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

1000 replies

DirtyGertiefromno30 · 31/12/2025 09:23

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

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Thread gallery
21
RumBananaSundae · 03/02/2026 17:56

Evening All -

Random groceries today for £4.22. That includes milk that I did need.

I understand what you mean about it being easy to spend when you shop as you go @BigSkies2022. I am usually only shopping for one or two items but end up with more. I’m sure if I did one shop and bought everything I bought in my little shops I’d be horrified.

Sorry you’re not well @Frugal25. I hope you start to feel better. I’m sure this beautiful weather isn’t helping. A dinner date sounds fabulous and don’t talk yourself down.

That’s quite a climb @Alwayslearning25. Not that I’m encouraging but is Greggs on your staff benefits? It is on ours at 6%.

All this months payments are out so I can step back a bit. Next legal deadline is next week so I imagine I might get some idea of the next bill then. Have some yellow stickered cheese pancakes to use so will think of what to do with them for supper tomorrow. Am considering Discovery+(?) for the Winter Olympics. The thought of having to cancel is discouraging me.

ArmDimples · 03/02/2026 18:19

Have PM’d you Need to reveal all, lol

i wonder who else has been around 5+ years ago but NC? I may work some out in due course!

Johaanah · 03/02/2026 18:39

I was around in 2020 and a bit before that, was always sporadic with my attendance so to speak so I don’t think I’d be memorable to anyone 😛

NSD today, as was the plan, went to yoga early this morning, came home and the car was collected to be serviced/MOT’d, did some work, collected dd from school, more work, sausages or dinner and left over birthday cake for dessert. I did look on the Boots £10 Tuesday offer page but I didn’t want or need anything so left it at that.

It’s tricky trying to work out finances when it looks as if you should have plenty, but half way through the month the cash has run out. DD’s bus fares are £10 each day which seems so high, she only has a term and a bit left so can’t wait for that to be done with, also she has a tutor and music lessons so is quite expensive. I always thought the costly years were when they were tiny, but apparently not.

Rainbow1901 · 03/02/2026 18:42

£40.15 Petrol - the car was practically running on fumes!! No other spends thankfully.

DirtyGertiefromno30 · 03/02/2026 21:57

Busy here today doing our tablets into Dosset boxes for the next 6 months .
Mum was fine thankfully 😁, NSD for me thankfully .
Got to sort out more birthday presents and birthday cards for a few days time 😊
How everyone is ok 🤗

OP posts:
DirtyGertiefromno30 · 03/02/2026 21:59

@Frugal25 that's love ❤️
Your DH sounds a darling 🤗

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DirtyGertiefromno30 · 03/02/2026 22:01

Ah thank you so much for the birthday wishes for my Mum @Lockin26 she /we had a lovely time together ❤️
Well done on opening the Monzo and the Christmas saver account 😁

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halfpasteleven · 04/02/2026 05:00

Frugal25 · 03/02/2026 11:10

Morning all!
A bit of a grey day here. Fits my mood a little as I've come down with a hideous cold and my head is in the fizzy bubble if you know what I mean.
I've done a bit of cleaning and made another batch of laundry detergent. It's working out that I'm making it about every three weeks and costs about £0.90 roughly. Plus my time of about 15 mins. Worth it I think as it does clean very well.

Going to drug myself up after this cuppa and pick up DD from pre school at lunch and take her on the bus to the library. I don't really want to, I want to curl up in bed but I promised we would go and her books are due today. Also gets us out of the house for an hour.
I won't go to yoga session tonight so that's £10 saved. Although knowing me I'll probably treat me and DD to something in the charity shop next to the bus stop!

I'm another one who is reducing the UPF in the house and the food prices have gone up accordingly. Although at the mo I'm keeping food to around £45 a week to get a handle on my credit card debt, I do still try and make most things from scratch, just very cheaply.

Hope everyone is all ok.

OH surprised me last night when I proudly showed him the Lidl valentine's deal, by saying we could go out. Just us. On a date for valentine's day. Since having DD four years ago we stopped dates. We just don't do them as he refuses to leave her with anyone. So this is a huge deal. I think it probably has something to do with his best mates marriage falling apart and it's worried him enough to think we need to actually be a couple as well as parents bless him. I now have 2 weeks to lose 10 stone to look decent enough for a dinner 😂

Can you share the recipe for the laundry detergent please? Thank you!

