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

Are spends spends in January if you buy wrapping paper, cards and pressies in the sales?

planning is key, if you can keep away from the shops & do something else, it’s better. As you’ll pop to the shop for wrapping paper and a car and spend £30 on stuff you don’t need

get a big roll of generic wrapping paper, a box of nice birthday cards and you’ll find it’s better value and you’ve not brought a lot of stuff you never needed

We do eat out once or twice a week, which I’ve said I want to stop and DH agrees. I’m cutting out alcohol which will help with food shop costs as well.

why not get a supermarket dinner offer, lay the table and eat at home

Autisticlegolover, I just used a normal notebook. I divide the page into sections, food, petrol, miscellaneous, pet food etc.

I’ve been planning to do no spend January too. I’ve asked my husband for a slow cooker for Xmas so I’m hoping to get lots of use out of that. I’ve spent too much on Amazon even in the past two days oops and just gone into my overdrive

i also need to start taking my own lunches into work but I’m planning on taking the dinner before as left overs.

I have also joined a no spend Facebook group that millennial mumma on Instagram started so I’m hoping to get some inspiration from there and hopefully keep track. I’d like to get some savings behind us and stop relying on my over draft as much

Mine too!

I use shampoo bars

www.amazon.co.uk/Print-Maniacs-Personalised-Dispenser-Conditioner/dp/B08MB67CCL/ref=sr_1_6?keywords=Shampoo%2BDispenser&qid=1671716324&sr=8-6&th=1

these have a short distance between the top and bottom of the dispensing part - which means you aren't going to get much out each pump - ideal for not wasting product. The longer the horizontal part the bigger the pump and the more product released

I've spent nothing at all for 3 days which is a miracle. Usually there's something I buy. I'm determined to use up our leftovers although I don't like leftovers but with £7 in the bank until the 2nd January then I'm going to eat them. Let this be the start of better habits.

Can I join please? Fell off the face of the planet while starting the PGCE, then landlord made us homeless. Got a house and moving in Jan. Gone full time now
So want to come back here and the frugaleer thread
Waves to the gang on here! X

We're also down to the last £ in our bank 😱. Not spending atm but still have some visits to make. I think we can be inventive with food at home (still away atm) and we have a bit of change for milk/bread etc. Really want to start 2023 on a clean slate!

We still have plenty good so leftovers creatively here.

nothing I need, lots I want but i will have to ent away

Spending money should also be something beautiful... you shouldn't always look at all expenditure negatively, but also treat yourself to something every now and then. You have to see that as enrichment and also as an investment in yourself. Then you are happy. So that's what you have to do for your happiness, in my opinion. :-)

Just remembered that my MOT is due mid January! Oh shit!

@caminando - well, I agree that it's important to be able to spend money on yourself, and good experiences and lovely things are part of what makes life worth living. You're a long time dead after all!

But it's always worth taking a look at how you're spending, and whether it would be good to rebalance things, even temporarily. So, not spending on, say, new make-up/skincare for a month, might mean you devote a bit more time to looking after your appearance with sleep, drinking water, religiously cleansing at night, exercise - finding other ways to feel and look better before reaching for your wallet. Reading what's on your shelves, or using the library, or swapping with friends rather than clicking on Amazon. I find these things quite positive.

And I'm definitely in, for January, and quite likely February as well. I do already have commitments to a non-essential (getting a sofa reupholstered), and I have to make a payment towards that in January. But otherwise, everything is locked down, and I shall be living lean.

Just done a big online order for all my staples (completely run down recently) so I've plenty in to stretch the budget further in January.

I've booked a shop for the 3rd January when I have money again and I'll make sure I have lots of essentials in there. I can't meal plan but I'll do a version of it as best I can to suit our needs and food issues.

@BigSkies2022 I think you're completely right, it's about focussing about living well for less (in a famous catchphrase!) rather than spending money for the sake of it/ not realising where it's going!

