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Cost of living

Stretching your budget? Share tips and advice to discuss budgeting and energy saving here. For the latest deals and discounts, sign up for Mumsnet Moneysaver emails.

Savvy savers sashaying through September

999 replies

ememem84 · 04/09/2021 09:27

New thread. All welcome.

OP posts:
Thread gallery
15
Mrsmadevans · 10/09/2021 14:20

Welcome Hound Smile
Tesco £8 just milk and a few bits, £50 Savers , 2 x Paco Rabanne after shave @ 16.99 each , the same stuff is 11 pounds more on Amazon!
www.savers.co.uk/Perfume/For-Him/Men%27s-Aftershave-%26-Perfume/Paco-Rabanne-Pour-Homme-100ml-Aftershave/p/414516
Also a few bits l always stock up on like Ibuprofen , Vit D etc.
Been raining here but sunny now Smile
I am watching Walk don't run with Cary Grant in , he's so handsome and charming Smile

Wolfcub · 10/09/2021 14:37

Not sure how I'm fitting all this bourginion in my already stuffed freezer. My 6l pot is full!

ememem84 · 10/09/2021 14:56

Gym and coffee with a friend today.

Then food shop with the dc. £180. But it was a huge stock up shop.

Two loads of washing done and am currently cleaning dishwasher and washing machine.

OP posts:
Mrsmadevans · 10/09/2021 15:13

@Wolfcub

Not sure how I'm fitting all this bourginion in my already stuffed freezer. My 6l pot is full!
Can you put some in containers in the fridge, they will keep for a couple of days until you have more room. It sounds delicious btw Grin
Mrsmadevans · 10/09/2021 15:15

@ememem84

Gym and coffee with a friend today.

Then food shop with the dc. £180. But it was a huge stock up shop.

Two loads of washing done and am currently cleaning dishwasher and washing machine.

Can't beat coffee & cakes with a friend Em well done on the cleaning & washing/drying too Smile
Mrsmadevans · 10/09/2021 15:16

Now watching second episode of White Lotus Grin

HumbugWhale · 10/09/2021 18:11

Welcome Hound

Sorry I've been MIA a lot this week, it has been a very long and very stressful week. So pleased it is the weekend!

ememem84 · 10/09/2021 18:21

Took the kids to the adventure park by myself this afternoon to burn off some steam. They both played up when we had to go. Full on tantrums from both of them including ds running behind me in the effing car park screaming “mummy let go of my hand your hurting me! Help me help me!” (I wasn’t holding on to him….)

Pizza for dinner which I made. Dd threw hers on the floor. Ds refused to eat it. DH told me off for telling them off. Need to let them be free etc. Dd then tipped a beer into his lap.

OP posts:
Taytocrisps · 10/09/2021 18:32

Dd then tipped a beer into his lap.

I may have laughed when I read this em

Lovemaltesers · 10/09/2021 19:09

I’m with tayto on that em 🤣

Bought a couple of work tops in Next today £36, but got £22 refund going back into my Next account. Really struggling to find suitable work clothes at the moment, not suit smart, but smart top and trousers smart. I miss going into Dorothy Perkins/Wallis/Debenhams. Nothing in New Look or Tkmaxx that was nice. Any suggestions? I generally look odd in button up blouses as either too tight or look like a pj shirt on me.

Got my free hot drink to take away (I get this with my professional membership). Resisted sitting in with it, as then I would have had to have a cake and then no longer a free treat Halo

Taytocrisps · 10/09/2021 19:23

Spends today

€60 for counselling for DD. Ex can claim some (not all) of the cost back through his private health insurance and then he'll refund me.

€4.39 groceries

€2 car parking

€6.30 for coffee and cake to kill time while DD was at counselling

€5 approx. for crepe for DD after counselling (Friday treat)

€49.41 on petrol

I don't like quizzing DD about what happened at counselling because it should be private between her and the counsellor. But DD said the counselling session was good and she felt lighter afterwards. Glad I made the appointment for her. The counsellor is going to e-mail DD on some information - hope she reads it now.

crystalspiders · 10/09/2021 19:46

Can I join the group too please. Our third baby is due early next month and with that + Christmas I’m worried about my bank balance.

Wolfcub · 10/09/2021 19:48

Tayto glad counselling went well.

