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

[BigSkies2022]

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Re the cruise - @Imperfectpolly as I’m a solo traveller I use a specialist solo travel agent usually (but not always). Apparently the best (general) cruise bargains are when the cruise lines launch their seasons, but I don’t really like booking that far ahead (although I do have a deposit on a 2027 cruise 🤣). I tend to book quite late, so within a couple of months of departure.

@SockHop I think a Christmas cruise with your DD is an excellent idea although they are obviously pricier around that time, and also very popular!

My upcoming one is to the med - Croatia, Greece, Italy and Spain. Being totally honest I’m wishing I hadn’t booked it now as I could really do with the money, but obviously I’m going to make the most of it and have a great time 🥂

Yesterday wasn’t too spendy in the end - my friend paid for lunch (I will return the favour) and I took soft drinks to my friends in the evening. Just the parking of £4 to pay (for lunch). I also went to the shops and bought a couple of birthday cards, a paper (to get a national trust voucher) and used a £5 off £15 No. 7 spend to get some foundation.

Ordered a replacement hose head and some loo spray (that is for my cruise!) from Amazon. Today should be a NSD although I might buy a new swimming cossie.

BTW I’m loving all the food inspiration and now planning to use up freezer and cupboards instead of shopping before my cruise!!

Thanks @chimichangaz , your cruise sounds fab, I'd love one like that ticking off another of ports in different countries. Do you mind me asking which company the 2027 cruise is with? We are 2 adults 2 children so it would suit me to book well in advance payment wise.

Yesterday I spent €70 in lidl but got sun cream, dishwasher tablets and similar one off items in that. Then came home and bought a few bits online for me and Dc for upcoming occasions but raided the clearance section of next so checked out under €50.

@Imperfectpolly my 2027 cruise is with Celebrity to the Caribbean. Also I have a January 2026 cruise booked for my 60th (with my DS and his partner) which is with Norwegian Cruise Line. Celebrity are more ‘high end’ (IMO) than NCL, but NCL have more ships, more itineraries and (I think) are more cost effective. Both lines often have flash sales so I’d suggest signing up to their mailing lists. For example, 70% off second passengers (which is no good for solos like me 🤣)

ginwere going on a cruise on Saturday , it’s our 1st ever cruise , going with our kids and our friends, they’ve done cruises before . We’re doing a med cruise with msc . Looking forward to it but worried I won’t like it as I’m a free spirit and like to go and have time to myself

@typicaltuesdaynight I’m also a free spirit and love cruising solo. I think the key is to set your boundaries, let others know what they are and make sure you have time in your schedule to do what you want to do as well as doing stuff with others. I have always met up with other solo travellers on cruises and we’ve all been happy to do our own thing in the day and meet up in the evenings. Best of both worlds.

@Imperfectpolly
P&O is a great family cruise line if that helps they are doing 2027 early offers and offer excellent payment plans.

NSD hopefully here perhaps a walk for an ice-cream later for the DD as she has got cabin fever.

NSD for me today yay!

I hope those who have been unwell feel better soon 💐

Productive week. Only spend was £38 petrol, but today I have been quoted a small fortune for the skin clinic but thats over a year in installments every 6 weeks, and £78 for DDs prom dress alterations payable next month 😮needs must. Hopefully I can save some pennies on the shoes. Had a refund from John Lewis too.

No big plans this weekend, it's our anniversary today but DH doesn't want to do anything. I'm trying to figure out some meal planning which fits with a diet that increases my blood circulation, and that the kids will eat too, DD6 is autistic and fussy so I may not get away with one meal for everyone. It looks like beetroor, ginger and turmeric are my new friends.

A NSD here for me. We found a new park to visit and OH bought the ice creams and I took a picnic with us.
Yesterday I had planned a NSD but I forgot to buy deodorant and eggs from Tesco so popped in to grab these and came out £37 lighter thanks to seeing nice things.
Loving the meal plans! Def doing jackets in the air fryer, I normally do in oven and it's such a pain. How long do they take in air fryer?
Tomorrow we have posh jackets (jackets with the flesh mixed with pesto, cheese and sun-dried tomatoes and then popped back in to crisp up) and a side salad.
Today we had a roast dinner and so Tuesday we have veggie stew to use up the veggies I didn't use today.
Wednesday we have sweet potato and coconut milk soup which I found in a deliciously ella book. Then it's back to Lidl for the next week's menu :)

£20.19 for Petrol and £120.00 for fish food and a fish!! 😳Yikes!!

