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

[BigSkies2022]

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I thought l posted to say that yadnbu not to host the PIL for 10 days @BigSkies2022
Bless you it's far too much work for you with your poor Dad and DMum 💐

£66 on various plants for the garden (budgeted for) and £32 on Morrisons shopping (less than expected but I didn’t need to buy any meat).

Making the most of the sunny weather to plant up my pots and baskets now, then cut the grass. Started my WW plan today and it’s going well so far 🤞🏻

Afternoon everyone!

Definitely not being unreasonable to not host for 10 days! I wouldn’t want to do that fern if I had no stress going on.

Im hoping to have a few nsd’s 🤞🏻
At the weekend I ordered a walking pad, £109 from Amazon - was on sale. I used some of the money I got from doing the carers assessment so I’m not out of pocket if you like.

£106.90 on sainsburys weekly shop yday!

Meal plan for this week …
• Roast chicken (had yday)
• Chicken with sweet & sour sauce, rice & veg - using leftover roast chicken from yday.
• Jacket potatoes
• Pasta bake
• Spaghetti bolognaise
• Red lentil & b.nut squash daal
• Chicken korma

£35 on Petrol but was budgeted for. Otherwise a LSD!
Butter chicken for tea tonight and audit of freezers has meant that we can switch the outside one off as I'm not going to fill it before we go on holiday. Might as well save the electric while we're at it!.
Been for a walk with my neighbour to see her horse, so for once got some exercise. Then got stuck into the front garden after that. Made an executive decision to get rid of a rather large Christmas tree so have started to cut branches to go in Garden bin over the next few weeks and get SonIL round to help dig out the stump when we get that far. Other bushes pruned and reshaped and a fair bit of weeding done too!
Sat here smelling the butter chicken and getting hungrier by the minute. Had no lunch today!! 😋

An absolute terrible day £20 unavoidable spends which I'll forgive myself for, £25 food shopping £6 food because I am ovulating and starving.

Thanks for the support on my AIBU query! DH has booked DPILs into AirB&B, here and in Oxford, so I am off the hotel services/concierge/chef hook.

DParents' situation too tricky and uncertain to call at present, suffice to say that social services are not being massively helpful. We plod on through the week, and planning to confer en famille on Sunday.

In the meantime: £98 in Sainsbury's, topping up on proteins and veg, vowing to recommit to eating plan after a rather wobbly weekend. TBH, not too worried about weight loss, this is more about learning new techniques for building strength and muscle. But a sustained period of really good nutrition won't harm me either! £20 on various electrolyte sachets, having thrown out DS' Red Bull and Starbucks sugar bombs in an overbearing moment. Felt obliged to replace them, but with something healthier.

£60 on a fitted linen bed sheet from La Redoute. Replacing an old cotton one which had ripped.

I am impressed with all the bathroom decluttering/running down of supplies. I love a pared-down bathroom/make-up routine and collection. That said, will need to replace 4 make-up items this month.

Payday today and I have allocated various pots and payments. DH got the first instalment of his bonus in Friday's pay, which is nice. The plan is: pension, mortgage, holiday, kitchen fund. He is now paying the balance on the French villa, for which I've been saving. So I've swapped half of those funds over to general resilience cash savings, and the rest can be my starter fund for Japan (maybe!)

Fell off the thread a few days ago, trying to catch up!

Not unreasonable at all bigskies even in standard circumstances. Good to take that stand give the current circs.

Had a really busy spendy weekend for DDs birthday. Spent an extra £174 on eating out and also fathers day present for DH.

Back on board today with a NSD. Also made a 'menu' out of the fridge/ freezer contents.
Crispy chicken in sweet chilli sauce, veggies and rice.
Pork chops, chips, cauliflower cheese and veggies
King prawns and peanut noodles
Coronation chicken wraps
Ham and cheese Toasties
Gyoza and rice
Plus yesterday we had baked nectarines with mascapone cheese (free fruit item in Lidl Spin and Win).

