Friendship and Falling Leaves, Frugal Autumn Continued

[Wolfcub]

New fred

Withdrew £50 cash today, always like to have a bit, never know when you might need it.

Spent £18 getting threaded. I am v hairy (genetics) and it massively impacts my confidence so not a beauty treatment I could forgo. A family friend does it from her house and charges much less than the going rate too. So paid her out of the cash I withdrew. Tbh it's the only beauty treatment I get, apart from hair cut which I only have done a few times a year. Well, I did get in the habit of bikini waxes at a salon too but I sacked that off since we've gone into the autumn to save the money.

Got sooo much work on atm so will need to do some more this evening. But mainly tonight I just need to create and submit my September and October invoices for job 2. Got confirmation today from HR contact about how to sort them and send to her for approval. Both kids November nursery fees are now overdue. We used to always pay on time but now we've got two in, we've been late for both months, I'm sure nursery will have noticed, eek. It's our biggest and most stressful expense each month.

@ancientgran that no spend January sounds like a brilliant idea! Not sure I could do it, although maybe if I was more organised and started preparing this January I might be able for it next year. Not the no food shopping part but other spends could be covered by it.

Ive finally reached enough Shoppix points to get a £20 voucher, which is pretty cool. By next Christmas I reckon I could do it 3 times over.

Hard work continues at the house. I’ve got soaked and stinky today cleaning the ceilings first with white vinegar and then with sugar soap. Dh is still there now, he’s been there 12 hours bless him.

DS1 just got in from work and is chilling. DS2 is out trick or treating in the pouring rain, crazy child!

Ive got the heating on, it’s so lovely and cozy. We’ve all worked hard today and I want it to be warm for when dh finally gets home.

I can’t do no spend in January as DH’s birthday, and mine too.

NSD today, grocery delivery tomorrow.

LSD £4.on parking as had to call to the office unexpectedly. £40 on fuel but that's in the budget.

DD and her friend went trick or treating for the first time on their own. She messaged every 15 mins and checked in every half hour. Nice for me as I got to dish out sweets at the door instead of trailing around.

I never know with Black Friday, sorry curls. The one item I wanted last year didn't drop and started to run out of stock

Hope the coat can be cheaply fixed gran DS ripped his coat which is worth around £150, it was £35 to repair 🙏

It’s been a very trying day here for numerous reasons, finishing with DD2 being an absolute nightmare this evening. Urgh. I’m hoping a good nights sleep turns everyone more reasonable again!

I was thinking our bank balance was looking ok, but then realised we haven’t really started buying any Christmas presents yet. Normally we buy toys on offer throughout the year, but then the DC and family DC write a list and then they end up with loads. So we’ve decided just to buy from the lists so there is no present stash yet. I’m thinking of doing similar to your no spend Jan but with Christmas presents 🤣 going to hunt out all the gift vouchers in the house, including our upcoming survey vouchers and see if I can buy Christmas gifts using those and nectar points/Boots points to spend less actual cash.

We don't do that much gift giving for Xmas thankfully. Not done much of it yet though so will still add up overall.

Submitted September and October invoices for job 2 tonight, God knows when I will finally be paid, have asked them for confirmation of timescales. November nursery fees now overdue.

Just spent another £3 on a personalised Xmas bauble as a stocking gift from DS. Bought it from a mate that has her own business making creative things like that. It arrived today and is lovely. DD already has her own bauble with the first letter of her name that a relative bought her when she was a baby so didn't get her one too. DD's xmas stuff is probably about half done but don't have anything else for DS yet.

I have to get up at 6am on Tuesdays but feeling generally stressed at the moment so don't feel ready for sleep.

Hope the ECG went ok mrs

I haven’t done anything for Xmas yet 🙈 in total denial.
£15 on food out as was working late and we all ordered in. Annoying but can’t be helped and I’m getting free food at work on Weds and Thurs eve so it balances out.

