Frugal Friends Fearlessly Facing February.

[needastrongoneagain]

Thought I'd start the new thread. Been ages since I started a thread!

@ememem84 hate it. Or "competitive salary" ugh. What a waste of time for candidates.

As promised, this is my beach! We ended up having hotdogs and chips. It was still 33 degrees when we got there.

ememem afternoon tea sounds like fun!
lifelong - the savings is what I love most about working from home. I should be going in once a week, but there's no pressure as the rest of my team are in other states.
Time - i totally get it, I find it hard to be frugal with my DSs. I spend a lot on cricket etc for them.
MrsMadEvans - if you have to spend, it's great that you do it wisely!

No spend day today.

Yesterday blew out because I felt ill (sodding cystitis!) but couldn't get an appointment with my GP until Monday so used one of the Telehealth services. $49 for GP, $71 for medicine etc, $110 for groceries (including lots of cranberry juice). Doesn't take much to blow the budget out of the water, does it? 😢

What a beaut of a beach!

Stunning beach photos hope medication makes you feel better soon.

@OrderOfTheKookaburra amazing view!

Afternoon everyone 😊
Good luck squeezing every penny out of your skinflint boss Em the afternoon tea sounds lovely enjoy 😋
OrderoftheKookaburra such a beautiful beach picture ❤️.
Yes you are right , if we have to spend then better to maximise the savings as much as possible 😊
I hope you are feeling much better bless you 💐
Spends today Asda £13 on grocery , £28 on 2 PRS of trousers for Dd2 for work l treated her 😊
DH had 3 prs of trousers £66 , he's very fussy 🙄, Cotton traders used a 20 % off code and free delivery. Thank God they fit him and the hunt for new trousers is over 😂

Lovely beach

definitely aim high em and ask for it all

Beautiful trees and beaches above.
Thank you for all good wishes and prayers to weather gods. I do have a plan B in case it rains, we will gather in front of the church altar and have photographs taken from the church gallery.
My sister has printed my wedding invitations and I will decorate them with some pretty rubber stamps of birds and flowers. The ink and envelopes are a pretty blue.
i have been off today and have been lazy, reading a novel.
i will do some jobs this evening.
spends so far £16.60 at Tesco. I wish it was sensible but on wine and red bull.
I hardly ever drink the latter but I love it.
No pizza from the waggon this evening, DP has asked for a proper dinner and I’m going out for an Italian meal with the ladies from work tomorow. This will be paid by work.

Beach gorgeous!

Em You get your boss told! Hope you get a good outcome when the pay review announcements come. Me and DH are both NHS workers so I guess we will get a pay rise in September, backdated to the start of the next financial year, that's usually how it works I think? No doubt it will be hardly anything though compared to how awful inflation is. Our childcare costs will actually increase in September too as DD's wraparound care and holiday cover is going to cost more than her nursery care does atm. Unless we can find some other arrangements (i.e. favours!) to cover some of it but I'm not hopeful that we will unfortunately.

NSD here today. Just me and DS tofday as DD was at holiday club which always feels odd!

Hi everyone,

working from home today. I was supposed to go to the shop for bread but I CBA (there's only me here and I made do with something else). I was about to proudly declare a NSD but I should probably pay my car tax.

I got yet another letter from my bank to tell my that my mortgage is increasing due to another interest rate rise. I reckon it's jumped about €100 from this time last year. I can afford it, but with everything else going up so much......... I probably need to look at my budget again. Le sigh

I was having a rubbish day on Valentine's Day (nothing to do with VD itself, just a mega-stressful day at work). In the middle of it all, I got a lovely text from DD, wishing me a Happy VD and telling me that she loves me. Awwww......... That put a smile on my face.

Work today was busy but blissfully calm. I love my days at home - no phones ringing and nobody bothering me .

DCat2 curled up beside me on the sofa last night and put her chin on my leg. This is a major breakthrough because she's a very shy, anxious cat and usually sits on the other end of the sofa. I live in hope that one day she'll voluntarily sit on my lap. If I lift her onto my lap, she just jumps down and walks away.

I need to put my bin out at some stage but it's windy and rainy so I'm putting it off.

Belated Happy Anniversary need. Enjoy your celebration this weekend.

