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.

Successfully posted items. Did stop at Lidl for some essentials. Somehow now have £8 left for food until 25th so that will be interesting. Moving calling garage to tomorrow!

I do have freezer stuff so need to get creative.

alwayslearning- the hip bone is connected to the thigh bone, the thigh bone is connected to the knee bone… and so on to the foot. My theory is that the pain in my right leg starts with my twisted bunion and that imbalance works its way up! The ballet based feet and ankle strengthening exercises are dull, but you can mostly do them while cleaning your teeth, waiting for the kettle, or standing at the bus-stop. They really do help. Along with all the other stuff- weighted squats, RDLs, lunges, etc. It just takes time.

@ChipshopPickledEgg I remember why I stopped nutracheck, it only lets you log 5 items a day on the free version. Did you pay for it?

Nutracheck I paid for a year back in February (council tax free payday) and it was £27.99 I think for the year. I've found my maintenance amount to be 1700 (I was hoping to lose on that!) and to lose weight I need 1200 - 1300 per day.

Nutracheck keeps me on track with eating and this thread keeps me in check with spending 😂

Today I got a sandwich and drink from Greggs £3.95 as had to have lunch on the move - had my work lunch for tea but now after a body pump class I'm hungry again!

I paid for a month at £5.99 just to see if I actually use it properly and not just for the first couple of days but likely to get the full year membership.
I do find it a little clunky though.

I use my fitness pal as too tight to pay. Not that I’ve been tracking

I know need and the dc have already been eating them. Corgette and feta scones tonight for the freezer

£535 gym membership for the year. I do go every week mostly and park there for work

FiL buys turmeric from Aldi spice aisle. Says it works fine

I’ve used nutracheck for a year now and am one pound away from 5 stone loss! (2 stone since I started the weight loss jabs).

If anyone wants a months free trial let me know, nothing in it for me! (Entry into a draw or something silly) I paid £25ish for the year I think. Money well spend for me, I use it every day. Although being autistic I eat a lot of the same foods on repeat so don’t use it every day when I know what I’m eating if that makes sense.

I find it really helpful (so far) so plan my meals out and know what I have "spare".
If I eat all planned meals I have 384 calories and 39.6 (of 54.4g) of fat left to play with which I don't intend to eat.
I get very obsessive with this stuff :-).

Thanks @BigSkies2022 - I think I do need to see the doctor at some point, I'm sure there is probably some arthritis at my ripe old age of 59. I'll have a look at those recommendations you gave - and yes @Alwayslearning25 like you I had flat feet after my son was born (24 years ago) and I am sure my problems stem from those! In fact on Friday I wore new sandals (very very slight wedge) that had some firm arch support and Friday night and Saturday my leg and knees were very painful - this continued up until yesterday (in fact when I got up from my cinema seat last night I virtually hobbled out!!) - but this morning - no knee pain at all and just a slight ache in my hip! Bizarre.

So yes I did go to the cinema last night and saw Jurassic World - it was a saver Monday so the ticket was £5.99 for a fancy fully reclining seat (Showcase) and I bought a few treats from Tesco nearby. Have decided if the cinema is a regular thing I will stock up on multi packs of treats to take with me. Film was OK, not the best and a lot of throwbacks to previous JP films but some good dino scare scenes. Glad I went.

Today I'm shopping for my goddaughter's birthday present (budgeted), finishing balancing my budget for July and updating for this month and hopefully watching the Rebel Finance video about pension drawdown. The excitement never ends 😂

Well and truly fell off the wagon this month!
Have had the GCs quite a bit so far for the summer holidays which isn't cheap. Plus have (stupidly) been re-decorating the kitchen/diner and the porch. Not particularly huge things to do in the grand scheme of things as these needed freshening up and modernising. Paint is not cheap and there's always the silly little things like filler that is needed or new paint rollers. Can't quite bring myself to press the 'buy' button on new modern radiators yet but as of yesterday now have no choice as the scrap man took the old ones away!
Have managed to keep the GCs fairly busy with doing activities around the house, with visits to the park, visiting the local allotments to see the chickens, playing in the paddling pool and sand pit and cake baking. So far only had two days out which needed paying for but soft-touch Grandma here does not say no to ice creams and other treats so the costs mount up. But it's been a lot of fun and chaotic with the GCs and decorating going on all at the same time with stuff all over the place. I have some bits to drop off at the charity shop when I take NDN to do her shopping so that will be a little less clutter about the place.

