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 🤗

Oohhh You're getting me in the baking mood @Twogingercats. Must do some this weekend with DD.
You're such a lovely person baking for others too.

How are the hedgies @DirtyGertiefromno30?

Ah those blinking store cards. That's the slippery slope isn't it @Ovoemconserva

Right. I've paid it off!!!!!! And I've hidden the credit card!!!! I've even put money in pots so I know I have money there ready for when I go food shopping or dentist, which I've never done before. I've always just hoped the money was there (never was) I'm on a roll ladies!!

How is everyone today? I'm glad it's Friday. DD started school full days today (half days til now). So I'm glad I'm WFH to be near her. And the sun is out. The birds are singing. It's a good day today.

Woohoo!! 🎉🙌 You’ve only gone and bloody done it @Frugal25!! Credit card paid off AND money put into pots ready for food shopping and the dentist well done sweetheart 😁👏. That’s a massive change from just hoping the money would be there 😂👏 You absolutely are on a roll!
The hedgies are doing well thank you, greedy buggers but l am so glad they can last the winter now they have made their weight 😂🦔❤️
On the way to see Mum have a lovely day everyone 😊 🙏🤞

Awww frugal I absolutely love that for you!!
Please treat yourself to the fancy bottle of wine tonight or your equivalent. You need to mark this x

Wine is Def happening @Ovoemconserva! Thank you ladies 😊

Just been to the car garage as I needed a new plastic cover for the wing mirror. Bless the man for trying to help and just order a plastic bit, Unfortunately it needs a whole new mirror. £378 later I walked out. Determined not to put this on credit card so I've raided my emergency fund. Which I guess is the whole point of having one. I'll pay it back next month.
A bit annoyed at the price. But thankful to have the savings.

Hope your lovely mum is having a great day @DirtyGertiefromno30.

Afternoon everyone 🤗
NSD for me l hope 😁🤞🙏
Oh bloody hell @Frugal25£378 😱. That’s a lot for a wing mirror! Bless him for trying to just get the plastic bit, but just typical when you get yourself all sorted out 😭.
At least you had the emergency fund and didn’t have to put it on the card that's the main thing . That’s exactly what it’s there for sweetheart .You’ll soon build it back up next month ❤️
AHH thank you for asking my Mum’s having a good day thankfully, so l am very relieved 😁

Afternoon everyone 😊.
Beautiful day here , washing out ,been up to the food festival, library and pharmacy to pick up my prescription, picked up bread and milk Aldi £3 , needless to say the prescription wasn't there 🙄.
Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend 😊👏

Urgh they are useless at times @DirtyGertiefromno30. Always makes me giggle they make you wait for 10 minutes when picking up a prescription when it's already waiting and ready for you. What was the food festival like?

New swimming lessons here for DD. Went very well. She is happy and I am proud.
Wedding venue searching. Beautiful venue today but I didn't like the staff as much as the first venue. One more to see and then I'll decide.
OH paid for a full tank of petrol (even though I told him I had the money ready in a pot) as he was expecting to have to pay for wing mirror which I covered with my emergency fund. I think both of us are going to have to get used to me not being in debt and actually being able to pay for things!!
So I've said I'll treat us to a takeaway tonight using some of the petrol money I had. There's a deal on with pizza Express at the mo so I'm hoping to swing him round to wanting pizza.

Pushed the boat out and spent £6.50 in Marks and Spencer to have bread and cheese for dinner. Have left overs for tomorrow and another day. The bread came from a TGTG yesterday.

Has Mingo arrived @Frugal25? Well done on the credit card. Hope you enjoyed your well deserved wine. And poo for the wing mirror. How is the wedding planning coming along?

I was thinking of you yesterday @Twogingercats as I got two cheese scones in my Marks and Spencer TGTG. They are in the freezer. I have apples in the fridge and you have made me think of stewing them. I’m sure I have custard somewhere.

How was the food festival @DirtyGertiefromno30? And Nana P?

Had a rough few days. Work stinks. Job application suck. Haven’t spent too much but have spent more than was necessary. And got a gas/electricity bill. I knew my prices were going up but I wasn’t impressed. Might take a stroll to sainsbury later just because.

If anyone is tempted by the new Marks and Spencer TGTG try it. There was quite a bit in mine. Including a cheese twist. And no duplications. Unfortunate in this case.

Hope everyone enjoys their evening.