I’ve enjoyed reading the menu planning ideas too.

I’ve had a nice weekend. I went to a sport club end of season celebration with dd yesterday which I thought was going to be expensive- but as it turned out dd just enjoyed hanging around with her mates and didn’t ask for any money. I bought 2 alcohol free beers and that was the total spend all afternoon.
I did an m&s mini food shop which came to £19. I’ve got lunches for the days I’m at work out of it, but most importantly I bought the ingredients to make a fondue - which we had instead of an expensive takeaway when my friend came round. Was fairly yum.

Today we’ve been at the park with dd and friends - I took snacks and drinks from home and we had a mini picnic so no spends whilst out. I did however book train tickets for when we visit family next weekend.

So..
Saturday £24
Sunday £63

So it was a busy day. Spent €70 in Aldi, got compost and grow bags, lots of ice creams and a few pantry items I can’t get in Lidl. This trip was really about the ice creams though.

€7 on a smart bulb for me niece as the one I bought her earlier in the year was the wrong type.

spent the whole day working in the garden and I can seriously feel it now. Lots done and all flowers I have planted. Also started filling a low cavity block wall we have in the garden with soil and planted in some wildflowers and mint. Hoping they both take off. Getting to the stage where we are actually doing the “dreaming” projects in the garden and less of the back breaking donkey work.

pulled all the rhubarb and cooked it down in the slowcookers. I’ll give it a blend later and DH found a recipe for a rhubarb ice lolly so might have a go at them.

dinner was pulled beef bbq burgers I made yesterday with the reduced meat I bought Friday. It was very frugal as I used every sachet and mini tub of bbq sauce we had in the house. I’ve lunch for tomorrow made that uses up yesterdays bbq leftovers.

not 100% sure about tomorrow’s dinner but possibly pulled pork Mexican something. Also cooked the pork yesterday so it would be an easy Monday dinner.

Lidl £40.63 more than I'd thought for a quick top up but I'm going to take my lunch to work as much as possible this week.

ETA £2.90 at coop for butter. I made some cheese scones as a thank you for my niece and her family. Some left over and they were very good with a cup of herbal tea before I head to bed ☕

I love baked potatoes and yours sound divine, frugal! Sadly, my lot are indifferent to their joys, and they therefore don't feature regularly as an easy, low-effort meal here.

I have to make a food plan to get through most of June. So far I have got:
lamb dansak to freeze
ragu to freeze
chilli to freeze
2 chickens, jointed, to freeze - can make a curry, put them on the bbq, roast
Sausages for the bbq, to freeze: italian, toulouse, chorizo
If I do trays of roast/char-grilled veg in good quantities, that should generate enough leftovers to go with feta cheese/olives/bread for lunch the next day. And I can get away with a couple of pasta plus tomato sauce/pesto meals.

Am going to get DH to take his DPs to the supermarket when they arrive so they can stock up on the things they like, because if I am required to get the right milk/non-dairy spread/zero fat yoghurt/whatever joyless thing they prefer, on top of everything else, I shall combust.

Great day in the garden pistachio - we're also at the pleasure stage after a lot of heavy work.

Right, various errands to run, niece's birthday voucher to buy, and if I can make a start on painting the side return, today would be a good day. Lentil and sweet potato curry tonight, very frugal.

Happy Monday everyone. Today i spent €12.20 on coffee for me team in work.

