Familiar Friends in Frugality(Feb 24>)

[Happierwithouthim]

Frugal Friends Facing Forward with Fortitude http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/costoff_living/4957140-frugal-friends-facing-forward-with-fortitude

New thread

Congratulations to DD Girlie. It's a lovely rush, passing that test! DS got all the way to test standard with his driving lessons, then hit the two-year tailback on tests, post-Covid. So his driving has gone into abeyance. I wonder whether it's worth learning the manual gearbox sometimes - DS won't own a car in London for a long time, so will likely use ZIP cars and the like, or ours, (if DH is willing), and with the move to hybrids and electrics pretty much inexorable now, manual gearbox driving skills seem largely redundant.

Decorators almost done - ye gods, their work is good. My other walls will look shabby by comparison. This must be the absolutely best thing about doing a soup to nuts renovation, and the thing that makes the upheaval worth while - the moment of bliss where the entire house is pristine! Never had the experience myself, nor ever likely to.

@Girliefriendlikespuppies well done dd . Fallen off as work and personal life shite

Fallen off the thread for similar reasons as you donkeys . Sometimes shite just pours?!

Well done to your DD girlie

Sorry to hear about the email rum, are you making any progress there?

Glad to hear the renovations are going well big

I hope everyone else is doing well 🙂

Not much to report here.

We were looking at a big holiday for next year but now having to think more carefully due to some financial uncertainty. I’m grateful that from being frugal means we are able to plan less, rather than do nothing at all though.

€4.80 including 15c return deposit on a can of NOCCO and a galaxy ripple. Put bar in the boot, it's only for emergency use

Thanks everyone, I'm really proud of her ❤️ tayto dd had quite a lot of lessons before I let her drive my car 😬

Congratulations to Girlie daughter. Happy car shopping.

Well done on 20 days psuedo. I struggle with one.

Glad the bathroom is looking good Big.

email threw me. I guess there’s progress but who knows towards what. No spend day yesterday. Officing today. Will try to stay out the shops. Was looking at handbags yesterday but didn’t see any I liked enough to buy.

Hi All.

Dropped off the thread. Last month was a bit of a frugal nightmare money wise and I need to get back on track. Not money we don't have, but money I wanted to save.

So, it's payday today and I've already done this month's budget and allocated monies to all my 'pots' and added a new one for running related expenses and one for gardening.

All the work is now done in the house for at least 2/3 years (I'll save for a new kitchen), bar decorating and apart from part of a fence that didn't survive this winter and is being replaced this week. Plus two bedrooms to decorate, budgeted for but not due to be done until autumn. I've had enough of trades people being in the house however lovely. Oh and plumber back tomorrow to fit three radiators but already paid for.

Menu plan next few days
Kimchi fried rice.
Veggie chilli with tacos.
Veggie shepherds pie.
Cauliflower chickpea and peanut curry.
Prawn and lemon risotto
And a recipe in the Good Food magazine with coconut milk and lots of spring veg I can't remember 🤣

Will keep up from now as it holds me accountable. Sorry to not read back.

Spends today are from some loose change.

£1.50 deodorant from local shop
£1 tin of Pepsi for DH post therapy, I usually bulk buy but I've run out.

£15 ds hair. £11 other ds related spends.
£4 mil hair nets

My car is gone for a service, I made dc clear it out before I dropped it off, I hoovered and made €1.65 in the process. It's still filthy though I must get it valeted!

Sounds great on the decorating front Need. Something you might not have to think about for a while.

I read that you’d spent £4M on hair nets life and thought they were a bit expensive.

Spent a bit yesterday. £3.05 in Waitrose. There seems to be a shortage of cottage cheese and I tried four places before I found any. Put about £90 on my travel card. Think they’ll be a lot of commuting in the next three or so weeks. Argh.

Returned the shoes I bought as they were too small. Tried to get a replacement pair using a 25% off code but don’t think the order went through so will leave it a while then check. T-shirts and socks have arrived. Like them so will keep them.

Rum sorry should punctuate better 😂oh what I would do with £4m

hurrah on the building works finishing
hurrah on decorating but boo showing the rest up. Our whole house needs doing and they painted it while
to move and we haven’t touched it
tis very off white now in places

🤣re the hair nets! I love cottage cheese and will never most put out if I can't find any..good protein content.

I'm very pleased with my new radiators (which is a very middle aged this to say...).

£180 Ocado, but a £40 single malt whiskey for a Big Birthday present of a good friend (therefore different 'pot'), and some beers for our lovely neighbour who jet washed our drive yesterday while I was out, which was a lovely surprise.

Planning a quiet weekend so the only spends I think will be a drink at the local cricket club.

'Be most put out. Auto correct and brain fail

Morning.

£36 Amazon
£6 drain un-blocker

Rock and roll.

I've been absent lately too need and it's coincided with a period of big spends. I need to come back & be much more frugal! It hasn't started well as we've just been to a food market & spent £90 on 2 birthday presents (budgeted for) & £48 on food (partly budgeted for). Tonight there's a leaving do for a work colleague. £35 for a bottomless brunch which isn't my scene at all but I've worked with her for 13 years so feel I have to go.
Need to buy a couple of things for the greenhouse so that we can start using it. May needs to be as low spending a month as possible, but already I can see it won't be!!

We get through loads of cottage cheese here but only Longley Farm will do. It's even had MN threads dedicated to it 😂

A great feeling @Happierwithouthim to diy and save money too! 🐕 🏠 Having the car funds ready is a big change and you must be proud of yourself

Well done @Girliefriendlikespuppies DD! 👏

£300 a month is good going @Pigtailsandall . Is it being saved for anything in particular?