Both items I bought from Vinted were listed as the wrong size! Lovely pair of Fatface jeans too - gutted. Both refunded very quickly so I do have ££ to spend in Vinted.

Spent pennies today on things that I needed but urgh, wanted a NSD as none of it budgeted for so I'll have to put extra on vinted now to pay for it. Which is fine, I have things lined up.

£7 on packing tape to send off vinted items (sold everything that I'd previously listed)
£4.50 on a present bag for when I see my friend on Thursday.
£1.80 on a chocolate bar. Ok. That wasn't needed. But I wanted it as stressful day at work.

£1,50 on milk yesterday. Plus most of my bills coming out.
I need to contact my council again about sole occupancy discount on my council tax. It’s been 3 months since I first rang them and it still hasn’t been applied. They’ve also recharged me for the 45 days of last tax year that DH was dead for - even though he had already paid for them. They are shocking.

I got my child benefit yesterday which I wasn’t expecting til the middle of the month. Also a small win on premium bonds. I’ll put both in my savings.

No planned spending today.

Happy June.

£49 yesterday on my first set of gel nails this year. Usually a monthly occurance for me but took them off for surgery in feb.

booked the rest of my apts for the year.

Dd had us all awake at 5 (again).

today I’m also spending. I have an apt at 330 to get my ears repierced. Estimating around £200 (6 holes plus jewellery). Four of the 6 were newly done mid July last year. With my diagnosis in august and mri scans etc I had to remove them and they closed up. So annoying. The lady has said she’ll do the 4 for free because of my situation. So we’ll see. But am intending to pay.

lunch made for work. Snack packed and coffee is ready to be brewed. Have raided cupboard here for Earl grey teabags and nice instant coffee.

That's so kind of the ear piercer @ememem84 hope she sticks to her word. You will love having your piercings back l bet 😊
Part of you trying to get your life back to some semblance of normal, almost like a rite of passage l shouldn't wonder bless you 💐
Been to see Mum, who was fabulous 🤩
Bought a paper and mag and Welsh cakes egg custard and fruit pastilles for her 😊
Cost was only £7.
Nothing else today afalk 😊
Have a smashing day everyone 😀

@SockHop my council were really slow sorting out my single person council tax discount too after my son moved out - think it took them about 5 months.

Today I bought a piece of MDF for a shelf in my airing cupboard (for my recently organised overstock toiletries!) and then a multitool as I needed to cut notches out for the pipes. I bought it from Argos with a voucher so it was ‘free’ 😊 MDF (and new plug for basin) was £7 and multitool was £54.

Also had to buy another bag of compost at £8 as I ran out yesterday.

Feeling very smug at successfully using the multitool (although it felt a bit dangerous, using an electric saw 😵‍💫). Also feeling smug at having my overstock sorted out and put away.

Meeting up with a friend tonight for a meal which should be around £20 (I’m not drinking alcohol as I’m driving ).

ooh I also won 2 x £25 on premium bonds!!

So. We looked at my ears. And 4 were still “open”. So she did whatever she needed to get the jewellary in. I paid for the jewellary. £160 in total.

the other 2 will be done in 3 weeks time and will need re piercing. So my ears are a bit lopsided. But whatever. It’s nice to see some sparkle.

Ooh glad you’re feeling a bit sparkly @ememem84!
5 months is a crazy amount of time to wait for the single person discount to be processed @chimichangaz. I imagine it would take a lot less time than that that to amend it if your discount was ending if you moved someone in! I logged into my council account online today and they have actually finally changed mine. I paid £320 for my council tax yesterday - but from now on it’s going to be £180. Phew!

Ive spent £10 stocking up on dog treats and I cancelled a monthly subscription.

£80 on window cleaner, inside and out, and now we are sparkling again (although not as much as em, whose ears sound fabulous). £5 in Lidl on nuts and seeds. I have become a bit lazier about chasing the cheaper items on a supermarket shop, but still can't bring myself to pay Sainsbury prices for almonds, cashews and the like. Also, needed the step count.

