January Jingles, Valentine Capers, Frugal Fun Shenanigans & Looking Forward to Spring!

[DirtyGertiefromno30]

Welcome to the New thread everyone 😊
Here's to everyone of us and hoping 2026 brings us all health happiness and frugal finances 🤗

Ah bless your Dd@Shnout it does sound like it's hormonal migraines 🤗 getting her checked out is for the best to put your mind at rest ❤️Brideshead Revisited on holiday sounds perfect, a bit of proper indulgence. Aloysius would have been lovely but I can see why DD and DH drew the line .
Well done on keeping under £10 today and that green juice splurge sounds very worth it for peace at least! 😁 £200 refund though… wow! Your to do list really does seem to be multiplying like rabbits!
Sounds like a really lovely, balanced day @BigSkies2022! Quiet productive morning, podcasts keeping you company, then Mum and Dad this afternoon perfect. And yes, definitely get those daffodils ,they’ll be a cheerful treat. 😊
Revisiting Wuthering Heights and Brideshead Revisited after all these years will be so interesting .
Well done to your DH too bless him 🤗
The library fee is money well spent in my mind 😊
Sounds like a proper January slog bless you @pistachiosanscream Well done on resisting the baskets that would have been all too easy. Cooking two dinners tonight is such a good idea, tomorrow will feel so much easier. I really get what you mean about food , even healthy stuff is too much if it just goes to waste. You’re thinking about it so sensibly well done 🤗.
Oh yes @FurForksSakethat’s a lot hitting at once. Fingers crossed for payday tomorrow so you can get YNAB all organised , it does make a difference seeing it properly tracked. At least drum lessons are sorted for the term… but yes, choir, violin and keyboards will be the next wave! Hopefully building up slowly for September will make it a bit less stressful for you sweetheart 🙏
Mum was ok there again today thank God 🙏🤗.
Took my Mum's friend shopping to Aldi and spent £26 in there . Bought some Wagyu beef for A beef stew it had 30% off so made it reasonable. DH has never had it before so l hope it's nice for him 🤗
Hope everyone is ok and had a lovely day 😊

Hey guys, sounds like everyone here has had a productive and frugal day.

Thursday is my grocery shopping day, so I’ve spent £85 in Aldi and £38 in M&S, my Aldi shop was a small trolly, not even full up, the only meat was a pack of sausages, in M&S I picked up a chicken and a few other bits, it filled one bag. It’s getting more expensive week on week, I always buy two packs of sanitary pads and two bottles of shower gel for the food bank, and I’ve pledged to always do this. I couldn’t think of anything worse than not having the essentials to keep clean. Has anyone seen the price of Easter eggs this year? The small ones that were around £3 are now £7, and the £1 ones are £2.50 - a bag of mini eggs - albeit a larger bag - was a fiver!!

Sorry, moan over - I just don’t know how we are all meant to keep on going, especially families with young children forking out for childcare.

Just got back from a fitness class and I’m weighing up weather or not I should book a yoga class for tomorrow morning 🤔

I want to see photos of that bathroom life! It’s such a brilliant renovation to do- daily return on the investment.

£52 on Amazon today- curtains rings and hooks for DMum, Cerave for me, SPF 50 x 2 for me and DS, various cleaning products.

£64 in Waitrose , DMum insisted on giving me £20 for taking her to visit dad. So I converted it to ice-cream, wine and daffodils in Waitrose, and also bought a bunch of other stuff including rump steaks, peshwari naan, floor cleaner - I wish I could list more, but I don’t know now what I bought. Anyway, it was nice to shop without inhibitions.

Visit with dad went well, he did end up on the floor when I tried to transfer him from wheelchair to armchair. A very gentle landing ( he lost his balance, fell backwards as I was holding him and I just sort of walked backwards with him in my arms and deposited him on the floor) and he was fine. It was resolved in moments by two members of staff and a hoist. Had he been at home that would have been four hours on the floor, a paramedic visit and likely A&E visit to check him out.

Sorry I've missed quite a few days and it's almost my bedtime!
Wow about the cost of Easter eggs! @Johaanah last year @DirtyGertiefromno30 saw them in Morrisons on a really good deal with. more card. So I'll be keep a beady eye on that.

Lidl £20.69
Aldi £5.97

This week hasn't been too bad, I've been run off my feet otherwise but will try to keep up. Written half an email to an IFA to start to make a 4 to 9 year finance plan. Seen a Martin Lewis clip advising to take a days leave to sort out your finances and have decided to do this in February as the weekends just fly by.

