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 😊

Morning, Comrades!

I’ve had to cunningly change my username as I was having logging in/account issues but hopefully the change isn’t too cloak and dagger 🤣.

Should be a NSD today. It’s a lovely day and I’m hoping to get DH out for a short walk and some tidying of the garden.

I had never heard of Chelsea Peers so you are all enabling me! I’m going to be strong and stick some stuff on Vinted though before I indulge (from there, good idea).

I’ve was out for my run early as DD needed dropping off at the station (usually cycles but is going to a conference), so I’d better crack on!

Kedgeree for supper!

Morning, I have lots of meetings at home today so I am going to organise my kitchen around them, and then do a big food shop tomorrow, which will be nice as it will be 1st Oct. Should just be £1 for parking for DDs dance today unless I can think of anything I need from town. I have some admin to do for a charity though so I am planning to sit at her club and work on that so hopefully don't need to venture out (have to park in the car park there rather than Tesco as we rush to another club straight after and we wouldn't make it if we had to walk further to the car). The kids are asking for the winter gloves to come out of storage so hopefully all the winter bits still fit!

Just spent £45 on school uniform, realised we needed an extra jumper and tie. Also £3 on gregs to good to go bag, but good value as there was loads of food in, cakes to share with colleagues as well as my breakfast and lunch. Tommmow I may have to spend on toddler shoes depending how they measure, but he's been falling over more recently. I have spent £42 on DH birthday presents for his birthday tomorrow.

Happy birthday to your DH for tomorrow @Alwayslearning25🤩
Those Greggs good to go bags are amazing 😁
Been to Costco £125
Costco cafe £5 for DH, me and Dd2 ridiculous price for hot dogs and drinks 😁
£6 charity shop for books .
Still beautiful here have a lovely day everyone 😊

@MaryGreenhill everybody needs a YouTube nana. I follow a Facebook page basically it's nana Joyce and it's a lady in America and she's everybodies nana.

Think we also need more school uniform couple more cardigans for definite they come back absolutely ditched.

Checking in. €30 on amazon for 2 paintbrushes and some cake storage tins. We are baking more so need to store it!

Dinner from the freezer tonight, absolutely necessary as we have swimming lessons and then its a rush for the evening.

Afternoon all -

Made a sweet potato shakshouka mashup today so spent just under £12 in Waitrose. Have a pot of yogurt, a jar of paste, some eggs and a tin of tomatoes left. And leftovers for about four days. Yesterdays spending was £9.99 on Amazon on a knee sleeve. I’m trying to decide if it’s the right size. I want to say freezer eating is paying off but I’m spending more on groceries than usual. Very much like you @pistachiosanscream good at putting things in the freezer but not so good at eating out of it. Though I am making some progress as it is looking emptier.

With all the Chelsea Peers talk I’m looking forward to picking up the robe I ordered as it’s Chelsea Peers. It’s my keep warm when it’s chilly purchase.

Work wasn’t pleasant yesterday so took today off. I’m utterly exhausted. Not sure how I’m going to manage to be honest. Read about three emails then decided I cared about none of it so stopped. Hoping it’s a case of finding my feet again. Going slightly crazy not being able to get out and about. Am wanting to get up a mountain again but think it might be a while. Read a few pages of Mel Robbins Let Them this afternoon. Might read a bit more later.

Win on the bike @HP87.

Fingers crossed for you on the job front @PearlsPearl and well done with the new business.

Welcome @clare8allthepies

Your plan for Devon sounds amazing @BigSkies2022. Hope the weather isn’t too bad.

£14 in butcher - 4 large pork chops (about a kilo). Half the price of the lamb chops, which is what I went in for.
£5 in bakery - big sourdough loaf.

Otherwise a NSD and lots of admin done - or lots of waiting on phones to get the admin done, while loading and unloading washing machine and tumble drier. But Ddad's new pension arrangements confirmed, payments put to rights and Dmum can hopefully stop panicking. Although when I rang to tell her the good news, her response was, "I have a question for you: if I predecease your father, will you be able to sell the flat? It's just that your DSIL said the other day that he could easily go on 5 years and I certainly won't." I had to reply that I wasn't really thinking of people dying and selling their assets, but rather of the good and useful task that had just been done, and the sunny day outside that was there to be enjoyed. Christ, it never ends...

