Pumpkins, Pies… and Prudence! Autumn Frugal Saving Shenanigans here 🍂🌰All Welcome 🌰🍁

[MaryGreenhill]

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 we are all friends 😊

Yes I think I’d have filled a bag too @Frugal25!

That tomato chilli chutney looks great @FirstCuppa. And homemade ketchup a good plan too @Mom221 Thank you both!

So today wasn’t especially frugal. I was up in central london whilst dd did a class and it was wet and cold and I was hungry so I ended up spending £15 on sitting down to eat (and then another £6 on a very small bag of posh chocolates!). Add that to my earlier spends and it’s not great. Not so much the amount but the mindlessness. I’ve got my lunch packed for tomorrow and hoping to go back to NSD/LSDs until Friday now which is when we go to Paris for the weekend.

A NSD for me. Yay 😁

I went to a friend's for a cuppa and she had made me a gorgeous lunch as she knew I didn't have time to eat before going round there.
Other than that I just pottered at home. Do need to upload 3 bin bags full of stuff onto vinted. Will do slowly though.

Sigh. Why does the weekend go so fast.

Morning all.

Not a NSD for me today. Have a birthday lunch to attend. But I am driving which means no drinking and as the plan apparently is cocktails (at £12 a pop!) all afternoon then it is a comparatively frugal day for me. I had to go through my credit card statements last night for a travel insurance claim we are making and happened to see the cost for the last time I went out for lunch with the same people....... a series of spending was had as we steadily got more tipsy and I am ashamed to admit how much it ended up being. So I am delighted that it will be a much smaller spend today!!!!! Honestly, I can't afford to spend that sort of money anymore- it's literally tossing money down the toilet.

Hope everyone has a good day.

Good morning everyone 🤗
Am going for lunch with my friend and it's my turn to pay so that will be £20 .l am not expecting to pay more because we are very cheap guests 😜
Have a lovely day everyone ☺️

Morning everyone, another Monday!

I need to have a very tight week as we're going on holiday on Friday. I need to give my brother £300 as he's coming up to Scotland to stay with DC while we're gone so need to cover petrol and their food/activities.

We're finally going on our holiday that you all helped me decide on and budget for! We're heading on the NC500 around the Scottish highlands. I have a budget of £100 a day but that needs to cover all 3 meals plus admission to places that charge. Our accommodation for 9 nights came to £1300 in the end. And when we come back we need to pay £500 for the dog boarders (puke) but it's our first proper holiday in a long time after I got unwell 7 years ago and then developed my awful fear of travelling.

Because of the dog money our budget for October is more than halved so it'll be a very, very careful month.

Morning.

NC500! Sounds fantastic @PearlsPearl. That week before you go away is pretty full on isn't it? Dog boarders are SO expensive. I really hope you enjoy it given everything you've had to deal with.

Enjoy lunch @MaryGreenhill!

Once you've had a drink it's so easy to lose all sense of budget isn't it @JustStopItNora. Completely understand. Enjoy the lunch.

Lunch sounds lovely @Frugal25. How kind of your friend.

Tomato and chilli chutney sounds lovely @FirstCuppa

What a lovely 't' @Retirementbeckons 🤣

I toy with annual subscriptions to places too @Unescorted. National Trust etc.

Spending from the Oyster Festival
£9 on Oysters (£3 each!! They are nice with Tabasco sauce).
£20 various honeys from a local botanic garden. A couple will be presents and I got sucked into the antioxidant qualities of some pots of bee pollen too and bought a pot 🤣.
£32 whiskey aged in a sherry barrel or something but will be for a present anyway.

This is why I don't go to festivals etc, I've no control when I get there, it's better I don't go at all!!

Oh lovely news @PearlsPearl
Hope you both have a fantastic time 😊 🙏
Thank you @needastrongoneagain lunch was lovely with my friend 😊.
Your Oyster festival sounded brilliant 😊

@pistachiosanscream I’m exhausted just reading about your day 🤣

Lovely to hear what you’ve all been up to 😊

I’ve sold a couple of bits straight away on Vinted and uploaded more this morning. The plumber has put my work off to next week so that’s delayed that spending. I’ve bought my new annual travel insurance policy and shopped around - amazing the difference in price for essentially the same product!! Ranged from £370 to £620 (I have a medical condition plus needed worldwide and cruise cover so that bumped it up). Went for the cheapest (ABTA) and then by googling found a discount code and ended up paying £315 #winning 😊

Missed out on a hours free energy this afternoon as I forgot about it 🤦🏻‍♀️

@chimichangaz it was pretty full on and unfortunately I twinged my back so I’ve been on the sofa all day today minding it. Balance eh!

enjoy the holiday @PearlsPearl and glad you enjoyed your lunch @MaryGreenhill

@needastrongoneagain im the same at a festival especially a food festival. Well worth it in my opinion!

NSD today and I sold another item on vinted. Possibly priced a bit low but it doesn’t fit me so no point hanging on to it.

Today has been a household NSD - advantages of really rubbish weather and being super busy with work.

