No spend or low spend February

[ivykaty44]

Here is a thread to keep check of spends in February

the idea is to have No Spends Days, weeks or clusters of days

im also going to be keeping my supermarket shopping low, eating what I have in the cupboards, to keep febs spends low.

Would anyone like to pledge an amount? and see if they can keep under that amount of money for the 28 days?

I pledge £200 for fuel, shopping and spending

@Creditcardshame Well done on the promotion, shame about the pressure on Easter but it will be worth it.

This thread and the January one have really made me stop and think about those bits of spending that add up. I hope we can carry on all year.

ancientgran

I don't worry if it doesn't last all year, its nice though to use the first three months of the year to rebalance the books and then the extra money ive saved - I treat myself

afternoon tea booked for the end of the month

It is certainly helping me to reset things, I don't think I'd realised how sloppy I'd got about controlling what I was spending. I should be better, I had very frugal times in the 70s but I think I'd forgotten the lessons I'd learned.

I’m doing terribly!

On Thursday I spent £57.31 on cards, presents and party bag fillers.

Yesterday I spent £58.67 on D of E supplies for dc2. The kit list is crazy. I thought we’d not have to buy too much because we camp as a family but I was wrong.

NSD today (about time!)

The good news is though my car passed its MOT so no extra cost there (need to add mot cost onto yesterday’s spend)

@Quamora I feel your pain with the DofE, GS is doing it and it has already cost a fair bit in kit, fees to school, we still have the expedition and the other trip they have to self organise for the Gold. The trip he fanices costs hundreds, I'm trying to persuade him that doing one of
the volunteer ones would look good on his CV. Not sure it's working.

Good news about the MOT, I've got mine next month and hoping it is good news.

Small spend today, £4.50 on a present for Valentine’s Day.

managed a no spend day yesterday and Ive got some extra work this afternoon so I won't have time to shop, so another no spend day

Quamora

I never count expenses such as utilities, council tax, insurance or MOT

these we have to have to pay, I add: water, electric, gas, council tax, house & building insurance, car insurance & MOT, phone & wifi & savings amount then divide by 12 and each month put that money in a separate account - all the direct debits come from this account. then what is left in my current account is mine to use. whats been left in this account at the end of January I put into a treat account, same for February

NSD yesterday

I spent £1.30 on some popping corn today - rainy afternoon and so we said we would watch a film with DC, they wanted popcorn - usually I would spend £1 on a bag of it but no, I bought the corn and we made it! DC loved it too so double win.

NSD

Hi all - hope you are all doing well!

I have spent £10 so far this week on buying treats for play dates - we have had 3 so far this half term and another this afternoon 😅
I always like to take a little something if we go to someone's house.
usually I would have spent double that on one morning in soft play so this is good going.

Yesterday I went spending, £12 in M&S and £20 in Sainsbury, + a coffee

so £37 in total and £13 left for the week

Friend coming to me today and we are walking and then supper at mine

Wednesday afternoon friend coming for a walk and then

coffee out on Wednesday evening & Thursday morning with friends and so the £13 should last me until Friday when I am free to start on my next £50

so well with budget to spend no more than £200

Low spend week so far, DH and I made a cake for Valentine’s Day (I baked and he made the icing) it was no spend but still nice

Need your advice on cards! A friend has just had a baby and I would like to make her a card, I’m not feeling very imaginative these days so any suggestions welcome!

If I can keep spending down to a minimum for the rest of the month I am set to have left £100 to put into our relocation savings

I succumbed today and had a coffee whilst out and about running errands, but still have £9.90 left to see me through till Friday

My local golf/gym club is having a free open weekend, so I’m going with a friend. We basically get a free spa day with out treatments! It’s luxurious up there so looking forward to swim, sauna, jacuzzi and gurly chat all free

@ivykaty44 that spa day sounds great! I’m going to keep my eyes peeled for anywhere around here offering similar!

So far this week:
Mon £24.69 in the supermarket
£39.99 on houseplants 😳 (unnecessary spending right there)
Tue £24.98 on birthday present for PIL
Wed £1 on toddler group
Thur £42.16 in supermarket
£12 on last few bits for dd birthday party

Thought it would be a nsd tomorrow then remembered our monthly meat box and fortnightly veg box are both due tomorrow so that will be £95 for the meat and £19.99 for the veg.

£39.99 on houseplants 😳 (unnecessary spending right there)

oh no, I get cuttings from friends etc or gifts

Well this is quite shocking actually, so far I’ve spent £766.98 (including tomorrow’s deliveries) of which £441.21 is on food.
All the birthdays and D of E equipment have really not helped. I’m definitely doing this again next month as we only have two friend birthdays (so smaller spend) and shouldn’t need to buy as much ad hoc stuff (although with 4 kids there always seems to be something!)

@ivykaty44

£39.99 on houseplants 😳 (unnecessary spending right there)

oh no, I get cuttings from friends etc or gifts

It’s my birthday soon and I usually get money from ILS so I think I will just put that money in the bank and have my plants as my present!

@CheeseMaiden I’m not crafty or creative at all but I was given a lovely card when I had dc4 that was basically a felt cloud with his name hanging on little multicoloured threads from it. Only helpful if you know the name though!

Have asked in another thread but posting here for traffic. Does anyone use YNAB and have a referral code? Want to give it a go to help with budgeting

nyone use YNAB

I don't, because its paying for something I don't actually need

get a mongo account instead, use spread sheets or money advice service budget planner for free www.moneyhelper.org.uk/en/everyday-money/budgeting/use-our-budget-planner.html this gives a pie chart showing where your money is going and adds everything up and you can input weekly and monthly amount

what is left in my current account at the beginning of the month is mine to spend as all the other money is accounted for and in different accounts, either savings bills account which has all direct debits

it might take a while to set it all up, but its not taking money from me to do something which is free

@ivykaty44

nyone use YNAB

I don't, because its paying for something I don't actually need

get a mongo account instead, use spread sheets or money advice service budget planner for free www.moneyhelper.org.uk/en/everyday-money/budgeting/use-our-budget-planner.html this gives a pie chart showing where your money is going and adds everything up and you can input weekly and monthly amount

what is left in my current account at the beginning of the month is mine to spend as all the other money is accounted for and in different accounts, either savings bills account which has all direct debits

it might take a while to set it all up, but its not taking money from me to do something which is free

What's mongo?

monzo.com

sorry it keeps correcting my words - monzo not mongo

an account where you can have lots of "envelops" pockets of money for different things