Low spend / no spend / frugal June

[IWonderWhereThatDishDidGo]

Sorry if there is already a thread, but I've been planning to do a no / low spend June so thought I'd start a thread for anyone else who wants to do the same.

I've already failed today though 🙄😂

I've got a hideous stomach bug and had to cancel a cinema trip today (which had already been paid for). So I've let the kids buy a movie on YouTube to make up for it, which has cost me an unbelievable £16.99 😩.

Hope that's it for today and tomorrow though. We have groceries in and I don't need petrol till maybe Sunday.

Mixed day here today. Got some food from local food waste larder so that was good. Had to take a gift back to poundland to swap for different size. While there got some birthday bits for daughter and spent 23. On the bright side I think that's most of birthday spends for her as she's only little. How's everyone getting on? Yes 2 days to payday here. I was thinking even a year ago money seemed to stretch a lot further

Pay day isn't until the end of the week for me/us.
I've had to borrow from my DC account for this month, will put back on friday.
I've had to move £1.50 from the bills bank account to cover going above o/draft in our current account. The £1.50 was the only spare cash on the bills account.
The current account is at the max on the overdraft, literally.

I've still got 2 meals out this week with clients, that will go the credit card. I will choose the cheapest thing on the menu.

For July, I want to disappear off the face of the earth for the month. This will then save me having to go for meals with clients/friends/family.

July sees:
2 nights out with big potential clients- I will need to impress
a 50th birthday weekend away (uk)
DH on a work weekend away (UK), he will have to pay to entertain clients
Friends bday

I am skint before the month has even arrived. F*ck this

and if I had my way, we would all only eat beans on toast (type of thing) for the whole of july with maybe 1 day a week as a treat day/decent meal. Just to save some cash for the month. But DC & DH not on board. Weekly shop is around £180 for 5 of us, inc lunches. I reccon we could get that down to £80 if we had pasta/beans/toast/frozen/use up any store cupboard bits plus no booze. I'm happy to go eat cheap for 4 weeks, just to get us straight again. Pisses me off that the rest of the house won't.

what do they want to eat and do they cook?

@OttoGraph fresh fish, premium meats inc steaks, home-made lasagne (which costs a hell of lot more than buying a ready-made one), different meals for all of them each night, premium ice creams. everything has to be branded, tesco finest ready meals, tesco meal deals. It's way OTT if you ask me.

They cook.

@Namechange192727171 huge congrats on your pregnancy

Oh my goodness, yes, congratulations @Namechange192727171! Sorry I completely missed that.

Been struggling a bit now at the end of the month, but payday finally coming on Friday. I've spent very little this week because we already had food in, but I've nearly used every single penny that I had come in for June + put a few items on credit card (which I'll pay off in full once my July pay comes in).

Need to tighten things up if I can and stop the extra spends in July. Should work out somewhat, at least until the end of school year!

Good luck all.

How does this work please? I'm keen to join for July.

@thereallybigsteelcorporation £180 per week is really quite a lot, no wonder you'd be willing to cut on some products. Shame others aren't on board :/ Food is awfully expensive now.

I've done grocery shopping that goes to July, as it's almost end of the month and husband is paid on 25th. We spent £102 for food and £3.8 for other bits like toothbrushes, kitchen towel. I aim for £315 for food in July.

In June it was £364- not great, but it included £68 quid for unnecessary spending like McDonalds or some rubbish food bought in convenience store instead of buying cheaper in Lidl.
Cats £76
Other (toiletries, windows cleaner etc.) £221

I don't need any make up, toiletries or clothes in July, so hoping for less expensive month.

1.5 week until maternity leave. Can't wait as lasting whole week at work is quite of a challenge for me now. I already booked Friday off. Need to manage through whole next week in case my maternity leave cover needs support before I'm gone 😬3.5 weeks until due date, I should really start packing hospital bag now 😂

@veryfluffyfluff i think people can set their own rules really. But loosely speaking, no spend is only spending on essentials (utilities, rent/mortgage, commute to work, groceries, essential toiletries like soap, toothpaste and so on). No spending on meals out, trips out, clothing, fun beauty products etc.

Low spend is similar to no spend with a bit of leeway. I am going for low spend as I would miss trips out with family and friends. I just try to minimise it and also try to avoid buying any unnecessary things (clothes and beauty products are a weakness of mine so I avoid those especially brand new clothes which I want to avoid as much as possible).

I will start another thread soon for July and you are v welcome to join 😊

It's tough being at work when heavily pregnant @xogossipgirlxo. Hope you can rest as much as possible

One of my big potential clients for next month has pulled out. I'm not that worried, but it means I no longer have the cost of a night out entertaining them at my expense, so money saved there.

New thread here;

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/cost_of_living/4838800-july-july-the-month-of-no-buy-no-spendlow-spendfrugal-july

Yesterday spent nothing. Today its been 60 quid.

NSD yesterday and payday at last! Have spent around £100 more than last month according to my bank app, but given that we had a trip to London mid-month I don't think that's too bad. But I probably could have managed a bit better.

Will join you for July thread. Hoping for a more successful month!

Martin Lewis advising people who pay energy by direct debit to submit readings today ahead of the change tomorrow I can't remember the phrase but maybe the price guarantee?