Just say NOvember

[economymode]

Want to cut back on unnecessary spending this November? Then you've come to the right place!

I'm starting off the month by seeing if I can switch to cheaper fuel tarrifs...

Managed my NSD :o.

Spendy couple of days here. Weekly shop was £130, but they left a bag behind so I will get all those items refunded plus a £20 goodwill gesture towards next week's shop.

Also on Friday I donated about £10 to CIN through DS1's school and DS2's playgroup.
Our microwave blew up earlier in the week. We have had it 8 years so it has done pretty well, so we bought the new version of it.
I also had a massage yesterday which was £25 because my back has been stiff and sore this week and I feel loads better.

Today will be a NSD, and tomorrow. DH is doing well taking lunches etc this month so I think we are on target.

NSD yesterday and aiming for another NSD today.

Am listing items on Ebay today so, hopefully, that will result in some money in next weekend. It's all new and unworn so I am hoping it will translate to sales. You just can't tell with Ebay.

I also HAVE to get on with the Christmas knitting ... I have been distracted by my son's Nintendo ... I love the scrabble but can lose hours .

Beautiful morning here - it's lovely to have the sun even though it is cold. A small free pleasure, but a pleasure nonetheless.

what does nsd mean ?

No spend day.

oh great idea!

NSD here today. I was rummaging in the cupboards and found some whole meal bread flour which was 6 weeks out of date do I've whipped up some cinnamon and raisin buns for our picnic tea. If they work ok it'll be great because I can do them for our special breakfasts we always have on Saturdays and they're loads cheaper than croissants!

Well not quite NSD today ... £2.50 on the Sunday papers but that's all.

Managed to get 100 items on Ebay for the free listings so am feeling pleased with myself for that. And, have finished one sock . On the the other one now ...

It took us hours to list one item.

No ones watching it either. Not that I check. Every hour. Oh no.

Going to be a nsd I can feel it.

Rogue- you are an ebay machine!! Good work on the socks too- I totally cannot do in the round

Fluffy- you can spend all day watching ebay, save you spending!! I am watching amazon black friday and seeing all the rubbish go by!

Hubby worked Sat for me because I was feeling so rough, then we sorted out our asda shop, I did buy myself some new boots because mine all have big heel (I own two pairs, that made me sound like Emelda Markos) and they are not pg friendly. I did manage however with coupons and stuff to get £10 off my shopping so I was happy. Groceries cost just under 40 without the coupons.
Got some xmas pressies, and looked at the deals at asda for more xmas pressies too, looking at the best prices I can get now. Im stingy and I dont care I dont mind spending money on the people I care about, but some people need a present but I dont want to spend the earth on them. And also, why spend a lot when somewhere else has it cheaper

Hahh littlelady - about two thirds are items already loaded so it wasn't a massive amount of work. Although I have done that in the past ... it was horrible .

Well, truly a spendy day here: £50 on oyster cards (DS and mine); £78.00 grocery delivery plus another £20.00 in Sainsbury's when I went to collect DS; £118 Amazon (is DS's Christmas present though and factored in and it was an amazing £52 cheaper on Amazon than elsewhere ). Wow, it sounds awful written down...however I won't spend for the rest of the week.

Wow, rogue; that's some serious eBaying :).

Hope your item sells for what you want, fluffy.

I managed to list the last of my eBay stuff for now, so I think I have 15 items on. I find it more hassle than it's worth, so I'll be glad to have a break from it. It really makes you think about buying in the first place, IMO, as you can see how quickly things lose their value.

Total for today- £4.85, on bus fares, milk and toilet roll.

Bought books

Barack Obamas book and a wildlife of the british isles field book. £1 for both.

Ebay is a hassle, maybe we should use facebook local. I have no idea how facebook local works though.

Any ideas?

Have had 4 NSD's in a row :)
Will have to get milk and juice tomorrow. Have to make £10 last until the 28th, so more NSD's for me this week!!

Welcome to the newbies
Jan I've switched our fuel supplier to Utility Warehouse, saving £110 a month. I phoned Sky threatening to leave and got half price for 6 months, so saving £23 a month. Have switched to Tesco Car, Life and Contents insurance, combined saving of £33 a month, but I get clubcard points every month now too. We have a large chest freezer so I stock up on reduced supermarket finds whenever possible, and I batch cook larger amounts when cooking spag bol/chilli/curry etc, so we have ready meals available and don't have to run the oven all the time!

Ventured into Card Factory today because someone suggested it on the October thread. Saved loads on my cards for Christmas. Spent £11 - it was nearly £40 last year!!

Picked up 2 gammon joints in Asda for £6. I'm planning to cook and slice them for sandwiches. Packed sliced ham is scaryspensive. Hoping this will work out cheaper. Have done most if my week's shop but only spent half my food budget. I am emptying the freezer before we move though!

I bet there really nice cards too.

I honestly don't know how clintons and smiths get away with it.

They were lovely cards fluffy. I wrote the shop off as being chavvy before but I'm eating my own prejudice now .

