Frugally Forward To Autumn

[Wolfcub]

New fred

@HalfWomanHalfChocolate im gluten free and was also dairy free for a while due to DD2 having cows milk intolerance as a newborn and she’s breastfed so I cut out all cows milk for 6 (hellish) months. These are what I’d always make for a treat breakfast, with some lovely fresh berries and honey or maple syrup. Or even dairy free chocolate spread if you fancy it.

glutenfreealice.com/2019/08/13/gluten-free-vegan-fluffy-pancakes/

Had a spendy day here after a £130 Asda shop yesterday, I ended up going to Aldi today as my delivery was missing a few bits. Ended up spending £120, ouch! However I have stocked my cupboards and freezer for September and done a meal plan for the whole month. So this month (since payday) I’ve spent £250 so far and that leaves me with £150 until 22nd Sept. I think it’s doable, I can do three £50 top ups and still be in budget so should be fine. All I need from that will be fresh fruit and veg, milk, bread, nappies (both Asda and Aldi were out of stock of the size DD needs) and then whatever fresh bits I need to go with meals. I will need some prawns and some salmon, and definitely more cheese at some point. But I don’t think there’s £150 needed. We’ll see how I get on!

Scored a baby walker someone had put next to the bins. Cleaned it up and DS loves it.

On the way home from a shop DD decided she had to feed the swans, so planned to give a couple slices to her which of course turned into a whole loaf, that I also ended up giving to a little girl who was watching us so she joined in. I'd say that was a win though for £1 entertainment.

DD tried grabbing a bed of stinging nettles so after that drama was taken care of I ended up foraging for nettles and we had them in a risotto with enough to freeze for adding to a smoothie tomorrow.

Planning on making a cake for DH work lunchbox. Making it with oil as butter is expensive.

@ kessiebird- so pleased for your son, that's fantastic!

Emotional. But ds is more than ready for school. So it’s good.

Congrats, hugs and tissues for all frugal DCs at different stages - where does the time go 🥲 ?

End of August feeling looooong... have had to pay for diesel out of September's budget but as most of it will be used next month I thought that was ok. We're doing lots of visiting this weekend but I think I've worked out what I can make and take from what we have at home, including wine.

I'm itching to get back to September routine now.

My routine has gone. I’m on leave now from today until 5 sept when I go back to work on new hours and the kids start school. Massive change in routine.

today is shoe shop day.

ds needs: school shoes, trainers plimsoles and wellies for school.
dd needs feet measuring and shoes too. And wellies.

it could be spendy. I have an appointment with Clark’s for feet measuring and school shoes. Then we will most likely hit next or Matalan or somewhere like that for trainers. Shoe zone for wellies and plimsoles.

might not be the most frugal but it’s advised wellies are left at school. So I’ll get 2 pairs so I don’t have to keep remembering them. They do a lot of our doors play and have a forest school area.

I think they can also wear slippers in classroom if they want. Sigh.

What are your new work hours em? Is it to fit around school? Do the kids have current wellies which could be taken to school and then new ones for home... then take in new ones for school when the next pair are needed (I always find wellies are a bit more forgiving size-wise) but definitely a good idea not to carry back and forth. We've just brought trainers for PE bags

Working 930-5 x3 days a week. 930-2 the other 2.

to be fair depending on what shoe sizes they are we might be able to get away with the current wellies. But need measuring to take place first!

also need to dig out their waterproofs. See if ds’ fit still. And see if I’ve got any that can be passed on to dd. Anything that doesn’t fit can go on eBay

£3549 - the new energy price cap. 😳😳.

Morning.

Amazing news for those DC whose GCSE results allowed them to peruse their chosen options! Bloody well done! Having done all stages of exams, I completely understand (done through COVID too, so doubly understand!).

Absolutely brilliant frugal post jewishmum, I smiled reading it. That's frugality summed up. We do blackberries, wild garlic and sloe foraging when in season but I'll add nettles too. We get lots of stuff from DSILS allotment too.

