Frugal July

[AnotherCountryMummy]

Hello! After months of trying to ignore CoL crisis and our mortgage increasing by hundreds from tomorrow, I thought it's finally time to take accountability.

A new budget for the household (2 adults, 2 children, 1 toddler) has been set and we are going to bloody well stick to it.

Our main pinchpoints are groceries and entertainment/days out. Our other costs are huge, but unfortunately set. Think mortgage, nursery, maintenance etc.

Who wants to share their July frugality journey with me?

This is great! I love those little bonuses that really help out 😃

DH spent another £13 on a top-up shop of biscuits and croissants 😡 and this was after I reinforced the fact that we have to stop all of these unnecessary pitstops. I'm really mad!

I've had a no-spend day today, thankfully.

How's everyone getting on today?

£10 on a yoga class. Worth every penny.

Car insurance purchased. At least the yoga unclenched my bum after paying that.

Hope all are faring better than me.

@AnotherCountryMummy i feel your pain, I sent DH to the shop today to buy nappies which should have been £4 and yet he somehow managed to spend £20! 🙄

DH is getting on board. He doesn't have Nsd but he saves me the receipts for my Shoppix and trys to stay on track

I had a NSD and all I want is a bottle of wine and a takeaway. I could happily waste all my money on food and drink, like Henry 8th but in a overdraft.

I had a NSD and all I want is a bottle of wine and a takeaway. I could happily waste all my money on food and drink, like Henry 8th but in a overdraft

😂I hear you and relate!

Henry 8th 😂😂 loved that I totally agree.

We've now got to the point in the month where all of the direct debits have left the joint account, so we know exactly what's left.

This is the first month I've used Starling's new digital card feature, and I'm liking it so far. I set up a space in our account for groceries and put the digital card on mine and DHs phones, plus the sainsburys account. So now all groceries will come out of that space and I can monitor easily. I'm also tracking fuel this month as my budget was a guess.

Food shop arriving today - £120 😫 but MIL comes this weekend (for a month, fml) so I stocked up. And nappies and deo etc are included.

How is everyone else doing?

I have fallen off the wagon a tiny bit. Did another £40 food shop for next week so that was good. However I moved £100 into Monzo for all my weekly costs but realised I need a full tank ANND food so also spent £70 on that. Also ate out twice this week. Friend needed support one day and meeting new school mums as my son is moving up schools so we meet for lunch.

However the tank is now full, I have food. £100 should cover next week easily. However, new school uniform. Got some from Vinted but a new jumper is £25 and of course they have changed the Logo so no second hand . I'm only going to buy two. Polos from Asda, trousers new on Vinted, spare second shoes from Vinted too.

Could be better, could be worse!

I'm honestly shocked at the price of a school jumper @DyslexicPoster! Absolutely outrageous.

Well done on your low cost food shops. I wish I could get ours a bit lower 😕

I do have lots of things in my cupboards and freezer which really helps. Also I normally buy the kids a treat like a chorizo ring which they chop up and snack on. But it only lasts a day or two and £2.50 I didn't get it this week. Just little bits like that came out of the shop.

The biryani I also really cheap to make and we had cheesy bacon pasta as well so that's two meals that are under £1 a head. Even once a week of a £1 meal shaves a bit off the shop.

We don't normally buy booze but if I want a drink I have some strong flavour Whitley Neil gins so gives a Friday night feeling cheaper too.

Yes I'm shocked at the jumper costs, it's insane! The shop is 30 miles away but I might go there to try them on. Be worth it to get a years more growing room.

Definitely buy big at that price.

I'm on the wagon, find it boring and miss the treats. Been doing surveys and stuff to keep busy instead of online shopping.

I caved and spent £15 on a new toy for the toddler. But he is so sweet and I couldn't help myself 😂🙈

So far so good re: spending. I've not been out of the house so no impulse buys.

It's been DS's bday so took him for dessert rather than dinner which saved a few £££

Then we have friends over tomorrow and party food to do for the weekend as we are hosting family on Sunday too.

I'm will be keeping the food shop to as minimal as possible and supplementing with freezer stuff and try and make some freezable dishes so leftovers won't got to waste.

I have also sent a picture of the dress that needs altering to a friend and she is going to do it for me. I will buy her a coffee and cake next week as a thank you.

Keep going everyone.

I need to buy uniform too so will be converting some cc points to vouchers.

Fakeaway instead of a takeaway tonight.

Usually I'd be popping some wine in the fridge to chill. Can of coke instead.

Spent the day doing light gardening with the children.

Grocery shop ordered so not a NSD.

NSD

Lots of garden time today. Play dates with friends next week, plus some low cost activities planned.

How is every one getting on?

I’ll be joining after moving house, I really need to pinch those extra pennies and work out how I manage to live from pay check to pay check because at the moment I’m struggling. I’m sure I have an appointment soon for help with the household support fund but very much doubt I’ll receive any help. I’ve never struggled so much as I am lately. I’ve quit smoking (health and financial reasons), I’m paying for school travel, lunches at nursery and school, the usual gas and electric bill which is an eyesore, I’ve cut down to a pay as you go SIM card and I’m trying to lower all bills but I’m getting no where. Has anyone got any advice to cut the food bill down (I have no cooker at present since moving house so I’m using an air fryer and microwave)

Yesterday was a good day. No spend on activities, but I did spend £26 on a top-up shop. We needed naan for a curry (home made, slow cooker), MIL wanted Sunday paper, toddler yoghurt, bread etc. Amazing how quickly it racks up. We've only got £200 left in the groceries budget for the rest of the month and now one more mouth to feed with MIL staying.

But, I feel up to the challenge! I'm going to investigate slow cooker recipes and this week should be very low spend on activities.

Welcome @Holly03! Congrats on the new house. Microwaves are very low power users, so great for saving 😀

There's great recipe idea on tiktok for air fryers. Saw a woman make a veggie lasagne in hers. I'm sorry about your oven, that must be hard.

How's everybody getting on this week?

Another £98 food shop to come tomorrow, but I've still not hit our groceries limit yet. I ought to be able to make it to month end if I'm careful.

I got a lovely surprise, our mortgage renewal is £100 less than we had planned. It's still gone up quite a bit but £100 is £100 😀😀

So far so good. Still under £20 for the weeks food ( thank you freezer!) Car jammed full of petrol. Just had coffee with a friend which was off budget, but I did spend £25 in the Next sale. So confident next week will be under £100 on food, petrol and non essentials. Of course my freezer gets more depleted by the day but that's a good thing too overall as nothing will go out of date this way.

Overspend this week is £16 so far by confident it will claw that back next week.

Hi everyone... can I join you all? I really need to start being more serious with our spending. Loads of top up shops just keep adding up 😩

At the moment, we've got about a week until DH's next payday, and we've already spent our food budget so will be dipping into savings. We've got a fair amount of cupboard staples, so will pretty much just need fresh fruit and veg and milk as we go.

I'm a SAHM to two under two, so this week I've been making a list of free or at least very cheap things to do out of the house as my eldest needs to get out and about to burn energy! It's tricky as I live in a small village, near a small town... so not much going on! And the only nice walks that are easy with a pram (especially a double!!) are NT estates or similar which involve entry fees or extortionate parking 😭