Scrimping our way through

Steerpike88

Very spendy last couple of days. I'll need to total everything up, but spent around £60 in Sooper-drug, mostly getting hair dye, baby things and electric toothbrush heads, also got some baby things off @mazon for about £50. Got a piggy bank from £land for 25p, plus a robot Xmas decoration for the same.
Then spent £17.71 in Ldl - so that's £2.29 into the VSP. (Although I've just run out of mustard and tomato puree so I'll need to go to the shop to get some tomorrow as the A$DA deliveryisn't due till the 9th)



Used Quido to buy the stuff through the @mazon, so got some cashback for that. A whole 51p claimed so far. Also downloaded receipt hog to upload my receipts into and get points for, plus I''m saving up my Sooper-drug points for next New Year sales, hopefully I get a good amount going.



So we had devilled sausages tonight and I'm sorting out the bathroom a bit, to bed soon though as it's getting late. I'm getting back twinges though, so I think my body is preparing me for this baby. I might not last until Friday, ot I just won't be able to sleep for a week.

Steerpike88

It's been a long time since I've updated. Good news is the baby is all good and nearly a year old! DH got a promotion with more money but we moved into a more expensive place. We're also expecting our third child in June... That's also when I'm getting the coil or my tubes tied or something. We paid most of the debt but the baby had some issues I had to pay for and new buggy and we need a different one now, and now we're saving for a house deposit as we'd like to move back to the Scotland, probably Edinburgh as that's where it looks most likely DH will find a job. I wanted to move to Glasgow but I don't want him commuting 3 hours a day either so we'll see.

Doing the reverse 1p challenge to build up an emergency fund!

Steerpike88

Had really nice day out at museum today, butterfly house and an aquarium too. Cost us £22, then £20 at the cafe as I wasn't very !rga this week and haven't gone shopping so I had nothing for lunch. The kids loved it though. DS1 was telling his dad about the "anemone" I'm impressed he knows what it was called.

Although he had a bit of a tanty later as he was hungry since he didn't wat the very expensive fish fingers we bought him but the baby polished it off so someone enjoyed it! Thinking of going to a kids farm next weekend since it's free.

3.62 + 0.25 squirreled away into my emergency savings. Will do shop and go to the park tomorrow, need to meal plan
Also have friends from NZ coming to see us on Thursday so need to make a good lunch for them.

Honeysucklelou2

Congratulations on your new addition. 18 months ish is a lovely age gap, busy when they are little but great as they get older.

Steerpike88

Honeysucklelou2
Congratulations on your new addition. 18 months ish is a lovely age gap, busy when they are little but great as they get older.

Thanks Honeysuckle! I'm nervous about the age gap and about having 3 actually. Probably because I'm feeling really rubbish this pregnancy and not doing much with them at all. It's just TV and throwing them toys, maybe going to soft play. I used to do little cool things with DS1 like crafts and growing seeds in a jar and now I can barely make him a sandwich. Nevermind, it's not forever.

Steerpike88

Went to Aldi this morning after dropping DS1 to nursery. Mangaed to get quite a few things but didn't have enough space in the buggie for nappies and wipes, plus I need to get some bits for our friends coming over on Thursday, spent 26.35. Was going to make chicken schnitzel for everyone and since she's veggie maybe a butternut risotto and cream of broccoli soup, so need to get a few things for that.



Went to my parents in the afternoon to see them and my brother, to be told quite the tale of my dad getting too drunk with my brother last night then spent two hours on the living room floor calling for help.:eek: He's very frail and my mum is deaf so that was quite worrying, but the drinking is what causes a lot of problems for him and he refuses to moderate himself. My brother tried to stop him drinking but he got a bit shirty about it. I think he was expecting sympathy from me about it today but I'm getting a bit fed up as my mum gets really stressed with it. poor, mum, but what can you do?


I'll get the extra bits tomorrow, the hopefully just need to plan for weekend meals. We had a lovely economical Jacket Potato and Beans tonight for me and DH and just a quick eggy bread for the kids as I was knackered from walking from nursery to my parents and back again, although I did get a lovely lie down on their sofa while I was there.