Annoying about the freezer Mrs

Lovely beach photos Kookaburra

Sorry to hear about your acquaintance em. Good luck with the salary review. Annoying that you'll have to wait to find out if they'll agree to it
.

Unexpected £150 on roof maintenance, needed but wasn’t expecting it today

renewed house insurance and saved £150
renews car insurance and saved £100

winning at life 😂

Well you're still quids in then @lifelongfrugaleer!

That's tough @WeightoftheWorld, really tough. I've seen the best of the NHS the last 9 months. You guys deserve better, you really do.

Wonderful beach @OrderOfTheKookaburra

Fuel was £70, as I was on empty. That's £120 for the month, a bit under budget.

£42 on really nice food at M&S. Definitely not needed. Bit of a shock reaction to DH being discharged week after next and me not really knowing how I feel about that in truth. Still, I'm having a really good month financially so some king prawns and salmon chucked in the freezer for a treat are welcome.

Meal plan to follow.

Tonight - Spanakopita with green salad.
Friday - batch cooked a veggie chilli and a meat chilli to have with nachos and then use one more night or freeze.
Saturday - samosa tart, keema tart (will use for lunches too)
Sunday - leftovers
Monday - sweet potato, ginger and coconut stew.
Tuesday - aubergine curry with basil and tamarind
Wednesday - king prawn risotto
Thursday - porotos granados

Smoked mackerel pate and ribollita to make for lunches.

gosh that’s big news need

need your meal plans always sound so exotic. I wouldn't know where to start with a samosa tart and I've never heard of spanakopita

Still, my parents were very much meat and two veg people so I congratulate myself on having explored new culinary pastures and regularly cooking exotic dishes like pizzas, chillis, curries, lasagne etc.

I'm scared stiff in truth. Feel like next week is my last normal week.

@Taytocrisps

www.thespruceeats.com/spinach-pie-with-feta-spanakopita-1706022

Thanks for the recipe need. I missed your earlier post about your DH coming home. I can understand your mixed feelings. You must miss him terribly and it's probably an ordeal driving him to and from hospital. But becoming a full-time carer is a very daunting prospect. Do you have anyone who will come and relieve you for a few hours, so you can meet a friend or do something for yourself? I'd imagine it would be easy to become isolated.

He's actually at hospital full time @Taytocrisps, apart from weekends. The hospital have been brilliant so I'm hoping the community team as good.

That’s massive news need and a big change for everyone

Actually, this was the recipe, a bit lighter than a standard one I believe.

Thanks @Timetoswitch

www.olivemagazine.com/recipes/vegetarian/spanakopita/

need that is a big change. Does that give you enough time to get his care package in place ?

em hope you get everything you ask for. You deserve it.

Mrs that is annoying about the freezer.

kookaburra that is a beautiful beach

Today has been long...

Christ. DH is taking to mil about her finances.

I’ve said it before and will say it again.

IF YOU HAVENT GOT A WILL AND A LASTING POWER OF ATTORNEY IN PLACE PUT ONE IN PLACE

mill seemingly doesn’t have either. Her investment portfolio is tanking. And she’s spending like billio.

Think the care package provided for 6 weeks by the hospital @Unescorted , possibly 12 (they are checking eligibility).

@needastrongoneagain - I've just gone back in the posts to see what had happened, your DH had a stroke? I'm so sorry! My DF had a stroke when he was 61, it was such a scary time. His was predominantly in the language centre but included numbness and weakness to his RHS. He continued to improve for many years, I hope that holds for your DH who I gather has been in rehab up until now? 💐

I've had a couple of NSDs, my Godmother has been down for a couple of days and she has been amazing at helping with jobs in the house and garden!

I now have door curtains! I bought the curtains and poles with the money the government gave me towards my energy bill last year but didn't my own a drill so hadn't had a chance to put them up. Anyway they're now up and look great, hopefully will stop draughts and help keep downstairs warm as well.

She also helped put a very small pond in the bottom of the garden, the pond was a freebie on fb and it looks great. Hoping for lots of wildlife now.

Have had veggie chilli last couple of nights which has been great. Thanks for meal ideas need is frittata eggs based? If you have a recipe I'd be grateful, I don't know many egg dishes.

I can understand how there must be a lot of mixed feelings about dh coming home need, can you ask for a home visit prior to discharge to iron out any issues with access or anything else.