Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
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.

Original poster

Frugal fun in February - the one with the Spring spring

999 replies

Unescorted · 01/02/2022 22:29

New thread continued from this one

All are welcome - just dive in.

OP posts:
Thread gallery
27
lifelongfrugaleer · 10/02/2022 17:05

Shame

marthasmum · 10/02/2022 19:27

I also started at 06.30, feeling quite grumpy now. It’s a busy time of year.
I’ve upped my fuel payments to £200 from £126…but looking at my debit balance of £500 or so I think I need to bite the bullet and up it to £300 pm. I think somehow I’ve been hoping the debit would disappear!
Frugal food shop coming this week to keep me on budget £50 or so. Looking forward to pay day on 18th!
Forgot to mention massive spend on windows and double glazing, £2550. Can think of many more exciting ways to spend that money but it needed doing. The elderly boiler now seems to be on the blink as water intermittently running cold…DP seems to think he can tinker with it. He has saved us 1000s over the years by his ability to fix things, I’m very grateful for it!

Original poster
Unescorted · 10/02/2022 20:01

Lighting I do similar but use the training salons. I am one of the exam models if they need an asymmetric graduated Bob. The trainees will be working in the salon the week after.

Bread prices are going through the roof ATM.

Em it is the best time of the day to work. I get 2-3 hours of work done without an interruption. Unfortunately people put meetings in after 4... Grrr. I should be bolder and rearrange for 7:30/8 ish.

OP posts:
CurlsandCurves · 10/02/2022 20:50

Ugh, horrible day. Can I please vent? Feel free to scroll on by...

Went to work as normal, knew the boss would be in, no probs. 15 mins in he says he’d like a catch up if that’s ok, he’s doing it with everyone. Ok fine. Brings up one thing my manager mentioned to him that I need to change. Yep, fine, noted. Then he starts down a road that I did not see coming, I won’t bore you with the details. Basically along the lines that I don’t ask for help but a couple of things have happened where apparently I could/should have done or didn’t react as quick. I’m not afraid to ask for help, said as much. THEN I get asked so what’s going on. Nothing, as far as I was aware, up until right now. Being made to feel as if there’s something wrong with me that they’re seeing but I don’t.

I couldn’t help it, the tears came. I felt ambushed, like I was being asked to admit to something that wasn’t happening. I genuinely didn’t understand what on Earth he was trying to get out of me. It was awful.

And I absolutely love my job. Probably why I cried because I care so much about it and would hate to lose it.

After he’d gone my manager talked to me. She said how he handled the ‘chat’ made her feel sick and she told him as much. She has no issues with me whatsoever and the not asking for help thing he took and ran with beyond anything she would have said.

Doesn’t help that I cry at the drop of a hat and have been most of the afternoon on and off. I’m absolutely exhausted. Thankfully my manager is amazing and has put my mind completely at rest that they’re more than happy with me.

Tomorrows another day.

Original poster
Unescorted · 10/02/2022 21:01

Has he been on a "how to be a manager" course recently? The worst managers I have ever had were ones who were being sent on those types of things because they are shit at managing .... They come back and misapply everything they had been taught.

OP posts:
SingToTheSky · 10/02/2022 21:09

Oh curls that’s horrible, what was he thinking 🤬 FFS. Glad your manager sees the truth and is in your corner! 💐

ememem84 · 10/02/2022 21:30

Oh curls sending love your way!!!

I left early. At 4.45. Ha!

Spent the evening trying to sort out packing. Eugh. Whos stupid idea was it to move out and have building work done….?!

Lovemaltesers · 10/02/2022 21:50

Big hug curls, quite frankly boss sounds like a knob Flowers

8stone13 · 10/02/2022 22:59

@CurlsandCurves I'm one to get emotional too, it irritates me but we are who we are. Glad your manager knows & appreciates you Thanks

NSD 👏🏻

Alfiemoon1 · 10/02/2022 23:32

Big hugs curls
£2.50 spends on the window cleaner
£12 McDonald’s as it’s ds St. John’s and we call on the way home when I pick him up

Wolfcub · 11/02/2022 03:21

Urgh middle of the night full bed strip and clean up operation here as ds has had a massive nosebleed. I had hoped he would avoid it (I get them badly) so hoping this is just a one off. Despite the mattress protector the mattress is doomed to be stained forever, my best cleaning efforts have not got it all out. The pillow is not a washable one so that too is a duffer. Bedding and protector in the wash in the hope of saving them.

northender · 11/02/2022 04:58

Oh no Wolf not what you need. Is he ok? I used to get nosebleeds quite badly, but not so much now

ememem84 · 11/02/2022 07:05

Oh no poor ds. Not fun for him hope he’s ok.

