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February faffing, wig mischieving, pancake stuffing, bargain gymnastics and looking forward to Spring Shenanigans ❤️

1000 replies

DirtyGertiefromno30 · 05/02/2026 18:07

Welcome to our new thread everyone 🤗. All are welcome to our supportive, kind , frugal thread .

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DirtyGertiefromno30 · 30/03/2026 19:22

ChipshopPickledEgg · 30/03/2026 19:17

Oh definitely grown up existence is shit sometimes I just want the splash the money on inappropriate outfits in toppers and go down the town with the girls spend about £3.50 and get trollied. Being back the early 00s!

Wouldn't that be fantastic.
If only we could shake the shackles of adulthood off and just enjoy ourselves with no responsibilities. Le sigh

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MuddlingLong · 30/03/2026 19:24

I wish. I had my boiler serviced today and new radiator fitted as one was leaking. I’m waiting for him to message me the cost as I forgot to ask him. Dreading paying it! Paying for adult things sucks.

DirtyGertiefromno30 · 30/03/2026 19:34

MuddlingLong · 30/03/2026 19:24

I wish. I had my boiler serviced today and new radiator fitted as one was leaking. I’m waiting for him to message me the cost as I forgot to ask him. Dreading paying it! Paying for adult things sucks.

Oh noo l bet you are dreading the bill . It's just one of those things though just have to be done and dusted 🤗

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Frugal25 · 30/03/2026 19:35

Evening all, allo allo allo!

£30 today on hair braiding class for me and DD to join her friend and her mum. I learnt French, Dutch and fishtail plaits so rather impressed.
Awful weather here. :(

Got rid of two suitcases! Did it for free as couldn't be bothered to list anywhere else but they are out of my way so I'm happy.

Mum also has absolutely awful toes. They curl right under and she can hardly walk and I've noticed two weeks ago one of my toes has started to curl and be painful when I walk. I was ignoring it but I hear you @BigSkies2022 and I'll book up tomorrow an appointment. Thank you.

Hope everyone is ok xxxx

DirtyGertiefromno30 · 30/03/2026 22:19

Oh that's sounds a fab thing to learn @Frugal25 l bet it was such fun for you all. 👏🤗
Your poor Mum and her toes they sound painful bless her 🤗

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lifelongfrugaleer · 31/03/2026 07:19

I have a massive verucca for years. Will book and get it sorted. 🫡

bah adulting is over rated

but payday. Yeah

BigSkies2022 · 31/03/2026 12:22

£20 on Amazon this morning: taking my own advice and buying therabands for me, to add to my repertoire of foot exercises; and silicone toe separators - two pairs for me, two for mum. They will probably not be used, going the way of the resistance bands and tiny dumbbells that I’ve given her, but I can only try. TBH, I think she finds these things irritating, and interprets them as a criticism of her procedures. Anyway. Plod on.

£10 on booking an icecream maker from the library of things. It’s my niece’s birthday next week and we’re going over for the evening. I’m going to have a go at making ice cream as my contribution to the celebrations.

Off to collect jet washer! Filthy afternoon ahead, not of the fun kind, sadly.

lifelongfrugaleer · 31/03/2026 13:14

Oooo I love a jet wash session

MuddlingLong · 31/03/2026 13:35

The library of things sounds brilliant!

BigSkies2022 · 31/03/2026 13:58

I love the Library of Things. I hate jet washing though, but the garden demands it.

Frugal25 · 31/03/2026 15:18

Ooohhh what's the library of things?! Def going to be on Google after this post.

£8 on parking and ice creams today. We met friends at a park for a picnic with the little ones.
Swimming earlier but that was paid for last week.

I agreed with friends we wouldn't do Easter eggs this year. And they have gone and posted Easter eggs so need to place an order on Amazon now for that. Sigh.

Yoga later which will be £10.

ArmDimples · 31/03/2026 16:13

I got behind but have caught up now! I tried to post yesterday but it got lost so here goes….

I couldn’t agree more about adulting, and especially spending money on things like plumbing. So tedious.

Glad you had a good trip Big. I don’t have any of the foot disasters you mentioned, mine actually look quite decent to the eye, BUT I have wicked plantar fasciitis. I have to wear much uglier shoes than I used to, and heels are a thing of the past! Sigh.

Life that traybake thread is my favourite of all time (such a good spirited thread and also, I love baking so I magpied a few recipes). Is your bathroom finished now?

