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 🤗

Ooh two days of rain, you lucky thing @Frugal25😂 .We could do with some of that here put these blooming fires out ! Sounds like you've had a busy day though. National Trust, ice cream and lunch sounds pretty good to me 😋 😁.
Aw it must have been a sad saying goodbye to your neighbours, but that was lovely of you giving them gifts. Hopefully the new lady is nice and you get on well, l am sure she will see how lovely you are 🤗. Fingers crossed 🤞
And sod yoga tonight 😂 .You're on holiday, enjoy it! And every £1 on Vinted counts, especially when it's out of the way 😁.

It was very beige but I was feeling a bit off so my DD maximised the benefit 😆

I'm so sorry for your bereavement.

Death does some odd things for families and shows some true colours in between the death tourists and everything else it's truly exhausting.

Thank you for the welcome😺

£80.68 at Sainsburies. I saved £10.70 by buying yellow stickered chicken, gammon steaks, lamb grills and spring onions. They were just putting everything out but it was quiet so I got lucky. Have frozen all except the onions.

£1 on a card for a friend’s Mum who is poorly. I was in a Banardos charity shop and they do lovely blank cards for £1 each. This one has a Morris pattern. I have already stamps. I once read on a rather eccentric blog that it is rude to put a second class stamp on a card but this is not a wisdom that I have accepted.😺

My freezer is locked down now until we have used all up. Or most of it.

Well done to your DD @Ovoemconserva 😁 hope you are feeling better now sweetheart 🤗.
Well done on those yellow stickers @Twogingercats👏🤗. Love Morris patterned anything ❤️. First class mail is so expensive now , no one could care about it being first or second class they are just happy to receive a card imho 🤗😁.

Morning all,

Welcome @Twogingercats! Love that you grab yellow stickers too. It's one of the things that makes me excited and happy when shopping. I have also heard that it's rude for 2nd class. I also ignore unless I'm late sending something!

I am thinking of you today @RumBananaSundae

Off out today, no idea where. Hoping that it's free as it's last day before pay day for me. Bring on tomorrow with the pay!! (Last one being part time too, my next pay packet will hopefully be a bit fuller)

I had heard it's rude to use a second class stamp but I think a lot of these debrett style things have gone now imo.
Cost of living means we can't afford etiquette 😆

NSD today. OH paid for the parking and lunch out and commented how expensive it was. I agreed and said "yes this summer has left me using my credit card, it's all expensive".
My DM isn't going to Lidl tomorrow (we go together) so I've decided to go to Sainsbury's and get a week's worth of food and freeze it so that when we are back from holiday the food is there ready and I don't have to get a takeaway or dash to the shops.
Must make some bread actually for the morning.... Will go and do now.
Swimming tomorrow after Sainsbury's. That's already paid for. Then I'm off to Dunelm to get a matching suitcase for DD so she is the same as me. Needed? No. Wanted? Yes.
Then I'll grab petrol ready for the drive to Somerset.
Getting excited now.
OH has added an extra night to our holiday and I'm delighted! May have already told you this. Apologies. Been awake since yesterday morning and I'm dead on my feet. The rain kicked off power cuts here which set off house alarms and security lights flashing. Zero sleep through that lot.

Ahhh that sounds lovely frugal love the idea of pre shopping too.
Don't think the dads at work understand the little expenses and how they creep up whilst your offer a £ or 2 for parking etc soon adds up.

£2.19 in Aldi. Unfortunately I’ve discovered that I like their 85p multipack of crisps.

Welcome @Twogingercats I am rather fond of yellow stickers too. I echo you on the stamp prices. I’m with dirty no one cares if it’s first or second class they will love the card.

I had my best poker face on @DirtyGertiefromno30. Not sure it helped that much.

Blimey on the alarms and power cut @Frugal25. Good thinking on the shopping in advance. Happy holidays. I hope you have a fun time and hey matching suitcases? Why not. Life is sucky so do some small things that make you happy. X

A bit of rain here this morning. Ground is still brown and hard. There are meant to be showers tomorrow. Meeting itself was OK today. The fall out is causing me stress. Well the fall out that I know is coming but work don’t yet. I feel like it won’t end well but I don’t know what else I can do except walk.

£37 in Sainsburys - picked up some bits in the sales for the GCs for next summer taking into account growth! Picked up a top for myself. Milkshake mix and two birthday cards!!

Hi all, I'm just joining this thread very late. I was on the spring one.

