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???

Thank you, yes I know this and will consider it in the future, I just don't want to rock thr boat at this early stage.

Oh no re. car! What a wanker!

Hello!

I'm having quite a good week. 2 x NSDs so far. I was tempted by Dr Chris VT's book on UPFs only being £1.99 on Kindle today but I think if/when I read it, I'd much rather have a hard copy for this kind of reference book so may try and get it out of the library at some point instead.

I have quite a lot of money coming to me over the next 6/7 weeks which will help plug some initial gaps which will be left by no self-employed work after next month. I have an annual leave lump sum due from my previous employer, will be pre-paid for some planned work later in the year and have also applied for a below threshold repayment refund from Student Loans Co. I'm still not sure how I manage to continue as planned from August onwards, but I may just have to be super frugal and a bit creative! At least I've bought myself some time. All being well, by the start of August, I should have £4,500 left on one credit card (around half the amount I started 2023 with!) so just need to come up with creative ways to try and pay that down as soon as possible. I've always had an 18 month target, so from beginning of August, I've still got 11 months to complete my goal within. The credit card with the balance is due to start charging interest from 1/10 but I have an empty credit card with continual 0% balance transfer offers, I just need to wait until nearer the time to hopefully apply.

Our joint food budget remains a real concern and something I just can't seem to get a handle on at all. The cost of food and the total spend is exacerbated by the fact that I am buying (food/snacks) things on it I would have previously bought out of my personal spends, which I am now trying not to do due to paying down the debt/reducing spending. I've always had issues with treating myself with food, this habit is so hard to break.

I would really love some new clothes for my new job but may just have to make do with what I have or buy some inexpensive supermarket/charity shop clothes. I haven't bought any new work clothes for such a long time as I've been based at home since March 2020, today I was on Teams (top half only) in my pants as it was so hot!

I think that's all my news for today!

End of week 24 review (to Saturday 17th June):-

£2.90 hot choc for eldest DD during beach walk
£10.00 Costa (I didn't need this, annoyed with myself)
£4.00 bus fares
£3.50 soft drink at pub
£3.70 sparking water & limes at supermarket
£16.10 (cheap!) round of drinks
= £40.20 spent + 4 x NSDs

I have had a few things on this weekend so (apart from the lapse at Costa) quite pleased with my spending this week, given what a busy, event packed time of year it is.

I'm taking a friend out for a birthday lunch tomorrow then have train tickets to book later in the week when some arrangements are confirmed - this time of year is so expensive! I also want to get my watch repaired before I start my new job as won't be allowed my phone with me.

I still have a good handle on things but I am starting to feel that things are getting a little out of control. I know it's the time of year and all the big changes about to happen in my life but I am feeling unsettled and worried keeping spending low and paying the rest of the debt off - from August, I have no idea how to raise the funds required to pay off a reasonable lump sum each month. And I have a big holiday in September. I'm reasonably sorted with the spending money for that (fingers crossed - money still to come in but should be fairly secure) but I'll need to buy a few things before we go and it also takes me out of the country for over 2 weeks meaning no progress during that time in money making towards debt repayment.

@bridgewateremma you are doing amazingly! I start my new job soon and totally understand the emotions. I have had some birthdays and Father’s Day to spend on which sort of opened the Ah Fuckit Floodgate and I also bought myself a present and wasted some money on McDonalds and a meal deal lunch. Been putting off checking over my finances because the gap between pay days is worrying me a bit. I think I need to do this tomorrow and get a grip!

@CrapBucket, how did you get on with doing your finances review? Sometimes it's better just to face it! I like writing it all here at the end of the week as the accountability means I am more careful with what I spend. Sadly not this week though (see below)! Good luck with the new job! Is it better paid?

End of week 25 review (to Saturday 24th June):-

£7.00 ticket to choir concert in August
£2.50 birthday card for a friend
£10.00 local fundraising donation
£42.25 taking friend out for birthday lunch (more expensive than anticipated but a planned spend)
£27.40 train tickets (planned spend)
£8.50 bus fare
☆£3.51 Costa hot drink with 10% off
☆£3.99 jigsaw in charity shop
☆£11.25 Toiletries
☆£6.00 bakery
☆£36.14 food & drink & ice creams on day out
= £158.54 spent + 3 x NSDs

It was a ruiniously expensive week this week - around £90.00 of that was planned spending and spending I'm happy(ish) with, but the other £60-£70 was silly and I could have made better choices if I'm really honest. I've put wee stars next to these items (not sure if that will show up when this reply is posted). The £36.14 spent yesterday on food & drink wasn't ridiculous as it was a special day out but I could have reigned it in and kept it under £20.00.