Yes I’m sure that’s where we got our Easter Eggs last year, the only problem is if I buy in advance I will 100% eat them, in secret, and have to replace them 😬 on a positive note I picked up some M&S mini millionaire hot cross buns by mistake (I wanted the traditional fruit ones) and they are divine - could actually eat all nine no problem.

Good idea to spend a peaceful day sorting finances and making plans for savings/investments. Get everything in place and let it do the work for you. I have a five year plan, Dh has the same plan but in 10 years so maybe we will have to meet in the middle somewhere. lol.

Okay so now I have millionaires hot cross buns and Greek yoghurt with vanilla on my list to try from M&S due to this thread!
Have a work conference today so I will be fed and it may be a NSD or at least a LSD. January the month that never ends! Pay day in a week 🙏

@BigSkies2022 pleased the care for your DF was able to deal with that quickly. It is worth its weight in gold.

I still haven't read all the posts I missed but hope all Frugaleers are okay, albeit dealing with a great deal at times.

It’s a full Reno. Back to the walls right now. We’ve used this company 3 times now and the work is excellent. Always order in the September sales for quality fittings. It’s a lot but will last many years
£80 Sainsbury today
i can’t get over a £16 bag of mini eggs. And it’s not nice atm either. It’s stupid money

I’ve done the day off for finances before. Still ended up with a follow up list but it gets the big things done and you can wrangle contracting companies. Defo worth doing IMO.

Morning! Sounds like it’s going to be lovely @lifelongfrugaleer

DH has asked which stocks and shares isa I’m going to use, he tells me if we both fill them for the next ten years we will have a rather large pot of money. So that sounds nice. Just got to keep the monthly spending in check so we can keep savings as savings!

Enjoy the new bathroom @lifelongfrugaleer

@Johaanah the price of chocolate has increased massively. i really noticed it at christmas as the offers on selection boxes were poor and the size had decreased a lot. After christmas i did stock up on chocolate and sweets that wasn't obviously christmas branded for easter. Fingers crossed i don't eat the stash.

@BigSkies2022 im glad your dad was able to get sorted quickly.

Payday today. Slightly disappointed as i now realise that my increment actually started in my last paycheck. So my calculations were off and no big bump this month. however it does make sense as i was wondering how i'd managed to stay in the black this month. I've recalculated and my savings goals are unchanged. I'm public sector and we've been getting irregular 1% increases as part of a pay deal which is why i didn't notice the increase too much.

Anyway so far a NSD for me today. DH will go to lidl tonight again. i will send photos with the shopping list and see how it goes....

So.hlad your dad was with you and help was quick @BigSkies2022what a relief.

I hadn't seen the price of eggs yet. I tend to mutter crossly as I swiftly walk past them that they are out early. I shall try and find a deal as I refuse to pay that much. Ridiculous money for chocolate.

Your bathroom is going to be amazing @lifelongfrugaleer!! Photos afterwards :)

£17 today on Sainsbury's order.
Redid budget for the month now I've been paid and it's going to be tight. No wiggle room at all. So I've put a bunch of things on vinted and crossed fingers.
My credit card payment went through and I've crossed it off my little spreadsheet plan. 1 down. 11 to go. Then debt free. After that life will be easier I'm sure.

So glad it's Friday. Got homemade pizza tonight with garlic bread. Nom
Tomorrow I'm digging out a crumble from the freezer and the rest of the ice-cream leftover from Christmas.

Just remembered that I'm at a child's party on Sunday and I have to pay for my own drinks (DD gets hers free). I may take a bottle of water with me and pretend that I don't need a caffeine fix for two hours 😂

Food shops are brutal lately @Johaanahyou spend loads and barely see it in the cupboards 😳. Massive respect to you for always adding pads and toiletries for the food bank, that really matters , well done you 👏 ❤️
Easter egg prices are a joke this year . And nope, you absolutely can’t buy early they’d disappear and need replacing 😂
Those M&S mini millionaire hot cross buns though… 😋
Totally get the how are families coping? feeling everything’s going up at once, it’s a lot to contend with .
Well done on the fitness class I’d say book the yoga if you’re not too sore 💐
What a day @BigSkies2022 life admin, Waitrose treats and an unexpected care home workout for you !
Top tier use of your Mum’s £20, wine, ice cream and Daffodils is exactly right.
And rump steak with peshwari naan? Lovely stuff 😋
That moment with your Dad must’ve made your heart jump, but you handled it brilliantly with that proper controlled landing 👏🤗.
So good that the staff and the hoist were right there. At home that could’ve been a whole drama. Big relief he was fine.
Successful visit, no harm done, house stocked, flowers on the table 🌼 and wine 🍷 fabulous!
Blimey @Lockin26Easter egg prices are mad this year aren’t they! Definitely worth keeping an eye on Morrisons with the More card , makes it feel slightly less painful 🐣
Well done for starting the IFA email, even half done is still progress. Taking a day’s leave to sort finances is such a good idea , weekends just vanish and nothing big gets tackled.
Those M&S hot cross buns and the vanilla Greek yoghurt have got me influenced too 😋.
If the conference feeds you that’s a nice little win , NSD or at least LSD, I’d take that!
January is dragging on forever but payday is in sight 🙏 And honestly, don’t worry about keeping up, real life comes first sweetheart 😘
@lifelongfrugaleer wow that's a proper job doing a full reno back to the walls but using a company you trust and buying fittings in the September sales is the savvy way , pain now, smug later when it’s all still perfect 😁
£80 in Sainsbury’s is nothing now, and £16 mini eggs can get in the bin. Not even that nice half the time!
Agree on a finance/admin day too , you still get a list after, but the big stuff and chasing companies gets done.
Well worth it 👏

