Low spend May

[Orcubed]

As previous months, trying to stop the non essential spending. All welcome

Well done and good luck, everybody - I think it really helps to have your 'why?' in mind when you're trying to focus on being frugal or saving money. Mine is paying down student debt and saving for a house.
My banking app says I've spent £59 more than at this point last month, but part of that was my dentist appt. (necessary) and groceries, and I'm in budget overall. Will try and take it easy with spends this weekend.

My recent spending:
Groceries £109 including mcdonalds
£2.9 parking at hospital
£16 contact lenses

Need to do meal plan for next week too. We're going away in two weeks, so I don't want to leave any fresh food at home.

Went to my growth scan today as hospital rang me, so I had to break off work early, and all looks fine, they're happy with measurements. Baby is on the smaller side for now, but as long as it's all right, it's fine by me. Also they put me on monitor as I felt reduced movements recently and was worried sick. He just turned funnily so I could not feel the kicks I usually feel. So relieved. Midwives were so lovely, they didn't make me feel like I was imagining things or that I was some kind of burden. They were absolute angels.

Really trying but failing so badly though all because of birthdays and occasions. I’ve been using any spare change I can find for all the little extras though

I'm late to the May group. £206 groceries for April which is incredible, heavily subsidised by olio & my chest freezer. Freezer now empty!

But DH now has work until June. I work part time but doing ok.

The end is in sight..

Plus we have our holiday at end of May to look forward to.

Still frugal shopping for now. £35 today on top up shop.

Glad baby is ok @xogossipgirlxo it's so worrying. Noone thinks it's a waste of time to get checked.

I remember the time I was at the heartbeat check up. The heart beat just stopped. Midwife & eye made a panicked eye contact. It was terrible. Turned out baby had an eptopic heartbeat & is fine, but for those few seconds of silence it was terrible.

Never a problem getting getting extra check up. Hugs.

I'm joining back in for a bit of accountability. My grocery spends seem to be getting out of control again so I need to reign it in. If I have all my receipts still I might do a bit of analysis this month to see where it's all going (I do love a spreadsheet 😂) - we've spent approx 2/3 of this months budget and only just over a week in. I have a funny feeling the big spends are booze tbh, although we have had to restock a lot of the cleaning staples, wash powder, etc.

Today also huge spends already - £200+😳 - £90 speed awareness course DP (ouch), £77 reimbursed DD for dentist (will claim this back), £20 JYSK wardrobe rail for loft, £11 Home Bargains (bird food, meal worms, fat balls, weed killer), £6 B&Q rat poison... Also saw needs replacing (use this to cut wood for the wood burner so fairly essential) - likely to be another £60ish today / tomorrow as on offer this weekend. There's money in the budget to cover but still... very spendy weekend to say we've not done anything!

Hoping for Tue-Fri NSD & minimal spends next weekend (we'll need bread, milk & prob some salad / fruit but have meal planned for 2 weeks so should be OK otherwise).

I am in. Our street has a street party today but we are not going as I really can't afford to contribute anything.
Went to ALDi yesterday and spent £37. Trying to eat as cheaply as we can.

125 euro on groceries for the week, meal plan done and I have enough snack type things for the kids lunchboxes to do till they finish up in a few weeks time (Ireland so our kids get three months summer hols in secondary) so loads of rice cakes/breadsticks/crackers and all the usuals just to top them up with fruit etc each week. Picked up a few bottles of wine too as we often fancy a bottle midweek and if I go for a bottle I end up spending stupid amounts on 'special offers' which i never need so that will save some.

I have to renew my drivers licence this week and I have a hair appointment so that totals 130 euro . We have a weekend booked away next weekend but it was a gift and everything is included including dinner and drinks so that will be a nice treat and a big saving.

Dear God, I can't imagine how horribly stressful it must have been for you!!! 😨

Bit of a spend weekend. Spent £75 in hone bargains and not even sure how I did it but most of it was sensible stuff we needed but nearly fell over when they added it up at the till lol.

Went to see Guardian's of the galaxy last night, so that was extra but as the screen just cut out for 10 minutes towards the end they gave use tickets for a future free film.

I haven't used fabric conditioner for years either. Don't even notice now and my machine is so much cleaner. I don't get that horrid build up in the draw anymore.

@xogossipgirlxo You can never be too careful. Take it from someone who has suffered infant loss, if something doesn't feel right, get checked and trust your instincts. Most of the time, all is well but not worth the risk.

Hope everyone has a lovely bank holiday.

Oh god we’re only 9 days in and I’ve already spent £342.67 on groceries. Lots of stuff that will last but still.

