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

@needastrongoneagain wow congratulations on being mortgage free!! We are hoping we could be mortgage free in US as property is much cheaper there so the equity in our 2 bed house in south east England should be enough to buy somewhere out there.

@ShortFatShambolicHouseElf that is a pain! Hope the new one comes soon.

We are probably putting our house on the market this week - it depends on one last conversation with the HR team at the new job to see if healthcare will be affordable. If it is, I think we will go.

Another wet and windy day here but we're determined to make the most of half term and will be travelling to a fun fair and farmers market. Money will be spent but will be taking £40 cash as our limit. Swimming lesson isn't on due to half term so we can go a bit earlier and hopefully nap in the pram or car will be successful.

@Gensola if you take regular medication it's worth checking https://costplusdrugs.com/ which is an online cost price pharmacy that many Americans find cheaper than going through their insurance. Insurance is very expensive though 😕 - hope it works out or the company offer good coverage / subsidies

Gah, DH was supposed to cancel some subscriptions from his PayPal that have come out of our joint account.

He doesn't even use them! So I've just gone through and cancelled around £150 in unused subscriptions.

And breathe.

Still no budgeting conversation with him. But I've got so work to do today I doubt I'm up to having a wrangle with him.

Upside is that I'm enjoying the Peloton. I'm saddlesore but ready access to classes is making a big difference to me.

Boo to the cancelled card @ShortFatShambolicHouseElf. Good luck freezer delving.

Thanks @Gensola. Exciting and scary putting house on the market!

Boo too to the bad weather in the uk @Chile1978. It's been super hot here and a very welcome change!

£12 oat milk via amazon. You can even spend while away!

Congratulations need that's great security going forward for you & DH
How was running training camp?
I'm taking tentative steps towards getting back running, don't know where I'm at tried c25k week 2 yesterday which I'm ahead of so will try a different week next time

€5.05 on two bars & a drink including 15c return deposit on bottle.

€180.64 on medication

€35 booking a back massage for a couple of weeks time

Those of you who have a power washer what spec do I need? Dogs yard, walls of house is what I want it for

€90.10 on click & collect from dunnes. My veg drawer is full, my meat drawer is full. I'm happy with it

Spent £61.38 in Lidl today but it didn't feel like a good value shop. I did notice that some regular purchases we usually make have gone up in price again which might explain why I felt that way. Also placed a meat order online which will be £65 cash on delivery on Tuesday - I felt okay with that order because once the packs are split down there is the potential for some 30 or so meals for the two of us whereas the Lidl shop only had about 7 or 8 meals but did include cat food, tissues and toothpaste too. The tins have been reducing in the cupboard along with the freezer after we tried to run everything down and not shop too often in January and now February. Think DH is panicked by seeing spaces in the kitchen that used to be filled with food!! But I will consider an Iceland shop once I see how much room is in the freezer after the meat arrives.
Been making bread and cakes too which have been okay and DGD enjoyed making rock cakes in the half term but she took some home with her. 😋

@2024Hackathon well done on sorting the subscriptions- it's all too easy to let them rack up and forget them

@Happierwithouthim is that your weekly budget for food?

We had a fun day - came home with £2 remaining! 🎡

Debating whether to order some storage/organising stuff. It's not needed needed but it would make things easier. Might sleep on it.

Ins
£4 selling

Chile my weekly budget for food has been €75 for a couple of years, and €15 for Cleaning products/Food for animals. I think I need to increase it. Out of the €90.10 €6.49 was on mince for animals and firelighters.

Dc eat dinner at their dads 3 times every week and more if they're there at weekends. Dd now gets breakfast & lunch as part of scheme at school, so it's only breakfast/lunch for ds & I. My endocrinologist put me on porridge for breakfast last Oct.

I got those baskets for under shelf storage in Lidl last weekend and I'm debating getting more of them or getting builder to put in extra shelving into wardrobes which would be better.

@Happierwithouthim sounds good for 90 a week.

Sadly not near a lidl, still debating on storage. I might see if I come in on budget for Feb and maybe use the leftover(!) To buy it. Will be a good incentive to keep the purse shut!

Spends
£10 phone

Sorry about the cat's insurance Rainbow.

Sounds like the moving plans are in full swing Gensola. A most exciting time.

Well done on paying off the mortgage need. Enjoy the champagne its something to celebrate. Glad camp was a good break for you.

Sorry about the lack of budgeting conversation 2024Hack. Glad you're enjoying the Peloton.

Spending over the weekend and today has been a cumulative £20.76 on random groceries, £21.50 on dinner yesterday and £2 on a birthday card. Need to really make an effort on the random grocery shopping. Had been looking forward to dinner and catching up with my friend but they brought someone with them who I do not get on with and that made for a very unpleasant environment. It felt like wasted money as I did not enjoy it at all.

