Frugal Summer shenanigans, sunburnt silliness, ice cream indulgence, paddling pool chaos, picnic pandemonium, bank holiday bonkersness, sunshine mischief and all the rest of it.

[DirtyGertiefromno30]

Welcome to our lovely, friendly,frugal thread everyone 🤗

@RumBananaSundaebuy the bowls!!! And Def up for 10 wines :) it's needed after a Monday I think. When is the big day for you this week?
Thought of you this morning at 7am @Lockin26 making lunches and brekkie! Such a brilliant tip.

Pay day here. So £200 to mum as she child cares for me.
£66 on Sainsbury's buying all the bits I can't get at Lidl.
£12.99 on very nice coffee for OH as a birthday present.
£10.99 on a neck fan for OH present.
£25 on a signed photo of Jim Jefferies as another gift as he is currently obsessed with watching his shows.

That will be it today. That's enough!!
Got a voucher through the door for the local pub giving me 40% off food so shall use that to take OH out too.

And something that made me feel angry and sick. I've taken DD to a local farm every Christmas to see father Christmas. The first year was £40. It's crept up and up and, you may not remember, I moaned last year about it being £70. It's £80 this year. I've stuck with it as it's the same man in a costume and I wanted her to believe he was the real deal. But it's a hard no this year. I'll find a lovely Christmas event to take her to instead if a man dressed up costs that much. Made me cross.

It's been an expensive couple of weeks - two GCs with birthdays, several nights out to see shows which were paid for ages ago but did involve a meal out before the show plus parking /petrol contributions and DH wanted a pagoda for the garden to make it harder for the herons to have a free dinner!! I also need to invest in a couple of new cardigans as they have been ruined in the washing machine - not because they were woolly but because the the wretched thing decided to wash in black marks which will not shift. I need to invest in a decent cleaner/steriliser and hopefully avoid any further mishaps.
On the plus side sold a couple more bits on Vinted but am now reaching the point where I may now close my account and take the remainder to the charity shop.
De-cluttering has ground to a depressing halt - we have now completely redecorated and refurbished two bedrooms but in doing so have ultimately just kept moving boxes around. I have been brutal with my own stuff but much of it is DHs' hobby stuff - if it were left to me I would just bin the lot and I have surreptitiously lost a few bits in that direction anyway!! We were given a single bed and now waiting on delivery of a cheapish mattress plus invested in new curtains and pole so nearly done now.
I'm waiting on DH to get a move on and finish jobs so that stuff can be stored in the shed. Family members have taken some of the stuff which is surplus to requirements but the rest still needs storing somewhere. I want it sorted for my own sanity as we still need to re-decorate the final bedroom but can't decorate while the room is still full of junk. DH's attitude is that we have plenty of time now that we are retired and will happily potter about doing nothing useful at all whereas I just want a tidy home which isn't full of junk!! I don't really want to store it in the loft but may just sack it and lose it all in that direction anyway. Arghh!!!
The school holidays have arrived which means seeing a loads of the GCs which is always a bonus plus putting in a few hours at my little job to cover colleagues holidays but does mean I need to plan some activities with the GCs.
Still no holiday booked for DH and I - which is good from the frugality point of view but we have booked a weekend away in an Airbnb with DD and family which will take in a zoo trip and hopefully some water activities for the GCs. All paid for now so just meals and picnics to sort.
DHs' pension due tomorrow so can do a mini finance session and damage limitation exercise - don't think we've done too badly so far this month considering but I do have the dentist this week which will need paying for.
Everyone here seems to have really busy - and it's been great to catch up with all your news. Lots of frugality is going on but unfortunately it's also an expensive time for some people. Good on those who have have yellow sticker savings - I never seem to hit the shops at the right time for those!! Ta ra!!

Skinny millionaires damn you mother nature.

Sorry to get political here but I am just listening to Prime Minister Burnham and honestly I for the first time in a long time feel quite optimistic and excited for our country. Our. Country. That seems to be forgotten imo that it's OURS and there's too much fraction imo.

I felt exactly the same @Ovoemconserva!!!

Frugal25, you’ve made me actually post in order to share my horror. £80 for Father Christmas??! Do you think they have mistaken FC for the taxman or something?

Rum if you don’t mind sharing someone on here may work for similar organisations and can give some pointers? Or do a new thread with a name change. Some lovely people here helped me when I applied for some civil service jobs. Do you have an end date for the current job yet?

My ebay advisor (DH) reckons that the sales slow down over the summer and pick up again in the autumn. Could that be the same for vinted?

Evening everyone 🤗
£20 Lidl and £35 Sainsbury's, l went to Jane a good look for gf stuff. Got a few things but omg it's so expensive 😔.
The £200 for your Mum is such a lovely thing to do @Frugal25, it shows you really appreciate her help bless you 😊. Your OH presents sound spot on too, things he’ll genuinely enjoy. I’d be cross about Father Christmas too! £80 is getting ridiculous when it started at £40. I totally understand wanting to keep the magic, but there has to be a limit. I’m sure you’ll find something just as lovely for DD and she’ll remember the memories with you, not the price tag 😊

Well done getting the two bedrooms finished and shifting a few more bits on Vinted @Rainbow1901. Hope your DH gets a wriggle on so you can get the last room sorted 😁. I'd be itching to get it done too! Enjoy the time with the GCs and your weekend away. Fingers crossed the dentist doesn't sting too much! 😊

Whatever anyone's politics, it's nice to hear someone talking about bringing people together rather than pushing everyone further apart. I know what you mean @Ovoemconserva and l agree with you sweetheart. It would be lovely to see more unity and people remembering we're all in this together instead of all the hatred and cruelty 👏😊

Lol at your eBay advisor @Holidaysandchocolate 🤣

So glad it wasn't just me being tight @Holidaysandchocolateand @DirtyGertiefromno30.
Things are so expensive now aren't they.

