Significant Summer Saving, significantly less spending, super (non) splurging. Frugal folk continue being frugal here. All welcome.

[needastrongoneagain]

Making a new thread!

Please check in regular posters and welcome new people.

This is a super friendly thread to contribute to. We are all wanting to be as efficient as possible re spending but all have different budgets and priorities. No judgement here.

NSD (no spend day) for me.

I do Prolific- if you’re willing to do the longer ones you can pick up a few quid. I earned more than £30 every month from Jan to March this year before stopping (boredom, looser financial regime!) and today I’ve earned over £6 without much effort, just while waiting for various customer helplines to pick up.

NSD! Got my steps in, did my weights workout, made a good tomato soup. Think I’ve narrowed down my insurance choices- will probably end up back with current one and likely to pay by monthly payments this year. Works out more expensive obviously, but I want to protect my emergency funds.

Nsd today. Got £5 back on some earrings that were tiny. And didn’t have to send them back.
dug out 2023 budget spreadsheet and updated. So many more costs

NSD for me today thank goodness. My Amazon deliveries arrived and I’m really pleased with what I’ve ordered. Funnily enough the order included crystals to hang from windows - I saw these recommended on YouTube and the effect looked lovely. @Frugal25 so sorry to hear about your friends mum. A crystal sounds like a really thoughtful gift.

My pension saga continues as it’s been transferred as if I haven’t taken anything from it yet, but I’ve already had my 25% tax free cash. Sigh. That will probably take more weeks to sort out.

@BigSkies2022 you sound very productive!! I need to channel some of that!!

I'm on holiday so not really tracking money, but not spending loads either. I have found that the nationwide bank app has a budgeting tool with 4 sections, income, needs, wants and savings. Has anyone found this useful? I do need to sit down with DH and go through our finances as there a bit messy and we could probably save by switching providers for certain things. Also with me dropping a work day. Also, we have thinking about pocket money for DD, who's just turned 7.

Afternoon everyone 😊
Hope everyone is ok 😊
Just booked the annual service and MOT for Dh's car 🚗
£274 😱
Nothing else ATM but that's enough to carry on with 😱

NSD here. Did my steps, my workout and had a lovely chat at the book group this afternoon. Spanish omelette and butter bean-based side for dinner - eating down the pantry.

DMum to hospital tomorrow, then visiting Ddad together, then it's the supermarkets for me to stock up. I'd probably spin it out for another day or so, but DS is whinnying for bagels, bacon, biscuits and crisps.

Felt like I've spent a lot since the weekend but on checking it was more of a saga to get DH some wearable clothes for our holiday next week:

Amazon £12.99 and £18.99 polo tops for DH which are no good, one too small, one poor quality. Both going back so will be refunded.
£50.99 for two polo tops from Jack and Jones and another brand - nice quality 100% cotton so hopefully these are keepers!
£19.98 Amazon for six vest tops - hopefully better quality!

I'm going to brave Primark again tomorrow. Felt like I needed a lie down after Sunday in there but they did have men's swim shorts for £4 but I wasn't sure on size.

Rolling eyes that I am sorting out DHs holiday wardrobe, at least it's 10 days before and not at the last minute!

£13.48 Lidl - savings of £7 on freebies on Lidl Plus App.

@MaryGreenhill ouch but necessary. Mines due next month 🫣

Two nice breaks planned there @BigSkies2022 hopefully it will all be worth it, even the broken laptop may be a distant memory!

Poor you re the blinking laptop @BigSkies2022 🙄
Lovely you have two hols to look forward to though , that will be lovely for you all ☺️
I totally empathise with you re your Dh's clothes @Mochi1fudge , mine is the same ever since we got married 43 years ago. 🤣
I know re the car costs, it's diabolical but a necessary evil 🙄

Cos I work in town I end up doing most of the holiday shopping. God speed. 😂

our service is due next month. Thank goodness for service plans

My husband is pretty self sufficient at putting his clothes in his case just requires me to end up going shopping for his bits he can't get online (absolutely hates shopping but is generally quite generous with the whole I will but you buy me lunch deal)
The child on the other hand somehow it's become upto me to sort her case.
The fact I don't want to leave the house a mess to come home to.... I generally deal with that.
Actually getting ready to get to the airport/station/port.... Yep.

