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!

Cross posted @Pseudonamed , why not indeed! Hope you enjoy the wine.

There were 11 Easter eggs in my grocery shop this morning, one reason why I spend so much money 😬

I keep putting off buying the Easter eggs. Will have to make an effort to do it on payday. I agree about the totals, really good idea. Is it everything you spending in the supermarkets @Orcubed or just food ect? Hope the weather picks up for you. When are you going away?

£21 spend nipping in Aldi for tea bags and milk.

Wondering what everyone's low cost easter ideas are for the weekend? On Monday we're egg rolling, should be free but I know my kids going to rinse me for stalls, games ext which I don't mind. But could do with some cheap and cheerful at home stuff

Ugh I went to lidl and used two coupons. Free bakery item and free easter treat when you buy 2 and only bakery item worked. I know it's nothing, I would buy those chocolate eggs anyway, but I assume now lidl doesn't allow to use few coupons at once or what? They become annoying more and more. £2 off doesn't work with other coupons too, so you need to pay separately for some stuff if you want 2 quid off. Rant over 😂

£26 for top up shopping in Lidl

Also started buying things for our holidays in May, i.e. flight tickets, new suitcase and travel insurance. This goes from holiday fund.

I have no idea for cheap Easter unfortunately. I will try to be careful with food shopping, that's for sure. It's easy to overspend and then eat leftovers for the next few days. Our biggest saving is that we stay home, so don't have to drive to FIL which would cost us £80 for petrol alone.

It’s everything I spend in the supermarkets, which is mostly food but sometimes a few other bits (like last week I bought hair dye). Then the couple of bits I get from Amazon on subscribe and save, fortnightly veg box and any other food I buy from anywhere else

my supermarket / food budget is everything I buy at supermarket or similar groceries but also toilet paper soap shampoo laundry stuff, sanitary items, only if it was from a different budget say like I bought a new kettle or a fitted sheet would it not count as the food toiletries cleaning budget

Not many ideas for cheap/free easter activities unless we have nice weather to get out and about. I need to pick up some little eggs to do an egg hunt for DS. Baking always goes down well and is fairly cheap, cookies, biscuits or cakes.

Just checking in - sorry I’ve been MIA it turns out I’ve had covid!

Executive summary of the last few days is that I’ve spent an absolute sh*t load of money and I don’t know why. I’m terrible at this! DH doesn’t help as he is the worst for random spending. I swear he spends £5 a day on nothing. He also randomly went on a clothes spending spree yesterday in M&S?! Which he never does. I can’t really tell him to stop as he never buys clothes for himself and to be honest I’m quite glad he’s not asking me to get him stuff (he hates shopping so if he needs anything it’s usually “can you look out for some jeans for me next time you’re in town…” to which I normally ask him how much he’s paying me for being his PA!). But it’s not helping with a super expensive month for holiday costs - we’ve had to buy travel insurance, pay for first passports for DCs and the holiday balance will be taken on 31st. Argh!

I've just bought a dress and a top - they were in the sale and I had an extra 15% off. I probably could justify the top but the dress is more debatable. We'll see as I have free returns

Oh, sorry to hear it. How are you feeling?

NSD planned, got £78 refund from Amazon, and honestly I am waiting for pay day.

Easter ideas - decorated eggs? If you make omelettes for dinner you can blow the egg out and keep the empty shell for decorating.

We have a National trust pass so will go for some nice walks but avoid the Easter trail which costs extra.

£5.60 last night on top up shop for me.

£5 today on new dance CD for child today.

Big olio collection last night so making a vegetable & lentil Bolognese for dinner & a crumble using fruit from last summer (free foraged).

Very warm at the moment for the time of year.

Temperature is now 14C and only looks like it will dip below 10C for a short period around the 26th/27th with the first week in April forecast to be very warm, so heating is now off.

And double socks off too !

It's nice, isn't it. I have winter bill to pay and hopefully it'll be easier on us in the upcoming months.

Just checking in. £14.92 in Lidl this morning mostly on milk & cheese. I'm going to try and keep a running total in April.

I've meal planned until end of next week. But running out of protein. Freezer & pantry very low. I'm getting creative with my meals!

Sons birthday on Monday so I spent £1.69 on icing to make him a cake. I have the other ingredients in the cupboard.

Just 1.50 on carpark. Met my son and took our dogs on the beach for a run. Not particularly warm here but very windy

Almost a NSD here, just £1 parking to take DS to specsavers.

@Coffeecoffeeinmytummy i have the same issue with my DH. So many little amounts going out almost daily for amazon or PayPal ect. Nothing major but it all adds up.

Plan for the rest of the month is to eat what food we have in. I have a vague meal plan that should see us through with minimum top ups.

I spent £8 on maternity jeans on vinted. I recently bought two pairs and they're too big. Gutted. I will try to sell them, maternity jeans get sold very quickly on vinted, so hopefully I will get rid of them. I just can't work out the sizing for maternity clothes.

I’m in Channel Islands so our food spend is ridiculous as we don’t have the likes of Lidl/Aldi etc. 87.55 in WR. DH spending £10 on some locally reared pork belly and I need a couple things from M&S tomorrow. Will only last up to and including Weds (when my parents arrive for a few days so will have to feed and water them too) and will likely still need to do a top up of milk, fruit and yoghurt. Milk is now £1.75 a litre here!

like others said, there always seems to be something!!

Rent paid today, but hoping for a NSD otherwise.
My banking app says that I've spent £8 less than this time last month. At least I'm consistent?! But there seem to be far more days in March than February! I feel OK-ish, but I'm going away this weekend for work so that'll be a bit spendy (although my costs will be reimbursed later and I'll bring some snacks for the flight). First time travelling internationally since 2019 and first 2 nights away from ds - eek. But it'll all be fine, I'm sure!
Keep up the good work, everyone.

@Wobblytrees so expensive for milk! Eek.

Enjoy the travel @moimichme

NSD for me but I need to go grocery shopping AGAIN tomorrow. It's never ending. I do have a meal plan to keep me going. Need to buy Easter eggs!

DS has reminded me to buy sweets to hand out in school on his birthday, that's definitely a few quid I'd rather not spend but I don't want him to feel odd.

Feel like April is going to be an extremely difficult month with school holidays in. I'll be haemorrhaging cash. There is a free kids activity day I'll take them too.

March is nearly done!

@livingthegoodlife i know! Going to start limiting my hot drinks as WFH most of the time!

2.49 last night on a rubbish film on prime (the big night with Stanley tucci). £14.90 just now on soft play for the 2 DC. It’s v windy here with showers so indoors is safest and it will wear them out.

got to go to M&S after this for certain items then into town later to get my mother some chocolates for Mother’s Day (know it was last week but she is visiting next week and means I don’t have to pay postage).

so an annoyingly spendy day!

£50 in Morrisons on Easter eggs, groceries & new swimming costume for DD

£20 in Lidl on groceries - no good boxes this week.

Most I have spent in weeks! Argh.