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 .

Hey guys 👋

thanks for all the messages regarding HMRC, it’s pants but just got to deal with it I guess.

@NursieBernard I’m so sorry to hear that your brother has passed, must be really hard dealing with that, especially as he was so young❤️

Half way through another week and a little closer to spring, genuinely can’t come soon enough.

NSD today, tomorrow is food shopping day was going to try and hold off until Friday but I have a hair appointment so won’t be able to do that this week. This morning I did an exercise class which was good, bumped into an old work colleague which was really nice, then had to go for a blood test. Picked dd up from school, took her for a driving lesson which is always terrifying, even though she’s a good driver I am a terrible passenger, then we had baked potatoes for dinner. That’s my day in a nutshell.

@ChipshopPickledEgg - chippy related names are ace, always makes me fancy a bag of hot chips with loads of salt and vinegar when I see your posts.

@BigSkies2022 your purchases sound fab, I am a massive lulu fan - can’t beat the Align leggings and I also love Alo, I’m on a no buy and the only brands I’ve been tempted by so far are Me & Em and Sezane.

How’s your day been @Frugal25 live hearing about the advents you and dd have together.

Also @DirtyGertiefromno30 hows your day been??

@Johaanah- this jacket is my first Lulu. I often look at the Me&Em site, tongue hanging out, but buying from there is extremely rare. I don’t think I can manage a no buy but I have resolved to halve last year’s total and wear everything I own, rather than putting the same old favourites on repeat. I’m already at 50 per cent of my annual goal though. In my defence, I do keep things a long time.

Haven't really brought much of note if I am honest just a fair few of them not to note purchases 😆.

Had a couple of lunches and coffees out with friends not necessary but very much necessary for my mental health.

Also my DD Toiletries all seem to have ran out at the same time and that shit really adds up!

If you phone HMRC @Johaanah and ask for a time to pay arrangement they are likely to give it to you .. they do still charge interest usually but they’ll work with you if you can’t afford it.

thanks for asking @RumBananaSundae he's doing okay - still quite sore and cycling pain killers but can’t be too bad as still took himself off to karate last night and is back eating his usual enormous amounts again!

@BigSkies2022 your Valentine’s Day plan sounds so lovely! Am jealous! Have been single such a long time I’ve forgotten what it’s like now.. will be buying the fabulous suggestion of the Asda meal deal instead 😁

not having a very cheap week so far - £15 yesterday on a train ticket and lunch for DD to go to work experience. £10 on supermarket bits and then £35 on guitar lessons today..

Sorry about your brother @NursieBernard absolutely a reminder to live life to the fullest.

NSD today on the joint account and just £5.60 on bus tickets for me today, really
making an effort to take coffees and lunches with me, I’m meeting a friend tomorrow for coffee and really looking forward to enjoying a decent sit in coffee and cake as a treat.

Welcome @NursieBernard and so sorry to hear about your brother. You are in the right place to keep a track on spending.

@BigSkies2022 so exciting about your trip. Spends all justified to sightsee and sip cocktails elegantly.

Yes agree don't beat yourself up about slipping, it happens. I was just thinking today how hard it is to be switched on about money, all the time.

Spends to today were £8 lunch plus £46.75 M&S. Asda delivery sadly messed up the Valentines deals with substitutes, including a pack of 2 steaks being replaced with a pack of 1 steak, for two people 😂 also naff drink replacement and the wrong desserts! I handed the whole lot back and got 2 x M&S Valentine deals instead! I get 6.5% off via work. It was more expensive than Asda but cheaper than a takeout for four. That's Saturday night sorted with a good film 🎥 🩷

Been really busy here today , will reply to posts tomorrow. Everything ok with us here though , hope everyone is ok too 🙏❤️

That’s annoying when subs break a promotion

£11 back to dd as dh owed her today £77 Sainsbury today but will send something back

Thank you for the warm welcome and your kind words. This has been the hardest thing I’ve ever had to face. It’s such a shock, and my heart breaks for everything he won’t get to experience. My mum and step-dad are just broken.

@BigSkies2022 Your trips away sound wonderful, sightseeing, cocktails, and no cooking sounds like bliss!

It was a LSD yesterday; I just picked up some pasties from the village deli for my mum and step-dad, as they aren't up to cooking or eating much right now.