Love that you have an eBay advisor. You should rent him out.
Def a good idea to ask on here about jobs too.

£4.04 on milk, jam tarts, a Swiss roll and some Kit Kats. None of that sounds good (except the milk). Yesterday ended in bee bowl and butter dish purchasing. Decided they’d be my present to myself.

I was thinking of watching Sheep Detectives @DirtyGertiefromno30 you mentioned crying. Is it sad? Glad your mum is ok.

I also bought some coasters to make up to a full set from the free one @Frugal25. That’s some creep with Father Christmas. You could buy an extra present or two with that £80. Would your daughter notice not having the visit?

Indeed @Ovoemconserva. That made me laugh.

You’re right @Holidaysandchocolate. It’s the civil service. No end date yet but it will be between now and September.

No TGTG luck today so I got a 30% off Swiss roll in Aldi instead. All in that’s probably better than eating a whole gateau. Am eyeing up buying some goats cheese I saw in Marks and Spencer tomorrow.

That's a lovely thing to do for yourself about the bee bowl and butter dish being your presents to yourself . And why not? Sometimes those little things are what cheer us up, and at least you’ll get plenty of use out of them. Well done not getting the gateaux 👏🤗.
Sheep Detectives is lovely. There are a couple of emotional bits, but it’s not sad in a horrible way, just one of those films that gets you because it’s so beautifully done. Glad you got your coasters to finish your set too . I love things all matching 🤗.
Hope the civil service situation gets sorted soon. The waiting and not knowing must be really frustrating 🙄. And goats cheese from M&S sounds like a much deserved treat , enjoy it sweetheart 😁 @RumBananaSundae

£15 in Tesco and coop today but that’s it

I found sheep detectives sad but a good film, like dirty says it's very well done. Plus it has Hugh Jackman in it....
Love a full set of bees. I adore anything with bees on it.

£10.65 on a swim session for Thursday. £7 on an ice cream for DD and coffee for me in a place I've eyed up for a while and never dared to go in. Glad I did.
£9 in boots on hair mask for me and a Moana lip balm for DD.
Went to the library and park and found a place to park for free. Exciting times.
£12 on pink and white voiles from Vinted as I live opposite school gates and every morning get parents looking in as I hate net curtains. They need adjusting but I'm happy to do this with my sewing machine. Will get some nice curtains to go over the top of them too when I find ones I like. I currently have awful ones left by previous owners.

I think DD will notice the lack of father Christmas @RumBananaSundaeso I'll have to make sure the new event is amazing to make up for it.

Hi can I join please?

As you can tell by my username we are moving house soon so definitely a budget summer is needed!

Family of 6 here so things are naturally more expensive of course but luckily we have national trust passes which we use alot. We used to have a gym membership but have not renewed it as it is alot of money and we weren't using it enough but it felt like that was a "free" activity as we weren't paying for it on the day iyswim? We paid normal entrance a few days ago and it was £35 which is awfully steep, I'm thinking maybe rhe membership was better value than we realised! I checked 2 other local pools and they were the same price.

Spent far too much today so I’ve not counted.

Well done on finding the free parking @Frugal25. Might your daughter like the ballet? Or something like that? I still like The Nutcracker in December.

My bee bits arrived today and I am pleased. The candle is nice too. Am enjoying the cooler weather did a double take today going out in a jacket.

£220 for house sale related payment today and £100 for DP breakdown cover. So expensive day but no unnecessary payments

Good morning everyone 🌞
I had a NSD yesterday and hopefully again today 🤞.
Sounds like a lovely day for youb@Frugal25 😊 Glad you tried the café, and the voiles sound a great buy. Hopefully they'll stop the daily audience at the window! 😂

Welcome @Movinghousemum 😊 Moving is so expensive but really exciting l bet you can't wait. £35 for a swim is a lot for just one session and the NT is just amazing value 😁👏

Your bee bits sound gorgeous @RumBananaSundae, and I agree, it's been so nice needing a jacket again after all the heat. 🐝😊. I have loved the Nutcracker ever since we did a child version of it in Primary school for a Christmas concert 😁. You sound a little more upbeat today l am so glad sweetheart 🤗

Things are going well on the moving front from the sound of it @Cuwins.
Very exciting time for you and your family 🤗👏.

My daughter demanded we go for coffee before school this morning. . Who am I to break a child's heart 😆 #welltrained.

Enjoy your coffee with your delightful well trained Daughter @Ovoemconserva 😁☕🍰
Just sorted out the service and the MOT on the car . Another £250 😱.
That was using a voucher too 🙄.
So much for my NSD 🙄. Nevermind saved on the hairdresser Dd2 will give my mop a good cut for me today bless her ✂️. She's very good at it and saves us all a fortune 😁.

Sympathies for the car maintenance.
Oddly I remember your insurance renewal being at the same time as mine too I have my car in next Friday for it's service luckily only minor this year but still £379 🤢