Frugally Forward To Autumn

[Wolfcub]

New fred

Just put in my weekly Aldi order £63. This includes the £4.99 click and collect fee so pretty good really. I do click and collect because a big shop with 3 year old ds is tricky and I'm sure I save more than £4.99 just by not throwing random things in my basket. Our weekly budget is £80 so I like the main shop to be a bit under this ideally so we have some wiggle room for top ups and the occasional unplanned treat.

Always order on a Wednesday and pick up Thursday morning, used to collect Friday but decided to combine collection with ds swimming lesson to save petrol as Aldi is right next door so we just go straight after. I work Monday to Wednesday and have found getting the food shop on my first day off and heading towards the weekend helps us stay in budget - as we have plenty of food for the weekend and by the time Monday rolls around it's easy to think you can manage just a couple of days until Thursday with us both working and ds at nursery. It's all psychological sometimes isn't it.

That’s an amazing frugal win on the shoes

I’ve been resetting cash back account and have $11.79 to pay out and a $50 M&S voucher I got last month as an award

Transferred £80 from joint account to my account to pay for food shopping this week. Spent £64 in Aldi, (where has all their frozen fish gone??!!) so have £16 left to top up if need be. I will top back up to £80 next Wednesday. So any savings I make will be seen in the joint account reducing more slowly! Everything is on my phone, so I'm hopeful this new method will make me really mindful about my food expenditure.

Salade nicoise tonight, use up the potatoes and beans. We're out for a posh lunch tomorrow, so I think I will make a pot of soup today so that we have something nice for the evening when I won't want to make any effort at all.

Wolf that sounds tough, one of mine was a nightmare as a teenager and I'm not sure how I survived. I used to get blinding migraines after one of his outbursts. If it's any comfort he's a lovely adult, does a caring role at work and has a lovely partner.

I've had a NSD which balacing the books for the end of August is a good thing as I have spent alot more than I should have. Living at the seaside does seem to attract visitors and visitors eat food, who'd have guessed it. A new pair of varifocals and prescription sunglasses at over £300 didn't help but I should have changed them a year ago and I couldn't go on any longer.

So dinner was pasta with some left over chicken which should have been Sunday dinner but as I wasn't feeling great ended up being rescheduled for Monday and as I still wasn't great DH treated us to a takeaway so we finally had the chicken yesterday. I did a bake with some veg and cheese and a tomato sauce and it went down well with DH and GS which is good as they don't always like the same things.

I've got a battery of blood tests tomorrow as I've been struggling with various issues since I had covid in February and after a lot of putting up with it decided to see the doctor and she booked me in for the tests. I've also got a shopping delivery, comes to just over £60 which seems alot considering I did a £30 shop at the Food Warehouse yesterday but some of it is stocking up and some is stuff all running out together e.g. tea/coffee/washing powder.

School lunches starting again next week, trying to negotiate with GS to have some days with a packed lunch. Unfortunately he likes going to the canteen with his mates but if he does a couple of days it will help. I've given him £100 to buy some back to school stuff, he's bought a 2nd hand jacket of vinted and got some socks and t shirts at sports direct. He will need some new trainers soon but I've told him he needs to save towards them if he wants £100 ones.

Does anyone have any genius (and not super spendy) boy 16th birthday ideas. I asked ds and he said things that would suit me rather than him I think. I am stuck for ideas as I absolutely hate parties of any kind and wouldn't necessarily feel comfortable doing something for him with loads of kids as a single parent (did do some of this when ex was around as he could be sociable whilst I took care of food and drink).

Paintball or pool rental and a pizza?

Frugal fail 🤦‍♀️ I was wondering why it’s still so hot this evening, especially why the kitchen floor was hot. Something made me check the kitchen thermostat. 25 bloody degrees. DH deny’s touching it, I know I haven’t. No idea how many hours it’s been on, fgs.

Oh no adora,

let me think wolf

Spendy afternoon. Spent it in town with dsis.

bargains for me - plum coloured cords from M&S which fit like a dream. Will mostly wear them for work.

also bought new bras. Ffs. Spendy.

dsis picked up ds’ birthday presents. Yay. He’s going to be in for a treat!

dd not 100% today. Cough and feels warm. And a bit emotional and clingy. Bath early bed and calpol. Convinced her to do an lft today. Negative.

I’ve been feeling super warm and sweaty today. Off and on. I’m wondering if my gp could be right and whether it could be starts of menopause. Ffs. If it is it sucks.

Very early if it is Em, though not impossible. I'd be asking for lots of other blood tests if it was me (says the woman who last year had the go thinking 50/50 is it something horrendous or peri meno and it was neither)

Yet another spend - £21 out of the TFC childcare account for a day of holiday club for DD in the Oct half-term.

Today has been speeeeeeendy.

Em Hope your DD is soon better. Both my two have come down with a cold at the exact same time. DS didn't even manage to finish his first day of nursery without coming down with a cold! We even predicted that would happen though! Hope you are ok too. I bought new bras today too, also spendy!! 3 for £97 and that was with a £10 off voucher 😫I really needed them, mainly for work, and I struggle to find my size in most shops.

Oh no Adora!

Wolf My 16th birthday I had a big party with loads of my friends and family I remember, my parents' hired a church hall. So not what you wanted, but not very expensive either! I remember going to a few of my friends' parties at that age in their homes, one even had a bouncy castle haha. Some of them had alcohol and some didn't (mine didn't!). No idea if 16 year olds drink at birthday parties these days?! How many people does he want to invite? Bowling is pretty good value for money compared to a lot of other things I think, and at the chain near us, you can add on fast-food meals for very little extra so it works out good value.