Morning everyone, DS is away on hols with a friend so he's costing me £20-30 a day at the moment. Just bought his train ticket back for the weekend, £55.

Ordered my next weight loss injection today, there's a brilliant website that lists all the discounts so I managed to get it for £99 which I'm happy with. Different providers charge different amounts and it's madness, boots and Asda charge £200 a pen!

Dog medicine yesterday was £115 but I'll get that back from insurance, probably today as they're very prompt. His medication makes me feel like his insurance is basically free as it's nearly £60 a month and his insurance is £70.

Gosh that’s a good return on your dog’s insurance Pearls. Is it a chronic condition and will the cover continue? Good policy if so!

sitting in clinic waiting for DMum to have bloods taken.

Afternoon everyone 🤗
Been to the local town to the charity shops but
I have no bargains to tell you of today . There was nothing l wanted at all ! It was so busy everywhere we are glad to be going home tbh . Bought groceries in Lidl £44 so that was good at least ☺️
On our way home now going to have a nice cuppa,can't wait
☕
Hope everyone is ok 😊

Hope your Mum is ok @BigSkies2022 🤗
That's a great result re your Ddogs ins @PearlsPearl

Successful hospital trip (quick! No-one cried or fell over) and nice visit with Ddad.

£40 in Aldi, £48 in Sainsbury’s. Home, unpacked, dog fed, some chicken drumsticks and veg in the oven for DS to have early before 5-a-side this evening.

E.On account has finally gone into credit- £35! Two months before the energy winter begins (sector standard, not necessarily when we will switch on the heating).

NSD on my own account. Squeezed in another Prolific survey.

Yes, my dog has anxiety so takes prozac 😄he's been on it since he turned 1 and will be on it forever most likely according to the vet. And my insurance covers lifelong conditions thank goodness, we got the highest cover we could at the start for which I'm grateful for now. It really does feel 'free' as they pay back his meds. I've had the refund this morning, it's always within a day.

£££££ spendy day but all needed! £80 in Asda. £40 in Tesco. £20 in Aldi! I absolutely loathe going supermarket shopping, and going to 3 in a day made me want to pluck my eyeballs out, but I needed things from all 3. We are well stocked up for a week now but I also spent a fortune on cleaning products, I needed refills for the flash mop and got a reusable pad for £9 that looks good, I also have the speedy flash mop too so got refills for that, and bleach and toilet blocks and toilet rim things for all the loos, 4 hand washes, laundry santiser that they didn't have in Costco last time.

Also £18 well spent in Poundland on Longely Farm cottage cheese, DWs absolute favourite food. It's a pain going there as have to park miles away as it's in the centre of town but I try and go every Wednesday if I can as it's my day off and she eats it by the bucketload, she loves it so much. I like a blob every now and again too. It's the only place in a 30 mile radius that sells it.

LSD for me yesterday- coffee for me and a friend. NSD today.
Been busy with garden jobs and am now shattered so that’s a good way to avoid spending money!

I bet you can't wait for your holidays @BigSkies2022 !
You're so lovely going out of your way for your DW @PearlsPearl , you sound amazing.
£3 yesterday in a charity shop on books for DD, I dropped off a big bag too so that's out of my way.
£11 today on cinema tickets for DD pre booked for Friday morning. It's a 30 minute "film" for toddlers, she hasn't been before and I know she will love it.
I hear you on the garden work @chimichangaz . I dug up my potatoes today, then cut hedges and swept patios. Looks so much better and also free food, so potatoes for brekkie lunch and tea here!!!
Thinking forward to next summer. I've realized just how expensive summer holidays are trying to entertain little people, do any of you have a pot for that too? I'm thinking of starting one ready for next year as this year I'm very "let's do the park again" which is cheap or free. Which is fine, but I'm deliberately saying no to things which I know would be a nice treat. Or do you all just stick to no?

£3.75 Boots meal deal
£13 Primark for three pairs of swim shorts, all in the sale.

6 vests delivered from Amazon for DHs holiday wardrobe. Returning tomorrow as they looked like kids school vests. Tomorrow he is coming shopping with me as we are in town together. It will end tomorrow!