Morning all. Forgot to come on yesterday. £67 in M&S on socks, pants and pj’s for the kids. £68 this morning on a tesco shop. Only enough for a few days meals but making double for the freezer and both chicken and salmon based so not cheap meal options at the best of time

@chimichangaz I'm not sure whether to go down the arch support or barefoot route. I've heard lots of positives about barefoot, but a physio recommended arch support. Carrying my son on my hip so much was definitely not a good idea. My eldest daughter, was less velcro, I also think I had to carry him with one arm when doing activities with her!

Spending wise. I spent £10 in Holland and Barretts yesterday, some good value running gels on offer and some seed mix for my morning oats. I also bought school tie £4.

Free items, I did a library trip and I collected some kids books neighbours were giving away free from a clear out and DD loves reading. I do need to pay a library fine though.

Car is in the garage, were getting it repaired, serviced and Aircon regassed so £££.

This thread has reminded me about the chicken pox vaccine.

Afternoon everyone 😊
Dd2's 30th birthday tomorrow so off we went to town for hiking boots and a coat and hiking socks £100 later she was sorted .
Spent £17 in B&M on bits and bobs . Beautiful day here hope everyone is having this weather 😊.

Happy birthday DD2 when it comes mary

spent about £300 on rail tickets for uni open day
got a fuckton of free garden pots from a neighbour. Will cost me £££ in soil and plants

£10 in butcher, £10 in posh greengrocer. Putting everything (including peaches) on the barbecue tonight to keep the heat out of the house. Otherwise NSD, and EE have given me a new contract- £6 SIM only, 25GB data. Followed MartinLewis’ advice about sending off for your PAC and they couldn’t get on the phone to me fast enough.

I'm with EE and just out of my contract which is albeit very good already is there a way of requesting pac code without ringing them?

NSD here although will have to buy new measuring spoons after DD broke mine. ARGH.
Did two play dates today with different friends for DD and both cost nothing yay.
Will be booking a swimming session for her tomorrow though so that will be £10.85.
Happy birthday to your DD Mary!
I so need to up.my game like you lovely lot and be better with my calories. I cook from scratch but snacks..... They literally are my downfall every day.

Pity your not a local frugal we could have a very frugal play date!

The app has worked out I need
1200 calories
54.4 g of fat (how you'd possibly manage that with only 1200 cals confuses me)
115.5g protein.

I have 12 calories left 36 grams of fat and I am plus 3g of protein. According to the app everything else is pretty positive too.

How's everybody else's day gone?

I've spent £9 on chicken and veg. Eating healthy is expensive!

AHH thank you @lifelongfrugaleer, @Frugal25 ☺️❤️

You text (I can’t remember the number - Martin Lewis has it)) and they send a PAC code. It is valid for 30 days and this is what you give to the new provider (if you opt to switch) so you can port your number to the new account. EE will see that you have requested the code et voila! The loyalty team will contact you to offer a better deal!

Ah that would have been so much fun @ChipshopPickledEgg !!

Forgot to mention I got the results from the mole that was removed. It's benign. Absolutely beyond relieved. Although have been left with a tension headache, I'm so glad it's nothing. And I've been left with a very neat scar, the Dr was so very good. Thank you for all being so kind.

Just read your wonderful news @Frugal25l am so happy for you sweetheart 👏👏👏👏😄

Oh so happy for you Frugal.

Always worth a go! A pound in my pocket is better than in theirs.

Afternoon.

Gosh, it's warm isn't it? 🙃. Dogs have no idea what to do with themselves poor things.

Thank you re the film recommendations. I'm liking the idea of Superman, as I think that's more likely to get DH to go to that one.

Wonderful news @Frugal25, what a relief. And breathe.....

Happy Birthday to your DD @MaryGreenhill

I can't help with calories and macros but I do try to get 3 good sources of protein into me everyday. And YES to strength work. A lot of pain and stiffness can be negated by strengthening various weak points.

BBQ peaches sound great!

Welcome to the world of university open day costs @lifelongfrugaleer

Modern radiators really update a room @Rainbow1901, I'd like to change all of ours eventually, 'like' being the operative word sadly. Enjoy the GC.

Spends
£14 local shop.
£35 Amazon
£23 The Range.
£12 Amazon.
£18 local shop.

Some of this has been possible because I'm getting £250 compensation from Plusnet for not being able to provide the service I'd signed up for. Win.

Quiet day today pottering, DH had a tooth extracted yesterday and it was pretty grim work as it pretty much refused to budge (the tooth), so he's understandably a bit sore and tender of mouth today.

Soup for lunch (spicy bacon, carrot and lentil)
Ragu for dinner.

Both softer texture for the said sore of mouth.