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

[BigSkies2022]

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Apologies if I’ve asked this before, but which supermarkets are good for online shopping? I used to use Waitrose but everything had such short use by dates.

I got an email for a flash sale at a sport shop yesterday - 50% off for 1 hour only on kids clothes. I splurged but don't feel guilty. Picked up things that the kids will need later this year eg coats in bigger sizes, new tracksuits (as they are currently living in shorts). I've taken the funds out of my electric bill funds so have time to recover it again before winter.

We drove to Dublin yesterday, a 2 hour drive each way but thankfully DH funded the fuel costs and dinner for us.

Food shop this morning came in at €155 so I'm a fiver over budget already for the week. I think I'm going to have to be realistic and increase my estimate in my budget going forward.

£1.60 for a paper for work and £13.50 for Fish/Sausage and chips and pot of curry sauce. Chips not particularly good as I think they are using new potatoes. So a low spend day.

Had a day out at a nearby city today which was lovely and we managed to watch the purse strings.
Was going to have an Indian tonight but our local wanted two hours for delivery, I want to be asleep in two hours so we've had a scrape tea and saved £35 which has funded our day really.

I use sainsburys. I’ve tried asda & tesco & they’ve both cancelled my shops last minute for annoying reasons. Have always been happy with sainsburys. Not many substitutes & the nectar reward points soon add up!

NSD for me today yay!

I have used Sainsbury's,Tesco, Waitrose and Morrisons and the best were Tesco for me .

Thanks @MaryGreenhill @PeenaM . I’ve put in an order with Sainsbury’s and will see how I get on. For some reason I have a feeling I don’t like Tesco delivery but I can’t actually remember what I’m basing that on! Will give them a go next.

Rainbow - I read your longer post on your planning, and all the attention you pay to budgeting, and felt the weight of all that forward thinking and calculations on the spot - bloody well done. It's not easy, it feels relentless, but it's sooo preferable to the sloppy, out-of-control, dunno-what's-going-on mindet.

This has been a mad week. Yesterday i took DS and his GF to the Munch exhibition (£31 plus my fares, about £8) then we met DH at Honey & Smoke, where I contributed £100 to the dinner bill.

Today I've been running around with DM, taking her to see DDad in the care home, then home to ours for lunch and garden sitting, before taking her home. She keeps pushing money at me (£40) which I then try to give to DH,so he can buy petrol/wine/whatever. He refuses to take the money, and leaves it on the side, like some embarrassing mess that no-one wants to acknowledge.

Told DH that PILs couldn't come to stay, I cannot provide hotel services for 10 days with everything else that is happening, and he needed to find alternative accommodation for them for the London stretch of their trip. Which he has done. I really wish I"d understood my limits earlier in the day, and I won't repeat this particular mistake! But - sense check here - AIBU? would you ask someone to host your stay for 10 nights? I accept I might be reacting rather defensively, but there is a loud voice saying, "Seeking ten nights hotel services??? Who fucking does that??"

@BigSkies2022 yanbu!!! Well done you. I would have done the same. You're already going through so much. You didn't need this on top.

Tried selling on Vinted. Sold it all in one day. Why didn't I try this sooner??? Now have to wrap everything up.

Got a little tipsy last night and this morning remembered I had spent £10.75 on spider lillies which I did want tbf but it took a gin to press "buy".
Today I bought OH a tea in Tesco cafe as he had just bought me a £500 dishwasher. Not on budget but I'll take the hit seeing as I got out of washing up forever.

I use Sainsbury’s and they usually flag the short dates stuff so you c mind refund it if you won’t use it

spending few days as payday and a night out with the girls. Still have buzzing ears

you are definitely not unreasonable I would not host people for 10 days or dream of asking unless it was a real emergency

Absolutely not unreasonable.

I wouldn't host for any period of time unless an absolute disaster happened and would be limited to the absolute minimum I don't like people in my space I feel so overwhelmed by it, on maternity leave, I hosted some Mum get togethers and it absolute broke me they were fully respectful and great friends but I can't cope with people in my space.

Afternoon everyone 😁
Been to see Mum , who was fine ❤️
Then to Aldi's for a few bits but l mainly wanted to go to get a Gillette razer and blades and a bottle of their blue aftershave for DH for Father's Day .
£31 in total . I had some great bargains there . 75% off bread and rolls , 50% off cod loinsand protein meals .
Obviously 12 o'clock in a Sunday is the time to go for the reductions in our Aldis.
Just settling down to watch The Spanish Grand Prix
Have a lovely day everyone 😊

@BigSkies2022 Totally not being unreasonable. Fish and guests start to smell after 3 days. I think that means 2 nights and 3 days. 10 days is way too much for anyone.

Right, I am on it for June. Just sat down and planned my month both socially, school - ly and spendy. Our food bill for May came to a horrendous £750. To make matters worse I get free beef and eggs from work which we both eat a lot of so we very much need to reign it in. Far too many quick stops at Aldi for sweets or strawberries that are adding up to £20.

