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Cost of living

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Familiar Friends in Frugality(Feb 24>)

999 replies

Happierwithouthim · 13/02/2024 19:21

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

New thread

OP posts:
Thread gallery
25
ShortFatShambolicHouseElf · 01/03/2024 16:27

My mum as a child had elderly relatives who had cataracts removed and had to spend six weeks lying in bed without moving and held in place with sandbags.

ShortFatShambolicHouseElf · 01/03/2024 16:45

On the frugal front, things have not been great this week, trying to get the new credit card activated. Security won’t let me shop online or tell me why I can’t. Each phone call is more confusing than the one before, and we’re now hunting around for a new credit card company. I can get cash from atm and use contactless and pin. My stress-eating habits are back, and I’m wasting money on biscuits etc.

BigSkies2022 · 01/03/2024 18:59

Great news Time and Em about school transfers (my DB and DSIL awaiting their girls' outcomes) and promotion. Good start to spring!

£32 in Sainsbury's on not very much, but we needed an easy slow-cook type meal for tonight, and I bought an extra one for my parents, who I think are cutting back on food again.

DParents are having a hard time of it. DM rang me this afternoon and I have been thoroughly told off. Will visit tomorrow anyway, but think the chair is off the agenda for now. It's all very difficult. DDad rings me behind DM's back, has a moan, then I get an outraged call from DM. I feel like the 10 year old listening to them row all over again. There's that Wordsworth phrase, 'old men who have survived their joy', and it seems apt here.

AliceA2021 · 01/03/2024 19:12

Never buy takeaway coffee, seems a ridiculous waste starbucks was £3.80 a cup.

Stopped having lashes , compliments now on natural lashes. I think it's easy to forget how over the top they look, and the natural look is better for me. Was £35 a set.

No more takeaways, cook takeaway type food at home when we want it.

Saved quite a bit , must calculate how much on that lot.
.

Nellieinthebarn · 01/03/2024 19:47

Spent £25 on a cream tea delivery for my mum for Mothers day.

I transferred £200 from the end of February into savings , and £200 from what should be March's council tax. So since 1st January I have saved £820.

This is a huge amount for me, and a great help for my mental health. Just having a small emergency fund gives me great peace of mind.

I'm in for March, but that will be a much more spendy month as we have a birthday, and we are going away for a week, so will be eating out a bit.

Now bracing myself for the 2024 bills to come in.

Spencer0220 · 01/03/2024 20:23

I hope she enjoys the cream tea, @Nellieinthebarn

Yellow sticker win: 4 packs of baby corn for £1.56

That's fresh vegetables for 4 dinners!!

Girliefriendlikespuppies · 01/03/2024 23:00

Ystd was quite spendy haircut was £35 and I was really pleased with the end result (actually felt like the hairdresser understood my hair and gave me the cut I wanted!)

£27 in Morrisons on washing powder and other bits I can't get in Aldi.

We went to Bristol in the afternoon and got dinner in ZaZas which was amazing 😋 £30 and we watched Diversity who were fantastic.

Parking was £12 and I spent £3 on a drink.

Spencer0220 · 02/03/2024 00:52

Sounds like you had a good time @Girliefriendlikespuppies

Diversity are great aren't they? I'm pretty sure dsis saw them live before they were famous. They were really good back then.

RumBananaSundae · 02/03/2024 13:19

The coupon doesn’t have an expiry date as far as I can see Chile so I’ll save it for my next trip.

Congratulations on the promotion em. Whoop for the pay rise and bonus. Well done.

Oh Short. I’m trying to fight a stress eating phase. I hope you’re on your way to sorting out the credit card.

Would you mind sharing a bit about the barre you do Big? My knees are creaky and I’m getting nervous about my trekking in the summer so would like to give it a try.

Strange, and irritating, spending. Wednesday and Thursday was £137 to Eurostar. That includes a gift card I can’t use. I gave up trying and used my credit card. My tickets are changed now so I can stop thinking about them. Eurostar is dreadful. Friday I spent ~£18 on three hot chocolates and lunch with a friend and £1.29 in Aldi. Today it’s been £4.93 in Aldi and Marks and Spencer.

