Sashaying into September savings, the frugality continues....

[Fluffycloudland77]

NSD.

Waving hello to everybody, oldies from the August thread & newbies alike!

Helena I got similar vouchers for Sainsburys - 6 weeks worth, alternating with £3 off a £20 shop (I never spend that much in one go ) & 6p/litre off fuel if I spend £20 instore. Also 500 bonus points if I use all 6 vouchers. They send them to me because I never spend big amounts anywhere, I'm more a little & often shopper.

Finished August on an NSD. Started September on £2.76 for milk, tinned toms, garlic & tom puree (for dinner). Not been spendy this weekend as we have been tackling the jungle of a garden in our new house & been kept incredibly busy. It's what you'd call a project - structurally all sound, but gardens & house a real mess decoratively, although upon ripping up the carpets we have been rewarded with decent floorboards on 2/3 floors.

Will be spendy this week. Tomorrow is DS1's last day before he starts big school, so doing a morning at a seasidey town with both DSes & picking up a pair of Ebay maternity jeans en route (£1.99). Will only pay for splash park, ice cream & parking, though. Plus need to buy magnolia paint to blitz new house with & probably loads of other bits.

Really need to try & rein it in though, despite house move, as will be the first time in a few months we've had a mortgage to pay, so need to get back into the rhythm of things.

Hello all!
We had to pay for more decorating and DIY stuff today but I was saintly and avoided spending any money on clothes, shoes or other fripperies while we were in huge shopping centre looking for curtain poles.

We are also meal-planning very strictly and using up every scrap of food we have, it's been great watching the fridge empty and realising nothing is getting wasted, and we have been eating really well too!

This summer has been a money drain with moving house but I start back at work on Wednesday and from then we are:

Meal planning and not eating out until October half term

No wine on school nights (always have this rule, but this year I start at a school where we teach on Saturdays, so only 1 night a week is allowed now in term!! shock

At least 3 NSD per week - should be do-able if we meal-plan properly and don't need to pop out for things each night.

Marking my place!

Today is ds2's birthday and grandparents were round for tea so had to nip out for wine(!) Tomorrow is the last day of school hols for us so having a day out and expecting to spend £10-15 but apart from food shop... I'm expecting some NSDs this week!

Technically I've had another NSD because OH paid for shopping out of t'other account. This week we had to get traditional dresses for folklore event in school. That added another £35 to the grocery bill. Also the dog food is now included in the grocery budget whereas OH used to pay that separately. He spent around £140.

I'm changing where I shop for fruit and veg but still need to go into town for meat/fish.

DD1 has her birthday celebration next weekend, half paid for a couple of weeks ago. We shouldn't have anymore big DC related expenses now unless Disney Dad OH decides to splash out on Christmas. He's finally paid off his CCs, taken nearly 5 years.

Welcome to all the newbies

Forgot To say Happy Birthday To daisy's DS

Am going to jump on too, if that's OK.

Just

Sorry, DD (10 months) pressed send too early!

Just moved into our own place and am chronically bad with money. Spent £15 on food, £40 on petrol and £10 on lunch so need a NS week ideally!

£2 today at the holiday club at the church but that should be it as back to school on Weds. Has been a seriously spendy summer so need to get back into a frugal mindset!

Joining in again this month. NSD yesterday, and hopefully again today. Should also be NSD tomorrow, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday. I'm feeling pretty good about that. Don't know though - does it mean I'm spending less or just organising all my spends on one or two days?

Anyway, this month's goals for me are putting money in savings and staying completely out of the overdraft. That's going to require me to stick to my budget and no takeaways or unnecessary spends (except £20 that I've allowed myself at Asda later this week to pick up a few bits and bobs that I wanted to get).

Anyone else doing No waste week? I'm so sick of the amount of food I bin each week I'm hoping this will force me to make some changes! Going to do roast vegetable spaghetti for dinner to use up the left over veg from yesterdays stir fry today.

No waste week sounds a good idea to me. When DH and I separated, I noticed our food waste bin was much less full - when he cooked he made HUGE portions, so we always had so much more waste. But there's always room for more improvement.

Managed to start a September thread myself - checked but couldn't see that one had been started. Never mind - have found you now.

DS gone to Thorpe Park for the day with his friends - so technically a spend? Gave him £20.00 for extras and had to take him across London for the pick-up (will need to do the same thing later when they come back) so diesel 'spent' there.

Trigglesex I think the key to knowing if you are spending less will be How much you save by the end of a given time frame, week/month or year. And Well done on budgeting Those odd bits you want from Asda, that will help keep you from over spending.

Rogue hope DS enjoys his day out.

No waste week sounds like a good plan.

I shouldn't need to spend anything Today, OH refueled the car I use last night and Pilates I pay monthly in advance.

Hi all. Can I join? Dh and I are spending money like its going out of fashion.
Had a technically no spend yesterday. Did car boot and made £50 but spent £6 on the boys.
Have to post off some DVD's I sold on ebay this afternoon but should be technically no spend as buyer has paid for postage.
I do need to pop into Sainsburys tho for a few bits. Will aim to buy only those 3 things!!

This is a brilliant thread which I have been reading for a while but thought it was time I joined.

