Crazy Lent idea... I must be crazy for doing this!

[greeneyedlulu]

No wine
No chocolate
No spending....
For Lent I usually give something up.... this year I'm combining a few elements of my life that need a damn good shake up!!
I'm a drinker, not rolling around in gutter drunk every night, just I can easily drink most of a bottle each night without realising it, cheeky glass whilst cooking, top up to sit down for dinner... you know how it goes!

The chocolate tends to be a daily treat at the end of the day once my little boy is finally tucked up in bed asleep and I've done my daily chores and my bum finally hits the sofa, with a glass of wine in hand (the rest of the above bottle) and the other reaching for the remote control to watch some crappy tv show..... yes that includes eastenders but I love it!!

As for the spending..... well as you can imagine the above mentioned products set me back a bit! So that added to the cost of the mortgage, council tax, nursery fees and blah blah blah!!! Everyone has these costs! I know I'm not special but my God, it's just so overwhelming sometimes being a single mum and having so many outgoings! And I know I'm wasting money by buying lunches and coffee and wine and chocolate each day!

My fridge broke down in January (you know... the month we're all swimming in cash) so that cleared out my little bit of rainy day funds and this month, I'm struggling and I refuse to carry on like this and be so worried about money every day so I sat down and worked out my finances and I'm pretty ashamed by the difference on how much I should have left over and how much I actually do!! Eek!!

So Lent starts tomorrow and I've been paid today, all the bills go out tomorrow and I'll update as I go along on how I'm doing as I really want to give everything a shake up so the way I see it is that

1. If I give up wine and chocolate I will save money and lose weight
2. If I'm making lunches then that will help to towards the weight loss and I'm saving money
3. If I stop spending money on non essentials, I can save and get those few irksome jobs that need doing around the house that are beyond my DIY skills that 'I can't afford'!

I want to make this work and figure if I put it out there that I'm doing it then I will more likely stick to it!

Wish me luck!!

PS. Anyone else who is giving up something for Lent you are welcome to share your plight and pain along side me as I will probably need the support too x

Im giving up Carbonated drinks (going for water instead) and social media for Lent. Im hoping then water will improve my health and giving up social media will enable me to take more interest in DH in the evenings.

If I do give up chocolate then should I change my user name?
Good luck to everyone trying to go without something for 40 days. It is hard to do.

Great idea for a thread. I am giving up

1. crisps
2. non-homemade biscuits/cakes
3. drinking on school nights

And taking up

1. buying something for the foodbank each time I shop
2. being more patient with my DC
3. low carbing

Good luck everyone!

DH and I are giving up chocolate, our usual. I have done coffee and alcohol in previous years, but this year (as last) we're 'doing something' for Lent as well as 'giving up'. We're going to do regular 'chucking out for charity'. Children are giving up some of their treats (their decision). We'll give the money saved to charity. Children to choose from list of three we all agree with.

Anglicans get Sundays 'off' in Lent anyway, which is encouraging.

OneWithTheForce what does anything that's posted on Mumsnet have to do with anyone? Almost every thread on here is about someone making rules for others. Everyone on every topic thinks they are right and someone else is wrong, otherwise Mumsnet would not exist.

I'm not telling anyone they can't observe Lent. I'm saying that it isn't just about the giving stuff up, it is about swapping a "bad" thing for a "good" one. Otherwise it isn't Lent. It's just going on a diet, or eating healthily.

We were always told we were "allowed" a day off, usually St. Patrick's Day, but we could save it for another day, i.e. a birthday.

It is ambitious I know but I really need to myself some will power and shake up my diet and lose lbs but save £££ so this will be test!!

Bank cards are staying at home from tonight but I will have an emergency £20 note in the bottom of my handbag!

Good luck ladies!!

I will update as I go along too

I'm saying that it isn't just about the giving stuff up, it is about swapping a "bad" thing for a "good" one.

No, that's what it's about to you. To other side it is about whatever they want it to be about.

To others!

I'm also doing no spending! Well more a "no shopping". Will be allowed to do a weekly shop on a Sunday for essentials only. No unnecessary spending and no meals out! Sounds easy but no idea where my money goes every month so I'm looking forward to giving myself a kick up the backside!

I thought lent was about abstinence and sacrifice. I definitely will hurt giving up bread and chocolate . I admit I'm using lent to kickstart my health drive though . It's a great time for a fresh start and ties in nicely with spring .

But I think now after reading here I will also do something for charity . If I say I spend £1 on chocolate and bread a day I will save this and give to charity. I think it might help me in my mission too .

Fantastic thread

Well done everyone on your sacrifices! I don't think I can give up alcohol , have a big night this Friday which has been planned for ages but have been cutting down anyway and will cut down more. Think I will give up chocolate and other sweet things. Will also try and go to chapel at least once during the week and have got my SCIAF box so will put some money into it.

DS wants us to give up palm oil. I guess that means I will be reading the small print on everything!

Mumsnet. Going to try and do other stuff with spare time

Good luck everyone! I'm giving up processed sugar because I'm sleep deprived (thanks kids) and I eat cakes and chocolate all day to get through it! I've decided I'm allowed sugar if I go out for a meal though as that only happens once in a blue moon! I'm hoping it will help get rid of the 4 extra kilos hanging around...

I'm giving up lattes which is huge for me, also all goodies etc (except for St. Patrick's Day of course - one of the many, many advantages of being Irish). I stopped drinking after Christmas because I'm unable to face the next day after even two drinks, I ever drank much anyway so that's no real sacrifice.

At the end of lent I hope to make a contribution to a charity to reflect the savings I've made - anyone else do the same thing?

Thanks for that link Snorktastic. I'm definitely going to do that.

I'm giving up Facebook, twitter and mumsnet.
Eeek!

I'm going to do something for Lent I think. Will try and do some exercise every day

Ugh, I forgot about Lent this year!!!
Great thread though, think I might join you, but mine should be a lot more exercise, and giving up on playing games on the computer... I can literally spend all night on the stupid thing, and don't get anything else done!!

Good luck, I normally give up chocolate but after doing so in the last few years I found that I lost the taste for it, so win win! I won't bother giving it up this year as it won't mean much to me.

I often give up wine for Lent however don't really drink it much these days either, Gin is now my go to drink, might have to give it up instead.

Lent is a good length of time to break a habit, its not the reason obviously but a good benefit.

This Lent I am giving up meat (Tomorrow being Ash Wednesday will give me a little boost in the right direction) and hoping to last the duration; Usually I get to St Patrick's Day and then go completely off track.

My family are all really committed and are always successful with their "giving up" endeavours but I fail every bloody time and end up feeling guilty.

I would like to curtail my spending, I waste so much money but I think that's a long term goal not a Lent one.

I'm giving up sugar. Probably mad, but I need to loose baby weight and my dad is diabetic so double reason to loose weight.

My children are giving up the ipad - they're small so they get Sundays off.

I'm giving up chocolate.