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Is your March miserly or munificent? Join the frugaleers sharing news and tips.

1000 replies

BigSkies2022 · 09/03/2025 08:59

New thread

OP posts:
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13
PenniesButton · 05/05/2025 10:56

@needastrongoneagain thanks to you I've ordered 6 Oatley Barista milks for £9- what a bargain- never would have thought of looking on amazon for that!

Spendy weekend so far but a good one.

Bought a year's cinema card for £160 through work discount, have been paying £19.99 a month so a massive saving which I'm pleased with. We only need the 1 card as DW gets in for free as my carer with my CEA card. So £160 for a year's worth of cinema for the 2 of us is great. We go all the time as it's 10 mins walk from my house. We take our own food and drink!

Bought 16 bags of compost to fill up my planters yesterday. They were on a bH special at Robbie's, 2 for £10 when usually £7.99 each. So £80. And couldn't resist some plants and flowers etc too, another £35. Spent all day in the garden planting out my seedlings etc and it's all looking lovely. I have no idea which things will survive, thrive or die as it's my first year in Scotland but it's fun experimenting.

PeenaM · 05/05/2025 11:06

Yesterday’s spends ….
£129.91 on the weekly shop! Pleased with this as it also included £15.50 on a pack of 8 oral b toothbrush heads that were on sale.
£30 on a diffuser hairdryer, tried it last night it did absolutelt nothing to my hair 🫠

Yesterays chicken has so much meat on it that it will make another meal tonight! Which is great.

My card that is on my vinted account has expired, I’m not going to rush to put new card details on. Hopefully that will stop me spending for a while 🤞🏻

Not going out today, other than a bike ride with the girls. Should be a no spend day x

SockHop · 05/05/2025 11:26

That’s a great price for your cinema card @PenniesButton

Ive had a cheap weekend. I think I’m coming down with a bit of an illness which I guess helps with not going out at least! I’m shattered!
Yesterday was a NSD and today so far I’ve spent £12 for Dd to go iceskating. I’ve given her some snacks but she’s also got her bank card incase the others buy some lunch so my spend could easily go up…
Dd was away at a sleepover last night so I stayed at my house for the first time since DH died in February. We’ve been staying at my mums and Dd is only just getting to a point where she wants to go home. I think we will move back slowly after she’s done her SATs later this month. Anyway, for various reasons I’ve repainted some of the rooms and have done quite a bit of DIY/sorting since we’ve been gone. It’s looking really nice but there are still bits I want to do. I’ve got a longish list of non urgent ‘wants’ which I’ll buy over time. I do need to replace the Velux blinds in my bedroom fairly soon (prob about £300) which will be the next biggish purchase. I can just about limp on with the current ones for now although the pulley mechanisms on both are pretty much gone.

I hope you’re all having a good bank holiday.

chimichangaz · 05/05/2025 13:20

Ah @PeenaM sorry the diffuser didn’t work!! Do you use products too? I found it was only effective if I’d done (my version of) the Curly Girl method. Which is basically curl cream followed by gel or mousse.

I’ve had an unexpectedly spendy morning. I’d bought some shorts and trousers on Vinted a size up (my holiday is in 10 days and I seem to have ‘shrunk’ my clothes…. 😳) and was absolutely mortified that they were too tight. I had to nip into town to pick up the crocs I ordered (not sure I like them so they may be going back) and spent about £70 on holiday clothes while I was there.

I’m going to sort out my packing this afternoon and see what I’ve got and aim to fill any bits from Vinted and potentially take some of this stuff back.

