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 😊

Ah @BigSkies2022 well done on teaching your DS those skills. I’m desperate to do the same but my son is stubbornly independent and refuses help. He thinks investing in the stock market is a gamble he’s not willing to risk. I’m still trying though, by doing it sideways and not directly, dropping in little nuggets when we are on dog walks. Fingers crossed it sinks in.

Yesterday I spent £150 having a replacement filling (ouch), and £6 on a coffee and water for lunch as I didn’t have time to go home before my class. Also £5 in Morrisons on coffee, garlic bread and yellow sticker naans for the freezer.

I’ve finally got the tech sorted for my contract work so I start that today which will bring in a little bit of money. I also sorted out a regular drawdown from my personal pension starting next month, and I’ve heard from the financial ombudsman that they’ve requested the records of my transfer from my previous provider to start the investigation.

chimi - it's that old joke - 'young people, leave home and earn your own living while you still know it all!' DS does understand that the bigger gamble is leaving your savings wholly in cash where they are prey to inflation, and that having no savings is the biggest gamble of all, but you know - the lure of the immediate is hard to overcome, innit? My parents never talked about money, and to this day my father (sitting in his care home, funded he knows not how) will say things like, 'Money means nothing to me.' ('Dad,' I reply, 'We're not grand enough for money to mean nothing.') So perhaps the best thing we can do for our DSpawn is to talk regularly about our own decisions on money.

Taking DMum to visit DDad in said care home today, and then maybe have a quick browse in whatever shop she fancies. I will not be buying!

I love it! Ds’s birthday is in early Nov I don’t do a thing for Christmas prior to that.

Afternoon everyone 😊
I have been to Primark today £12.50 for warm thermal socks, a blue mascara and a pr of pink reading sunglasses for Mum
Lidl £14
Beautiful day here 😊
Hope everyone has a lovely day 😊

@chimichangaz thank you for the information! I really should regularly do some more exercises so trying to not spend that £70 will be my wake up call.

Just a loaf of bread today. DH gets paid tomorrow so I'm looking forward to sorting out the finances. I am determined not to use any of his pay until Oct (might need diesel though before so want to sort it now incase, I know it's diesel and if I have to get it I have to but mentally I want to start the month clean!)

No money going into the mortgage pot this month and next though as ds2 is ready for a single bed so he will be getting a bed, mattress and wardrobe ASAP. We can sell his drawers, wardrobe and nursery chair though so will hopefully make some money back. He can't use his current wardrobe and drawers as the room isn't big enough, he needs a wardrobe with drawers in. Our nursery set has lasted all three children though (the cot bed is on its last legs the amount of times it's been changed from cot to cot bed it is currently superglued together 😂) so anything we get for the furniture is a bonus.

We still have some decorating to do from the loft conversion (the rooms are done but it's the landing areas: painting, carpets and blinds) but we're not too fussed about that being done ASAP so that will be a slow savings pot with the majority going into the mortgage pot, from Nov onwards.

Yes, of course they know better than us with our years of experience!!

I was just listening to a podcast at lunchtime - Mel Robbins was interviewing Morgan Housel who wrote The Psychology of Money. It's a good book (I listened on Audible) but quite a slog to listen to it all. I haven't finished the podcast yet but it's been informative in a short burst if that makes sense? Might be an easier format for our sprogs to digest though.

Evening all - the being frugal has been put on hold for now. I’m back early from my break as I had an accident while I was away so I’m concentrating on making things easy. Luckily I was able to shift the second part of my holiday until later in the year so I’ve not lost the money for that and have something to look forward to.

I did a freezer audit and was pleasantly surprised by what I found. I am quite happy with my habit of chopping leftover vegetables and throwing them into the freezer as now I’ve rediscovered soup so I’m just opening the Ziplock bags and throwing things into the sauce pan. Had a look through some of the kitchen cupboards too and I’m not quite sure what I’ll do with some of the things I found - gingerbread mustard anyone?

I haven’t caught up with this thread yet but I will do. The site is doing strange things for me and I finding threads quite difficult to follow.

@RumBananaSundae hope you are ok lovely , shame about your holiday but thankfully you haven't lost any money so at least that's good.
🤞 You make a speedy recovery ☺️

Oh hope you feel better soon rum

nsd

@HP87 the thought of having to get rid of the nursery furniture breaks my heart! The pram is firmly put away in the garage now as much chance of getting my daughter in that than me not eating this whole bag of white Maltesers.

