Amigos actively attempting austere actions August 24>

[Happierwithouthim]

Link to last thread
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/cost_of_living/5007277-familiar-friends-in-frugalityfeb-24?latest=1

All welcome, the vibe is frugal life to make the things that matter possible, which is different for everyone, some of us have overcome debt, separations etc. All are friendly and we're sometimes chatty, sometimes quiet.

Don't lurk, join in

Thanks, Nellie and Happier.

On balance, DH is so apprehensive about this procedure, it's emphatically worth the cost of an overnight stay to remove the anxiety he has about the logistics of this. (It's what contingency savings are for!)

I should say that part of DH's mental frame around this is because I've been asking him to take action on a couple of health points for a couple of years. He kept delaying it until events have overtaken him for one item. Apparently, he had quite a vent about this to his psychologist who's been supporting him on 'the path to understanding what it means to be an adult' (from finances and budgeting to health).

We'd been planning a short break for later this year. If we go ahead and book anything, I'll make sure it's only if we can cancel it. (We've had enough difficulty trying to organise the blood tests and other bits and pieces DH needs ahead of the procedure. As it is, I'm never confident these things will go ahead on the day. As it is, I'm booking the overnight stay with a cancellation option, even if it is more costly.)

Thanks happier

i think overnight sounds like the best plan

£152 Sainsbury’s
£8 m&s
£21 Aldi
£116 matalan

I'm not in the last group so can I join? What do we do?

Cutting back as DH has taken a pay cut. I'm considering setting up a savings account to pay the winter heating bills.

I need to join to help stay on track and pay off my credit card. I had a root canal and that was £750😳

Taking the leap from the old thread!! 👾Watching the Olympics Opening ceremony wondering if we'll ever get to Paris - friends and family who have been say it's a lovely city but very expensive. Dream on!! We have debts to pay!!

Has anyone else filled their freezer with reduced food?

Not been near a shop to nab any bargains. But fair play to you if you have. If you need to save money and have a few mouths to feed then every yellow sticker helps.

Nothing but empathy. I've had more root canals and crowns than I care to think. (Also, bone grafts to repair erosion from repeated abscesses.) I would weep if I calculated how much i've spent on my teeth (and one of it's cosmetic, it's all been repair work).

I feel your pain. I’ve been to the dentist every month except April and June😫and June I was there for my daughter’s appointment. It is so expensive.x

Hi all, shiny new thread 😁

@ebadame I need to go through our freezer and make a list of what we have in there and actually use some of it up! I'm sure that would cut down the shopping bill for a week at least!

This is random but we "like" Aldi toilet rolls and they used to be £6.50 (?) for 24 and they are now £4.99 which is excellent value, not sure if it's a permanent price drop but might be useful to someone!

I noticed this a few weeks ago. Great value.x

I routinely shop at both Home Bargains and Poundland before Asd a to do the weekly shop. I was buying Andrex in Home Bargains but now buy Comfy Soft loo roll much cheaper. £1.99 for six rolls. The quality is ace.

This thread is a use as you like. Some of us have been here ages and cleared debt, some of us are still in that journey.
We are all trying to be frugal but are defo supportive.
Post how your want, ask for advice, share tips, celebrate success, have a vent at the relentless of it all. Anything goes

I grab yellow stickers if I know they are stuff we will eat.
Also when I have time do the shopping tours. HB, farm foods, Lidl, Iceland, Aldi & Sainsbury’s.
very time poor at the minute though.

root canal 🤗
which reminds me I need a new mouth guard

Would the cost of running the freezer outweigh the savings?

We had a little chest freezer years ago and weren't really using it, exh thought we should fill it with sliced pans, I emptied it and turned it off and our electricity bill reduced drastically

I go through phases of sticker bargains and doing one grocery shop only per week, currently it's a click and collect from dunnes usually on a Sunday eve €10 off every €50 spent, no fee for click & collect.
When I move jobs I'll be passing Lidl/Aldi every day and will be close to a SuperValu so this might change. I'll definitely pop in more for Lidl treats as currently I only do that if I'm in town and sometimes that wouldn't happen before they expire & I'll keep informed of the Aldi super sixes too. I'll also be paid monthly so will have grocery budget for month rather than weekly. Click and collect might become a fortnightly thing, time will tell.

I get my pension money monthly and do a very part time job that pays weekly. Its brilliant, it means that there is usually still a bit of money due at the end of the month when the rest might be running low, and if its not needed, it goes straight into the savings.

DH has three pensions, two are paid per calendar month, and one is paid every 4 weeks, which means he has 13 payments per year of that one instead of 12. That feels like extra money too.

@Happierwithouthim well done for the new job, I would have to be very disciplined if I worked or lived near a lidl, I cannot resist their apple turnovers.

I'm a recovering Lidl bakery cookie addict

Hello and welcome newbies 👋

Astonishing achievement today - went to home bargains and spent £2.78. One thing we went for specifically and one extra item. That has to be some type of world 🌎 record surely? 🤣
Frugajobs: fixed saver ended and money transferred here, there, everywhere. DD2 savings goal reached 👏 . Now to concentrate on pension savings. Money set aside for charity donation in September. Finishing up food in the fridge ready for holiday.

Well done in Home Bargains. I did the same yesterday. I stuck to my list, I even remembered to take my own bag. That never happens when I go into town! NSD. Chuffed with that but we haven’t gone anywhere to spend any money.x

That's one thing I don't do is buy shopping bags, I've them in my boot, I still have the large number of bags I had when there were 3 adults and 2 dc in my house and I don't buy so much anymore for 1 adult and dc only have dinner here maybe half the week

Wow £2.78 in home bargains has to be a world record for sure

I spent €9.05 on lunch including 15c return deposit on a can of NOCCO which I didn't drink. 60c on parking so I could park right outside the door rather than navigate the busy car park on Sat lunchtime see what I mean when I say we're frugal so we can spend on stuff that's important to us

I no longer fill my freezer after we lost the whole lot a few months back! 3 bin bags of food lost it was so depressing. I now shop 3 weeks out of 4 then the 4th week use up anything that's left in the freezer and start over, it helps keep the food bills down.

Hello, i need to come back to this thread. Mg June grocery spend hit £700 and i posted in here a bit at the beginning of July to try and get it down. Looks like it’ll be around £600 which is better. I need it to be around £500 though which is possible. 2 adults, 2 tweens and we have access to free eggs. Alsk lucky enough to have a massive freezer so I do a lot of batch cooking. Made Mexican bean stew last night and had two family portions left for the freezer.

Today could be a bit spendy as we are heading to the local caravan dealer. Going on holiday on Friday and we’ve gone for a serviced pitch so need to get the kit for that. Dh needs a new wetsuit and shoes, DS some pants and I might get some more shorts and t-shirts for both kids. Need to do a bit of an audit this morning to see what we actually need.

Could you not claim off your house insurance? But how annoying for you.