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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:
Sparklingbrook · 30/12/2011 09:16

Perhaps Aldi could disguise the vans somehow. Grin

BoffinMum · 30/12/2011 11:53

I started going to Aldi when I was made redundant in 2006, putting the shopping into my Waitrose reusable bags. Then I realised what a great shop it was and I have come out of the closet, openly sporting Aldi bags in all circumstances. Grin

Kelly, get yourself an electric carving knife, or even an electric rotary slicer.

MrsHuxtable · 30/12/2011 12:49

Oh, I'd love it if Aldi started doing deliveries. Tesco would hate it. Aldi has already taken so much of their profit in the last couple of years.. Hahaha.

We have a bread slicing machine! Got it from Argos and I remember it wasn't too expensive.

Sparklingbrook · 30/12/2011 12:50

Aldi and proud Boffin.

moomoo1967 · 30/12/2011 14:06

I would love to join, spent rather too much in the lead up to Christmas. So much so that all I have left for food after the bills are paid for DD and I for January is £15 per week. However this will just have to cover milk, bread, fruit and vegetables as I have two freezers full of food that needs using so that I can eventually defrost them. If I am on a mission I can stick to a list and I find the cheapest is Lidl. It is 89p for two pints of milk in Sains, Asda, or Tescos but only 75p in Lidl, it all adds up.

I don't like doing online shopping as I never spend the minimum spend in one go and don't drive so cannot get to a supermarket. Lidl is within walking distance

Meglet · 30/12/2011 14:09

I've decided I'm going to be really good and not 'fritter' away the Boots voucher I was given for Xmas. In the past I would spend it on the nicer brands, but this year I'll use it to stock up on everyday toiletries. Boring but thrifty.

KinkyDoritoWithFairyLightsOn · 30/12/2011 14:26

I will join too. I'm now on less money so have to tighten things up substantially. My aim is now to spend as little as possible as I don't know what the future holds for my family Sad.

I am also a lover of Lidl. Providing it doesn't snow, I'll be driving there for weekly shopping as veg is so much cheaper, as are other staples as moomoo says. We will be eating lots of stew and pasta bakes made with 49p mozzerella.

I haven't read the whole thread, but I love Old Style on Money Saving Expert for tips on how to save.

KinkyDoritoWithFairyLightsOn · 30/12/2011 14:27

Meglet don't Boots often have some nice toiletries really cheap in their after Christmas sale?

Meglet · 30/12/2011 14:32

kinky I love the Good Works brand. They do have it in the sale sometimes don't they . I'll keep popping in and see what's leftover from Xmas.

MartyrStewart · 30/12/2011 14:41

Hello - mind if I join? I am pretty thrifty anyway but know there are a few areas I can cut back on.

It's my Mum's birthday next week, and DD's a few days later but apart from that I shouldn't need to spend on anything significant this month - DC got clothes and DS new school shoes for Christmas

I don't know if anyone remembers the £30 meal plan I did last year, but I was thinking of doing another one if anyone was interested?

I spent nearly £40 at Aldi yesterday, but that was for two weeks worth of meals. Realistically all I should need to top up is fruit and milk.

delilahbelle · 30/12/2011 16:27

I'm going to join too. I have money in the account for all the direct debits, but not much else at all. Quite a few big bills (house and car insurance) going out too, I am definitely a bit skint.

My only 'frivolous' expenses this month will be a meal out for my DSis birthday.

I am going to spend on food and petrol only - we have tons of booze left over from Xmas, and I'm fully stocked on toiletries and junk food too.

Snapespeare · 30/12/2011 17:30

i have to join - my January wages are £490 down and after paying bills (and putting travelcard to work on the visa..Blush ) I have only child benefit to feed us for the next three weeks until my tax credit comes in. cupboard and freezer are full. I will stop smoking (needed an incentive other than health and eating vs smoking is a good one...) there will be no wine, just store cupboard gin and tonic.

faintpinkline · 30/12/2011 18:32

I'd like to join. We have quite a lot of food in storage - eg pulses, pasta, tinned stuff, frozen veg, cereals. I am inclined to go for a relatively vegetarian month and see how it goes. I will need to get some things but will try to stick to Aldi and the reduced shelves.

DD and I both have enough clothes though DP could use some new trousers. We can go to the library for books, try to avoid eating out and generally try to stay out of the shops.

Note to self - I do not need a coffee every morning I really really don't I am sure a walk round the park will be a better use of my time and wake me up

BoffinMum · 30/12/2011 21:11

I just managed to spend £180 in Aldi , The Aldi people congratulated me on being the biggest spender that week. Blush. In my defence, £30 of it was booze DH had put into the trolley, £8 was some socks for the DCs, and I have just made 8 portions of gourmet bolognaise sauce for the freezer, as well as two meals worth of leek and potato cream soup. But still ... I am telling myself it is not January yet ... Grin

BoffinMum · 30/12/2011 21:12

I am feeding 6 people on that for a fortnight though.

MartyrStewart · 30/12/2011 21:13

Jeez, how is it even possible to spend £180 in Aldi? Shock Grin

Sparklingbrook · 30/12/2011 21:15

That is impressive boffin. Respect. Smile

BoffinMum · 30/12/2011 21:18

Well, I bulk bought lots of things including meat, and 3kg of mince, the fridge is stuffed full of fruit and veg for further batch cooking projects, I restocked my cleaning cupboard and spent about £10 on soap powder and fabric conditioner as well, there's also lots of cold meat and cheese and so on. But even I was a bit Shock.

MartyrStewart · 30/12/2011 21:18

How many trolleys did you need? Grin

BoffinMum · 30/12/2011 21:19

I think they should have carried it to the car for me tbh. I did suggest it but I think that would be a step too far for Aldi. Grin

BoffinMum · 30/12/2011 21:20

That was an overflowing trolley, I carried the loo roll and kitchen roll while DH pushed the rest.

Sparklingbrook · 30/12/2011 21:21

Is there anything you don't buy in Aldi Boffin? Do you have to go anywhere else for anything?

SouthGoingZax · 30/12/2011 21:21

I'm in.

Going to make packed lunches, let DH do the shopping (How, HOW do I spend twice as much as him and come bak with the same amount of food? And continue what I started with turning off 1-click Amazon ordering (I haven't bought anything from Amazon in over a month since I turned off 1-click).

We also made thank you cards instead of buying them and went to the beach this pm, came home for a hot choc instead of the cafe. Have spent no money since 23rd December.

Sparklingbrook · 30/12/2011 21:28

The Amazon tip is genius South. I'm going to do that. Also Play.com. Thanks.

BoffinMum · 30/12/2011 21:29

Have to go to Waitrose for:

Nappies - they don't do size 6 in Aldi.
Certain things for cooking like sesame seeds.
Polenta.
Coconut milk.
Posh mushrooms - dried and fresh.
Frozen sardines.
Brabantia bin bags.
Posh bread you slice yourself.

TBH they have most stuff we eat, even free range chickens and the like.

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