Wow @psuedocream3 . I think you're the only person I 'know' that's had their quote come down.

@Taytocrisps hopefully she'll start improving soon. I used to live on a hill so that was the one thing I was an absolute pro at! I think though there is an increasing trend for kids now to get automatic licenses amd not bother with a manual.

@BigSkies2022 jinx on the car talk! Lucky for your ds to live in London. With the costs now for insurance too, it makes it that much harder to justify having a car unless you really need/use it.
Glad to hear renovations are nearly at their end.

@Timetoswitch sometimes cheaper holidays can work just as well. Hope you get to have a nice break even if it is a little less adventure than you'd originally planned.

@RumBananaSundae sorry 😞 for the email. Sounds like you have a few nice trips to look forward to still.

@needastrongoneagain yum 😋. Great news the house work is basically done now - must make life much easier for you all.
Drain unblocker is definitely needed when it's needed! 🤣 🚽

@northender welcome back. A big no to cottage cheese for me! 👎

Sorry to anyone I missed. Another long week.

Busy as ever despite cancelling 2 weekend clubs for a half term. However making slow progress on some outstanding jobs. Finally put some pictures up - just need to find the spirit level for final tweaking. To the left, to the right, to the left 🤣
Can't wait for payday. Am currently -£25 over budget. Mainly due to the snacks whilst waiting for dd1 club.
Frugal things accomplished: whilst we save for a new fence, we are reusing plants from the garden to fill the gap!
Phone contracts switched. Not cheaper but more data. Plus get referral voucher for referring OH, so £20 due in 2months (£10 for oh, £10 for me) (pm me if you want a SMARTY link!)
Yellow sticker haul for quite a few things we get regularly.

Spends
£2 school
£10 at least - various work snacks
£8.50 club
£38 food
£20 food (top up)
£3 milk top up
£4 new screen protector for phone
£16 2 x switch phone contracts. One overlap of a week and one overlap of 3 weeks. £8 a month for 50gb.
£10 work expenses - should be repaid end of May.
£150 appointment for dd

Ins
£4.50 selling

Acc2 -589

I've been paid as well and it was a nice one as I've gone up a pay increment, I'm now top of my band which feels quite nice tbh. It's the most money I've ever earned!

I moved £150 immediately into saving pots (this is in addition to usual saving DDs) and am hopeful I might be able to save a bit more.

So May planned spends are a wedding in a couple of weeks, will give the happy couple £50 and will look out for a small gift for them as well.

My dad's bday, I don't usually spend loads on him but probably around £30.

If dd does buy a car I'll pay for the first tank of petrol £45 ish.

Deposit for end of June holiday, haven't got very far at sorting this yet but I'm thinking maybe Cornwall as haven't been for ages.

Today I'm going to Morrisons and am planning on stocking up on stuff I can't get in Aldi plus some bedding plants (although it's still bloody cold here!)

Bottomless brunch wouldn't be my thing either North but I hope you enjoy it as much as you can. Longley Farm anything rocks, DH loves their yoghurts.

You've managed to be pretty organised money-wise despite being so busy Chile. Love a yellow sticker haul, especially if it's things we actually use and buy regularly, although I'm sometimes tempted for other things!

£107 dog food, two bags, two dogs, last just about two months. I have a dog expense related 'pot' that covers their grooming costs and food, plus anything else they need. Not quite needed but didn't want to order in the Bank Holiday week and run out.

What I would do with £4M life. Have to say it mostly involves cheese and The Alps.

Cottage cheese shortage continues here need. I am put out. I love it.

Thats true Chile. I have a day walking in France in June as the next nice thing. It’s very far away. I love a yellow sticker. I noticed Marks and Spencer has a layered Indian style dip that I’ve never seen before. I checked the date to go back just in case.

More money is always nice Girlie.

Spending yesterday was £1.40 in Waitrose. Today it has been a total of £8.75 in a combination of Waitrose, Lidl and the health food shop. I’ve reserved a Greggs too good to go bag for £2.49 for this evening. I’ve not been to Greggs before so we’ll see what I get. Tried to order my replacement shoes again and I don’t think the order went through again. I’m hoping I’m right and I don’t end up with two pairs.

Haven’t had a productive day. Have doesn’t it lazing on the sofa playing on the internet.

Not frugal day. New tattoo day. I had regrets for my life choices 3/4 the way through because she shaded over already done bits. Hurt like a MF. I’m super pleased with the end result. But maaaaan.

its top of my leg not my butt btw.

@Chile1978 trying to save so I can either pay off our mortgage soon, or just general life eventualities. My family are abroad and few years ago I had to fly at a short notice when my dad had a heart attack. Tickets were not cheap.

@ememem84 ouch but also yay! I've always been too indecisive get a tattoo though I wanted one.

Spends: £190 for dc birthday party venue hire and bouncy castle. I'm being very organised this year
£9 for soft play today as it was wet and miserable. £3.40 on chai latte for me so I could bear it.
£2.99 for dh birthday card and £8 for a small, shop-bought cake which dc insisted on
£51 on dh birthday lunch which was affectively his present. Also £7.10 for fresh pastries for a birthday breakfast him, and £5 for a special beer for him do he could have it with his bday dinner. It was a foody birthday.

@Pigtailsandall I was like that initially. Then this is my 5th….