December debt destroying *blows the budgeteering bugle*

[claretandamberforever]

Okay, so probably not much debt will be getting destroyed this month, but hopefully we won't add too much to it.

Here's the thread you want if you need to keep a spending diary somewhere, confess money sins, ask for help or have a general whinge at the cost of living.

Welcome to any newbies

Mixed bag for you claret but hopefully you're reassured. Pub lunch for you both sounds just the ticket.

I wandered to Tesco this morning and came back £22 poorer. I should have stayed away but this did include a plant for a friend and nappies.

Ds's stocking is ready and the reindeer dust has been sprinkled. I think some people would think I've been really mean as he hardly has anything but he's only wee. I'll enjoy his ignorance while it lasts.

Merry Christmas fantastic frugaleers!

Merry Christmas to all you frugaleers. Hope you're all having a lovely day

£10 on a new bra from JL.

Meal out tm but I won't be drinking. Again. Ever.

I hope your all having fun

Hope you all had a lovely day.

My mum gave me £20 which I have spent on some MUA make-up which I hope will be as good as the reviews I have read on here. I did want the new Urban Decay Naked3 pallet but at £37 plus P+P I couldn't justify it, so I have ordered three pallets from MUA.

But it was my Xmas money - so a NSD really

Hope everyone enjoyed their day.

NSD.

Hope everyone has had a Merry christmas. Nigella's flour less chocolate brownies were a hit with DH, made up for the lack of christmas pud, cake and mince pies very nicely.

Fluffy hope you enjoy your booze free meal tomorrow.

Claret hope your DH managed to eat something and that your make up is good when it arrives.

NSDs yesterday and today.

Morning all.

Overdone it on the booze front fluffy?

Other than a cry after I passed DS over to his dad I had a lovely Christmas. Had lunch with my friend and family and they couldn't have made me feel more like family.

NSD yesterday and reckon I won't be leaving the house today. My mum has made me swear I won't get her a present but I can take hee out for cake or something on Saturday as she's coming for a week. Means I can avoid the shops today although I am tempted.

NSD yesterday and hopefully today...

I've set up a standing order to my savings account for £10 every Monday, starting next week. This is to be Christmas money for next year. Going to get DH to do the same to cover the girls birthdays (both first week December - DS is in March so council tax not paid that month will cover).

This £10 is my lunch money, so I need packed lunch inspiration now, as I HAVE to take my own from now on. I'm thinking soup would be a good choice... Can make soup and bread rolls cheaply.

Hope you all had a fab Christmas and best wishes for a frugal 12 months to come...

Morning everyone! Merry Christmas!

claret a lunch with your loved one was a good alternative to the postponed appointment. Good, solid, reassuring words from your nurse. Fingers crossed for the new year.

fluffy I got rather merry myself yesterday too! Grandparents have been up early with dd this morning though so had a lovely lie in. Some things money can't buy!

woodburner I really want to save through the year for Christmas too. This is the first year I've counted costs but blimey does it add up. Il be setting up a similar standing order in the next few days. Not sure I could do £10 though. Maybe £5 more realistic.

Yes good luck for the frugal months to come everyone!

Well done wimsey that total is brilliant! I'm going to start looking for things early for dd for next year, obviously won't know exactly what she'll be in to a year from now but some things don't change - e.g. Pyjamas every year! Does anyone save morrisons tokens? I don't usually shop there but easy enough to pop in every now and then for tokens to save up for Christmas treats.

G'day all

I feel a 2014 challenge thread coming on for next year's monthly threads then - to either save up or to buy stuff on a monthly basis. I count at least three of us in, in the last few posts alone. So that's a category to add to my grocery, petrol and everything else budgets.

Also starting the 5:2 diet today simply for the reason it costs nowt but I'm going to give myself a £20 a month budget for that too, for low-calorie extras.

Just nipped to sainsburys for milk n alot of toiletry sets like dove lynx nivea all 70% off n xmas annuals £1 spent £44 but had a £4.5) off £30 spend n now got good stash of pressies to use throughout the yr.

