No spend January 31 days...

[ivykaty44]

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?

Well day one was a no spend day.
Today have spent £15 taking boys to soft play, coffee, crisps and drinks. No real way to avoid the sundries as you aren't allowed to take your own food and weather absolutely awful. Wasn't the best use of money though as was so busy.
Back at home now though so won't spend anything else today.
Nearly spent money yesterday as our food waste bin has broken and I'm getting fed up of food waste everywhere while waiting for a replacement, should be here Thursday though so no real need to buy one.

Day 2 - spent nothing today. Mainly due to the fact I've been trying and failing at getting dd to nap most of the day so haven't left the house but still a no spend day

Day 1 - NSD. Today, have to send DH to get oxo cubes as I've got none for the roast I'm cooking. I'm going to give him the exact amount.

Aah mama, nevermind. Wipe the slate clean from today. In our local soft play there's a paper rack, I tend to grab a load and an hour or two passes with no real need for coffee etc. Maybe take something like that with you next time?

Yesterday I had a New Year’s Day walk, my friends treated me to a coffee out - but I usually always cook them dinner on NYD so returning the favour was nice😄

So no spends on day one

Well into day two and back to work - I’m sat in the breakout room sipping my latte that I purchased in a packet of 8, it’s rather nice 👍🏻

£2 for 8 latte is a bargain, have it in my takeaway cup which was a Christmas 🎁

I had left over pasta for lunch and have carrots and hummus for afternoon snacks.

Roll on day Three.....

Day one - diesel £35, Electric meter £25, Gas meter £40 - all bills

Then the things that could be classed as 'need' - Day one and two quick extra food shop £7, Mac screen cleaner £7, replacement kitchen scales as I need to bake a birthday cake this week £14, Amazon Prime video for DD £8, party bits £4, library fine £15.50 (ouch!), impulse purchase of tea tree products on massive discount £8, postage for essential letter £1.50.

Not exactly no spend!

Must do better.

£30 on diesel for heading back to work tomorrow, will do until the weekend.
4 tins of spaghetti and sausages reduced from £1.20 each to 50p each. Vile stuff but teen ds loves it. Vegetable stock cubes. Not too bad.

Thanks ghost I go with a friend so chatting mostly. I didn't buy cake which I normally do. I'd never get away with not buying crisps and drink for boys but it is true I don't need the coffee- funny how it didn't even enter my head not to buy the coffee. Might try taking a drink for boys next time reckon they wouldn't tell me off for water in a toddler cup and might delay them asking for stuff. Or need to try and think of alternative activities for rainy days. Swimming maybe, never buy snacks when going swimming.

So far, so good - not spent anything this year yet - but then having a stinking cold and being holed up at home has probably helped!

If this carries on for a few more days I won't even need to break in to this week's spending budget!! That money will then go in the 'pot' to be saved for emergencies

Never mind to all those that have felt the throb of their purse today! At least we’re consciously spending now

I need milk, tampons and dishwasher tablets. Does it still count if I get DH to pick up on his way home?!

Actually, in the spirit of it, should I forgo dishwasher tabs and return to full time washing up by hand? Hmmm..

I would like to join please, need to reign in the spending a bit. Yesterday I didn't spend anything. Did the weekly food shop on Sunday so should be set for this week except a top up on some milk and bread. Today I am back at work and rather than bring a packed lunch each day I tend to pop to Tesco in my lunch hour and buy supplies for the week as we have a fridge at work so today I bought rolls, sandwich fillers, box of cuppa soup and a 4 pack of yoghurts. I still have some packets of crisps in my drawer and I had an unopened packet of biccies aswell - so spent £5.40 and that will be me for the week. Im starting a bit of a health kick from next week so will need to do meal plan and perhaps start bringing in leftovers where I can plus healthier snacks like carrot sticks and some fruit. Our company provides coffee and squash and we have a water cooler so dont need to buy drinks for the office. Got 2 direct debits still to come out and also need to pay DD dance fees for the term but I put money aside each month for that. The only other thing will be tuck shop money for DD which is £2 a week.

