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Summer savings support - be frugal

1000 replies

ememem84 · 23/06/2022 07:21

Running out of space on the old thread so here’s the new one. Everyone welcome.

for background this is a slice to share your No spend days, your big spend days your savings your situation. We all help each other out with advice and tips etc. but it’s mostly for friendly accountability.

OP posts:
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lifelongfrugaleer · 24/06/2022 20:56

God food is bonkers. I had a lot to restock but £190 this week. Gggrrr

northender · 24/06/2022 23:38

Thanks for the new thread, will try to do better in keeping up with this one. Marking my place for now. Uni visit with dd tomorrow

Happierwithouthim · 25/06/2022 00:27

lifelongfrugaleer · 24/06/2022 20:56

God food is bonkers. I had a lot to restock but £190 this week. Gggrrr

I didn't shop in over two weeks hopefully I don't get a Shock like you life

KurriKawari · 25/06/2022 00:41

Cancelled NowTV and Prime Video, as have netflix. Cancelled gym, don't find to go and plenty of free videos on YouTube I've been doing in my lubchbreak when working from home. Next is to get grocery bills down cos how much I'm spending for one adult and one child is ridiculous esp when she will happy eat pasta or a jacket potato.

Also saw someone above mention petrol prices, you can do a comparison on confused.com
www.confused.com/petrol-prices

northender · 25/06/2022 07:18

Kurri great steps you've taken, well done.
Although overall we are in a good financial position now, we've got a tricky few months to negotiate. Ds owes us £3k for his car. That essentially is our savings which is fine for the moment, but he moves out at the end of August for his work placement. He'll be paid a month in arrears so will need help with his rent, deposit etc for the first month. He will pay it all back but we need to find it in the first place ideally without going into overdraft etc. Have also decided on a scaled back plan for our bedroom in September. No fitted wardrobes, instead paint existing 90s pine furniture, new carpet, bed base & curtains and paint/paper walls (15 years since last done)
Soooo tight budgeting needed. Plan so far:
Meal planning & strict shopping lists
Switch bank account for cashback
Switch CC to one with cashback or vouchers
No spends on clothes, house or garden.
Review fuel deal
Will see how we get on......

Wolfcub · 25/06/2022 08:15

Good luck with the uni visits North.

Busy day today I need to try and get some essay done, I need to pack up the dog and get him to dparents at lunch and go to bottle bank and charity shop before going out at 1.30.

The house is slightly less of a tip than it was yesterday although the bathroom and kitchen floor need attention. I got only minimal work done on the essay but am pleased with the work I did and I ended up working (job work) for quite a bit longer than planned. I did manage to get out with ddog for a nice walk and an ice cream though. Unfrugal takeaway yesterday after a very hot and frustrating three hours stuck in traffic

USaYwHatNow · 25/06/2022 08:29

Hi! I'm new to this thread and sorry to hijack but @TwoBulletsFiveZombies I'm also a pregnant first time mum NHS worker 😂

I've managed to get a changing table, whole travel system with pram, toddler seat (incl car seat and isofix base) a second spare car seat and base all second hand and in amazing condition. Not bothering with a 'next to me' sort of crib thing, we're using the crib a family member made for when I was a baby!

We're lucky in that we are able to juggle furniture around from the spare room to use in the nursery, and family are gifting us a cot bed.

We're also going to be brave and try reusable nappies! I've just bought a second hand starter kit of a lady on ebay, in pristine condition, for half the cost of a new starter kit and with even more nappies than a starter kit.

I love a bargain and think why buy brand new when it's probably going to get slightly trashed as me and my husband blunder our way through being first time parents 😂

Also need to sort out our food shop... We have way too many takeaways! 😳

lifelongfrugaleer · 25/06/2022 08:56

Hope the uni visit goes well
there odd no point buying new if you can get pre loved, unless there is a safety concern
shopping arrived and general tidy up done
scout day camp today
chilli on for dinner , first wash load out , second in, meal list for next week written and 30 minutes aerobics
boom

the traffic was hideous last night too wolf. Deserved take out imo

minesalargered · 25/06/2022 11:41

Hello.

Mind if I join you?

DH has sadly suffered a life changing medical issue our financial situation has gone from being stable to completely unknown in truth. So I need to be as efficient as I can for a long as I can.

I've already cut out as much unnecessary spending as possible, will cancel Sky as soon as I can (in contract) I fixed our energy bills by some lucky miracle in October for two years so hopefully may ride out the worst of the storm in this regard. Swapped from Sainsbury's to Lidl, apart from some savers from Ocado when better value!

We are essentially veggie (meat eaten maybe once a month max, odd tin of tuna occasionally), and myself and DD are good cooks who love the process and cook from scratch. Always taken my own lunch to work anyway. Batch cooking now, will menu plan now too although we waste very little anyway.

Todays spends will be £3 on hospital parking, using change I've found round the house.

minesalargered · 25/06/2022 11:45

I'm also turning our hot water off every other day, as the tank is large and has enough hot water to last 24 hours. Both DS and Dd live at home (22/21).

lifelongfrugaleer · 25/06/2022 17:06

Tired after a day at camp. My current self loves that my morning self prepped tea and we don’t need to get a takeaway

TheNewlmprovedMrsMadEvans · 25/06/2022 17:08

Welcome @minesalargered sorry to hear your Dh is not well Flowers
God this weather is awful here today, cold, raining , dark and stormy Hmm
Have been to The huge local Cancer charity shop & bought a skirt (Bon Marche) and top (Marks) in excellent condition for my Mum £2 each & spent 38 in Tesco .
Hope the weather is better where you all are Smile

ememem84 · 25/06/2022 17:43

@minesalargered welcome!
@USaYwHatNow also welcome!

