Frugal the flip to make the festivities fun

[lifelongfrugaleer]

Wasn’t going to be flip but decided to be polite
46 days or so

don’t panic frugaleers

I’ve been MIA for ages, just never have time to post. I have mostly been reading though, and even started a couple of posts that I never managed to finish 🙄

Welcome to the new people! I’ve been on these threads for about 8 years now, though am a much less frequent poster recently than in the early years due to time constraints. I definitely can’t manage a Tayto-style update (how do you manage to keep track?!) but glad lots of the old crew are still posting.

I’m off sick today with some sort of respiratory virus (tested negative for covid but it feels
quite similar - have a hacking cough and a fever, spent the whole night alternately burning up and shivering). My pelvic floor is really not up to all this coughing. I actually went to see the GP a couple of weeks ago about menopause and also that a lot
of my symptoms (incl pelvic floor weakness) are getting worse. I have a prolapse and have been referred for physio but may need surgery; however, they won’t do that until after menopause, so another 6 years or so to go. Sigh. Have HRT to try though.

On the frugal front things haven’t been great. The car needed 2 new tyres at its MOT, and that was around £400 all in. And then because it’s getting older and we had an issue a while back with a flat tyre that needed a recovery service, we took out AA membership with home start £160. And then a couple of days later the car wouldn’t start. AA came out and said car needed new battery but that was £200. Probably would have been cheaper just going to a garage but we are very time poor and needed the car working so we went with it. We’ve had the car from new and it’s getting on for 8 years old, but only done 26,000 miles. That’s not much, is it? We’ll try to run it for as long as we can, should get a few more years out of it but need to start saving up properly for a replacement. After replacing our range cooker, £800, it’s been an expensive couple of months. My vacuum cleaner is also making funny noises but I’m trying to ignore that by not vacuuming much. There’s also water pouring into my conservatory every time it rains - a guttering problem too, I think, but we’ve had someone look at it before and it never seems to be fixed. We’re planning to tear the whole thing down next year so I’m inclined just to leave it, rather than spend more money on trying to fix it for the time being. I’m burying my head in the sand and concentrating on finding a builder for the new work next year.

other than that, things are quite hard going with my DS, 10 and asd. He’s very agitated a lot of the time and screams a lot, real visceral ear-splitting screams. He seems to be very unsettled and we are struggling to understand what he needs and what to do for him, honestly. He seems to be really suffering and I know i should feel more sympathetic, but the constant screaming is honestly shredding my nerves and it’s really affecting me too. Nothing to do but keep going.

I need to get on with Christmas. Normally I keep
Up with the bargain threads, which I love for the ideas as much as the bargains, but no chance this year. Consequently, I am short of ideas. We’re mostly doing token presents (eg a book) and not anything big between adults, and I only have a few kids to buy for so it’s not going to be too bad, but i would like the festive inspiration! I might spend some time on the Christmas board this evening. Although I have to make DD a Victorian costume for school, argh.

That was a brain dump, I’ll try to keep up a bit better!

Halfwoman l am so sorry you are facing all this crap.
Bless you sweetheart 💐

brai dump away half, you know we are always here.

i need to get fleece tights for dd and socks as school don’t have the heating on y
very much.

Oh wow Halfwoman sorry you’re dealing so much

LSDs last week, think I posted £2 on butter, then £3 on sweets from M&S when I had my flu vaccine- free because I’m over 50.

Ive been trying very hard not to add all the extra crap when i go shopping.
Had to get nappies yesterday, ended up buying 2 boxes biscuits! As forgot a family friend xmas gift ( we just exchange biccies altho i said we should stop)
And a box for us for treat for last night.

Today would have been no spend. But forgot to get mince out freezer for tea. So will have to spend for that today. So about 4.50?

Tomorrow will be hopefully no spend maybe other than a happy meal for ds as we are visiting family tomorrow so we can grab that on way as a treat.

Not sure about end of week

Last week i didnt do a normal week shop. Im using everything in freezer so just did fresh stuff.

Wrapping will be finished today to keep me occupied whilst theure at school and pre school

Been to the library to take my books back and popped into the market . They had a bargain cake stall there £5 for great selection of Marry Berry's Bundt cake and lemon sponges for DH and Victoria sponges for Bobbo 🤤😋
Milk 1.65

I'm catching up on the posts since my last post. Two windows open in order to do this, one to read & one to post on

alwaysfullofquestions welcome, you are super organised to have all your christmas shopping done already! dexter welcome

Yesterdays spends €7.99 on catering pack of frozen sausage rolls, ds takes these for his breakfast at childminders, my oven goes on every morning to cook 2 sausage rolls I've tried do them in airfryer it doesn't work, these are the raw pastry like deli counters use and its just too soggy out of airfryer( mine's old style halo) but he eats it and he's not great to eat in the morning.

