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[BigSkies2022]

New thread

Finally bought kitchen chairs today , 3years 9 months after moving into house.
My BF bought the table & chairs I found on Facebook marketplace and the chairs were in poor condition, I got covers off shein to keep me going until I got chairs but my eyes watered every time I looked at them in the shops and I couldn’t settle on anything. We’re down to four chairs out of six at this point, went to The Range Fri eve and asked dc to sit on the chairs I liked. Unfortunately they only had the two on display left in grey and I would’ve preferred four of these and they’ve just backs no sides. So she gave me 10% off these display models and I bought six of the nicer ones with sides (ds likes the grey ones but in time hopefully he’ll get sick of them and they can become bedroom chairs & I’ll have a matching set of the nicer ones! Anyway €515.25 was great for 8 chairs because some places chairs were up to €200 each

NSD today; a rarity these days 🙃 trying to eat out of current food stock until at least Wednesday, including lunches, so packed lunch is ready for work tomorrow.

That's a good bargain on the chairs happier

Redhair hope that goes well for your DS, well worth it if he is in pain.

I'm looking forward to Snow White, we've planned to go in Easter Hols. Three weeks to the end of term and some down time. 🙏

Fell off other thread. Not been too spendy. Everything budgeted for.

biggest spend £585 on flights to Manchester for me and dsis to see Bryan adams in may. Woooop.

in other news. I’m going to be in the Uk for three weeks in a bit (no timeline yet) as I do indeed need radiotherapy.

was summoned to surgeons offices on Wednesday and he confirmed results of surgery.

clear margins. Minimal disease remaining in the stuff they removed (less than 10%).

thr tumour weighed in at almost 900g! Yikes.

Wow em that’s pretty big for the location

Blimey em that is big. But radiotherapy will get that last bit.
i like Brian Adam’s too. Should be a good gig

bargain in the range happier and hurrah for chairs happier

lost of a little on the thread and my budget. Payday next Monday so eking out

Gosh em - that must have been quite a throat clearing/serious swallowing sort of moment when the tumour size was revealed to you. Good luck with the radiotherapy. Do you just stay in the hospital while it's going on, or do you have more regular accommodation arranged? Are you well enough to be up and about between sessions - the weather is getting nicer, and a spring spell not so bad here at the moment!

That was sobering news @ememem84 but im glad to hear you are still doing well.
Enjoy the new chairs @Happierwithouthim they are so expensive. our table and charis were a hand me down from my brother and the chairs are not comfortable but we muddle along with them. I really want to do a built in banquette style seating for the table so no point in buying new chairs.

It was an expensive weekend. Away with my sisters and mother. Hotel and meal was already paid for and my mum bought us lunch as we were treating her to the hotel.

I went clothes shopping and bought 2 dresses and a jumper and i ordered some more jumpers. However i think most of these will be returned. 1-2 more dresses should sort out my spring wardrobe and then i'm ok as i've a good lot of summer stuff.

Spent €240 but i expect to return about €60.

Takeaway last night as i was wrecked and that was €35.

Today i've already paid my professional association dues of €110.

Tomorrow is payday and theres no leftover money this month. However i did pay extra on my car when i got paid last month. i've also realised that its bettter for me to put money aside when i get paid rather than expecting to have it leftover at the end of the month.

Thanks guys.

yep it was a bit crazy to hear how much it weighed!

my understanding of radiotherapy is that the treatment itself takes 10 minutes then I’m free to skeedaddle off and do whatever I like and return the next day.

side effects include tiredness and localised hair loss (armpit….no biggie!) amongst other things.

itll be tough being away from the kids - although am planning on coming home weekends.

Lovely day today. Got my step count up walking to library to pick up a book I'd reserved (no book buying year is going well so far!) Popped into Sainsbury's on the way home to look for 'thin' sunscreen (to use on face under make-up) and they're doing Bioré Watery Essence for £9 instead of £16 with a Nectar card. Bought 2!

Got my refund from TotalAdBlock after whinnying about their renewing my sub at £119. They have offered me a year for £19, the cheeky sods, so I've gone for that.

So I have actually spent nearly £40 today, but getting good prices on stuff I needed.

The financial micro-change for this week, the last of quarter one is: substitute a reusable item for a disposable one e.g. washable cloths for paper towels. I'm currently using 10% white cleaning vinegar, diluted and put into an empty spray dispenser, for much of my household cleaning (kitchen, bathrooms, windows, mirrors, paintwork, any furniture with a formica/laminate type finish). It's fine - effective and cheap - if you don't mind the smell of vinegar, and stops me buying 5 different plastic dispensers of 'specialised' cleaners. I am still addicted to wet wipes as a quick fix for cleaning shoes and trainers though.

The tiredness will hit after wards em apparently so have some time off ready then too

cheeky beggars in the ad blocker

nsd here.

Sorry to hear this Em.

LSD here, only purchase was some delicious black grapes to have as a snack at work.

@BigSkies2022 I often use a homemade vinegar cleaner - when I was cleaning a shower screen that was absolutely covered in soap scum and hard water stains, it was the vinegar spray (with a teaspoon of washing up liquid mixed in) that got it clean. My friend now calls it her magic spray!!

I’ve spent £310 on a new tv today - got £20 off using a work benefit, and also getting a £75 Argos voucher as a bonus. It’s being delivered (free) tomorrow. I did need a new one, my current one is 8 years old and the picture is starting to go,
plus the software is unable to play Now cinema any more.

also forgot to say last time that I got a bargain 3 months free DisneyPlus from my Tesco clubcard account.

with that and my new tv I’ll be set up for some binge watching when I leave work in a few weeks!!

