Advancing into April - Frugal Friends still being, er, Frugal.

[needastrongoneagain]

New thread.

All welcome.

Feel rather a failure at this frugal approach.

This week went a bit wrong. Physio was £55 on Tuesday, Wednesday was at the office and got a free lunch. Fell down on the spending side as I bought membership to a local attraction for £87. I will use it and it will work out cheaper than buying a ticket every time so in the long run a good purchase I think.

Yesterday a friend was nearby unexpectedly so I met them for dinner (~£9). Today an old university friend came to visit so I bought some cakes from one of the bakeries in the town centre. A bit of a splurge at £28 but my friend is being amazing and we’re both having a rough time so I pushed the boat out.

Was steeling myself to do better next week and then got an email from Amazon for my Prime renewal. Except for the physio I’m hoping that will be most of next weeks spending as I have no outings booked except for a walk on Saturday.

I work on the basis that if you can afford it and it’s not all the time do it. and also cake is always affordable.

Evening all 😊
l hope everyone had a wonderful Good Friday 😊
Weather has been very good here today but still cold 😊
I have been really busy all week so not online much , have to catch up with everyone 😃
Decaff so glad you got your Washing machine fixed such a relief 🤗 NT is just a Godsend for 'free' days out ☺️
Hope you have a brilliant Weekend 😊
Soot hope your oven is sorted out now 🤗
Great idea to get your DC to earn their IPads they will really cherish them ☺️👏
Welcome to all the Newbies ❤️
Gen marvelous news re the student loan, so pleased for you re the new job interview, go on girl you can smash it! Wishing you the very best of luck sweetheart ❤️
l hope your lovely DH is much better after his op sweetheart 💐
Must post this message before l lose it🙄 will be back to finish later ☺️

£20 hairdresser for DD (in budget)
£30 lunch on way home inc takeaway for DS (not in budget, we both got too hungry)
Visit to DM with homemade Easter cake which was nice then used up left over taco beef to make nachos. Second half of the day more frugal than the first!

Gen... Best of luck!

Em loving your hair. I contemplated doing something similar but I think I have too much grey for it to blend in.

Horses & riding are so expensive 😱

Not a cheap day... Brunch out with DH &kids. DD was going back to uni so it was an early Easter.

Ds has been swapped.. without asking he brought washing in, put the sheets back on beds and put out the washing that was in the machine.... All so he could wash his work jumper. He either wants something or he has come out the other side of deep teen.

Born l love the smell of the washing powder too so l get you ☺️
Thank you for the duvet love ☺️
Food costs a lot doesn't it l just don't know how much more it can go up tbh 🙄
Great idea to stock up on the joints while they are cheaper 👏

@RumBananaSundae try not to beat yourself up. Life gets in the way all the time for me. We’re all just doing the best we can, progress, not perfection as they say.

And in that spirit. I bought a pair of sandals yesterday. They came into the shop and omg they are beautiful and so, so comfortable, perfect for work. And I know that if I mull it over, they’ll be gone and I’ll be kicking myself. So I got them, thanks staff discount!

Frugality is not linear, good days and not so good days but you were accountable and owned it.

@ememem84 and @CurlsandCurves thank you. And enjoy your sandals.

Life is indeed getting in the way. I can afford things now but am trying to put myself in a good position for in a few months time when I’ll have a big legal bill and huge (unwanted) life changes. Trying to find some joy where I can.

Kessie Good luck with the £500 food limit lovely , food prices are just through the roof going up week on week
Hope your WM is fine , fingers crossed
EM glad your WM is sorted well worth £6 for those gorgeous ice creams and what a beautiful view
Gorgeous hair Em hope it turned out as you want it to
Need yay for the scrap man hope you really enjoyed your fish and wedges lovely
Rum Physios are expensive but really it's an investment in your health lovely and nothing more important
Wolf hope you love the dresses
Unescorted l'll be your alibi
Life l know the cost is astronomical on the body protectors , they were £70 about 15 years ago when Dd1 was doing her horse riding
Curls so glad that you love your hair
Girlie holiday sounds lovely good for you and well done to Ddad for giving you £100 towards it bless him
Bigskies thats wonderful news re your DM bless you all
Weight have a lovely weekend with your friends
Have a lovely weekend everyone Em l want a Hendricks Neptunia now

rum we all have days where things go to plan and others are car crash. Celebrate the good and learn from the not so good. Just by taking a longer view of where you need to be is a huge achievement. It means that you can keep chipping away at the goal.

Mrs thanks. I knew I could count on you 😜.

Today I have to source an Easter Egg for a boy child. He deserves a treat after yesterday.... Especially as he has bought a family subscription to duo lingo so I don't have to put up with the ads.

Other than that it is washing out, respray the BBQ so it doesn't rust, gym and washing sort. I am living the high life.

Hi all. Just checking in. Hope you’re all enjoying the long weekend and are getting some nice sunny weather like we are here.

yesterday was the start of our 10 day stretch off work and childcare with the DC. We are trying our best to make it a frugal break as we have to pay for our holiday this month. Started off quite well yesterday as we used our NT membership for the third time this month and took a picnic and flask so we spent £0 there other than the £3 Easter trail. We were quite glad we avoided a spendy cafe trip. However then I ruined it by spending £34 in M&S food in the evening 🤦‍♀️ £6 were on some chocolates as part of a present but the rest was on a meal deal dinner for me and DH and then on picnic bits for today. We are going to another NT place on our way to MILs. Trying to console myself that hopefully today will be no spend as we already have food and fuel and at least we didn’t get a takeaway.

happy Easter everyone 😀

Spendy day yesterday brunch plus a takeaway Easter treat was £40 (nearly died but this is what happens when you let ds choose whatever he wants). £2.40 parking and then £30 in lidl

Today it's £65 activity for me, ds is tagging along and I've promised him a pub tea. I'm also bribing him with a starter or dessert as the organisers need a hand with something.