£397 on two new tyres for the car. Had to be done as we have a long journey planned for this weekend to see family and the MOT is also due next month. They were within legal limits now but due to MOT rules would not pass and it all needs doing before we take off on holiday next month.
Picked up a couple of Xmas stocking gifts for family at £2.50 but lots more to do yet. Also bought a new pair of jeans - not really necessary but I do need to smarten up a bit. - this was a compromise but still £48 in M&S

@ChipshopPickledEgg opposite for me, I can't wait. Ds2 is taking longer to potty train than expected and it's driving me mad, I am so ready to be out of baby stage 😂. Just sold the changing bag on vinted. Pram went along time ago here due to not really needing something of that large size anymore. I bought it with my nans inheritance and sold it for £350 (bugaboo donkey as my younger two are close in age and I needed a big double!), I was very pleased about that. Although when I was looking (Nov 21 time) second hand ones were selling for £600! All the ones I saw posted when I was selling in may time this year were at maximum £400.

LSD for me yesterday- £4.99 on a printer cable needed for the contract work I’m doing.
Not planning to spend anything today as working most of the day.
Proud of myself for making a decision not to buy something I saw on a YT video the other day - I browsed amazon for a while and then realised a) I didn’t need it as I already have something similar and b) I was aimlessly scrolling. I’m hoping this is the start of more mindful spending (or not spending, rather!).

@BigSkies2022 well done for persevering with the money talks with him. I wish so much my parents had discussed it with me. I had credit card debt when I was 18!

Greeting Comrades! 😊

Sorry I've been AWOL. Selling a business appears to be a bit like buying a house - it goes on much longer than you think it will at the start of the process - but, finally - accountant, solicitor and HMRC all seem happy, and we are in the process of transferring all the funds to the solicitors, so all the funds can then be distributed on completion date to relevant parties. Which I anticipate will be end of next week. So I have had to do a fair bit of leg work to get it to this point in the last few days, but I don't anticipate doing another day in the office and having only minimal input from now on and none from completion date - phew!

Today is 'payday' and I am pleased to say we were in budget last month by the princely sum of £4, but considering how much less this self imposed budget is compared to our previous monthly income then I'm really pleased.

Today I'll likely spend a few pounds on some salsa and guacamole for a chilli I'm making later, don't usually bother but we have SIL coming for dinner (DB is away and she's on her own).

I'm very proud of myself tidying up all of the front of our house while DH slept yesterday morning, while fielding calls and emails re the sale/completion. This afternoon will be tackling some of the back, sweeping up leaves and tidying up the raised beds.

I'm keeping up from now on!

Well done for resisting the YT ad purchase, Its so east to get sucked in. I unfollowed loads of fashion influencers on Instagram as I found that although in my head they were showing how to wear stuff and accessorise it was actually just a way of persuading followers to buy things they don't need/want. I'm pretty sure everything they wear is either sent to them for free or they return it after making a short reel. I've spent a good hour this morning wondering if I need to buy a specific Paella pan, but finally came to the conclusion that the cast iron pan I've had for years will do the job no problem, that's at least £30 saved.

Yesterday I 'spent' £11.05 in Sainsbury's, I went in for milk, bread, bananas, a lemon, mushy peas, and some cream - my only impulse buy was a pack of Haribo for DD and DS to share, but I used a Sainsbury's gift card I was given so it didn't alter the numbers in my bank account. Payday tomorrow and I'm still in the black so this is good news. No plans to shop today, so hopefully an NSD.

I written a meal plan and shopping list for next week, looked through the cupboards and made a kind of menu out of the things I have in, I asked everyone to chose a meal so we all get at least one meal we like each week, I'll then add a few basic dinners such as Baked potatoes, fish and chips and a roast on Sunday to make it up to 7 days.

Next week we have:

Nduja Sausage pasta
Vegetable paella
Panang curry and rice
Beef stew and dumplings
Chipotle Quesadillas

I've worked out what we have and what I need to buy to make the recipes, I'm hoping that by using up the stuff we already have I can cut down on the grocery bill this month.

Hope everyone else is having a good day, the sun is shining here even if the wind is blowing.

NSD for me yesterday. Needed as I did my budget and I am not just into overdraft, I'm over it. So I've stuck a few more bits on vinted and they are selling so fingers crossed.

Well done @BigSkies2022 on teaching your son. I hope to do this with my DD as I was never taught. I watched my DM be careful but it was never explained. I wish it had been, would have saved me years of endlessly spending.

Anyway. £60 in lidl today. A very tight and small shop today due to tight budget this month. (All down to car insurance going out as I haven't built pots up to be big enough yet to fund things like this but I'm getting there) if I don't lose weight this month I'll be shocked.

@ChipshopPickledEgg I can't let go of some things either. I'm trying to sell the pram set at the mo and it's hard. Baby clothes I kept a couple and chucked the rest (before I knew about vinted) lol regarding the malteasers!!!

off swimming but already paid. And said no to a play date as it meant £10 to go to soft play. We can go next month when it's not so tight money wise.

