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.

NSD today after yesterdays spend day
ended up going to next to look for a hat for my husband no hats but leather flip flops 39 pound
Then next door was a home bargain 40 later but now almost finished4 year old niece xmas presents
1x lol doll 20 pounds I think they are usually more
1 x peppa pig monopoly 10 pounds
cup minnie mouse with her initials on
and lol toothbrushes beaker and paste

Just an our generation doll to get and she is done phew

Hoping for a lsd tomorrow just bus fayre to hospital

I know most people think that the gym membership is a lot of money mine is about £45 a month (including towel) funny thing is I use it much more in the winter, I go for my a class at 9.30 then in the gym for another half a hour then go to the pool and read my book on the sunbed then go for a swim , jacuzzi , steam room, shower. Don’t put the heating on in the house till 1pm and I’m all clean. So for me it’s very good for my mental health as well as keeping me fit. Worth every penny. Thow I do think it will go up in price this year, because of the heating costs.

Gym membership is def worth it for physical & mental health benefits, but obviously one of those things that can be reduced or stopped if you have to cut back. For those who can afford non essential stuff, they will have their own priority list of the order in which "extras" could be cut back. I've been thinking about that more recently & gym would be one of the last things for me as it makes such a difference.

Not managing money well here at the moment. I'm struggling with thoughts of my upcoming op, feeling overwhelmed & so shopping has been erratic, we've been socialising more as I wanted to meet up with friends before I have to start isolating on Friday. Took mum for afternoon tea today for her birthday (£60 for 3) as it is next week so won't be going out then.
Messed up gousto order so have an unintended box coming today. Not feeling very in control.

Re the gym. Looked into it further and if I pay £356 in one go for the year I’ll get all the benefits of a “full” membership (this will be classed as a concession). So I’ll be able to freeze it for up to 6m (useful when we’re away for 6 weeks at Christmas) and will be able to get ds a free membership too. But only if I pay in advance. This works out at £29.60 a month if you break it down.

To just go to the gym is £8 a go. If I go 4 times a month (which I’ll more than do that) I’m quids in.

totally appreciate I’m lucky in that it’s a non essential for me and I can still do it. I’d give up everything before the horse riding though - that’s my one luxury non essential I’d be gutted to have to stop. But would if it came down to it.

nails today. But I’m just getting the gels removed and will have “naked” nails for a while. They need s break. Should be around £20.

dreadful nights sleep. Dd woke up at around 330. And I’ve been awake since. Was debating not going to work today. But nail appointment….and I’m off Wednesday anyway so…will power through. Nice coffee (homemade) this morning to take with me. I stupidly put my contigo mug in the dishwasher so the glass (I think) inside has smashed - it now sounds like there’s sand in it. So it probably wont keep drinks hot for long. But my terribly long commute is only 15 minutes in the car then a less than 10 minute walk.

That gym membership is a bargain. Our cheapest gym costs more than that and it's what my son calls the Rocky gym - very basic, loads of boxing, all open showers, hasn't been renovated in 60 years. Still considering it though as I need to get fitter!

Spendy yesterday, twins 16 bday. Also got 2 pairs of curtains for 8 each from charity shop to start making door curtains and prepare for winter. 32 pound on clothes from charity shop too, clothes for me for work and girls for college. That's the end of my holidays now, back to work Thursday. And so the dread begins, lol. Weather much cooler today! Hope you have all had a lovely weekend. Free pastry today with my lidl coupon! Yay! Hope you have a better week @north, Its bound to get heavy sometimes, don't be too hard on yourself love x thinking of you, you have a lot on your plate right now!

Definitely worth paying up front if you can then Em, that's a very good deal. Our gym membership is expensive but the classes are like group PT sessions & I love it & have been consistent in going since we joined 4 years ago.