Luckily I made £58.39 matched betting at Royal Ascot this week, which has helped a little.

I did go to get my watch fixed this week and was delighted when he 'jump started' it for me and didn't charge :-) but its stopped working again now :-(.

I have a bbq today and then am leaving a number of jobs this week so not sure if that will involve any events or drinks. I feel a bit out of control of what is happening and am trying to go with the flow but realistically want to zip up my purse and go nowhere and be super frugal! I hope things will settle down soon but I know that in July I have 2 x big family birthdays, aaarrrgggggghhhh!

I have £400 expected to come in over the next fortnight, which will pay off June's planned payment to my credit card, then I only have one more large payment to go to that card & it's paid off! By the end of July/start of August, I should have £4,500 left on one card only. I feel elated about this but also worried as I don't have a plan to repay it and I need to repay £450 minimum each month (+ more if I don't manage to get a 0% balance transfer) to reach my original goal of being debt free in 18m from start date (1/1/23). I think I may have to do some creative accounting!

Anyway, hope everyone is good and being much more frugal than I am!

Talking to myself again!

End of week 26 review (to Saturday 1st July):-

£16.68 salad ingredients for brunch
£9.70 baking ingredients for gifts
£4.31 tourist visa for upcoming holiday
£8.38 McDonalds
£12.00 DD2 teacher gift contribution
£5.00 notebooks for DD2
£6.77 wrapping paper
£2.37 Costa (1/2 price!)
= £65.21 & 4 x NSDs

End of month review (to Friday 30th June):-

End of JUNE 2023 (month 6/18) review (week runs Sunday - Saturday):-

Wk 1 (3 days) £8.25 + 2 x NSDs
Wk 2 £43.98 + 3 x NSDs
Wk 3 £40.20 + 4 x NSDs
Wk 4 £158.54 + 3 x NSDs
Wk 5 (6 days) £56.07 + 4 x NSDs

= £307.04 June total spend and 16 x NSDs

= Year to date (halfway point) = £1,141.70 spent + 100 x NSDs

So exactly halfway through the year and exactly a third of my way through my self-imposed 18 month debt repayment plan. I've spent £1,141.70 over the past 6 months on non-essentials (all noted on this thread). This is my daily spending money plus money for birthday gifts (not including my own children's birthdays). This works, out as an average of £190 or so per month. I'd love this to be lower and will attempt to keep this closer to £120 per month once the school holidays and 3 x big birthdays I have coming up are over. Little & larger spends are creeping in and I'm not being as strict with myself as I want to be, however this will be really tricky until the schools go back as even if we do park trips/beach walks/library visits, I'd still like to have a small budget for ice creams and incidentals.

100 No Spend Days - I'm very very proud of this!

I have £300 to pay to one credit card over the next few days then will be (quietly) celebrating paying off one credit card in full, leaving a balance of £4,500 to pay to the remaining card over the following 11 months. This is currently at 0% APR but I will need to shift the balance for a small fee before 1st October.

It is amazing to me to note that the best estimate of my debt balance on 31/12/2022 is between £8.5-£9k (I haven't kept good records and going through the statements is tricky as we also use these cards for household spending and pay off balance spent) so despite always feeling like I'm not doing enough, I am nearly halfway towards £0 debt! I am realistic that it will take me another 11-12 months though as I've been paid in advance for some work and my ability to earn extra money has been curtailed due to new job employment restrictions.

Once I've paid the £300 outstanding (I'm just waiting on 2 x invoices being settled) then I will have paid what I was scheduled to pay at the end of June AND at the end of July, giving me more time to work out how to raise my shortfall for my end of August target and monthly debt repayment goals going forward. I'm ahead of myself because I have been paid in advance for a number of small jobs I am scheduled to complete over the next few months due to winding my business up. I don't currently have a plan to make the money I need for the end of August credit card repayment (& payments thereafter) but this gives me more time to work on it. My current plan is a bit of matched betting and selling a few things, but I don't think this will make quite enough to meet my shortfall so I will need to think creatively!

