Can't stop spending!

[iamdivergent]

Hi,

I have a serious spending problem - I just spend, spend, spend. I've a little debt (about £500 split between Next and Littlewoods accounts) but other than that it's just usual monthly direct debits inc mortgage and car.

My major pitfall seems to be supermarkets - I kept a note and I spent £870 on food items between 15/06-15/07 I go in for one or two things and come out with a full pushchair basket. I do this around 4 times per week spending between £20-£50 per 'shop' and come away with nothing of substance. This was a particularly spendy month as I left my job so had more money as was paid owed holidays.

We have no savings and by payday there is usually only a couple of pounds in the bank - I know that we are doing better than alot of people out there but this is seriously stressing me out no childcare as SAHP.

What are your top tips on how to get out of this vicious cycle? I'd love to be able to save some money for a change, though want to pay off the credit accounts first. Next month is looking to be spendy too with a DC birthday.

[Puffpaw]

Get a budgeting app and log everything
Buy a big tall drawer freezer
Meal plan
Only food shop online with extra emergency stuff in freezer or cupboard so you never have to go out. E.g. Milk, frozen prawns, veg, pasta tinned tomatoes, grated cheese, loaf of bread, pastry etc.
Batch cook curries, soups, pasta sauces, stews, pie fillings etc and freeze.
I still struggle to keep food spending under control but the above helps a lot.
We regularly switch energy suppliers etc, search for the best deals using quidco, top cash back etc we have saved £3k over five years doing this.
Have to tackle my clothes spending next.
However we went from running out of money each month to saving 4 figures each month, overpaying the mortgage and contributing a sensible amount to a pension. Life Changing!
Also a regular visitor to moneysavingexpert.

[Mymouthgetsmeintrouble]

Do a meal plan and stick to your list

[Puffpaw]

Two budgeting apps I would recommend either ynab (only budget the money you have) or goodbudget (online equivalent of envelopes) depends what suits you.

[specialsubject]

You need to stop this now. One income means one redundancy away from deep shit. Read the threads from those it has happened to.

Stop buying all the following until you have six months living expenses stashed ,and that does not mean £900 on food.

Adult clothes
Adult presents ( agree Christmas cease fire now)
Kids presents over a small amount
Magazines
Take always
Cosmetics
Books ( use the library)
Gadgets
Kids toys

Hammer down bills, insurances etc.

Lose the idea that spendy is fun. Shopping is a bore.

[iamdivergent]

Thank you.

All bills are as low as I can get them. Our luxuries are sky which we pay £32 per month and we both have contract mobile phones. Mine runs out next month so im just going to go sim only and save approx 20pcm. Haven't bought new clothes since of with dc3, till wearing a combo of maternity clothes that I tried and failed to sell and stuff that's a bit tight as diet is shite.

I do start to meal plan with good intentions but dh hours vary so much that we only ever eat as a family about once per week atm. 2 adults, 3 dc (one in nappies) and 2 cats (approx £45pcm to feed and petplan them).

I am in contract with sky until October so likely to cancel then, will really miss it as im at home all day use library frequently, though mainly kids as I don't have much time to read just now. Also swapping my read books via read it swap it so have a large stock of new to me reads there anyway.

Unfortunately nowhere for a chest freezer

Does anyone find withdrawing cash and not using card makes a difference? Contactless makes it so much easier to spend money imho

[Puffpaw]

You don't need a chest freezer, just a tall freezer, I managed to fit one in a one bedroom flat so you can find room.
Batch cook single portions for dh to bung in the oven when he gets home.
Do a soa on mse. I bet you can save more.
No one needs to spend £900 a month on food unless you have a family of 12 or something ridiculous.
Have you done a proper budget and then logged everything you are spending, I bet you are leaking money you don't even realise.

[specialsubject]

How can your diet be bad when you spend so much on food? ( not that cheap means bad).

I'm paying £21 a month for the basic sky TV package. Can you get that down?

