No spend September

[Kaloobear]

Right, I'm going to nick a little bit of space on this board to do a money diary like on MSE. Just for me really but if anyone fancies reading and throwing the odd encouraging comment my way that'd be lovely Likewise anyone who wants to join me is very welcome!

So, here are my rules:

Money spent on bills, insurance and pre-planned food shops is fine.
Everything else is not.

NO...
Coffees (especially not as an excuse to sit down somewhere in town)
Sandwiches
Magazines
Books (even on kindle, I have at least 10 on there I haven't read yet)
Music
Kitbag peanut butter chunkies (sob)
Meals out
Takeaways
Spontaneous 'presents' for DD (11mo) who is far too young to even realise or care, including clothes-she has plenty!
Clothes (even tights, which I have a weird compulsion to buy every time I see them )
Shoes
Unnecessary household goods-we have enough loo roll and bleach to last until 2020
Toiletries-I MUST use up the lovely things I've already got and stop buying more
Make up, under any circumstances
Alcohol (we don't drink much though so that's pretty easy)
Putting anything on the credit card except groceries (always pay it off and like to use it so we get the air miles-the problem is using it for little things, forgetting and then being surprised by the bill!)

YES...
Packed lunches for work
Walking or cycling to work-if I drive that's fine but I'm not allowed any more petrol so the half tank in there has got to last till October!
Reminding myself that we are lucky, we live well, and we do not need any more STUFF
Reminding myself that having bought a house we need to SAVE because our emergency pot is gone

Today and yesterday don't count because I only thought of doing this this afternoon, but for full disclosure...

Saturday 1st September
Cheese, crackers, beer and wine for friends having a BBQ, Tesco, about £15

Sunday 2nd September
2 snickers, 2 diet cokes, magazine , stupidly expensive corner shop, £4.86
Diary for work, Waterstones, £12.99
Big food shop, Waitrose, £86.94

Tomorrow I'm back at work for the first time in a year (sob, bye bye maternity leave) so the upside is that I shouldn't need to spend any money, and the same on Tuesday. On Wednesday I'm meeting my NCT group so I need to remember to take a packed lunch for DD and resist eating lunch in a cafe myself-I can wait till I get home! (I'd take a packed lunch for me but I don't think Starbucks would like it.) On Thursday I'm at work in the morning and then off in the afternoon, so think DD and I will go to the library and make sure we eat at home. Friday is a very long work day with lunch provided. Saturday I'm going to the theatre and do have to buy train tickets to get there, so I'm going to do that in advance and hopefully get them a bit cheaper. The theatre tickets were bought ages ago. Sunday we shall go to church and the park if it's nice weather, we will not go and spend money needlessly.

Fingers crossed.

[Kaloobear]

Oops, I forgot that I also spend about a tenner on lunch for me and DH in Pret today.

[nannyl]

Good Luck

am very impressed about resisting a cofee in starbucks

[Kaloobear]

I feel cheeky being in coffee shops and not buying anything-I always end up buying something I don't really want jut to feel justified in sitting there. Will try and not look guilty on Weds!

Annoyingly I've just remembered that on Weds I have to take DD shoe shopping. I'd been putting it off as she was only crawling but she's started cruising now, and also started nursery and I don't want her tootsies getting trodden on! (PFB...) No idea how expensive that will be, hopefully not too horrendous.

[katspaw]

I was in Costa today, bought the cheapest coffee and milk option on the menu which is still £1.95.

Got to read today's Sunday Times FOC.

...but there was a customer who bought a bottle of still water (which I thought ironic as Costa serve free iced water).

[Kaloobear]

See I always end up buying bottles of water so I feel like I have a reason to sit there! Then I have a few glugs, shove it at the bottom of the pram and discover it a fortnight later when it's begun to smell odd and it goes to water the plants. This is why I need to stop myself!

[danebury]

I need to join in as basically all our disposable went in the first week - car service and aircon recharge, broken computer, huge Tesco online shop, petrol for two cars an some back to school stuff. Horrifying. I have a lump of cash that will now just have To Do. I am goin to scrap my car shortly (in laws are giving us theirs! Hurray!) so that should give us some cash Gil the end of the month.

I entertained on Saturday so that's that our of the way for a month or so (I find it exhausting) and all I spent yesterday was a fiver at Clovelly crab and lobster festival to sponsor two baby lobsters. :)

I'm back at school today so the packed lunches begin in earnest. The cupboards and freezers are full and all I need to do is pick up some salad an fruit later. Sorted. Hopefully!

[SilkInsideAChestnutShell]

Yes, I'm in, apart from pre-planned stuff (like costa later today ).

[BelinaTheChicken]

Good idea, me too, I budget all of the food shopping, meal plan so it is used effectively and still end up skint about halfway through the month. I'm sure it's all from a drink here and there, a ready made sandwich etc

Had a friend round for a BBQ, and stupidly didn't plan in advance, so DH went to get food and spent nearly £30 in M&S, which puts our food budget for next week down to £30

My no and yes lists are much the same as yours Kaloo, though need to source a bike out as mine has seriously given up the ghost .I have also allowed some extra cash each month for carbooting, as I get all the DC's clothes and Christmas presents there, and need to make the most of them before they shut down for the winter.

Playdate this morning and DS1 at nursery in the afternoon, working tonight (night shifts) so will wait till I'm at work for dinner. So should be a cheap day.

Good luck!

