No-spend January/Frugal February - the no-spend challenge continues

[roguepixie]

OK - am attempting to start the second thread ... hope this works.

Oh also meant to say all my spend today was negated because I returned a maternity bra that doesn't fit and got money back $14 for it - bought it way long ago in December so really all was free and profit of $5

Hello,
A no spend day here! We stayed in all day :-) that's the trick i'm sure.

Made four lots of bread two for the freezer and three pizzas for the freezer today. definately think that batch cooking the bread will be the way forward. The effort is just the same. Has anyone part cooked them? Do i do it to about 80%? Before freezing.

Do I get a prize for 4 consecutive NSDs? Friday - Saturday was a work conference so in a hotel with no chance to spend money. Did have to drive there & back but I can reclaim that. Snow here yesterday and today there was a lot still lying around plus I was feeling ropey so had a very lazy day with DD. We did have some random food combinations for lunch & supper today though as both the fridge & freezer are getting bare.
Ohhh ... just remembered. I won a bid on eBay on Saturday so that was £10.21 spent. I'm really pleased with the item though, especially at that price. It would have been £89 new!

I seem to have spent loads over the past few days but nothing was avoidable really. I bought a wedding present for a relative in nz on sunday (£30) which then cost £20 to post! then had to put petrol in the car &i went out for cake with a friend today who I hadn't seen for ages. Hopefully tomo will be a nsd though!

Article on BBC website today about extreme couponing in the US. can't link sorry, read it on mobile app.

Working from home today so prob a NSD. Doing this week's menu plan so a shopping list will come out of that.

Distressing story in the local paper yesterday that the council want to raze my shopping precinct (with co-op, two pharmacies, and veg shop) and rebuild something modern with a large supermarket (the size of half the Vicarage Road pitch, amusingly) and more "housing units". I feel a nimby letter coming on... the extent of consultation so far is an open day where 200 people filled in a questionnaire.

Morning all, I am featured in today's Woman's Own issue, dated 13th February with Holly Willoughbooby on the front. A money saving feature

NSD yesterday. I think it's only the second one since 1st Jan.

I definately think the trick to a NSD is also what someone else mentioned further up the thread - just don't leave the house Luckily DD is at Secondary school now so walks with her friends and I shall be spending all day today at the computer doing an OU essay then tomorrow back to work.

It's the little shops for milk and bread that don't make me have NSDs.
I have stopped taking my purse when doing the school run. It's easy and tempting to just nip into Boots or the charity shops to 'look for a bargain' on the way and spend!

jenduck, thanks for those survey tips - will check them out. I translate from German into English, and do copywriting and proofing, too. The idea was that when my SMP ran out, I'd do freelance work, but I just don't have the hours in the day to sit down and concentrate (writing this while shovelling cereal into the boy's mouth).

Good day yesterday, just cat food and a few odds and sods left over from the shopping list that I can't get at Aldi. And my £10 wallet money for the week.

Well done to everyone - you are all stars .

I will look out for you moomoo - I am in Brent Cross on Friday so will pick up a copy (no buying, just furtive reading in-store ).

Effectively a NSD here yesterday, just a return bus journey (£2.70, oyster). Saw a sign up in the bus that said that oyster journeys were £1.35 whilst cash journeys were £2.30 (I think). I didn't realise I was saving so much money .

Well done fishy, glad work is going well and you are making such great savings. Have a look on the internet for beanie hats. I recall making them for DS when he was small and they are quite easy - I am sure there are patterns for free on the web.

Might not be a NSD here today. Have to post an Ebay sale (note to self: get some more stuff listed) and then will pop into £land as have a few items to buy so might as well get them cheaper there.

Hope everyone has a great day.

Today should be another NSD here as only going out in car to drop DS1 off at nursery & pick him up.

However, annoyingly, the wages cheque I paid into my bank on Thursday will not clear until tomorrow, but the cheque I wrote to nursery is being presented today & will not clear! Plus, I will not be able to make 2 credit card payments that were due today & that I had thought to make from my wages cheque, so will incur charges there .

This is the bit that I hate about DH being on contract work - when he is between contracts (and it has been a 6-week gap this time), it is really tough to cope, which is why I go out to work, but I can't earn anywhere near what he can . Even once he starts a new job, as he just has, he has to wait to get paid, this time until the end of the month, but of course bills don't stop coming in during this time. Happily, he is now starting to reach a level where he is a bit better paid, so we can put a bit away when he is working, but it has taken a while to get to this point (although he has done it quicker than most people he started out with) and at the bottom of the industry the pay is really very poor for very long & unsociable hours.