On the plus side he's going to his dad on Monday so I won't see him again until school starts and therefore no more spending other than his bus fare

Hello all. More errands today, I will grab a chicken, some daffodils and some coffee in the supermarket and home to tackle the weeds in this lovely sunshine. The loo is finally painted and looks much nicer. Still need to source a mirror, but that might be next month's spend now. Got a call from the sofa upholsterer - he is collecting on 24th April. This is very exciting! Must remember to take a 'before' pic.

Have invited DParents over for roast chicken tomorrow, and to sit out in what is promised to be warm sunshine. Might as well make the most of this positive bounce in their mood in the face of my mum's reassuring health news this week!

Monday forecast rain, so I think i will do my tax return and organise that particular bit of my finances for the year ahead. This is turning into a slightly dull, if productive, BH weekend.

DS and DH back on 13th, so holding off a big shop until the 12th.

Happy Easter Saturday everyone
Life you know you can always rely on me lol
Well done that boy child
Coffee M&S food is lovely , l buy the 3 for £8 deli offer and l think it's very good value tbh , enjoy your day and picnic
Wolf aw bless your Ds , he deserves it , sounds as if he is being such a help to you
Bigskies enjoy your day with your parents tomorrow
Spends today Morrisons 10 , Tesco 27
Ordered a gorgeous Costco cake for Mum's residential home to share with the staff and residents . only £17.99 and they were over the moon bless them

A few unplanned spends, my best friends grandma died (she was v old) so I bought a couple of sympathy cards for my friend and her parents, also got 2nd class stamps £10ish.

£8 on some eye stuff for the dogs, I'm hoping this will stop his eyes getting sore and infected again.

£25 fuel - wanted to top up before going away.

£5 on a few last min Easter eggs.

Can't find mini eggs for love nor money 🙄

See now that changes everything. Find the joy. Always. Find the joy. A joyless life is unlovable in my view.

mrs buy the gin. It’s delish.

I caved on the “no booze for lent” about a week ago. Still off social media though. It’s done me the world of good.

horses are expensive. I agree. I’ve spent….£110 on riding this week. £60 private jump lesson on Tuesday (a glorious hour in the sun cantering over jumps and getting well and truely out of my comfort zone) and £50 today (usually £45 but I didn’t have a fiver so will pay £40 next week). For me this is a luxurious necessity. 😂 I get my me time, bit of exercise and I do something I love.

£151 Waitrose today. Mostly alcohol. We’re hosting for Easter tomorrow so need wine and sparkly stuff.

i have 2kg of mini eggs. And 150 flake bars bought for baking.

Well I saved myself the cost of a dinner out because ds chucked a wobbler and refused to come. £20 on much needed bottle of wine and a fakeaway from the supermarket on the way home. Not in the mood to cook

@ememem84 150 flakes?! We’re all coming round yours!

@TheNewlmprovedMrsMadEvans what a lovely thing to do. Bet the staff and residents loved the cake 😀

NSD here today until DH wandered off to the pub this evening! I’m on bedtime duty and will have a wine with my feet up.

Will post more later but just popping on to ask if anyone has any recommendations for cheap, indie places to eat in or around Kensington. Dh & I are staying 2 nights there & need to keep to a fairly tight budget if we can

Thank you. You’re all so lovely.

Today wasn’t too bad. I bought some TePe brushes and floss and spent about £8 on yellow stickered bits in Marks and Spencer. I also found a Marks and Spencer gift card I was given for Christmas that I had put away and forgotten about so very pleased with that.

Spend some time today looking for a UK Swiss adaptor and couldn’t find one. Think I might write a holiday shopping list to help my planning. So far it is: an adaptor, a T-shirt and maybe a handbag. Jury still out on the handbag.

Am now eying up a chocolate unicorn.

Wow Em we need to see the results of baking with all those flakes & mini eggs!!
Sorry you didn't get your pub tea wolf
Haven't posted properly for a while, life has seemed so hectic. I finished my steps challenge for March & have raised nearly £1400 excl gift aid. Haven't felt particularly frugal lately but seem to be doing ok with the finances. Have just gone back to 4 days rather than FT so that's a significant change income wise.
Dh & I are off to London today. It's a trip for a concert that was planned ages ago not realising it was Easter weekend. Ds is home for Easter so that's a bit disappointing but never mind. Haven't been to London for a good few years & need to try to keep low budget if we can.

Happy eat chocolate for breakfast day

Absolutely frugality isn't linear, @RumBananaSundae, you are aware of the upcoming financial situation and planning ahead. Good news re the gift card!

@Wolfcub ❤️

Enjoy London @northender

What a lovely gesture @TheNewlmprovedMrsMadEvans re the cake ❤️

I'd like to find the joy in life, but that's really hard at the minute so I'll settle for just putting one foot in front of the other until it's time for bed.

My food spending is too much at the minute, due to adding in more meat and not just buying basic fruit and having an extra adult in the house, plus more visitors! Must get better.

I've also bought a sideboard which completes our extension apart from some soft furnishings and indoor plants.

Also has a quote for an adapted bathroom that is more on the high quality end rather than looking adapted. Just need to decide whether I want to spend that much. I'm erring towards yes, as life is too short and we are going to be in the house so much more than I ever imagined.

Meal plan.

50/50 bolognaise - Jamie Oliver
Tamarind salmon curry
Spiced lamb and apricot wraps
Tuna and apple pasta bake
Spiced butter bean curry
Asparagus and greens frittata
Tomato and basil risotto
Muhammara chickpea stew
Herby sausage, lentil and cabbage bake.
Late summer corn and tomato curry.