I only ever buy Christmas cards in shops like that because I generally buy cards for other occasions in packs from people like the Book People - but I think Card Factory is even cheaper than that!

I'm mean and don't bother with xmas cards anymore. Is that bad?

I switched both our gas and electricity to Cooperative Energy today as they are NOT raising prices and we should save around £150/year. I'll also earn dividend points, which they turn into vouchers that I can spend instore. I don't do my main shop at Coop, but I do go in once/twice a week for stuff I can't get at Aldi.

Fluffy, I've had zero luck selling stuff on Facebook through local groups. But others do. You just search for 'for sale in [name of town]' and the like, and join the groups you want. Unless I'm doing it completely wrong.

Nothing wrong with not buying cards, apart from the one to dh I dont really care if anyone gets me a card or not.

I turned the stat on the hot water tank to 55, it should be 60 really but it's been 55 for 4 years and we've not died. Famous last words!. Anyway the bill dropped £20 in a month.

I spent £6 on our cards there but there all the "for my nephew, his transexual partner and pet rat" type cards. I'd just send a normal card if I had my way but the family seem to like specific cards.

I was prejudiced too, and about poundland and aldi.

I don't send many cards. My family have never really been into it. DH's family like all those "Aunty" "Nanna" etc cards - so I write a list and buy them all from Card Factory in the January sale!
Since DS1 was born I get the cards that you insert a photo into (£1 for six - poundland) and take a cute pic of my boys in tacky Xmas outfits to send to my family. I use Aldi online photos, usually get 12 6x4" shots for £1ish, so a cheap and nice way to keep family updated every year. :)

I wasn't prejudiced about cheaper stores, but I was spoilt. I worked as a charity shop manager for 7 years before DS2 was born, and I got excellent bargains - donated presents in January were a big fave, clothes with tags still attached, candles, books, clothes for DS1... all at bargain prices. Miss it so so much now. Going into those shops as a regular customer just isn't the same as I don't get first pickings!

I only send cards to family. It's expected in my family so I conform to keep the peace. Everyone else gets a piece if paper saying that I've donated to the hospice that cared for my Dad and that I hope they understand. Most people do and I'd rather fund a visit by the most incredible pain control nurses on the planet than contribute to someone's recycling pile. I shall get off my soapbox now!

I've also given up with Xmas cards, they don't go in for them much here. It's only been the last few years they've been available, I just buy for OH and DDs now.

Had a mega spendy start to the week. Got the week's groceries yesterday-£105
Plus tolls and parking at the airport -£5 probably
Today, roads -£6 school run and running around
Fee for school field trip -£4.80 for both DDs
Parking-£4-ish
2 pairs of jeans for OH -£80
Garden paraphenalie -£80
Coffee & snacks, skipped lunch, -£5

Tomorrow I have to see the dentist, don't how much that'll cost yet.

ok yesterday I spent £2.70 sending a parcel to a friend, and she got it this morning and was so happy, and her little girl too, so that was def worth it. Brought a bit of happines to her week too. oh and £6 to change my mums ferry crossing by a day, but ill get that back so not really a spend.

I really dont want to send cards to the world this year, I have some friends abroad I send to, because I like to and they really appreciate it, but other than that I want to cancel all the aunts and uncles and hangers on. I would prefer to just give cards to people I see. I made hub get my box from the loft, so am using last yrs leftovers!!! Like anyone will realise, I dont remember what cards I got last year. Hubby still wants to send them all. We will see.

I have to send a couple of things today, but other than that, shouldnt be anything else. Have brought my own packed lunch to work every day now for over a week, and drinks and things, very pleased with myself.

£2.13 today on milk and juice, and £1.80 on a portion of chipshop chips to go with tea as I forgot that we had no potatoes or frozen potato things in the freezer

Have started making some homemade mini stockings tonight. I'm making them out of DS1's left over felt and crafty bits. I shall fill them with some dinky choc santas from Approved Foods 10 for £1 and some small candy canes 20 for £2 for my mummy meet friends. Something little, but made with love! :)

I only post 3 cards, and only within the UK. The rest I hand to family as I see them from 1st Dec. Only ever use 2nd class stamps too

£1.35 x 3 on buses and £6.50 on top up groceries yesterday.

Aiming for NSD today - apart from the obligatory oyster bus journeys to get my boy!!

On the subject of Christmas cards ... I am afraid I do send cards but do try to buy them in the January sales.

Lei - those stockings sound lovely.

I was taught how to make sugar flowers by my friend (in return I am teaching her to knit) and she was telling me that she makes cupcakes and decorates them to give to her DC's teachers. She buys a couple of cupcake boxes and dividers, adds a lovely ribbon (that she collects during the year from other things) and they look as good as, if not better, than anything you can get from Lola's or Hummingbird etc.

I have always thought that handmade gifts speak so much louder about thoughts and wishes than shop bought and have always been thrilled that someone has thought that much of me to spend their time and energy making me something. Nowadays, when things are so tough it is even better - as generally it is more cost effective.