I have made some room in the freezer by throwing away some meat from 2019 which by this point we're never going to eat

Mrsmadevans · 10/09/2021 19:53

@Taytocrisps

Dd then tipped a beer into his lap.

I may have laughed when I read this em

Me too ! Grin l even thought serve him right lol Grin
Mrsmadevans · 10/09/2021 19:54

Tayto that is brilliant your Dd felt lighter , ahh bless her [flowes]

Mrsmadevans · 10/09/2021 19:55
Flowers
Mrsmadevans · 10/09/2021 19:56

@crystalspiders

Can I join the group too please. Our third baby is due early next month and with that + Christmas I’m worried about my bank balance.
Welcome Crystal Congratulations on the imminent birth of your third baby Smile
Mrsmadevans · 10/09/2021 19:58

@Wolfcub

Tayto glad counselling went well.

I have made some room in the freezer by throwing away some meat from 2019 which by this point we're never going to eat

Woah Wolf only 2019 Shock still edible surely GrinGrin Well done ! Grin
HumbugWhale · 10/09/2021 22:31

I laughed too Em! Am quite pissed. Decided to use up a bottle of prosecco, DJ had some. I wokr up on settee. Have really busy day tomorrow, WTC have I done?!

lifelongfrugaleer · 11/09/2021 07:35

@Taytocrisps

Dd then tipped a beer into his lap.

I may have laughed when I read this em

Me too Grin
lifelongfrugaleer · 11/09/2021 07:41

Welcome crystal. There is a long running Chris bargain thread though that’s also the cause of spending woes at times

New peeps have you done an audit of your direct debits- cancel in needed and best value for other. Meal plan and feeezer audit

Pleased counselling went well for dd tayto
Maybe past it’s best now wolf

Hi everyone else

Been a bit Mia as ds had an emotional week and dog was scared to death by the thunder last night also blocked drain from the muck from the white workmen’s jet wash of next door drive= part flood garage
Hideous work topped it off

maddenlightfoot · 11/09/2021 07:43

September going ok for us so far! Very busy with me starting a new job and youngests starting school but we are at least on track. I've actually started (for the first time ever, despite being on this thread on and off for a while!) a spreadsheet! I'm not sure I can call it a budget 😂. It has all of our set outgoings plus any monthly spends for the coming month, plus any savings for upcoming future spends broken down into monthly chunks to save for. After all of this, my spreadsheet tells me I have £8 discretionary spending this month 😬! So I'm trying to save bits here and there along the way. Hmmm... maybe that is a budget??!!

Unescorted · 11/09/2021 07:48

Welcome Hound and Crystal

Hound I know how daunting it can seem to not have food in and no way of getting any. When we were really broke I would go through the cupboards and freezer looking for meal "anchors" - sardines, tuna, ham, chorizio, bacon, anchovies, cheese... something to give the food flavour. Find a flavour carrier - tin of tomatoes, milk & flour for a white sauce, oil, and then a bulking thing - pasta, potatoes, flour, rice, cous cous. If you have herbs and spices in then you are ok.
You may end up with seemingly odd combinations. My usual go to ones are
-grilled sardines flaked through pasta with a dash of olive oil (pesto and / or garlic if you have it)
-Kedgeree - rice cooked with curry paste / powder (paella method - fry and add minimum amount of water) add in flaked smoked fish / tuna

  • dahl - a store cupboard cliché but for a reason
  • anchovies in tomato over pasta - you can even use the oil in the tin to fry any garlic or onion you have.

If you have flour (any type) you can make soda bread / flat breads / cakes (vegan cake recipes are your friend... you can use vinegar and oil instead of eggs and butter)

Jack Monroe has some really good recipes on their website. cookingonabootstrap.com/

As wolf says a referral to a foodbank is a good idea. Some independent foodbanks take self referral. Many are listed on this website www.foodaidnetwork.org.uk/.

Wolfcub · 11/09/2021 08:02

Life it sounds like you've had a horrendous week so far. I hope today is better for you

lifelongfrugaleer · 11/09/2021 08:25

Sorry hound missed your situation
Do you have a surplus charity like the bread and butter thing near you. Similar to a food bank but there might be a small fee. There’s for yy to food bank. Lots of us have been there too. We get it