Festive Frugaleering

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[[https://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/credit_crunch/4340188-Savvy-savers-sashaying-through-September old thread]

Opppppps - we nearly filled the old one

mrs your 32 nighties would go with your bedlinen cos I seem to remember you have a large collection
I'm just saying that though cos I fell off the frugal wagon and bought 2 kingsize brushed cotton duvet sets from sainsburys. One sainsburys own, one habitat. £29. Did I need them - not really, did I want them - yes!
I stayed at work til 7pm so that was my justification .
tayto I think the gratitude journal is a good idea. I went through a phase of just thinking of 3 things I was glad for/ had done well before going to sleep at night and honestly it makes a difference. For example I felt a bit ashamed of myself not being able to keep to my food budget, when lots of poor souls will literally be struggling to afford food this year with rising bills

Tayto DH organised the fairy lights by wrapping them round the tube out the middle of the wrapping paper. He cut a slit in one end of the tube to wedge the end with the plug. It worked well. I think he must secretly look at Pinterest or something!

I think there's an app called 3 good things too. We bought DD a gratitude journal for Christmas & she likes it
Just before I ordered from Hello fresh, D's announced he had had an offer from them which was better than mine so we ordered 5 meals next week for £26. He has a code for a friend if anyone is interested. I assumed it wouldn't go through as our address is already registered

@HumbugWhale that's genius. Spends here yesterday £60 in tesco. Today have washing machine repair no idea what that will cost. Cat peed on my rucksack so I put it in the washing machine. Won't be doing that again😁

Oh no Start! I hope the repair isn't too costly.

We had a bit of snow during the night. The fields, gardens and roofs are all white. I don't know what the roads are like. DD's friend's DM took her to school (she has a big jeep), so it saved me having to defrost the car and go out. I'm hoping it will all be gone before I've to venture out to the orthodontist later.

Two things to be grateful for already:-

working from home in bad weather
lift for school

Good work on the bargain meals north

Sorry to hear about the washing machine Start

Just waiting for my laptop to update, before I can start working. Able to claim some overtime for the work though!

Frugal wins this week:
£20 received from sweepstake at work as I won (put £2 in)
£25 win on premium bonds
Took 4 parcel to the post office for refunds (one was DH’s). I guess that counts?
Returned some clothes to M& for refund

That's great Love nice little bonuses there

Dropped rings off for insurance valuation. Will cost me 1% of the value of each ring

Got key cut to replace the one ds broke £7

Spent ages hunting for paperwork for one of the rings

Dusted everywhere

Moved money into my penny saver

Counted the cash ds has been getting for birthdays and Christmas during lockdown and that I've been storing for him. Started process to open him a current account but need to take photo of him when he gets home to complete process. Does anyone know if you can still pay old style £20 notes into the bank?

Need to get off my arse and take dog for a walk before doing some cooking for the freezer

NSDs Wednesday and Thursday. Likely today too unless I shop online, there are a few things I do need to sort. Won’t be going anywhere though - still struggling from the booster, it’s lasted longer than the second dose oddly.

Had my job centre appt yesterday (luckily by phone) and I’ve worked out that, now I’ve set up my pension, I will still have to stay on regular appointments with them, as even pushing myself to get all the preapproved overtime we are unlikely to meet the earning threshold to move to the “light touch” group.

It’s frustrating for me and my (lovely) work coach - we both know they aren’t needed. I’m working, I have self employed work too (tutoring), and I’m volunteering - also start my OU degree next month! So she’s not needing to check up on me or make me do more because she knows I’m working hard to build a career. But the system is such that I need to attend these appointments or we get sanctioned and lose UC. However it’s worth it to pay more into my pension, I really need to think long term.

£2 on a biscuit in Costa, we’re out today to visit new born grandchild. Said biscuit was far too sweet, I binned it.

