Spending for July thread

[poppyandsneeze]

Thought I would start a new thread for July. Not sure there is one this month.

Well we are going to try and not use our overdraft for the first time in months (can't remember when we didn't??)

Looks like we might be on track if:

a) my dh doesn't go spending it on a bottle of wine each month and newspapers that he doesn't read.
b) my dh doesn't keeping getting takeaway - last night he came home with KFC to feed a whole family - when the children were in bed (which didn't help my diet or my purse!!)
c) don't get any frightful bills that I haven't considered.

How is everyone else doing this month, so far ???

[countydurhamlass]

we have decided that as we have been thinking about losing weight we would go for it this month, not only will we loose the pounds of our waists but we will gain the pounds in our pockets as we wont be buying all the junk food and takeaways saving about £60 this month in takeaways alone and about £40 on alcohol.

once a week me and dh are having a light tea such as beans on toast in order to both lose weight and save money

i am only taking a small amount of change to work with me and no cards and then i cannot buy more than i need or waste money in the vending machine

i am going to the supermarket on foot that way i cannot buy lots of food i dont need - just those that i need and can carry

so far i have some money left out of my wage which is an achievement because by now its usually all gone!

[MrsS01]

I'm into my overdraft already! But I've decided to only buy food when we need it and do it online (cost of £2.50) but hopefully save impulse buys and petrol cost. Thinking of walking to/from school when not working to save petrol money. And not buy anything that isn't essential - definitely no make up! I want to be in the black next mth.

[livvylouis]

Oh I'll join! This month we have sent ourselves a grocery budget and I am determined not to go over it. We are also not using the car as much to save money on petrol

[poppyandsneeze]

Great to have you all joining this months thread !!!.

Really chuffed yesterday, my weeks shop came to just over £50 (paid this in cash) at Aldi. I spent £2 on school breakfast club and that was it. Also managed to persuade my dh not to go to Budgens and purchase the usual wine and newspapers that he buys (so save £9).

Today, so far - have put £10 worth of petrol in the car (paid cash). I have a school fete later today, but am helping out so won't have to spend anything (I hope) and will give my little one a couple of pound in 10ps to spend. My dh was shopping in Asda this morning for treats for the school children - so hope, hope (fingers crossed) that he only spends £10 (which is what he said he would spend).

I feel bad telling him not to spend, but can see it is the only way we will not go into overdraft this month. I have sold some clothes that my little one had and will have payment transferred into my BACs shortly. I will be watching every penny this month !!!!
Fingers crossed !!!

[GryffindorNotSlytherinPlease]

Can I join?!

This month hasn't fine brilliantly so far!

I have £400 left for the month, I have to get a friends graduation gift (v close do has to be good!) And food et , have got a month bus pass so travel is sorted (£68 )....its perfectly doable if I could just kick the Waitrose habit!! £50pw on sandwiches/ready meals etc!!!

I have to stop buying stuff for work that I.never ever get the money back for!!


It's doable....but I don't want to do it! >sulk

[countydurhamlass]

went to tesco today and only took £57 in cash, managed to keep to it and ended up coming home with about 50p! bought only the essentials whereas if i had taken my debit card i would have spent a lot more buying junk. it made me think about how much i was spending and what i really needed

[brightermornings]

I've been trying the last few months to curb my spending. I'm not doing too bad. I write down everything I spend and do my grocery shopping on-line. I've bought all my birthday gifts for July so I don't need to go into any shops now!!

[poppyandsneeze]

Had a really bad weekend and today just finished the weekend off really. Today spent £60 on a new tyre . My dh said my car needed a new tyre and wasn't safe so it had to purchased. I did warn him that this could leaveto overdraft and he justed scowled at me !!! .

He spent on Friday night £20 on a takeaway and wine. I spent an extra £5 on the school fete that I didn't want to. We went swimming with the children which cost £10. Just hoping now with my fingers crossed that we don't have to spend on anything else really. Plus I put in half a tank of petrol !!

If we do go overdrawn now, it will because of the tyre. Will try spend less than £50 in my food shop now this week and for the following week.

How did everyone else do this weekend ??

[lollipoppet]

Hi, I'd like to get out of my overdraft too, just can't see it ever happening!
Just wanted to ask, how do you go shopping with cash (food I mean)? Do you tot it up as you go round? I am terrified of getting to the till and not having enough and having to put things back, meanwhile a queue of tutting fellow customers has formed as I wonder whether to give back the tampons or the wine....

[poppyandsneeze]

Well I add up in my head as I go around and round up the prices to make it easier for myself when adding up.

However, the other day in Aldi, the lady in the freezer aisle was quietly using a large black calculator to add up the items in her trolley as she was putting them into her trolley. I only took notice as she was so slow pushing her trolley.

If you aren't great at mental maths then a calculator would be a good idea !