@ememem84 sorry to hear you will be away from your DC bless you 💐
NSD for me and 2 loads of washing dried outside and finalised my transfer to Eon today 😊

That's some size em, good luck with the radiotherapy for the last of it. What a time for you!

Sorry fell behind with the thread in one day, it's busy!

Yesterday was another NSD. Credit card bill for groceries and other shopping was over budget by about £200. It does get paid off in full. Just got to keep mindful shopping and posting on here and see if it works out lower next month!

On a positive frugal win note, I got a gift as cash back £55 added to Amazon balance. Will go on essentials as the month goes on.

That’s huge @ememem84 . Can you feel the difference
?
busy here doing some extra work
also feel spring s in the air trying not to spend too much in the garden

@Spendlessretireearly yes and no. I should be able to at some point but not so much yet. The left side has had an implant put in and it’s still mega swollen (and super perky!) but it will take a few months to settle (apparently implants do a “drop and fluff” so they gradually get their shape right….)

so right side (the “good” boob) feels normal and squishy. Lefty feels more solid. But that’s scar tissue and swelling.

it looks bruised as right now. But it’s nice to think that in time I might be able to go braless.

I will have the right one done to match maybe next year. My surgeon said I’ll need it because once swelling goes down on lefty there will be a noticeable difference. And also gravity.

Good luck @ememem84 with it all, and the recovery.

My plan for a no spend week was foiled by my back door lock breaking, so needed a locksmith to replace the lock as we couldn't unlock the door (and need garden access for the dogs). While he was here we got the front door locks changed as well (been on the to-do list since we moved here a year ago!). £125 which I think is a bargain really.

That's sounds like a bargain @PenniesButton
I know they charge
£90 for just a callout here before anything else is done. My Eon changeover is complete, dried three loads of washing on the line today so that's saved a fortune on the electric drying it outside .
Otherwise only a £40 cheque for my cousin's birthday today 😊

@ememem84 that's quite a weight! I never asked how much mine weighed.
Car has been for service today, few things to do so £350. Cat has his annual booster and MOT tomorrow.
Thames Water have increased our bill by £200 so that's more money literally down the drain!
Aside from that yesterday and today have both been NSDs, aside from some tomatoes and milk. I have extra money coming from my upcoming cat sits but as soon as it comes in, it goes out. I'm still despairing of people who don't get it.

@PenniesButton it does sound very reasonable but still an expense you would prefer not to have.

Today is Payday! i have moved all the money around into its various pots and have done a bit of a review.

1. its gratifying to see my sinking funds for nice things grow. But i'm also getting quite attached to them and i'm giving myself a hard time spending money from them. Which is weird as i am buying things that i planned to use these funds for but i'm not using the funds for them. I need to keep an eye on this mentally and make sure i'm not putting unnecessary pressure and angst on myself.
2. Grocery shopping came in at €357 and i budget €500. we only use our joint account for this so its easy to capture. A new lidl opening meant i had some vouchers to use weekly and going weekly and buying what i need is actually cheaper than my previous feast or famine type shopping. Where i did massive shops irregularly and then bought a few bits in the local shop to tide me over in between. ive one more voucher left that expires tomorrow so i'll go shopping then. I will also try and stick with weekly shopping from now on as i definitely spend less
3. I realise that January, February and even the first half of march are easy months to not spend. Im beginning to buy more unnecessary things and like with grocery shopping i seem to be very feast or famine. I'm currently struggling with this and want to buy all the nice clothes! I'm hoping changing my wardrobe over from winter to spring clothes will help with this. Bonus if i can actually get my husband to raise the rail in my wardrobe as its ridiculously low and means its really hard to store suff on the base of it.

Today i spent €50 on gymnastics classes for small child. I have put lots of clothes in online shopping bags but have not checked out on them.

chimichangaz - nice work on the Disney+ freebie. If Fleischman is in Trouble and Dopesick are still on there, I recommend those. Also The Bear (although season 3 fell off).

pistachio - I feel you on the surging desire to buy more things! I have seen a handbag and a nice dress that I want. To be fair, both of those things are on my list to buy this year, but it's a bit early to be peaking!

On the plus side: paid the last of DS' rent and utilities today. Not so naive as to think that will be the end of it, but I'm glad to say goodbye to that particular drain on my coffers. And our grocery bill is down by nearly £90 this month, according to our banking app. However, I realised today that the immersion switch on the hot water tank was knocked on by mistake, GOK for how long. Bracing myself for the next energy bill.

I was hoping for a NSD today but had to get a top up shop of soft foods for DS who had his wisdom teeth removed yesterday. So I’ve spent an additional £15 over and above my food budget. Can’t be helped though! I think he deserves Cadburys chocolate mousse, jelly and ice cream after that!

NSD here today.

Dh bought the sandals I wanted for mother's day so also a saving of €150 there.

Thanks to PP who mentioned shopping vouchers. I checked my tesco app and have €19 there, but might save that for closer to next pay day.

Ds has a birthday party next week so I'm going to try and be organised and buy a present in advance. I usually end up being last minute and having to overspend.

Little bit of a spendy day here .
£25 for my dogs groom
£10 chippy tea
£15 a couple of bits for my daughter's den.

Although I did want to order a couple of bits on the new look website but it seems to be down now ... Saving me a few quid as I'll probably forget by tomorrow woohoo

LSD
£4.70 coop
£5.95 Vinted for a Radley bag
Plus £17 Amazon which came off the gift balance.