Summer savings support - be frugal

[ememem84]

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.

em the other thing to do is see if the school have a uniform sale. Reception/ 1st year parents always over buy so it is normally barely worn. By the time they are going into year 6 it is all in ribbons as people understand what the minimum they can get away with is.

Impressed by your energy, Tayto. We got out early (for a Sunday, for us) today, to meet a relly of DH at St Katharine's Dock. Took Ddog, and was pleasantly surprised to find that he was a model brunch companion. Sat nicely at our feet, ate his sausage, let us crack on with our own food and chat. Good walk back along the Thames Path to Southwark Bridge, home on the train. I am now in my pjs, watching the Commonwealth Games. Will consider doing some light gardening tasks when the garden is in shade later, in the evening.

Brunch for three (plus dog sausage) - £33.

Have to haul myself up and hang out the next washing load.

Yes to second hand, and totally agree, you always over buy for reception and then Y7, by year 6/11 it's stretching out the minimum you can!

Tired this afternoon after a long hospital visit and two late nights socialising, which is unheard of for us (me and DC). Going to drag my sorry ass out for a short run in a minute, reheat some chilli for us and vegetate for the rest of the evening. Quiet weekend next weekend planned for sure next one.

Spends £6 on two TGTG bags at the local Costa. These bags are super generous and go like hot cakes so pleased I got in early.

Very productive Tayto!

My dogs are chilled out too Skies.

Afternoon everyone 😊
Beautiful weather here 🤗
Spent 3 in Morrisons on Pizzas for DH and myself tonight . Don't fancy anything else tbh ☺️
Been busy the last few days so not online much however have sat down this afternoon and enjoyed my book and a lovely book chat with Dd1 😊
Waves to everyone 😊

£85 ocado delivery today. I really need to get my head in the game with meal planning etc when it's the new term. Holidays are always a bit more relaxed.

Lovely chilled day here, just unpacking etc in the morning then gym / swim for all this afternoon. I'm really tired this evening so planning a bath and hoping to finish my book.

I'm having some minor health issues at the moment so have 3 different hospital appointments this week so need an early night to start the week off right hopefully! Luckily grandparents are stepping up with childcare so I can go to the appointments in peace!

School do have a second hand rail. But won’t be able to look until first day! but def worth a look.

took the kids to the beach rockpooling. Found a starfish. And a crabby.

Evening all, hope everyone's had a good weekend.

Back from Norfolk. Costs for the weekend were £30 on various bits, ice creams on the beach, parking, drinks out and about. Main food etc provided by parents but easy to forget how quickly other little bits add up.

Back to work tomorrow for three days so hoping for a few lsds although DH is off for the week and is taking DS to the farm Tuesday so that will be a bit of money. Other than that DS is at nursery and DH is doing DIY - mostly materials we already have so hopefully no spending there. Our spare room is the last bedroom to be done, have stripped the carpet in there this evening (last bit of manky 15yo carpet in the house woo) so feels good to get started with it. Anyone else doing renovations? Ours are slowing down now but still have a few smaller projects to go.

All this talk of school uniform making me think about the fact I have to apply for schools for DS from next month - crazy how that's come around.

another nsd here today two in a row hoping for the same tomorrow!!

Nsd, walked the dog by the beach and then painted the front of the house up and repainted the house name with masonary painted we already had for free. Cleaned all the steps and painted those too. Fresh n clean n free. Hope you are all enjoying this lovely weather!

£14 lunch and eaten likE a piggy, £6 farm shop. Need to fill the car as have some long drives £100 I estimate

Need to stop spending money and this looks like a good place to start, so I will read the whole thread and come back. Managed to fill the freezer with ice creams from Iceland last week which is helping with the school holiday snacking. (If you wait to have an ice cream at home you can have an ice pole too!)

Just skim read the posts about school uniform. If you're not sure on what you'll need buy some extras in the next size up. If the laundry system goes wrong they'll be fine in slightly bigger clothes. Also a good solution for clothing they won't wear very often like summer shorts. 2 x current size, 2 x next size up and adjust the waist band smaller.

half the cheaper online sci-fi op shoes were Clark’s outlets. Not used them before (not sure if they are seconds or just old styles?). But worth a try as DS2 is growing fast.
have had a fantastic weekend away with DP from my v generous mum and sister. Still managed to spend nearly £200 on petrol, presents for kids and my mum and sis, charity shop haul (4 tops 2 dresses 2 jumpers for £36!) etc. so worth it for DP and I to have some child free time though, something we very rarely do. With hindsight we should have prioritised this more when DC were small - but childcare always tricky.
well done on the shed tayto
em I second M&S with the 20% off for next year. Though it depends how quick they grow - if they are big growers then sainsburys might be cheaper

Off to a wedding this afternoon. Yippeeee.

