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Austere April - Frugaleers continue to the next quarter!

400 replies

Leilandri · 28/03/2013 20:44

Come and join us for another frugal/thrifty/down-right stingy month! Wink

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takeaway2 · 28/03/2013 20:58

I'm in!! Have had a few NSDs each week which is great and have eaten through some of the older freezer stuff. Will have to run it down further and hopefully with work being less hectic ill have more time to cook and think...! Travelling up north to visit family so that'll save a weeks shop but no doubt will spend on eating out. Hopefully will sponge off grandparents!!! Grin

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Piemother · 28/03/2013 21:09

Me me! I am doing shite at economising. I thought I had my grocery shopping under budget and in a once a week shopping routine. I am delusional.
However....my budget luxury find was a posh lunch from lidl of a Camembert I baked in the oven and served with part baked rolls and caremelised onion chutney. I think it was under 5 quid and served 3. We do family lunches out really often at about 10 quid a head so that wax a huge cost cut for me Grin I am off up to that lidis to find something exciting for Easter Sunday Grin

I have service and mot plus council tax and insurance restarting on April I need to be v controlled.

I need need need to shift dd1's old buggy it's doing my head in blocking the back hall. Best selling route? Not eBay too spendy

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Leilandri · 28/03/2013 21:24

Welcome piemother Have you tried your local FB selling page, or Gumtree? I do quite well selling my DS's bits on FB.
Have just listed over 130 items of the boys clothing, mostly outgrown items, some that just don't suit them. Mostly for 50p-£1 per item, but every little helps! Going to go through their toys and books this weekend, they have FAR too much stuff!

April is going to have to be VERY austere in this house. DH got paid today, and his work have underpaid him by approx £160 Angry The business is struggling, so apparently they have held back everyone's commission until some money comes into the business Hmm Hopefully we'll get that money in a week or so, but until then I have £15 left to last for groceries until the 19th when I get paid. Thank God I do a monthly food shop!

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Ohhelpohnoitsa · 28/03/2013 21:28

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Fluffycloudland77 · 29/03/2013 07:16

There's a selling section on mumsnet too, none of us use it though.

Making more laundry gloop later, got 41 washes out of the last lot. This batch will cost 18p.

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Rosvita · 29/03/2013 07:41

Hello all,coming over from March thread.well I think I've been doing ok.have spent a lot on food but have approx 15 meals in the house so should only need topping up with bits and bobs for the next couple of weeks.my months run from the 21st-20th as I spend on my credit card then clear it with salary at end of each month iyswim.payday yesterday so have cleared the credit cards for last month and managed to pay £100 off our holiday and left enough £ in my account to have a bit of cash for my night out next week and if a little cash is needed over the school hols.makes me wonder where all my spare £ was going before???!esp as for this month I've put £220 for tax disc and £113 for holiday on my card and still looks like I'm on track to spend within my normal budget for the month.mind you most months there's something 'big' to pay for -eg birthday party,christmas presents,hotel for friends' wedding etc.next month is the mot and service.
Just got £250 left to pay for our hol (only £40 for me left to pay-rest is husband's half!) £550 balance for something due to come out in July but trying to pay bits off here and there as my son's birthday is also July.hoping I'll be in the position where I can start saving soon but can't see that happening just yet.

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Rosvita · 29/03/2013 07:42

Here's to an austere april and keep up the good work everybody!

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ArabellaBeaumaris · 29/03/2013 07:49

Hello, I need to join this. We need to save hard for building works & a move.

What's the laundry gloop, fluffycloudland?

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Munchkin08 · 29/03/2013 07:49

Hi, have saved some money this month on food, but have unfortunately have spent most of it on new trainers for dd1/ds2 and shoes for dd3, also bought dd3 some stuff in m&s and boots sale, have eaten out at Nandos - so all in have enjoyed my month with money I usually spend in Tesco,s :) x

However some hard drafting for April - want to be overdraft free for May, so I can just live in my means for the summer with no debts and hopefully save some for days out and maybe a short holiday x

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Piemother · 29/03/2013 09:35

Had a look at gumtree. I will post the pram when I've tidied it up. I looked at the other listings - people down here are a bit optimistic about how much they will get in cash. A friend sold her buzz for 180 - people are asking 250/300 on there! I wish!
Now the weather is on the mend I might try car booting as there is one at argyle ground up the road. I need a huge clear out of crap!

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Toasttoppers · 29/03/2013 09:49

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Fluffycloudland77 · 29/03/2013 14:39

littlecottagecomforts.blogspot.co.uk/2012/02/some-handy-hints-little-bit-of-thrift.html Laundry gloop.