Afternoon all. Today I have spent £1 on contribution to a colleagues leaving present. Im not usually so mean but I don't know her well and I feel like I am forever giving for a birthday, wedding, leaving present! Also spent £2.69 in b&m but got packet of biscuits, 3 jars of fancy pesto and 2 x 4 packs of organix raisins for my DS. I bloody love that shop but it's too easy for me to buy foods for the cupboard because they're so cheap.

I really need to spend less, am pretty much skint and still with 8 days to go till pay day. Need to get overdraft down and 2 credit cards, not massive amounts but enough. On the bright side, I have around £400 more coming in due to DS starting school and a colleague is giving me some outgrown clothes of her sons, some of which are designer brands. I don't really need to spend much in run up to pay day but am hoping for a few NSDs as summer has been very expensive and they're increasing the electric bills...

NSD so far.

I am rediscovering things I love doing that are free. Play guitar, crochet (got loads of yarn from MIL), read... I'm also using the exercise bike that has been collecting dust for a few weeks (too hot to use it = poor excuse!). Did over 10 km in half an hour. Got to be careful not to overdo it as my knees are pretty knackered!

And the Netflix trial I started two weeks ago has been so great. I'm still not sure if I will keep it, but it is going to cut down on buying dvd box sets and other crap like that!

I'm really trying to plan meals. So I went through all the cupboards and made a list of what we have. I found loads of stuff that was well passed the use by/best before date. I'm not that bothered about it, but some were obviously off So some store cupboard stuffs need replacing.

It has been a spendy day so far for me & mini Confuseds. We went to an estuary town near us as a treat, as it is DS1's last day before he starts big school. Spent £4 on parking, £1.20 on tea, £1.60 on ice cream & £4 on splash park for both DSes. Then £2 picking up a pair of maternity jeans I got from Ebay. Finally £20.04 on diesel.

Now I have to summon up the energy to go out. Need to buy £30 worth of groceries at Sainsbury's, then I will get 6p/litre off fuel (it is the cheapest place in our town anyway). Also need to return some bits to Tesco that we don't need, pay in a wages cheque & get a security tag taken off a maternity swimming cossie from Mothercare (which I didn't actually notice until I was in the changing rooms at the pool ), so none of that should cost anything.

Tomorrow should be relatively Low Spend, maybe just a coffee with school mum friends & some paint for new house.

Update. Postage for dvds was less than expected so yah there but spent almost £10 in Saibsburys. Should be NSD tomorrow and Weds as busy days with work, gym and swimming lessons for ds1

Urgh £9.66 at Coop and £10.72 at Sainsbos. And got food delivery tomorrow of about £60

Spent £30 at Sainsbury's on bits & bobs, plus £45 at B&Q on paints, rollers & brushes. Got £8 refunded at Tesco & used £2.50 of Nectar points so not all bad.

Have just finished naming & preparing all DS1's things for his first day at nursery tomorrow. Am a little for him, because he wanted to show his uniform off to his daddy, but Daddy didn't get home until DS1 was in bed & will be leaving before he is up in the morning. Feels very much like work comes first with DH atm & we come a very poor second. I don't expect him to be involved in the minutiae of the DC's lives, just the big stuff like this, that is important to them. DH is just angry with me (his words) as he says I don't live in the real world. Maybe not, but it breaks my heart to see DS sad.

Not at nursery, at primary school, oops! Freudian slip!

So today was spendy day but mostly necessary. Was with DS who was really helpful!

Started off with car wash £5 and £2 for vacuuming. Ohh it was disgusting. The car feels so good now.

Then to b&q to get paint roller and car freshener and batteries. £10

Then to town. By which time it was lunch so had lunch out £20. Library £1.35 for an audio cd for dh. The works for presents for a 2 year old £7, £3.99 for something for DS.

Dept store for a shirt that dh wanted £19.99 (down in the sale!!) - a present for our anniversary!!

Put in a cheque for dh's company . Measured DS' feet and thankfully they've not grown so he can wear all shoes on Wednesday.
M&S for cards for special people - but got one card free so spent £8 and saved £3.50.

Sainsburys for some stuff under £9 I think.

Hopeful for NSD tomorrow.

Wasted - 4 mouldy mushrooms. Whoops Better than the full packs its been lately though! DH cooking tomorrow will be scrutinising his meal for potential waste.

Spent £3.40 on bus fare and 67p on a crap magazine for the bath. More bus fare tomorrow but that should be it hopefully.

Prettyness - you sound like me I have food hoarding issues one half freezer one stand alone 4 food cupboards a tea trolley and spice cupboard all full. Makes me feel safe only problem is using up stuff kills me.

Our week's tight post hol budget starts on a Saturday, but after a spendy Saturday we have £10 to last the week . I'm determined to stick to it though.
Today is ds' 12th birthday so rsther than go out for tea and pay for my parents too, I cooked a 3 course meal of his choosing. Gutted though as I'd ordered a watch for him and it hasnt arrived in time . Can't believe my baby boy goes to high school on Wednesday where did the time go?
Dd has her op tomorrow, thanks for your messages . She had her pre op appointment today and seems calm about it. Not sure I'll be so calm tomorrow.