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

[DirtyGertiefromno30]

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

So glad your lovely mum is ok today @DirtyGertiefromno30. Always makes me smile.
I find that Lidl fruit goes off quickly too. I buy it and we have to eat it fast. Then we top up during the week from m&s as it's on the way home from work.
Finally a NSD!!!! Spent the morning doing a weights workout. And this afternoon DD and I built a den in the bottom of her built in cupboard that's in her bedroom. There is a space big enough for her to get in at the bottom so we have made it cosy with blankets and battery operated lights and cushions. She hasn't come out since! Time to do some cleaning.
Oh poop. Remembered yoga tonight. £10. Not a NSD. We can only hope tomorrow is. And Friday - Sunday.

Food/groceries budget for remaining month works out at £24 per day. So today I spent £23 in Sainsbury’s (included Sudafed, packet ramen noodle soup and salted caramel ice-cream for DS, who has yet another cold/Covid and has to work tomorrow and be fit for a weekend away- so I have taken pity on his cravings for comforting UPFs), and £4 for The Good Pesto from the deli.

payday today, whoo! Allocation to various pots and standing orders/dd will go out over the next day or two. I am still getting my new systems in place and have some direct debits to move over but everything should be squared away by this time next month.

DH offered to cook a nice meal for Valentine’s day this weekend. I will match his offer with a tarte tatin , and I have remembered that we have some fizz in the cellar that we didn’t drink at Christmas. And we might get to the cinema on Sunday.

Dad’s appointment went ok yesterday, but he has a bug that is resistant to the current antibiotic, so that has to be changed. Healing is super slow, unsurprisingly, so he has another appointment on Monday. My turn this time. I will take him rice pudding and red wine!

I was really hoping this month would be the month where our finances looked better, but no, no this month. At all. DH gets his bonus this month and I’m due back to work next week from sick leave, so will go back up to full pay in march I think.

This month we’ve been nobbles by multiple music lesson bills, a few unexpected grocery shops and finishing paying Klarna for some bits and pieces.

We’ve still got Valentine’s Day and dh’s birthday to go and we owe niece an 18th birthday present. We’ve got plenty in savings, it’s just annoying having to keep dipping in instead of making it through the month.

Afternoon everyone 🤗
Lidl fruit definitely sounds like Aldis fruit @Frugal25, it needs eating up straight away , topping up from M&S midweek makes sense and cuts waste for you too 😁.
Great job on the weights 💪 and that den sounds so cosy, no wonder she’s staying put 🤗! Those moments are worth far more than an NSD ❤️.
Yoga’s still a good spend, so don’t beat yourself up. Fingers crossed tomorrow and the weekend are NSDs 🤞😊
Thank you re my Mum , she was good there today thank God 🙏. I just embrace the good days now ❤️.
You’re doing really well overall @BigSkies2022. £24 a day is excellent, and the Sudafed/comfort food for a poorly DS was money well spent bless him.
Lovely that your DH offered to cook for Valentine’s a nice meal, tarte tatin, fizz from the cellar and maybe the cinema feels just right🤗
Glad your Dad’s appointment was okay, hopefully the new antibiotic will help. Rice pudding and red wine is lovely visiting fuel for him 😋🍷.
Ugh, that’s so annoying @FurForksSake😕. It really should’ve been the month things eased for you , and instead everything’s hit at once. None of it’s huge on its own though so take heart , it’s just awful timing 🤗
It should look a lot better soon though , the bonus coming, full pay back, and some of these costs finished. Dipping into savings is so frustrating and disappointing l get you 🙄.
Hey ho at least no council tax for the next 2 months yay! 😁

Hey everyone 👋

A successful nsd today, I’ve been trying to get at least mon-wed in each week without spending, last week I pushed my food shopping back a day to Friday so I managed four nsd,s might try and do that more often. As I work from home I don’t really go out to spend any money during the week, I am ,however, an online shopper and would frequently browse instagram and end up influenced and making unplanned purchases, I’ve completely stopped that now which I’m pleased about.

Dh had an unexpected tax bill of just over £4000 this morning, which is obviously not good, they also want the money by 21 Feb so less than two weeks, I have no idea where HMRC think people can pull this kind of money from. Just as things appear to be looking up, something always pops up to make sure to put you back to square one.

Im home alone this evening as Dh is out with work, ds2 out with his girlfriend and dd2 is helping out with a school production, had spag bol for dinner which was nice, I don’t usually eat pasta but I’d really been fancying it so I had a treat, weighed the pasta out and couldn’t believe how little you get for the calories.