Lidl £12.79
Amazon £17.81 (DD orthodontic toothpaste and mouthwash)
Vinted £3.31 for Gap 3/4 Denim trousers. They were £10 plus postage but I set my refund against them.

Your sparkly ear sounds marvelous @ememem84
I'd feel accomplished about the shelf and over stock too @chimichangaz
Pleased your mum was fabulous @MaryGreenhill
Sorry to hear of the council tax mix up @SockHop not what you need!

I'm lying in bed with dreadful cramp. Painkillers are not touching it. Any suggestions for alternative remedies would be appreciated 🙏 I'm on HRT and thought that was helping but not this month.

Once I feel better I will try to start more exercise as that helps. I've slipped this last two weeks as it's been one thing after another.

Ooohhhh so glad you're getting your sparkle back, probably in more ways than one @ememem84
@SockHop my mum has been overcharged too and her council aren't even replying to her. I'll see if I can get her online tomorrow like you did and resolved.
@chimichangaz envious about your "shop" shelf! I want one 😍
@Mochi1fudge no suggestions really but a lovely a hot water bottle just coz it feels nice tbh.

NSD here today. £23 coming in from Vinted. Window cleaner was £20 cheaper than expected.
And my mum finally found a house and put an offer in on it, so it's been a good day here.
Found a few more bits to put in Vinted so I'll do these tomorrow when working from home.

Oh, and my dishwasher arrives tomorrow. So excited. Haven't had one in 4 years. I'll have to make lots of washing up tomorrow to have a play!

LSD yesterday and today. Just treated myself to a sandwich for lunch but I didn't buy planned Starbucks yesterday or today so I am still in the green.

Afternoon everyone 😁
NSD for me again yay!
Washing out 🤞
Great news on the dw @Frugal25 and very
good luck to your DM ☺️
@Mochi1fudgeah thank you re my DM 😁
Bless you having cramp . I use Magnesium spray and take a Magnesium and Zinc tablet every day for cramp and it definitely helps me 🤞
Glad you got your ear piercings and earrings@ememem84 😊
I know what you mean about getting fed up with chasing the pennies @BigSkies2022
It's all according to whether the store stock the things we want . I know my Aldi is dreadful at restocking certain things 🙄
Hey ho we will have to just muddle through as best we can 😊

Thanks for the tips and sympathy about cramp. I have zinc in and will buy some magnesium. I love a hot water bottle or a warm lavender bag. Last night was just extreme. Goes as quick as it comes on - took an extended lunch today and had a swim / sauna which definitely helped.

£7.70 co-op for some nice meatballs for tea.

Glad it's improved @Mochi1fudge it's so painful bless you . Hope you get a good night's sleep tonight 😊

Just a quick update - last night instead of the expected £20 cost for my meal, my friend insisted on paying ❤️ - I had a voucher for a free drink so all I ended up spending was £3.30 on a lemonade 😊

NSD today - first for a while!

Hope you had a lovely swim and sauna and enjoyed your meatballs @Mochi1fudge

NSD today. Was meant to post a parcel for friends birthday but they closed the post office early. So I'll do this tomorrow.
OH very kindly gave me £50 tonight so I can go out with best friend tomorrow and not worry about the cost. I did say that I had budgeted for it, but he said this would mean I didn't have to worry about coming home after the budget had run out. I don't see my best friend often so this was a lovely gesture and had meant that this month is easier as a result.
In other news, my dishwasher wasn't fitted by the delivery men even though we had booked it to be fitted. OH has to try and fit at the weekend which will be fun! I guess my fun of making lots of washing up has to wait until Saturday night .... Rock and roll weekend for me lol

£114 on 4 items of make-up. Made me blink a bit, but 3 of those 4 will last me 6-9 months so...

DILs here, just decompressing before they head off to their Air B&B! Picking up DM to visit with Ddad this afternoon. Saw Ddad on my own yesterday - joined in a cheese tasting and quiz laid on during the 'activities session' in honour of National Cheese Day!

Aargh, Frugal, I'd have been hopping mad! Good luck for the DIY installation, and enjoy the machine!

Off to PT session to lift some weights and let off some steam!