On a more positive note, I have just earned £12.12 through Topcashback by signing up to Netflix for a free trial

Have a good day all & sorry for the rant

Feel your pain, jen. Dh is a contractor and our present troubles were caused by a prolonged slow patch last year, in combination with a load of unexpected expense and the end of my (low-paid, but it was something) job with no sign of another one. Here's hoping for better times - it's so annoying when you incur more charges through not having enough in the bank to start with .

We will beat it all with our frugality .

Ooh, and will keep an eye out for moomoo

The thing is Dodger 6 weeks without work in DH's industry, especially over Xmas, is good! And if only I could alter time, by just one day, I would have my money & it would all be OK! Tried talking to the banks concerned but of course they didn't want to know

You are right though, frugality will win the day [hopeful emoticon]!

family and friends railcard 20% off

DH spent £10 on a haircut this morning. It was very much needed. He had nearly a mullet thing going ;)

reckoner I don't know if this will help you or not, but my DH got himself a pair of clippers in the sale at Boots the year before last for £70ish (also got lots of lovely advantage points). He would normally have a haircut once every 2 months or so @£10 per time, now does his own, saving £60 per year & DS1's, saving about £6 every 2 months! They have more than paid for themselves & can be done wherever with toys etc handy to distract DS1 if needed. For my hair, I tend to go every 3 months or so (is curly so hides a multitude of sis), & try when I can to go to a training evening at local hairdressers, so pay less than £10 instead of £40ish.

My Approved Foods order was delivered this mornig.DH has sampled the flapjacks and says they are fine.
Brilliant -very chuffed as now have enough packed lunch stuff for 6 months,conditioner,pepsi and 12 packets of Ainsley Harriott Cous Cous

Ooh, Moomoo - a celebrity (and a frugal one at that) in our midst Enjoy the five star luxury Thedodge - v envious.

Being crap here at no spending again - I fell down the stairs at the start of Jan and injured my left knee. Physio (seen through work under private healthcare plan got through work) thinks its cartiledge damage (as getting worse not better and so painful I cant sleep even with painkillers) and has recommended I go for an MRI urgently - the earliest appointment I could get in (even as an emergency) with my GP is at end of Feb so yesterday had to spend £40 on private GP appointment (all on CC) for urgent MRI referral and today am off to get MRI done. Should be covered by work private healthcare plan - but there will be an excess of £175 I need to pay (on cc again I reckon). So that plus the cc bill for the car will wipe out my money in March. However, am being v virtuous with living off 31p Muller yoghurts for breakfast (on offer in Tesco till today so have stocked up) and cupasoups for lunch so at least am not spending frivolously...

Slightly fallen off the wagon over the last week but I am resolving to get back on track. I am so delighted we have all discovered Approved Foods. I think it's probably knocked 15-20% off my shopping bill, although a bit of me is now wondering why the stuff costs so much in the supermarket in the first place.

I have to go shopping later as we are out of milk & I will NOT go without my cuppa! but have had 5 NSD's on the trot due to the snow & generally no money!

Thanks to the AP stock-up I only need to get a few bits of fresh and meat/chicken.

Due to events various I am down to one or other daughter for 3 night,nice to have one to myself, and one less to feed.

Cheapo recipe to fill up hungry teens/kids
Gnocchi -(potato dumplings) from Tesco 79p a pack, own jar herb& tomato sauce (75p) mix together well. Grate generous amount of cheese on top, even better get mixed Mozeralla & Cheddar ready grated. Bake in oven 180-200 deg till bubbling. Serve with veggies or side salad & garlic bread. Good stodgy filler. One lot feeds 2-4 if not very big or hungry, does us 3 with a bit left for my lunch next day. Double up for larger portions, quite a filling meal so don't need loads each. Make sure it's coated well in sauce to cook the gnochhi through.
Usually find gnochhi in the fresh pasta aisle, keeps in its vac-pac, can freeze it but it goes a bit mushy.

Spending AGAIN!

£20.61 on fuel (and a sweetie for DS)
£16 in Lidl on ham, cheese, bread, dog treats, cotton buds etc

Hoping that is it for a few days (although will need to top up gas and electric meters over the next few days)

Oh, and £40 on Thursday for the car valet (inside and out) as car goes back on Saturday, and we pick up the new one.

Did get a 10p off a litre of fuel voucher from Tesco last night with the online shop, so will use that on Saturday to fill the new car..... must remember new car will be PETROL and not DIESEL!!!

Looking like i will have a no spend day, we have stayed in/played out this morning, might go to the pool this afternoon but we have annual passes, so not free but all paid up. Much cheaper to do it that way for frequent users, which we all are. Bloody exspensive otherwise at £12. For a family of four!

Total spend his month £71