Planning to watch new episode of Blue Lights tonight. Any other recommendations?

I read (well, listened to) ‘Let them’ and thought it was very good. I’ve definitely tried to take it on anyway.

I just watched the episode of the Frugal Gran Allie while I was on the treadmill- she’s lovely! Thanks for the recommendation! I’ll give her a watch while I’m at the gym.

Aw thank you @PearlsPearl and @ChipshopPickledEgg
Re Frugal Granny UK .
Will have a look at Nana Joyce on FB too 😊
@pistachiosanscream hope you are ok sweetheart 💐

@MaryGreenhill i love watching Allies / frugal grannies YT channel, she’s so resourceful - my absolute favourite vlog off hers is where she’s showing her autumn wardrobe- she has great taste and style.

Nsd for me today, busy with a stocktake at work, so completely missed lunch and had to go straight from work to the Pilates class I’d booked, didn’t really feel like it but was glad once I’d been. I didn’t get half of my usual work done so it’s looking like tomorrow will be a busy one too.

@Johaanah oh l love that you watch her and like her (Allie) too , she's been through a lot from what l can gather .
Her clothes are so lovely, they suit her so well and l love that she sticks to her style and knows her own mind over her clothes and doesn't sway from what she knows suits her .

I am def looking up allie frugal on YT. And Chelsea peers, I've not come across them but I shall be looking these up too!
A NSD today. Made two fruit cakes as had all the ingredients so we are enjoying one and the other is in the freezer.
Oh. It wasn't a NSD, I went to yoga. £9. I forgot about that!
Working tomorrow from home so it will def be a NSD then. And I sold another item on vinted so I'll post tomorrow.

She's called Frugal Granny UK @Frugal25and her name is Allie. l hope you like her , she's very calm and very homely 😊
Well done on the fruit cakes and the Vinted parcel too, it all
Adds up 😁

Evening all. Very tired tonight so a short update from me. I bought some stuff from amazon yesterday- a watch strap, a dental mirror, a harness for my son’s dog and a new washing line. Exciting times.
Today I worked this morning, had my photography class this afternoon and then a WhatsApp video catch-up with two friends. Bought a meal deal for dinner tonight, and then some chocolate from the corner shop when I posted a letter.

I’ve been offered more temp work to the end of October, 2 days a week which is enough for me quite frankly 😆

Been meaning to ask if you all know about the Boots recycling scheme? I’ve managed to get advantage points worth £11 by recycling old toiletries containers and empty pill packets.

You need to download the boots recycling app. When you recycle 5 toiletries empties you get 500 advantage points, for pill packets it’s only 100. You need to buy stuff to get the points and you have to be quick off the mark but I think it’s worth it if you plan it. The app has FAQs.

Good morning everyone 🌄
@chimichangaz l had no idea about the Boots recycling points system so thank you that is brilliant 😁🤗
Hopefully a NSD for me but we shall see😁
Have a good day everyone 😊

NSD for me today also as another busy day in the office, so no time for spending!

@MaryGreenhill I'm not a pensioner, but my mum,
who is, recommended Allies channel to me, also there are two others that are good to watch, one is Tania - living on a UK state pension and the other is Sharron, living on a low income UK, not quite a pensioner but in her 60’s and a change in circumstances mean she has had to adapt to a new frugal lifestyle, not sure if these are of interest to you but thought you might like to have a look.

@chimichangaz I had heard of it but not taken the time to look. Have now and it’s excellent! I will be doing this. Thank you!

Oh thank you so much @Johaanah 🤗 l will check these ladies out too well done your DMum 🤗

You are most welcome @PearlsPearl and anyone else who might find it useful!

I keep a box in the airing cupboard to stash my empties then add them to the app once they’ve built up. You have to check the app to see if they’ve been approved, stupidly the first time I expected an email 🤦🏻‍♀️

But I think it’s definitely worth doing.