I had a bit of a sort out with my banking. Decided to put my instant acsess savings in a 15 months bond that nationwide for 5%. I didn't have loads to put in it. I simultaneously applied and got an m&s credit card which is 25 months no interest and used that instead of savings to buy a new £489 washing machine. I've just run out of money in my current account this month, due to a car service and MOT. So am using the new credit card. I have most of my savings locked in an older 5% bond that I'll get in December. Then, I can pay off the credit card decide how much to keep for during maternity leave and put some in wealthify. The bond I've just got out will mature when I finished mat leave.

I'm kicking myself that I didn't fix my energy tariff before the price gap increase dispute getting a letter from the energy company, nor send them an bill. On my to do list is to look at switching. I can't decide if a fixed or flexible rate is best now...I'm thinking flexible?

Today's spending: £14 for 3 of us at the cinema to watch minions and more £17 3 year olds sandels... allthough after buying them full price walked past shops with them 50% off, oops. I got a refund for £24 trainers for him after finding a pair from my eldest his size at home. My eldest also needed new school shoes, I bought the same pair she has bgreater for £41 and sol her pair she outgrow in a term on vinted for £20. Also £15 in superdrug on vitamins and toiletries and £3.75 on a multi pack of Gregg's sausage rolls.

@Frugal25 have a lovely holiday
Thanks @Ovoemconserva, dealing with bereavement is exhausting. Hope you feel better now..
Great for planning ahead on those clothes @Rainbow1901
@Alwaysgrowing hello I remember you from Spring
@Twogingercats that's some really good savings, love a yellow sticker!
@DirtyGertiefromno30 I love Costco but live far too close to one! Love the samples and the cafe too. All okay with the family now, hoping to have lunch with them tomorrow.
@RumBananaSundae crisps are my downfall - you have me thinking of them now 😊 keep hanging in there at work, sorry though as this sounds so hard.

£22 birthday present (for me!)
£31 birthday present for Dsis
£50 Primark
£41 DDs return to school haul (she organises it all - I just pay!)
Also £34.50 to reserve some of the window seats with the airline. Just for the DS, DD and DDs friend, not me and DH - we will see what's available at the 24 hour free check in mark. Otherwise it would be another £23!
Going to have to buy a yearly travel insurance policy £91 as that's expired.

Monzo pots all drained apart from a mattress fund I am hanging onto. Such an expensive year so far. Need to build those back up in the Autumn. Both DH and I have backdated payrises to come thank God!
May not record spends for the next four days, due to various events and Dublin trip but will keep a notepad so I don't feel out of control or get carried away!

Monzo honestly blows my mind. I just can't get my head around I'm stood at the till in Asda how does it know which pot I want the money from? Anybody want to explain Monzo as if you are speaking to a toddler? I like the idea of pots and I kind of have this already but Monzo does seem to be the recommended.

Went to Lidl instead this morning and took OH. Introduced him to the 2 people we talk to each week. He then paid although he had already given me the money for it so bless him he paid twice. I'll put the first lot of money in the holiday pot to spend on us whilst away.
Came home and spent about £24ish on vinted. A dress for DD. A gift for the two people we see in Lidl as the next time we go will be the last time (DD starts school and I go back to work) and I shall really miss them. Only little keyrings with cute sayings. Also got a little gift for OH, we had a bit of a rough couple of days at the start of this week and although we are, and will be, fine, I still wanted to give him something to make him smile.

I remember you @Alwaysgrowing :) hello again.
So glad it wasn't too bad @RumBananaSundae maybe it's a good thing you know what is coming, can brace for it?
What was the gift for you @Lockin26? Something beautiful I hope.

Ouch! Big spend on flights for next year! It's gone on the bendy friend for now - need to try and pay that off before we go!! Next year in general will be expensive - as two holiday trips booked, plus weekend for away Hen Do (already paying for that monthly - but will need to book train tickets), contribution to DS Wedding (already saved 75% of that), new outfits for DH and I for the said wedding.
A decent postcode lottery win would be useful right now!!

Nsd yesterday except £10 to Amazon for four small sharps boxes. GP has given me a huge one but it will not fit in my room.
A dozen eggs, carrots, potatoes and milk today but Dh paid for those😺

Monster clear out of books, six bags waiting to go charity shops. Rather than bombarding one shop, we will take one or two bags each time we go out.

