Low spend March

[Orcubed]

Following on from February.

I’m trying not to spend outside of our existing direct debits, standing orders, birthdays etc, also trying to keep groceries etc low. I failed badly in February, hoping March will be better!

All newcomers welcome!

We like the Chicago Town takeaway pizzas from the frozen section and the stone base thin asda fresh ones, or if we have time we make our own but takes more time and effort.

NSD for me. And collected 8 cartons of milk for free from olio. Made rice pudding. I've got through 2 already. 4 in the freezer, leaves me 2 to use tomorrow. Porridge for breakfast?

Counting my blessings here, lovely family, nice home, nice friends. We will get over this financial hiccup.

Need to buy trainers for DS, swimming costume for DD and pay for clubs.... Will do later in the week. It's feels so futile when I scrimp & save then have to spend loads at once! At least I got child benefit today.

@livingthegoodlife have a look on Vinted for kids swimming costumes, I found some really nice ones that were BNWOT or used literally once or twice!

Good idea for vinted, I've never actually used it but keep meaning to. Her current costume has gone see through & baggy!

I second Chicago town. I actually quite like this one from Asda:

groceries.asda.com/product/frozen-deep-pan-pizza/asda-deep-pan-three-cheese-pizza/1000166634818?&cmpid=ppc--ghs----google---_-dskwid-92700072428828020_dc&s_kwcid=AL!11432!3!614369220175!!!u!295481011413!&gclid=Cj0KCQjwk7ugBhDIARIsAGuvgPZ70PpkxGqiOYaeosY7OSxN8yLgAI2jgy2KVIvkhxsMT3sUnior_kUaAlokEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

but I appreciate some might think it's crap. I like it, base doesn't taste like bread to me. Fresh ones from Asda are dry like bread.

Check in from today:
£3.8 alcohol free prosecco and £16 cake stand for husband's birthday on Friday

Tomorrow I am going grocery shopping, but hoping not to pay too much, as it's only a little top up of fresh veg and some stuff for husband's birthday cake. It'll be my first time (I decided I want to know how to bake at least few standard cakes like bday cake, pavlova, cheesecake etc.), I'm hoping cake won't be shit

Ikea kitchen came in £1000 cheaper than my estimates so pleased with that. But I did spend £77 instore on some new cushion covers and various kitchen bits and, of course, the obligatory tealights

There's no trip to Ikea without tealights! Or eating meatballs 😂

Ha ha - obligatory tealights! And hurray for cheaper quote.

I've checked vinted but postage makes it quite high for just a swimsuit. I'm going to try in town tomorrow & see how I get on. I appreciate the idea though.

NSD for me today again. Doing well I think.

Am I the only one who is anxiously waiting for the budget to see how much I might save on childcare? My youngest is 22 months and if the rumours are true it could save me around £10k between now and when she would qualify for 30 free hours (sept 2024) 😯

@Coffeecoffeeinmytummy free hours for the younger ones would make a real difference to working parents mothers. There were no free hours at all when my eldest two were little and only 15 hours for ds3. I’ve spent a fortune on child care over the years.

£44 in Morrison’s at the weekend.
£13 in ALDI yesterday
£6.60 on 2 TGTG box’s in ALDI (excellent value)

Love the IKEA Meatballs. Shame we are a fair drive from one.

Made my first purchase on vintage, now eagerly awaiting delivery. Just ordered a top bundle that would do for summer/work. Hopefully they fit and look OK when they arrive. Plus delivery was free on my first order if delivered to a locker.

Low spend days Monday and Tuesday but need to do a top up shop later. Really struggling to to do NSD, but DH doesn't help that either.

Not only you, I was waiting for this news too. I am expecting my first baby and childcare costs when my maternity leave ends would be the biggest expense in our budget.

Well that was an anticlimax 😐

Do you know how you'll benefit from it?
I think this applies to us "Children from nine months will get 15 hours free childcare from September 2024".

I am confused by the idea of bootcamps to fill shortages in tech industry. Honestly can't imagine how. It's already very hard to enter the industry as a junior with university degree and bootcamps never give you the same level of knowledge and problem solving skills. Unless you already work in science and just want to slightly change your career...

@xogossipgirlxo having such a staggered roll out means we’ll only get one extra term of 15 hours funding for DD in April 2024 and then in September she would qualify for 30 hours anyway under the current scheme. So it will actually only save us about £70 a week for the 12 weeks or so of summer term 2024. I mean it’s ~£800 that I wouldn’t have otherwise had so I suppose I should be grateful. But it’s not exactly the huge announcement it was rumoured to be because the main implementation is due after the next general election so who knows if it will actually happen.

True. Also, I'm worried if they considered staff shortages. Someone needs to look after all these children and you already have to put deposit to nursery while baby wasn't even born yet.

This explains why people on low incomes cant get the value items

Check in, £16 in Aldi today and I am sure the same amount of stuff would cost under £10 last year.

£1 on pudding rice today and £32 on trainers for DS (which I'm going to wrap for his birthday in a couple of weeks - he's only young and has almost nothing from us. Luckily he has a lot of generous family so will be spoilt!).

Free Greggs hot choc for DS today - schools on strike. Felt like a real treat to sit in a cafe.

Took back library books. Took a bag of things to charity shop.

Some hope on the DH job front, got a couple more leads. Let's hope they lead somewhere.

I spent £15 in tesco, topped up a few bits! Finally got some eggs so baking day tomorrow!

£4 in coop and £140 on dining chair online at Ikea

@livingthegoodlife i love vinted but it isn’t always worth it for just one item.

NSD Tuesday , £3 yesterday (£2 on an Easter egg for school fair, £1 on toddler group). Today should be a NSD

Also @livingthegoodlife I meant to say I hope one of those leads pans out for your dh, would be such a load off your minds to have him working again

Hello, can I join in? We've just had to take out a smallish loan because of car and boiler issues, great interest rate because it's come from a family member but obviously we want it paid off as soon as possible.
I've been good all week and hardly spent anything, helped by the fact I tested positive for covid at the weekend so haven't been anywhere. But I fritter money when I'm stressed so I'm just trying to stay calm while expensive things need replaced around me

NSD yesterday. Today I need to buy cream for husband's birthday cake. I wanted to do one myself, but I can't find mascarpone cheese made with pasteurized milk, so need to buy ready made powder. Baking day tonight, god help me 😂