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Original poster

No spend January?

999 replies

corinewmoon · 27/12/2011 11:43

After he festive blowout and considering ive got some big bills in January, (MOT, car tax, insurance) I have decided to try a no frivlous spending month. There is nothing i really need to buy, (apart from new school jumper and coat for DS) .
So I will be taking my lunch to work every day,
I will avoid costas,
and i will limit my self to one bottle of wine per week
I will aim to spend £200.00 on food shop for the month
I will not go for leisurely stroll to the shops during my lunch break.

Any one else want to join in. ?

OP posts:
Meglet · 27/12/2011 11:55

I'll join. Unless we have a big dumping of snow and I hoard food and buy snowboots then we can get by on the bare minimum next month.

What I really need to do is spend all month sorting out things to e-bay and car boot in the spring.

Sparklingbaubles · 27/12/2011 11:59

I want to have one day at least a week when I spend nothing at all.

poorbuthappy · 27/12/2011 12:00

I'm in too.

Original poster
corinewmoon · 27/12/2011 12:31

sparkling, I agree with at least one day a week without spending anything at all. Though i think with discipline i could achieve more.

OP posts:
Sparklingbaubles · 27/12/2011 12:33

I think it's possible corine. Especially if I concentrated on the weekly shop more. I buy a newspaper every day but think I will drop that.

MrsHuxtable · 27/12/2011 15:28

I'm in. I'm taking some unpaid holidays before my maternity leave starts in February so we have minimal money. Still have to buy a few bits and bobs for baby though.

My maximum food allowance will be £160 for DH and myself. It has to include at least 5 portions of fruit and veg.

Sparklingbaubles · 27/12/2011 15:31

Before I had my first maternity leave I did loads of bulk buying of washing powder, cleaning stuff etc and non perishables. It made things a lot easier.

RecursiveMoon · 27/12/2011 15:32

I'm in too Smile.

I crashed my car, and think that the insurance company's garage will just happen to have to do lots of repairs Sad.

I need to meal plan. I hate the idea of meal planning, but I think that I have to do it.

Amaris · 27/12/2011 15:39

Me too. I've just been out on a (free) bike ride this afternoon instead of mooching around the shops and so I feel very pleased with myself.

I've been reading Economy Gastronomy, which has reminded me that I need to get back into the habit of cooking in bulk and freezing stuff, and then actually remembering to get it out of the freezer and eat it rather than throwing food away.

serin · 27/12/2011 17:25

Signs up.

We might need to buy a car this month as our old one is falling apart (it has done 210,000 miles though!) Sad

Also need to pay for 3 school trips (Thanks school, just what we needed in January)

BoffinMum · 27/12/2011 17:29

I'm in too. Incidentally on my blog you'll find menus and meal plans which might help.

www.austerityhousekeeping.wordpress.com

zookeeper · 27/12/2011 17:32

Count me in - my first vow is to stop going to the supermarket less - I pop in for milk and come out with a trolleyload - three or four days a week. It would be cheaper to shop at the corner shop! I might try online shopping to avoid impulse buys

zookeeper · 27/12/2011 17:35

err, that should read "my first vow is to go to the supemarket less"

suntansue · 27/12/2011 17:45

Can I join too.

Totally brassic now so I really need to be strict with the spending.

I will be back on 'resourcefully cook' for meal plans as my food bills are creeping up fast since I stopped using it.

Ds1 birthday on the 24th too so that will be a big dent in the funds!!

goldbow · 27/12/2011 17:57

I'm in too. We need to save up a deposit for a new house.

I am a big fan of weekly on line shop and will be starting that again.

I'm going to stop with costa fortune Wink
1 bottle of wine per week (health wise too)
Cut right back on eating out/take - aways
Get on top of budget

noddyholder · 27/12/2011 17:59

I have to give up costa too

Sparklingbaubles · 27/12/2011 18:08

Do you think that even with the delivery charge a weekly online shop is less expensive than a weekly shop you do yourself? I have never done an online shop.

zookeeper · 27/12/2011 18:09

I think it must be, at least for me, because I just can't stick to a list when i am in a supermarket

zookeeper · 27/12/2011 18:12

I am going to start cooking double and freezing it - less going to the shops and so less temptation.

poppyandsneeze · 27/12/2011 18:12

Count me in too, my resolution for new year is to manage the household budget better, so need all the help I can get.

zookeeper · 27/12/2011 18:12

and try to save something - anything! - every month

Sparklingbaubles · 27/12/2011 18:13

I am really tempted zookeeper. I do need to stay out of the supermarkets. I also pop in for a loaf of bread and get well and truly sidetracked.

fivegomadindorset · 27/12/2011 18:18

serin I have a car for sale if you are interested.

Original poster
corinewmoon · 27/12/2011 18:40

One thing I am tempted to buy is a new fridge/freezer . They is some very good deals in sale. My current one has a really tiny freezer . So not so good for batch cooking. Technically I should try and make do until I can actually afford one but by then they will have gone up in price .hmmm

OP posts:
bananarama05 · 27/12/2011 18:42

Count me in.

My paid maternity leave stops in Feb and I'm not back at work until late May. Chuck in a family week away with friends and an overnight stay at a 5* hotel for a friends wedding before I go back and I really need to start reigning things in. Especially as we've had a decidedly slack approach to being careful with money lately!