No spend January?

[corinewmoon]

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. ?

Hadn't thought of archiving past meal plans.... Genius!

LadyH - those magazines really add up, don't they? I used to buy loads but stopped buying them a few years ago. Now, when I do buy them I seem to be disappointed...it's all the same month in, month out. I do get Good Housekeeping (as a gift subscription) and I do love it. I get to read a few mag's at my Mum's but won't buy them myself.

Haven't spent anything today, so far. Have to go to the post office to post out some stuff I have sold on Ebay so will end up spending something but as I have already been paid for postage it isn't my expenditure...if that makes sense .

Am cooking chicken risotto tonight using leftover chicken from roast on Sunday, stock made from carcass of said chicken, store cupboard risotto rice and some veggies. Dessert will be panetonne.

Wow, mrspnut - 12 weeks!!!! You are super organised. I can do a week but 3 months would defeat me, I think .

Wow. I'm picking up some really good tips on this thread.

I haven't been on for a few days but am feeling really chuffed at having only spent £3 on car parks fees on Saturday and £43 on Ocado delivery today since I was last on.

Off to check out the organized home link now. Already doing flylady but I need all the help I can get.

Today was moderately successful.

Paid for my train ticket with vouchers DH had been sent for delays related to his season ticket, so no inroads into current account there.

I had forgotten to take a sandwich with me so looked in the shop at the station. Crayfish was £4 so I rejected that in favour of an egg and watercress one for £1.15. Bought a newspaper for £1.20 to read on the journey (was on the way to a work meeting so needed to be properly briefed on current affairs), and got a free bottle of water with it, so that was my drink covered.

Forwent tube and walked to destination (feeling a bit sore now!), but was very early, so lapsed, went into posh hotel and spent £5 on a coffee and two biscuits! Loved every moment, though. Someone who had already paid had left a perfectly acceptable half full pot of tea and an entire homemade biscuit on a plate, but having clocked the CCTV, I thought it would be a bit cheeky to avail of that, although I was very, very tempted.

Then on the way home, I went to Waterstones and spent a loyalty voucher on a £10 book for DD's birthday, which is a really good one she will love. I have wrapped it in a spare offcut of pink paper and a lovely ribbon, and I made her a card from existing bits and pieces, which is rather artistic if I say so myself.

I am about to regift to her a light brown woollen scarf I was given a Christmas, by personalising it for her as well. I thought I might embroider her a monogram on it, either that or decorate with pretty buttons from my extensive button box. Or indeed both. I am pretty good with a needle.

So a trip to London and a birthday present for DD effectively for £7.35.

Spent £35 on school uniform items and underwear for DS and DD and a few toiletries and food we really did need.

Thanks for the menu plan. Always good to add to or change mine. I only do a three week one.

rouge haven't forgoten you- lifes gorn mental here, just updating with one hand whilst eating with the other (norty Bossy) not really here in middle of essay for college tomorrow, Last Minute Larry as ever

Quick one for the doggy people- keep EVERY bag, breadbag,bagal bag useful for doggy-do bags always keep some in my dog walking coat. Also if you have cereals the empty cardboard box once flattened,cuts into several great pooper scoopers for your garden. The inner waxy bag makes excellent large freezer bag for bread/rolls etc.

Back to the books, keep on keeping on people!

Feeling very smug as went to ASDA & stuck to the list. I did pick up a couple of treats but chucked those out at the till (actually, was better than that as went & put them back on the shelf rather than just abandon them). I feel so virtuous!

I also had a break through as I was thinking about one of your suggestions to only take what you need to spend in the corner shop. I'd previously thought that that was stupid in case there were any irresistable offers but then it occurred to me that the irresistable offers are always on chocolate, biscuits & fizzy drinks, none of which I need anyway so, going forward, I will be taking limited funds with me to the corner shop.
Does anyone have any suggestions for economising on bin bags? As in black sack type ones? The smart price ones are useless as they break so easily but the others are soooo expensive.

Thanks bossy - whenever you get the time, no worries.

Things a bit weird here tonight - my DS (11) was mugged on the bus coming home from school. The scum who mugged him took his money and his phone. Poor lad was hysterical when he got home (I was working so got a awful call from him when he got home). Ran home in record time and have managed to calm him down. Called the police even though he begged me not to - the little told him he would "burn his house down" and "get his boys to f*k him up" if he told anyone. Police were lovely and really set him at ease, we will be visiting the station to have a look at a witness book in the near future to see if he recognises anyone. Sorry to be a bit of a downer tonight, just feeling so bad for my boy.

rogue
so sorry to hear your news, it must be so horrible to have a DC go through that, so scary.

Mackrel - yep, London.Like Stylist but Friday's Eve Stand mag my fave (even more than anything paid.) Mags just a bunch of advertising...(realise this is not a special insight.) Plenty of good blogs out there too...(as if I needed to spend more time on line...)

BoffinMum- dare you to do polish off the leftovers next time and save the £5! Would only be a tad embarrassing if the person had only nipped to the loo and returned halfway through...