Frugal win being so busy at work I have no time to obsessively browse Vinted and Instagram for things I then have to buy 😂

we had hardly and kids at the door. Dd and I. Watched horror films while ds went to a friends and brought back tons more sweets. The ones I bought can go to the food bank.

apple usually do good Black Friday deals but not sure about specific models. Where are you liking and what’s the return policy of you can afford to have 2 for a bit and send one back?
sorry

office today and I really don’t need to spend any money this week. I’ve done some Xmas shopping but waiting for the kids lists and need to update mine.

£4 on pumpkins yesterday

Sounds like you've got a really positive plan going forward gran, like it!

Hope the ECG was okay Mrs

We had a lot of Halloween visitors, we always do as it's a small village and our street goes to town on the decorations and is in the middle of the village. I'll take the leftovers to the hospital later.

Spendy few days at the start of the month but not anticipating much for the rest.

Dental costs for DH today, will hopefully be the last big spend for a while.

£50 donation to charity for a close family member on DH's side, now passed. We obviously won't be going to the funeral so no additional expenses, hence the donation.

£50 cushions, only ordered for variety, plan on keeping one or two and the rest back. It's about time I started finishing off the extension.

£70 Ocado for the weekly shop.

Thanks for the tip-off re Apple @lifelongfrugaleer . I just want a replacement for what I’ve got really, 64g iPad. I’ll hang on for the Black Fridays at the end of the month.

Need to pay our accountant this morning because both of us forgot to do it.

Car is in for its MOT. Please keep it in your thoughts and prayers, lol.

Other sellers do deals to such as John Lewis and curry’s Amazon et Al,

i will try and remember keeping an eye in the Christmas thread for updates

Finally got round to putting some things on eBay and Vinted this morning. I've had them sitting in the spare room for a while since I cleared my wardrobe out. And I've already had one buyer buy a skirt and a cardigan as a bundle! £6 yippee. Selling things is exciting!

Put a couple of the more expensive items on eBay on an auction so hopefully they'll sell next week.

Groceries today- £114 😳 stocking up and bits for Christmas, plus bits for DD2. We’ll visit her this week and she’s struggling, can’t afford a food shop this week.

Hi all not been on here for a few days. Will have a catch up in a bit. Im feeling a bit fed up with trying to be frugal and it doesn't seem to be working. We are very much red that's awful. I'm so worried the bank will ask for it back soon.

I had some errands to run in town and parked in the cheaper carpark then walked rather than the more expensive closer carpark. But it only saved about £2 and I got wet in the rain 🙄

Maybe we will have to crack on with the frugaleering in Jan once Christmas is out of the way etc its such an expensive time of year.

I also think in Jan we are going to have to cut the nursery hours back down to just the free hours as extra hours are crippling us financially but DC is so much happier doing the extra day . Uurgh. It's a luxury we can't afford though really.

Sorry for the whinge just a bit bleeurgh. Plus surgery looming and I'm scared, am meant to be packing my hospital bag but keep putting it off .

Anyway enough of me, off to have a catch up with the thread!

A big hug for you decaff, you have a lot going on and such an anxious time for you too x

£28 lunch. Burger fried and a huge glass of wine. With colleague not just me. Was yum. and necessary.

shit stressful time at work. So needed.

Hugs @Decafflatteplease sounds like things are really tough for you right now. Is there a frugal Christmas thread? Might be some ideas to help you through the next couple of months. If there isn’t one, there ought to be!

The car passed!!! I can breathe again. No advisory’s , nothing! The guy said he was impressed at how it was in such good nick. Told DH this who asked if the guy was wearing dark glasses and carrying a white stick. Cheeky sod.

Thanks @Timetoswitch you're right there's lots going on as per usual tbh. I went for a nap this afternoon, feeling a bit brighter now, didn't actually get to sleep but dozed while listening to soothing asmr on YouTube. Reminds me why we are paying the extra preschool day so I can do things like this. We are looking at supplementary oxygen for DC, that sort of thing became so normal to me but I was telling a friend and she was like, erm what that's massive! I don't think I give myself enough grace in seeing how hard things are sometimes.