Of course all the things I ordered on Amazon due to arrive tomorrow have arrived today 🤦‍♀️

I’ll catch up later, 🍷

Dmum has emailed me (FFS 🙄) to tell me Ddad isn’t doing well, he’s no longer moving about and he’s coming towards the end. I’m still not allowed to visit the care home 🙁

Spent a fair bit today while out shopping , picked up the nightdresses from Marks , looked at the sale got quite a few things in there , single cards were 20 p x10 , boxes of cards were 20p x4 , bought a necklace and earrings for my Mum for Mothers day or Her birthday 4 , a pretty bracelet 4, pretty Christmas earings for next year for the DDs 2.50 x 2 , a mans jumper ,navy blue with Ding Dong on it 4 , 2 prs of slippers for next Christmas lol 9 various foil cooking trays for 20 p and
Matalan spent 11 pr of slippers 2 from 8 , a polo neck jumper 2.50 from 10, a pr of lace nickers l1 from 3.50 l, 4 x packs of Easter cards for 50 p a pack instead of £2 a pack .
Tesco shop was 40 , Home bargains was 22, bought Dd2 an Easter wreath for he rdoor very pretty 2.99 , yes, l know it is a long time to go to Easter but they were very pretty, cheap and l missed out on them last year

@Lovemaltesers

Dmum has emailed me (FFS 🙄) to tell me Ddad isn’t doing well, he’s no longer moving about and he’s coming towards the end. I’m still not allowed to visit the care home 🙁

Love l am so sorry to hear this news from you , your poor Dad and you it's awful you can't see him

@AdoraBell

£2 on a biscuit in Costa, we’re out today to visit new born grandchild. Said biscuit was far too sweet, I binned it.

Of course all the things I ordered on Amazon due to arrive tomorrow have arrived today 🤦‍♀️

I’ll catch up later, 🍷

Congratulations on your new Grandchild Adora how lovely

Sing well done on gettng your future organised , ppl just don't realise how quickly the years go by and then you are left worrying a few years before retiring if you are not careful
Wolf you have done well today , l find it very difficult to get anything done myself tbh
Tayto how lovely for you to have snow l wish we had it
Martha l was extremely good today , l didn't buy any more duvet covers today in Marks,/Matalan , they even had the brushed cotton lovely Nutcracker red cover that l coveted before Christmas in the sale and l didn't get it!

North that is an excellent bargain!
Humbug great idea well done to your Dh !
Em you are very organised excellent job!
Start sorry about your WM, blinking cat !
Dh has just annopunched he wants baked potatoes , cheese and beans again tonight ! that is why he bought 6 tins of beans fromTesco today lol

Love

Well done sing but frustrating you are still in the system

love I’m so sorry to hear that, that’s awful
sing how frustrating, you are doing so well with it
adora lovely news, is it he or she?
mrs you’ve got all the bargains, well done! I’ll be off to Google nutcracker duvets now 😂
Sadly non frugal as had to spend £326 on MOT. That car really needs to stop costing money now! We were meant to be going for a meal with DPs family tomorrow but have cancelled as it’s quite snowy round here and a few of us are travelling. So a shame not to see people but I’m selfishly hoping it won’t be rearranged til after next payday as will be spendy for five of us.
I’ve worked hard the last couple of days prepping for a module I’ve not taught before. I’m pleased with what Ive produced so hope the students like it! Hurray for the weekend

@Lovemaltesers that sounds so hard. It's never easy and you are never ready.

Washing machine repair £80. Could have been much worse. Local firm so would use again as good though did get shown the problem. Included bra under wire and a huge nail. God knows.😁

Oh Love that's really hard an a rotten way to tell you. I hope you can get to see him soon

Start that's not too bad. Good local tradesmen are worth their weight in gold

Congratulations Adora!

Love that's awful, I'm so sorry you can't visit

Love so sorry. Awful to tell you like that too. 💐

NSD today.

Adora congratulations
Love so sorry we didn’t get to see mil over Christmas as she’s in a care home and they had covid cases

love that is so hard not being able to visit. Huge hugs xxxx