Mr Gingercats has been declaring he must go to a certain cafe inn Barnard Castle to get one of their giant Yorkshire puddings with Cumberland sausages in. happy to gratify him at little expense, I purchased some frozen giant ones last week and today have taken chicken and sausages out of the freezer. Quite hungry now actually.😺

oh, and he bought yet more cat food. Ours will not eat one flavour in the box, so the cats in the local shelter do well from us.😻

Hi everyone 🤗, I have been so busy yesterday and today l have not had time to pee 🤣. I had to go for a ECG at 20 to 9 because l had a bit of Tachycardia , anyway to cut a long story short I made an appointment for three weeks today to see my doctor to discuss whatever they found out in the ECG, nobody told me if there was anything wrong or right with it they just do it and my Dr will look at it and tell me.Then up to see Mum who was fine thankfully. She's hit her hand and it's got a dressing on it. It was nasty yesterday bless her but the nurses have dressed it and she seemed in less discomfort with it .
Then popped to see my Mum's friend the one with breast cancer and took her some flowers , she was fine there thankfully. Popped to see to my Mum's house and pick up the post . Also this afternoon we had to have a firm in to cut the hedge at the back . It's cost an awful lot of money £540 about it's so expensive but it's for our privacy otherwise we will be overlooked . We have to have it done every 3 years to keep it down its done now anyway but what a lot of money 🙄
Sorry l haven't answered as anyones posts hope everything is ok with everyone ❤️

£2.93 in Asda and Sainsbury. Asda shopping for the freezer. Sainsbury has been scoffed.

Sorry @Lockin26. And my Aldi multipack from yesterday has been eaten. Happy Dublining.

It’s a strange one @Frugal25. I know what’s coming and have accepted it. It’s the uncertainty of not knowing if I’ll ever find another job. Think I’m a bit tired I’d just started feeling like I’m getting back on my feet and I’m knocked over again. Is it tomorrow you are away?

Have my fingers crossed for you @DirtyGertiefromno30. Hope all is ok. Sorry to hear about your mum too.

Keep thinking today is Friday.

@Ovoemconserva Monzo is part of Santander. It's a snazzy app where you have one main account (to pay with) and lots of pots. I keep the main account empty and top up with the pots as I spend. I can also link in DDs account as she is under 16. I think the main difference between say Barclays and Monzo is that the 'pots' are not different accounts so I can create one in a minute. Whereas with Barclays you need to open an account. I like the visuals and the interface of the app.

@Lockin26 I bought a spoon stand for when I am cooking. It's in the shape of a chilli sauce bottle.

@DirtyGertiefromno30 oh I hope you feel much better soon and the results are all clear. Best to get these things checked out and as you always say to us don't worry about individual replies. Then you had a busy day looking after your DM, your DMs friend and the hedge! You take care now.

Hi to everyone else, sorry I haven't replied to all. I knew I said I wouldn't keep accounting over the weekend but I only spent £20.06 in Lidl today. Mainly dried breakfast items to take on the plane to Dublin to save a bit on basics over there.

@Lockin26 we lived on Lidl bakery for breakfast in Dublin x

AHH thank you @RumBananaSundae & @Lockin26 tbh with you could not sleep last night from worrying about it. Hugs galore to you @RumBananaSundae l know it's daunting but try to keep thinking positively. l know it's easier said than done bless you sweetheart 🤗.
@Lockin26 you have a wonderful time in Dublin and enjoy yourselves you deserve it after all the crap you have had to put up with sweetheart 🤗

Hi @DirtyGertiefromno30 , my background is nursing. I am sure a doctor will already have looked at your ecg and if there is anything urgent, will be in touch.
Hope you feel better soon.

AHH thank you so much @Twogingercatsso kind of you ❤️

Afternoon everyone 😊
Raining and l am loving it putting those fires out 😁.
Shopping today £62 Tesco
Farmfoods £24
Home Bargains £33
Loads of Christmas stuff out in our B&M not so much in Home Bargains yet but loads of Autumn and Halloween in both . Large Yankee Candles
£8.99 in Farmfoods and Tesco have tubs of Celebtions on clubcard for £3.95 already 😁 l did buy a tub but only for my Mum to eat ow 🤣
Hope everyone is ok 🤗

Spendy more than expected today. £14 on lunch and £9 on some biscuits/crackers.

I’m sorry @DirtyGertiefromno30. Hope you might be feeling a little less worried today. I imagine your mum’s celebrations might be finished before the holidays.

Threw the towel in and went to meet my friend in town. We went to an exhibition so I spent some money there. Ment to be at the theatre tomorrow with flakey.