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!

Mortgage is only 1.87% interest. Savings is 2.4% interest but I'm gradually transferring to an 8% so I'm guessing savings?

I've bought 2 things for ds2s birthday so far, but they were in sale.
I forgot that I pre-planned to go out with the girls fir tea tonight, but I have budgeted for ir and the best thing us one of their husbands has offered to pick us all up and take us home. So no money for taxi needed 🙂 He's the best.

Can't wait to finish spending on his birthday then I can stop 🤦‍♀️ If I have so money left over at the end if the month it will be a major bonus 😁🫶

You could get 4.5% on a chip savings account, or more anywhere else really. So I’d do that and transfer the money over, keep saving then use it to pay off extra mortgage at the end of the year!

I joined in last year and made a really good start for about 3-4 months them fell off the wagon a bit so I'm going to try again! I've got a few big things planned next year like two fancy London afternoon teas, two concerts and a few theatre shows. Tickets have been paid for so I need to now save for the days out and the holidays with my children. I also really really need to sort a pension. I'm self employed can anyone advise please?

I did this last year and it was great took away temptation. If I need something I'll go looking on Vinted first I don't need to spend money in the sales in stuff I don't need

I confess I have bought some things in the sales, but they fell into one of two categories: things we actually really need (like the grater to replace the ancient rusty one that was becoming a health hazard!), and a few things for my offspring’s birthday (young children not really being on the whole ‘no spend’ bandwagon!) I sort of feel like it’s cheating to stock up ahead of starting on 1st Jan, but as it’s mostly things I’d have to buy anyway, I’m trying not to feel too guilty.

Joining please! I'm doing it from January. I want to build up my emergency fund, do some house maintenance and save for a holiday.

I spend too much on lunches, coffees, books and clothes. My plan is to limit spending to essentials only e.g. I will need replacement running trainers at some point. I have a tonne of books I want to actually read, so I'm limiting myself to asking for books as presents.

Until your rate is up definitely savings

I'm still plodding away here trying to do a No Spend 2023 till the 1st! Got paid early for January over a week ago and have been stoically trying to ignore it ever since...

I did succumb to a couple of half price gifts at the supermarket yesterday but they will help when I need presents next year (as not particularly Xmassy).

3 out of 4 income sources paid 7+ days early (on the 20th vs 28th) I hid the money till the 27th. On the 30th I have a line of credit payment due. The 4th income payment happens on the first of the month but due to the statutory holidays won’t be seen before the 3rd.
the personal line of credit is mostly a mortgage sitting today at $52K.
My goal is to get that below $50 for starters, all the while paying off a 3.3K CC for a mattress and box spring which was DH impulse purchase. I put it on my CC for the air miles.

I'm in too! I find it really hard to save money and not to spend. It literally just goes. I've worked out I have £100 left per month to spend on anything but bills, childcare, mortgage. So that's to cover the children's clothes, all birthdays, days out and anything else. I work full time too. I can't cut back on anything else. I'm trying to get promoted further at work to help a bit more. It's so depressing but my spending habits definitely don't help!

Have you checked that you're getting everything you're entitled to? I think Turn2us is a good online checker. We use a tax-free childcare account to save 20% on childcare and this is a really good savings account if you're on UC - https://www.gov.uk/get-help-savings-low-income

Spent £10 today on a birthday gift and a couple of food items.
picked a few sale bargains up in the supermarket but left them on the shelf in the end as dont need them
also resisted going to the local for a drink which I’m pleased about because I’m shattered, but also saved money

Count me in. We're on a money diet for the next 3 yrs in a bid to clear a big mortgage (or as much as possible) at the end of the fix starting now.

I'm really good at budgeting, mindful spending and NSDs so I'm hoping it won't be too painful. The kids don't ask for much and they have had plenty of money and vouchers for Xmas so hope that lasts a good few months.

My concern is that we plan to increase our grocery budget to eat better quality nutritious foods however it can be offset by other savings. Toiletries: after I put my Xmas gifts away, there's no way I will need anymore this year, same for Alcohol, lots was gifted and I will be cutting down so do not plan to buy any in 2024.

I'll check my budget and post it in a few days.

