Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Cost of living

Stretching your budget? Share tips and advice to discuss budgeting and energy saving here. For the latest deals and discounts, sign up for Mumsnet Moneysaver emails.

Original poster

No-Spend November - sign up for a frugal month ahead!

999 replies

PeoniesforMissAnnersley · 31/10/2014 13:23

Everyone welcome, if you've been lurking then de-lurk and come and join in!

NSD - No spend day
LSD - low spend day

We are a friendly and supportive bunch, recording our spends, frugal wins and frugal fails daily/when we can. Lots of good tips on discount vouchers, household cleaning and maintenance, cheap meals and more!

OP posts:
Badvoc123 · 02/11/2014 12:51

Missa...Prior to my gallbladder op I lived on rice cakes and bananas :(
It's grim.
I do feel for you

Solasum · 02/11/2014 13:08

Hello all!

I am great at being frugal for me, but amazon and eBay keep catching me out as I buy things for DS that he doesn't really need, and it is so easy because my card details auto fill :(. I am going to try and keep tabs on everything I spend waste this month to try and give myself a shock

Mojito100 · 02/11/2014 13:15

I'm in. October was quite dire as I couldn't seem to stop spending. I need November to be less so. I have my Christmas account sitting there ready for use but would love to be able to reduce my spending snd use that fir presents etc thus keeping a little nest egg to roll over into the new year. February is very expensive so it would be handy to be frugal now.

Spent a bit today (more than I wanted) on fruit and some baking staples for the cupboard. I'm going to watch my spending this week and aim for 4 NSD's.

msdolittle · 02/11/2014 13:19

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Badvoc123 · 02/11/2014 13:22

Ikea toilet seats are fab and only about £7 :)
I get new ones every couple of years lives with 3 men

SpottyTeacakes · 02/11/2014 13:25

This one was £8.50 (half price then 15% off) Unfortunately we live miles away from ikea.

NotALondoner · 02/11/2014 13:34

Ooh can I join in? I tend to buy food in dribs and drabs so might just update with a long list next weekend.

banananugget · 02/11/2014 13:36

Hey,

Can I join please? It has dawned on me that the fact I have no savings is utterly terrifying and so I'm trying to be more frugal in order to save some money. From what I've read 3 months salary seems to be what I should be aiming for!? It seems a lot and a little daunting but I'm going to tackle it in £500 blocks.

Weekly shop was delivered yesterday, including packed lunch etc. Shouldn't need anything else so going to aim for 4 NSDs this week. I've been going over my budget and have decided that I will do a weekly budget and start it on Saturdays. It will mean that I should (technically, if I stick to it!) always have a minimum amount of money every week for food etc. On an average week I don't use a lot of petrol and so will aim to save some of that if possible. Also looking to see what I can sell to try and make a little bit of extra money and also clear my house out at the same time. Also going to try and have a "freezer week" and see if I can save some of my usual shopping money.

I'm really good at making pretty spreadsheets and budgets and having a lovely plan but it is actually sticking to it that is the hard part!

I agree Christmas is expensive. I've made a list and am trying to get ideas for things people will truly love and appreciate instead of a load of crap. I will be getting DD some build-a-bear vouchers for her main present (not sure how much, possibly £25-£30 depending on prices) as that is her latest love. Trying to cut back on the junk!

3pigsinblanketsandasausagerole · 02/11/2014 13:46

Can I join?

Been on the Christmas bargains thread for months and have wound up spending 700 on my 3 dc

I need help

Fluffycloudland77 · 02/11/2014 13:47

£12.50 on a carpet sweeper, I had a refund off my old energy supplier of £22 so I thought I'd spend it on something that will save me money on the electric bill long term.

Welcome newbies!.

Might buy a second hand lamp table on eBay later, it's got 66 people watching it so it think it will go way over my budget.

eastmidswarwicknightnanny · 02/11/2014 14:30

Hi 3pigs :)

Can u keep some presents back for birthdays but also some of the smaller bits for bday party presents.

I have a toy tractor that I never gave ds for his 2nd bday as just too many presents and he is now 4yrs n with ds2 due end of the mth shall keep for his 2nd bday now.

We r lucky we have storage space so buy lots deals n keep for family presents and the dreaded bday parties.

eastmidswarwicknightnanny · 02/11/2014 14:34

Husband is making biriyani for dinner and making xtra so another freezer meal for post baby.

Although poor bugger just gone to collect changing unit from eBay and went to address 10mins in one direction apparently that their business address and they actually live 30mins from our home the other way so awaits text and treks over n has rung to say was new build n hard to find in a village he didn't know (I do as drive alot for work) he has got it now and is on way home but a quick 30min round trip as turned into a 2hr marathon luckily he is v v laidback.annoyingly due to location we prob wouldn't have brought it but he has it now so that's another thing sorted as with a c section I won't manage bending too much.