That does sound lovely @FurForksSake 🌞 And wow, a joint ten year plan sounds very exciting definitely a nice big pot of money to look forward to! Excellent work well done 👍
Sounds like you’ve got your chocolate strategy sorted great move stocking up early for Easter, hopefully the stash is safe from raiding parties. 😁
Ah, payday surprises are never fun, but at least it all makes sense now and your savings goals are still on track. Those irregular 1% bumps can be tricky to keep up with! Fingers crossed DH has a smooth Lidl run tonight, can’t wait to see the photos and list. Sounds like a steady NSD so far well done!
£17 for chocolate eggs @Frugal25 that's outrageous! Good luck on hunting out a deal. Fingers crossed your Vinted sales help with the tight budget too sweetheart 🤞.
Well done on that first credit card payment 1 down, 11 to go! Brilliant work ! Homemade pizza and garlic bread tonight sounds perfect, and crumble with leftover ice cream tomorrow is a huge winner in my book, yummy 😋

Evening everyone 🤗
Mum was absolutely fine there this morning. We were there about 2 hours with her . Had a great visit fair dos, Mum was tired then and dismissed us lol We had a lovely visit thank God. We are having a good run ATM 🤞
Popped to Home Bargains £60 and on what! All stuff l needed though l did buy 3 x Easter reed diffusers £1.99 each and 3x Easter candles , £2.99 each for my Dds and my friend for Easter , they are adorable ❤️
Farm foods £10.

Here they are 🤗 l had the lavender flavour they had other scents there too.
I suppose they are cheaper than a blinking Easter egg the way things are going !

Spending today was £4.odd in Aldi on milk, their hula hoops and I’m not sure what else.

Glad you got your daffodils @BigSkies2022 and that your father is OK.

I miss pizza @Frugal25. I will be thinking of you enjoying yours tonight. I hope it’s fab. Pizza and jacket potatoes are things I do miss from not having an oven. Any chance of slipping some gin into your bottle?

Glad your mum is doing OK @DirtyGertiefromno30.

Well done to those with long term planning plans. It’s something on my todo list once all the fallout is know.

Relieved today is Friday. Today wasn’t the best but it’s done. Am looking forward to some downtime. Saw an event I’d like to go to next month but it’s in a tiny impossible to get to village so I don’t think I’ll make it but it will give me a few hours distraction trying to make it work at least.

I’m not buying Easter eggs this year unless my adult DD’s ask.
Mission eating the freezer is bearing fruit, I now have an empty drawer. The meals aren’t exciting but whatever. DH will eat my cooking without complaint unless too spicy.
But the adult DD’s can be pains in the bum!

I love the 10 year plan. DH and I rarely plan together, and I have said at various points that we could probably achieve more if we did. We’ve both made broadly sensible decisions at roughly the right sort of time and we both know enough about each other’s instincts and habits to feel confident that all will be well. But I still think we should pull together more often.

Another peaceful day, chores, errands, getting my steps in. Spends: £10 in the butcher, £5 in Sainsbury’s (chicken tikka masala on Sunday night- a way to use up the wrong yoghurt); £15 on anti-moth spray. Also, ahem, pillow cases and a blanket in the Piglet in Bed sale. £129. I mean, I can still return them. So it’s not a done deal.

Ah - opened a new account with First Direct, so I can keep all my transactions relating to the flat separate (preparing for Making Tax Digital) and I can set aside my tax payments in their 7% regular saver account. I can use the 3.5% Bonus Saver account to create a sinking fund for the maintenance and running costs. I did all this with one call to them today and it took about 20 minutes.