£15 in Tesco's
£1.19 in savers.
Did a return as didn't fit but that'll be re spent later

Well done @Frugal25 !! Lovely to know this group helps people but it was also your hard work! And great you had the emergency fund too.

Spending was not bad over Thursday and Friday...apart from Costco yesterday. Saw some rib eye steaks I thought were a bargain. £54. I was reading per kg not the actual price! Anyway DS and I cooked them with cauliflower in a blue cheese sauce. I've a couple for the freezer to make steak sandwiches or wraps later in the week. £125 all together - got the chicken tacos from the fresh ready meals section. Made 12 tacos in place of a takeaway last night for £11 so I guess that was sort of frugal 😂

Home Bargains - shop and garden centre £61 but some of that can come from a Monzo pot for the garden.

@DirtyGertiefromno30
Our Gwen your on strictly!

I know @Frugal25the pharmacies are useless sometimes 🙄.
Well done to DD with her swimming bless her , you must be so proud of her ❤️ . And ooh wedding venues, so exciting 👏😁! I think I’d go with the one where I liked the staff too, especially as you’ll be dealing with them quite a bit and you need to feel able to communicate easily with them .
That must feel bloody brilliant you and DP getting used to you being in the money though😁👏. I’d be going for the Pizza Express deal too! 🍕😂

Bread and cheese from M&S sounds 😋 and having leftovers for another couple of days is a bonus @RumBananaSundae👏.
Ah thank you for asking , the food festival was really lovely the weather was perfect there 😊. Nana P is thankfully okay too, which is such a relief 🤗.
Sorry you’ve had such a crap few days sweetheart. Work sounds absolutely rubbish and job applications are such a boring tedious bloody chore. Hopefully a wander round Sainsbury’s might have cheered you up a bit 🙏🤞🤗.
And those cheese scones sound bloody lovely 😋! Stewed apples and custard sounds even better 😁. Hope you have a lovely evening Strictly is on !

£54 for the rib eye steaks, I’d have done exactly the same, seeing the price per kg and thinking bargain! 😂 They sound bloody lovely with the cauliflower and blue cheese sauce though @Lockin26 😋🤤
And 12 chicken tacos for £11 instead of a takeaway is really excellent going well done. Sounds like you did very well indeed 🤗. Must fit in a Costco visit this week we need a lot of stuff 🤗

I am looking good en l @Ovoemconserva l scrubbed up well 🤣

Enjoy the Costco visit it it's this week @DirtyGertiefromno30

Shall look at the new M&S TGTG @RumBananaSundae there's a one close to work so could be well timed tomorrow 🤔

£14 Starbucks with friend
£29.10 cafe with DH

Hope everyone is okay and has a good week ahead, despite rotten employers 🙏

Hello everyone 🤗

What a beautiful day it's been. The sun is gorgeous here.

£120!?!?!?? In lidl. It was a big shop but blinking heck.
I refused to spend anything else so we have had a garden day today and not left the house. Just weeding and moving pots about whilst DD plays. Bliss.
£45 on a takeaway last night. Pizza Express didn't have the pizza OH wanted so we went to a local one who does anything you want. Luckily I still had the money to cover it despite no deal.

Wedding news @RumBananaSundaeis we have narrowed the venue choice down, got a song for the walk down the aisle and a first dance song too. We have a guest list too. We are flying now!!!
Sorry you have had a few awful days, I hope this week is better. I heard m&s has started tgtg and wondered if they were good. I shall buy one now! thank you!
Mingo hasn't arrived yet. App he was signed for on Friday.... He wasnt by me. I ran about all the neighbors but they haven't got him either. Royal Mail assure me all is well .... I give them until tuseday before kicking up a stink. Thank you for remembering hun xxxx

Ooohhh bread and cheese. And apple and custard. And tacos. Oh God I'm hungry.

Absolutely have to go to home bargains soon @Lockin26anything good in there? Love that shop and need some bits anyway.

So glad the food festival was fun and your lovely mum is ok @DirtyGertiefromno30 I shall catch up on strictly and watch you

Right Payday Thursday a very expensive month all in all but I have managed to get through it without having to dip into the reserves which I'm pleased with.
I have done all my month end tasks. And my payday is unofficially going to be tomorrow as I like my weeks to start on Mondays.