Did some life admin yesterday so am avoiding emails. Skipped a sample sale I was going to go to today so I’m saving some pennies there. Still need to decide on and book a hotel for my trip. Lots of rain so I’m reluctant to go out though I feel like buying some cake. Waiting for Mr Amazon to bring a book. Had an email about the subscription I want to renew this month it will be 250€. I’ve cancelled Disney+. I’ve not watched it for months so I don’t think I’ll miss it.

BigSkies2022 · 02/03/2024 20:00

Well, Rum, my favourite YouTuber is Alessia, of Lazy Dancer Tips. Masses of free content, from 5 minute shorts to hour+ ballet classes. If it's your knees you want to focus on, she has a 16 minute video on that very thing - just go to Lazy Dancer Tips and then search 'knees'. But there's a lot on her channel that focuses on balance, strengthening calves, ankles, feet and glutes, all of which will help prepare you for trekking. I got into her workouts during the first lockdown, and nearly 4 years on, my plantar fascitis is gone, my tendonitis in my achilles sorted, and the pain from my right sacro-iliac joint and weakness and pain down my right leg mostly fixed. I still have to take care of it, but I'm no longer limping home from the 10 minute walk to the supermarket! Plié on! Wall sits are also good for knee recovery.

I will ask my brother who recovered from knee surgery to running 10k on roads again what exercises he did. Basically, physio/barre/pilates to strengthen muscles and improve alignment will work, but you usually have to do three times as much as the physio will admit, for four times as long.

Spencer0220 · 02/03/2024 21:01

Spend for today: £20 on the next month's internet.

No trip out for yellow sticker deals, so that will be it for today.

Organised a Sainsbury's delivery for the morning. Lots of nectar prices for the meat we like. So picked up quite a lot to freeze.

Spencer0220 · 03/03/2024 02:52

Extra £13 last night. Mum wanted some items from Amazon.

Girliefriendlikespuppies · 03/03/2024 16:02

Weekend spends;

£16 in subway Ystd for lunch for dd and I (they've put their prices up since I was last in there!)
£6 in The Works on notebooks for work
£2.40 parking
£50 Boots on various creams and hair products (should last ages.)

Had a scary experience on Boots, I heard a lot of glass breaking, shouting and realised a bloke was robbing the perfumes. Suddenly loads of men and security leapt into action and tried to stop him at which point the robber legged it straight past me!! I was frozen to the spot to scared to move 😳

Can't believe how blatant he was.

Spencer0220 · 03/03/2024 18:19

Omg @Girliefriendlikespuppies are you okay? Did they catch him?

Girliefriendlikespuppies · 03/03/2024 19:33

I'm not sure Spencer as I didn't see what happened once he legged it. The poor woman on the perfume counter looked traumatised though bless her.

I spent £20 on snacks and bits for dd this evening, should last her a while hopefully.

northender · 03/03/2024 21:45

Apologies, I've been awol for a few weeks & haven't been keeping up at all. Need to get back to more regular posting to keep me on track.
Having spent £500 on a new battery and a repair in the past month, our lovely reliable car is having to go to the scrapyard in the sky 😡. We've not managed to save for a replacement so are trying to figure out what to do . I'm determined not to take out another loan as we worked so hard to get the last one paid off. Ds has his own car which we can use as well as our runaround car, but it will be trickier when DD gets home from uni for Easter.
In good news, we've booked a holiday in France in June for a good price. Great to have that to look forward to. We're having a week in Carnac & 4 nights on the N Brittany coast.
5 weeks from today ds will be running the Paris marathon. He's already raised nearly £1200 for the ovarian cancer charity I support. He wrote a really lovely piece about my cancer & his ME so I'm having some very proud mum moments.
Did a £105 food shop today but have really stocked up & we've got all we need for meals this week and beyond.
Inspired by people on this thread I've been making all my own sourdough bread which is going really well. 2 cheese & marmite loaves today, yum!
Hope everyone is doing okay, I will try to read back & catch up a bit

Spencer0220 · 03/03/2024 22:53

Only one spend today: £44 on Sainsbury's

Gensola · 04/03/2024 06:44

Oh my goodness @Girliefriendlikespuppies that sounds so scary! I hope you’re ok.