Rinse everything in cold water first to get the blood out.

DH has day off today and we are clearing the house.

Original poster
Unescorted · 11/02/2022 07:11

The poor thing wolf I find them really disconcerting. Hope you all got some sleep.

Alfie what is St Johns?

This weekend's stress bake is going to be this berry layer cake I am willing spring to be on its way.

My bulb planting last summer seems to have worked. I have crocus, snowdrops, tulips and some other things I have forgotten coming up. They were all reduced price at the supermarkets. I have very little success with bulbs so am really pleased.

OP posts:
CurlsandCurves · 11/02/2022 07:45

Thanks for all the love guys. I saw my manager outside of work last night as well once I was in a better place and have given her some feedback to give to him. Hope he takes it on board as I have his.

@Wolfcub hope you and DS are ok, nothing worse than a middle of the night bed strip, hope you’re not too knackered today.

marthasmum · 11/02/2022 07:53

Well done curls it sounds like you've dealt with that well.
wolf that sounds grim, hope you and he are ok and that it was indeed a one off
em good luck with the move.
Can't wait for the weekend. Work is full on at the moment. Usually have football matches to ferry boys to both sat and sun but DS2 is missing sat so I have a bit of free time Smile

Alfiemoon1 · 11/02/2022 07:57

Unescorted it’s St. John ambulance cadets he goes to as he’s wanting to be a paramedic so they teach first aid etc.

SingToTheSky · 11/02/2022 08:05

Aah alfie my big two used to be in Badgers, DD1 moved up to cadets but it stopped in lockdown. After that the journey was just too much as there wasn’t a local one. It was great though, hoping there’s a nearer one when DD2 is old enough! My friend is a paramedic and he started off in SJA too :)

lifelongfrugaleer · 11/02/2022 08:54

Ah no wolf. Nosebleeds are awful especially in the middle of the night.
Curls sounds awful but pleased your manager was great.
That bake looks lovely but sorry about stress.

Wolfcub · 11/02/2022 09:09

Curls that sounds like feedback very badly given. I'm sorry you had that experience.

Lovemaltesers · 11/02/2022 09:33

Oh no wolf

I’ve found a couple of jobs to apply for, with interview dates in half term so need to get back on it!

Really not happy where I am, my bosses response to the proposed self isolation changes was concerning. I want a job not dealing with absence Hmm

Alfiemoon1 · 11/02/2022 10:13

I really don’t like my job either far to much stress for the money. Had an assessment yesterday and have been invited for interview on Monday but no idea how to blag the time off work again as annual leave requests need 2 weeks notice. Arghh

Happierwithouthim · 11/02/2022 10:33

Curls I'm so Angry on your behalf at how you were treated. Sometimes management have no people skills whatsoever.

I've had tears in meetings with my superior here and I'm not really a tears person at all, well I wasn't until my bereavement last year, now they flow regularly but that's another story Smile

So I pay for childcare 4 mornings a week, what I earn while the children are there goes out on paying for the childcare. We now have an extra work colleague to be here in the mornings. I might broach the subject with management in August for next school year for an 8am start versus current 7:30am start.

Lovemaltesers · 11/02/2022 10:40

I woop with joy, if I see a job with an interview date on my day off or in the holidays alfie. I feel bad when I don’t tell my boss about interviews, but when I have had to in the past she talks about replacing me with someone cheaper and makes me feel shit! 😱

Hope you get to your interview 🤞

Lovemaltesers · 11/02/2022 10:51

Some “managers” really are terrible curls. They are often much better at the non-people side of the job and have no people skills whatsoever! On the other side, I have seen people be delegated a difficult conversation to have, but as it has been dumped on them, they are in a horrible position without all the relevant background info too. Obviously not in your scenario though!