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Original poster

NO SPEND 23

549 replies

LaurieFairyCake · 30/12/2022 19:33

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 Wink

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... HmmGrin

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

OP posts:
bridgewateremma · 28/01/2023 19:22

I know how you feel @LostCats! But it'll be worth it in the end!

I was supposed to go away for the weekend this morning but it was cancelled due to illness. Money saving, but it wasn't going to cost a lot and I'm very disappointed :-(.

When I look at my spending since Christmas and also where I want to spend money (but stop myself), I have found that it's mostly on other people. I find it very difficult to reign myself in here. I love to be generous and buy things for people. I very nearly spent £30 on a b-e-a-u-t-i-f-u-l winter bouquet for my hosting friend yesterday. I'm very glad I didn't now as the weekend away was cancelled but I so so so wanted to buy it!

End of week 4 review:-

£10.64 on birthday sweets & stickers
£3.00 on shredded tissue paper
£7.00 on mascara
£5.00 on charity shop gifts

= £25.64 spent and 3 x NSDs

January total spend so far = £79.32 + 17 x NSDs

I'm very much hoping I don't need to spend too much more in January (3 days left!). <£80.00 discretionary spends isn't perfect, but it's much better than it would have been if I hadn't been doing No Spend 2023!

lifelongfrugaleer · 28/01/2023 19:56

Jumping in as been doing no spend Jan and want to extend it

LostCats · 29/01/2023 09:13

Ah bridge I’m so sorry. Cancelling a holiday is sad isn’t it. I am sorry you had to.

LostCats · 29/01/2023 09:15

Sitting with my extremely beloved ‘kitten’ - he’s 2.5 now and weighs 8kg!
Bless his heart, he was so excited he was making bread on the fitted sheet and ripped hugged holes in the sheet. So now I need to replace that. Sigh

clary · 29/01/2023 18:08

Big love to all those struggling with this. It is worth doing if it means you are in the black, or havesaved some money which you might have spent on unneeded things.

I do agree tho it can seem soulless.

Bad weekend this time for me - Costa visit yesterday with DD and paid for it (apart from free hot chocolate for her); then today watched DS2 's match and DD came too which is nice, and then went to pub for some food, which is also nice, but it cost about £50 thanks to DD having two cocktails (not like her to drink so it's quite nice to see her letting go a bit actually) and DS2 two pints. Ah well. Not see DS since about 3 Jan when he went back to uni so it was good to spend some time. As well as the money.

Good luck all for these last few days of Jan

bridgewateremma · 29/01/2023 18:19

Today is NSD#18

Discretionary weekly spending total so far = £0.00. If I can keep this up, I'll be OVER my target for paying my c/c this month! 2 more days of January to go!

I picked up ANOTHER bit of regular work this weekend - one evening a month (and some emails here and there) for another £80.00 or so per month - I think I mentioned I already picked up a similar job last week also for £80.00 or so per month. These are now my 4th and 5th wee jobs to go along with my actual salaried job. I am an organised person but with 3 kids and 6 jobs and a house to manage, I'm going to be even busier, but hopefully on track for £500.00+ to my c/c each month (this is my target).

That sounds very worthwhile @clarey, some things are 100% worth it and half this battle (IMO) is working out what these are. This isn't a criticism (at all) but I'm wondering if you have a fancy coffee maker at home and if you don't, if it might be worth it/cheaper in the long term, investing in one? I love coffee shops too but they are so £££ now!

Welcome @llifelongfrugaleer!

clary · 29/01/2023 18:25

Yes @bridgewateremma a coffee machine would be a good idea... except that the coffee shop itself is part of what we like haha.

But I am always looking at them and considering it. Some are so £££ tho - are they actually good? Need to start a separate thread I think!

But yy it was worth the pub money to spend a couple of hours with the DC 😍

lifelongfrugaleer · 29/01/2023 18:46

I don’t drink coffee but we have a gaggia machine, took a while to calibrate the grind but dh has never looked back coffee wise. Just need to find beans you like then

LandlubbingKraken · 29/01/2023 20:43

@bridgewateremma, 6 jobs 😭. I have one, and I find that demanding enough.