I use it on everything apart from naice clothes. They get Alur from homebargains.

I only use aldi bio on the sheets when the cats put mud everywhere, the mud he brings in has a nuclear half life of about 500 years.

I don't add Borax.

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Thingymajigs · 29/03/2013 14:46

Hi again everyone. I've done pretty well since February. My overdraft has been paid off and cancelled, I've cancelled unnecessary direct debits and have become quite good at pencilling in a fortnightly meal plan. Cooking from scratch is becoming easier too but still time consuming at this stage. I'm hoping to very frugal this month so I can pay off my mobile contract (£343) that would otherwise have nearly 11 months left to run. I hope I never get stuck on such a long, expensive contract again.
Rosvita, we are the same. I've paid off my £300 for the holiday and I'm just waiting on DP to pay his half. No doubt he'll leave it to the last minute. he's awful with money. Normally we wouldn't be able to afford a holiday at all so the kids are very excited.
Oh, this month I'm aiming to stick to £180 food budget and £20 on household items. It'll be tricky but I think I can do it.

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Piemother · 29/03/2013 18:30

Re laundry gloop. I definitely have the soda crystals but I have piles of lux soap. Does it matter if I use that? I have loads of lavender oil from my hospital bag unused so it would be free if I made it Grin

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Ohhelpohnoitsa · 29/03/2013 19:46

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Piemother · 29/03/2013 20:33

I think I will do a test run with some muslins Grin
What's good for Easter in aldi/lidl?

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Leilandri · 29/03/2013 20:49

Spent £5.40 today on some potatoes, donuts and 2 bottles of Hi-juice squash. Sponsored a duck for £1 for Cancer Research too. Duck race tomorrow in local park, so shall try to take boys along, our duck could win us £100!! Grin

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MildDrPepperAddiction · 29/03/2013 21:06

Count me in. Need help!

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northender · 29/03/2013 23:09

Marking spot. Over from Jan, Feb and March threads. Need a very austere April.

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IsThatTrue · 30/03/2013 04:06

Marking place, I haven't paid out the bills yet but totting it up it looks like I shall have a fair chunk to shove in the ISA. DH said tyres will wait until at least the middle of next month (he's keeping a close eye) so ill have time to save for those. Next month may be slightly less austere than I hoped as I bought ds2s cot mattress on the credit card (gets cleared every month) and will get the tyres at some point.

But all in all I'm very pleased with my miserly march. I don't feel we've been deprived but we have saved a lot!

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Fluffycloudland77 · 30/03/2013 07:38

I think for laundry gloop it has to be normal soap, not a glycerine one.

I used tescos value soap this time. With soda crystals from homebargains it cost me 28p and I should get 40 washes out of that.

I'm going to go through my old stuff and eBay the lot, I've got loads of karen millen shoes and handbags I can sell and a few bits of boden and the white company. I bet it's not free listing this weekend.

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williaminajetfighter · 30/03/2013 09:02

Marking my place. Am having 7k worth of double glazing fitted this month so have got to be frugal. Its gonna be a long month...

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Ohhelpohnoitsa · 30/03/2013 11:38

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northender · 30/03/2013 12:11

Having had such a bad March, we really need to do well this month.
I've just posted some things off which should result in money back. There were some football tickets, the match was postponed and we can't go to the rearranged match. Also a form for my optician to sign so I can claim £60 back for my eye test and partial cost of the glasses. Finally, I posted my car insurance certificate back as I've found a much cheaper deal, saving over £100.
We've also claimed a tax refund that we didn't know we were entitled to so that's good news. Apparently, there will be a cheque for the back claim and dh's tax code has been increased Smile
I did a major (£150) aldi shop last week but now should be ok for most of April apart from fresh stuff (meat, fruit, veg, dairy)
Going out with friends tonight, think I won't drink to keep costs down, then tomorrow going to my parents' for dinner but am making a gooey chocolate Nigella pud to take so tomorrow should be a NSD.
Am very Angry with Royal Mail as I ordered a dvd boxed set 2 weeks ago on amazon for dd (she doesn't really like Easter eggs). It hasn't arrived and Amazon won't do anything until Wednesday Sad. Same thing happened with a snapfish order at Christmas. Eventually we ended up with two!

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Fluffycloudland77 · 30/03/2013 12:44

Borax isn't sold anymore. It was widely available but now it's borax substitute which I haven't seen anywhere.

I don't use vanish or stain removers. We only wear stuff once, washing up liquid neat on stains tends to sort out most things. I spray cheap bleach on stains on white clothes, sheets etc.

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