NO SPEND 23

[LaurieFairyCake]

I'm going HARD CORE. There's already a no spend January - I want to go ALL THE FUCKING WAY as far as possible

And I want to take YOU down with me

I confess it's easier for me as I am literally drowning in stuff even now. I've lost 6 stone in weight and I've got rid of 15 black full bags of clothes in last six months so I'm on a roll.

I also work all the fucking time so I have about 50 books to read and all the tv I want to watch. And I can't be arsed doing anything to my house so that's out.

I also want to do this for the environment - I already buy second hand as much as possible as I'm obsessed with EBay - but I could still do with buying much less

I've no idea what the rules could be, let's decide that if I get anyone on board.

My own thoughts are to get as FAR as possible.

I have bought a jumper in the sales already I don't need 🤦‍♀️ which is what kicked this off in my mind today - yadda yadda half price blah blah but I have 20 jumpers! And I had drunk half a bottle of port last night when I purchased it online...

So given my flawed premise anyone want to join me???

That was the part I missed out, I didn't take my receipt!!

NSD#12

Discretionary weekly spending total £37.60.

PS I've popped the coat on Vinted. Might try and upload another BNWT item tomorrow too.

Ah, sorry about that negative experience. Definitely you could take them back?

Going okay here. Very few discretionary spends. Perhaps a little too much on food but I adore cooking, love trying new recipes, never waste and very rarely, if at all, eat out. I like a bit of a choice.

Today was £5 on tinted moisturiser, cheapest I could find and I'd even cut open my old one. DD and I are on a joint agreement to use up old moisturisers, body creams etc until we actually need to buy more.

Joining late! Thanks op for the thread.

Doing well with my no lunch out plan. Took ready meal from the freezer today. Tonight went to shop with DD and bagged yellow stickered egg and cress baguette and chicken sandwich filler so there is even a choice for tomorrow.

Also today I had a parcel to post and decided to walk to the post office in my lunch hour to save petrol. Ran back via a circuitous route so win-win. It was less far than I thought so I will continue to walk as long as I don't have 73 parcels to carry.

Only essentials in Tesco and Boots today, tomorrow is our weekly date and it’s my turn to pay. We’ll take a thermos for our drinks, but 2 x fish suppers will be delicious

NSD#13

Discretionary weekly spending total £37.60

Went to pub today for colleague’s bday (obv didn’t have to) but just had coffee (yummy) no food. So I spent £3.10. Not too bad.

NSD. Hooray! First in a while but all essential spends.

NSD here too! Keep going everyone.

Wowser everyone, I just got my credit card bill and admittedly I paid some of it off in early Jan but the bill is £333 - this is small to an unheard-of degree and a real boost to my commitment. It is normally closer to £1k - no word of a lie. I am a bit amazed that three weeks of not buying takeout lunch or coffee, not buying wine in the supermarket and not buying any random frippery (not that I buy loads, but the odd bit of makeup or a few books or some clothes) has saved me such a significant amount.

Keep it up everyone!

Wow well done @clary that’s fab! We’ll worth it!

nsd here, used up leftover roast beef cooked and froze on Xmas day, everyone felt like it was a real treat! Partnered with Yorkshire puds (also froze). Back down with a bump for them tomorrow ha ha.

So I’ve come to a rather uncomfortable realisation. By doing no spend 2023, it’s made me confront that I use small random spending for the emotional high.
It’s taken a few days to realise that’s why I feel so strange and flat. I’m almost getting withdrawal. No, actually I am getting withdrawal.
Still sticking to the no spend, just a strange realisation.

But the amazing benefits of no spend literally keep on coming.
We have a very special camping trip we do each year. I was able to book now to ensure our place because I hadn’t frittered all the money away in Tesco. Everyone is so excited. I keep thinking about that and it’s made me so happy and showed how amazing No Spend actually is.

@LostCats I am exactly the same. I justify it by buying food but the effect is much the same. For the first month in I don't know how long, I'm not skint at payday. Usually I am a considerable amount overdrawn.

When OP first posted I considered a no spend year unviable for me but actually, I think it's pretty essential. I need to work out the perimeters but I'm going to stick this out.

It's really less about no spend and more about being in control of your money, budgeting for the year, and buying stuff you need (and want if you can afford it). It's a very liberating feeling knowing what's in your account, what it's earmarked for, what's planned to go out...what you've saved.

The app I use, once you've put the time into putting in planned expenses and incomes also shows you how much your savings could be if you don't go over all of that. I found that really really motivating.

I think the key is deciding on pay day what every pound is allocated for, say for instance your income per month is £3000 and fixed bills are £1200 and your essentials but variable ( food fuel etc ) are £550 and your personal spending allowance is £100 and the monthly contribution to yearly expenses is £450 contribution to building up emergency fund £300 you have £400 unallocated so rather than seeing how much of the £400 is left at the end of the month to add to savings add the unallocated £400 to savings immediately ( called paying yourself first) you are much less likely to take it out of savings for general spending but it's available for an emergncy, however leaving the £400 in your general account almost certainly some will be frittered away before end of month

I felt similarly at the beginning of the month - I could really tell that I was craving spending money. I mean, it's ridiculous, right? I think it helped to articulate that was what was happening, and it's definitely got easier now. Avoidance works for me - not going to shops, not looking online, unsubscribing from marketing emails etc. Good luck!

I'm in a no spending standoff today. DS doesn't really want to go to his dads for the weekend, no deep reason he just cba, but I don't want to go grocery shopping!

@CrapBucket shop out of the cupboards and freezer?

He might want to go to his dad's once he realises it's chicken nuggets swept up from the bottom of the freezer drawer and tinned spaghetti hoops from 2015.

I've been doing really well, no food out of the house since Christmas Eve, I've taken drinks and snacks with me and we even had a picnic at the local farm on Sunday!

I did treat myself to the new batch lady cookbook yesterday as I've heard great things about it and it was half price on Amazon (and I had to hit £20 for free delivery!). I also bought a chocolate cake at the local Tesco for £3.40 to celebrate my daughter finally getting back in the swimming pool after 4 months, and myself getting outstanding on my childminding inspection 🎉

Seriously well done on the outstanding! That is an amazing achievement and you absolutely deserved a treat!

Exactly! He's gone! Win win 😀

Fantastic achievements, well done!