CrapBucket · 29/01/2023 22:58

One of my extra jobs is in a coffee shop so I'm hoping that not everyone cuts out coffees 🤣

I never spend any of my own money there but I do have a coffee when I'm working - perfect way of having the cafe experience and a NSD (except for the aching feet etc)

bridgewateremma · 31/01/2023 08:40

Yesterday was NSD#19.

Discretionary weekly spending total so far = £0.00.

My January review is coming this evening. How has everyone else done this month?

Cullenskink · 31/01/2023 16:32

Well I’m feeling positive about Jan, I managed to save, less than I hoped but still - something better than nothing!
I have two more presents to buy in Feb for DD birthday in March but that’s it, apart from groceries and fuel. Hardest part will be trying to keep food shop low whilst everyone off school.
My electricity is 68p kwh, and it’s a 50 mile round trip to supermarket, I really need to focus on reducing electric use even more/meal planning even more…soil destroying as I really am trying.
Tonight is our once-a-month treat dinner…pitta pizzas and cheap lemonade.
Tomorrow should be NSD and will try washing machine at 20c. Bulk cook vegetable curry in slow cooker, and search for cheaper dog food.

needastrongoneagain · 31/01/2023 20:55

NSD to end January, the dogs are being my hot water bottles for the evening.

clary · 31/01/2023 22:34

Oh dear fell off 'taking my lunch to work' waggon badly today; to mark end of January I joined my team at work in a delivery lunch which cost about £9. It was yummy tho.

Bought a good to go bag later which will at least furnish me and DD with lunch tomorrow. Gonna try to continue to spend less in Feb.

bridgewateremma · 01/02/2023 00:36

End of JANUARY 2023 (month 1/18) review:-

Wk 1 £6.59 + 4 x NSDs
Wk 2 £4.49 + 6 x NSDs
Wk 3 £42.60 + 4 x NSDs
Wk 4 £25.64 + 3 x NSDs
Wk 5 £0.00 + 3 x NSDs

= £79.32 January total spend and 20 x NSDs

[£79.32/31 days in month = £2.56 average daily spend
£79.32/11 spend days in month = £7.21 average spend on the days I spent money]

I am happy with this as it's been a steep learning curve. I am not only not curbing my bonkers c/c spending of recent years but also concurrently trying to earn/save money to pay off big lump sums! So double whammy! It's not realistic not to spend anything, but I would like to get down closer to £50.00 discretionary spending per month.

I am noticing that I am spending more on food/household/clothes items at the supermarket though as I don't count this here. 1) we simply cannot afford to be recklessly spending on the food budget by adding extras to the trolley, especially not at the moment and 2) it's cheating! My main aim for this month is to be a savvier and smarter food/household goods shopper and to try to reign in spending here a little.

I haven't made the January lump sum.payment to my c/c yet as I'm still waiting for a couple of January invoices to clear, however all being well, I am due to pay OVER my target of £500 this month and pay £525 instead, yahoo!

CrapBucket · 01/02/2023 07:08

I treated myself yesterday... to new oven gloves, how rock and roll.

Then I went on Amazon, as there was one thing I needed that I've spent 2 weeks trying to buy from a shop. To get free delivery I had to buy a few other things and it was difficult thinking of/finding things I genuinely need. Eg it would be nice to have a new cheese grater but I don't actually NEED it. So I was quite pleased about that, I thought finally giving myself permission to spend might mean I ended up buying any old crap but I'm just not in that mindset.

Congratulations everyone on getting through January! February will be shorter and easier right????