But it does sound like the main issue is food. Are you wasting it? Meal plan can allow for different meal times.

[BikeRunSki]

£45 to feed and insure 2 cats??????

[WinstonChurchill]

I don't use cash as I don't find it any easier to control but I do use Good Budget on my phone. I input the information and make sure my husband gives me any expenses on a daily basis. It's been really helpful xx

[dementedpixie]

The insurance will be the expensive bit as petplan in pricey

[iamdivergent]

It's 12.50 per cat per month. Includes all flea/worming treatment/claw clipping and annual boosters etc so im actually saving money over purchasing everything separately.

Then £10 each on big bag of Iams and 40 pouches whiskas from farmfoods.

Honestly there is nowhere for a another freezer. We have a tall fridge freezer who h is full to bursting so think we need to work out way through that. Probably a takeaway maybe once every few weeks so they'll be stopping too. Have cut back on dinner money so instead of daily they only get hot school dinner once per week now when they have swimming so I just do a lighter meal once home from that.

Going to eat out way through what is in the house then sort out a meal plan and be stricter on everyone. Dc2 hates mince so that's a pain but will sort something out. Dc1 would happily eat same as dh and I. Slow cooker needs to come out of retirement I think!

[iamdivergent]

I have a spreadsheet on pc that I put all spends into now, check online banking each day. Helpful to see where all the cash goes but also depressing! Did food shop this morning and I put quite a few bits back that dh had put in trolley as he won't eat them! Have also switched from twinnings to aldi peppermint tea...not quite as strong but much cheaper.

[iamdivergent]

I have a spreadsheet on pc that I put all spends into now, check online banking each day. Helpful to see where all the cash goes but also depressing! Did food shop this morning and I put quite a few bits back that dh had put in trolley as he won't eat them! Have also switched from twinnings to aldi peppermint tea...not quite as strong but much cheaper.

[NotLachsAgainMother]

You will be able to save a fortune on food and hardly notice the difference at home.

Would Ocado deliveries be an option where you are? Once a week, you'd be better off even paying delivery fees if it saves you from impulse buys.

[iamdivergent]

They don't deliver here but thank you.

[iamdivergent]

special we eat slot of ready meals and sweets I need to lose quite a bit of weight too.

[ijustwannadance]

Are you spending/going shopping because you are bored OP?
Stop going to the supermarket 4 times a bloody week if you are only buying shit you don't even need!
Meal plan and make a list.

[iamdivergent]

Quite possibly. My company when older dc are at school is a baby. Supermarket is right beside school so too easy just to 'nip' in. Kids on holiday now so going slot less obviously.

[Rachie1986]

I work in cash and yes find it helps x

[iamdivergent]

Rachie I think it would be very helpful when I need just milk and bread - I have no willpower.

[Violetcharlotte]

I could have written this myself word for word. I am exactly like this and really don't know what to do about it. Like the OP, grocery shopping is my downfall. I get to half way through the month and run out of money. I really need to get a grip so will be following this thread with interest.

[iamdivergent]

Hi violet we can try and help each other along

Planning on staying in tomorrow so fingers crossed on a no spend day. Plenty of food! If I get bored can take the baby to the play park, no shops near it and I'll get a bit of exercise too

[specialsubject]

OK. All things are possible.

As I type i have a a very large pan of chilli cooking. It gets split and frozen, and there are good, tasty and cheaper ready meals. Many dishes can be done like that.

Sweets - simple, stop buying!

[iamdivergent]

I do enjoy cooking - it's just the planning that gets me. Plus still be very clingy non sleeping baby doesn't leave me much time to cook hence the ready meals. But will make more of an effort.

When I make chilli we have chilli one night then chilli nachos the next. Portion control is another issue as when I 'batch' cook there never seems to be enough left. I do batch cook for the baby, not that he likes to eat much but that's another issue.

[Treesinbloom]

When you batch cook you should be taking out the extra portions before eating that nights portions - IT shouldn't be a case of saving leftovers IYSWIM