This weeks menu
Monday - Pulled pork wraps or taco's, peppers, guacamole, cheese and i may make some Black bean and corn salsa too
Tuesday - I'm working an evening shift so will bring lunch and dinner. Lunch will be an asian salad using some satay rice noodles and asian chickpeas i have in the freezer. I think Dinner will be beef and barley soup and a roll all from the freezer. DH will probably do an omelette or pasta
Wednesday - Lamb kebabs with tzatziki, wraps salad and couscous or southern fried chicken steaks with roasted veg, potatoes and gravy
Thursday - Some kind of pasta dish. Probably pesto pasta, brocolli and roasted veg with chicken and bacon bits from the freezer. Though i do also have some bolognaise in the freezer. I must see if i have enough for a lasagne.
Friday - Homemade Pizza on the BBQ? Or some other BBQ foods.
Saturday - At a communion so will be fed there
Sunday - BBQ - might do a chicken on it or if DH wants to get the weber out he might do a tomahawk we have in the freezer.

Nothing needed for this menu as we have everything. i do need to do a look through the freezers to see what meats i have and make a plan for next week based on those.

I keep a large freezer stock on hand so always have the basics of a meal in there. i do find cooking in nice weather more difficult though as i hate turning on the oven and many roast type dinners are just not appealing

Your menu sounds lovely @pistachiosanscream

NSD here for me other than tube fare.

I received £600 child benefit back payments today which was nice. I’ve put half of it in a pot for DD expenses (uniform and holiday clubs) and the other half in my general savings.

l went to Aldis and spent another £40 🙄
Forgot to say we bought an oven from AO , had it delivered and the electric wire is so short it isn't long enough to fit the damn socket 🙄 so that's gone back 🙄.
Hey ho we will get one soon l am sure 😊
I went for lunch with my friend but it was her turn to pay bless her 😋😁

NSD today! Did not go out apart from to the tip! 😊

I can't join in the meal plan sharing as we get Gousto 5 nights a week. It's pricey at £50ish but worth every penny for us, as time poor girls who don't love cooking!

NSD! A rarity here! Saved on a meal deal by my frugal lunch - found half a bag of smoky BBQ wings in the freezer, tipped them in the slow cooker and used the meat for a sticky rice bowl to take to work for two days. It was very tasty.

Loving the menu plans. Mines quite rough this week. Apart from the two days DH is not at work, I make simple meals most evenings as he works lates and has tea at work.
I've got chicken breast and king prawns to stir fry with edamame and broccoli stir fry mix and either sweet chilli, katsu or teriyaki sauce. Sides of either noodles or rice. Put some left over spaghetti and meatballs in the freezer so enough to last until the food shop.

@MaryGreenhill oh no, hope the oven situation is resolved soon! We have sagas with appliances and cars - we were down to one car and no dishwasher for six weeks over the winter! 🙏

Ahh thank you ☺️ , It's a nightmare @Mochi1fudge
Hey ho
Your lunch sounded delicious 😋 🤤

NSD here yippee.
Oohhh I need to up my game on the menu planning. I've actually run my freezer down although could probably use up a few bits in the cupboards. Will have a look tomorrow when I do my meal plan.
Oh no, @MaryGreenhill , have you found another?

Blimey, Mary, it would never have occurred to me that that could happen. What are the manufacturers thinking?

£5.77 in Sainsbury's on food.
£40 voucher for niece.
£9.90 on a prescription.
Spent yesterday painting the side return. The paint (Sandtex) is nearly 5 years old, but because of a genius plastic lid, which fits properly airtight, has not deteriorated at all. Why isn't this a requirement for all paint tins? I can never get the metal ones back on properly.

Yesterday I came across an ancient podcast on the BBC - from 2019! It's one of a series called Don't Tell Me the Score (Simon Mundie presents) and the guest was Shane O'Mara. He's a neuroscientist who wrote In Praise of Walking. Anyway, 'twas very informative and motivating, and I have now ordered his book from the library. And will walk there to get it.

Errands locally today and may end up at DParents. But I want to put a second coat on the side return while we have this good weather. Then when it's all nicely scrubbed up, I will plant up some pots with geraniums and pretend we are in France!

Afternoon everyone 😁
Been to see Mum who was fine 🤗
NSD for me to day 😁
@BigSkies2022&@Frugal25No l haven't got another in mind l am looking and looking 🙄
That is great paint @BigSkies2022 👍😁