No Spend 2024....

[meemawww]

Or at least the first couple of months to make a dent in my credit card debt!
I feel like I need a thread to encourage me and hopefully get some tips anybody like to join? I earn an alright wage but my god am i frivolous with money since my earnings went up!

@Hatty65 I totally relate on the food front! Our big shop costs the same amount but we have about 2 thirds of the food we used to get. I end up getting top ups. Some weeks I try and scrimp on the food shop but I do want us to eat decent, local food with as little plastic waste as possible which unfortunately does cost more money and time to shop around for. Luckily my kids are young enough to not notice meat being replaced with lentils or beans.

I’m joining I spent 7.00 in the co op partner bought the chips at the beach for Ds hoping to spend less each day as I feel I have to buy something everyday

I’ve noticed that I’ve spent a bit more since payday but most were essentials. I have bought some stuff for the house though eh paint as I have some annual leave next week but because DH had an op and is pretty immobile at the moment I can’t really do much so keeping myself busy with some jobs around the house instead

Somewhere on one of these threads, a poster quoted something that brings home the impact of minor, unconsidered spending.

If we spend £5 a day on Starbucks/whatever, that's almost £2,000 a year.

If we spend £27.40 a day (which seems to be an average), it's just over £10,000 a year.

Imagine what we could do with that £2,000 or £10,000 a year that weren't aware we're spending. The difference mindful spending could make to savings, overpaying a mortgage, being able to budget for a holiday etc.

I had loads favourited on vinted too and have been so tempted, but I deleted them all, and so they aren't there in my face when I log in to sell stuff. And I haven't given any of the items a second thought since. It is a bit like a diet, if temptation is there it is hard not to take it! What skincare are you after -maybe we could help you find a cheaper dupe if it's something you really need. I have just swapped my Neals Yard rose facial oil for the Boots own brand one, and although I can tell the difference, the Boots one has the same effect on my skin and is £2.50 a bottle compared to £29!

We’ve had my parents here for a week so 2 extra mouths to feed/fill with booze and more petrol ferrying them around/eating out so it has been too much spending so far. They leave today so hoping we can dial it down a notch

I've managed to go days without using my card. Credit card remains with 0.00 on it! Really chuffed!

that's great @SparklyOwls . I went out at the weekend and where I would usually just shove stuff on my CC, I used my debit card. The spending will take us to near our limit but means I/we need to reel it in until pay day.

NSD today, pleased about that as was so tempted to nip in to local shop for treats/quick-dinner stuff - the children had the last of the weekend’s baking (flapjack) though and I’ll make us scrambled eggs.
Half of me wants to put in a Coop delivery order for tomorrow, the other wants to try and eke out longer without.
All I seem to do sometimes is spend…okay, I’ve four children to cater for but still it can get demoralising!

NSD today and hopefully tomorrow too. Then the much awaited pay day on Weds.

Wow @WinterNamechange that's a massive price difference!!

I've spent 5.95 today on my slimming world fee and that's it.

I've got to go into town tomorrow but I have a list and shall stick to it!!

@WinterNamechange that's a good swap!

Everyone seems to be doing well today.

I have really sensitive skin so use Lush's ultrabland. I want to get back into using a good retinol and sun cream for the lovely Spring we're about to have! 😁 I'm also wanting a vitamin C serum to brighten up my skin but they do tend to irritate me a bit.

No spend day! 🥳 Pretty easy as working from home. Really glad to have some money left in the bank as usually by the end of the month I'd be in minus figures.

Catching up after a week of feeling ill (just a cold, but it really took it out of me)

24 Jan-27 Jan: NSD

28 Jan: £4 bus fare for trip to B&Q. Bought a couple of plants, but paid from the household budget not my money

29 Jan
£11.16 prescription pre-payment (monthly DD)
£78.73 pet food (2 months worth of wet food; 3 months worth of dry food)
£142.17 grocery shopping (two weeks worth, though we'll need top-up shops as well.
£4 bus fare (to go to book club)

The pet food and groceries should come from the joint account, but that is almost at the overdraft limit so I paid for them. DH has already topped up the joint account by £200 to get us within the overdraft limit.