Sensible re not going to soft play @Frugal25. It's lovely here anyway, too much of an opportunity to get out into the fresh air!

The menu plan sounds nice @Johaanah

Good idea to stick some bits on Vinted. I've a few things I can list as it happens right now so best get on it.

Congratulations on selling your business
@needastrongoneagain 😊
Great job @Frugal25 you are doing really well with your budgeting l know you don't feel like you are but you are 👏
Wel done on resisting the Paella pan @Johaanah
Great job on the saying no to the YT add @chimichangaz
Spends today £88 Aldi

need - congratulations on the sale of the business. Live long and prosper in your new life!
chimi - Morgan Housel would be proud of your decision to swerve the YT temptation - that immensely powerful algorithm which can capture us all! By a strange coincidence I actually had got Housel's Psychology of Money out of the library again - I first read it a year or so back - and am now listening to his interview with Mel Robbins as I potter about. I haven't listened to her podcast before and will visit some more episodes, i'm sure - thank you for the recommendation.

Successful visit with DMum and Ddad yesterday - they both seem to be settling into their new lives happily. Thank god.

£59 on haircut this morning. £7 on chicken drumsticks and thighs. Will cook them for DS with some sweet potatoes and peppers for him to have after work tonight. DH and I, however, are meeting a friend at Norma, a Sicilian restaurant on Charlotte Street! I am very pleased about this, and working on my outfit.

Now frugal comrades, a dilemma: Dmum has given me a very generous gift of money for my 60th, which will pretty much cover the cost of the DeMellier bag I've been eyeing up for months. Now, I could put this money into my ISA (adding to my wealth) or I could spend it on something that, even if it lasts me 15 years or more, will absolutely never accumulate value beyond the pleasure of the moment that I purchase it. No matter how much I like it, the pleasure of owning it is unlikely ever to exceed the rush in the moment of buying it.

What would you do? What would Morgan Housel do? (I think I know the answer to that..)

@Frugal25 I feel the same. I wish I was taught more about saving, compound interest etc. My dad is actually a massive saver but it was never explained to me why it was important to start at a young age!

Spendy day today unfortunately. Sorted DHs pay out so I decided to get everything I needed for the month out of the way, the kids have four birthday parties between them so those presents are all bought, topped up with diesel, paid for DD school trip, needed water filters, got six months worth. DS1 wants to go rock climbing but where we go does an offer in Nov - Jan of by two visits get one free so I will hold off on that while we can still get outside. I have two big Saturdays out in Oct (I very rarely go out! not been out with these two sets of friends for well over a year and they've fallen on two consecutive weekends) so I've put some money aside for those. DD has her school residential in Oct but I shouldn't need to buy anything for that as they want them taking the old stuff!

I've put money aside for Xmas and half term. I've decided I won't think about Xmas until after half term.

Here's to a no spend weekend and starting Oct next week in a good financial position! I have done so much better on my groceries this month, I have almost pulled it back to starting at £0 for the next month, usually I am starting on -£200, it will be about -£90 to start Oct, so hopefully it will be at £0 when I start in Nov!

@BigSkies2022 well done on teaching your DS about money at such an important age. I do worry about how we will do the same with our small child. We use so little cash and card spending can be so abstract. But we will persevere!

Also for the bag, i would think are you going to actually use it? if you are and will use it a lot than it doesn't matter where the main feeling of joy comes from when buying it. It can also be nice to have an actual thing to remember your mum and your 60th by. Something she bought for you. Unless you are skint and miles behind in saving for your retirement!

congratulations @needastrongoneagain on the business sale. Great to have that almost sorted and you can draw a line under out.

@Frugal25 thats some impressive budgeting by you. well done

@HP87 really good idea to set out the month like that.

Tuesday was a NSD and yesterday i spent 12.40 on coffee for myself and colleagues. Today ive spent €10 on milk, bread and a few top up groceries.

Today was also payday. Hallelujah! september is a long month. We have a trip to centre parcs and small child's birthday coming up. i have the presents but we always do a family party (big family and lots of adults) so need to put money aside for that. I use that party to stock up on alcohol as any unused will be used at christmas. This year she is also having a class party so that will be €€€ and i hadn't quite budgeted for it.

So again trying to cut down on groceries and use up the freezer a bit to shift funds towards the party bill.

We won't get our bedroom painted this week after all. i've had a cold all week and i don't have the energy to manage it. But fingers crossed we will do it next week.

I would buy the bag. Every time I used it I’d think of my mum. And how much I loved it.

@BigSkies2022 definitely get the bag £4/500 isn't going to make a huge difference but would make you smile every day.

Id buy the bag! Like others, it's a beautiful gift that you will use and it will make you smile for years to come.

If you get more money next year, save that. But not for a 60th