Starting from 1 September DH and I have decided that the only things on the cc bill will be
food
petrol
car insurance (due 7 Sept)
We are no longer randomly spending on ANY clothes at all. The boys have their uniform and I have new NEXT-sale boots and a warm waterproof coat and we do not need ANY MORE CLOTHES.
Proper meal planning and shopping at ALDI and Sainsburys.
No more Costa lotta coffees.
No more takeaways or cheapy McDonalds/KFC for the kids.
We will use the library for books so no need to buy any.
Packed lunches
Coffee in a flask if I take the children out along with snacks and drinks bought from supermarket and not random cafes.
The boys are pretty much ECO anyway and brilliant at turning off lights and water etc and they only have showers and not baths.
We want to cut down on spending to see how much we can save over time. DH has a great job and I work at school FT so it will be interesting to see what we can do.
GULP!
Anyone want to help join me??
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No more random spending for 3 months...........any takers?
Collision · 28/08/2011 19:16
Hmm, Alibaba We ordered some veggie friendly shoes for DD the other day (on-line) that were over £60 too. Fortunately DH sympathises with the cause so he paid for those 
Hope they arrive tomorrow as DD back to school the day after. Apparently they're on their way, so fingers crossed ! ( Also that they fit, last years were a success so hope it goes OK this year too )
I've not been doing brilliant 
. Took ds (16) out on saturday to celebrate his GCSE result's Nando's £30. We also ended up in boots someone had given me some no 7 £5 off vouchers so I did get a couple of xmas presents but ds ended up with some manly face stuff. Then cinema not too bad only had to pay for one ticket.
Sunday was ok just coffee and some snickers for ds. I made flapjack for my lunches at work and if he needs a sugar fix.
Today disaster!! Took both dc's to pizza express got 40% off main courses still came to £30. Then made the mistake of visiting primark £28 for dd fleecy pj's vests, new hoody and socks. DS also ended up with a new top £15 he's already had lot's of new clothes for college.
So that's it now christmas is going to be carefully budgeted I've started buying now to spread the cost and no more random spending.
(apologies for the essay!!)
Right spurred on by the fact that I realise I spent almost £300 today 
I have sorted out a pile of stuff to list on ebay. Even with getting pretty minimal amounts, I should be able to recoup around £200.
Tomorrow will be a £0 spend day, we're off to a friend's for lunch and playtime. Rather than going to the supermarket on the way to buy a cake or whatever, I'm going to bake something in the morning.
juggling - that was for 2 pairs, but still. Ouch.
Ali - that sounds like a good lot of ebay stuff, well done. DH sad we shouldn't bother with ebay if just getting small amounts, then the next day is all woe is us we have no money, then today he said his costs at work are minimal 
just coffees, lunch, dry cleaning shirts.....
Should be a low cost day for me, BF group this morning, must get to the postbox later (weather permitting) which often results in wandering into the corner shop too, though i do need some suitable healthy snack stuff for DS1 now - they provided it (at a cost obv) in Reception but not in Y1, tbh i think i'd rather pay once to them than have to remember to have stuff in.
Is there a way to keep chopped apple nice in a school bag until morning break? Or should i just go for the prepackaged stuff from Asda?
Glad the shoes are a hit Ali.
I am feeling a bit of a meany. I went out with my friend this morning and we ended up somewhere that we could have gone for coffee. My friend would never suggest it (very shy and assumes people don't want to spend time with her) but I know she would have loved it if I had suggested it. I didn't because I only had coins in my purse and didn't want to imply that she should pay. I feel 
now as it would have made her day. What do you do in these circumstances?
I bought the final bit of sports kit that dd needs this morning (planned expenditure) and now have virtually no money in my purse
I am doing ok. No spending to morrow as I'm on nights, extra shift tonight so extra money.
I did impulse order a coat the other day but it's horrid and will go back on Friday
Having haircut Friday which will be pricey but I hope not to have spent much all week so I'm heading in the right direction. Ds's being back at school is definitely helping.
I have just realised I have 2 bills to pay today. Both will have to be cheques as I don't want to take money out. Both are planned spends but this does make you realise just how quickly it can slip through your fingers.
Don't worry, Carrots. It's so hard to keep track; I was feeling all smug about being so organized with everything this month and had all our expenditures planned down to the penny for September but forgot about a cheque I had written in January for one of the kids activities to be cashed September 1st . So now my plan is off by $300 and I will have to do some creative budgeting. Regarding the coffee/friend thing could you invite her to yours for coffee and homemade biscuits one morning?
Ormirian; I would love to know what you are making for Christmas. Would love to do something a bit alternative for friends and families as we all have way too much stuff; it just feels silly.
Urgh rubbish day today :( car back from garage which was £250 of my excess which is random as it was a stupid cow who crashed into me 
Then went to the centre with my 2 DDs as I couldnt be bothered going home as they were driving me mad - so £3.40 for soft play, and as needed lunch for dd1 for nursery that was £4.28. Was good though I didnt get anything and I normally would.
Then got DH from work for lunch as he wasnt feeling well so 2 meal deals and cookies for £7. Not to mention the £9 for the hire car.
Not a good day :(
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Collision I used to be a teacher and worked with one girl who refused to ever wear the same outfit more than once.
She would wear the same skirt say, but with a different top etc.
She must have had an enormous wardrobe.
I preferred the capsule approach: 2 suits and a few tops that all went together 
I have had a random spend Ds has mental health problems and struggles at school. His teacher stopped me today to tell me what a great day he had had - this continued through his music lesson and he did brilliantly at swimming too so he was rewarded with a packet of Poppets (49p). I don't care though as I am so pleased for him having a bit of success.
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