@minesalargered try calling sky to cancel. Odds are they will give you a few months for free or half price. Or something. They gave us 6 months free (then we cancelled anyway) and when DH called up for fil they gave him the same contract he was already on (everything…but upgraded him to skyQ and sent him a free box).

spends today £50 riding.
£15 village fete.

need to get petrol as only have 20 miles left. But will do it tomorrow.

Today I have done the following:

beer canned a chicken - slow cooked ok the bbq this morning.
raspberry jammed and dirt coked a gammon. Also slow cooked on bbq this morning. Lots of things for lunches.

mucked out the dcs wardrobes. Two bags for life in the charity bag which I’ll take with me to work on Monday and drop off.

also mucked out and tidied the garage. Wooop.

OP posts:
minesalargered · 25/06/2022 18:23

Thanks for the welcomes!

I might try and phone Sky, but we are contracted until September, so assume they won't budge? It's the one expense when I've looked that stands out as stupid for how often we use it.

I used some M&S vouchers earlier to get extra veg for the week, they are quarterly vouchers for using their credit card. Just a few quid.

DD needed something posting, which was £8, but she's paid that back.

I've roasted off some vegetables in Jamaican seasoning, we can use them in wraps for lunches this week with salad.

My menu plan
Bangers and mash - veggie sausages from the freezer, carrots and frozen peas.
Cauliflower and chickpea curry with rice. Will make 2 lots.
Veggie shepherds pie. Ditto, will batch cook.
Veggie chilli - using tins of beans we already have, jacket potatoes. Batch cooked too.

For lunches I'll make a big pasta salad too, some homemade hummus as there's ingredients in to make that and I've a big bag of carrots, and possibly carrot and coriander soup if needed and time.

Those are great charity shop bargains!

minesalargered · 25/06/2022 18:23

And productive day, Em!

TheNewlmprovedMrsMadEvans · 25/06/2022 18:48

@USaYwHatNow welcome Smile
Em you have done so well today you have not stopped! Smile
@minesalargered when we cancelled Sky even though we weren't in contract we had to give them 28 days notice so we paid for another month it's a con imho, we don't have it now and we don't miss it at all !

ememem84 · 25/06/2022 18:55

To be fair the chicken and gammon were left in bbq whilst I went riding so it was t that much hard work! 😂

dd has conked out on the couch. She’s exhausted poor babbooooo.

danger nap territory. Not waking her up though

naice tanqueray sevilla gin and tonic I. My glass now. It is yum

OP posts:
minesalargered · 25/06/2022 19:01

Leave her a few minutes while you enjoy the peace and gin! I remember the small children stage, some days was a frozen pizza chucked in the oven so fair play for getting it done, whatever!

ememem84 · 25/06/2022 20:08

Moved dd to bed. She needs her sleep. She woke up a bit but has crashed back out. For reference she’s almost 3. She missed dinner but has eaten loads today so one missed meal won’t hurt.

I’ve put laundry away in our room and am now on bed eating crisps. #

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namechangeanonymous · 25/06/2022 22:43

It's going OK for me so far, my hospital bag toiletries cost a lot more than expected but that's fine as I brought full sized not travel sized (which was even more!) So will be able to use after hospital.

Two weeks to go and quite honestly I just want to eat what I fancy and think about it after.

Still going to do what I said though no Costas no expensive lady of leisure lunches during the day and hopefully stretch my last full time pay as long as possible! (I am public sector it won't last that long, ha)

lifelongfrugaleer · 26/06/2022 07:57

Hope dd slept through em
are you on Mat leave name? Perfect go to the park with coffee and a lunch weather if you have one near. Shady bench for people watching

Wolfcub · 26/06/2022 08:26

Concert was great. Spent £45 including drinks, dinner and three taxis. I don't think that's too bad. My joints are killing me now so there may be a lot of slow hobbling about today. Going to get the bedding in the wash and hope the rain misses us.

ememem84 · 26/06/2022 08:55

She slept through!!!!

and was up at 6am. But it’s a small price to pay for a full nights sleep. We thing she just wore herself out.

OP posts:
lifelongfrugaleer · 26/06/2022 09:05

Whoo hoo 6 am isn’t bad really

that’s not bad at all wolf for a gig. Hope once you get moving your joints ease

need milk and tea as pil coming
cba to move

marthasmum · 26/06/2022 09:12

Welcome to all the new people!
I’m on a uni visit today too north - hope you enjoy.
Back on track with food planning today and have gammon in the slow cooker. We’ve been eating crap recently - partly because the teens are suddenly out more than they used to be and we’re all eating at different times, and they just make themselves whatever’s handy.
Been holding myself to better account recently with food shop (always my downfall). Though I went to Lidl planning to spend £50 yesterday and spent £90 🙈. So next week it’s definitely Tesco as the scan and shop/ online order keeps me on the straight and narrow. At Lidl or Aldi I just keep chucking stuff in cos it’s cheap.
have also been paying for any discretionary spends on a credit card (which I then pay off each month). That’s really been helping me to see how much I’m spending. I’ve also been writing a list each month of what ‘necessary’ social expenses are coming up eg birthdays, trips the kids are committed to etc. That’s made me realise there isn’t much left for impulsive spends.
have a good day everyone

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