Day 2 Tesco run about £20 and money for cleaner £20

NSD today! Took a bagel into work for lunch and drank free coffee from the break room all day rather than shell out for flat whites from the station. Seemed to work though am a wee bit hungry now after having eaten only a bagel and a couple of tictacs all day

Shoes I ordered end of December have arrived, haven’t decided if they are going back yet. Jacket ordered at the same time is still ‘order in process’

Today just the week’s groceries.

I am also going to put any unspent “spending money” into a savings pot. I have a serious coffee habit avoiding the coffee shop will save me a tidy sum. Work from home so no lunches to buy but I get cabin fever and end up heading into town.

Hope you feel better very soon Charley

Just bought bread and ham today.

I also took ds to the cinema which was a planned treat. Spent £10.50.

I was explaining to ds that the challenge I’m doing is not mindless spending. So, if I’m walking past Next and see shoes and a coat which are cheap, I’m not buying it because a) I don’t need it b) I hadn’t planned on buying it.
However, if I needed new work shoes, I could buy them because it’s a planned spend.

Foreyedfox- it’s all food stuffs and that doesn’t count! We need to eat 😂

Day 2 - two planned DDs and then an unplanned spend as I'd forgotten subs for a school club that DD loves. Luckily I'd also forgotten a refund that hasn't gone through yet, so am hoping to break even by the end of the month even though we are already £15 out according to ynab!!!
Also a big shop for batch cooking at £90. This has to last until next weds and will prob go further as should make a LOT of meals!!!
Back to work tomorrow - my aim is to NOT buy lunch, especially as I planned these in with the above meal plan!

Ynab- your not ? ? Sorry don’t know this mumsnet shortening?

YNAB is an app you need a budget not used it myself.
Today’s spending: food items £9.08
Present for my niece from Joules £24.95 but I resisted the sale rack was very tempted some quite good reductions.
Hoping for NSD tomorrow

I'm in! 2 NSDs apart from essential food spends.

Like many on here my weakness is lunches and coffees.

Let's do this!

Hi all. Day two NSD!! Hurrah. But I've not been to work yet so we shall see. I've just done my supermarket shop thru mysupermarket to compare the price and Waitrose comes out cheaper! Eh?!!

Hello everyone l'm in!

I have recently left a job I hate (YAY!) to be a SAHM to 18m DS. This means money is extremely tight & I'm finding it difficult sticking to a monthly budget when I'm used to having my own salary.

DH is really good with money & tries to rein me in. I'm trying to not spend anything in January except on food, drink & classes (play classes for DS & yoga for me - part of my New Years resolution to get healthier physically & mentally). Knowing I'm not allowed to spend this month has already stopped me from buying silly things. Maybe I should write it down & see how much money I have saved!

elvis, Waitrose, really?!

happy welcome!

Day two no spending...but I haven’t actually been out! This does mean no Amazon purchases though Tesco online delivery coming shortly, I kept it low compared to normal!

Hi
Gonna read through all posts with a coffee tomorrow morning, busy day today decluttering and sticking to budget plan. Not spent on anything other than food and bills. Talked myself out of a pair of clarks from the charity shop and cleared 3 massive bags to donate tomorrow too! Hope its going well for everyone, thesr threads really spur me on!

Microwaved111 my DS seems to have rejected naps as well these last couple of days!! I don't know what's up with him - I'd love someone to put me to bed and midday & told I could have a couple of hours shut eye!

Day 1 - NSD as spent day with family
Day 2 - bought breakfast for me & DH while out food shopping. Technically allowed because I'm ok to spend on food/drink but I feel like it's £7.10 wasted in Costa. That's exactly it Four - I'm consiously spending now. That I'm itself it a breakthrough I guess.

Then I was a bit cheeky.... managed to get DH to buy me a top I wanted on the understanding that it's my V Day present.... that's ollowed right???

Urgh. Sorry for the typos ^^