Hi all, I lost a long post a couple of days ago, grrr!

we’re on holiday in wales and have been having a great time. Lots of beach so far, given how hot it has been (gorgeous and warm enough to to swim in the sea) but we’ve had a few days out too - one Island boat trip and a couple of castles. It’s been a bit spendy but not too bad - we take picnics but have paid entry fees to places, and have been hiring parasols and having ice creams at the beach as it’s so hot! We had one fish and chip supper out which wasn’t too £££ (mostly because they sold fish by the ‘chunk’ and I underordered as they were quite small but the queue was too big to go back 😭). The grocery shopping and top-ups are quite expensive though as we’ve been having nice food (prawns etc) and a bit of wine /gin/beer - we’re not big drinkers but like to have a bit on holiday. But that’s all my compensation for the fact that we don’t really eat out (kids have SN and are so fussy…)

I also had to buy a swimsuit and beach cover up as I hadn’t expected to want to go in the sea! But well worth it.

totally understandable being a bit antsy about your op North. When is it?

Morning, soooo tired. Spent most of yesterday at work shifting the whole shop around and sorting a hot dusty stock room with no ventilation. Felt absolutely gross by the time I got home,

V busy week so I was up early and by 9.45 I’d been to Aldi and Morrisons, got it all home and unpacked and got a load of washing on the line! Got a couple of hours to myself now so may have a chill out before work.

No spending weekend and today, I got refund from Royal Mail though.

I do think gym is important but it’s about making it work which for me it doesn’t fit around me life. I’m still paying $16 pm online so do get some exercise and I have the kit I need at home

Sorry to hear you are feeling overwhelmed north

Hi all

I'm down with covid (after 2.5 years I thought I was immune but alas it finally got me) so having a relatively lsd today. DH just nipped out for more painkillers and some milk.

@HalfWomanHalfChocolate hope you had a good holiday. On the topic of holidays, would love to know peoples opinions on what a normal amount of spending money is for a UK holiday? I know this is a very broad question but am interested in different opinions. Basically we (me, DH and DS3) are going on holiday to Wales for 8 nights in September. Airbnb already paid for, self catered so will do a mix of cooking and maybe a couple of meals out and a takeaway. I feel like I have no idea how much I should be capping our holiday spending money at?! In order to have a nice holiday, not feel like we're being mega strict but also not going overboard IYSWIM. Due to covid and house renovations we haven't really been on holiday just us since before DS was born so I feel like I've forgotten what I'm doing.

By time the holiday roles around we will have approx £400 in our holiday account, is that a reasonable amount for an 8 night holiday? Do we need more? Should we be spending less? Help!

Hope you gws sco.
i think if you are eating normal breakfast, do pic nic lunches and do a mix of dinners yes £ 400 food is doable, get an online supermarket delivery to the holiday place if you can so you are not over paying at little supermarket

£15 nails soak off and shape.

currently making a gigantic portion of spag Bol One for now. The rest for freezer. may stuff some gigantic pasta shells with it. May not.

busy day. So busy.

but new contract came through. Only a few bits I want tweaking. One being overtime pay. We currently get none. But we’ve been asked to work extra if we can. So I want paying for it. Duh.
And as much as “they” say it will be paid - get it in contract.

Also want the words “within reason” or similar added to certain paragraphs. If they push back on it I’m going to suggest they change my notice period to 3m instead of the 1m I’m currently on. That’s the bargaining chip. If necessary.

if I’m honest I doubt I’ll have to go there. I think I could ask for anything except more pay and they’d agree without a thought. We’ve lost 6 people this year. One retired. The rest resigned. One moved to the Middle East. The others chased the money (but went to bigger places which will demand much much more). I could do the same for the money. But the workload would increase and I’d have to really work to make a name for myself. And I’m in no rush to leave. bugging myself up I’m good at what I do. Wel liked. And I am in a good position.