I did manage to resist buying takeaway coffee though 😇

MaryGreenhill · 05/05/2025 14:18

Afternoon everyone 😊
Been to see Mum and been watching the VE celebrations with her and at home so not been out to spend thankfully 😊.
Have a lovely day everyone 😊

lifelongfrugaleer · 05/05/2025 14:31

Spend day again £129 on garden bench but half the price of other places. Looked at pots but found a reclamation yard not too far away so will go there.
£14 lunch out DH & i
£15 boyes on garden bits
£55 harry hall
need petrol later
£6.40 Greggs on way to farm
cant remeber the rest

lifelongfrugaleer · 05/05/2025 14:32

Remembered. £40 on menopause vitamins

Frugal25 · 05/05/2025 18:05

Hello everyone! Happy bank holiday :)
I had a morning just myself and DD so we went to the garden centre with my mum and I bought the veggies that don't seem to be growing in my greenhouse. £29.
Some are fine, others are being stubborn. So I now have back up plug plants!
Mum treated me to a cuppa which was lovely.
Then spent the rest of the day in tears watching VE on the TV and taking DD to the park.
Tomorrow the Mr goes back to work and DD goes back to school so I'll potter about planting veggies up and having a NSD. I always plant them out too soon and I lose them all so they are staying in greenhouse for a bit longer this year.
Sorry you're coming down with something @SockHop , well done for going back home last night too. That's a big thing to do. Hope you are ok. X

Vinorosso74 · 05/05/2025 19:15

Had a day out yesterday at Whipsnade Zoo (we have membership). Bought hot drinks and snacks, well DP did and that was it.
Today was just under £30 on food bits, a lot of which is for lunches during the week.
Was thinking this should be a low spend week but DCat has a dental. Unsure if insurance will cover it.

Mochi1fudge · 05/05/2025 19:46

Two more items sold on Vinted 👍 four parcels now sent off. Only £1 each but it helps with the declutter too. Charity shop run tomorrow morning to clear space.

£23.74 Halfords for two indicator bulbs fitted. One started to trigger the sensors today, so needed doing immediately. I did save 5% using the work discount benefit.
£7.99 Amazon hair colour
£10 eyebrow wax and tint
£5.98 Farmfoods for a bag of king prawns which went with last nights left over curry sauce and some mini snowballs for £1 may have sneaked in. ☺️

This thread is great for keeping track and ideas.

PenniesButton · 05/05/2025 20:36

Spent £35 on a Chinese for dinner.

No regrets! Sad the bank holiday is over, it's been lovely. Back to reality tomorrow!

BigSkies2022 · 06/05/2025 12:28

Yikes, cold today. Temperatures due to rise day by day though, and staying dry. I got used to the nice weather.

£18 Sainsbury's. About £12 left in food budget until Thursday. Easy!

£64 haircut.

OP posts:
Frugal25 · 06/05/2025 14:05

£10 for DD pre school fundraising and £10 for swimming session for Thursday booked.
Now got a craving for a chinese....

MaryGreenhill · 06/05/2025 14:17

£11 Morrisons on Quorn nuggets, bread and butter.
Cold out 14C but it's a beautiful day and perfect for drying on the line 2 loads out for me 😁.
Hope everyone is feeling better and having a lovely day ☺️

PeenaM · 06/05/2025 16:54

nsd yday!

Today I’ve spent £43.39 on a jacket & cardigan! Got 20% discount with my BlueLightCard.

Rest of the week should be all nsd’s. Until Saturday night when DH and I are out for dinner for our anniversary. The first time the two of us have been out just us since last years anniversary!! Will have to pay for the babysitter too but so worth it x

Rainbow1901 · 06/05/2025 18:04

Clocked up two NSDs yesterday and today. Recycling Bins have been emptied so have room now to throw more stuff while de-cluttering. Sorted, condensed and re-filed our important papers files and shredded everything not needed or out of date. There were three rather naff files and now have only one lever arch file. Many bills are sorted on online now so no need to store a trees worth of paper in my house any more! 😊
Took NDN to hospital for her eye appointment and she paid the parking earlier today. She'll need to go back for further scans in a few weeks but the drops in the eyes are a killer on a sunny day. Note to self - take sunglasses next time!! 😎
DH had the remainder of last night's stew while I had the last Jacket potato - DH is try to win against diabetes so has been following a greatly reduced carb/sugar diet. It's interesting seeing his blood sugar readings and how they are affected by what he's been eating. We have found that chia seeds do a great job of maintaining satiety and neither of us is feeling hungry. Maybe the weight will improve too. 😇
Avoiding town this evening as local football club is celebrating going up in the league. Driving in town is horrendous on a normal day never mind when they close roads - have enough of that every time they mend a road somewhere - everywhere ends up grid-locked. Not a footie supporter at all - would rather watch paint dry! 🙄