BooDidIScareYou · 02/11/2014 14:42

I'm in! Just done the Christmas booze shop online at Sainsbury's as they have 25% off when you buy 6 bottles of wine or more until 9 Nov (includes fizzies). So for £60 I got 4 bottles of sauvignon blanc, 2 prosecco, 2 merlot, 2 bucks fizz, 1 port and a large bottle of their own brand Baileys equivalent (not in the 25% offer but was reduced from £15 to £10 so even more of a bargain!). Now all I have to do is hide it somewhere and forget about it until Christmas....Hmm

Hopefully that will do us for the whole festive period. And we also hopefully have just about enough Nectar points for most of the food (only two of us for Christmas Day) so fingers crossed not too much more expenditure in that department.

All I need for today's dinner is some potatoes, so nice LSD - same as yesterday just £11 in Tesco Express for some food. Need to keep it going....

BooDidIScareYou · 02/11/2014 14:44

Oh and we had overpaid by £110 on our gas and elec dds which I have asked to be refunded, and I sold a table on eBay yesterday. So all in all I'm in profit this weekend Halloween Grin

Badvoc123 · 02/11/2014 14:53

I've done an m and s Xmas food order this year....things I can just pop in the oven.
Xmas for me is about relaxing and enjoying myself, not martyring myself in the kitchen! :)
We don't really drink much but will get Bellini for me and shandy and port for Dh.
Ditto chocs...we get one box and that's it.

SpottyTeacakes · 02/11/2014 14:55

East yum! That's really annoying about the changing unit though Angry

3pigs we will rein you in Grin

We don't have any savings either. We're pretty poor and I could definitely spend less Blush we are only saving £50 a month as trying to pay off debt first.

SpottyTeacakes · 02/11/2014 15:05

Badvoc I wanted to do that but all their stuff online is for 6-8 people and it's only going to be us. Do you think they'll have smaller ones in store?

eastmidswarwicknightnanny · 02/11/2014 15:29

Thanks spotty was more the xtra petrol costs but actually it was a bargain it's home n in place and offers some much needed extra storage as I hate things out looking cluttered.

Husband picked up some poppadoms n some nice bread in waitrose on way home as not one near us and also got his free coffee.

I must must do last yr tax return this week I have the money to pay the bill just not the inclination to sit n do it but must do before baby arrives.

I also must register us all with a dentist been here over a yr n dentist 10mins drive away is taking on new patients and every week I say must go n register can't do on phone n have totally wasted 8mths of maternity exception cert n 4yr old has never been what a crap parent.

Applejack2 · 02/11/2014 15:51

Hi,
Can I join this month please?
I have already been paid (get paid last Wednesday of the month) so my October pay is still in the 'bills' account ready for November's bills.
DH gets paid Fri 7th Nov so that is when I start my new month for spends/savings. Child benefit goes in Tuesday but I have decided to take it out and use it exclusively for the kids instead of absorbing it in with DH's money. I am going to use it for kids clothes, school dinners and to pay for trips. DS10 is going on a week long residential in February and I have paid for that, over the last few months, out of our spending money so I think it's better to use child benefit for that. I have already spent a bit of it (£27) on new boots, Frozen leggings and Frozen top for DD6 (from Asda).

trainersandaches · 02/11/2014 16:08

I'm in! Have a packed November but I'm going to try to be super-frugal during the week. We have guests every weekend this month so it may go to pot!

Haven't done this month's YNAB budget yet...

AliceDoesntLiveHereAnymore · 02/11/2014 16:40

NSD today. Tomorrow I have to pay some small school fees, put petrol in the car, and pay my water bill. Tried to pay it last night online, but the site kept locking me out, so gave up and will ring them and pay it over phone instead.

We'll be out of milk tomorrow, but I'd rather use some of our UHT milk in the cupboard than go to the supermarket. Extra use of petrol plus I never seem to get out with just milk, so it seems wiser to use the milk in the cupboard instead (that's what it's for, right?). And I'll just add whatever I use to the supermarket shop next time so the stock is bumped up again.

Badvoc123 · 02/11/2014 17:59

Spotty...they do have smaller cuts of meat/poultry in store. Ditto accompaniments.
The food to order is more for larger gatherings I think (although there will only be 5 of us)
The individual puds look lovely.

SpottyTeacakes · 02/11/2014 18:01

Thanks Badvoc is it freezable do you know?

Badvoc123 · 02/11/2014 18:05

Lots if it is, but you do have to be careful as the meat would need defrosting before cooking.
The potato croquettes and Yorkshires can be frozen and cooked from frozen.
I think the pigs in blankets can too.

SpottyTeacakes · 02/11/2014 18:07

Thanks v much Smile