No spending from September to December.......

[calzone]

Decided to try this from 1 September.

To save money I'm only shopping in Lidl on Saturdays with a proper list and a meal plan.....

Only food and petrol to go on credit card.

By that time, boys should both be kitted out for school and none of us need anything.

I go to SW and will be going to a keep fit thing but that's it. No coffees out or junk food....

Anyone want to join me?

I'm in too. I've spent this morning working on a budget, I've seriously overspent this month and need to rein it in now. None of us need anything other than ds2 who's school shoes will be purchased from next months pay.

I'm actually quite upset with myself for frittering so much cash. I'm doing the same with meal planning, shopping at Lidl and making a list which won't be deviated from.

I've just gotten very excited as I realised my childcare fees will go back down now once school starts back! How sad is that?

I've been doing really well. (It was forced as I am unbelievably skint) the only "frivolous" spending I did this week was a £1 dolmio pasta pot and 3 for £1 chocolate bars from pound land when I forgot to bring a packed lunch to work. I usually get subway or chippy lunch every day! I have been deliberately leaving my purse at home when I go out so I can't just "nip in" to any shops. It's working.

I also did a budget and have decided I am going to clear my overdraft £1450 and credit card £337 by 31st of December. Starting on 1st of September I worked out that is 17 weeks so it's £105 a week. It will be very tight and December will be a spendy month but these have been hanging round my neck for years and I want them gone. They are the only debt I have so if I get them clear it will feel so good. But £105 a week!! It's going to hurt. I've set up standing orders, one to the credit card and one into a second account to save the amount for the overdraft (if it's in my current account I'll spend it)

Going to do a meal plan for this week then head to asda and lidl. My freezer is pretty full so this week should be a cheap shop. Just milk, bread, butter, fruit and veg.

Right, I am starting today. I have enough food in fridge and freezer for the rest of the month, so I am not spending anything apart from fuel for work type stuff that I will be claiming back. I will spend nothing of my own money except car tax ( £30) and MOT, which should be ok.

I think socialising is fine.....

It's more of the random, unplanned spending I'm trying to avoid.

Tomorrow Ds is going swimming and then lunch afterwards which I don't mind.

I haven't spent money today.....yay!!

Yes I think you should definitely budget for socialising. It's going to happen, you need to socialise. Far better to budget for it and know the account is still OK afterwards than have no set budget and not know if you an afford it. It takes the enjoyment off a night out for me if I don't know whether I can actually afford it. Whereas if I set aside £40 then I know that's what I have to work with and I'm not causing any trouble for myself further down the line.

Can I play please? I was actually thinking of starting a thread similar to this as I feel I need some support.

I'm a fritterer and we've had a rather no holds barred summer in terms of spending with our first holiday abroad in years and some big days out. DH has just finished a contract and is between jobs and I'm freelance and largely term-time so no money coming in this month.

As things stand, we've a small pot of savings, no debt and cupboards, fridge and freezer are full. Have good stock of wine and beer thanks to friend who is a wine merchant and his 'staff sales'. All of DD's uniform has been bought and pretty much all of her Christmas presents too (I know, I know) as I've bought bits on sale here and there. Got almost £72 of Boots points saved- save them all year for Christmas and also have all wrapping paper, tags and ribbons bought. Have small pot of savings for Christmas and are planning quiet family one this year with no travel involved.

Car we own outright and this year we've replaced tyres and had some other bits done. MOT and insurance renewal due in November though. £200 saved towards this.

Wraparound childcare has been booked and paid for up until October half term as we had childcare vouchers that had built up through DH's last job.

Small amount of inheritance probably coming soon,

Not worried about covering bills even if it takes DH a while to find more work as he then takes over all household stuff and I take on extra freelance work- we've done this in the past.

BUT 4 years ago we were in financial meltdown and had to sell property. We now rent. Aim is to be able to buy again some day. We need at least £20,000 more than we have to be in a position to do this and this is where I need to break the cycle of clicking away on Amazon to buy something that's popped into my head.

I don't need any new clothes. I don't need new nail polish. I can do home beauty treatments. We don't need fancy dinners out. Yes we need to live our lives but the long term benefits of reigning things in could be huge.

Help please!!

Sorry- more to add:
We'd already meal plan and batch cook BUT could do with going to Aldi more rather than clickety clicking an ocado order. Our Aldi closes in October and although there'll be a lick opening nearby, that's not until 2018!

I need to start shopping around, shopping in charity shops if possible, stop wanting things instantly, using the library, not buying coffees out. There's not really my else we could do cheaper as a family- no sky tv, no cleaner.