€13.65 in local store on milk, 5 pack of christmas cards from our locality printed on them & 12 eggs.

Dinner out Fri night paid by my friend
Lunch & dinner out on Saturday were paid for by boyf

€250 to mechanic for service in Sept, repair at Easter, and repair this weekend.

€25 lunch with Mrs Claus booked for 10th Dec

timetoswitch maybe visit pool once a month with that swimming lesson money for fun. Mine love the pool and ds has become a proficient enough little swimmer without getting lessons due to us going on an adhoc basis.

so sad about your dad, it's a terrible illness.

em hope increasing your meds helps you get back to you. Lots going on with small dc and big holiday coming up I'm sure.

tayto hovering around the limit seems to work out ok with camera vans, my now retired boss told me once it's to do with the revolutions of new tyres vs old tyres I also underpaid tax, I'm going to do my med1 form over Christmas hols and hopefully that'll balance things out.

I've no panto booked yet, you've just reminded me! My cc is high so I might not do it too soon, I've expenses due back to me and I've a cheque lodged to my bank account as well so I want to get it cleared before end of year.

socathe sweet of your mum

my dm was in hospital with pneumonia last weekend, but is home and improving every day now. I didn't visit but sent flowers, figured she'd be talking to me if I visited and she needed the rest.

Saw a great deal on a holiday group I pay into for 5 nights Dubai cruise 15-19th Dec for €487pp, not going to happen but suggested it for next year to boyf , my previous boyf wouldn't plan anything ahead so it's refreshing to be with someone whose both willing to plan and agreeable to lots of things

alfie glad to hear dd made up with her cousin and has left bf too

Reminds me I spent €40 on two gift vouchers on Sat, one for my cousins baby and one for a colleagues babys christening that I ended up not going to. I'll still give it to her though.

Interesting reading about your electricity in credit accounts. I used to pay mine in advance weekly but its frowned upon here because you're giving them your money before its due so they've use of it rather than you. Now that I can manage my money better I just keep it in my account and have a category in my ynab for electricity, when I get my bill I divide it by 8, bi monthly billing and put this amount away every week for the next bill.

need can you come & sell my excess furniture too? I did put a sofa up on facebook marketplace yesterday though.

bigskies ouch about your veneer & its not trivial, all posts are welcome here, big worries, small worries, boasts about dc etc etc

decaffe hope you get your diagnosis soon

Myfanwy81 welcome, your dc will understand that you miss your dad, mine were 11 and 8 last year when I was recently bereaved and they understood that I was sad, I still did my best and they had a nice holiday, not quite the one I'd hoped for in our new house.

em lounge sounds like a necessity to me

I had an emergency fund and I no longer do, must get that back on track too.

I spent a lot on therapy for dc this year & paying for dd's braces alone, also I indulged us in holidays that maybe we couldn't afford but all needed. I think this is what depleted my buffer so I will replenish.

halfwomanhalfchocolate are you a knitter living in London? Sorry to hear you're at the end of your tether with ds's screeching, have you thought of trying those headphones that filter out background noise to dull it a bit, which would not mean neglecting or ignoring ds but might help you? Their name escapes me at the moment sorry.

Phew that's an essay apologies, thinking out loud while catching up.

Spent £50 in primark on Christmas stuff and warm clothes for dc s as school don’t have the heating on much

£80 In aldi today literally couldn't believe it I thought it would be more like £40. To be fair it did include 48 toilet rolls but still! Not even any meals just bits eg snacks and crisps, pantry things that needed restocking. I was actually really shocked.

Plus £100 on school meals as I must have worked it out wrong and didn't top up enough at October half term but I think it's right now to see them to Christmas.

