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. Nothing like a canine scooting its arse across your carpet to make you realise it’s time for change 😁.

@chimichangaz🤣 re your stationery joy! I think covering the drinks is a very generous gesture!

Spending
£25 weekly veg box and a dozen eggs from the local greengrocer. Superb value and really makes me think and plan depending on contents.

I also spent £60 on a few extra small items for the folk at work, as we popped in there yesterday for the last time. I’m taking this from the company sale monies. That felt weird. We built that business from scratch 23 years ago. Bitter sweet to bid farewell. Funny - and ultimately a good thing - everything was just ticking over as it has for at least a decade now once we were fully established - the staff were milling about chatting about work and stuff - someone else moving it forward, but it being capable of being a stand alone entity is testament to its solid foundation, mainly built by DH.

We don’t have much planned this weekend. Some further tidying in the garden. Supper at DB’s tomorrow. Running. Some stretching (I’m at that age!).

Menu plan
Miso aubergine and black bean stew.
Aubergine and tomato pasta.
Veggie stew and mash.
Chicken broth and crusty bread.
Salmon with a veggie traybake
Some form of ragu/chilli type dish

I didn't take it like that, don't worry 😊😘

Bittersweet, seeing the business you and DH built still running so well , that's a real testament to all you put into it @needastrongoneagain 🤗
A calm weekend ahead for you by the sounds of it ,with some gardening and supper and that menu sounds delicious and comforting 😋

Spent a few happy hours clearing the garden and now about to walk to the shops to get ingredients for tonight’s sausage cassoulet. Inspired by need’s meal plan, will also buy aubergines! (DS pronounces them ‘rank’, so might as well take advantage of his absence this weekend to serve them. My cooking skills course for him continues- he made a very nice roast chicken and vegetables dinner on Thursday.)

Need, congratulations again on building a business and handing it over in good shape. Contributing to Growth UK!

Well done to your Ds and you for his Thursdays offerings @BigSkies2022 😁

Oh I love a new carpet, your flat sounds like it's beautiful!!!
Absolutely adore hello kitty!!!
Well done on your business sale, you worked so hard and it was clearly an amazing company.

£1.60. today on parking. We popped to some jewelry shops as OH wants to get me something for birthday next week but none had what he wanted so search continues.
The afternoon we took DD out on her bike to look at the Halloween decorations near by.

Meal plan isn't as delicious but here goes:
Halloumi and homegrown tomato pizza
Fish and chips from freezer
Veggie tarts with salad
Roasted veg (that was leftover and going to waste so I cooked and froze it) with feta.
Picky bits
Pumpkin soup with pumpkin and soft cheese bread.
Thank god it's the weekend eh.

Love reading about how you all budget. Really keeps me on track and gives me fresh ideas. Thank you all 😊

Today has been £6.48 in Sainsbury’s and there was a £19.10 to Amazon yesterday evening.

I have the problem that when I buy beautiful stationary it’s far too beautiful to use so it never is used @chimichangaz.

I sometimes feel I entered the wrong profession @MaryGreenhill. I do wonder what solicitors do. The judge didn’t like the paperwork from the last one so sent it back and I had to pay for it to be corrected. I was not impressed.

Laughed at your scooting dog @needastrongoneagain. Congratulations again on the sale. The miso aubergine and black bean stew sounds awesome.

Was thinking of buying aubergines too @BigSkies2022.

Have done some tidying today. Swept the floors, mopped some with my new mop and washed the window frames down. I’m in two minds. The current putty isn’t as bad as I had expected but the paint is worse. I wish this darn inspection could be now so it would be over and done with and I could deal with whatever I have to deal with. Not looked at the legal stuff yet. Well I looked at the numbers but haven’t read it.

Aww that sounds like such a lovely day @Frugal25! Your meal plan sounds delicious to me especially that Halloumi pizza 😋 Hope you find the perfect birthday gift soon, and yay for the weekend 😁

You’ve done loads today @RumBananaSundae! 👏
The cleaning and tidying sound great, and I get wanting that inspection over with🙄
I’d be annoyed too about paying again because of the solicitor’s mistake.
And yes, I’m the same with stationery , too lovely to actually use! I visited my friend today and she is a crafting fan, she has made beautiful things but the last card paper she bought is just beautiful. It's a sin to cut it up 🤣

Morning.

£68 yesterday evening on a large bag of dog food. Food was £65 and I bought some dog treats for his Christmas stocking.. My pot for the dog is £70 this month but he doesn’t need a hair cut, which is the other standard canine outlay.

