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 .

Evening all, allo allo allo,

Kittens have arrived. They have decided that under my daughters bed is the best place in the world. A bit timid and scared but to be expected. They will soon find their feet.
I've potted up some courgette plants and some cottage garden plants. And we have all been to the park for a scooter ride to get out of the house.

@DirtyGertiefromno30im with everyone else, your mum blowing bubbles was brilliant at making me smile! I'm sorry they got so ratty though. For you and the staff . This hot weather is suffocating for some.
Rain yippee, fed up with watering my garden.
@DeepFriedCreamEggyou do make me giggle. Eyebrows!
@Lockin26i never understand why companies tweak things that aren't broken. Makes a mess of things :( sorry.
@HP87so glad your car is back. Sorry about the expense though. They are money pits sometimes.
Well done on your plan.

£50 to pay off my share of the kittens. OH paid £150. So that's half each as I paid the deposit.
£6 on another cat lead so that in a few weeks I can walk then round the garden and get them used to their territory.
The new sofas are so amazing. And I'm very precious over them which has meant no food in the lounge now. Which I was awful for, everyone ate on the sofas watching TV.
For two days now we have sat at the dining table for breakfast lunch and dinner and I'm really enjoying it I have to say. We are talking more and DD is eating better.

Aww, bless them @Frugal25! 🐱 Under your daughter's bed must clearly be the best hiding spot in the world right now 🤗. Give them a few days and they'll probably be zooming round the house like they own the place! 😂
Sounds like you've had a lovely day . And yay for the rain! 🌧️
I'm glad Mum's bubble blowing made you lol 😊. The heat can make everyone a bit grumpy, especially so it seems in care homes 🤣
The new sofas sound gorgeous 😍.
And fab that everyone is now eating at the table 🤗👏😁.

It's been a while since I've posted on here. Some savings accounts have matured and I want to spend some of it on a new washing machine, our current one isn't broken but 10ish years old (not sure exactly as we bought it off the previous owner as it was installed in our house). I don't feel like it washes the clothes as well as it used to. Found a Bosch one I like from John Lewis for £499, supposedly on sale, but it's been that price for a while now. It's also 9kg and our current one is 6kg. I'm pregnant and today spent £30 on extra reusable nappy wraps. I didn't need to I have so many already, but many very little ones. I think it will be something fun do do with a newborn as I didn't really enjoy the newborn stage last time.

Evening all. Sorry I’ve fallen off the thread.

Things aren’t great. I will be being made redundant. The office isn’t a pleasant place. I’m one of the not so lucky few and have people who aren’t affected telling me how worried they are, how they’ve been crying and how I’ll be fine. With everything else I’m past fed up. Every time I think I’m starting to find my feet something else hits. Apologies for the whinge.

I’ve not been monitoring spending. I haven’t been spending much but did buy some theatre tickets before the announcement was made. I need to get back into not being frivolous. I’ve fallen out of my routine so need to get back into that too.

I shall go back and catch up on this thread. I hope everyone is doing OK (and your mum @DirtyGertiefromno30).

Oh @RumBananaSundae ! What rubbish news! I understand how you're feeling having gone through the same four years ago. Only at that time everyone lost their jobs and being a college - we had to watch as things were sold off and dismantled around us over a two year period before closing entirely. Are you looking for another job? Or can you retire? Whatever you do - whingeing is entirely acceptable - so don't worry about that. Hugs!

Oh no @RumBananaSundael am so sorry. Of all the rotten luck 😱
Bless you sweetheart you must be feeling absolutely yucky. Is there anything we can do to help you with anything at all ? Just holler even if it's just to have a good old rant 💐
Thank you Re my Mum she was marvellous there today thank God . One of the residents has passed away there today and the staff were very upset bless them but it is what it is. Lovely man too, a proper charmer bless him .

@Alwaysgrowing good to see you back here ☺️ glad everything seems good with you and Congratulations on your baby news lovely 😍.
I would say go for the washing machine we have a 9kg and it's marvelous l can get so much in it .

Evening everyone 🤗
NSD for me today, been to see Mum who was lovely there 💕.
Did her hair, a facial , her nails and hands creamed her up from head to toe and she loved it bless her heart ❤️.
Makes a change from the heat wave behaviour, one of her fellow residents died today and the staff were very upset bless them . It comes with the job of course but l know they take it badly poor things .

Oh @RumBananaSundaeim so sorry. Please do rant away. It always makes you feel better after a rant, even if it doesn't exactly fix the core problem. Sending huge hugs. Ignore the ignorant wotsits at work who are worrying/telling you how to feel. They sound toxic and not as lovely as us.
@DirtyGertiefromno30oh the poor staff and residents. I'm sorry. Heartbreaking when it happens although the staff sound lovely and like they really care so lovely to go in a place like that.
Congratulations @Alwaysgrowing!! Love this news massively. Def get the bigger washing machine. I also have a 9kg and it's amazing

£16 today on lunch at an Essex wildlife trust place where we hung out for the afternoon.
Kittens have come out of their shells and played with DD most of the day which was lovely to see and what we wanted when we thought of the idea of getting them.

Aw thank you so much @Frugal25, yes they are wonderful staff and the residents are really well looked after bless them . Wonderful news about the kittens playing with your DD l bet she loves them bless her ❤️.
Lunch sounds lovely and very reasonable 😋

Yes, we are going to be a family of 5 so it will definitely reduce the number of loads. I don't mind chucking everything in together with a colour catcher in. We used to be able to do all our clothes twice a week but sometimes we need to do them in two loads. Partly because my 7 year old daughter now puts her clothes in the wash basket before they're dirty, sometimes she's worn them for an hour or so after school. Sometimes I don't check whats in there.