I have sold around two thirds of my chalet collection now. Have cleared a whole book case (and arranged for a friend to take that for his new flat!) and made just over £300. Happy with that. Will keep listing the remaining ones, hopefully get those sold too.

About to list my peloton for sale, sniff, will miss it but there’s no way we can ship it to America.

Chile1978 · 04/03/2024 10:30

Morning on this March Monday 👋

3rd month not winning anything on PB :(

End of the month expenses are annoying- - have had to move some money to cover so I don't get charged interest.

Got home and car insurance to compare and buy. Also lots of work. Not enough time in the day. Was meant to do last night but so tired from our weekend although lovely to go to the new forest 🌳. Didn't spot any ponies but did meet some friendly pet alpacas 😀
Have sick baby at home today too so looking like an all nighter to finish.

It's driving me a bit crazy to have acc2 at -1002 so going to do a bit of an account tidy up to see if I can't get it under 1000!

Catch up a bit later with all your posts

Spends
£10 kids activity
£3.50 gift
£21 picnic
£7 hot drinks
£50 petrol
£9 diy

RumBananaSundae · 04/03/2024 10:33

Thank you Big. I will look her up and give it a go. I'm putting time in at the gym but I'm doubtful my smaller muscles are benefitting much. I have heard of wall sits so will try those too. Thank you - much appreciated.

Crikey Girlie that's not a pleasant shopping experience.

Sorry about the car North. Nice to hear your France plans and the best of luck to your son for the 7th.

Yesterday I spent about £8. £2.57 in Lidl and the rest on buying myself a sandwich. Today has been spendy. Paid the gas and electricity bill for the last quarter and for the hotel in France next month.

Anticipating an expensive month. Had forgotten the council bill comes so I am somewhat relived I threw lots at the solicitor earlier in the year so hopefully the balance on my account will carry me for a while. Not planning anything extravagant for France but still need to book and pay for it. Hoping changing my internet etc. will help offset as my bill will be in credit this month (allegedly).

Chile1978 · 04/03/2024 12:28

Disney sounds great @ememem84 are you going to stay on the park?

Good news on school @Timetoswitch . We've still got that decision to come and it's not an easy one.

Biscuits are such an easy stress food @ShortFatShambolicHouseElf I don't have any advice for you as I'm an emotional eater myself.

That's a nice gift 🎁 @Nellieinthebarn

@Girliefriendlikespuppies glad bristol was fun, scary re: the thief

@RumBananaSundae well done on sample sale avoided

@Gensola wow! Good progress already. Are you going to buy a home in the US or rent?

@northender I begrudge every single penny spent on a car. My last one I spent £1800 on and less than a year later it went to scrap. Good luck to ds 🇫🇷 🏃‍♂️

Happierwithouthim · 04/03/2024 12:57

Shoutout and best wishes to our Irish friend @taytocrisps who I've seen on another thread is recovering from an appendectomy Flowers

I've a few days to catch up on.

Thurs €4.80 on parking, €85 on balloons and a chain for my friends 50th
€1 on a card for friend. Bought myself a Garmin Vivosport 5 for €299 plus €40 for 2 years extra warranty, I'd vouchers for €115 of this. €130 to endocrinologist, think I'll get half back on my VHI €10.95 on lunch
€2 on yogurts for ds's lunch
30c to use toilets in shopping centre
Fri NSD
Sat €58 on dinner and all my loose change went to lighting candles in a church
€16.90 on drinks at the bar
Sun €15 on charging plug for garmin
€6 on a pop up card for dm's 70th in Sept
50c to use toilets in shopping centre
€13.45 on groceries & a drink/cuppa tea on way home

Girlie that sounds terrifying, glad you're ok

OP posts:
AliceA2021 · 04/03/2024 14:00

How many balloons do you get for €85 @Happierwithouthim

Gensola · 04/03/2024 15:23

@taytocrisps hope you recover well and swiftly 🍇💐

Has anyone tried Lanx boots? They look good but spendy, so don’t want to make an expensive mistake! I am trying to buy less but good quality things.

Did a huge clear out yesterday ahead of estate agents coming to take photos of our house - shame we didn’t keep it like this for ourselves to actually live in 😆

lifelongfrugaleer · 04/03/2024 16:28

gws tayto