<sneaks back like an errant teenager >

I have not been frugal of late <hangs head>

But I did have a frugal win today groceries delivered £106 😳 and driver offered me the subs that a previous customer declined, 2 packs of fresh tuna and 2x breadsticks. The tuna would have gone into waste rather than on my salad. That just sounded stupid, he agreed and said he definitely wouldn’t get in trouble for it. If the store ask me to pay for it I obviously will.

I other Spendy news I ordered reduced socks for wellies, 2 pairs, for DD’s Christmas - £24
6 bottles of wine with a freebie fold away table for said 🍷on picnics - £47

It’s DDs birthday this month, 21st 😱 how did that happen I have money saved for their presents.

Frugal / naughty confession. Just checked Waitrose reciept from yesterday. Apparently some things didn’t scan in the self scanner.

Other than food shop nsd today. 64 in lidl 25 in morrisons. Nsd rest of week, here's hoping!

There’s a lot to be said for stating where you are in a strong position especially with young dc

welcome back adora

£17 Aldi, +£7k when bathroom refunds me for not turning up

Discovered I was paying for Amazon music since April 21. They would only refund 6m though, glad I finally wrangled online banking bastard log in

also have a pile of stuff to return that I ordered but don’t need, usually I would keep just in case but no , returning

now I’ve got a new phone with a camera I’m going to sell some stuff

Evening all
hope you feel better soon socathe
spends today £75 for dd 21st birthday cake as she’s having a bit of a party mainly family friends and neighbours and a few people from her work I have already bought her presents and will give her some money as my dsis is taking her away as a surprise

dd cats are now on the website to be rehomed so have been neutered and their fleas treated they have changed their names to protect dd although I am sure if knobhead saw them he would recognise them but thankfully none of us have heard from him although he is blocked by us all i wouldn’t put it passed him to use a fake profile or something

first day back in work after a week off and didn’t sleep last night as it was so hot so I am shattered now but waiting to pick ds up from work he’s been doing loads of hours as the other kitchen porter has left he might as well while he’s off from college but I am hoping he’s not to late finishing tonight

Lots of positives going on their alphie.
I’m sure the cats will be rehomed soon

Exactly life I could really push my luck with the work situation but that’s not me. And I’m asking for “at Employers discretion” to be added to overtime wording. So essentially it still gives them the option to say no. I could have gone in with an actual schedule of overtime payments - ie first couple of hours at time and half the remainder double time. But it’s less likely to get agreed.

I also could ask for more money. Which I did do jokingly the other day as in “pay me another £20k and I’ll do whatever you want!” But there’s a time and a place for the more money conversation and this isn’t it.

£7k life? What's the story with the bathroom? I'm the same re gym, I've cancelled mine, I run, I've an online class I do and I've kettlebells at home. Did enjoy the gym, but can't justify the time or the cost.

I think it's totally understandable that you are not feeling completely in control north and certainly anxious about the operation. The Gousto box will at least save cooking. At least when you have to isolate, it will feel like you are getting to the reality of the situation rather than the strange 'pre op' stage.

Sounds like folk are having lovely holidays!

Fingers crossed for a NS week fear

Yesterday was £345 on the car being serviced but covered by expenses which I'll claim back today. Otherwise NSD.

Today, hopefully similar. Minus the car service.

Dsil has given us some lovely small potatoes from the allotment and I've found a lovely Niçoise salad with green beans we've already got in.

DD made beetroot chips with the final beetroot in the air fryer which were yum!

Morning all. Good night's sleep last night after a migraine during the day. Woke up this morning feeling stiff, but rested. Day includes visiting flat my parents are buying to do pre-contract checks, food shopping, hygienist appointment for self and DS - £146 for the pair of us. Will both have NHS checks on Thursday, and hope no treatment needed. Inspired by mines to make a salade niçoise for dinner, and will add black olives, Little Gem lettuce and green beans to shopping list. Yesterday I only wanted toast, and left DH and DS to fend for themselves.

Will do a proper yoga workout later and get these joints and tendons stretched out. Hot weather has been shit for keeping active.