@chimichangaz someone told me about the boots app a few weeks ago. I've started a recycling box for pill packets and empty bottles with this in mind. Plus soft plastics as I didn't know our local co-op takes them. Good to know it works as Christmas approaches with Boots spends to make!

Quick one from me to keep me in the fred.
Monday was NSD
Tuesday was £19 in co-op. Got some good deals.

Morning, Frugal Comrades!

Thanks for the recommendation re frugal lifestyle channels. I’ll look them up. I’ve more time and headspace now for things like this, and really looking forward to engaging more in this regard.

One of the best things about not working is having the time (albeit frustrating as it is that it’s so darn time consuming to do, either for ourselves or for others, so I feel that pain @BigSkies2022) for the life admin. It got me thinking how much easier it is to make frugal decisions and choices when you’ve the headspace to do so. The number of times I’ve not reviewed the market before renewing a policy because I just don’t have time to do so in the last 3/4 years. You shouldn’t have had to hang around on the phone for the best part of the day just to do admin, especially if you have to do that for yourself and then for other folk. Grumble grumble.

I’ve a small shop arriving today, and then frugal folk, I shall be in a position to make my first Christmas cake!

Weather is crap, so indoor chores like ironing, some resistance work, a little trip to the garden centre for a new indoor plant pot (get DH out of the house…) and making a large chicken broth.

Lots of ivy from next door pulled off our (very long) garden fence yesterday that had grown over, general tidying etc outside done. Had to stop as our compost piles are full and so was the garden waste bin.

Oh let us know how the Christmas cake goes @needastrongoneagain1!

I will definitely look up some of these Frugal social media accounts.

Yesterday wasn't too bad. My £175 bonus was paid for switching my current account. I had a voucher for Uniqlo that I wanted to use so ended up spending £55 on a new jumper and pair of work trousers. I then put the £120 left from the switching bonus straight into my savings account.

I have spent far too much on clothes this year but it's been necessary as I've lost 4.5 stones. I've mostly stuck to Vinted so I didn't feel too guilty about buying the new Uniqlo clothes. Plus my work colleague was telling me the work trousers I was wearing yesterday were too big (which they were, even with a belt) so new ones were becoming necessary.

I had to fill the car with petrol which was £53.

I completely organised the kitchen cupboards to sort out what we have.... prompted by needing donations for harvest festival for both DDs. Annoyingly I found a few items that were out of date so I'm hoping my new system makes taking stock of what I have easier. I now have one shelf for tins, one for jars, one for dried pasta, noodles and rice, one for baking products and one for cereals.

Dinner was a sort of Indian shakshuka. Daal with peppers and onions topped with two fried eggs and some toast for dipping. Prompted because I found lentils in the cupboard that needed using up. It was actually quite nice!

Thanks @MaryGreenhill i'm well on the way to revcovery. A busy week of work ahead of me but by Friday the 10th it will calm down and i will be on holidays.

@RumBananaSundae i'm glad i'm not the only one. I grew up in a big family and i think i still unconsciously cook for that. even when eating down the freezer i'm still adding to it.

good luck with the chiristmas cake @needastrongoneagain1

I must look into that app @chimichangaz as it seems to be available in Ireland too.

Today should be a LSD, i'm in work and will get coffee out but plan to keep it under €5. Then tonight is busy with the last night of camogie training for the season. I'm looking forward to a quieter couple of months on the kids activitites side of things. Though Camogie has been remarkably cheap.

Tonight dinner will be pasta sauce i made earlier this year from the tomatoes in the garden and froze. Nice quick dinner before we head to training.

We are away in center parcs next weekend so i'm going to skip the proper grocery shop and just pick up Cucumber as thats all i need for school lunches. The birthday grocery shop is going to be high, i've it ordered from Tesco but hoping some more treats go on offer before it gets delivered to add to the party bags.

£64 in Iceland. Now that pay day is done - all the shuffling between accounts is complete. Now to sit and watch the month go by and watch it all go. Well for the next three weeks anyway - holiday booked for the end of the month - so realistically speaking we should be able to eat from the freezer for a while. We will see !!!