Dh and I have decided to just do cards for Valentines this year, he asked if I wanted to go out, but I’d rather save the money, I might offer to get fish and chips on Saturday night though, that should please him.

Hope everyone’s had a good day.

I bought a pair of trousers and had them altered.

How is your son today @yoursweetpotatoesarebland? I tried the chickpea tofu. It was nice raw but once it was in with everything else and cooked I couldn’t really tell the difference but that might be because of what I was eating with it.

Glad your mum is ok @DirtyGertiefromno30.

That’s a bugger about the antibiotics @BigSkies2022. I hope your father will be ok.

Sorry about the tax bill @Johaanah. They don’t give you much time do they. That’s rather rough.

Quiet day today. Very wet. Now I have new trousers I’m not sure what to wear with them. I hope this doesn’t get expensive.

Well done on your NSDs @Johaanah👏
Stopping Instagram shopping is a big win ,that's brilliant 🤗.
That £4k tax bill with under two weeks’ notice is just awful how on earth can they do that?
It seems there's always something to knock you back 🙄.
Spag bol what a lovely treat , l haven't had it for years 😋 .
Just cards for Valentine’s make sense , we don't do anything for Valentine's now. We always used to but it seems life grinds the romance out of life the older we get .
God l sound a proper misery guts . You enjoy your fish and chips on Saturday that's lovely for you all 🤗

Treat yourself to a lovely new top @RumBananaSundae 🤗 . I don't hear you buying many clothes or anything else for yourself sweetheart. Sometimes we just need a treat 🤗.
Thank you re my Mum too bless you ❤️

I’m loving the idea of the den @Frugal25 😊

I did a weight workout this morning with my PT - I’m really enjoying my gym workouts and so glad I splashed out on a PT. She’s very knowledgeable and also pushes me to lift heavier than I would if I trained on my own.

LSD for me today, just some Greek yogurt.

You may have to copy the idea of the den @chimichangaz!!! Well done on the workout :)

Oohhh shopping spree @RumBananaSundaelike dirty says, you don't ever treat yourself. You deserve to Hun. Where did you get the chickpea tofu? I shall have to try it.

Oh @JohaanahThat's rubbish about the tax I'm sorry. HMRC are flipping leeches.

Well. I succumbed to the peer pressure on here with tgtg bags. Got one on the way from yoga for £3. Two oat milks (which is what we drink) two pre cooked packets of chicken so OH will have those. Four pastries. Spinach. Lettuce. Cucumber. I did so well I actually ran out the shop before he could realise the error!

Late post as I fell asleep on the sofa tonight after working until after 8pm - not good. Taken a days flexi on Friday to do power of attorney and other finance things. Getting there although it does feel like an uphill battle tonight.

Boo to the tax bill @Johaanah agree they are leeches!

I nabbed a couple of Boots £10 deals, my first time woohoo 🎉. Nightcream which is needed (I've eeked out the last of a few random pots) plus the step 1 gel essence to go on first. So that was £20 but saved £24.50.

Finished Asda order to be delivered tomorrow night. Will be around £116 which is steep but I saved £42 on deals and it includes Valentines food for this weekend and 5 x bags of kindling.

That’s brilliant @chimichangaz sounds like money really well spent , having someone who knows their stuff and nudges you past your comfort zone makes such a difference. You’ll be lifting like a pro before you know it 😁👏💪
😂 That’s actually a cracking bag for £3 @Frugal25 oat milk you’ll use anyway, chicken sorted for OH, some fresh bits and pastries. Total win. Well done you! 😁
Legging it out before he realised the mistake made it even better 😂 bargain hunting at its finest!
Silent Witness was excellent tonight great script and acting .
Time for bed hope everyone has a good night's sleep 💤 🤗

No wonder you fell asleep after that @Lockin26, working past 8pm is a long old day for you sweetheart 😴 .Taking a flexi day Friday sounds very sensible to me, all that POA and finance stuff is so draining. You’re getting there though and well done on the Boots £10 deals, especially for a first go .
Asda is a big one but £42 saved is not to be sniffed at ! Valentine’s food sorted and kindling in too! 😁💪

LSD yesterday £2.65 between milk & chazzer
no spends planned today

Would it be possible to join? I have been reading for a long time and love the little community you guys have.

