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!

I got paid yesterday - my overdraft was at £432, and my pay was £1,545, so I was £1,113 in credit. Not sure whether to aim to not go overdrawn this month, or go for the more realistic aim of reducing the overdraft to £200.

So far I’ve paid out:

£850 to the joint account for my share of the monthly costs

£9 overdraft interest

Balance: £254

Still to go out:

• £35 phone bill (I know; stupidly high contract)
• £8.50 charity donation
• £11 prescription pre-payment
• £2 Patreon subscription (paid from credit card)
• £? Credit card payment (minimum amount)
• £? extra money to joint account for Xmas costs

I often start with good intentions in January, make unrealistic aims, then give up when things go wrong, so I don’t want to do that this year.

What phone contract provider are you on that gives you the Caffè Nero vouchers? - it sounds good!

Think we'll lean into being outdoors and low cost activities for Jan too, going to the library etc. It's easier during normal term time as kids are busy with sports clubs at the weekend which keeps us from getting too spendy. It's the weeks like this one where you're at a loose end where things go awry! (Soft play yesterday followed by lunch!)

I just spent £50 in m&s as we are having a new years eve party, but a lot of it was yellow label, so it would have cost almost double if we were buying full price. We have enough booze leftover from christmas though.

BUT to save money, I've just cancelled our Times subscription £26 per month; my gym membership £35 per month (I'm going to do couch25k instead); Audible £7.99 a month; and Naked Wine £20 per month.

I have been trying to be low spend this year but have given in to temptation over this Christmas. I am starting properly on Monday 1st. No new books, clothes, CDs or DVDs will enter my home during 2024 unless they are given as presents for my 60th Birthday next October or next Christmas. I will keep a written list of luxuries I would like and if at the end of next year I decide I still want them and I have not overspent allowance for the year, then I will do a bit of spending then.

@Occasional2023 your list of luxuries sounds a good idea!

I'm planning to cut down a lot this year. Like a PP, I spend too much on little bits like toys or treats when we go to the supermarket, top-up shops, and general frittering! Going to transfer the savings into a separate account so I can see the benefit of it!

Hi, can I join too? I called the bank today to activate my flex saver attached to my current account so I can move money over. If I can move money in there and learn to live on what’s in my current account then I will be able to budget better instead of buying crap I don’t need.

does anyone follow money mum on insta? She put a post on the other day about 365 saving.. so on jan 1st you move £3.65 into your savings, the next day £3.64, then £3.63 .. you so this for a year taking a penny off each day and you have over £600 savings by then end of the year. I’m really going to try that as it will help save for Xmas next year.

DH had a dentist appointment today as he’s lost part of a filling, and he’s had a temporary one put in but will need a crown. So he’s in pain, and will be spending about £300 on that in a few weeks (and that’s with us being NHS patients).

Nothing but sympathy from me. Even with a dental insurance plan through DH's work, it's a rare year that my teeth don't cost me £600-1000. (Not cosmetic, after years of repeated abscesses, I have infections in my teeth and jaw that need root canal work/bone grafts.)

Count me in. We’re saving for a family holiday later in the year. I have bulk bought birthday cards, some Christmas bits to put away for next year (listed in my Christmas book so I don’t forget and double buy!) and one or two basic bits of workwear in the sales. Now ready for a no spend January.

I'm in. I've sorted my salary into Monzo pots and paid off a few debts I owed to friends for gig tickets in the coming months. So I have £120 left now till pay day that is 'mine' and hopefully I won't need to touch that and I can put it towards my credit card at the end of the month.

not only a nsd, but dh pay for jan1was deposited early.
so a busy banking day.
money "owed" to my dh's business account repaid, if anyone wants details on the shed and the headache feel free to ask, i love a good whine.
money paid in advance to the city for next years property taxes, $1K stashed need 3K in there by july.
all cc cleared (except for the bed which i have set up as 6 monthly payments).
currently sitting in a really healthy position for a jan 1 start.
still a few bills not received so the "extra money" looks deceptive and i need to hold tight.

@CharlieBoo i love those idea's and posts.
i transfer small amounts all the time and it does add up!

Bought some soap nuts for washing machine, will get 300 washes for £10. They also work on hair, skin, pets, surfaces, washing up - so no need to buy other stuff. Great for sensitive skin like my DD. Trying to shop mindfully as well as cannily. And also declutter. Other than that, am ready for Jan 1st. Oh, and I mentioned to a friend I was going to miss my kindle and she showed me a website for free pdfs of books so I’m happy.

30 December update. Took DD out to a local museum to get us out of the house despite the rain:

£4 bus fare (for me - free bus fares for children here)
£5 entry donation
£13.60 tea & snack in cafe that was more expensive than I expected.

Total: £22.60

Not managed a NSD yet 😞

@MrsShortbread What's the website called please , I've just cancelled my kindle unlimited so I'd like to find an alternative.

My plan is to increase supermarket shopping frequency to twice a week. I think that when I'm shopping once a week I'm overbuying "just in case". So my plan is to only buy what I need in the next 3 days only and not stuff the freezer with too much. It will help with the healthier eating to buy low quantities of fresh stuff more often. It should also eliminate food waste.

Rule no 2: don't be swayed by the "bargains' unless they are on the list or I am running out of it.

Freezer stock take done ✔️
Meal plan done ✔️
Shopping list done ✔️

@Tittyfilarious81 its called “Ocean of PDF”, I’ve already downloaded a Kate Atkinson I haven’t read and The Almost Zero Waste Guide, so a good mix.

@Goldmember that sounds a sensible plan, I wish I could do similar but I have a 40 mile round trip to nearest (small) supermarket! I’m going to make a lot more meals with lentils and pulses…the children love a pasta sauce I make which is literally a tin of baked beans, a tin of chopped tomatoes and a tin of carrots - it’s our version of fast food lol.

Bank rec later to see what damage has been done throughout Dec and work through goals and budgets for next year.
I'm an accounts nerd so I absolutely love a cashflow forecast and cashbook. I'm excited to see how much we can save during the year.

Hi, I’m in! January will be tight. I really want to get a handle on my finances and this will give me accountability.

I'm starting tomorrow for no spend. As long as the dogs stay healthy 🤞 and nothing goes wrong with the cars we should be ok.

@MrsShortbread Thankyou

Looking forward to reading here ,
We hope to move in a couple of years so I am doing a No Buy 2024 to both save money and prevent any more stuff coming into our home.

Well I've managed a NSD yesterday and today 🙂 Went to the gym with ds1 today which is a monthly DD, but it's only £25 a month and ds pays for his own. I do go to the gym often so that's my little treat lol I do need some more workout clothes which I'll get in the sales with my Xmas money. It's nice to have some NSDs 🙂

I’ve already been payed the money to get through 28th of December to the 28th of January and failed the no spend because I needed a few bits