In fact, I've so much stuff in the fridge, I'll be cooking and freezing tomorrow, DD made loads of sloe and blackberry gin yesterday anyway 🤣.

rise, with Dc at home and in their early 20's, we do use TGTG a lot, it saves the fridge being emptied every 2 days!

Ah, sorry about the tenant curls. I definitely know how life changes so quickly.

Love the term Christmas scream skies 🤣

Collie, not quite as fab as an early swim, but I love an early run. Sets you up for the day!

Frugal win yesterday was getting £10 for surveys paid into PayPal and it being payday. Didn't quite manage on DH's wage (trying to save all of mine, given our uncertain future) but came pretty darn close, so it was a good month overall.

Frugal fail - was SO cold after work and was going straight to the hospital that I bought a jumper from Asda for £16. That said, vanity win as it's lovely and DD said I looked bang 'on trend' 🤣🤣.

Chickpea and cauliflower curry was made by me for tea, DD made flatbreads too. Used the air fryer to roast the cauliflower and chickpeas with cumin seeds. Curry sauce ingredients were wizzed in the nutribullet and it then just needed the shortest time on the hob to let the flavours infuse and warm up. Some left for lunches.

Hope you all have a lovely day!

'Persue

Aaargh - pursue 🤣🤣

Genius idea doing the Cauli in the airfryer Need, I shall add that to my list

Em we always had three pairs of wellies, home, nursery and grannies it's completely practical but meant we went through wellies at a startling rate. The charity shops did well out of us.

Out for breakfast with a friend this morning and it's my turn to pay then I think I need to get my arse in gear and do some more sorting in the house. I discovered a box file of evidence papers and bills I'd kept for the divorce that I thought I'd shredded with the others so that needs to be dealt with today.

Morning all,

Good luck with the shoe shopping @ememem84 it’s an expensive business! So many of our customers come to us with 2 or 3 kids for school shoes. Then it’s off to Decathlon or other sport shops for football boots, trainers, AstroTurf boots, the list goes on!

We are on the last day of our Welsh trip. I would happily move here, we love walking in the mountains so much and it is the most beautiful country. Had an extremely non frugal meal out last night 😬 it’s beans on toast for a bit when we get home.

I have a peloton which I use daily for spin classes and the app which comes with it for strength and I’m a bit worried as news is they’re going bust. I really hope they don’t. I got it when IVF failed with some money my brother left me when he died, and it’s been a real life saver to my physical and mental health.

It’s insane. I have an appointment with Clark’s for school shoes and feet measuring.

there is a shop literally a 10 minute walk from our house (an independent) which does school shoes and has been open for almost 100 years. Sadly they’re closing and not doing feet measuring any more. But they do have a load of shoes. So might go for a look when I know what size to get.

two loads of laundry done already today.

Morning all.

@Gensola wales sounds lovely. Hopefully someone else would buy peloton though - surely there's loads of people that use it. What a lovely way to use your brothers legacy.

Re wellies we have them in the farm in every size from tiny toddler to massive grown up farmer size. Kids pick and choose and regularly wear odd ones or I find them in two sizes too big. Never seems to do them any harm!

Im off to work today. Using the line to dry. We have solar panels so I've been v. Bad at tumbling recently. Kids are going to the cinema later but that's a frugal win as using Tesco vouchers. No wonder cineworld are going bust, I never pay to go!

Re Tesco vouchers - did anyone notice the email saying you can't change up the vouchers any more. That was such good value to me.

Have a good day all x

School shoe shopping - we used to have a day out to a Clarks Outlet when my DC were younger, about 15 miles from home. Different times now though, but they were about £10 cheaper and we'd pick up trainers or sandals too if possible. It was mayhem in that shop.

I have a Clarks measuring gage which is handy to get a rough guide of whether feet have grown before heading out and spending a fortune!

DD starts secondary this year so she's picked hers out from Next. Will head out today and see how much they are 🤔

£97 food shop yesterday, included a few double ups to last all month and orange stickered meat for the freezer. Will try to stay away from supermarkets until next Thurs - if we run out of treats I'll be baking, which is one of my only practical skills and the DC seem to love to see what I've come up with.

