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!

Started on Monday. So far managing to keep spend to food and essentials. This afternoon in city centre for a meeting will be my first real test. Need to go to M&S food hall for essentials in their remarksable range but must resist going through to main store.

not doing completely no spend as saving for nice holiday in the summer and we do need some work done on house but have incorporated both into monthly / yearly budget. Both myself and DH get spending of £100 a month ( plus any birthday Christmas money) but it includes clothes as we both basically have enough. my aim is not to spend more allowed in each category each month, I upped our food budget so we eat less UPF and junk and more healthy. the car fuel budget can't really be cut as it's 16 mile round trip to nearest town.

we get paid generally on 29th so after doing monthly budget and leaving small buffer I sweep the remainder into savings in emergency it can of course be moved back but for us moving money from savings back to currrent is a disincentive to spending
Apart from groceries and fuel I try and wait at least 24 hours before making a purchase generaly unless looking for an item specifically I leave it on my wish list saved for later list. I cancelled amazon prime

I just went through my Tesco receipt for delivery coming on Friday, to see what I could trim.

I was shocked to see that of the £60 cost, only £34 was my food and household stuff. £26 was for DCat!! I love that furry bastard but he’s bleeding me dry. I need to make a vet appointment for next week (routine meds) too. Pets are such a luxury now.

Aside from that, all going well. £3 on top up shop and £50 petrol. Tomorrow should be NSD as in office and will take lunch with me.

I just picked up some more overtime for Thursday and Friday this week, just in time for January's pay cut off, another £120 or so for the pot!

Change of plan here. Weather foul so staying in, so today is a complete nsd. Supper will be something from the freezer or soup. Will have to spend tomorrow though.

Have you tried zooplus. I buy in bulk from them and it's really reasonable.

NSD today. Made soup for lunch, broccoli and stilton (using up the Christmas veg/cheese) Have frozen half of it. Got curry I'd made previously out of the freezer for tea and have plenty of rice in the cupboard.

Weather not nice, and haven't left the house.

NSD here too and spent £3.94 yesterday in Tesco for bread/coleslaw and sweets..

really inspired by everyone’s stories re saving and paying off debt.

2024 is the year I really want to get my finances in order, I don’t have much debt but I have always found it difficult to save. Hence when something goes wrong I’m in shit street. Just to have a couple of thousand savings will mean everything and I’m determined to do it.

Unavoidable spends today:-

• £20.30 spent on advance train tickets

always a banking day: dh haircut and fuel.
still no sign of cc payment plan details (how to make the payment) or the hydro bill.
i might contact the bank to find out how this is done. hydro well i suppose i could call them also.

I haven't spent any money in work in the canteen for a few weeks, I think that's probably saved me £30 so quite pleased. I've been taking in leftovers or Aldi ready meals. Shopping in Aldi for the last couple of months must have saved a lot. Have completed my one month emergency fund now, so will start paying down my next account and credit card, hopefully be done by May.

Well Done. Keep at it one step at a time.

Took some stuff back to Next (ordered online in sale), a nail top coat to Tesco, a spare Christmas gift to Boots (no receipt so could only exchange) and posted some Vinted sales. Bought some granola, yoghurt and berries and some dog food for a tenner but still think I'm quids in for today!!

The exchange I made at Boots was for my favourite serum. I also sorted out my spare toiletries drawers (yes that's right, more than one.... 😳) and so I don't need to spend on toiletries for probably about 6 months now.

Planning a definite NSD tomorrow!

Today didn’t go a well as I hoped. 6.50 on train fares, £9 on lunch (used £15 of vouchers too) but John Lewis sale had swimming costumes, sundresses and a pair of trainers for my kids that were too well reduced! I did get it all for £50 though and I think it’ll save me in the long run because they need new swimwear and summer clothes in the next size as well as the bigger trainers.
Stopped I’m at marks on the way home and got a whole bunch of freezable meats and fish on yellow sticker, as well as basics for £40. Popped it all in the freezer though so should do quite a few dinners.

good news on the hydo front the billing is every two months, so no hydro bill till january. we have solar panels and only pay if we use more than we produce and some months we have nothing to pay. hence my confusion.

Joining 👋🏼 I have a £3800 personal loan I would like to clear - (ends May 2025 interest 2.8%)

It would be setting me up to fail to have a challenge where I don’t spend any money
there are probably things I could cut back on though

I’ve just opened a Plum account to try an save a bit more change this year!

Just bus fare spent today. I resisted the urge to spend money on pastries while in town.

Forgot to say, I'd been reluctant to check my energy account as I thought I'd owe hundreds- checked yesterday and I'm £400 in credit. Have reduced monthly payment by £40 so very happy with that.

BridgewaterEmma I did shifts for years so I know what you mean!
Yesterday I ended up spending £28 on school dinners but it minimises stress so it’s worth it.
Today has been an NSD. Food shop coming together but it’s only just under the minimum spend, I check my stock before I ordered and I only ordered what was absolutely necessary! Also postponed a couple of subscribe and saves I don’t need yet. Also found two things I thought I needed to buy so saved £5 there!

with no electric bill this month, the money set aside for that went on the line of credit/mortgage. the goal is an extra $500 per month so currently at 190/500.

Another NSD, dog walked this morning and after taking the tree down we cleaned up. Trying to avoid the shops!

3 Jan update.

£70 DD’s art class payment
£2 bus fare

I did go out for a drink in the evening, but a friend bought a drink for me (a little awkward as she insisted), and I walked home as it was a long wait for the bus.

Although I’m focusing on my personal spending this month, I’m going to keep track of joint spending as well in advance of reviewing that in a couple of months. This doesn’t include mortgage and bills, where we’ve got a decent idea of the costs, but stuff like food shopping, household stuff, days out etc, where I feel we don’t keep track.

Popped to Lidl this morning and only bought what I needed. I did get a Lidl bakery item, but I hadn’t had any breakfast so felt it was justified 🫠