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

1000 replies

MaryGreenhill · 30/08/2025 17:19

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 😊

OP posts:
Thread gallery
31
HP87 · 01/10/2025 14:02

@GameOfJones I did a kitchen re organise yesterday and I feel soo much better for it. Nothing out of date as the cupboards were bare anyway, but a huge black bin back full of crap like old baking trays (that had already been replaced!!) old tubs that you think oh that will be useful for something, and the something never comes along 😂.

Ds started a club at school last month, he was due to start at the end of Sept but started in the middle so the direct debit for that is about £25 more than expected (I'm not really sure why I should have to pay when the girl that left decided not to do her notice period, and then they asked a 5 year old child if he wanted to start early of course he's going to say yes!) anyways I will chalk it up as he loves it and just have a mini rant on here about it instead.

Just had lunch out, really nice place so it was £22, we both would have preferred something cheaper like a panini, so we know for next time.

Time for a Tesco full shop to fill the kitchen cupboards. I will remember to use my sprive app for a voucher this time. The cupboards, fridge and freezer are bare plus I need to get harvest festival bits and some washing tablets... This is going to be pricey!

I don't think there's anything else this week/weekend. The kids have clubs and a birthday party on Saturday and Sunday we're volunteering at school so as long as I have a plan for dinner I should be on for a no spend weekend.

clare8allthepies · 01/10/2025 14:24

Am starting the month strong. Did a grocery shop yesterday, stuck to the shopping list and bought no wine! Have booked the travelodge for 2 nights for a trip to my mums for Christmas for just £90 which is about half what we paid last year. After being quoted £80 plus VAT for a plumber to come and replace our leaking kitchen tap (plus the cost of the new tap) I went and bought a new tap for £34 and fitted it myself! So far, so good! 💪

Pumpkins, Pies… and Prudence! Autumn Frugal Saving Shenanigans here 🍂🌰All Welcome 🌰🍁
MaryGreenhill · 01/10/2025 14:58

Omg well done @clare8allthepies that's amazing you clever thing! 👏
That's an amazing price for December great start to the month 😁
You rant all you like @HP87 that was not fair for you to have to pay but it's not worth chasing l agree . At least your Ds is enjoying his club bless him . You are very organised too! Well done!
@Rainbow1901Nice to be able to relax about the months expenses and a holiday at the end is brilliant 👏🤗
So glad you are much better @pistachiosanscream plus a lovely hols to look forward to just brilliant 🤗.
@GameOfJones omg 4.5 stones is amazing ,great job well done you 👏 😁
@needastrongoneagain l hear you re hanging on the end of the phone for life admin 😱
Fabulous you are making your Christmas cake and please can we see a pic 👏🤗

OP posts:
Alwayslearning25 · 01/10/2025 15:58

Hi, had a very stressful shopping trip with a toddler. I decided as he's nearly 3 he'll be ok with reins and no buggy. He wasn't. We e had to stay because I had his chicken pox vaccine booked in town but all his tantruming meant I didn't buy anything except some cafe food, so.....frugal win. We measured his feet and they haven't grown. His shoes...are a little worn but still have grip and no holes. They were cheap but he likes them. But the toe area is very scuffed, the white trainer effect has worn off. I think they'll get a hole on the top soon. Any frugal tips for refreshing kids shoes...was thinking something similar to duck tape but open to ideas.

Or I'll buy him some shoes online. I'm not going back to town with him any time soon.

BigSkies2022 · 01/10/2025 16:45

I remember shoe shopping as a particular flare point! Why are those shops always so hot?

kudos on the diy plumbing! DH fixed our dodgy kitchen tap and for the first time in months I don’t need two hands to use it. Very satisfying. I need to reciprocate with some DIY of my own- like fixing the
stone sills. Soon, soon, soon…

£44 in Sainsbury’s today. Mostly on frozen fish and floor cleaner it seems to me.

working my way through the ironing ahead of packing for Devon tomorrow. Cleaning. Trying not to strangle Ddog who is even more reactive than usual.

will check out those YouTube channels.

MaryGreenhill · 01/10/2025 17:08

Aw bless you @Alwayslearning25 we have all been there don't you worry 🤗.
I would get him a pr of bright cheap wellies for now, they usually love getting those for splashing in the puddles , unless you need shoes for nursery school of course.
@BigSkies2022 have a great time in Devon 😁

OP posts:
GameOfJones · 01/10/2025 18:04

Oh I love Frugal Granny UK I've just watched her first couple of videos and she has such a calm way about her. Very interesting to hear about her plans and retirement journey. Thanks for the recommendation!

