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???

Which necklace ? (I love jewellery and that's a BIG discount)

Had my car service and paid £10 for an engine flush they recommended 🤷🏻‍♀️ I ummed and Ahhed but if the car lasts longer it had to be worth a tenner.
Bought my Dad's birthday present but used a bag, tags and wrapping paper I had in the house rather than buying more. They kind of matched😂
9 days without a takeaway or eating out so far which is a record for us. We were out visiting earlier and it would have been so easy not to come home and cook but we resisted.

I'm 99% sure it's not worth the original price tag as it's just a plain belcher chain but it's from Monica Vinader which is why I think it was so expensive to start with.

@LaurieFairyCake, oooh what did you see at the cinema?

@clary, loving your work - so £5 up and 2 x free fancy coffees for the day? Well done!

@Plump82, that's excellent, I'm really failing on food shopping just now. Not helped by me eating differently from the rest of the family AND having fussy AND CoL crisis/rapidly rising food prices! It isn't my focus for this thread, but I am aware it needs work.

I need some help & advice please. My 6yo has been invited to 4 x birthday parties over the next month. I am responsible for buying birthday presents from my budget. Do you have any advice on what I can buy for as cheap as possible but looks expensive but isn't another generic crappy craft kit. Kids are a mix of boys and girls and all turning 5 and 6 years old. I am happy to gift all 4 the same item. We've just had a birthday here but nothing I can regift. I'm not keen to go the sales in case I'm temped to buy more! Any ideas appreciated please!

@bridgewateremma we're both vegetarian and I've noticed that while most food are increasing luckily vegetables are still quite reasonable so in a bid to spend less (and lose weight!) We're eating less processed stuff and just loads and load of veg stews, curries, warm salads etc.

Went to see The Menu at the cinema - a Ralph Fiennes psychological horror which was very silly but had some very good laugh out loud moments

As for things to give 5/6 year olds - do you have any random seeds lying around you can box up into a 'mystery growers box' with a bit of earth and an egg carton with typed growing instructions ? Someone did this for my 6 year old niece and it was literally her favourite present! Mostly because the typed instructions were written personalised to her as if she was a 007 and she had to figure out what the seeds were once they were grown (they ended up being mustard seeds!)

plump25 LOVE Monica vinader stuff but like you only on discount

@bridgewateremma I’ve found at that age they all love excavation kits, or a toasting fork, giant marshmallows and a tea light.

I've just put something on Vinted, everytime I am tempted to Internet shop i will try to Internet sell instead.

I'd get footballs for presents, wrapped up like giant sweeties. Size 3 are for 7.50 here - www.sportsdirect.com/sondico-mini-football-821020#colcode=82102099

Today was hard 😂
We went for a drive and a wander around Keswick. DW needs some walking boots, so we spent an hour in mountain warehouse trying them on. I put a pair to one side. None fit DW so I put mine back. Then she bought a pair of trousers and a new coat, everytime she said 'do you like this' I said 'doing no spend January leave me alone'
But I successfully left withoht buying a thing.

That's a really good idea. I might start doing that too! Might replace that nice buzz you get from shopping. :-)

I did a no buy year back in 2009. Saved a lot of money but I was doing it for environmental reasons rather than financial ones.

Now I don't buy anything new unless I can get rid of the equivalent thing at the same time. So new shoes means old one must be donated to charity shop (or thrown away) etc...

Can I join. My biggest problem is buying sweets and treats, a hangover from a weird childhood. I need to stay out of shops. I have enough clothes and toiletries etc for a year at least. I will spend on birthdays and pay for kids activities but hopefully nothing else. I have had a NSD today as I am ill so just lay on sofa all day, every cloud etc!

Spent £6 today on a box of hair dye witch is an essential!! The roots needed doing, also found rainbow bath bombs for 50p reduced to clear for the kids from Superdrug (every Friday after school my kids get a bath bomb each and milky way or some chocolate treat) so £7 today

english heritage Tomorrow(free) and Christmas dinner for tea as I have everything to make it.

well done so far everybody!

Thanks for the gift suggestions everyone, keep them coming! I'm thinking along the lines of baking kit/cookie jar or similar, under £5 each, but looks lovely and personal.

Discretionary spends today £1.00 on daffodils for grave visiting.

End of week 1 review:-

• £1.89 Mayflies on Kindle
• £1.00 4 x My Little Ponies for DD
• £2.70 Raspberries for Fri eve treat
• £1.00 Daffodils for grave visit

= _£6.59_

Happy with that!

Count me in.

I feel like I've been in permanent "treat ourselves" mode since about March 2020.

I'm not including food in my NS but I am trying to reduce my spend on it this month by just buying what I need to be able to use what I've got.

I need a purse with YOU DON'T NEED IT emblazoned on it.

I have t spent any money yet this year so let's see how long that can continue.

NSD. Pleasing!

Yeah! A full week of NSD (apart from food and toiletries) I found this week quite easy but that’s probably after the Christmas excesses of over-indulgence!

I’ve been unsubscribing from marketing emails as they come in.

Planning more meals and using up what’s in the freezer. Just made 2 loaves of banana bread using frozen bananas (any overripe bananas can be peeled and frozen)

I've done a very frugal grocery shop today. DC were meant to be at their dads this weekend but ended up being here most of the time and eating all the food I'd planned for further ahead. I need to not get pissed off when things don't go to plan with the finances... obviously they are blissfully unaware but I've got a headache from it all...

Today I bought some butter, a drink and a porridge pot for DW. I spent £5.70 but as I used money I found in the car it doesn't count right 😂😂

I went a friend's today for a cup of tea and a catch-up so spent £3.99 on supermarket lilies to take round. This was the friend I was meant to meet up for a meal with, so this spend is definitely preferable to £25+ on a meal/drinks/coffee etc. Then I went round a couple of (different) charity shops again today and bought 2 x M&S cardigans for my daughter for £3.00 each and a tiny Cath Kidston clasp purse for her to take her Friday snack money to school for 50p.

So £10.49 spent however I can recover £6.00 for the cardigans back from our family clothes budget so discretionary spends today £4.49.

I definitely think money found doesn't count @Nutrigrainygoodness!

Forgot the photo!

It costs so much to eat out these days. I spent £13 on a sandwich and an orange juice not long ago and felt a bit of an idiot. My friend suggested we stay for tea and cake but that would have been another tenner. Each.

We tend to come here to my house now. I can't justify spending £23 on a basic sandwich and piece of cake lunch just for me.

Food shopping.

Spend, 5 quid on socks.

Another NSD. Tomorrow is the food shop, I was going to order on Ocado (minimum spend £60 but have a 20% off code) but tbh it’s a small list this week as working through the freezer so I’ll just go to Aldi instead and reckon I can keep it under £35 for the week.

I'd like to join in (a bit late!) please.

I really need to cut down in the small spends that add up. I've done well so far this year with no coffee or food out of the house so will try to continue this.

I've had a small blip where I ordered some vests for my son and ended up sale shopping, however I'm determined to just keep one or two things when it comes and return the rest!

Been enjoying the post and hopefully this will hold me accountable, I might start writing a note of everything I spend so I can really see where I fall down!