I need to do a basics shop so will try to get to Lidl in the next couple of days - nothing expensive needed, more things like pasta, milk etc. We have loads of leftovers, I'm going to clear out the freezer and make room for more home cooked meals or that's the theory anyway as I tend to forget what's in there

What I would like to do is find a holiday to aim for and save for that - it's going to be UK based though and has to be school holidays (the DTs are 7yo) which automatically makes it more expensive, sadly!

it's going to be UK based though and has to be school holidays (the DTs are 7yo) which automatically makes it more expensive, sadly!

the last week of august is always cheaper than the other school holiday weeks

bradicks at westward Ho have some economical caravan holidays

I will only need a shop for a couple of bits this week then I will use up the cupboard s have lots of tins

nothing for me in the sales and even stuff for next test year was poop. Will use the Christmas thread again instead

Can I join you all please? I have to buy my son some new school shoes but other than that the only thing I am going to spend money on in January is food and petrol. December was expensive. I have some vouchers to spend in Aldi as we are a single parent family and qualify for free school meals so I am going to use those today to top up for the rest of the week.

I have booked a holiday for the beginning of the summer holidays and am hoping to clear the balance by the end of March so I have the perfect motivation to be super frugal.

great to see so many people coming along for the no spend

I was particularly proud of myself yesterday - trail runs was a trip to the Trafford centre and I spent £5

Ive brought and wrapped Januarys birthday present

Will be glad to save some money through January and hopefully have a credit in the bank on 31st

all my bills are calculated yearly and then divided by 12, I put this money into a septette account on payday each month - that way the MOT and council tax are all paid from that account and accounted for each month - so no big unexpected bills

Im going to start paying the gas and electric for my actual usage from next year, rather than an average amount. This way the money can sit in my bills account each month and gain interest rather than in the utility companies bank account gaining them interest and a free loan

Have you tried vinted for school shoes I've recently got DC some really good ones from there and sold on outgrown ones!

I’ve got to get one of my DDs measured for new school shoes/wellies/trainers - they have to be specially fitted as she wears orthotics which means it will be quite a bill but hey ho.
I’m going to try to keep food shop to a minimum, so been thinking of cheap and cheerful meals…tonight’s is fried egg and chips and tomorrow’s is lentil Shepard’s Pie, both using potatoes from a large old fashioned sack of spuds I bought today. I wish I could remember my Mum’s recipe for potato casserole it was delicious comfort food. Anyone else got a recipe for this?

@RobotRumpus if you don't mind sharing I'd love the recipe for the lentil
Shepherds pie please. We are having lentil soup tonight.

@AutisticLegoLover my pleasure. It’s an adaptation of a Good Housekeeping one I’ve used with meat for decades (aargh, made myself feel v old lol) and is very tasty.

2lb minced beef or cooked green lentils
1 lge onion chopped
1 lge carrot chopped
2tbsp plain flour
1/2 - 1tsp ground cinnamon
2tbsp tomato paste
1tsp dried thyme
1 pint beef stock
salt & pepper
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley (optional)

For the topping:
1.5lbs old potatoes chopped
1lb parsnips chopped
3-4tbsp mayonnaise
3oz mature cheddar

fry onion & carrot over high heat 5 min or till starting to soften, add browned mince or cooked lentils, add flour, cinnamon, Tom paste, cook for 1 min, stir in thyme, stock, salt/pepper, bring to boil, cover & simmer gently 35-40 min, add parsley. For topping, boil root veg 20 min till soft, drain, return to pan to dry off over low heat for 1 min, mash stir in mayonnaise and cheese. Spoon base mix in to oven dish and top with topping. 200C 20-25 min.

I’m in! I joined in last year and it really set us up for a lower spend year in general.
We get the keys to our new (rented) flat on Friday so January will be a spendy month in terms of moving costs, to counteract this we need to budget the household spends like crazy.
Going to do lots of meal planning and go back to a weekly shop. Cancelling our organic veg box, just can’t justify the cost now. My biggest monthly cost is my commute to work- I am starting a job hunt this week as the time travelling and the costs just aren’t adding up anymore.
I raised a couple of hundred £ this year by selling off clothes and baby bits (on vinted and local parents fb groups), once the dust has settled from the move, I will start selling a few more bits on.