£15 paper chase - gift bag and wrapping and card for said wedding
£2.10 bus
£55 Charlotte tilbury.

1.18 on sticky numbers for the front door, free buses! Yay.

Hello all. Getting warmer again, temperatures set to hit 30's again here, so thinking that any outdoor work I need to do, should be done tomorrow and Wednesday.

Can I bring a Property/DIY question here please? I started a thread over there, but not getting any responses, and I'd welcome a steer. I'm helping my parents buy an apartment, fairly local to me, but 200 miles from them. So some of the pre-exchange tasks fall to me. It's in a retirement development, only 4 years old, and has only been lived in for the first of those 4 years (Covid, sales falling through, etc). What do you think I should do in response to this guidance from the estate agent who is acting for the vendor?

Whilst you are under no obligation, we do recommend that you instruct a professional to conduct an independent assessment of all appliances and services within the property prior to exchange of contracts.

Does assessment of all appliances (it's all electric) mean PAT testing? What 'services' are meant? Who should do this? How extensive should the testing on an essentially new, not much used property be? It has underfloor heating, for example - how would I test this? Who would I employ to do this?

I've bought and sold properties on my own account before, but they've been older, and I've just assumed that I will mop up any issues after completion e.g. replace a boiler if need be. But my parents don't want surprises (and shouldn't have to have them, with a near-brand-new property).

I would check with your solicitor but I would assume services being gas, electric, sewerage etc and any installed appliances

few unplanned spends at a gymkhana as hot and dd nervous so didn’t want pic nic

Skies - no expert, but with the property being so new, wouldn't the vendor possess lots of this information? Our property is 11 years old, but we got a huge file on completion with all the necessary electrical tests etc and tons of blurb re every appliance. Any work we've had done since, we've been sent a certificate by the electrician to confirm it's been done to current safety legislation. So should be the vendors obligation, rather than purchaser? Just a lay person speaking though.

The dogs heart tablets have cost me £££, so I'm sulking and re working the food budget. He's insured, but had a big operation last year, so we've gone over our limit.

Fuel prices gone down a lot, thankfully.

Sorry - meant to say, we bought a new build.

Phew busy day here. Work this morning then home to grab something to eat and get ds2 for out dentist appointments. Then drop him home and go food shopping. Get home, unpack it all, cook dinner, quick tidy round, shower and relax!

Great news at the dentist. Ds2 doesn’t need braces! All his adult teeth are finally through at the grand old age of 13. He was always going to be missing one bottom tooth but the others have gone into the space so it looks fine.

Work is going crazy, school shoes season is definitely upon us! We did not stop and when I left we’d made in a morning what we usually like to achieve on a day. And it’s only going to get busier, but I love it.

BigSkies Isn't the property covered by the NHBC 10 year warranty? Just a thought l don't know if it covers what this is though .
Spends today Aldi £19
Cod and chips for Dd2 £8.50

happy to report another nsd day here today

However worked out our electric oven is costing a fortune to run

What are peoples thoughts on air fryers are they cheaper to run do they cook properly and do you need a big one for 3 adults was hoping to spend about no more than 60 pounds but ???

Also some 2 loads of washing today trying to wash on 30 mainly and also full loads

At work today so almost a nsd but £4.30 in Aldi on the way home on non-alcoholic beer and lemonade for DH to have a shandy, he's been working hard relaying floorboards to stop them squeaking and then laying new flooring in our spare room today.

Tired today, 3yo DS has been waking in the night and is wide awake, initially thought it was nightmares but now seems no apparent reason. Trying not to fall into the habit of just getting in bed with him but it's hard.

@orangetriangle we have a Ninja air fryer and it's brilliant, a game changer for cooking, we use it all the time. We have the smallest one for two adults and a toddler and to be honest with the amount we use it I wish we had gone for a bigger one. Not sure about running costs as I haven't looked into it.

Curls that is brilliant for your DS2 yay!
Em hope the wedding went off without a hitch
Mines that is a bummer re your poor dog's meds
Martha what a lovely weekend , so glad you had a lovely time and great bargains!
Life can't be helped ice cream and cold drinks are the order of the day!
Fear have l missed your 60th birthday ? if so happy belated birthday sweetie -cake]wine]

Wedding was glorious. Beautiful weather. 12 people. Wonderful dinner. Just lovely. And a fabulous sunset.

Thanks for responses - I will check with solicitor and see what the vendor has. Don't think there is an NHBC 10 year in place, don't know why. My brother says, I think very reasonably, that such a new property should be fine, and we'd be better keeping the money spent on. a belt and braces 'inspection' for any repairs/replacements that come further down the line.

Didn't sleep very well, awake since 4.30, now feeling the effects. More coffee!