Spring shenanigans, frugal mischief, Maypole antics, garden faffing, bargain binges, picnic pandemonium, Spaniel loving and Bank Holiday mayhem 😁

[DirtyGertiefromno30]

Welcome everyone, new and old to our lovely supportive frugal thread .

Rec school uniform & PE kit. How does it align to statutory and non statutory guidance. Have a look https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-uniform and I would be writing in to see their consideration y of these

It was my first day back, going out of the house to work this week, so of course DDs school has been shut for a couple of days due to wide spread sickness. Bit of a scramble to cover with DH and I around our commitments. It wouldn’t have been so frustrating but I have been either off or WFH for weeks now, when it wouldn’t have been a problem.

We’ve spent rather a lot recently on hotels and concert tickets. A few nights in premier inns with the free breakfast offer, but one expensive one on site at a theme park for the summer.

I’ve now made my fourth attempt to get a tax refund from HMRC, after speaking with the advisor on the phone and getting another letter from my pension provider. Fingers crossed this time it works.

To the previous poster who spent on the credit card again, either cut up or put the card somewhere impossible to get to easily. And delete from websites like Amazon which save the details.

Frugal - Do you have an emergency fund? the wisdom of many on credit card debt is, get an emergency fund together, so that you have a buffer if you really need it (for genuine emergencies - new car parts on a car you can't do without for work, broken laptop needing replacing now to meet exam deadline, broken front tooth - these are some of the emergencies that have cropped up in our house in the past, you don't get out of them for less than £1000, so think about what would really be a crunch issue for you and save to cover that) and then you cut up the credit card.

My week has been a bit of a mad scramble, turbulence from both mum and DS. Sandwich generation, what fun! I often feel stuck in a sort of adolescent:adult confrontation. Hopefully a quiet weekend ahead. DS is working today, Saturday, Sunday and Monday, and out with DH tomorrow evening. I'm planning to sink onto the sofa and watch a movie.

I've been spending and paying off balances and throwing money between accounts and pots, but I think I've got everything to where it needs to be now, save returning a pair of jeans and getting the refund, which I can do tomorrow. I need to buy DSIL's birthday present and DS', and then I think I can really hunker down until Italy.

Saw A Doll's House (very much updated for contemporary times, not a bodice or a drawing room in sight) on Tuesday - cracking production and good to see a theatre packed with lots of young people as well as crumblies like me. And yesterday I met a friend at the Hockney exhibition at the Serpentine, and we grumbled about our children, and our respective difficult mothers. And then we talked about clothes, and holidays and Hockney and politics and had a thoroughly nice time! I bought lunch, she bought tea and cake and we walked back through Hyde Park and reminisced about old times when we worked at Paddington and the office had a summer picnic and rounders game in the park.

Talking of old times: I am channelling the nineties like mad with my Levi 501 90's and Adidas trainers! They're the tits, and I look the bollocks, as we (used to) say in south London. I may never wear anything else, wardrobe fixed now.

Also - just seen Frugal's note - you can freeze cake? If I make or buy cake it's because someone, usually me, wants it very badly right now. You are a paragon of deferred gratification!

Afternoon everyone 😊
Been busy here , Mum had the Audiology dept visit the home and they sorted out 7 other residents while they were there , 🤣. Talk about multi tasking they were marvellous there fair dos . I have not spent anything yesterday or today yay go me!.
Hope everyone is ok 🤗

@Frugal25 lovely news about the kitten arrival date 😺 you'll be fine. Re the CC I've been there when DC were young and life is even more expensive these days. Bigskies advice is good.

@DirtyGertiefromno30 good on the audiology team. Hope you're all good.

@BigSkies2022 nothing quite like a good grumble / reminisce with a friend and I hear you on the sandwich generation.

Sorry I've missed a few posts, out at DDs activity. Can't wait to crawl to bed again.

£60.74 Costco
£14.97 Costco cafe
£52.56 Lidl
£18.40 Lidl

I've started a list of wishes for my new wardrobe once I've been ruthless with mine and sold on Vinted. Added Levis (thanks for the reminder Bigskies I really do need some jeans) and leather bomber jacket so far. I almost sobbed as my DD 'borrowed' my old Topshop leather jacket - its on the small size but I've hung onto it in the hope one day... I'll take it as a compliment that she likes it and buy a slightly bigger one!

Afternoon all,
Ah yes I do have an emergency fund. I'll use this instead of cc. Thank you @BigSkies2022. I'll go and take cc details off online too as that's where I tend to spend things on it.

£35 today for DD gymnastics grading coming up. All budgeted for.
OH out tonight so doing the same as you bigskies and hunkering down with a film.

Def take the compliment @Lockin26!!

Afternoon everyone 😊
NSD for me again l am keeping my purse shut 😁
Been to see Mum who was fine , yes the home were thrilled with the Audiology team they did such a good job @Lockin26, your leather jacket sounds fab ❤️
@Frugal25
Sounds like your Dd is doing well in the Gymnastics bless her 👏👏
Enjoy your evening 🤗

Went to see a possible new school for DS and he went back to school and we went out to lunch -£24.70 for me and DH.
Then I had my hair cut (I only have it cut every 3 months at least!) £54.

