Any tips to manage No Spend Days?

[Lemondrizzlerain]

Huge drop in income due redundancy. All bills are covered.

I'm trying to build up my savings / buffer as much as possible for if/when I'm out of work again (the local pub gave me some PT work while I job hunt but the pub is so quiet I doubt itll last!).

I'm frantically job hunting but the job market is dead here. Jobs that are advertised are NMW even for professional roles which require 5+ years experience. So my income has dropped and is likely to stay low.

Anyway. All tips for managing No Spend Weeks and Weekends?

For me it's about forward planning. So actively thinking what will we do this weekend and how will we do it cheaply / for free. So picking a different park, taking a picnic and avoiding shops.

Sorry to hear about your redundancy. Fingers crossed you find something soon x

@whereeverilaymycat love this idea! I'll go and look at the calendar and make plans for May. The only planned expense I know of is a cheap trip to the cheap zoo in half term!

I've just had that sinking feeling remembering I ought to be saving for December too 😭 I feel a bit sick...

I opened a monzo account and as money comes in, it goes into a pot. So I for example i have a takeaway pot. Until its got £40 in it there's no takeaway. That's a low priority pot so the bills pot need to be full before I top it up. I might have £10 - unallocated cash per week for coffee or treats for the kids. I think it's working. My daughter gets sweets at the shop on Friday after school and I take her for hot chocolate after school one day a week. Some weeks I meet a friend for lunch. Over the month that's about £80 max allocated. The rest of the £80 stays in that pot

@DyslexicPoster Thank you. I've just opened a new bank account. It'll take a few days to get sorted but my current account doesn't have "spaces" or "pots"

I've had a great time with pens and paper and just drew a spendy calender for May 😂. And added all my planned "spends" including cheap zoo and a few little things.

With 4 days on average between spends.

Any money thats in my account at the end of May will get transferred and saved for Christmas and a buffer.

Scared but I know I can do this!!

I didn't want my finances all over my main calendar because visitors are nosey! 😂

No spend should be a default (in my mind) so I spend if there is planned spending but don't spend on a whim.

We don't go to places that require spending as a leisure activity. Children prefer a day of activities rather than being schleped around the shops.

It’s a good time of year for visiting different parks. Take snacks with you. If you already have a thermos flask you can take ice lollies/ice creams and they will stay cool for a bit. A picnic is always good.

How old are your kids? Young kids are happy with very simple things which are different, washing the car, at home movie, making homemade pizza, in door picnic in the living room on a picnic blanket, neighbourhood treasure hunt eg green plant pot, red flowers, bench, try origami, create an obstacle course.

Take the children out to meet up with friends. Local parks or woods are great if you have friends, a climbing tree, a picnic, a flask of coffee and ice cream money.

For me, it’s all about mindset. I have a budget for our savings I mentally set aside. eating out has a small budget that has to last the month and that’s it. Once I know it’s gone, we make our plans accordingly.

I use YNAB and it has worked wonders for me and our finances, DH just lets me get on with it and reaps the benefits but does commit to avoiding incidental spending! YNAB allows me to allocate money and I can see what is likely to be left.

So for the working week, it’s planning ahead and making lunches. The weekend is a day with a nice walk but no cafe stops and a rest day where I stay in my PJ’s.

I'd love a flask but I don't have one anymore!

In a rather sick cycle, going from full time in an office to very part time has made me feel so isolated that I'm spending more cash on buses, trains and fuel just to see as many friends as possible.

😭 I've gone from 15 years in an office to environment to nothing. Its a shock.

Office environment*

No spend is the default here. Once you get into that mindset it gets easier.

If we do buy anything, first thing you do is look for a code, or a way to pay for it with vouchers or gain cashback.

(We once bought an iPad with a flight delay... (back in the days when we went longhaul) Virgin airmiles, transfer to Hilton points and then John Lewis vouchers... many schemes are linked.)

I find I spend a lot less if I use cash only. Buses here need a card, but other than that, I pay cash only. It makes me much more frugal.

I think being cash only would help me too!

I keep waking in the night worrying about tyres, boiler, Christmas, birthdays etc. I feel nauseous but I am Queen Catastrophiser

I've been where you are, it'll work out. All will be OK, open yourself to opportunities. Get excited for new chapter ahead. Wishing you a smooth journey

I'm not sure cash only is helpful as you lose the information your bank account gives you by listing the transactions.

Those things you mention will need money spending on them sooner or later so you need to put money aside for them.

Moneysavingexpert.com is a great resource, have a look at their budgeting advice:

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/family/money-help/

For the zoo trip and all other trips out, the default should be to take your own food and drink. For most places if you buy food there, it's a lot of money for shit food at the end of a long queue so a punishment for not planning ahead rather than a treat.

Not a money saving tip but where are you job searching? My friend is in the North West but got a fully remote job for a company in London. Her wages are now higher too as based on London wages.

I'd be keen on a remote London role but I don't seem to be getting anywhere with my hunt. I've been using LinkedIn but nobody ever gets back to me. I wish we could upload Covering Letters with applications (on LinkedIn!)

Thanks everyone for all the tips. Feeling a bit calmer today. My homemade financial calendar seems to help - I absorb more information when it's on paper rather than on screen 😊 I've just finished colour coordinating my Excel budget spreadsheet and everything looks "okay".

Just need to stick at it.

Make a shopping list for the supermarket and stick to it religiously. Check 'reduced to clear' for any items that might be on your list, but don't fall into the trap of buying things not on your list just because they are a bargain.