Productive day @RumBananaSundae I would feel very satisfied indeed. Could you query the cost of the reproduction of the forms with the solicitors? Our accountants wanted redrafts of some of the ones ours produced re the business as they weren’t fully satisfied with the originals and they didn’t charge.

Love the idea of pumpkin soup and cheesy bread @Frugal25 - I shall use this for the one that arrived in our veg box.

Thanks re the business again. My overwhelming emotion now it’s done is relief, although DH would say sadness and regret I think. A new chapter, albeit not quite as we both might have imagined.

Today is long run day and the first wearing a long sleeved top! Shorts are on all year. I’ve got a podcast with Andy Galpin as a guest on, he’s an exercise scientist I greatly enjoy listening to. Supper at my DB’s.

They extra hour feels a bit odd!

Good morning all! Big changes here, the children are switching rooms! Little change in the order of buying as we weren't planning to do this until summer. Dd hasn't wanted to move into her own room (she is currently sharing with ds1) but with ds2 furniture coming I bit the bullet and switched it up. She will move into ds2 room and the boys will share the bigger room. After lots of tears from dd (hates change, she's been in the bigger room since she was born) all the kids are now excited.
The first thing we were saving for was the professional decorator so we took a bit out of that pot for the paint for the kids rooms as it's easier to do now!
But now we will be focusing on the decorator pot, then once that is at enough we will slowly buy the bits needed for the rooms like new bedding, lampshades, wall stickers. While buying the bits for the loft as well. Dd has chosen unicorns and the boys have chosen jungle. I'm looking forward to showing the kids we wait until payday for the next bit, rather than what we usually do of sticking it on a credit card!
Unfortunately two payments out of the half term pot have been food food. McDonald's on Fri with dd coming back from her school residential trip and yesterday's lunch with having to fit in the kids clubs and a free event in town plus buying paint. We would have gone for greggs (next to the event) but it was tipping it down and we'd have got soaked on the walk from the car, so we had a KFC instead, got the paint then went into town when it had stopped raining. I also had to go to boots as Ds2 pooed and I had no nappies and wipes! I haven't had a chance for a food shop yet, really hope I can go today, but dh has to pick up the ikea delivery from the next town over and I don't want to take the kids, we've got to paint the wall twice as well. Dd also has a dance class. I really should get up 😂.

I've decided on somewhere more local and cheaper for pumpkin picking and carving rather than an expensive day out and I'm hoping to take a couple of dds friends to make the place more bearable for her. I think it should be a low cost week, lots at home though which doesn't go well for decent bedtimes with the boys but they'll be excited to be sharing together so bedtimes are going to be hell anyway!

Morning all. I’m loving how considerate your dog is @BigSkies2022 😂

glad to see you posting again @PearlsPearl

@HP87 i think it’s good to bite the bullet now and glad your DD is now excited for the change.

mid term break here now. Friday was €90 on gymnastics camp for next week. 3 half days but it means I can work half days which I really need to do either current workload. Then €6 on strawberries.

yesterday I spent €25 on baking ingredients after misreading the recipe for small child’s birthday cake and having to make it again. Also made a chocolate biscuit cake and rice crispie buns. Today is the family party and outside of a bag of ice should be a NSD as I’ve all the food in.

small child’s birthday cake already very happy with the balloons DH blew up last night. So a good day is on the cards

Morning all! We’ve come away for half term. Yesterday was spendy £25 on McDonald’s breakfast, £25 for Starbucks and £40 for lunch. And then £320 Sainsbury shop for the week. We never use Sainsbury and now I know why! It did include a birthday cake and some drinks, but wow.

Today dh has taken the children out to an activity centre, I bought the tickets a month ago and they’ve taken picnics and all the activities are included. He needed some petrol but otherwise a good price. Tonight we’ll have a takeaway.

Meal plan for the week

breakfast is cereal or toast and day of cooked breakfast.
lunches are either packed lunches, soup kr noodles.

monday - roast chicken and all the trimmings
Tuesday - pie and mash, veg and grwvy
wednesday - wraps with chicken goujons
thuraday - spaghetti and meatballs.
Friday will be a takeaway to finish our week.

we will probably have the odd cake out and a couple of paid for activities and a lunch at the local store house, but otherwise hopefully we’ve paid for most of the food and drinks already.

Why do children somehow know when we've got no nappies and wipes with us? Luckily my daughter is 99% potty trained now but she was good at a sneaky poo!