I start my new job tomorrow, eeeek! So today I'm busy getting organised for the week. The training is going to be full on so I'm slightly terrified.

I'd love to hear how everyone else is doing at the midpoint of the year!

well done Emma halving your debt is no mean feat, good luck for your job, I'm only doing low spend not no spend
have you set aside the money for tax from your self employed job as if new job is PAYE all your tax allowance will be used on that before your self employed stuff?
summer is hard to do no spend but maybe you could make Spetember and October barebones no spend months to save for Christmas so you only use what you have saved for Christmas just an idea

Good luck for your new job! You have done so incredibly well with your finances - take that approach and all will be well with the job, I am totally sure.

Yes my new role is better paid… got a lot to learn but the people all seem really nice. I did my finances but haven’t been very disciplined this week…

Thanks both!

Yes, I'm all sorted with money saved for my tax return, thanks @Cottagecheeseisnotcheese. I save 30%+ of what I invoice, which is usually roughly indictive of the income tax + student loan payment I owe to HMRC each January.

NSD today, yay!

I paid another £250 paid to my c/c this evening. There is now only £50 more to pay (1 x invoice still to be settled from end of June) then I'm all done with that c/c. It looks amazing to see the balance now! Even with general household spending (we both use this card then pay off what spent on food etc on payday) & the £50.00 outstanding, the balance today is under £300.00, I can't stop looking at it! When an invoice is settled, I don't let the money hang around in my account, I'm straight online to pay it off the c/c, what a buzz!

Apart from coming up with some ideas to raise some money to cover end of August's self inposed target to start to repay the balance on c/c 2, the next problem to solve is getting some clothes and toiletries together for my holiday at the start of September. I'm just about there with the spending money, but would love a wee budget to buy some cheap dresses and tops to take from the summer sales + money for sun lotion and other bits and pieces.

My first day went really well. It's going to be a steep learning curve but everyone was lovely and very supportive. It's a bit of a leap of faith for me so fingers crossed it continues to go well. I was so shattered though that I slept from 7-10pm, hence being awake! I'm going to bed now though as I'm up at 5am! My one issue is going to be where my new office is located (after years of 95% WFH) and the shops I really love and my itch to spend, particularly on food. It's right next to a massive retail park with Sainsburys, M&S Food, Costco, Asda, McDs, Costa, Ikea, multiple burger vans + T K Maxx, Next etc - all within a 2 min walk or drive away! I might have to start leaving my purse at home!

We are all off out for tea for DH's birthday on Friday using Tesco Clubcard Pizza Express vouchers, I have plenty and will just need to pay for drinks I think. Then I am taking DH for a birthday outing on Saturday, I have £100 saved to gift to him an also plan to take him for lunch - this is all budgeted for.

Thanks again for all the love and support and apologies for the epic post. I do find it really helpful to order my thoughts here. How is everyone else doing?

@bridgewateremma you're doing amazingly well. It must be such a boost to see that credit card almost paid off! Hopefully the retail park won't be a too much of a temptation. It'll be useful when you need to buy things you need or have budgeted for.
We are continuing with our healthy eating. It's been about a month and we've had 2 very small takeaways. This has to be a way of life so we just had a much smaller and cheaper portion. I've lost 18lb so far and already feel much better. We've started food shopping twice a week. We buy food for 3 to 4 days each time and we have cut down on what we waste and we want to eat what we've bought as we've only just bought it. Rather than it being in the fridge or freezer for a week and us not wanting it when the time comes. We've spent about £400 this month on food shopping rather than about £800 with takeaways/eating out. We have realised how much of our time/leisure revolved around food and its still taking some adjusting to.

I think you're doing amazingly well and I applaud how you're managing to stick to your goals

We're in the midst of new kitchen installation (which is in our current living room! Luckily our old kitchen is still functional but it means our living space is tiny. We have stuff stored everywhere and it won't get better until October at earliest

We finished the outside space first as we thought that would give us extra living space but here in Wales wet and windy weather has set in and looks like it's going to continue for another 10 days

We're still within budget but only just. It's not the big items but all the small purchases like brushes,sealant, pipe connectors etc. It's £70+ with each visit to DIY shop

Slinking quietly in admit to a shit month of spending. Its been a massive month of changes in my life and I just haven't been at all disciplined or watching my spending. I would go so far to say that I've been unconciously rebelling a bit too! My working situation has also completely changed - no more WFH and 'free/at home' lunches, the draw of the big shops caught me again and again and again, coupled with the fact my head has been very busy and a lot of new people, places and learning to take in.