Norfolkungood · 01/02/2023 07:34

Everyone has been doing so well and I'm impressed by how you all keep a track of your spending. I think I'm doing ok, apart from a couple of essential spends this month. In February I definitely want to keep a better track on exact amounts of non essentials. January has seen a £300 income drop so rather than having extra money I seem to be holding my own. I have to see this as a plus because if I'd been spending like before I would be £300 down. My mindset has shifted when supermarket shopping and I have saved by talking myself out so many things where before I would have bought them. I'm sure we've knocked about £30 a week off the weekly shop. Target for February is to keep a better track of amounts so I can see exactly what we've saved. Good luck,everyone!

needastrongoneagain · 01/02/2023 07:38

That's excellent financial awareness and control @bridgewateremma.

Should be a NSD, although I do have a committee meeting this evening so perhaps the cost of a soda water and lime, I'm sure I can scrape odd change together for that though!

Original poster
LaurieFairyCake · 01/02/2023 07:58

You're all doing so well!

I had a flurry on payday and bought a few things but I still did not spend about £300 I have done every month last year !

This is going really well for me as I'm prioritising going out - been to the cinema 3 times and booked a night away for Valentines OVER buying things

OP posts:
Cullenskink · 01/02/2023 20:41

Trying to really keep on top of myself - nsd so far but not feeling great, sick bug in house too, and I’d love something to cheer myself up, even something tiny. But resisting; I’ve had a nice bath this evening and sat listening to relaxing music but still feel low and it would be so easy to do some online shopping. Might just have an early night.
Tonight’s dinner: sandwiches and salad for those who aren’t ill. Was all that was wanted.
Tomorrow dinner is mushroom omelettes.

bridgewateremma · 01/02/2023 20:50

I spent £21.20 on train tickets for a weekend away today. No regrets, it's to replace the weekend away I had to cancel last weekend.

Discretionary weekly spending total so far = £21.20.

clary · 01/02/2023 21:25

Hey all, it's February yay!

Took fruit plus sandwich from gtg bag for lunch today; no coffee, no pub.

I do really need my new swimmy tho so may treat myself tonight - I will try to keep it under £30. Pleased with my cc statement so far this month - only petrol and supermarket plus the odd coffee shop.

Dexterslab · 02/02/2023 06:50

I feel I did really well in January, no food out of the house apart from two free sausage rolls from my o2 app and two coffees, one bought by my husband and one with a costa gift voucher from Christmas.

I've been really trying to cut the food bill down and it's been about £60 ish a week for 2 adults and 2 children plus snacks and lunches 4 days a week for 3-4 childminding children. Shopping the freezer and cupboards and resisting top up shops. Bought the batch lady cookbook and made some snacks that have kept us going all week from ingredients I already had.

Yesterday was a teacher strike day here and my family I was meant to have cancelled last minute at 8am so I took my own two on a treat day out to Cadburys world. I had £50 put by from a nearly new sale last year for us to go in the Easter holidays but took the chance of a quieter more enjoyable day. I did spend £11.98 in the gift shop but my two never ask for anything so I felt happy saying yes. We also took a picnic and drinks so no extra spend and I avoided the emission charge by using my phone sat nav which I was a bit worried about.

Just totting up what I have to spend already in feb is a bit disheartening as most of my spare money seem already accounted for with swimming fees (£68x2 but up to Easter), £60 yoga (again up to Easter), £45 feet appointment for my son, 2 pairs of school shoes going to be needed (probably close to £80-90 total as we go to a specialist shop due to feet issues). I guess I need to think about it as keeping in the black and not having to put anything on my credit card (last month I only put on one thing at the end which I paid off as soon as I got paid) but it's still a bit annoying when I go to all this effort and have no extra money to show for it!

LostCats · 02/02/2023 10:45

The savings will come. I did this a few years ago and SAHM and it took a while but suddenly there was extra money as I’d adjusted living and costs. It takes time and then one day you’ll realise you have a bit more

BarrelOfOtters · 02/02/2023 14:07

@Dexterslab it will come, keep tracking what you spend. Still have fun and do nice stuff though. And you'll start to realise that you have some left over at the end of the month and that grows...and not having debt is a huge thing.
But don't let it spoil your life - still buy treats and things....just think about it.