up the tree (N.B. no new decorations!)

Any other suggestions?

I usually go to a Christmas concert or carols with my Dad in the run up to Christmas, but there's very little happening this year. There's a Viennese concert by candlelight in Dublin (one night only and it's a Sunday night so I'd have to take the Monday off work) but Dad's on two minds whether to go or not due to the risk of catching Covid. Cases are rising again here. Today we had the highest number of cases since mid-January.

Alfie that's very sad about the JLS tickets . If it was me, I'd try to entice her to go with me but obviously that depends on your own financial circumstances and whether you can afford to lose £150.

Tayto the pain really kicked in for DD on the second and third days. She has healed really quickly and the top brace is on.

We did embroidered Christmas napkins last year. They were fun and time consuming.

unescorted

So nice to be out and about again. And technically free lunch although it’s sitting on my cc now but have done the expenses thing already yay.

Tuna sashimi. King prawn curry. Chocolate dessert. Wine. Yum.

For jeans my go to is always top shop. Via asos now.

Although I have a pair from new look.

M&S jeans are good, I managed to get some bargain ones new with tags on Ebay.

Poor dd Tayto- hope she feels better soon.

Alfie that's really tough, I'd be upset too. No advice I'm afraid but I'm sorry about the situation with the bf.

Sound lovely em
I haven’t caught up on jeans trends so am still on skinny jeans not that I have bought any recently with I like top shop river island and next 360. I am petite so limited where I can get them from

I’ve got some nice Jean type jeggings from m &s. Not sure I’m best qualified to advise though, I feel like I need a new jeans look
alfie no advice to offer but agree with what others have said about hoping to tempt her. That must be very sad remembering the last time you went. I really hope it turns around for her.
tayto sounds very sore!
em there is no glamour in my job 😂 though I did get a free voucher for a flu jab at boots
alfie thanks for the lynx calendar tip, I will have a look…though like you I’d be thinking about getting one for each of them and then that’s £60 gone.
I am going to try out the gym at work as with the nights drawing in I’m not getting home in time to run, and it’s been really good for my mental health. I feel virtuous as work have an offer for use of the gym and pools, £18 per month. Which is a bargain but not if you don’t use it…I’ve refrained from joining and thought I’d just try it out first and see if I can make it part of my routine

Primark jeans are fine. And new look. Sainsbury’s and Tesco too
It’s a case of trying on

Difficult with the tickets. I maybe would message her and if she doesn’t reply sell them.

Hope you got through the night with dd tayto

I’m travelling to Manchester today with work. No glamorous lunch though t must do my expenses too

My charity shop sofa arrived and is perfect. Bed frame waiting to be put together
£68 b&q yesterday. £48 Sainsbury’s £6 eye infection cream

I’m still with my skinnies. I just can’t go back to flared or bootcut. Can’t.

I’m trying to think of perks I get with my job… I once got offered a plate of sliced meat and mashed potatoes (school lunch) when someone forgot to cancel meals one day

Other than that, I think I am meant to feel honoured that my employer employed me!

@Lovemaltesers

I’m trying to think of perks I get with my job… I once got offered a plate of sliced meat and mashed potatoes (school lunch) when someone forgot to cancel meals one day

Other than that, I think I am meant to feel honoured that my employer employed me!

That made me laugh, I think teaching is quite low on perks (apart from the holidays obviously). I remember in my welcome pack from the LA there was a bus timetable for the route to the school. That's as close as I'll ever get to a company car I think

I am not sure I managed to get out of boot cuts into skinnies. It has been a while.

We have quite a few.... Our HR people are great at securing random deals. My fav one is an annual health check.... I got mammograms way before I could have got the on the NHS.

We are not allowed perks

Straight cut jeans are more flattering than boot cut imo

Actually, we do have one of those discount voucher websites we can access. But it is so clunky, I always used my perkbox account as it was better. But that’s no longer included with my CIPD membership . I felt like I got my membership worth each month as I got a free coffee!

That’s a great perk unescorted and so good for staff wellbeing too!

Spends today £3.50 hospital parking £12 subway lunch. Hospital gynaecologist appointment to try and sort out my horrendous peri menopausal periods they were running and hour and a half late but saw a lovely doctor who finally took me seriously waiting on a scan appointment. 3 hours off work which was another bonus lol so picked up a subway on the way home as me and dh were starving

They are good on wellbeing. Reduced cost gym membership, free online yoga and exercise classes, mental health support.... All brought in over lockdown.

Alfie you have my sympathy. Mine are horrendous really heavy and seem to last for much longer than they should. Did you find yours got worse after your vaccination?

unescorted that's interesting you asking re the vaccine as lots of women report altered periods after having covid & we don't really understand why yet. I had quite random periods for a while, but then they just stopped about a year ago. I've had one since so am well and truly in menopause I think.
Should be away on spa break today & tomorrow but best friend has broken her leg so it's been put back to January. Going to see her today & have managed to finish the quilt I've been making for her 50th which was in August. Really pleased with it
Bonfire at cricket club tonight then a fairly quiet weekend ahead. Pil arrive on Thursday so there will be some tidying & cleaning. In very good news, but not very frugal, had cleaner in for the first time yesterday and I feel like a weight has lifted. It's a friend who has recently retired & she is going to come once a week

Having a cleaner is amazing. Mine is firmly budgeted for
Have to get dh a suit this weekend as he has a posh do to go to and dd has a trip away

Spendy day (well, evening). £40ish on bonfire entrance, drinks, sweets, chocolate apples etc at said bonfire. Kids are knackered so we came home after fireworks. I could have happily stayed for more drinks but perhaps money-wise (and sanity-wise!) it's better that we didn't.

More sorting and unboxing this weekend . Need to buy dh and dd clothes
And meal plan
Dd of has kennel cough but no vets bill yet

Riding today £40

Petrol yesterday £41 and £16 food for catface.

Also £100 (!?) dunelm. Bought ds a single duvet for his bed two bedding sets and two pillows. He still has his cot bed but was throwing his baby duvet off getting cold and coming into our room in the night. So money well spent. We’ll get him a proper single bed in the new year.

Long term lurker from Gower here. I have just retired and need to keep myself accountable or I'll burn through our savings which are earmarked for travel when DH retires next year,

So today I have spent £48 on petrol for car and £199 on sheepskin lined Birkenstock boot - in my defence I have real problems getting shoes to fit my misshapen feet and this money was already saved

I have a DH, 3 adult children - 2 of whom have long term partners and 2 grandchildren. Also have a very spoilt border terrier who is 16 months old