Frugally Forward To Autumn

[Wolfcub]

New fred

Wow this thread is moving quick I can’t keep up as work is manic
spends today £42 deposit for ds bus pass to college then pay monthly he can use it outside college hours to town etc bit miffed as the college announced free travel to college to help with the cost of living but it only covers certain areas ours isn’t included pfft typical

Thank you need she is ok. Her girlfriend for the past year or so is hard work really, very manipulative and dramatic, makes unreasonable demands, throws strips. So it’s that kind of low level stuff but very draining on the rest of us too! She does talk to me a lot about it and I get frustrated because she can realise it’s not a good way to treat people but can’t extricate herself.
half and ancient hope you are both ok, I’m wondering where mrs is too.
love those cords em
hope the littlies on the thread recover soon
About to go into work for a busy day so will be NSD or LSD, I will treat myself to a coffee probably. Finished work at 9.30 last night, it’s a crap couple of weeks coming up to the start of term

Strops not strips! At least she doesn’t strip 😂

I know flowery, yesterday was a really good day! Makes a huge difference.

Lidl have wearable blankets for £12.99 from today, if anyone is interested.

I forgot a work expense yesterday of circa £160 for one of the works vans tax, but I'll claim that today.

Hoping for a LSD/NSD but may buy a bottle of wine!

Back to work for me today too 😴. At least the kids aren't back until Monday so I have a couple of days of just getting myself ready.

Money shuffle for us today and the start of me and DH tracking our spends properly together. I think it's going to be an eye opener (for him!!)

We received the water bill rebate and its gone straight into savings.

I'm not sleeping well at the moment!! No idea why. So feel fatigued and groggy

Where does everyone buy clothes? Here we just have New Look but I'm fed up of buying cheaper stuff designed for kids (Im 36!). But DP, Oasis, Topshop, River Island, Next all closed down and I just don't now where to buy clothes anymore.

I want to build a capsule wardrobe of good quality things that'll last a while.

Today's spends: £3 bus into town & back, £3 Beano and maybe £30 on trainers for DS which were budgeted for.

Have a nice day everyone :)

Collie my wardrobe is predominantly Joules and Seasalt tops for casual and then Seasalt dresses for work with supermarket jeans and cardigans. But I am a very practical kid-40s and not at all what you'd describe as fashionable. Worth looking at independent local shops too. We have a really good one and I got some nice Fransa stuff recently. If you like slightly more daring and original then I love Rew but not always sure unstructured styles suit a tub like me even though they look amazing on other people.

@Wolfcub lol I never thought of Seasalt and I used to work in the head office doing design. I'm a size 8-10 in Next - does Seasalt come up large? I'd love some sailor tops!

I've forgotten all about their sizing etc. Probably detached myself from "work" and went too far!!

Stressful day yesterday when I realised that I hadnt actually booked some campsites I thought that I had months ago for our holiday next week and ended up rearranging the whole trip..Duh! But its done and we have booked places to go . I am now fingers crossed for reasonably decent Scottish weather for the next few weeks .

Am waiting for a couple of things we need delayed in the post, new cycling jackets for DH and I and some van essentials, like water purifier, which I ordered over 10 days ago in anticipation of the post office strikes to arrive .. but hopefully they will before we go.

Hair cut today but that'll only be £20plus tip as I just have a wet (pixie) cut and at last I will get rid of the tabby grey , its become since I had a break from colouring it , as the old colour wil be gone and I can do it again later. ( Box dye, which I already have) .

Meal plan is going well, we still have a couple of last night's stuffed mushrooms left and tonight ill be making courgette and pepper Frittata .. so hopefully no big spends .. ( but I will be parking in M&S carpark so could be tempted to look at those lovely corduroy trousers...)

Mrs will be Mia for a while as her mum is unwell.
decorating today as dd wardrobe being fitter tomorrow

Sorry me again @Wolfcub, I love the look of the Joules girlfriend jeans!! 🤣 don't suppose you know what Joules jeans are like?

No worries if not! I went to go in Joules a few days ago but there was a sign on the door saying "back in 15 mins" and I had to go and get a bus home! I'll try again this weekend but they've probably changed all their stock! Pah. I'll start stalking eBay and Vinted...

Laska have the best time in Scotland. Those macaroni scotch pies are immense 🤣 pasta IN a pie. 🤤

Collie I think Seasalt do come up large for most but not all styles. My mum is a very slender 10/12 and definitely takes a 10. I never buy "branded" jeans so I can't help you on the joules jeans I'm afraid.

Life if you're in touch with Mrs will you give her my love please. I hadn't realised her mum was unwell

Ooh, clothes discussion! Well, after a few years of buying nothing at all, while losing weight and paring down my wardrobe to stuff I really loved, I have started buying the odd piece, really to replace items that have worn out. My first port of call these days is usually COS. You can get Raey styling and quality at high street prices. I've got the hang of their sizing now and can buy online no problem. Their jumpers, trousers and linen shirts are good. I don't know whether their coats would last. I need to buy a good down coat this year, properly warm and waterproof, but it's such a dull purchase that I just can't get into it.