It's mostly fast or supermarket 'treat' food that I've been spending on, both my problems (spending and eating) together!

Anyhoo, I'm back to 'fess up and start afresh. Its not awful, debt balances now is approx. £4,650.00 and I'd like to pay that off over the next 11 months, ideally over the next 9 months, but I need to be realistic. Its all interest free, but I just want it GONE!

I need to face the reality that I don't have a way to make extra money each month now to throw straight at repayments so it's going to start getting much harder from here on in. The reality is that even if my spending is pretty frugal, I still need to find creative ways to make £250/£300 each month to meet my repayment target + my expected monthly expenses. I've been sticking my head in the sand a bit about this but now need to face it and do some thinking and planning. I need to attempt to make £300+ by the end of August as a start. I am starting to get a bit panicky just thinking about this, so need to try and think it through. I don't like not having a plan and I'm worried I just can't do it.

So off to bed now to fret and give myself a hernia! I hope you've all had a wonderful July, and have spent much less than me! It'd be lovely to hear how your no spend attempts are going! I'm going to try and post more often as the accountability really helps keep me on track.

Try and think of your debt repayment as a marathon not a sprint. You have slipped this month but as you settle in to your new job you will also make new routines - taking your lunch from home, using meal plans, whatever will limit your need to go into shops.

My news is that my kichen is more or less finished! The plumber was here yesterday to turn the water on. Now to strip out old kitchen and then builder will be back to do some plastering before we can turn into a sitting room Hopefully we will reach the October deadline for finishing, We have decided not to travel in September as originally planned as may need that cash to finish - budget getting tight. So instead of Provence and the Alps we will be going to west Wales for a week

hi Emma, is there any way you could return some of your purchases for refunds to help it seems a lot going from just £50 balance to £4650 but maybe I misunderstood figures and it was just £50 on one card anyway like the poster above said it's a marathon not a sprint but you maybe need to be more frugal and perhaps allow yourself £50 fun money a month so you don't do splurges!

@Cottagecheeseisnotcheese, no not £50 to £4,650 in less than a month! £4,500 - £4,650 (was £4,750 but paid off £100.00 already). I really would have a problem of that had been the case! Nothing I can take back as mainly McDonalds breakfasts and treat Costas and popping into M&S Food on the way home!

I do have a treat budget but the summer is a very expensive time for me with 3 x children on school holidays and lots of family and friends' birthdays, this continues into August/September and I can hopefully recover a wee bit in the autumn/winter.

Thanks @grannycake, great progress on the kitchen and your Wales holiday sounds lovely. I've never been.

NSD today, in for the evening now and don't really online shop. I did buy a raincoat for my youngest this afternoon, however this comes from a family budget and she really needs one as she's 6.5yrs and still wearing a (lovely but old) Joules raincoat, age 4-5, which is nearly round her waist! However I didn't notice the Tesco security tag and didn't take a receipt - aaarrrgggghhh! The last time this happened to me, they wouldn't remove the tag (from a Princess Jasmine costume, also Tesco) as I 'could' have stolen it. I understand that, but I didn't and I don't tend to take a receipt as its scuttery and usually a waste of paper. I'm so cross!

@bridgewateremma I understand now, had misinterpreted as balance was £50 rather than you were £50 short of target of paying £300 off balance this month but just remember it was about 9k at end of lasyt year so even with a spendy month or two you are still on target for it to be under 4k by year end and hopefully £0 by end 2024 if not before good luck

Hi all

Great to read these updates. I think having an expensive month is an investment in getting settled into your better paid job. Will be ok in the long run.

I have finally been paid from my new job, but not for a typical month so I’m looking forward to knowing what my standard monthly pay will be and making a budget for September onwards.

My current challenge is to get some structure with things that I find tough- went grocery shopping when I was tired and hungry and it cost me a fortune. I am planning to try different online grocery shopping and link up to an automated shopping list so I just buy what we need and want. And not auto pilot crap.

