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Original poster

No spend January 31 days...

648 replies

ivykaty44 · 24/12/2017 15:05

No spend January

Just the essential food with a meal plan for 31 days.

Fuel to a minimum

Withdraw the cash for food, essentials & cards go in the freezer

Anyone care to join me?

OP posts:
Thread gallery
5
drspouse · 15/01/2018 17:49

(However I do need to pay for my Pilates term later).

mamapants · 15/01/2018 18:04

Have been pretty good on limiting unnecessary spending but not managed it completely. Have bought some books for me and felt pens and stencils for my boys, stencils already broken so a complete waste of money.
Car is getting in the way of low spending for the month though.

newsparklythings · 15/01/2018 18:08

A successful NSD today
Looking at the month so far overall, it is definitely the random, unplanned purchases that add up. Most seem necessary at the time.

elvislives2012 · 15/01/2018 22:10

Well done all! Keep going xx

champagneplanet · 15/01/2018 22:57

Almost a NSD for me, spent £1 on air for my car tyres!

Had an email to say the recurring payment for another DD1s hobbies had been taken, £75 Shock but it's for 10 weeks so can forget about that now, I suppose that's essential though as it's already planned.

Need to buy a birthday card tomorrow, and a stamp!

Gah81 · 16/01/2018 06:14

NSD for me yesterday. But have a getting-to-know-you lunch with a colleague today - have at least persuaded her to do it somewhere cheap as I know she has expensive tastes!

Original poster
ivykaty44 · 16/01/2018 08:04

Incorrect air pressure is illegal so it’s an essential spend - though sainsbury was alway free air

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champagneplanet · 16/01/2018 09:03

Thanks Ivykaty i'll have a look next time, this was Tesco, it was 20p a go not long ago!

madamefraser · 16/01/2018 10:07

Just food essentials for me yesterday so not too bad - £1 on parking but found out we have gone way over food budget so trying to use what we have . Had two nights out planned - just seeing friends in houses but ill this week so cancelled - that will save me a couple of bottles of wine !!
DD returned trousers without bother but has asked to join gym next month . It's cheapest in area and she has chronic illness so makes sense but told her to identify two things she could drop per month to pay for it :)))

mamapants · 16/01/2018 10:19

Spent £32 on top up shop in co-op and meat at butcher yesterday. Today will be a no spend day and tomorrow probably as well.
Annoyingly I'm going to have to buy a new waterproof sheet for DS1 as we got him a new mattress a bit a go and the spare sheet doesn't fit on it. They are so expensive very annoying! Just stop weeing DS1!

Itis6oclocksomewhere · 16/01/2018 10:24

Days 14 and 15 were NSD which is good.
Think today might be another NSD, but we're redecorating and I think we've underestimated how much paint we would need. Possibly need to buy another tin.

LaurieFairyCake · 16/01/2018 10:27

So far this month I've spent £35 on stuff I didn't 'need'.

Just by way of comparison it was over £260 in November. Hmm

So it's going really well for me so far and I'm going to be carrying on as long as possible.

I'm going to be spending £16.99 on something I don't need tomorrow - acrylic paints and a canvas to paint my sister a new picture for her flat. I'm not waiting til February to buy it as the set is on sale.

madamefraser · 16/01/2018 11:44

MamaPants have you looked on eBay ? I know quality can sometimes be dodgy but there are some quite cheap (new ones obvs Confused ) on there.

mamapants · 16/01/2018 13:01

No haven't checked ebay will do. The one I've got that fits was from John Lewis or Marks and Spencer I think so not cheap. The other one was Cleva mama off amazon and was a bit cheaper but pops off the new mattress. Ikea apparently do them at a reasonable price but we aren't near an ikea and if we went on an ikea trip I can guess that no spend January would be a complete failure.
Am definitely going to carry on in February. Think I will recover a bit from Xmas this month but car will cause it to be neutral by the end. So want to keep going.
I spend too much on my children and there is no room for more toys following Xmas so really need to resist temptation to treat them.
We are all hoarders and trying to organise house, so buying less is good in every way I think. Want money for holidays and house renovations rather than stuff that ends up in the bin!

drspouse · 16/01/2018 16:06

mamapants selling on FB is a reasonably easy way to declutter if you can cope with that.

I've just sorted out two overdue bills that our tenants kindly ran up for us - EAs were shocked as one lot hadn't registered for water in 2015 - so feel a bit virtuous!

I did have to buy some tampons today but I'm thinking of making some CSP as I have one set and like it, and I'm going to see if I can get a decent mattress for the bottom bunk of DS' beds from our local Freecycle equivalent (full of middle class hippies).

clippityclop · 16/01/2018 17:18

Doing well...£15.00 petrol today. Ordered (necessary) new light fitting for utility room in the sale. Next week plan to sort and Ebay some stuff. Good luck everyone.

creepingbuttercupdrivesmemad · 16/01/2018 18:14

Have been lurking on the thread, but am struggling now! It's mid month and my will power is waning!

mamapants · 16/01/2018 18:26

Tbh drspouce I'm mainly giving away, charity shop or binning everything. Am sure some bits would be worth money but I'd just take too long sorting it out.
creeping one thing I'm finding helpful is browsing the things I want on amazon and putting on my wishlist. So loads of books I fancy but I don't need them as have a big pile to get through so they are on my list.

PollyShelbyLifeCoachServices · 16/01/2018 18:27

C'mon creeping stay with us! NSD! Same tomorrow, avoiding all shops. Husband bought me a cream cake today which was a real treat, can't remember last time i bought a cream cake😀 thanks hubby!

Original poster
ivykaty44 · 16/01/2018 18:43

NSD as I just purchased two ingredients for dinner tomorrow night - which will mean my top up shop last week will see us through till Friday - not bad for £22 quid and £1.50 tonight

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hollytom · 16/01/2018 18:46

No NSD days unfortunately last few days. Had my birthday at weekend so not a lot of spending but a bit spent under £10 on a couple of items in sales and met a friend yesterday £8 spent. Had a few meat free meals which is good for the budget. Had two NSDs last week so I am going to try for 3 this week which is challenging as had none so far.

MessySurfaces · 16/01/2018 19:36

Yesterday was a true NSD for me... except that my credit card bill went out! So a whack of money flew out the door anyway, but I'm still counting it. Today is an ESOD with just the bus fare.
I might spend £2 on a Playgroup tomorrow, from cash I had in my purse from December. Or I might not, feels like cheating, heh.

PirateYellowbelly · 16/01/2018 19:47

Had two NSDs which were much needed. Should have at least two more this week which will help get me back on track.

elvislives2012 · 16/01/2018 22:09

Yup NSD here. Had to put in fuel but that was it. Pay day in T-8 days

Original poster
ivykaty44 · 17/01/2018 07:43

So over half way through the month and my bank balance is looking far better than December.

I had Day 12, 14 & 15 where I have spent, in total £8.60 on non essential stuff

Onwards and up two weeks until the end of the month 🤗

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