Slow cooker creamy mustard chicken for dinner. I also don't really have an appetite at the moment so it maybe just DH, DS1 & DS3 eating it.

Hopefully a NSD as I have no plans to leave the house today.

Morning.

@NursieBernard I am so sorry, I can’t begin to imagine the pain for you and your family. I can only imagine your parent’s agony. It’s absolutely not the same and I am in no way comparing the two, but my DH had a huge stroke 3 years ago and so many people were kind enough to cook for us in the early days. I’d often come home to a pot of chilli on my step. I had absolutely no appetite but just having something I could heat up and the DC could at least eat was such a weight off my shoulders. So well done for thinking of something easy for your parents to eat. One step at a time, just put one foot in front of the other at the moment and that’s all you can do. ❤️

Ah @Johaanahsorry to hear about the tax bill. I second at least phoning HMRC, whatever reason for the bill in the first place. They are usually pretty reasonable.

@RumBananaSundae I honestly don’t have 726 pairs of trainers 🤣

Excellent news re the trip @BigSkies2022, you can always jiggle budgets as required. Me & Em always seems to be for hugely tall folk and I am the complete opposite of that - they do send me a lot of marketing though!

Spends
£30 hairdresser yesterday (still only takes cash or cheques and charges 1980’s prices!).
£4 local shops.
£7 some files to keep DF’s paperwork in order.
£6 Substack subscription for Ella Mills. A calm, sensible wellness voice in an increasingly mad health and longevity market.

I made a huge pot of leek and potato soup yesterday which was delicious (touch of lemon juice and mustard added) and we’ve enough for lunches today. Probably chicken curry for dinner. DD has left for her boyfriends for a few days and she’s the whirlwind of the house so calmness is now restored until Monday.

@DirtyGertiefromno30 honestly, please don’t worry about responding to each post - that’s the beauty of this thread, we all here to support each other and generally someone picks up on pretty much everyone’s news at some stage. I definitely don’t expect to a response to all my waffling. Life is busy, and we all sometimes have even busier times than usual. 😊

thank you @lifelongfrugaleer i've just seen your message. my sisters surgery went very well. Such a relief and i'm just in awe of you and her for being so amazing with how you are coping with this.

I may DM you at some stage to see how i can best support her when she gets home and knows more about her treatment plan.

Thank you also to everyone for all your prayers and well wished. She had a lot of people lighting candles and saying prayers and eery little helps.

@NursieBernard thats so hard for you and your family. But you are amazing to be thinking about it in this way.

My sister has always been good at this, she's taken unpaid leave to do the things that are important to her and i really see how important that balance is now.

I've not been too focusing on being frugal but havent been spending much either. We are on holidays next week with my mum so that will be lovely but again i dont expect to be counting he pennies. currently focused on eating down the fridge so we don't waste food.

Sending DH to do the shopping has definitely helped with the grocery budget. i am much more likely to stock up on a good deal. i read somewhere today about being stocked like a squirrel for food and it resonated.

I did go shopping earlier this week but didn't spend much even though the freezers need filling up. Then had a couple of LSD - just buying a paper to read at work. £30 today at the hairdressers.
Window cleaner expected today too so that will be £15. I'm working this afternoon so need to think about lunch/tea but just had a hot cross bun with my coffee so now don't think I can be bothered to think about what to do to eat - DH can feed himself if needs be cos I won't be back till after 9.

Happy Thursday all!
Ooohhh @NursieBernard you're so lovely picking up pastries for your mum and s dad. And good thinking on the chicken dinner. Try and eat something small, and remember to be gentle with yourself.xx
@needastrongonethats such a lovely thing for your family and friends to do at such a difficult time. You're very lucky xxx

So glad your sisters surgery went well @pistachiosanscream. That's a relief. How are you Hun? Nothing wrong with being a squirrel with food. I always think of you when I have nice things in the cupboards to make meals with. Such a lovely thing to have.