Hedgehog poos and insomnia to the person who made this decision.

Afternoon everyone 😊
Spends today
£15 Waitrose on cheese 😋
£40.80 in Aldi's, mostly for my Mum, fresh orange juice , pads, face cream , wet wipes , cakes , biscuits, chocolate and flowers 😊
Hope everyone is ok, weather is awful here raining cold and grey 🙄

Oh no @DirtyGertiefromno30 it's been so lovely up until now. We still have beautiful skies but rain is promised later on. Best get DD cardboard box from outside that she plays in...
@DeepFriedCreamEgg I completely agree 💯

£9 on a bracelet that I shall give to a friend for her birthday.
Wfh today to ensure kitties were ok with my mum before I toddle off to the office later this week. So didn't buy any food.

Love that your Dd has a cardboard box she plays in ❤️ bless her heart ❤️

Thank you @Rainbow1961. I will be looking as I need a job. I’ve started working on my LinkedIn and been going through adverts and things. It’s been years and it’s all rather different. I’d love to retire but I don’t think I’ll ever be able to afford to.

Thank you @DirtyGertiefromno30. Still warm enough here to go out in a T-shirt though the sky is starting to look rather grey.

@Frugal25 ohhh you have your kittens. That’s lovely.

Had a few chats today and I knew the work ‘happenings’ were ugly but they’d give Richard III and Henry VII a run for their money (with no shame). I feel like such a mug after the 1,000s of unpaid hours I’ve given them. Feel really unsettled my poor head keeps trying to identify the sliding doors moment. I can’t believe how much life has changed in the last five years

No spending for me today but I might go for a stroll later and end up in Sainsbury’s.

So sorry life has hit the fan for you yet again sweetheart 💐
Can you get contacts from your work that can lead to another job or do some intense networking ? (My Dd2 told me about networking) l have no idea what it is 🤞🙏❤️ wishing you the very best sweetheart.

Hello everyone
I am going to attempt yet another return to frugality. I’ve definitely been finding it hard to stay on track recently so I need the discipline of this thread.
Im going to start Rebel Finance School again too and really hope that between the two I manage to find my mojo again.

I spent £20 at the chemist today on hair dye and some heat patches for a shoulder injury that’s been playing up.
I also bought a cable tidy off Amazon for £10.

Im meeting a friend tomorrow and ill buy the coffees so it will probably be about £10 but im looking forward to seeing her so its all good.
I don’t think i have any other expenses until Thursday though so im aiming for a LSD followed by a NSD

looking forward to catching up on how you’re all doing.

Evening 🌆

Today was a NSD. Made sandwiches from left over party fillings (DD birthday tea on Sunday) and tea from left over curry.

I am making headway with Vinted and other sales - ongoing task with stuff left from PIL house, my wardrobe revival and now DMs house 🫣 trying to do it now while I am still fit.

@Frugal25 lovely to hear about the kitties and that they are playing with DD (and her box, so adorable 🩷)

@RumBananaSundae so sorry. No way do they deserve you. Make sure you spend as much work time as possible job hunting. A friend of mine was given 20% of her week to look for a new job. And if they are too miserly to give you that, then just take some of that unpaid overtime back anyway.

Hello @Schnout this thread does help to keep on track

Weather here pretty naff too @DirtyGertiefromno30 it's raining, windy but stuffy!

Good choice with the 9kg washing machine @Alwaysgrowing I got a super size fridge freezer just before Christmas and it's so worth it!

Sorry I've missed a few frugaleers but hope everyone is okay.

Afternoon all,

Hope you're enjoying a day off @RumBananaSundae?
Def take back what you can with unpaid overtime and spend work time looking for your next gig.
Life has a way of changing doesn't it when you least expect it.

£120 on pre school fees. Was £80 less than I'd budgeted for so stuck £80 on credit card.
£120 on credit card as a separate amount.
£10.55 on swimming as the park was too soggy today.
£16 on lunch at swimming.
£10 yoga later which is needed this week.

Proud that I have over paid cc this month. I really need to stick some things on vinted....
Watching the rain pour down on my washing. I should sort that.....

Afternoon everyone 😊
NSD for me today yay!
Weather is pants here 🙄
Annoying about the extra £80 @Frugal25 but good move using the credit card .And fair play for still getting swimming, lunch and yoga in , proper full on but very healthy day well done sweetheart 👏😊.
Vinted will help ease things once you get going with it. And the washing , typical weather 🙄 hope it dries soon, mine is in the dryer there is no hope it will dry outside today 🤣
Well done on the NSD @Lockin26! Great use of the leftover party fillings and curry too. Fab progress with the Vinted sales too well done 👍. That's such a huge amount to sort through from your PIL's house, your wardrobe clear out and now DM's house. Every sale is a step forward though keep going sweetheart 🤗.
Lovely to see you back @Schnout😊. We all go off track sometimes, so well done for restarting Rebel Finance School and Coffee with a friend is money well spent in my book sweetheart ☕💕.
Good luck with your LSD tomorrow and NSD after that 🤞. Hope your mojo returns and you're back in the frugal groove soon! 😊💷✨
Hope everyone is ok and a special shout out and huge hugs to @lifelongfrugaleer, @RumBananaSundae & @DeepFriedCreamEgg 💐
And anyone else who needs a big hug 🤗