Anyone want to join for a No spend January

[ivykaty44]

As done in other years, a no spend January

But also perhaps a budget cooking month, to really keep costs down

the idea is we only spend money on transport & food shopping - so those items don't count, but lets try and keep the shopping spends low

I shall be following the likes of cardiff mum and taming twins for budget ideas for food, especially using slow cooker and doubling up recipes.

I shall also be cooking some slow cooker recipes in January and doubling up, that way can cook for the first 2 weeks of January and freeze for the next two weeks

Purchasing birthday present for January on Black Friday next week, that way getting a good deal.

Its a reset on finances which will be especially needed in the household to curb some unnecessary spending and leave me with money in the bank on 31 January. I did this about 4 years ago and had an extra £110 in my account.

doing free things, , freecycle after Christmas, walks, cycling, library trips, free talks etc

Some take it into February

I’ve had to refuel & purchase a few groceries, but stuck to list. as fuel and food don’t count

im on plan for NSD

Run out of apples thanks kids, I will pop to the corner shop - lidl and get more 😂I will be passing and don’t mind restocking fruit
back to school tomorrow and that’s my only spend today

My lovely planner arrived today and I think it will prove very useful. Just need to find my pens although I might stick to a pencil because I'll get annoyed if I make a mistake.

another nsd today, so eating out of the freezer and all going well!

thanks for starting the thread - finding it a good motivation and some very useful tips too

Good no-spend day here today. Started a good book this morning so that helps, but kids have been a tad tiring…definitely ready to be back at school but due to strikes that won’t be till the 11th. Supposed to be dry tomorrow so I’m planning them baking rock buns and having a picnic in the woods. Have the ingredients.
Tonight’s dinner is lentil, parsnip and cauliflower curry. Really trying to keep food costs down.

£9.14 lidl and £13 Amazon as dh lost my soup cup and I need vitamins

Just realised yesterday was a NSD, good considering on NYD we had an £80 lunch out. Today was almost NSD but I had to spend £10 getting some shoes repaired. I did bring my lunch into the office (yesterdays left overs) so tick on that front (I cycle to work so travel free).

Tomorrow I have to work from home (which I now hate) due to delivery of new work laptop which for some reason they didn't get sent to the office. Means I will spend more heating but it does guarantee that I won't spend on lunch, so could well be on for another NSD.

NSD for me, found a couple of 1/4 lb burgers in the freezer, but didnt have buns to put them in, so made them into a sort of spag bol sauce with veg and kidney beans. Its made enough for another meal, so might use it for a shepherds pie. I am feeling very frugal, and with all the veg it wasn't too unhealthy. Will have to go shopping soon, as I'm running out of butter, and I have a butter addiction.

I’ve just been reading through your posts and you’re all doing so well! I ended up ordering a few things from the warehouse sale! And I still have 3 different things to return..I’m going to return it all tomorrow..

I have told my daughter I’d take her to the cinema tomorrow- it’ll be £10 for both of us and we have heaps of Christmas food we can take as our snacks.. my other child is in nursery so it’s one of the few occasions that we get to have 1-1 time, so I do want to go.

I posted this earlier but I’ll post again- you can get first box free for 2 people, 3 recipes. You pay£5 for postage but the food is good and quite a deal. I used my email then my husbands email to get 2 boxes.

www.greenchef.co.uk/plans?c=FIH-VNPSA69YSD57&plans_ab=true&utm_campaign=clipboard&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=raf-share-hpt

NSD here and working my way through the freezer - veggie toad in the hole tonight.

NSD today. Had pigs in blankets for tea!
Jacket potato tomorrow. Have just done my meal plan up to 16th Jan. Will do a small top up shop on Thursday

NSD here except for the food shop. That's 3 days in a row and quite unheard of!

£5.20 spent on swimming today but that is supporting my weight loss.

£7.60 at the laundrette tumble drying the washing that had mounted up.

Nsd last 3 days. Bloody good job seeing as Dh has had his hours halved today for the foreseeable!

Food shop today. Not quite needed yet but time short for the rest of the week. Had a Sainsbury's voucher for £9 off if I spent £80 in store so I went there, but struggled really to spend that much and ended up getting a birthday present for my niece aged 3 for £12, extra tins of pulses, tomatoes, washing powder, toilet roll etc to make it up to £80. Nothing that will go to waste, it's all store cupboard stuff that won't go off and will get used over the month but I'm back at Lidl next week and will be half that amount. The £9 off drew me in and was probably useful if I was buying meat (we are 90% veggie) or booze.

Used the Chase card at least so some cash back I guess!

Other than the food shop, NSD. Chase app tells me I've spent £136 less than this time last month (although December is not a normal month obviously).

Boo mog re the hours. 😢

Not doing too badly - £10 for DD's after school club and £3 on a Too Good to Go bag, so no other spends beyond the necessary. Should be set for the rest of the week after picking the bag up tomorrow, and am freezer diving until I get paid towards the end of the month.

Thank you.

That must be such a worry about the reduced hours Mog.

I've been filling in my planner and it's helping me to write things in it and have a visual plan. I've taken some cash out for various things like horse riding for Dd. It will take me a while to get into the habit of allocating set amounts for things but I do have everything allocated. My money comes in at different times though so it's tricky to do.

Nothing yesterday. Went into the office but took lunch

Yesterday I spent:
£41.54 in Aldi - fresh food to last until next week.. Have main parts of meals already in freezer
£31.92 on logs for stove
£14 Home bargains on mouthwash and protein powder for DH

Otherwise another NSD

I've been clearing out the fridge, freezer and cupboards and cobbled together a menu plan meaning I spent £26.40 in Aldi yesterday. It's amazing how much stuff I have 3 bags of rice and a ton of pasta, DH keeps buying more, he's banned until February!

So apart from £26.40 that's all I've spent this year, I do need cat food at some point, DCat has special food for kidney issues, costs a fortune but he's worth it 😻

Well so far I’m still only on a 1 day streak of 1/1 🤦🏻‍♀️

Yesterday ds had a medical appointment and we ended up being there for nearly 4 hours then had to pick younger dc up from clubs and dp from the garage and we were all starving and exhausted so got a mcD on the way home. So that was £25 on top of the ‘allowed’ garage and club costs. Which is annoying because I need a new sauté pan and it’s £29 but I’ve been making do and not buying it for ages to avoid buying “stuff” but then we spent almost that on a shit meal without a second thought! But we did also sell three things on marketplace and sort out an Amazon return yesterday…

TBH we live fairly carefully most of the time, things like the McDonald’s do happen occasionally but not that regularly, so I think I’m going to save the most by being careful with the grocery shopping and not impulse buying things I convince myself I need. Also need to remind myself that if I go on vinted for a jumper for example I don’t need to buy four just because they’re cheap and I like them and it makes the postage more worthwhile 😳

@Mogloveseggs that must be a huge worry. Our income is also likely to take a hit in the next few months but we have at least had a bit of a chance to prepare for it (but no that does not mean buying everything now because we might not be able to afford it soon <stern glare at self>)