I still have a lot of painting to do, which I am resigned to probably having to pay someone to do due to working and it being very hard to do stuff around DS at the weekends. In fact, DS is being really difficult at the mo, very hard to take out of the house due to various behaviours. It’s going to be a long Easter holiday…. And how we are going to survive a flight at May half term, I can’t imagine! Over Easter I shall mostly stay at home and bake a lot. We did go out to the postal museum at the weekend, I’d really recommend it to anyone with kids and within striking distance of London. It was excellent and DD (8) really enjoyed it, as did I! There’s a brilliant little train ride through the underground tunnels that were built specially for Mail Rail to take post across the city. It was fab.

gertie, what is your stress eating of choice? Mine was always chocolate, sometimes crisps. I am avoiding both for now, still mostly sticking to the diet but stress can make it hard at times!

lots of my budgets have gone over this month - I had a large print framed and it cost more than the print itself, it was a fortune! Maybe that’s just the London premium but honestly, £350 😖. Also booked flights for a weekend away with friends in June. I never leave my family so I am very apprehensive for DH but he owes me one, lol! I still have the accommodation to pay so that will dent in April too. I have also gone over on the food budget, and ours is already generous, but we hosted a bit this month. I probably need to allow more for that as we host a lot due to it being difficult to go out, and also I like cooking.

oh, and if I am honest, I also bought the naice tablecloth. Hoping it is delivered before the weekend so I can pimp up my Easter table! I also bought a small one to cut up to make napkins as it will be a lot cheaper than the matching napkins they were selling. But I have given myself homework there, lol.

mortgage goes up next month 😢. Back to the normal spends and not the overspends, I hope!

ArmDimples · 31/03/2026 16:14

That library of things does sound amazing!

lifelongfrugaleer · 31/03/2026 16:41

Painting this week then bathroom done. Hall being done also then carpet and lights on a free week. Dc can never accuse me of being too neutral after these stairs are done

Frugal25 · 31/03/2026 17:11

So glad you bought the tablecloth @ArmDimples

Bought easter eggs for friends who gave me some. £16. Hopefully family don't do eggs ....

I have been eyeing up the postal museum so that's me sold. Thank you.

DirtyGertiefromno30 · 31/03/2026 17:35

Oh me too @ArmDimples l am so pleased you treated yourself sweetheart. When l am stressed l eat anything that isn't nailed down 🤣
Scoffs of late have been hot cross buns, sausage sarnies , ham sarnies all with thick butter in them 😱😋🤣

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DirtyGertiefromno30 · 31/03/2026 17:40

Been busy today doing the house and 2 car insurances. Went through compare the market and although the 2 insurances were up, my one car insurance was down so it compensated for the Increase thank God.
£623 for DH , my car and the house insurance . So not too bad . Haven't spent anything else today so that is good 👍 😁
My Dd2 had a Verucca for years @lifelongfrugaleer then it just went if it's own accord just before we were going to see the Dr to get it frozen off. Fascinating things though like a blot in the landscape 🤣🤣🤣,

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DirtyGertiefromno30 · 31/03/2026 17:45

Oh that postal museum sounds fab thank you for the recommendation @ArmDimples😁
Oh it's just one of those things re the Easter Eggs @Frugal25 they probably softened because they felt a bit mean not getting some and you and DD are darlings so l get why they changed their tune 😁

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DirtyGertiefromno30 · 31/03/2026 17:47

@BigSkies2022l have never heard of the library of things before lol . I will be googling just like @Frugal25🤣🤣

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DirtyGertiefromno30 · 31/03/2026 17:54

Oh there's lots of them except in Wales 🤣 typical lol

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RumBananaSundae · 31/03/2026 17:58

No spend day for me today. First one in ages.

More wholehearted agreement here @ChipshopPickledEgg. Grown up existence really is shit sometimes.

Good the decorating is nearly done @lifelongfrugaleer.

Googled the library of things and we don’t have one here @BigSkies2022. It’s a shame I would have used it.

Having a quiet week so far but don’t want to count my chickens. I wanted to start looking at my travel books but can’t find my sticky page markers so have curtailed that activity. I have so many packets of them have no idea where I’ve tidied them away to.

DirtyGertiefromno30 · 31/03/2026 18:03

Yay on the NSD @RumBananaSundae 😁👍. None here either , nevermind , looks like we will not be able to loan the ice cream machine , perhaps it's just as well with all the stress scoffs l have been doing 🤣

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chimichangaz · 31/03/2026 20:47

You lot with your talk of stress eating have made me remember I have hot cross buns in the cupboard and an Easter egg in the fridge 🤣🤣

Can’t remember when I last posted, but yesterday I spent £9.40 in Sainsburys on a top up. Today is a NSD yay - I did have a coffee from Starbucks but used my reward so it cost nothing.

Oh and on Monday I did an hours online focus group for which I should receive a £30 voucher. And I had an email from the temp agency saying I’ve accrued 6 holiday hours so I’ve put a claim in for them too - I need some garden stuff like a new umbrella so I’ll put some money towards that.

I really wish we had a Library of Things near me! And I’m another who loves a bit of jetwashing - I’m going to do my patio in a few weeks!!

MuddlingLong · 31/03/2026 21:19

I’m happy to say there’s a library of things not too far from us and it’s free!

Went out for dinner with DW for an Indian and it was absolutely delicious. £50 well spent.

Lockin26 · 31/03/2026 22:35

Missed a few days.
Yesterday was parking £0.97p today £7.32 Lidl for lunch and chocolate. I've come off HRT (GP advised it) and had proper PMT chocolate cravings - not good at Easter 😂 mmm those little fondant filled chocolate eggs... I do feel much better though!
Also handyman today £140 for eight shelves and a shelving unit put up. He's very good.

Not broken up for Easter here yet, seems NE is out of sync. Roll on Thursday!

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