@Johaanah well, today my DD and I have a "mummy and LL day" as we call it. It started ok. Then by 11am I'd changed her trousers three times and her top three times. She is currently sporting dirty clothes and I've refused to change her a fourth time! But apart from that we have been swimming in a new pool. It's beautiful there. A heated floor, bigger pool, bigger changing rooms, a cafe. It's just gorgeous. Def going back. And it's cheaper than the last one, which tbh was always filthy.
They did charge me twice, but I'm currently chatting to them about a refund and they seem very professional and pleasant so reassured it will be fine.
£10.55 on swimming in beautiful pool
£65 in Lidl on god knows what. 2 bags. Even mum said I hadn't bought much but it was more expensive. Sigh.
Did manage to get some butter beans in tomato sauce though for a jacket potato topping. Delicious for lunch.
We are now going to make chocolate brownies before going to her gymnastics class.
Must feed the birds, just seen the baby magpie searching for scraps bless him.
Oh. @needastrongone do you listen to the wellness podcast with Ella and ri? So so good. They break down all the nonsense headlines on wellness with facts. I listen every week.
Got all their books too. Just makes sense.

Ooohhh no don't change your name @ChipshopPickledEgg I always think I need a fun name like you and @RumBananaSundae. I went boring with mine!! What was I doing in 2025? Being frugal. Couldn't have been less incentive if I tried!!

How is your lovely mum @DirtyGertiefromno30
?

No worries. Whatever you need and ❤️

Thanks @Frugal25, definitely lucky for sure. Yes - I absolutely love the Wellness Scoop podcast. It’s one I listen to without fail, it’s so sensible. There are far too many grifters in this space, and these two are such a voice of sensible reason. The swimming pool sounds lovely.

By the way, I definitely meant Me & Em seems to be for very tall folk, I don’t want anyone to think I was referring to any other definition of size!! I did say ‘hugely’ but wanted to reiterate that point 🤣.

£30 Amazon, on bulk buys of shower gel, washing tablets, toothpaste etc.

Welcome @NursieBernard .28 is so young.💔

Afternoon everyone 😊
Night's are getting lighter yay!
I must apologise for not being here the past 2 days and replying to posts l was really busy yesterday and
been busy again today. Went up to see Mum, washed and dried her hair and did a pamper session on her which she loved bless her . Dh's 70th birthday today so been busy after Mum celebrating it with him cards cake presents this afternoon then a slice of cake and a cuppa it was yummy cake 🍰 🎂. He is as miserable as sin about being 70 🙄.
I told him he's very lucky to still be here. l could have put him under the patio years ago 😁🤣. We are having an Indian
takeaway for tea tonight being as it's his 70th birthday bless
him so l expect it will be about £60 ISH for the 4 of us 😁
Hope everyone is ok and having a good day 😊.
I had to sort out our Isas yesterday and today , l found it really difficult tbh , they don't make it easy to transfer out of 1 ISA into another one 🙄.
I was petrified we would lose the tax free status on the lSA by transferring it over but it looks like it was fine . I had to do it over the phone in the end though . I am getting too old for this lark you know!

They are so sensible aren't they @needastrongone and I Def should get shares in walnuts and matcha!!! If only for the amount I now buy tbh.
For two ladies who are quite young (younger than me anyway) they have so much knowledge and are able to break it all down for us.

Swimming are saying I didn't pay twice. Although it's Def left my account. So I'll contact my bank. Either way I'll get it back.

Picky tea tonight but for some reason really fancy a dhal. Will have to put on next week's menu.

Happiest of birthdays to your lovely hubby @DirtyGertiefromno30!!!! Def lucky to be above the patio and celebrating 🎉 🎉 🎉
Enjoy your takeaway and possibly more cake.
So glad your mum is ok and enjoyed her pamper session that sounds absolutely amazing 🤩

Thank you so much for asking after my Mum @Frugal25.
Mum was ok today sleeping like a baby when we left after a 2 hour pamper session bless her ❤️
Welcome Nurse Bernard , so sorry to hear about your lovely brother that must have knocked you for 6 sweetheart bless you 💐
Thank you so much for my Dh's birthday wishes too , so kind of you sweetheart 😘

I love your name @ChipshopPickledEgg it's proper class 😁
Hope you get that money back for swimming too @Frugal25 😊.
Must have a look at the Wellness podcast @lifelongfrugaleerit sounds excellent 👍 👌

Wonderful news your Sisters surgery went well @pistachiosanscreamthank God 💐
AHH @Frugal25 you are such a patient lovely Mummy bless you sweetheart 😘

Aw thank you so much @needastrongone that's so kind of you to say that .l admit l was starting to flag now and making mistakes ,so l will leave the replies for now ❤️