Tomorrow will probably be an NSD as both the kids have colds, so we will probably just hunker down at home. A film for DD, some long naps for DS, and sticking both in the bath at some point will help kill some time.

Ooo link to cord trousers em?

could be a back to school bug em, going to be lots on your house through change of schools soon,

I started peri menopause when I was mid forties, not sure how old you are em, and I’m not asking coz that would be rude 🤣 and yes, back to (Petri dish) school bug is a high possibility.

At least dinner was frugal this evening, home grown spuds with tinned meatballs in tomato sauce followed by blackberries we picked near the gym this morning.

I can’t think of anything else for party ideas wolf, sorry, but I hope DS enjoys whatever you end up doing.

I need to buy socks when we go into town on Friday, after the gym. M&S outlet has them £5.50 for five pairs. I’m not fussy about colour or design. I’ll also buy a few Christmas bits.

martha, that sounds scary. hope your DD is okay.

Spends - £8 in Lidl on Oat milk as I needed to spend that to get my £10 off for spending £200 in a month and oat milk is something we use a lot of so it was just stocking up really.

£75 fuel. 😳.

£1.60 vending machine coffee for DH.

BUT..... huge frugal win. The accountant has just submitted our tax returns and there's a refund on DH's of.. £1700... this actually means we overpaid significantly last year, but to me, with changed circumstances, feels like such an unexpected windfall that today is a really good day!

I got this as part of DS's presents last year Wolf. Sits on top of the Xbox.. He went straight to his room and plugged it in.

www.amazon.co.uk/Paladone-Icons-Officially-Licensed-Merchandise/dp/B08FHXNT8X/ref=asc_df_B08FHXNT8X/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=463040138631&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=18241091216905490758&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1006688&hvtargid=pla-969645735972&psc=1&th=1&psc=1

Today was my day off (only back from holiday for one day before having my usual Wednesday off!) so was with DD2 but managed a NSD. Went blackberry picking with a friend this morning and paddling without DCs in the river and then saw mum at home this afternoon so a nice easy day.

@ememem84 would love to see link to the cords as well!

Good luck with the tests gran

Ouch re the spendy days!

Yum to the salad Skies.

Birthdays cont... also do them both a goodie bag on the birthday, so Cadburys and Galaxy hot choc sachets, Starbucks latte sachets, favourite sweets, marshmallows, jokey present, piece of stationary. It's almost like a mini stocking but can find most of it in Asda. DS birthday is January and DD May so it kind of gives him a little present in May and vice versa.

Lovely idea kessie.

Cords. For those who were asking

www.marksandspencer.com/sienna-corduroy-straight-leg-trousers/p/clp60548177?color=BLACK#intid=prodflag_plp_ts_QPH_100%7Cpid_pg1pip48g2r13c1

interesting my bloods were normal back in July when they were done. Dr did say that menopause can start as early as late 30’s (I’m 37 almost 38). I would ask my mum but can’t as she had a full hysterectomy at 40. Because of endometriosis. Dr said that menopause start times can be genetic. but hey ho. Just work through it I guess.

probably an end of nursery bug. We have been busy. Although trying to get the kids to relax is absolutely impossible. Ds just bounces off the walls at the moment. He’s excited for school and has so much energy. Thankfully he’s sleeping through though.

catface just burst through cat flap tore up the stairs and I swear said “meow mummy” in that low meow that they do

I was off today because I'd to bring my car for its NCT (MOT). I'm happy to report that it passed. There's a big delay on NCTs here (I'm assuming they don't have enough staff or centres to keep up with demand) so I couldn't get it done in my local big town - I had to travel further afield. Luckily I'd left lots of time to get there because the NCT Centre was in an industrial estate at the far end of the town and Google Maps kept trying to direct me down one way streets. Anyway, I got there in good time.

I was tired when I got home so I had a late lunch and then went to bed for a few hours. I feel a bit guilty that I pretty much wasted my day but I've had a few late nights lately and I'm always up early with DCats and I really needed to catch up on sleep.

DD is due to get her exam results on Friday - keep your fingers crossed.

@needastrongoneagain what a winner!!!!

@Wolfcub how about an escape room? I've noticed an outside city-wide one recently which could be fun. Not sure what your budget is. The outside one was £30 for 6 players (on a 50% deal) but think the inside ones are more expensive

Wolf round here there are gaming buses that come and park up outside your house and kids can have a party on board, gaming with friends. No idea of the age range this is suitable for but they must have games for all ages? You could throw snacks at them periodically but not have them in your house 😉

sorry to hear about MIL Gen.

woke up today feeling better but not 100%. Went to the office and regretted it - by lunchtime I could hardly look at the monitor. Sat outside for a bit at lunch and took more migraine pills, and managed to get through the afternoon. Too knackered to cook - home at 7, put kids to bed, now heating a ready meal. The salmon will keep till tomorrow. will
try to see a GP about my symptoms, might be time to try HRT.

Born yes, NHS, good memory! It sooooo stressful atm. I’m management, so not popular at the best of times 😉. Stress levels amongst patients and all staff are so high, it is making people quite unpleasant at times. Such hard going. That, perimenopause and my tricky family’s needs is very draining… but I just keep plodding. What I really need right now is building work (I really do… but dreading it!)

Where has Mrs gone? Hope she’s okay