Oh we do occasionally have a gardener and also get the car cleaned so we maybe need to do this ourselves. Also we have some old gadgets that DH is going to try and sell on music magpie/similar place that buys old phones etc so that could be a wee bit into the coffers too.

Lidl, not lick...

Why don't you delete the apps so you can't shop.

Unsubscribe from any emails you get offering discounts.

I'm going to do that now.

Yes- I need to unsubscribe from just two emails I think- I ditched things like Groupon ages ago as temptation to buy eleventy million loo rolls on offer was just too great.

I need to delete the Amazon App though, don't I? I use Amazon a lot for my work so have Prime but perhaps if I delete the App then I'll have to actually go into my account when I need something. Sometimes I do have to buy equipment urgently. Don't want to say more re my job as too identifying but sometimes can't plan ahead as I have to go with what's needed.

Why didn't I think of deleting the app but Keelung my account? Stooopid!!

Did it!

I am in. We have a Lidl and Aldi, I will meal plan. I have started a £2 coin jar.

First thing I'm doing is deleting shopping apps and unsubscribe img from marketing emails. Too much temptation!

I'm in. My weakness is reading about a good book, say on MN and thinking I must have it, ditto with EBay. Currently I am thinking of getting another mobile, but really there is nothing wrong with my current one, just getting old. So no EBay or Amazon.

Allof, library?

Going to menu plan for the next few months. We went to Lidl to do a big food shop. So much food for £44. We tried own version biscuits etc and we were so impressed. DH now prefers their own Jaffa cakes.

How's everyone getting on? Although this is for September through to December I decided that I would start immediately.

On Sunday I had £37.67 in the current account, £14 in my purse and enough food to get us to payday on Friday, I still have the £37.67 but have spent £8.47 of the cash on bread, milk, fruit, drinks for a day out (I planned ahead and took a picnic but left the drinks at home ) and a book for 50p from a charity book sale.

I'm quite pleased so far, I've unsubscribe from various marketing emails, they are a pain in the neck, Dorothy Perkins were sending anything up to 4 in a day! Managed to stop myself from buying two hair bows for dd2 (£7 each) and dd2 has a friend over, I planned on cooking a spag bol, but the friend is a seriously fussy eater, I've managed to find chicken & chips in the freezer for her - so no need to go to the shop

I started immediately too. Out of necessity! I was saving £5 a week from January onto an asda Christmas saver card. Had missed a few weeks here and there so there was £70 on it. When it gets to £144 asda top it up to £150. Unfortunately July and August have been brutal months for me with unfortunate incidents that have cost me dearly and extra childcare costs. So my grocery shopping has had to be bought with my asda savings and it's all gone now. I'm gutted as I usually save it all for Xmas. Oh well. I can start again and just have less to spend.

I have been doing really well. I am pretty much leaving my purse at home now so I physically can't spend. It feels so good to know I haven't spent a penny that day. I had a slip up the other evening when I sent DS to the shop for bread, milk and some snacks for us. But i figure we are allowed a small treat. I've kept the receipt so I can note down how much I am actually spending.

Big expense of car insurance renewal coming up now I always shop around anyway so will be doing the same this time.

DS2 needs school shoes and that's it for school stuff.

My budget proper (with standing orders) starts on 5th sept so that's when the squeaky bum time starts. Eek. Until then it's a case of hide the purse and live out of the freezer/cupboard 'til it's gone.

Oh for anyone who reads I use the kindle app on my iPhone and just download their free books. There are loads of free ones. Some great, some crap.

Dinner tonight is hotdogs. Tin of them in the cupboard, buns were 59p.

I sort of started immediately too.

It will start properly on Monday 5th when we are all back at school.

Have meal planned and doing our main shop at Lidl.

I have been determined but failed but for a good reason.
I made soup from my glut of veggies but needed a few things I didn't have in store cupboard.
Still have enough soup to feed the entire area for months!

Weekly shop in Aldi was £45. We'll need to go shopping for school shoes tomorrow. I was going to go to Brantano, but all the ones in our area have closed :(

Mine definitely won't start until 1st September, still got some pre-Booked activities/ meet ups that will involve spending money!

We got a whole trolley full yesterday at Lidl for £60! Tis marvellous!

Would love to join but we have 9 birthdays in Sept, 4 In October, 3 in November & 3 in December as well as Xmas, so need to budget those in. 3 children have gone back to school, but I still need another school jumper for DS as I ordered 1 by mistake. Just done a monthly shop so just weekly to buy. Horses have their own budget but they have used Sept already with vet bills...., so they are added onto ours for the next few months.