We went to the cinema last night to see Guardians of the Galaxy (snap @Grey13)so that was another £25 bringing total other spending to £53

Hopefully my next few weeks of groceries will be cheaper 😬. I’m not convinced though, I have a feeling that when I stock up on stuff it just gets eaten quicker!

@Orcubed what did you think if it? We loved it, especially my DS. He was I pressed with the 3D. The cinema does add up though, we stocked up with bits from Asda before hand but it still cost more than I would have liked.

With bulk buying I think it depends what it is. If I bulk bought snack things, fizzy drinks and nice stuff then it will go super fast but I am safe to bulk buy cupboard staples and frozen bits. Hopefully your food cost will come down and the bul buys will pay off. We still have another bank holiday to come yet as well.

Actually had a NSD today so happy with that. Planned meals for the rest of the week too so I just need to stick to the plan.

Gosh, I'm not doing very well at all
£34 on a ticket to Alton Towers for a couple of weeks time (kids have passes that run out soon so am making the most of them, I get half price entry)
£55 (!!) on buying in dinner for friends coming over tonight. Although they'll repay their share and it's cheaper than eating out.
Grocery shopping was enormous at the weekend, with all the extra bits for a street party picnic.
I've already placed an online order for this Sunday coming (£87!) so stop myself from popping to the shops for bits and pieces, which would be a good £30/£35 for "bread and milk". But I still need to go to Aldi for loo roll etc

It's never ending!

In my mind, my big grocery bill will even itself out as "next weeks will be smaller"
It never ever is though!

So much for my NSD Tuesday - DP finished work early & went to the garden centre and spent nearly £50 (couple of indoor plants and a few other bits). Then DS needed razor blades so that was another £20.

Managed a NSD yesterday though and today should be too 🤞🏻🤞🏻.

@Minikievs I also keep telling myself next week's shop should be fairly low & it never quite works out that way...

Same here with groceries. Some headlines were recently suggesting that food costs will go down (a bit??) soon, but it hasn't been happening yet for us.
Also spending too much on other things this month. £120 super bargain price for Premier Inn for my friend's hen do in August. 😳 But needs must, I suppose. I'm not planning to buy anything for the hen / wedding (apart from paying travel costs, since it's near London and we aren't!).
Really hoping for a NSD today! Good luck all.

In case this helps any of you, I have just done shopping online with Waitrose and have a money off code, have to spend over £120 (I think) but it is £22 off. It's MWBERRSDXL

I've just used that code off the next 2 weeks shops saving £44, they have a good essentials range which is good value. It is easy to spend lots on there though so trying to not get tempted.

They also have this nice pizza and prosecco offer on I noticed (you can use those offers as well) might be nice for the weeekend I thought.

I do this! Definitely no vinegar smell, but I sometimes add a few drops of essential oil which makes the laundry smell nice.

Sorry to read it @Grey13 , it's horrible 😓

I spent £74 in M&S for some new bras and £35 in Lidl. So far £164 spent on food. I am planning to stop at £200 as we will be away, so food will be paid with holiday fund and I don't want to leave anything fresh in the fridge.

NSD yesterday. Finally!
Today £3.75 on coffee with a work colleague. It was my turn.
Hoping for one NSD this weekend, but we shall see! Going to a barbecue tomorrow at a friend's house, but we have some food to bring already.
I've booked a passport appt. in London for ds in mid June, which is kind of annoying as he'll miss some school time, but we have to do it in person. Need to look at hotel prices for the night before.
Good luck all!

Thank you @xogossipgirlxo

Well not managed a NSD but had a Low spend and top up shopping yesterday (about 18) and today we have been for a walk and picnic, buying a coffee and some chips, but we still need to live. Overall been a low spend weekend.

Hoping to end May in a much better position than the end of April.

I hope everyone had a good weekend.

We did spend money this weekend but low spend. We all had £2.99 breakfasts at weatherspoons then went for a walk.

Just had a delivery from Iceland which was mainly offers and also a £8 off £50 code, which helped, oh and free delivery.

So that was mainly stuff for the teens as one of off on exam leave now and will be having lunches at home.

A reasonably low spend weekend for me. A couple of pints in a beer garden for me and OH, but dinners were all sorted from the freezer, and he sorted breakfasts.
Started a new jigsaw 🤓 watched a film and went on some walks. Kids were at their dads so that helped.
I did spend £36 on plants and garden trellis, but I think that's worth it.
The plants were from a massive B&M store that I've never been to before (my local one is much smaller) so I'm REALLY proud of myself, as it would've been all too easy to spend about £80 on unnecessary (but temptingly cheap) tat and junk food. I basically had to walk round the shop with my eyes screwed shut to stop myself, but it worked