And by wierd coincidence I’ve booked a cheap break in Wales soon!! Going with a thrifty friend and really looking forward to it.

I am really pleased to report that as from tomorrow, 1/10, my debt balance is now £3,600 (exactly), down from just under £9,000 (hazy recollection and bad record keeping but this is my best guess and tallys up with earlier posts at the start of this thread) in early January this year, so £5,400 paid off (+ some interest) in 9 months. I can't quite believe it and I'm really proud of myself, especially given the extra pressures from the cost of living rising so sharply during the same period.

I've moved the remaining balance so that it is still all interest free (my previous 15 month interest free period was due to end today). I'm aiming to pay £400 per month (next due 31/10) with everything finally paid off by 30/6/24 (£9k in 18 months). If I can pay more and get it paid off sooner then great, but I am more than happy with end of June next year and I don't have the same ability to earn extra money as I did, due to restraints of my new job role, so I need to be mindful of that.

I've been away on a preplanned holiday abroad (& even managed a separate pot of spends for that!) and l, as I was careful when away, I came back with some £££, which I used to pay for some outstanding family expenses. Also, our new pay deal has recently been agreed and I'm due a small back pay lump sum of around £500 so this will go towards Christmas costs.

So I'm getting there! I am going to try and put my frugal hat back on this week and have some NSDs and try to avoid the big shops (which I now work next to!).

If anyone is still trucking on and wants to post progress or join me in a challenge to have as many NSDs as possible between now and Christmas, then please do! I don't count food shopping or clothes shopping or any shopping that comes from the family pot. I have a small amount of spending money each month and I only count my personal spends from this pot. These are my rules for me and you may wish to count differently!

Thanks for all the support and sorry it's been so long!

That's fantastic @bridgewateremma you've done amazingly well. I'd completely forgotten about this thread it's so nice to read your positive update.
We've moved house and had all the expenses that go along with that but we're still trying to be mindful in what we spend. I almost impulse buy things when I'm out shopping but talk myself out of it. Sometimes the things make their way into the trolley but I put them back on the shelf. I could do with lots of NSDs between now and Christmas to get the finances to where they were before we moved

@bridgewateremma congratulations! That’s fantastic progress. Just think, once it is paid off, your financial habits will be so ingrained, you have a secure future ahead.

I’m still being diligent as much as I can. Needed new bedding and got the perfect set from a charity shop for £3 the other day. Little wins help me to keep going!

Well done @bridgewateremma . Our renovations are nearly completed but we are about £2000 over budget. Part of this is not including the cost of paint, screws, hinges, sandpaper etc - it seems every B&Q trip is £100.

However we have added things that I didn't budget for - a new sofa when I originally planned to reuse, DH made beautiful victoria shutter for the windows but again materials were expensive and we always planned a new TV for the new living room but we have ended up needing to two as the screen on the existing TV got damaged.
So I'll need to replace that money into our savings which means that we will need to be really frugal for at least another year

End of week 40 (?) review (to Saturday 7th October):-

£13.37 copy birth certificate as a gift for a family member from Scotland's People
£0.70 2 x combs, reduced in Boots
£26.35 postage to post a (heavy!) gift to America
£6.80 Costa
£10.00 deposit for a date meal out with DH
£3.80 Boots meal deal plus 20p reduced crisps for DD
= £61.02 & 3 x NSDs

I have also paid for theatre tickets however this comes out of my Christmas pot, not noted above.

I'm not delighted by this start & will have to reign it in a bit over the next few weeks of the month. I haven't quite got myself if the correct mindset yet and need to try and be super frugal again.

It was lovely to hear all your news and thanks for the welcome back. I can't let it all go to pot now, need to keep on trucking - £3,600 to go then lots of saving pots to start building up!

I'm off work most of next week so, again, need to try and resist the temptation to spend! Then the kids are off school and I want to take them for a couple of (cheap) days out, there's always something!

@bridgewateremma you are doing so well, paying off debt at £400 per month is great, and hopefully when it's paid off you can continue saving £400 a month it will soon mount up

We had an unplanned McDonalds last week which I am still annoyed about! It wasn’t even very nice, DD was grumpy, I was too tired to enjoy it - have resolved not to do it again for a long time.

I am aiming not to spend on anything except school dinners, milk and bread, until at least Friday…