Thank you @Lockin26😊. Costco is this week probably Friday , so I’m looking forward to that 😁. Hope you get a good M&S TGTG tomorrow, that one near work sounds perfect 👏.
Yes, sod the rotten PIGUANA employers! 🙏😂

@Frugal25 we did the same. I love those types of weekends. DD was pottering we were sorting the garage. My favourite thing is when we get really cold outside this time of year so come in for a cuppa and all get in bed and we watch TV.

Today has been just under £4 in Aldi. Asda yellow stickers have been disappointing this week.

Just missed you yesterday @Frugal25. Glad Little Frugal enjoyed swimming. You sound like you’re making good progress with the wedding. Have you thought about what you’ll wear? I have my fingers crossed for Mingo’s safe arrival.

I’m not a Strictly watcher @DirtyGertiefromno30 but maybe I’ll give it a try. I did catch up on Sewing Bee yesterday. I liked Beth’s dress best. Hope you’ve had a good day.

How did you find it @Rainbow1961? Sorry I missed your post initially. On one hand I’m looking forward to not having to deal with work anymore but on the other not having an income is terrifying. Don’t seem to be making any progress with finding a new job. I hope you don’t mind me asking.

Had a distraction day today. Think I might bite the bullet and take a holiday so have been looking at options. I’ve not taken a holiday since my accident and maybe it might help my head settle. Might need a poke from someone here as am currently looking at the Orient Express. And that would be foolish.

Good afternoon all😺
spending yesterday around £20 in Sainsbury's on milk, a paper, and buts for Mum.
Dh and I had a jaunt yesterday, we live close to Beamish open air museum and renewed our membershipChurch today due next week, £70. we took a picnic but I took only one flask so had to pay £5 for two extra cups of tea. two flasks nexy time. £18 on pottery presents for friends I’m seeing next month, they have a Georgian farm with a pottery there. Sweets for Mum from traditional sweetshop there too. It was a lovely day, warm and sunny if rather blowy.
Church today, and lunch out afterwards, £27, for three of us, but Mum gave me £10. there is a lovely vintage style cafe with an antique shop upstairs. we had a mooch around but no purchases there today.😺
Roast beef for dinner.
The M&S TGTG sounds lovely @RumBananaSundae . Its aleays good to have scones in the freezer and the apple and custard is such a lovely, old fashioned treat.
Wedding plans sound great @Frugal25 . so exciting! don’t get yourself too tired though. My three year anniversary is this week and I feel I’m only just getting over it now!
Glad your Mama continues well, @DirtyGertiefromno30 .Mine deckined a trip out yesterday in favour of a private prowl around town. we have a reliable local taxi firm and they all seem to know her, so she was ok. What are you looking for at Costco?

£120 in Lidl hells bells @Frugal25it's getting beyond a joke the price on food. At least you’ve had a lovely day in the garden, l though . Shame about Pizza Express and the offer but you can use it again l bet 😁🤞.
You really are flying with the wedding plans now . The Venue, songs ,first dance 😍 and guest list sorted. It’ll be here before you know it!😁
Hope Mingo turns up soon, I’d be going mad too if it says signed for and you haven’t got him .
Glad you’ve had a lovely day and Mum is doing ok thank goodness ❤️

Oh that sounds lovely @Ovoemconserva🥰 .I love that you have days like that when it’s freezing outside and you all come in, get a cuppa and pile into bed with the telly on. Absolute bliss ❤️

Happy 3rd anniversary @Twogingercats!!! I bet it's gone very fast too. Your weekend sounds wonderful 😊 always need more tea I find, always safer to take lots!! The antique shop and vintage cafe sounds right up my street. I need this near me.

Def can use the voucher another time @DirtyGertiefromno30
Probably when it's just me and DD and we want a basic pizza which is what she likes.

We did just miss each other @RumBananaSundae
!! Hello 👋 🤗
Well, funny story. I already have my dress. I've had it in the wardrobe waiting for mr to ask.
Before I was with OH I was engaged to someone else. I had thought for years something wasn't right but said yes anyway, I was young and stupid. By the time I got to buying a dress I knew it was the wrong thing to do and whatever dress I bought wouldn't be worn for the poor chap and would be for whoever came into my life next. I ended the relationship and found OH. And then I've waited 14 years for him to ask!! By which time I've gained 2 stone and the dress really really doesn't fit. So I'm now trying to lose 2 stone. Some days I do well. Others I eat chocolate. I guess as time marches on I'll get desperate and really shed the weight.
I don't watch strictly either, more of a sewing bee girl too. Don't tell me who won. I am still only half way through!!

Are there cheaper versions of orient Express? Or something similar?