@needastrongoneagain I need things to fill my retirement. While my DM is still alive they will have to be close to home. Too often for coincidence / chance if I am a way some crisis unfolds that demands my instant return. An interrupted day trip / weekend away is less disappointing than having to high tail it back from abroad.

The only good oyster is a dead oyster... preferably smoked. I get what you mean about budgeting going out the window at festivals... I spent a fortune at a pottery festival the other week.

@PearlsPearl The NC500 is lovely and at this time of year less busy and midgey than the summer. We dog sit our friends dogs - it satisfies the inner voice saying getting a dog is good idea. Saving us £££££ in vet fees, insurance & dog food and it means we get invited to all the good parties as our pet owning friends keep us onside.

My breadmaker arrives tomorrow.... if you can start dusting off your dieting tips for the week after next that would be great.

Aw thank you @pistachiosanscream l had a lovely lunch 😁
Well done to you both @pistachiosanscream and @chimichangaz on your Vinted successes🤩

🙂Got £144 refund on multiple schools shoes I bought to try at home for DD
😕i went for a pair of ricosta shoes for £50. The sole is wearing after 2 weeks, I can see itothe cheep/lightweight bubble type. They were advertised as very light, but it's no good if it wears quickly. I had such good experience with ricosta nippy toddler shoes for herI normally get next boys but she wanted girls this year. Can anyone recommend good quality girls school shoes. Cheep ones are a false economy and, shoes are something important I'd prioritise spending for.

£3.24 on yet more fruit for the fruit guzzler.
Definitely wouldn't recommend Clarkes madams shoes were scuffed up in first day.

I'm tempted to go black Adidas trainers. I think black trainers are allowed, but she wanted something more stylish/ girly this year (year 3)

Good morning everyone 🌞
@Alwayslearning25 have you tried M&M ? They have Startrite and Sketchers in stock in a prettier Mary Jane style ?
I have bought a new duvet cover for Christmas. I couldn't leave it there it's so gorgeous 😍 l have a thing about duvet covers but haven't bought one for myself for ages now, must be over a year . Spent £18 bought the matching fleece .
It's very girly and probably too young for me but l don't care 🤣
direct.asda.com/george/home/bedding/duvet-covers/christmas-nutcracker-ballet-duvet-set/060129779,default,pd.html?redirectFromInt=1&cmpid=ppc--geor-------_-dskwid-dm&utm_campaign=pla%3A_Home-Fashion_Feed-_Performance_Max&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&gclsrc=aw.ds&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=19257788570&gbraid=0AAAAADwhMoAz2mcyc4iQX6YpkMWsEFytc&gclid=Cj0KCQjw8p7GBhCjARIsAEhghZ2eIUbeZv1FaFcdE7Q-qIaQXb7Ko_buofcdzwNbMXotDYvMIfH7ONUaAs0CEALw_wcB&shareProduct=true

@MaryGreenhill the duvet cover is cute! I bought a Halloween one the other day, green with pumpkins (think it was Stacey Solomon) and I love it so much! Will have it on continually now until December 1st when the Christmas one comes out. (will obviously wash it weekly 😆 I just mean it will go straight back on the same day)

I’ve been ‘shopping’ on vinted but using my balance from the clothes I sold last week. £100. Feels like free money!! 💰

Surpassed myself with frugalness today brought not one but two lunches to work

£5 coffee
£3 pregnancy kit (whoops)

@PearlsPearl oh excellent re the Vinted 'shopping' 😁
Thank you re the duvet cover . Will have to have a look at that Halloween one you got 😁
But l am not buying any more just having a look like you do 🤣🤣🤣

@ChipshopPickledEgg are congratulations in order , it would be lovely to have a thread baby ❤️

@MaryGreenhill waiting for today to be over so I can go take it and process accordingly can't face it at work.

NSD yesterday and got a refund from vinted as an item didn't arrive £5.80.
NSD today too pottering about the house. I did offer DD to go to the park but she is happy playing after pre school so staying put
Washing machine isn't draining. Well it is. But over the floor. OH is going to look at it when he is home and fix hopefully. It's quite old. It came with the house.

Oh I love bedding too. I'm quite old fashioned and go for blankets and throws but I'm a sucker for them. Your blanket looks beautiful @MaryGreenhill
I'm VERY excited about possible baby news. OH said no to another knowing I wanted one so I'm definitely up for a thread baby!!!!

Meal plan for the week
Fish and chips and veg
Potato and leek soup
Picky bits
Homemade pizza with home-grown toms and cheese
Sagg aloo with coconut and beetroot curry and coconut rice
Sun-dried tomato and rocket salad

Oh. Found five more potatoes in the garden randomly. I must have missed them when digging the rest up. Made me happy.

Enjoy your holiday @PearlsPearl ! Well deserved xx

I hope it goes whichever way you want it to go @ChipshopPickledEgg 🤗

Well done on the extra tatoes @Frugal25😁 excellent meal plan 🤗
Thank you for the bedding love 😊
Lol @Happierwithouthim 😁
Hope the WM is fixed too @Frugal25🤗