I have three subscriptions for renewal next month. I will drop one, keep one and am on the fence about the other but am leaning towards renew. Will look into how much it is. I had 250€ in my head but looking at their website it might be cheaper so will go back and take another look.

Feeling rather anxious today and trying to organise my worry list to see how to tackle things. Adulting is really not good.

Afternoon.

Cheers @Happierwithouthim. I absolutely loved the camp. I don't think I realised how much I needed it until I got there. Just a week of training and looking after me only! Feels good to have full food stores doesn't it, but I also often feel the same as @Rainbow1901 when I wonder where the money went.

That's a good reduction re subscriptions @2024Hackathon but boo to DH not cancelling. Good re peloton too.

Fairs are expensive @Chile1978 aren't they?

Oh that doesn't sound good @RumBananaSundae re the dinner.

NSD today. Back at work, only got home last night so no chance to spend!

@RumBananaSundae the bah! Adulting club seems to be getting full 🤣!
Hope looking at the list and ticking some things off eases the worry.

@needastrongoneagain independent me time is so important 💪

Roofers are done! Rather a short day I must say, but flashing has been replaced and they seemed nice - quoted and actually returned to do the work. It's so difficult finding trades.

Am not being very productive today so think I'll have to work tonight 🙃

Spends
£900 roof

Me again! I have to keep on top of it otherwise I'll forget

Spends
£7 gym

chile yes I definitely need to have separate cards, and backups too. This has been a real wake-up call for me. It's on my financial and admin to-do list.

Working my way through all the old receipts has brought back some very happy memories. I've kept a few as mementoes. At the same time, it's healthier to look ahead.

I don't remember passcodes, pin numbers, etc very easily, so I'm wary of anything that I might forget.

Did a bit of research on power washers yesterday then bf arrived with one, a good one that he bought ex hire. He won't tell me how much it was, and listed the things I've paid for when I asked. I don't accept help easily but I do appreciate what he did.

My broadband box died yesterday. Not my wifi connection but the fibre into the house, so I emailed to find out what's the procedure. I had online training for my voluntary role so had to do it on my phone on my mobile data. My earbuds came in handy as I could move around while phone was charging.

Fell of the thread a bit as the last week has been so busy but have just seen that you paid your mortgage off need 👏🏻 amazing news well done!!

I now officially have an adult child <faints> dd had a fab bday, was very spoilt and loved the party. It was a lot of work but worth it when it all came together.

My plan is to be very frugal for the next few months to start building my savings up. March should be a fairly cheap month in theory....

I've had to move money around to get through to the end of this month, need to pay for my Pilates class £48 for 6 weeks and dds bus pass will be £100 (will get some of that back.)

Shouldn't need to get much food and plan to use up what is in the freezer.

Happy birthday girlie dd and I’m sure you did her proud girlie

Happy birthday girliedd & having seen pics over the years of her birthday table I know you'll have pulled out all the stops for this one. Well done on raising an adult

Was really hoping to check in with a NSD but succumbed to the afternoon slump snack

Sounds like a wonderful time @Girliefriendlikespuppies . A fully fledged adult - you can pat yourself on the back, you've done it 👏

Spends
70p chocolate

Busy week. Spent the day at the zoo yesterday with ds’ class. Once again sealing the decision that I could not be a teacher! Oh my gosh. That was a fun day but hard work! 🤣

as hard as my job is sometimes doesn’t compare.

nsd for me yesterday. Am on bus now for a 9am meeting. I don’t usually start until 930 but sometimes needs must. Bus was already paid for. I tend to put £50 on my bus pass every so often.

today is new nail day for me. So that will be £48 at lunchtime.

Yesterday was a NSD for me
Em I couldn't be a childminder or a teacher, it tries me out to look after my own sometimes
Yesterday I discovered that YNAB now connects with Irish banks so I should be able to download my transactions automatically instead of entering them manually. Will see how that goes.

NSD today, but I really have to go food shopping soon, probably tomorrow. I also ordered some glasses from Glasses Direct yesterday, but at £103 that's nearly a third of the price of optician ones. I really feel for small businesses, but for that price I just couldn't get new glasses at all.

Sausage traybake today and made some little tart things as the oven was on as hole fillers. They are basically a jam tart with cake on top, like a bakewell but not almond, just vanilla cake. I don't know what they are really called, but little tarts amuse me.

I've got some chicken thighs sitting in its yogurt marinade for kebab for tomorrows dinner, we'll probably have it with vegetable rice.

Only a week to go of February and there is still money in the bank.

Only a week to go of February and there is still money in the bank

It's witchcraft I tell you. But with a celebratory dance.