So budget set for June is £500 to feed 2 adults and 2 kids. (13 and 11). Kids get hot school dinners. Will be a bit tricky as June is full of end of school year stuff meaning late nights and temptation on the way home for a quick Mcdonalds or sweets.

Spent £105 today on tickets for all 4 of us and DS's friend to go to an orchestral concert in August. Nothing seems cheap as a family any more. This is a very provincial theatre and that seems a lot to me. Also paid £16 for the kids and I to go swimming over half term. What used to be a cheap rainy day activity is now getting quite spendy.

@BigSkies2022 definitely not being unreasonable - 10 days is far too long and especially with all that you're dealing with at the moment. The only way I would say it wasn't too long is if they were going to be a massive help while staying, cook meals, do washing and cleaning and generally keep out of the way!

Yesterday I spent about £50 on lunch for me and my sister for her birthday then popped to Morrisons for some cheese and wine for dinner (£12 there) - I must stop just popping to the shop!

I start my WW plan tomorrow so I need to do a meal plan and shopping list. I defrosted some Richmond sausages to eat up today as they will be far too high in points from next week 😂

I've been watching someone on YouTube do Project Pan where they sort out their overstock toiletries and work their way through them. Not allowed to buy new ones until they've gone through their 'shop'. I've done a list of all my overstocks today and sorted into categorised boxes. Jeepers I've got a lot of stuff. Don't need any skincare stuff in particular for months! I wrote a list out by category and took photos which I've got in a note on my phone to check if I'm tempted while out shopping.... I also sorted out my makeup earlier this week and threw loads away - I had 16 tubes of foundation!!!

@BigSkies2022 The longest I've hosted people was two weeks, and it was very hard work. It's not just the cooking and cleaning, but the frazzled nerves of being in close quarters and the expectation to keep them entertained. I wouldn't do ten days personally, especially not as you have other things to focus on.

Had a lovely time in London yesterday for a family BBQ, although had to leave early due to DH and DD feeling sick, fine today luckily.

Looking at May's end of month figures, I've overspent by £335.00. Not great, but what is done is done. I'm not too worried as I have a fully fuinded emergency fund so it doesnt affect anything but it's not there to cover indulgent spends really.

Today I have spent about £27ish on Amazon, had an email about £5 off £15 spend, which works on various accounts, so I've made the most of it to get DD6 some birthday presents and two gifts to put away for birthday parties. Had £7 credit on one account that I hadnt realised, so nice little win.

@chimichangaz I did similar with my toiletries/haircare.makeup earlier this year, took everything out, listed everything by category, date purchased, how many etc, and space for end date, and if i'd buy again. All my extras are in a box to be rotated when something finishes, and another box for the empties to be sent away to recycle.me for a £5 voucher per 5 empty items.

Fairly good day today we went to feed the ducks and picked up milk and bread but no more spends.
Weekly budget has not been exhausted which is a positive I've added it to the slush fund ready for our mini break.
Husband brought us pizza as he couldn't be effed making us dinner.

Ooh yes - I’ve got a recycling box for that purpose too!!

@BigSkies2022 10 days is a very long time to host guests. It’s totally reasonable to ask them to make other arrangements if possible. Especially as you've got so much going on at the moment.

I had a NSD yesterday. Dd had a sports competition and then a friend over and I got on with weeding the garden.

Today has been a bit spendier. I’ve spent £80 on a Sainsbury’s shop although it shouldn't need topping up again this week other than bread and milk. I bought Dd an end of half term bubble tea which was £5 and then I bought a ring door bell for £60. Dd and I are back home now which is lovely, but it means Dd will be coming home to an empty house several days a week so I’d like to keep an eye on any comings and goings.

No big spends planned for the week ahead (other than scheduled bills)

NSD today!! Good start for June!! 😄

LSD here, we went to a Essex wildlife trust park and I spent £16 on gifts from their shop for various birthdays. Then did some weeding and played in the garden.
I did not know about the recycle.me. googling this now!!

Morning.

I had to Google bubble tea!

Another one in the ‘10 days is too long to host, YANBU’ camp.

DD and me have done the ‘no unnecessary spending on cosmetics and toiletries for a couple of years now’. In truth, partly to reduce waste as much as financial reasoning.

Spending this weekened

£6 drinks at sports club
£22 T shirt for DD’s birthday (I have a pot for this)
£28 shopping but a lot yellow sticker items that have been deducted from my online shop, so saving overall.

Sold £11 of items on Vinted. It all helps.

Veggie chilli or tuna and apple pasta bake for tea (haven’t fully decided but both on the list).

Should be a NSD.

Have a great day! 😊

Currently in an Airbnb with my friend. Checkout is eleven I’m awake since 8 and on my phone, she’s still sleeping. We’re so different in that respect! My tummy is growling but if I get up and move around I’ll wake her

Yesterday
€60 Kayaking
€60 main course & drinks
€30 drinks
€15 Taxi

Afternoon everyone 😊
£200 on assorted birthdays , Father's day and 60th wedding Anniversary and passing a driving test . Phew 😁
Hope everyone is ok 😊
Weather is lovely here hope it's nice for you all too 🙏