@CurlsandCurves well done on the car that's always a relief! Yes there's a frugal Christmas thread, I'm on it already 🙂

@ememem84 burger and wine sounds bliss!

@Decafflatteplease yep.

We had a successful day shopping for Christmas presents. DD got most of her shopping done. I got one present but, as mentioned already, I'm getting some of my family tickets to West Side Story so I'll order the tickets online. DD picked out a few things for her Santa list and I dropped a few hints also. So it feels like we're on track. We're only in the door and DD is already wrapping her presents.

Having a quick cuppa and then I'll get ready for my book club meeting.

I enjoyed my mini break from work but I definitely don't want to go back tomorrow.

Spends today only £2 bus fare to work and £2 bus fare home.

Absolutely exhausted as sleeping terribly and going to spend most of the evening working. I feel I could go to bed now and not wake up til tomorrow so not sure how I'm going to manage the work, head hurts already.

DD got sent home from nursery this PM with a high temp so DH got her. Not sure what we will do tomorrow, don't think she will be well enough to go in tomorrow.

Spendy day. Visited DD2 so about £60 in petrol and £40-ish on lunch. Uni have messed up, left hand doesn’t know what right hand is doing, and she’s so stressed she’s thinking of walking away. But she wants to have a degree.

I’ll catch up tomorrow.

Nice one on the Vinted sales Socathe. Every little thing helps!

Decaff, breathe....give yourself far more credit than you seem to be doing, rest. Applaud yourself rather than berate.

Hooray re the car Curls!

You and me both weight with the tiredness, I hear you.

Today was less spendy than I thought as the dentist didn't charge for fixing DH's crown back in. £40 accessible taxi there and back though. £20 Lidl. £3 coffees as DH wanted one before I left for the day bless him.

Pesto pasta for tea, super quick and cheap as all Lidl ingredients but too tired to stick to the menu plan and want to watch Bake Off!

Evening everyone
Sorry your Dd is having Uni problems Adora
Weight l hope your Dd is better very soon & you manage to get through work and get some sleep tonight
Tayto you have done so well , sounds like a very successful day and l don't blame you not wanting to go back to work tomorrow hope it isn't too bad , enjoy your book club tonight
Em that looks delicious enjoy
Curls that's brilliant Yay!
Decaff bless you sweetheart, it sounds really tough for you atm l am so sorry sweetheart
Gen you just have to go with the flow sometimes and spend on food when you don't expect it l know it's s nuisance and unwanted spends
Thank you Gen & Need , my ECHO went really well l think. I looked it up on you tube and Google and they said it takes anything from 15 to 60 mins and mine took 15 mins so l imagine if there had been anything wrong they would have been much longer , also they record your heart noises and they all sounded fine to me not that know a lot about it fingers crossed it will be fine
Need your village community sound lovely
Life we didn't have any trick or treaters l bought loads of Hariboo too lol but thank you for the heads up l will donate ours to the food bank too
Socathe that is brilliant
Time hope you had a good sleep last night l expect your DD was excited bless her
Hope l have remembered everyone apologies if l have missed you
Spends today Aldi 7
Petrol 86
Donation to the local Hospice in lieu of flowers £20

Fell of the thread again 🙈

I've read back and really get what you mean Skies about how the small savings somehow seem worthless when the big spends come along. It's relentless really and especially if you have no spare money to soften the blow. I try and look at it like any money I save is better in my pocket than someone else's and if I wasn't saving that money I'd still have the big spends to pay for but even less money to do so.

Decaff you have so much on your plate it's no wonder you're stressed ❤️ Hope you get your operation soon.

Weight hope your dd is better soon.

north glad you are feeling a bit better. Remember not to push yourself too far too soon. You'll be knackered after all that travelling.

Need did the hospital not offer to pay for a taxi to take your dh to the dentist? They really should have.

Mrs how is your mum? Is she any closer to getting home?