Also weve just found out our energy bill is almost doubling in Jan from £300 to just over £500. It was £125 this time last year 😱 we've been on a fix for the last few months which ends in Jan. I think we may have to give up the extra nursery day as I think it's going to have to be a case of either pay for nursery or pay the energy bill so it's a no brainer really but dc and I are really benefitting from the extra day uurrgh

That’s rotten decaf about nursery but as you say it’sa no brainier put like that

Oh no decaff that’s a tough choice.
I totally get you on the shopping too - £80 doesn’t buy much now does it!
The football’s on in our house - I am thinking of you mrs - wish I had your cakes
Sone indulgent spends today -£8 on lunch as I was knackered and literally couldn’t be bothered to walk back to my office from the building I was in, to fetch my heathy packed lunch! Then £20 at sainsburys on something for DS1 for Xmas, currants for the Xmas cake and deodorant.
now going to heave myself off the sofa and go to the gym with DD - I will join which will be £23 / month. But it costs me £6.50 each time I go and the DC are going regularly so that’s an incentive for me to go and spend time with them. Also, it’s a rolling membership and you’re not locked in. Have cancelled my work gym membership which was £18 per month but on a contract.
Thats quite a lot of spends written down!

half lots going on, please feel free to share. Just the screaming on its own would be stressful, I’m sure though obviously meets a need for your DC.

Yep it's a bit of a luxury paying for extra time though tbh. We do get the 15 funded hours so that's free but we were topping up for extra hours I was finding 15 hrs wasn't enough for me to get everything done (I'm a full.time carer for one of my DC so spend half my life in hospital/appointments/meetings)

Always lovely to catch up with you half, you always have so many plates spinning

Funnily enough happier, I ended up booking a cheap cyber Monday weekend away deal, £73, for next spring and included in that will be two sessions of swimming. DC love the pool. I figure we will save at least £10 on energy costs by being away for the weekend so quite a bargain.

Bought a few Christmas gifts with nectar points earlier. Just need to find the time to collect them.

We also managed to get a very well priced meal out yesterday, £32 for all of us, including 50% off mains and two free deserts. It was nice to go out, was feeling a bit fed up of being frugal 😬

🙁 for the tooth repair, I think it was bigskies

Hey Happier that’s me - London knitter! Though I’ve barely picked up my needles this year - no time, blah. I do have noise cancelling headphones but tbh, it’s not the noise itself that’s the worst thing about it for me, it’s worrying about the impact on my neighbours (we’re in a semi) and on DD (5) who mostly seems philosophical about it but she has asd herself and masks a lot, I think she’s actually deeply affected by it. We’re just always walking on eggshells trying not to trigger his anxiety but as it is so easy to trigger (if DD says no, or questions anything, for example, or if we are one minute late leaving the house in the morning… or lunch isn’t ready at midday on the dot… so many things!) . It’s very tense a lot of the time. Anyway, I’m derailing the thread but thanks for thinking of us, and to other posters for your kind comments too.

Happier, I remember your bereavement, it was such a shock, but I must have missed the news about the new bf. Hope he’s a good one, you really deserve it.

I’m still not well and so not at work today. I’ve spent most of it sleeping. I’m not actually sure I’ll
make it to work tomorrow either, I go years without having sick leave from work but this virus has floored me, I feel worse than when I had covid in spring! I’ll also miss one of my work christmas dinners tomorrow night (the one with my boss). It would have been nice but tbh, I’m exhausted and don’t mind sitting it out.

DM has arrived to help DH with the kids, and im
hoping she’ll take over the Victorian costume making for me. She’s handy with a sewing machine, though I’ll have to thread the needle
for her 😉. I’m too tired to cook again so I’ll freeze pretty much all the meal plan stuff from this week and roll it over. We had an emergency Chinese takeaway instead - £46 for 3 people! 2 starters, 3 mains, crispy seaweed. We made our own rice as it was £5 for a portion of plain rice 😮. It was bland too. Did the job but I won’t bother again for a while. Tomorrow night will be jacket spuds I think!

£25 on Yoto cards for one of DD’s Christmas presents. Am still racking my brains for DS.

not a de rail half, don’t blame you for the takeaway as dd has this virus and it is indeed awful
you are an amazing Mam and don’t forget it

DH has decided that we need to go into London on the way back. I was dead against it initially but we had promised ds ages ago that we’d see the dinosaurs. So that’s what we’re going to try and do.

DH reckons (and I think he’s right) that we need to keep busy during the day so actually seeing things and doing things will be better than sitting around and napping. That way we can go home and sleep and try to get back on the correct time.

heathrow To South Kensington is 40 minutes on the train. Then it’s a short walk to the nat history museum. If all goes well we can be there by 10. Have a mooch. Back on train by 130. Then home.

If it’s one train that’s doable and the station is right underneath the museum.