[Frizzbonce]

Kaloobear I too love Waitrose - the warm lighting - the chemical food smells but since I started buying tinned stuff and basics from Lidl down the road my grocery bill has been cut by a third. We're talking 26p for a tin of tomatoes rather than just under a pound. I still buy organic meat (but less of it - sob!) and I'm addicted to Waitrose sourdough bread but it does make a difference to do the bulk of the weekly shop at a cheaper supermarket.

[Fluffycloudland77]

Write all down all your little non-essential purchases over a month and then add it all up.

Mine came to £50ish a month. It spurred me on to be more sensible with money.

Then go onto moneysaving experts mortgage overpayment calculator eg £50 a month over paid onto a £100,00 mortgage is £4000 saved in interest alone and 16 months off your mortgage term (I base this on a 15 years remaining term at 5% interest).

I like waitrose too but I cant justify the cost of shopping there.

[BelinaTheChicken]

I shop at Waitrose but really will have to stop. My only choices are Morrisons or the co-op, which is better?

[Fluffycloudland77]

Morrisons, there smartprice stuff is quite cheap.

[BelinaTheChicken]

Ah crap, just been informed our Morrisons is now another Waitrose, so it's there or co-op. Such choice

[Kaloobear]

Welcome one, welcome all!

I do love Waitrose but we're lucky and have a Waitrose, Sainsbury's and Morrisons all within half a mile of each other, so I do shop around a little bit-to be honest not as much as I should though. I've found that some things like Morrisons basic scotch pancakes are identical in taste to posh ones so am determined to find more bargains!

No spend today, woo

[OrangeandGoldMrsDeVere]

Me too.
I splurged in Superdrug today.
I also bought school shoes.
Not a bad start to September but I am terrible for late night Internet shopping.

I need saving from myself.

[Fluffycloudland77]

You can never have too many waitrose though. Where else line up the veg in rows all neatly?.

[boringnamechange]

Was looking for something Like this!!

I'm trying to do this too and today did a food plan for the next two weeks and a big shop which at £66 was cheaper than it has been for ages! Along with a full tank at £52 which should last 3 weeks that's my spending for the week - well in theory any way. Only thing will be milk, bread, chicken and ballet and nursery snack fund.

I did phone British gas and got a £25 a reduction a month on our electricity and got combined house and contents insurance which has saved me forking out £250 in a lump sum the week before Christmas but evened out over the next 12 months plus a £50 cash back from
Halifax which was a bonus!

Quite a productive day! The test will be tomorrow when I have 45 mins between school and nursery run and will want to
Give in and go out for lunch. But I will make a packed lunch - I promise!

[hornbill]

Ooh, great thread.

Unnecessary spending so far this September:

£5.50 for bbc pride and predjudice on DVD (a 'mumsnet purchase', thanks for that. But it's 6 hours, so a bargain.)

£14 for tickets for DH and I to very good local AmDram. Will also spend on drinks when there, but we hardly ever go out.

£1 for a hot pie at co-op (caught out, unexpectedly starving).

Eek, that's £20.50 and it's only the third

[Kaloobear]

How's everyone doing today? I've not spent anything yet but am now kicking myself because I didn't bring home a book from work that I need to read for next week as I thought I could just buy it on kindle, forgetting that I'm not meant to be buying books...

I think I'm going to be good and wait until I'm back at work on Thursday and pick up the book then. Plus it means I don't have to do any work tomorrow which is rather nice

My NCT group are having a picnic tomorrow rather than meeting in a coffee shop which is excellent news as it means I won't have to spend anything and can take a packed lunch for me and DD.

[numbertaker]

I will join in but have already had spurlge.

Will join in kindle ban. ( I also have lots of unread books)

Spending so far:

£60 Yesterday including, two and thats TWO winter coats, a egg cupboard (i know), a flask (for free hot drinks out), A toast rack (ok) new chopping board, a new dish rack (because we have given up dishwasher), and egg timer, wooden spoons, felt tip pens.

Today: eek £13.50 on entrance to a local historical house. eek £10 on trinkits, £5 on coffee and ice-cream(but i did take the flask) so one drink instead of two or three.

£200 car tax.

Not doing well so far. I bleed money.

[OrangeandGoldMrsDeVere]

Lol @ egg cupboard

I haven't spent today but I have all evening and the Internet to get through yet.
I find that if you like buying stuff you often get the same sort of buzz from having a good clear out.

That is what I have been doing. The effort of sorting out various crap makes you think twice about bringing something else into the house.

Until,the next time :)

[OrangeandGoldMrsDeVere]

I am cheating by not listing what I have spent so far. But that's by problem. I just buy without thinking theses days.
It's shocking how often I put in my pin number without noticing the total
It's a habit I picked up when DD was ill

[cubscout]

A few days late but can I join?

Mon (work) Petrol £30 took lunch.

Tues (work)- forgot lunch £2.95 baguette.

Wed - off hurray, zero spend! Went to library, concentrated on sorting out house now school is back.

Will need to do weekly food shop tomorrow.

[Kaloobear]

Welcome newcomers!

Another no spend day today, not counting DD's shoes that were pre-planned. Her first pair so I was a bit shocked at the price-£24 for baby shoes?! I hope they last a few months...

[numbertaker]

Hi no spenders.

Gold star @ cubscout and Kaloobear. For zeros.

Well did a two weekly basics plus weekly fresh shop last night and it was £109. Also including dog foods. Lots for homemade soup etc.

Today spend.

Petrol £2.

Bag of chips to feed 4(as a side to homemade pizza and salad, could not make own chips, to busy today) £2.05.

Total spend today £4.05.

Husband took (and made) own pack up and a flask of coffee, he was a zero spend, even biked to work.

Going to find not using the car hard as I am a home-edder and have to get kids to groups/friends and they are spread out.