Example nivea lip balm tin 1.90
Lynx set shower gel n deodrant 1.80
Large dove sets 4.50
Small dove sets 1.90

I'd be up for a wee challenge - going to make a list of people I need to buy for for next Christmas, and by the end of November I aim to have all bought / recycled / made all gifts for £400. I know I'm saving £10 a week so am looking at £520 saved, but we'll need the extra for naice food over Christmas :-)

I love to sew and make things, so using up some of my extensive to the point it has it's own gravity field modest stash to save money would be great!

Then during the year I need to cut our outgoings by around £200 per month for us to pay off some debts and build up some savings against our current pretty negative situation.

Not sure how yet, but I will find a way!

Happy post-Christmas everyone!

We had a nice day, although my bloody ILs sat and snacked in my sitting room literally all day, helping themselves to ham/cheese/chocolates/popcorn/anything they could lay their hands on (I did also give them a massive breakfast and an early lunch to keep them going till dinner at 5), so hardly had any appetite for the dinner I slaved over. Apart from the initial slight disappointment at wasting 8 hours in the kitchen, I'm not remotely upset as now have enough leftovers for about a fortnight!

My plan for tomorrow morning is to sit down, reconcile the accounts and make a plan for 2014 (in terms of whether we can keep our nanny, what money we might need to borrow for house move etc etc). Rock'n'roll!

Hello, can I join?

I spent £350 online yesterday on clothes for myself, I think it's time to admit I have a problem!

I have bi polar type 2 so have been very impulsive and silly with money at certain points in my life

But! I want to start fresh for 2014!!

I currently have £1250 on one credit card that I have set up an £80 a month standing order for. And a £1000 over draft to pay off, which I'm planning on doing the same thing with. I have no savings for myself but put £50 per month away for DS.

My car and petrol to travel to work takes a lot of money, but I know I fritter money away on crap, then pay my bills late and have to pay charges etc. I work shifts and have joint custody of DS so I find it hard to meal plan properly and end up eating crap which also wastes money. DBoyfriend bought me a flask for coffee at work though so hopefully that will stop my Starbucks habit!

So This needs to stop! For 2014 I would like to pay all my bills on time every month, and book disney land for dec 2014 by April and save £1200 so £120 per month.

Welcome monster! Sounds like you have a plan. I've found these threads really helpful and make me much more thoughtful about my spending as I know I'm going to 'confess' each day.

Claret - I'm joining you on 5:2 but not till next week. I'll be pigging out later on chocolate (seems indecent in daylight hours!) but back to normal eating tomorrow. 5:2 after new year meal with my mum.

Welcome monster.

NSD.

Welcome Monster, the more the merrier. I'm expecting a massive influx for the January thread.

Today's spends: 0.90p on two bottles of pepsi max to take to footy with me.

I went to the sales and didn't spend anything either (yay me)

Budget:
£108.34 everything else
£17.10 groceries
£65.96 petrol
£60.15 kids.

Days until payday: 4 (although both of us have been paid already but no point in making January longer than it already is)

£40 each on a meal out. It wasn't brilliant so we won't go there again.

It was the first meal out I've had this year that wasn't a McDonalds. Dh complained so drinks got taken off

Oh well, least I've still got a huge fuck off turkey to plough through

Argos are doing 15tog duvets, £11.99 for a king size.

It would be extra toasty for anyone with a cold house.

I've had a really lovely Christmas. I hope you all have too. Being on top of things I checked our bank account this morning. We have £170 for fruit, veg and milk and any activities we do. We've got a few things planned for the rest of the school holidays but they are already paid for/we have vouchers for/free so I'm feeling confident that we can get through the next 2 weeks with that.

Turnoff I second wimseys suggestion of starting your Christmas shopping early. I had finished mine by the end of November. You can actually buy a lot of stuff for dc and be sure they'll still want it in December. Things like pjs, dvds, bath stuff, books, some toys can all be put aside meaning you only have to buy the main ever changing! gift near the 25th. I knew my ds would love a garage so I was keeping a careful watch on prices. Mothercare had a flash sale and using vouchers and a cashback site I paid about £18.50 for it when it normally costs £50. I picked it up from a store I would be passing in a few days to save on delivery. Unfortunately it has spent weeks travelling around in the boot of my car as there was nowhere in the house I could hide it!