Steerpike88

Busy, Busy. Took DS1 to nursery then spent another 20.56 at @ldi getting stuff we needed. Managed to get the baby down for a nap before we rushed out to get DS1 again, they had lunch in the buggy and we spent two hours in soft play. £4 spent there! Home again for nap number two, I made up some bread rolls in the oven for DS1 and myself, (soooo nice with real butter) and I'm lying in bed with a cup of coffee now. Should be folding the washing but I'm still not quite back to my normal self. Don't want to sleep all the time, Which is great but still tired out easily. Just need to build up my stamina.

Managed to finish DS1s application for primary school (the years really do fly) for September, so we'll hear back in April. I only picked 4 schools as any others weren't very good or were more than a 30 minute walk away. I'm quite lazy and only really want a short 20 minute walk unless it's on the way to a play group or couple of things to do with DS2, especially since I'll have the baby with me. If it's another one like DS1 I'll need to be able to get home as quick as possible else they'll scream the whole time they're not held. Maybe a baby carrier? I never got to use mine very much as they both got hefty very quickly. They need to be in a Sling for the first few weeks which I never got the hang of, much to my shame.

Just rambling away now. Got friends coming tomorrow so need to prep something for them to eat, the midwife appointment is tomorrow as well, and I need to prep something for DS2s birthday party 🎉 on Sunday. I'm leaning towards making a cake 🎂 to save some money but I have no idea what kind of cake to make.

It's also my birthday on the 25th, I think we're going for a meal with a few friends but we're not paid until the 31st, so might have to scrape some money out of the holiday fund. I have got a savings pot which money gets rounded into which is good for the occasional non emergency like this. It's been a long month.

Steerpike88

another spendy day. DH took the day off to look after the kids so I could go to my midwife appointment as it clashed with picking DS1 up from nursery and was also at the opposite end of town. He also wanted to see the nursery so that was nice for him.

He took them to soft play DS1 has a membership and DS2 goes free every 5th time he goes so that was fine, but we went to Mcdonalds for lunch as a treat so that was £17 spent. I picked up cat litter for £6.49 then £12 in sainsburys picking up pizzas and salad for our friend's visit.

It was good to see them and their little one, but DS1 was clearly exhausted from his busy day and spent the last half hour collapsing into tears over everything. When we got him into bed he was asleep in 3 minutes. Hopefully the mood doesn't follow him into the morning else I'm not sure we'll be visiting my parents and I still have a lot of washing to do. I collapsed in bed before 9 last night and my body was still sore when the baby woke at 6.30 the next morning. So no washing done last night either. I did a load today but it'll have to wait until tomorrow to get hung up it's just sitting in the basket until then.

Steerpike88

NSD so far. Not much done today, a bit of tidying, took the kids to my parents had a quick nap and a shower ��. I've prepared a fruity chicken curry �� for dinner already which the kids seem to love so I'm pretty proud of myself.

Had the friends round yesterday which was really nice. Busy day tomorrow. My parents have been very generous and offered to look after the kids tomorrow so we can do a decent clean and get some food ready for the party ��.

I'm planning on making a chocolate digger cake �� but will have to buy some round tins. Also some brownies and need to buy some savoury mains. Like mini jacket potatoes, chicken legs, pizza, fresh fruit salad, sandwiches, etc.

Was wanting to make little DS2 a blanket. I've had my eye on the Sophies universe blanket pattern for a while but the wool to make a medium sized blanket is about £80 so might wait until the end of the month. I've been so tired since September that I barely have the energy to crochet and I used to find it so relaxing. My knitting needles have also completely disappeared since the move and I want to make DS1 a scarf so I'll borrow a pair from my mum. Very MSE.
DH also wants an Arran jumper for next Xmas I can probably whack one out with an old pattern I have and I have the wool! Just no needles! I feel really silly not knowing where I've put them. Have lots of nice bamboo and birch ones that were very expensive.

Steerpike88

The baby was up at 2am for a feed and I couldn't go back to sleep until after 4. Then DS1 was calling for me at 7, poor DH did most of the cleaning while I took a nap. I was too knackered to even go get the shopping. I made chicken and mash pie for tea and have settled the children into bed. Time to go and spend money on cake
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