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

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.

No spend January

696 replies

ivykaty44 · 24/12/2021 21:06

anyone up for a no spend January?

just the normal utilities, food shopping and transport costs

then put the purse/wallet away and don't spend till February

a good way to rebalance the balance after xmas

OP posts:
ivykaty44 · 16/01/2022 18:49

£23 for McDonald’s 😲😲 what happened it used to be 99p a burger

OP posts:
ancientgran · 16/01/2022 19:28

@ivykaty44

£23 for McDonald’s 😲😲 what happened it used to be 99p a burger
It is amazing how hungry you get standing in the cold for nearly 2 hrs, not to mention the one running round. I have to say that a big Mac tastes absolutely amazing when you are that cold and that hungry.
chimichangaz · 16/01/2022 20:26

Spendy day for me - took my housebound sister shopping. She spent loads, including coffee and lunch for us (because I'd driven us there). I bought several birthday cards which were about £15, a scarf in TK Maxx for £10, £10 on black socks, and £42.50 in primark (jumper, 2 dresses and trainer socks) - but I had a gift card for £20. Also spent £9 in asda for top up shopping but found a gift card with £5 on it. Altogether not as bad as it could have been 😳

Woodlandarchitect · 17/01/2022 07:54

We’re being really careful here as our electricity costs (prepayment meter thanks to previous owner!) has gone through the roof.

Also, our gas is always on as it’s so cold at the moment. They reduced my monthly direct debit to £37 a month but I’ve increased it to £50 a month.

Our gas tariff is set until May 2023 so I feel fortunate with that. Even though Electricity is on a standard variable tariff.

I have dentist today so that’s a £35 checkup.

Theredjellybean · 17/01/2022 08:01

I haven't spent any unnecessary money so far in January.
I did buy birthday cards and sent flowers at weekend for friends birthday but thats allowed.
Going to try to do it for the whole Yr... Gulp

MakeUsACuppa · 17/01/2022 08:41

More than half way through the month and so for no frivolous spending from me. Just bought food petrol and birthday presents.

I have virtual shopping baskets full all over the internet but so far I've not pressed buy & don't intend to.

ivykaty44 · 17/01/2022 10:34

17th of the month, indeed over half way

£6.20 coffee
£20 wool
£12 presents
£6.10 today a Starbucks with dd
£13.00 coffee & cake out

£57.60 this January -

£44.63 at supermarket

So no change since 13/01

Still on same tank of petrol from last year

Only 14 days to go 🤣

OP posts:
Woodlandarchitect · 17/01/2022 12:02

My £35 dental checkup cost £62! And I had no idea until I went to pay Blush

Then I had to pick up a repeat prescription for £9ish

So £71 spends today! Sad

I’m miffed about the dentist, he said my teeth were tip top so what was the extra for and why didn’t they ask first? I’m over it now. Blush

ivykaty44 · 17/01/2022 16:03

Dog walking today & managed to swerve the coffee shop by taking hot drinks and homemade cake

NSD ☺️

OP posts:
Creditcardshame · 17/01/2022 16:47

Spent £5.60 today on coffee and cake.
My dad is in the early stages of dementia and lives alone. I ring him every morning but today I couldn't get hold of him. So I panicked and went round there, let myself in (at 10.30am) and he was fast asleep in bed!
His concept of time has gone completely- his neighbour complains that his tv is on at 3am (loud because he is also deaf and forgets to put his hearing aids in). He also had an electric heater belting out which must have been on all night - he must use it when his heating goes off at night.

I find it so thoroughly depressing that I stopped off at my favourite cafe on the way home for a bit of navel gazing.

Avoided the cafe at swimming though by bringing home made cake and a flask of hot chocolate. My DC are not happy about it!

Invasionofthegutsnatchers · 17/01/2022 17:17

Sorry to hear about your dad @Creditcardshame

We made cupcakes 🧁 today. It was nice eating one with a nespresso coffee, felt a bit like being in a cafe.

Still isolating with covid. NSD. Looking forward to having more energy and getting out if the house for a short walk soon. I'm on day 8 now

Woodlandarchitect · 17/01/2022 18:13

I’ve just done the sainsburys shop for collection on Wednesday- it came to £55 with careful planning.

We usually spend about £75 a week and I’ve noticed that we’re wasting much less food so even when I get a new job with more hours - I think I’ll remain foodie frugal. Smile

I really hope I get a new job soon. DH is also looking for jobs and they seem to have an £8k pay rise which would be lovely, but they’re less flexible and he currently has unlimited holiday. And he’s able to do school pick ups too. Swings and roundabouts!

BigSkies22 · 17/01/2022 19:34

£7 in Sainsbury's on a kilo of minced beef (sorry, planet, but our red meat consumption has, in general, really fallen), a savoy cabbage and some hot cross buns. A further £9 on shoe cleaning stuff, some of which is for DS. Making a big cottage pie which I will stretch further with a tin of green lentils. The plan being that this will last us for two dinners. Huh! Leftovers are scarce in this house.

DH took us out for pizza at our local (very nice) pizza joint yesterday - £44 for the three of us, with service charge. I stuck to the simplest pizza with tap water, so was a cheap date at under a tenner.