RumBananaSundae · 01/10/2025 18:40

Evening all - spending has been £4 today in Marks and Spencer and £10 yesterday to Mr Amazon buying another knee sleeve.

Picked up my Chelsea Peers robe. I’ve unpacked it and am rather pleased. The colours look much better than the picture too.

Headspace certainly feels like it’s shrinking. Had been looking forward to a few months in France once the legal stuff was complete but now it’s dragging on and more expensive than anticipated so my France money and head clearing plans are burnt to dust. Have decided to not put an insurance claim in for my accident. Decided I couldn’t deal with it. Not doing too well on the frugal front currently. Leg is really not happy today so that’s not helping.

Thank you @PearlsPearl I’ve not read anymore Mel Robbins today but I need to try something different and it’s a good place to start as any. Hopefully it might help.

Well done on the tap @clare8allthepies a rather good save.

Happy birthday to your husband @Alwayslearning25 .

PearlsPearl · 01/10/2025 18:58

@Alwayslearning25 I'd just get some pairs on Vinted now you've had him measured!

Discovered Food Warehouse today. Went in during my hunt for Longley Farm- they didn't have it but they had such good bargains! Spent £28

MaryGreenhill · 01/10/2025 19:00

AHH you're welcome @GameOfJones 🤗 l am so glad you enjoyed her channel .
@RumBananaSundae are you ok lovely you sound defeated to me forgive me if l am wrong.
Is there anything we can say to help you 💐
@PearlsPearlhave you tried Herons foods , they are supposed to be very good for frozen food and other stuff .
I don't go in often enough l will have to remedy that 😁

OP posts:
PearlsPearl · 01/10/2025 19:59

Thanks, just checked but none in Scotland. Found my beloved Longley farm in M&S tonight!

Frugal25 · 01/10/2025 20:01

Oh wow @clare8allthepies !!! You are amazing!

@Alwayslearning25 I went through that about 6 months ago. Reigns, no buggy, I came home hit and ratty and near tears. They do grow out of it. Mine now walks round with me good as gold helping choose the fruit and veg. Only a few months difference too.

Today was meant to be a NSD but I found two gifts on vinted for OH that are perfect so £16.
But budget is looking better and I'm back into the overdraft (and not over it) thanks to selling a few bits on vinted. Need to sell a bit more and I'll be back in the black.

OH is on a rare night out so I'm going to binge watch rich house poor house!

lifelongfrugaleer · 01/10/2025 20:02

Nice one fixing the tap
shops and toddlers. I remember that. But sometimes you have to.
good luck with the cake need. Ikwym about headspace and the lack thereof.
Rants welcome on here

Well done on the weight loss. Mines not shifting

happy birthday always dh
ah rum it will get better. Have a hug

food warehouse is a chain of Iceland

spends here are £££ but it’s anniversary & birthday season so from my annual spends pot

ChipshopPickledEgg · 01/10/2025 20:41

Alwayslearning25 · 01/10/2025 15:58

Hi, had a very stressful shopping trip with a toddler. I decided as he's nearly 3 he'll be ok with reins and no buggy. He wasn't. We e had to stay because I had his chicken pox vaccine booked in town but all his tantruming meant I didn't buy anything except some cafe food, so.....frugal win. We measured his feet and they haven't grown. His shoes...are a little worn but still have grip and no holes. They were cheap but he likes them. But the toe area is very scuffed, the white trainer effect has worn off. I think they'll get a hole on the top soon. Any frugal tips for refreshing kids shoes...was thinking something similar to duck tape but open to ideas.

Or I'll buy him some shoes online. I'm not going back to town with him any time soon.

I felt this so much.
You got dis!
I bloody hate town with my toddler.

Mochi1fudge · 01/10/2025 22:23

Busy day so didn't do a food shop, had leftovers for tea. Also using up some tins of tuna and sweetcorn for pasta salad and tuna melts with salad for tomorrow. Saved on a food shop for a few days until it settles down..

Today was £3.75 meal deal and £1 bar of chocolate.

Remember the shopping trips well, especially shoe shopping in the Clarks outlet the week before school would go back, extremely busy and people would practically fight over the shoes 😲 money was really tight at the time and even getting £10 off made all the difference.

Life admin is so time consuming today I spent my whole lunch break in two different banks.

lifelongfrugaleer · 02/10/2025 10:11

If you need school shoes in august make an appointment. Game changer

spenday as used my Lidl 10% £115 after voucher, £30 home bargains, and £100 Sainsbury’s due today
also 450 Amazon for wellies & birthday presents and another order queued for next week

needastrongoneagain1 · 02/10/2025 11:06

Morning, Frugal Folk.