My DC are teens now @Frugal25 I think we'd have one or two treat days where I'd set boundaries and say we can visit your favourite theme park once over the 6 weeks then ask them to choose cheaper treats - different parks, the beach, NT properties etc. We had this interactive holiday chart with the treats written on mini post its and we'd stick them on days of their choice. Depends how old your DC are. Also my main survival tip (also a frugal one) is that I'd make packed lunches up alongside breakfast. Then if we did go out we had lunch to take with us or eat in the house. Then if we did have lunch out it was a real treat.

Ah @Frugal25 if only I had vegetables to dig up and use!! One of my jobs yesterday was to get rid of the grow bag where I’d planted lettuce seeds and grown mushrooms instead 🤣

@Frugal25 nine are a bit older now 12&10. Two years ago they begged em to stop doing holiday clubs. We came up with a system where we have £100 a week budget and they help choose what to spend it on. At the start of the hols we all sit down and write a list of things we can do. Mostly free, some cheap and one or two pricey ones. So some weeks all we’ll do is go swimming once. Another time we might go and see a show and use 3 weeks budget in one. I find it helps having a budget so I don’t say no all the time but we also get some treats.

we went to see Joseph last night at our local theatre. I was grumbling at the cost £65 for up in the gods in the provinces. But by the end I thought it was good value. The singing was out of this world and I didn’t stop smiling or toe tapping for two hours. Worth every penny. Did get ripped off at the bar - two waters, small sweets and popcorn £17. Forgot to take our own.

£15 yesterday to ds on a top up for him away at church camp.

Today should be a nsd but am making a list of shoes required by both children for September. Between school shoes, trainers, astros and rugby boots I’m hoping some of last years still fit!

Morning everyone, it’s great to read all your updates. I’ve not been keeping up with the thread in real time as I’m on parental leave still and enjoying the break from routine. Though I will say that it does affect my bank balance.

only a few more weeks to go to back to school and I’ve most stuff organised. Once I’ve settled back to work and have regular childcare I must tot up how much “summer” costs. We didn’t have to pay for accommodation for holidays but even do I think it was a fairly high spend due to eating out etc.

I’ve also stocked up on art and craft materials which was easily €200 but this stuff will last the year and incudes some birthday party stuff.

im with you @Frugal25 in that summer time is expensive. We have to use camps as childcare and then where we are off it’s holiday time do have more treats. Though I do try to do picnics etc it’s just more expensive.

Thank you all, I seem to have it right then, a few big days out but mostly frugal ones with parks and picnics. I think I just need a pot for next year so it's not out of bank balance for that month.
I love the idea of planning stuff and doing a calendar with DD though. She is 3 at the mo but already knows what things she likes (parks etc) so would be a fun activity to do. Maybe in the last half of the summer :)

£20.05 on petrol.
£68.98 in lidl. God knows how. List was small this week as I haven't used things up from last week. And I even deleted things off my list. Yet £68!!! Ah well.
£28 on grass treatment. I know I should stop this but it's 4 times a year and my grass does look beautiful all the time.
Hoping rest of the day is free as the above was all before 9am!

I was working full time throughout most of DS’ school days and yeah, the summers were spenny. We had au pairs, we booked him int holiday clubs, we took annual leave for family holidays and days out. Once he was about 13 and able to travel around London on his own I was able to book him into a wider range of activities like coding clubs and art classes at the galleries. Luckily he had active grandparents who were able to have him to visit in Devon and take him on surfing holidays in a caravan in Cornwall and other beachy things. That worked until he was about 10/11 and then he wanted to be at home and have more time with us and his friends. Once or twice I took unpaid leave because it’s not just the summer! There are many weeks to cover!

Times when I was either not working and/or strapped for cash we did libraries, parks, swimming pools, museums, days where we cooked, watched movies, read to each other ( we got through Harry Potter like that), drew a lot of Pokémon figures, sometimes hung around in our PJs a lot. There was the indoor tent period. The roller blades, skateboard, bikes and scooter periods.

It did involve a lot of planning and expense, more so when I was working and had to organise care either side of activities. Made me very happy I only had the one!

Haven't yet as we are still in the lets feed the ducks stage but next year I think she will know more and want to do more of the expensive so probably will start a pot.