Natural history is a great place

half you're definitely not derailing the thread, we're here for all the ups and downs and bumps along the way. Glad your mum has arrived to help out. Threading the needle seems like it'll save you the ordeal of making the costume. I missed that your dd has asd, hard to have two dc with different special needs to worry about. Hopefully your neighbours admire you for your strength with the dc.

My dm text about knitting two days ago so I knew she was on the mend and when I mentioned this, she said I'll be sitting up in my coffin knitting
New bf is an absolute gent, I haven't found any faults yet, I presume he has some

em your dh's plan sounds good and manageable and it also continues the holiday for another day too rather than dragging out waiting to get flight home. Well done em's dh

Oof Em, your DH’s logic is good and it is an easy journey from LHR and you’d not waste the opportunity of being in London, but tired DC in a big museum is not for the faint hearted! Maybe yours will sleep well on the flight though? And if it’s term
time the museum won’t be as heaving. Worth a punt, eek.

yes Happier, I started to suspect during lockdown and was completely sure by the end of 2020. She was diagnosed formally in January. It’s why I dropped off the thread back in 2020 really, I took it very hard, on top of DS’s diagnosis, and I just didn’t have any ‘chat’ in me. I suspect I’ve been somewhat depressed over the last couple of years, tbh, but I do have a better perspective on things now. Glad the bf is working out so well, he sounds lovely. Take that cruise next year, go on!

Still off work today but I’ll be back tomorrow, I think. DM went to the shop for emergency jacket spuds so we can have an easy dinner but she wouldn’t take any money from The Tin, so NSD so far, though I might buy some more Christmas bits their arvo between naps.

Tonight I get to stuff the pockets of the DC’s home made quilted advent calendars. Still one of my favourite jobs of the year 👍🏻🎄

Half that must have been so tough for you and totally understand why you dropped off. Good to have you back as well

£15 parking and food at A&E nose v hockey stick but all ok if rather bruised

Half My DD screams and screeches a lot too and we all find the noise difficult to deal with. DS now that he's older is aware of it too and often bursts into tears himself on top now (he's 1). I have noise cancelling headphones and I do wear them at home often during these times. I have ASD myself and am hypersensitive to noise so it's a recipe for disaster here!

Had to go home from work sick yesterday with what seems to have been a sickness bug. Mortified especially as I've only worked there less than 2 months. My old job I was there for 5 years and never took any sick leave other than pregnancy-related ones. Spent the rest of the day in bed and then got the worst migraine I've ever had in the evening, it was horrendous. Thankfully recovering well today just feel nauseous and weak from not eating. Have to chair a really important work meeting this evening too (from home) which is terrible timing but I will manage somehow. Desperately hoping nobody else here catches it, I wasnt near the kids at all yesterday and will do the same today so fingers crossed.

Spends today:
£5 Boots sleeping tablets (occasional use, as I sleep terribly)
£12 personalised mug to go in DH's Xmas stocking - that hes asked for so not a suprise. Not got him anything else for it yet.

Solicitors about to apply for our help to buy bonuses. Should be completing on the house purchase soon. Just need to sort the buildings insurance still.

half so sorry you are having such a hard time. ♥️
Halfway through very busy two weeks at work before it calms down, totally exhausted and students are all exhausted and acting up.
DH is working late as his school have parents evening, such a pain as have to get the bus home instead of a lift so it costs £3.50 and takes forever.

Evening.

Half, no derailing here. Vent as and when you need. I have great sympathy re the screeching, that's something I'd find extremely tough and it's understandable that most folk would do so too. Sympathy here too weight.

Tough choice decaf. No choice in reality I know. It's still crap, especially re the caring duties. I had to wfh today due to traffic and sat upstairs under the duvet with my Oodie on. Heating has kicked in now but it was damn cold sitting there working today.

You do deserve it happier. I was around when you were having such a shit time. Love the idea of knitting from the grace re your DM 🤣

I think it was a NSD. I'm knackered. Had a school night drinking night at a friends to catch up. Didn't cost anything but I'm properly knackered and not at all used to late nights and more than one glass of wine on a week night. 🤣

Just placed an Ocado order for £100, to include a salmon as family over at the weekend. And various bits related to that (wine etc), would have been much less otherwise.

Half sorry you are having a tough time rant away it’s not derailing the thread it’s getting support when you need it.
spends today dh nipped to Morrisons joint account for a few bits bread milk cat food etc £54 on not a lot

Happy 1 Dec

need to collect winter duvet from laundry and get some lightbulbs from the sells everything shop