My amazing 28 yr old brother died unexpectedly a few weeks ago and it has highlighted how life can just change in an instant. Because of this I am doubling down on my frugal efforts as I want to spend money on experiences/memories/holidays not things.

I have had 8 NSD this month as I'm not really going out.

My grocery budget for 3-4 adults is £240 for the month, I have already spent £126.49.

I am distracting myself by looking at Ski holidays for next year.

I hope everyone has a good day

Welcome @NursieBernard! You are very welcome here and I'm so sorry about your lovely brother. That's heartbreaking news and no wonder it's highlighted for you how life is so fragile. Sending love to you.
Well done on the NSDs!

Oohhh love a little bit of holiday "research".

Welcome @NursieBernard and I’m so sorry to hear about your brother ❤️

I've properly gone down a slippery slope with my spending recently, don't even know where to begin.
Not in the red which is a positive but definitely getting too many endorphin highs courtesy of my bank card.

Is it all needed though @ChipshopPickledEgg? I sometimes do the same. A bit excited about something and off I go. A see a daffodil, get excited about summer and suddenly I have a new wardrobe.
If it's needed try not to beat yourself up too much. Xx

NSD here at long last. Yippee.

Oh that’s awful about your brother ., I’m so sorry. I hope you have good support around you - agree that we’re a long time dead and being able to prioritise what really matters to you in life is a valuable skill.

And on that note: DH and I have’s booked a trip to the USA at the end of March. This is a bit unexpected. We were looking at possible destinations (all European) for sort of late March/April, but it was all very vague. Then he came home last week and announced he had a business trip for a Big Important Conference at the end of March, same Conference of the Swinging Dicks that he attended last year. So I said, ‘How lovely. I am coming too.’

And so it is. He has paid my flights and will be hanging out with the SDs, while I soak up the culture, the sights, wear nice clothes and sip perfect cocktails in elegant bars. It’s years since I had a proper grown up break where I could do exactly what I pleased, without a dog, or GenZs or Olds in tow. No requirement to cook or plan any meals. I am very happy to be going - even if it hadn’t occurred to DH from the off to include me, and I had to shoplift the booty. Better slow off the mark than never, DH!

So of course, I have been spending:
£30 on a pair of elegant flats, suitable for walking in galleries and smart neighbourhoods (loafers, John Lewis, bookmarked with longing when they were £100 and reduced to clear;
£159 on a Lululemon raincoat (FT recommendation, reduced from £270, and replacing the rather disgusting item that DH had discarded, but which I retained for dog walking and going to the bins)
£59 for a pair of heavy jersey navy palazzo trousers from Me &Em. These will augment my black ones , which are great but in their third year. I can dress them up or equally pull them on for a long day’s sightseeing, or even wear them on the flight.

I have booked DDog into kennels , checked my passport, will be buying extra travel cover and my ESTA. Going to stockpile skincare samples for the flight and need to source a good bag for the carry on - my back pack for shopping and dog walking won’t really cut it.

more prosaic spends today:£4 in Waitrose, £4 on merguez in the butcher, £6 on various varieties of apple for the tarte tatin at the weekend because I can’t buy russets at this time. In fact the greengrocer seemed a bit affronted when I asked!

Have a good evening all. I am doing frittata with roast vegetables and might watch an episode of Industry.

Oh Frugal- have just seen the post about the HMRC. Oh groan. I don’t suppose they have made a mistake?

Boo about the tax Can you pay in Installmeents?

great news on the business holiday

welcome nursie

chips do you need the stuff or is it frivolity?

Just noticed @ChipshopPickledEggyour name. Where did mushy go? Or was that the old name and this your new one. I'm confused all of a sudden.

Ooohhh @BigSkies2022this is terribly exciting!!!! Well done for tagging along and making it a holiday. I'm all smiley now!

I'm sure mushy will return in the next thread :-)
Perhaps even another chipshop related name.
Not too sure why I base my name's on the chippy. Classy chick aren't I.

The book I’ve been waiting for is finally available so €50 on two copies. £4.50 on a yellow stickered cake that I took to my friend this afternoon.

That sounds like a great TGTG @Frugal25. I hope you enjoy it all. The chickpea tofu was Waitrose. They also had some kind of tofu like thing that was made of mushrooms. I might try that when I’ve made my way through the tofu mountain.

Welcome @NursieBernard. I’m sorry about your brother.

I’m heading down the same slope as you @ChipshopPickledEgg.

Bargain on the loafers @BigSkies2022.

Cannot believe it’s only Wednesday.