Shopping with toddlers is horrible, hope you’re having a better day @Alwayslearning25

@RumBananaSundae❤️. How are you feeling today?

Ouch to the spends @lifelongfrugaleer

Haven’t made the cake yet - saving for a crappy weather day. It’s lovely here today, so I’ll make the most of it and get outside.

Received a £80 refund of an overpaid subscription (£20 per month and accidentally set up on my CC and debit card when the original transaction seemingly didn’t go through).

Should be a NSD.

HP87 · 02/10/2025 11:12

Good morning! Tesco shop was huge £250. But alot of cupboard bits, harvest festival stuff, snacks galore, washing tablets (I need to sort out getting these cheaper, might start my costco membership again, I stopped it because it's right on the other side of town, 30min round trip plus always busy so it was taking too long but I might need to get organised and go again as it's so much cheaper for stuff like that).

So hopefully that's it for a huge shop for the month. But it took so long I didn't get home until 4pm and had to put the frozen and fridge away quickly pick the kids up, straight to dd dance so ended with with McDonald's for the kids for dinner as the kitchen was still a mess.

I really fancied a coffee this morning so went to the petrol station to get one and saw they were in the meal deal so got that. I'm in the office for lunch today so that's lunch sorted for technically 70p as I was getting the coffee anyway! I've now got a free coffee so will enjoy that next time I go for coffee with a friend.

We are doing OK this month, hopefully nothing crops up as dh will need some money to spend with the kids on the two Saturdays I'm out. Three kids on your own is much easier when you can take them out so I'm not going to say he can't spend anything!

Dd saying her PE trainers are getting too small but she should be able to get to half term. She has her residential trip the week before half term so she can wear them for raft building (where they all definitely get soaking wet 😂 and then stay in their bag for three days as its on the second day) and bin them after. Then sort out a new pair during half term.

Johaanah · 02/10/2025 12:11

Hi Everyone,

A good day here as we've had builders in for the past month and today they have finally left for good, it honestly felt like they'd moved in - very nice guys but it's quite stressful.

Today I did the weekly shop and spent £58.21 in M&S and a further £80.46 in Aldi, which is quite a bit more that I anticipated, I did buy dd1 a posh ready meal and bag of cookies to take back to uni with her as she made a flying visit (used the house as a hotel) on her way home from a gig.

No plans to spend any more money today, but saying that my next port of call is the Christmas bargains thread so who knows...??

Not long until the weekend, hope everyone is having a good day :)

MaryGreenhill · 02/10/2025 13:07

Been to IKEA to look at the Christmas stuff. Only bought a few things though.

Ikea £45
Lunch for the 3 of us hot dog meals , DH , myself and Dd1 , £10.50
Now that's cheap as chips !
Hope everyone having a good day 😊

OP posts:
HP87 · 02/10/2025 13:49

@Johaanah where is this Christmas bargains thread, sounds right up my street!

MaryGreenhill · 02/10/2025 13:53

HP87 · 02/10/2025 13:49

@Johaanah where is this Christmas bargains thread, sounds right up my street!

It's on the Christmas thread @HP87 hope you don't mind me jumping in @HP87 & @Jo🤗
Under this

Pumpkins, Pies… and Prudence! Autumn Frugal Saving Shenanigans here 🍂🌰All Welcome 🌰🍁
OP posts:
Frugal25 · 02/10/2025 14:52

What a glorious day today! Warm and breezy.

Lidl was £83. More than I wanted but I did sneak in some extras so...
£6 for playgroup.

Put some more items on vinted so fingers crossed.

Loving your cheap and chips lunch @MaryGreenhill ! Delicious.

Christmas. Reminds me I must make a list and take it to TK Maxx.

MaryGreenhill · 02/10/2025 15:40

@Frugal25 glad it's nice weather for you 😊
I find Lidl is very good for things that makes you think
oh that will be great for so and so 😊
Good luck with your Vinted 😊
I was amazed at how cheap the food was in the IKEA Bistro & it was nice !
I never eat fast food but they had veggie hot dogs there so l had one of those and thoroughly enjoyed it 😋🤣

OP posts:
Frugal25 · 02/10/2025 17:34

Love a veggie hot dog! I didn't know they did these, I may check them out 😁 have to say the lidl vegetable burgers are delicious and much nicer than the tesco ones.

Cut my own fringe today. My hairdresser does a fringe cut for free, but I went last month for a freebie and it seemed cheeky to ask for another whilst I wait for my "main" hair to be ready for a cut. Looks ok... No one has laughed at me yet....

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