£3 bus fares to volunteer gig and £2 for Marmite toast from the cafe. Coffee and biscuits supplied by shop, bless it.

By the time all the DDs and SO remaining for the month are paid, we should have about £200 left in the joint account to buy food/newspapers/household bits and bobs for the last two weeks. That's pretty good in a long month, and one in which we've paid the house insurance and annual boiler service (together coming to £389). In theory, the last 10 days of the month should be cheaper because DS won't be here.

Writing down daily food expenditure and menus is a good habit, and one I'll stick to. At the moment, we are getting through a lot of cheese and sweet biscuits. My stock of nuts and dried fruits (supposedly for cooking) is vanishing quite quickly as DH can't enter the kitchen when WFH without sticking his hand into a jar somewhere.

@Creditcardshame - I'm sorry about your dad. Since we're on a money thread, have you applied for any financial support he might be eligilble for to pay for help at home? would he be eligible for attendance allowance?

Creditcardshame · 17/01/2022 19:51

@Invasionofthegutsnatchers thank you - I hope you feel better soon.

@BigSkies22 it is a good point, it is on the list to do - we have sorted out LPAs and getting him diagnosed has been a long road. He won't have anyone else come in, just me and my sister which puts a lot of pressure on us.

ivykaty44 · 17/01/2022 21:58

www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/vegetables-recipes/sweet-potato-chickpea-amp-spinach-curry/

www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/beef-recipes/good-old-chilli-con-carne/

www.deliaonline.com/recipes/international/european/british/shepherds-pie-with-cheese-crusted-leeks. just mash potato on the top - not the leeks and cheese.

www.thetaste.ie/vegetable-soup-recipe-gino-dacampo/

ive made these recipes for dd1 this last week but double the amount - this means she has 48 meals in her freezer. Ive also cooked mash potato and braised red cabbage for side orders and frozen - its cost her less than £100 for 48 meals

this recipe
www.recipetineats.com/spaghetti-alla-puttanesca/ is all store cupboard foods so dd got x 4

so 5 week days meals

we are trying to batch cook to save cooking and food waste, its taking about an hour to cook about 3 dishes at a time. Then freezing in single portions to make it easy for her family meals spending on who's there at the table. Its certainly been worthwhile doing

OP posts:
ancientgran · 18/01/2022 10:24

I went to Morrisons yesterday as I needed bread and milk but also bought an apple Danish, well we all need a treat now and then. I spent £4.75 but it was from a £10 voucher from a cash back site so not real money at all.

This month so far I have spent
£40 school things for GS
£5 on birthday cards
£60 food top ups

The £45 was cash the £60 on food was various gift vouchers from cash back site so I've only spent £45 in "real" money and that was covered by my premium bond win so my pension/wages money is still untouched except for direct debits. I've got a total of £72 from prolific, some earned this month and some last month but only became payable this month, so that will cover my hair appointment. Very pleased with how it is going so far.

MakeUsACuppa · 18/01/2022 11:02

Just realised we don't pay council tax in February and March, total winner Grin

HoulYourWhist · 18/01/2022 16:50

Spent a while sorting out all direct debit payments and rescheduling them so they are spread equally throughout the month. As I budget weekly it makes more sense to have an even spread of dds rather than having them all come out in one week.
Also postponed my hair colour appointment by one week as my shopping returns (from an extravagant December shopping spree which I did not need!) should be credited to my account by then.

Did have tea and a panini at Caffè Nero today but used the o2 priority app to get the tea free and got 10% (mature!) student discount off the panini

Enjoying being more financial saavy and less spend now worry later!

Thelongdarkteatime · 18/01/2022 19:09

Bargain shop tonight at Asda (had popped in for a ready meal spag Bol). Managed to get yellow sticker bargains: 5 jam donuts, 12 bread buns, 6 buttermilk pancakes, two Jaffa chocolate pots and 2 Danish pastries (along with my ready meal!) for £6.02

Really pleased: freezer stocked and all under £10

Woodlandarchitect · 18/01/2022 20:34

We’ve had a few little spends today for cat food and a few foodie things that weren’t available on the online shop but available in store (where the online shop comes from) Confused

Had a job interview today! I think I’ll get a job offer soon which will be lovely. I’m SO worried about electricity bills. Our main electricity is cooking dinner!

I’m going out for dinner at the weekend (unavoidable!) so that’ll cost.

Send me good luck vibes for the job 🤞🏻 xx

ancientgran · 18/01/2022 22:50

Goodluck Woodlandarchitect, I'll keep my fingers crossed for you.

gracedentsleftbumcheek · 19/01/2022 03:59

good luck woodland!

Startagaintoday · 19/01/2022 06:11

@Woodlandarchitect goodluck. Pet food yesterday 41

PigeonPigPie · 19/01/2022 08:56

If anyone has been thinking of opening a Monzo account (you can make pots, cash envelopes without the cash), I have a link where you can get a free £5 for signing up and trying it out. I will get £5 too Smile
Pop me a message if you would like the link!

CheeseMaiden · 19/01/2022 10:01

This is turning into a no spend week, DD has given me her tummy bug Sad