lifelongfrugaleer · 06/05/2025 20:43

Nsd. Hurrah

Spendlessretireearly · 07/05/2025 06:26

On holiday self catering so spending quite a bit at supermarket but nothing else
getting slightly concerned re cost cutting measures at work. Bloody government so naive to think employers nic hike isn’t straight back onto employees

Imperfectpolly · 07/05/2025 06:58

Have done really well with money in the last few days. my spare change pot for the month was looking very healthy so I bought a pair of trainers for €75. Not a bad price and I will get a lot of wear out of them over the summer months.

Couldn't sleep last night so I was looking up flights and spotted really well priced ones for December. They are about half the price we would usually pay for that time of year. I didn't buy them but think I won't be able to resist for much longer. My mind is somersaulting because I don't want to spend from the little pot of savings I have built up, yet if I don't spend now, will end up paying double when we book later in the year.

pistachiosanscream · 07/05/2025 13:46

Checking in as it’s been a few days. Been thoroughly enjoying the lovely weather whilst also still getting the house back together after the party.

taking advantage of my night rate electricity for the washer and hanging clothes to dry. It is more time consuming but they do smell lovely.

Sunday went to the beach and spent about €25 on fish and snacks

monday at sisters and doing some gardening but bought items from pharmacy €54, €50 petrol and €5 on bread and bananas

yesterday €13 on a rotisserie chicken, chorizo and bananas again.

today so far is a NSD but we are out tonight so I expect to spend some money on snacks and drinks

BigSkies2022 · 07/05/2025 14:15

Spent half the morning on the phone to (well, waiting for) HMRC because my new DD hadn't gone through, despite receiving a confirmation that it HAD been set up. Anyway, it's sorted now, and the nice man on the helpline confirmed that my calculations were correct, so the lower monthly payment can stand until my next assessment is due, next April. So, perhaps I can think of that as a frustrating 90 minutes which actually netted me £800, and saved me some admin that I'd scheduled for August.

£4.60 butcher
Cleaned floors, another wash done. DH put the heating back on last night! Today the temperature is rising again.

OP posts:
MaryGreenhill · 07/05/2025 14:55

Home Bargains £9
FarmFoods £30
Asda £24
Been to see Mum who was excellent, took a parcel back to Asda £30 refund .
Good value on Heinz Tomato sauce 1kg for £2.99 cheapest l have seen and Heinz salad cream £1.38 for 450mls l think . Matteson's sausages 99p in FarmFoods .DH loves them, l can't bear them 🤣

ChipshopPickledEgg · 07/05/2025 15:09

Two NSD days here which is great.
Did spend £6 of my husband's money on vinted for my DD though.

Frugal25 · 07/05/2025 17:16

Love a good sort out of filing, I did mine a little while ago and went from 25 folders to 1. Shredded and binned the rest, a great feeling @Rainbow1901 !!
£36 on yoga sessions for the month and £28 on earrings for best friends birthday but that's on a pre paid card from work so "free" and I get 10% back.
Horrid migraine today, I was tempted to get a takeaway tonight for me and OH but I can't face one now so that's saved a few pennies. Bath and bed for me.

needastrongoneagain · 07/05/2025 17:28

Glad to be of service re the Oatly Barista @PenniesButton 😊

Hope the migraine improves @Frugal25. I've had a banging headache all day too.

It's hard spending from the carefully saved pots sometimes @Imperfectpolly.

Spends in the last day
£16 vitamins
£30 top up shop.

Money earned
£20:Vinted
£100 pcm reduction in energy bill (I was deliberately overpaying).

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