Shnout · 04/02/2026 08:02

Wow £10 a day bus seems a lot @Johaanah. Is that adult prices? Does she have to pay per bus ride or per journey? My Dd is definitely getting more expensive. She’s only 12 so I suspect she won’t get any cheaper too soon!

Yesterday was expensive for me.
I spent £200 online in next for holiday stuff. I’m only planning on keeping half of it at most - so I will see what the final cost is.
£30 for my counselling
£35 on a book and some treats for dd to open on the plane.
£15 on cleaning products
£20 on a mini supermarket shop which to be fair was mainly essentials
£15 on dog walker (from Monday)
I think there might have been something else too but I can’t remember what. 😳

Ive still got to buy some sunblock etc for the holiday but I think thats about it now.

Frugal25 · 04/02/2026 08:27

Here we go @halfpasteleven it's from my Nancy Birtwhistle book. Adore her!
Should be a NSD for me.
Excited about your holiday @Shnout!! Remind me where you are off to? My memory is awful

January Jingles, Valentine Capers, Frugal Fun Shenanigans & Looking Forward to Spring!
January Jingles, Valentine Capers, Frugal Fun Shenanigans & Looking Forward to Spring!
Frugal25 · 04/02/2026 08:28

For the laundry detergent I am buying the sofa crystals in Tesco for £2 and the soap from Lidl. They do a pack of 4 for something like just over £1.

Johaanah · 04/02/2026 10:24

Shnout · 04/02/2026 08:02

Wow £10 a day bus seems a lot @Johaanah. Is that adult prices? Does she have to pay per bus ride or per journey? My Dd is definitely getting more expensive. She’s only 12 so I suspect she won’t get any cheaper too soon!

Yesterday was expensive for me.
I spent £200 online in next for holiday stuff. I’m only planning on keeping half of it at most - so I will see what the final cost is.
£30 for my counselling
£35 on a book and some treats for dd to open on the plane.
£15 on cleaning products
£20 on a mini supermarket shop which to be fair was mainly essentials
£15 on dog walker (from Monday)
I think there might have been something else too but I can’t remember what. 😳

Ive still got to buy some sunblock etc for the holiday but I think thats about it now.

It's a school bus and the same price for everyone, so even the little kids are paying £5 per journey, this is part of the reason why I pick DD up a couple of times each week, partly because she finishes early and partly to save £££, it's not that far but the traffic in the mornings would mean the round trip is well over an hour, and I'd rather pay the £5 lol, also I like to take a very early exercise class and I wouldn't make it back in time.

I think 12 is a lovely age, it's like having a little friend and companion, they are growing up but not grown up, have that independence where they can make small decisions and you can guide them, you can almost see the person they are becoming 😍you'll have a lovely holiday together.

I love holiday shopping as it's always justified in my mind, Last year I over purchased and half of it wasn't even worn, a lot of it won't fit me this year as I've gained weight so need to try and shift it before the summer - that should save some cash.

@Frugal25 I just had an email with details of the Lidl Valentines menu, it does look like great value, I think Aldi had a similar offer last year where everything was individually priced too.

Hoping for a third NSD today, going out this evening to bootcamp, but have already paid for that, tomorrow is my shopping day so I'll brace myself for this week's hugely inflated prices.

DirtyGertiefromno30 · 04/02/2026 16:46

Afternoon everyone 😊
Aw thank you so much for the laundry detergent recipe @ Frugal25
NSD for me .
Have a lovely evening at bootcamp tonight @ Johannah 😊

Shnout your counselling is really good value its £60 a time here 🙄

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Holidaysandchocolate · 04/02/2026 16:49

Fallen off the thread again.

I have another job interview on Monday, very part time, so could work well with the other job I picked up a few weeks ago as that is an opt in for hours when there is work available job.

This morning, I did the school run followed by driving to potential new job location, to work out how long it would take. Wasn’t too bad. Then parked up and went into town and spent…
£37 Primark
£7.50 Boots on 3 x gift sets in the 70% off sale.
£2.60 parking

£4.50 in from an eBay sale for an old DVD

I never thought I’d say this but I am so ready to go back to work now 😂 Armdimples I’m the poster who historically always moaned about their job! The break from work has done me so much good though.