Good afternoon everyone 😊
Cold but blue skies and sun here so l stuck the washing out 😁
Went to Aldi's to have a look at their beauty advent calendars , their 'Baileys' version and sensory and children's toys but nothing grabbed me tbh.
Spent £40 in there , l found Aldus dupe Lush Snow fairy shower gel so l bought that for my Dd2. It's smells just like Snow fairy tbh .
Then Morrisons for a few bits £15 . Honestly now and not spending any more today 😱
Have a lovely Sunday everyone 🤗

Having a decent month of cat sitting which is good and I had a low spend week. Most spending has been on food items we needed. I was helping at a fundraising event yesterday, for where I volunteer, and spent £7, some of which was on a lovely slice of cake.
I was due to see a friend today but she messaged yesterday to say she was ill. We've not eaten out in ages and as I was originally going out, DP, DD and I are going to have dinner out instead.
DD wants to look at makeup she would like for Xmas. I will then be waiting for any offers.

£4.60 in sainsbury. I went for clingfilm and forgot the clingfilm.

Thank you @needastrongoneagain. I did think about it but by that point I felt I was battling him and the solicitors so just wanted it over. Now I’m clearing up the mess I’m trying to be a bit more assertive.

Have a lovely week away @FurForksSake.

What are Aldi's current 'Baileys' versions @MaryGreenhill? So I can experience the outside world through you. I’ve tried one before and it was quite nice.

Pumpkin picking sounds like fun @HP87.

Went through the legal papers yesterday. Paid the bill, updated my spreadsheet and emailed the solicitor. Costs have gone up a bit but I’m within what I’d allocated. Now waiting on the inspection and what they will give me notices for. Did the window frames this morning so I hope that wards off something and saves me some money.

Well done re the solicitors letters @RumBananaSundae
The Aldis Baileys dupe flavours are Choc Clementine,
Pina Colada, white chocolate and basic country cream .
The flavours in the advent calendar l don't know but now you have picqued my curiousity so l am off to have a look now🤣

Boring advent calendar flavours , just 3 x 5 cl bottles of country cream and 21 choc truffles presumably Ballycastle flavour 🙄 no wonder l didn't pick it up .

Heating is now on in our house, evening and morning. DD and I have been sleeping well, but DH is finding it too cold and talking about keeping heating on more into the night... I've just ordered a £39 dual control heated blanket so his side of the bed can be warm. Plus using a £10 Amazon voucher, I ended up not getting the echo.

Great idea @Alwayslearning25 that will help keep your DH warm .
We have not put the CH on yet. Got our little electric heaters on in the front room and Dd1 bedroom. Will keep it off as long as possible because the gas CH is so expensive.

We are away and my mother in law is cat sitting so has moved into our house (her choice, she lives ten minutes away and the cat has an auto feeder, she really just needs a check and cuddle visit). She feels the cold so the heating is on and much much higher than I’d have it.

Heating is set to go on if it drops below 19 but it's rarely done that so far. Like many of you, hoping to string it out a bit more.
Happy birthday to your DD @pistachiosanscream and I hope the party went well.
Oh that's disappointing on the calendar @MaryGreenhill , sounded good up til then.

Both me and DD have horrid coughs and colds so although we did go out and get the jewellery that OH wanted, we spent today chilling with TV and hot drinks.
I did buy £5.99 worth of birthday invites for DD party in January, hopefully this much warning means people can come.
And £3.99 on a soap dish for the kitchen. Dmum bought me a gorgeous bar of pears soap so I wanted to display it. Do love a nice bar of soap

Hoping tomorrow is a NSD. We may go to the park but if still poorly we may stay in. DD has been really affected by the clock change and was in bed by 6.30 asleep bless her. Got a lovely long evening to myself to snuggle up, drink hot chocolate and go to bed early.

Dyed hair today, it's a darker shade than I like but rather than going out and spending more money I'll just wash hair a few times to bring the shade down.
Also run out of moisturizer. So I'm using up all the hand cream people buy me and I never use on my hands. It's beautiful on my skin, it's never been this soft before!

I know @Frugal25 really disappointed with the Aldi Bailey's dupe advent calendar.
Oh bless you both l hope you feel better soon and the colds clear up 💐.
Pears Soap is just so lovely. l don't blame you wanting to display it ❤️
@FurForksSakeoh that's so kind of your DM bless her .
Nevermind about the heating bill she's saved you a fortune in cattery bills and it's so much nicer for Dcat to stay in his home ❤️

It's been really cold here all of a sudden Ours is set to go on if it drops below 17, and it's been on the past few days. The living room the heated to 20 because it gets the sun, but it drops even with our new double glazed windows, allthough it does make a big difference...we still have old French windows.