I do have Jaeger, MaxMara and Gerard Darel, but these are things I've had years, and date from a time when I had more disposable income, sigh. But I don't really need a lot of clothes, and losing weight and feeling happy in everything I owned, rather than buying new (as I would have done in my more flush days), has been a better solution for me and the planet. I get stuff mended and altered, and prolong the life of items with dyeing.

Oxfam have just launched their fourth Secondhand September campaign and are offering 20% discount on their online shop.

@Wolfcub I only know as she put an up date on the weight loss thread.
I’m an 8-10 (or was and will be) in a comfy 10 on top as have broad shoulders and big boobs and mostly take a 10 in sea salt as prefer loser t’s,
8 for bottoms though.

sainsburys jeans are good,

I think I'm an 8 on my top
Have a size 8 waist
10 on the bottom
But a 14 on my thighs

Meaning anything size 10 or 12 doesn't even make it up my legs!

I'm a former semi pro rower and my leg muscles are still strong. I went to physio last week and the physiotherapist said my thighs are so strong they keep me up. Otherwise with MS, I'd be falling over a lot. 🤣 I think that's how I can still run 5km and 10km.

I find jeans so uncomfortable & difficult to find. I'm mainly in tights and dresses in the Winter so I may just hang on.

I'm not a jeans wearer Collie, so can't help you there. But as you are small of waist and hip, and powerful through the thighs, what about high-waisted, loose leg fits in trousers? Of which COS are doing loads this year, in all kinds of colours and fabrics.

£108 lidl that's a month storecupboard shop with enough biscuits crisps and cereal bars for packed lunches plus storecupboard and cleaning stuff, booze, squash, fresh herbs, cleaning stuff and dairy. Small aisle of doom purchase but something I'd been after anyway. Going to have a look at the receipt though as this is £20 more than last months shop and not sure I bought much different to be honest

Collie try m&co for jeans, I am bigger than you but also have disproportionate waist to thigh/leg and I find they tend to have wider legs

thanks everyone for your wishes - MIL will be in hospital some time, it looks like, and can’t have any visitors due to her covid so I’ll still head to NI as planned to see my family. Well I will if this flight ever actually turns up 🙃
collie I have a size 8 waist and much larger thighs, in my case it is not muscle sadly 🤣 I wear stretchy jeans from M&S.

@ThisisCollie2022 i wear the joules girlfriend Jeans as I'm much larger on my bottom half than top!! They're generous and comfy.

I tend to shop in fat face, joules and sea salt for casual. Don't really do smart for my work!

after my fruit flapjack success from this thread does anyone have a go to recipe for old bananas. My banana bread is never v spectacular!

I like this one Flowery, made it a lot during lockdown because it doesn't really matter what flour you have or what oil etc cookieandkate.com/healthy-banana-bread-recipe/

flowery I freeze old banana chopped into pieces and then blend it from frozen with peanut butter or chocolate chips for a delicious ice cream alternative!

Bloods done, I don't have good veins so it can be a bit traumatic but the young woman who did it today was very good. Just got to wait for the results now. I decided to walk, I usually drive but want to cut down on how much fuel I'm getting through.

GS no 2 is visiting today so 2 hungry teenage boys to feed. They are like bottomless pits.

I've decided my spending is out of control so I'm going back to recording every penny I spend for the month to work out where it is going. It might be an unpleasant discovery. My car needs to go into the garage for some work so I know that is going to be a big expense for the month. DILs birthday next week but I have already bought her present so that isn't a worry, next birthdays are November and I have 3 so that is an expensive month followed by Christmas followed by 3 more birthdays in January. It's fine deciding you can afford 4 kids but then they get 4 partners and then GC start arriving and before you know it you wonder why you didn't stick to an only child or maybe just 2.

Hope you enjoy your trip to NI @Gensola I haven't been for a few years, no close family left there but it is a lovely place. Hope your MIL is doing OK.

Off to find some lunch for the boys, they've been to the gym so will be ravenous.

Sorry I only do banana bread. The Mary berry one as frankly banana are the work of the devil and I hate them

flowery I just went to Joules and tried on the Simone jeans. They're perfect in a size 8! I definitely cannot afford them for a long while

So many drunk and homeless people around. I found it really upsetting, never seen so many before but this is just the start of it all isn't it.

Home now binge eating biscuits and drinking coffee.

Had a text from my GP, my recent bloods have shown that my meds aren't enough so he's doubled my dosage. I'm gutted. The stuff makes me sleepy and unable to work much!

Frugal fail: had to buy a cornish lifestyle magazine. It was £5!!! But I need a flick through ahead of my job interview.