Hello lovely lot,
Had a wonderful evening with DD. We did her art homework together, had yummy pasta, got into PJ's and watched a film.... Then at bedtime in protest she took a photo of my late cat and stood on it until it shattered. I was so angry. It was the anniversary for cat yesterday too so the mood I was in wasn't great. Straight to bed and she didn't dare argue. And I came downstairs for a much needed small glass of wine.
Today I spent £47 replacing photo frame and two others I needed in Dunelm. Looked at suitcases for DD to match mine and found one so will buy before we go in August.
Trying to pluck up confidence to go and forage for elderflowers to make fizz....
Hope everyone is ok today xxx

Oh no @Frugal25 why did she do that? Protesting at going to bed? I can see how hurtful that was for you ❤️

Just updating on the last few days - Thursday I bought four belts from Amazon, three are going back so total
cost £9. Went out for pub meal, 40% off. Sadly my sirloin steak was very fatty so I complained and we got free puddings. Total cost £15. Also spent £10 petrol topping up the hire car before it went back. Friday topped up my car (£60, usually about £47…) and went to a party - £45.
Today I’ve booked a couple of excursions for my June cruise £105, also booked an overnight hotel for the night before the flight. It’s gone from £117 last year to £144 this year 🤯 Sadly I will need to book another one for when I get back to Gatwick as the flight lands at 22:00.

I’ve also been emailed by P&O cruises as I complained about one of the excursions on my feb cruise and they’ve upheld the complaint and are refunding the cost.

Hoping for a few NSDs this week….need to get some stuff listed on Vinted!!

Evening everyone 😁
Just spent £40 on a Chinese takeaway to watch Eurovision with apart from that l have not spent a penny , go me 🤣.
@drspouse l hope the visit for the new school went well and you really enjoyed having your haircut and the lunch with your DH 🤗😁.

You’ve balanced the spending well with bargains, discounts and the P&O refund @chimichangaz! £15 for the pub meal was good going even with the fatty steak .
Petrol and hotel prices are awful though 😩 but at least your excursions are sorted now for June. Hopefully you can get a few NSDs this week and make some money back on Vinted too 🚢 😁
Oh bless you @Frugal25 , what a mix of a lovely evening and then an upsetting ending . Pasta, PJs and a film with DD sounded so nice too. Standing on the cat photo wasn't nice of your Dd, especially with it being the anniversary yesterday. No wonder you were cross but I am sure you have both made up today and are much happier than yesterday ❤️. LO's do things like this for no reason don't they and then they are sweetness and light the next minute ❤️
At least you got the frames sorted and found the suitcase for August 😊
And do try the Elderflower foraging! Homemade fizz sounds perfect it's absolutely delicious 😋 l can remember having it when l was a youngster 😁

Hope everyone is doing ok x

Me too sweetheart, you ok too l hope ?

Truthfully I am in mending zone at the moment. Had a bit of a mental health episode in the week and have taken some time out to get my breath back x

I am so sorry you’ve been going through that bless you @DeepFriedCreamEgg 💐. It sounds like you’ve had a really heavy week mentally , so taking time out to get your breath back is completely understandable 🤗. I’m just glad you recognised you needed to step back and look after you for a while. Sending you so much love and a big hug sweetheart X. If there is anything we can do just say ❤️

I thought you had been a bit quiet @DeepFriedCreamEgg. I'm so sorry your mental health wasn't good, did you take some more time off work? I hope so. Xxx
Take all the time you need to mend. Be gentle with yourself.
Hoping for a NSD today.

Unfortunately the new school won't take him - they had rung me by the time we'd reached home!
Yesterday I got a snack for me and DS (£11) and went to the cinema £4 for me and a friend, with Octopus points.

Oh that's such a shame @drspousei hope they gave you a good reason. Is there another option?
What did you go and see?

There aren't any other options except his current school which isn't teaching him anything. He's in an SEMH specialist school and we went to see a speech and language specialist school. They only said he "won't fit with the cohort".

That's rotten luck @drspouse. Is there anything else you can do? l don't know a lot about schools and their policies have you tried posting on the Education thread here sweetheart? Wishing you the very best of luck 🤞🤗

We've had extensive advice from those that know, the next step is appeal but that could take over a year and he's in Y9.

Glad you have had help from the right people . it seems you are stuck in a really hard place ATM . Just keep advocating for them and don't give up , go to appeal if that is what it takes .
I know you probably feel it's hopeless bless you 💐

Thanks all for caring it's very kind of you.
I've learnt from the past to listen to my brain before my brain makes it happen at an inconvenient time. If that makes sense? I very rarely hear the ques but I did this time.
I've had a few days off work and I'm back next week.
I've been having plenty of smoothies and healthy foods and am feeling cleaner from it which feeds into my MH too.