I've missed a post somewhere @RumBananaSundae What's gone wrong with the oven? Pizza and jackets will taste so good after the wait I promise!!
Sorry today was rubbish. Anything we can help with?
What's the event you have seen? Love a bit of planning. Sometimes that can be the best bit (I'm such a saddo and love planning) how are the fingers? Any better?

Well done on today @BigSkies2022that sounds amazing!!! Very organised and will serve you well going forward.

Great work big on the accouts
i think I’ve missed an over update too

£6 yesterday on skincare for DS it was on a mega deal on Amazon. That’s was it though
oh and £38 dog food is in its way

Good morning.
Mumsnet has gone really odd for me on my phone. Has this happened to anyone else? I’ve just downloaded the app so can access the thread again as I couldn’t read it at all earlier.

I’ll look at Easter egg prices next time I’m in the shop as haven’t noticed them yet. We are away over Easter this year and I don’t really buy them for anyone other than DD so probably won’t bother at all.

NSD yesterday as my friend bought the takeaway we had for dinner. This means it’s my turn next Friday.
Today could go either way. I’m trying to get some concert tickets for dd. The tickets are being released this afternoon and it’s often a total scramble to get them. I have set aside a decent budget so I’ll either be having a very spendy day with a delighted dd or a LSD with a miserable one.

I bought myself 2 sets of piglets in bed bedding in the sale just before Christmas @BigSkies2022(I was having a break from this thread 😂) so far I’m very pleased with them. Not sure if they’re really worth the money, but I did get them with big discounts and I’d been hankering after them for ages so I’m happy. They were my Christmas present to myself. I hope you like yours.

I've done ok this week, 2 NSDs and others LSDs except yesterday. DD and I went to the theatre (got reduced price tickets in the Boxing Day sale) and had dinner beforehand £56.
Going to look at fridge freezers today. It works but so many bits are broken, we have drawers stuck with gaffer tape.

Morning.

Hope everyone is okay. I’m reading, but there’s a lot of additional admin re DF’s death, even if we are all sharing the load (siblings). Started informing all the various financial places, used the Tell Us Service, tracked down the original will (original solicitors had been taken over twice since it was written), DB1 is thankfully sorting the funeral (and that’s a big enough job as it is, especially when working full time), DB2 has started the whole HMRC/probate process, I’m working my way through advising folk. I feel REALLY REALLY REALLY sorry for people that have to do this on their own.

Spends have been minimal, I eased the coffers a bit Thursday as we had done so well last pay day on the food budget and spent £35 at M&S, £25 veg box delivery with additional spinach and green stuff before we tick over into a new pay period, £5 Boots on Deep Heat, £5 Amazon.

Today we are going for a pub lunch, which will probably take all my very minimal eating out budget.

My planning for the future really kicked in post DH’s stroke as it became so real in truth. I get the IFA to do me some very detailed forecasts, based on certain income scenarios I’d like us to live on. I budget so much more. With a successful business, I had gotten used to well, just spending really as there was always a generous income stream. Now there isn’t! But the forecasts, financially at least are rosy if I’m not stupid. How folk in our position cope when caring responsibilities mean financial hardship or the main earner was impacted, well I thank our lucky stars at least that’s not us.

Right - treadmill beckons as I’m on my own with DH today and I’ll need to get him up and sorted before we go!

Have a great day folks 😊

Need- I remember doing this when DH1 died. I expect as a spouse it was more straightforward. Good luck with it all. My parents- well, my mum - have been quite organised and their affairs should be simple. I am pretty organised, but so much is digital it’s harder to keep track. Claer Barrett recommends a book called I’m Dead, Now Whatt - I might break my book buying rule to get this one.

DS at work til late, DH and I going to. 5.30 showing of Marty Supreme, so dinner will be the freezer chilli with wraps, salads and bits. Can be eaten at different points in the evening.

I have Piglet PJs, and they do an oversized pillowcase, so I have a pair (now 2 pairs) of those. I love linen bedding and La Redoute’s is a bit cheaper and very nice still. I find the softer more crumpled chic of linen means you don’t have to exactly match the bedding- toning combinations look nice too. Anyway, I’m looking forward to my delivery!

Sigh the car has gone bang. Think it’s a cross spring.

one step at a time need. ❤️

@needastrongoneagainim glad you’ve got support from your siblings. I used Tell Us Once when DH died but found it didn’t quite live up to its name. A few places I spoke to on the phone after (I can’t remember who - it’s all a bit of a blur) said they often aren’t notified in a timely manner. It’s probably an ok service - but not an amazing one. Just so you’re aware.