Two days until payday and I’m £411.57 overdrawn. It’s not looking great for my frugal January :(

£213 at vet for animal health certificate- bloody Brexit. £46 diesel for Motorhome. £20 parking near tunnel as we find it easier to do the drive in the evening and the get an early shuttle. We'll be with our friends in the north of the Netherlands by teatime tomorrow. All of this comes out of our travel budget

ghosted by the plumber...delaying the bill another week...
some spending over here on stuff i was hoping to put off till march (clothing for me) due to an accident with bleach. i have a love hate relationship with clothing it's my achilles heel. but i'm so misfortunate with tops: oil stains, bleach and cleaners then add in the washer dryer and the accompanying shrinkage.
i'm disappointed with myself. anyway onwards with focus and increased savings.

Fingers crossed for a NSD today. Kids have been packed off to school/nursery with a packed lunch and I will make a wrap from stores as WFH.

DC1 has swimming tonight but it’s all paid for up to Easter and I’ll take a snack with me for him to have afterwards.

Really trying to cut down now until next payday (20th) due to having spent over half our revised monthly budget already given we had guests.

Though DH has announced he may go to pub tomorrow night - can’t really say no as can’t even remember the last time he went out!

£100 diesel. £16 in duty free on a bottle of whisky

Spent £3.50 on a coffee and white creme egg (highly recommend- it was yummy!)

Needed a coffee as ran out of instant sachets to take to work.

A lesson to learn to be disciplined and do a proper food shop. If I have enough food and snacks and instant coffee in the house then I'm less inclined to spend out and about.

Need to budget now for some birthdays in Feb and half-term.

I'd have so enjoyed a coach trip centred around traybakes and the vastly different NI scones! To this day, I wonder at the size and sheer sophistication of them compared to the scones with which I'm familiar.

I've more business travel tomorrow. The subsistence allowance is ludicrously small. I'm going to pack some items to cope with train cancellations so I don't fall prey to the siren call of an expensive drink and snack because I'm delayed for hours and I'm miserably cold and damp.

I realise my vulnerability to an unexpected splurge tomorrow if I'm cold, wet, miserable, and tired so I'm not reporting my personal January spends until Feb 1st!

Has anyone saved any money using Smol products? And are they worth it. I use buying cleaning products as an excuse to go and go nuts in B and M and I want to stop that. Really hit home the poster above saying about £5 a day most of my money was going on convenience foods and coffee. I couldn’t believe it when these threads made me look at it.

My sister put me off smol as she signed up and they took a huge direct debit a few days after she had had her trial products delivered and then getting out of the deal was a pajn. Have a friend who loves the dishwasher and laundry tablets.

End of Jan update.. have lived as frugally as possible this month, no take aways, buying only what I need at the supermarket, using up store cupboard ingredients and the freezer. Had an expensive weekend away at a competition for my daughters sport this weekend but took lots of food with me to save money. I have managed to put £300 in my savings account and have sold a few bits on vinted which I’ll also put into my savings.

Have some repairs on my car which need doing which will most likely take the savings and a trip to the dentist in 2 weeks but if I hadn’t managed to save the money this month it would be tight. Always something.

You really don’t need fancy cleaning products. I run a cleaning company and although we have lots of products for different things, at home I use one antibacterial spray, polish (85p in Aldi), white vinegar spray and bleach. The market for cleaning products is huge and you really don’t need them.

Ok. I have just done the totting up for Jan. Aside from fixed outgoings (mortgage, insurance, utilities etc) I spent £1545.

Breakdown was horrifying.

Food and groceries: 120
Pets: 174
Petrol: 46
Clothes: 45
Holiday (Sept): 185
Socialising: 106
Work expenses (will be reclaimed) 231
Misc: 78
Adult DC bailouts: 560

DS is moving back home next month for a while so he can get his finances straight so my grocery bills will rise but I won’t be bailing him out. Clearly I need to be really strict with him about saving. I might tell him he has to give me money that I will save for him so he isn’t tempted. I am pretty sure he has ADHD as he is rather chaotic overall.

Hello, I'll join too please. I need to clear my credit card and loan debt and want to do this by August. The loan debt was for house renovations and the credit card debt has accumulated from treats/splurges. I just haven't been budgeting properly but have spent January going through everything and setting up a bong proof spreadsheet. Could live comfortably and be able to save a reasonable amount if I stopped with the impulse purchases. So it starts here! I'm just worried the motivation will wear off - how to make sure it doesn't? Any tips?