Flowery, good reminder I have two Odeon tickets to use up, bought on a Groupon for a fiver each. Hope your DC enjoy.

Sorry likely missed so many posts, busy frugallling times...

Love the cauli recipe Need!! Never thought of roasting it in the air fryer - you genius!

Gen - I always feel like that too, I love walking mountains. Mountains & forests are my thing so no idea why I'm stuck here surrounded by sea. I bought a bike similar to the peloton but I'm too short to reach the pedals. Haven't sussed out how to fix the problem yet 🤣 cycling in stilettos?

funny I am also missing September routine. Not long now x

I can't quantify today's cost as we're getting the HUGE garden and garage (converted to an office and gym) ready for the autumn / winter. It gets very muddy in the garden and the office & gym get a little damp.

1 x purchase damp proof paint and use it (exterior)
1 x purchase anti damp paint and use it (interior)
1 x digging front lawn to extend driveway
and filling with weed membrane and gravel
(So we need to buy membrane and gravel)

The drive is narrow meaning in the autumn winter you get out of the car onto the muddy lawn (wheels fit on the concrete drive though) and we desperately need to eradicate muddy shoes & slippy falls.

What a jolly weekend it's going to be 🤣 when we moved in we had a £5000 home budget, it's now down to £267. So I expect it'll be at £0 by Sunday!

Oh yes and DS is having his hair cut today in time for school £10. And returning those bloody library books!!

I also get SAD so am hoping to get some evergreen plants or shrubs for the garden so it looks more leafy and pretty in a particularly dank corner. I think it might help. We have some B&Q vouchers we could use too.

Have a nice day everyone :)

@ThisisCollie2022 we also need to do some garage insulation ahead of winter - it's freezing in there and I think makes the rest of the house cold.

@kessiebird are you a SW'er? Clarks Village was always a key date in the back to school calendar 😂

Morning all

Good luck with shoe shopping em. we leave wellies and waterproofs in school here. I always buy wellies a size up.

At home we have a Welly box in the boot room (outdoor family) and DC regularly shove each others or mine on tbh.

Bit worried about the price increase, we are fixed until Jan but our gas usage is double the average. If my maths is correct we should be going from £300 now to just under £500 in Jan when our fix ends but that would be on the October rates so it will be more in Jan when the new one comes in. We are actually debating getting a new boiler as our old one eats gas. Getting a quote and then will see. Apparently they offer interest free credit so we pay a bit each month but I don't know if it will decrease our energy bills necessarily or how long until we see a return.

Frugal plans this afternoon off to a local petting zoo where you just pay for parking and try to avoid the cafe as that's where they make their money

have a lovely day all.

Also worried about the price cap as unfortunately we're on a variable tariff on a prepayment meter.

However it's never as pricey as people assume but still feels a bit nerve wracking to not be in fixed deal.

We use absolutely max 5kwh per day (usually more like 4kwh!)

I'm grateful we use so little! No idea how we could afford anymore tbh 😕

Collie is that has or electric

We use 4000 of electric a year and 22000 gas due to aforementioned inefficient boiler.

I'm planning on not having heating on when dc at school (previous years I'd have heated the whole house just if I was in it 😱) but we need heating morning and evening as disabled dc can't regulate own temp.

I'm also debating pulling dc out of nursery extra hours and just doing the free hours. We have planned to put them in for an extra day from September so I can literally sleep and go for a swim / sauna for a mental break but I don't know if we can afford it now it will be am extra £200 a month. But I need more sleep. I get 5 hours a night on a good night due to aforementioned disabled Dc needs. I also have a couple of minor health issues myself I'm working through. Gym already paid for but up for renewal in Jan 😱

@Decafflatteplease

Yeah 1500KWH per year for Electricity
5000KWh per year for Gas Inc central heating.

We have a 2 bed house with 2 reception rooms and a converted garage / office and gym with Electricity.

There's 2 adults and 1 child here. DH works from home.

Our boiler was installed by the previous owner but we had it serviced recently :)

collie we use about the same, we are 2 adults in a 2 bed mid terrace with a cabin in the garden which has electric lights and an electric heater