Frugal25 · 04/02/2026 18:04

NSD today. I dropped DD off to pre school, signed into work and promptly felt even worse than yesterday so had a sick day. Spent it falling asleep on the sofa.
Feeling a bit better now so did me good.

I have shopping tomorrow too @Johaanahso same here. Going to try and stick to the list like last week and grab another too good to waste box.
Ooohhh I don't shop at Aldi, but I should as it's closer to me than Lidl but they charge you for the parking (private car park not Aldi) which puts me off but maybe I could start going after work....enjoy your bootcamp. I wish I had your energy!!

Good luck for the interview @Holidaysandchocolate. Is it for a job that's different to your job you weren't happy in? I'm wondering about changing career when DD has started school.

Frugal25 · 04/02/2026 18:05

Oh forgot to say that I moved £1k from savings into my new bank account to ensure they give me the £175 bonus for moving to them. When they have ill move it back out again.

DirtyGertiefromno30 · 04/02/2026 18:18

Good luck with the job interview @Holidaysandchocolate 👍🍀🤞
@Frugal25 glad you are feeling better sweetheart 😘 💐and well done on the organisation of the 1k out to get the £175 brilliant work 😁👏👏👏

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RumBananaSundae · 04/02/2026 18:24

Bit of spending today. Bought a John Lewis gift card as I’d planned to get a few things in Waitrose. Tried two shops and neither had what I wanted. Some Pom bears in Sainsbury and £30(or so) on some glasses on eBay.

How long did sorting out six months of tablets take you @DirtyGertiefromno30? It sounds like a big job.

Good luck for the interview @Holidaysandchocolate.

Glad you’re feeling a bit better @Frugal25.

Didn’t have the cheese pancakes for supper today so need to remember to put them in the freezer. Made some lentils for this week and had that instead with Pom bears.

Shnout · 04/02/2026 18:35

@Frugal25 we are going to Barbados. I honestly can’t wait. Im planning on doing very little.

@Johaanah yes I agree 12 is a fab age. Dd is great company (most of the time). Really looking forward to having a week away with her.
The £5 school bus definitely sounds good value if the alternative is being stuck in traffic for an hour. It’s just annoying how quickly it all adds up. What year is your daughter in?

@DirtyGertiefromno30 My counselling is great value. I get it through a bereavement charity so it’s much cheaper than it would be otherwise.

My next order came today. I’m keeping £80 worth and sending the rest back.
I got £170 refund from Bravissimo from an earlier purchase and I also ‘won’ £200 on the premium bonds.
Spent £3.60 on 2 cupcakes from Tesco.

DirtyGertiefromno30 · 04/02/2026 19:53

@RumBananaSundae l only did 6 weeks worth of tablets and they took me two hours 🤣.
Oh cheese pancakes sound delicious 😋🤗
Great win on the premium bonds @Shnout and well done on the refunds. Excellent you can get counselling from the bereavement charity 💐.
I can't resist singing ' oh l'm going to Barbados ' 🤣
Sounds absolutely amazing 😍

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FurForksSake · 04/02/2026 20:42

Evening! Been pretty good for spending, but will probably need to pay £100 to Bupa for my gynae appointment in a couple of weeks. Dh just asked if the cleaner was good value. I’m not really sure it is, but it makes us tidy once a week and my house feels so much cleaner because of it.

BigSkies2022 · 04/02/2026 21:57

NSD today and a friend sent me a lovely book! I will be shopping for some delicious hand cream for her on Saturday, oh yes!

Congrats on the job interview Holidays and nice footwork on the new bank account offer Frugal!

DirtyGertiefromno30 · 04/02/2026 22:15

It's an investment @FurForksSake🤗.
Any Health spends are the most important of all . Hope you are ok sweetheart 🤗.
Same with the cleaner , absolute necessity ❤️
Your friendship sounds lovely @BigSkies2022 enjoy your book 🤗

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lifelongfrugaleer · 05/02/2026 09:17

£9 Amazon on stuff Sainsbury didn’t deliver. £119 Sainsbury’s

so update on health

my tumour is not cancerous but as they didn’t get it all they are sending me for chemotherapy to blast what is left.
waiting for an appointment for oncology now

I’m ok. Still taking one step at a time

FurForksSake · 05/02/2026 09:58

@lifelongfrugaleer sorry to hear you need the chemo, I hope you’ll cope with it well, your stoism will see you through. But I’m glad it’s not cancerous.

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