I had a stack of books I was looking to order to read throughout 2024. I found all but one for free on Spotify premium (I already have this as a family Xmas gift to us all) as audiobooks, these will be perfect to listen to at the gym. Win win 🏆 🙌

I had loads of excuses of why I wouldn't shower at the gym but I will be doing that in future unless I'm in a huge rush to get back. DD too, she had just joined the gym with me and normally takes 25mins in the shower at home so this should save some water and gas.

If it helps anyone, I have simplified my finances into 3: savings / bills / spending. It keeps everything separate and ensures I'm maxing out on cashback / interest.

Savings- every spare penny goes into an easy access high interest account ASAP to maximise interest.

Bills is a cashback current account, mine is Santander 123 lite. The cashback is around £9pm net (£11 cashback less £2 fees). Wages go in and all DDs have been set up to go out a week later. Everything left goes into savings.

Spending is all done on a cashback CC, set up to pay in full in the above DDs. This gains me around £180pa in cashback that I get in Feb.

I do the bank switches for £££ when I can, I don't have many more left to do and I've finally got DH on board and he is loving it.

I do this all the time, I have stuff on my saved for later for years.

I'm in guys

So I'm not no spend Han as have a tax bill due at the end of the month which is huge to me but I want to really oncukle down with the thoughtless spending

£25 at costa cause we were out pootling round yesterday

£75 in boots on a few half price beauty things that I don't really need

£45 in Tesco on crap on the way home

This is how a day off goes and it's mindless spending

I did purchase two big house items last week but one is a massive treat that I have wanted for years and the other is to make our hectic lives easier so I'm ok with them it's just all the other shite.

I pay £40 a month for a swim pass at the local spa and have got to start getting my monies worth plus I want to get fitter and a better work life balance so keeping the pass

Currently smoke so am going over to e cigs in the new year which will save me around £100 a month

Planning on going thru the bills account with a fine tooth comb because our food spend is shocking right now.

My main aim is to pay off any existing debts which is around the £3000 mark and save 6 months worth of earnings for my emergency fund.

Going for a NSD today. Made a packed lunch to take out with me. I’m going for a walk near John Lewis and I would normally be tempted to go for a look but then I just buy things I don’t need. My mindless spending is food and treats for kids. I really need to pull back and put towards holiday. I earn decent money but it’s all just frittered away

Did a good clear out / sort of my wardrobe yesterday which has reaffirmed that I absolutely do not need to buy anything new. Honestly if I bought nothing for a whole year I'd be fine. I own 20+ pairs of trousers/jeans - I wear the same 3/4 on rotation. Got some bits up on Vinted and some stuff for the charity and the material recycling. Feels good to have a bit of a sort out.

I’m going to concentrate on a month at a time, but do want to complete the whole year: really focus on living simply. Hot spots for me are books, garden plants and the children so will really focus on only necessary bits there. (Children learning to read but our library is a 40 mile round trip, so I have to buy them books, but not me!)
I would like enough by the end of the year to buy us a yacht. It doesn’t have to be a pipe dream, if I persevere.

I’ve spent some time over the last couple of days buying stuff I need (pants, phonecase to protect phone as I drop it 20 times a day, face spf etc) for money received at Christmas. I’m about to write out a plan for January low-spend!

I’ll concentrate on stuffing most of my disposable income into savings and leaving myself a small amount for emergencies incase something breaks and needs replacing.

We’ll still spend DS’s child benefit on things to do with him like outings etc but he won’t need any more stuff until summer as he received a lot of stuff for Christmas.

I was given a coffee voucher for Christmas and I get a £1 Cafe Nero drink every week with my phone contract so I can still have a treat every now and then.

My time will be spent getting outside with my son, tidying up the garden, going to the gym as I’m keeping my membership and probably sorting the house out. Inviting people over to finish off all the chocolates!

What fun low-spend activities are you planning for January?

I'm in. Need to save hard to pay off some expensive dentistry I am going through and really want to take the kids on holiday this summer. They have never been away abroad before, so would love them to have a week to somewhere like Spain or France. Will be taking lunch to work so I am not spending in the canteen and only buying absolutely necessary fresh food like bread, fruit and veg and milk. We have loads of food in the freezer that should be actually using instead of buying more.

Well I am shocked/embarrassed/very annoyed with not keeping on top of my Amazon! Have just gone in to the membership and subscriptions, the children’s game subscription and my kindle and TV watching etc on top of Peime have all built up to a sneaky £40 per month all going out at different times in little bits!! Cancelled everything.

Have been so exhausted but no excuse.