Thanks guys. I just feel so bad that he's had such a horrible 'life lesson'. He's a lovely boy and doesn't deserve to have been so frightened. He was told that he would be stabbed if he didn't hand his stuff over. He's settled down a lot now though and is fast asleep in my bed!!! He's resilient as well so he will bounce back in time.

On to other matters: I think that when you start to have a look at the content of magazines you find that many of them follow the same rough content and format time and time again. As I said further up thread I get Good Housekeeping on gift subscription and absolutely love it but it's one magazine only and I don't buy any more. And it's a gift . LadyH - you are right...the advertising is obscene in many magazines, just page after page of adverts.

Must admit tsc, I don't understand cashback sites either...anyone with more info that could explain to a brain-dead mum like me???

rogue- same thing happened to my two when they were 11 and 13 and walking to the bus stop from school with two same age friends. Were waylaid by a bunch of kids the same age. The police were useless, refused even to take a statement from them and intimated that the muggees must either know the muggers or have provoked them in some way. Our kids had to take shelter in a shop from the 16/17 yo brother of one of the muggers who'd been called in as reinforcement.

Dear God duchesse, that sounds awful. I think these gangs are quite adept and picking out the newbies - those new to secondary school and a bit wide-eyed about everything. I am sorry your DC's had such a terrible time at the hands of the police - the two that came out to me tonight were great and really helped my DS calm down and see that the boy who mugged him was a coward, bully and a lowlife. They have such an opportunity to help the children who are put through this situation, it is a shame some don't help the victims as they should. How old are yours now? How long did it take for them to 'rationalise' it?

Thats rotten Rogue - hope the culprit gets his just desserts.

Just done my 'shop' online with Tesco for next week - It comes in at just over £25. I then print it out and then me and the dds go to the store on Saturday and try to beat the total - they love the 'game' aspect and I think my older dd is learning some valuable lessons. Even my 4 year old is telling everyone about no spend January. They've also made all their thank you cards by hand and all the January birthday cards with their paints and sponges!

I am a firm believer in karma ... appeals to my recycling tendencies ... what goes around, comes around. My DGranny (God rest her soul) always said "do unto others as you would have them do unto you" so somewhere down the line that little * is going to get a right pasting.

Have confirmed my Ocado shop (doing Ocado this time as they are the only place I can get my favourite tea - Dragonfly 'Honeybush' tea). It's come to £85.00 but will last for weeks as it is bread flour, yeast, olive oil etc. No meat or fruit/veggies as I am sticking to my vow to use stall and butcher.

rogue How awful poor mini-rogue, bless him a night in mums bed will be nice, bet you wanted to go & skin those little baskets alive ? I must say I'm glad my DD's go on the eye-wateringly expensive school bus as the bloody LEA won't pay for one from our village, but at least anything like that can be sorted as it's all kids from the same 3 schools in town & they all know each other. I hope you're feeling calmer too.

Iam brilliant idea to make it a game, and all joking aside you are teaching them some valuable life skills.

Have that 'stressy-bubbling-stomach' feeling. I have suffered with IBS for many years (although not in recent year and a half) and find that stressful situations bring out the worst!!! When I was racing home I called DH to tell him to get home too and he found himself scouring the streets looking for someone who matched the description. You feel so impotent. Someone has stolen a little of innocence and it makes me sooooo angry.

Agree with you re Iam - that's a really good game and really teaches them some excellent life skills lessons - infact, I should just say "what bossy said" .

Well, its home economics in action thats for sure! The dds share the list and I help the older one do the price comparisons and work out which is the better deal and the wee one then takes the list and crosses the item out. Since I started this approach I've had no supermarket tantrums or demands for comics at all!

Sorry to all for the thread hijack - didn't want to start a thread to discuss it but felt the need for some support. Thank you all for your words.

Not at all x

Hijack away no-one here will object I'm sure, I'm appalled & that episode would make anyones tummy churn, bless you.

at your DH coming over all Mr Vengeful, don't blame him at all, luckily he didn't find them or it might have got messy

Hope you get some sleep all of you, cuddle up & blow the usual sleeping rules.

Are you going to keep him off school tomorrow if he's wobbly? Mind you probably best to get back on that bus straight away so he doesn't get even more scared imagining stuff. Can he sit downstairs behind the driver in future or is that terminally uncool these days?

Be worth telling the school either way. Hugs to you all x

Well, the police said (1) do not sit upstairs and (2) do not get engrossed in reading etc ... always be aware of your surroundings, the people around you and what is going on.

I have called the school but it was late so only managed to speak to the late shift receptionist (lovely lady) and left a voice mail for Deputy Head. I left a brief message and will speak to him properly tomorrow. DS will go to school (DH drops him to Train station in the am, anyway) and I will meet at same station for trip home (at least for a while as he is a bit jittery).

I was a bit when DH told me he had gone a-hunting but I do understand his need to 'do something' like having a look on the streets. Best he didn't find anyone though...that would have been a whole other 999 call .

Well, am off to cuddle up to my boy. Yo are right, low the usual sleeping rules tonight.

Thank you, all. xx

You, not yo and blow the usual sleeping rules, not low!!!

Too tired, off to bed.

Understood, I speak gobbledygook too.....