[mumoverseas]

I think I'd better join in. Just moved back to UK having lived abroad for years and am really going to have to cut back on spending. I'd been thinking only yesterday about paying cash for all food as somehow using a debit card doesn't seem like spending real money.

I tried Sainsburys basics 9p a jar curry sauce tonight and have to say it was pretty good.

[countydurhamlass]

i always round my items up to the nearest 10p or if it was 88p i would say £1 and add them up that way.

i always shop around as well, my best bargains are aldi beans and spaghetti which are really good and are only about 34p each, herron frozen foods have curry sauce packets at about 40p which is really nice on their own or made into a chicken/beef curry

i bought some things today which i really didnt need but as i was walking round town and they were on offer i bought them! it was all cleaning products so i will use them other than that and the pasty and cake from greggs for ds's lunch 2moro i am doing pretty well

[HappyHollydays]

Can I join? I am planning to not return to work after this baby arrives so I am desperately trying to revise how we spend & save!

We work away moat of the week and yet still spend £100s on food every month for the home (not to mention while we're away) so my plan for this month is to now shop online to a budget and that way I can delete things from my shopping basket if I overspend & I won't be tempted by POS stuff and exciting displays!

I have been browsing MoneySavingExpert this morning and have decided to try the sealed pot and virtual sealed pot challenge (er, if challenge is the word).

You put all your loose change in a jar and count it after a year or something (should probably check the rules).

Virtual pot is going into your bank account every Friday and rounding down to the nearest £10 and moving the difference elsewhere to save.

I also have a direct debit to cancel this month but will set up a standing order for the same amount to my savings so I don't get used to the extra (it's not that much!).

[HappyHollydays]

Oh and Tesco clubcard points can be used for other things like Eurotunnel - a non-essential, granted, but I am hoping for a camping trip to France next year.

[HappyHollydays]

Last post - sorry - I'm also using cash ack websites which has been fab so far but I generally compare the overall cost rather than the cash back amount to avoid false economies.

[poppyandsneeze]

HappyHollydays, I think I will look at the virtual pot idea. I might try it with the change left over from the cash I take out every week.

Tried Lidl this morning for a change. Really chuffed as I only spent £39.00 in there. I discovered this morning, I had loads and loads of mince in the freezer, lots of veg and extra milk and another loaf of bread. So thought, great that means I can hopefully spend less than £50 in the shops today, really glad it came out as £39.00 as I sometimes think Lidl is a little more expensive than Aldi, but couldn't really fault the shopping today.

I was in such a rush today that I didn't get out cash this morning for the shopping as there wasn't a cash point near to the shop. However, I have entered how much I have spent on my budget worksheet. I keep track of the spendings and can generally work out how much we have in the account or how much overdrawn we are. I am really going to try and keep us in black until next week (fingers crossed -we have to last until the end of the month)

Hope everyone else is doing okay with their spending this month.

[maypole1]

Been buying only stuff from the reduced section and I got 3 family size flans today for 50p each, and a large sausage roll for 20p we usually spend £100 a week on shopping I have to freezers full of food that will last a month cost £78 so very happy alo oh is very happy to

[HappyHollydays]

That's fantastic maypole1. That's a great idea.

I have just bid on a sideboard on Ebay. It is new and cheaper than buying the one I have seen in Next but I am so disappointed with myself. I am hoping someone else comes along and outbids me...

All my good work undone in one impulsive bid...

[poppyandsneeze]

Well, I don't know how everyone else has done this month, we were doing well until the 23rd of the month, my dh purchased some items for a staff do and we went overdrawn slightly !!! I didn't get a cheque in on time and therefore we decided as we had to pay 50p a day no matter what we may as well continue to be overdrawn for the rest of the month. Have purchased loads of items for diy so a red month for us now.

So gutted, we were doing so well this month until the last week !!! How has everyone else done ????

[MilkNoSugarPlease]

not good

[MrsS01]

Not good here either! Oh well, start again for August

[KellyKettle]

Well I'm only just in my overdraft and have managed to list lots of stuff on Amazon & EBay and chase a huge credit from our utility supplier so in that sense it's positive.

I also kept up with the virtual pot and sealed pot challenge so my vending machine money now goes into a big jar.

For August I'm meal planning. I didn't do that this month but I need to spend a bit of time getting my self organised.

Anyone else want to share their money saving plans for August?

[brightermornings]

Hi not been on for a while. I've been spending a lot on eating out and been to the pictures twice. It's amazing how quick it adds up. I'm now off work for two weeks so me and dd will be doing lots of cheap/ free things. I've bought most of her school uniform. All her jumpers and cardigans are fine for last year. My only problem is ds who is 16 who has no clothes which is amazing cos he always has lot's of washing!!
Will be keeping my eye on the thread see what good ideas everyone has

[applepudding]

This won't be a new idea to anybody but just to say that I cut my supermarket bills by about a third last month by only buying 'value' products when they were available (except for meat). Reducing the cost of days out on school hols by going to various parks and taking picnic with us.