No spend January?

[Psychoticbreak]

There used to be no spend threads every month on here although I appreciate Dec is a hard one. For me I am going to try not to overspend this month and clear off the credit card in full again as it was zero balance up till xmas.

Anyone else with me?
Stilly possibly to class Christmas day as a no spend but that was my day one and I spent nothing yesterday either.

NS day today, and cooked a sort of Sunday dinner instead of going to the pub for a roast. I'm going to try not to go shopping again this month, apart from bread and milk.

Not quite no spend today but low spend. Was invited for coffee with a few of the girls from the gym. I just had tea and resisted cake which saved £ and calories. Total spend today was £2.60

Weekend spends
£40 out on Friday - £25 over what I planned as I bought 2 rounds, but even one round was £20 not £15!
£20 Oyster top up (essential)
£7.85 at M&S for flowers (budgeted) and a sandwich (not budgeted)
£13 on Amazon for some emergency cake tins as I promised a cake for my friend’s housewarming and realised I don’t actually own cake tins.

NSD today though.

NSD today and Friday. Yesterday I treated myself and DH to a takeaway. It was only a kebab for him and chips and gravy for me but it really cheered us up. Came to about £12.

I'm on annual leave this week. I have a shop coming in the morning which was a little more than I'd like to have spent (£57) but we are running out of things in the cupboards and the freezer is about half empty now.

Eldest DS has a hospital appointment tomorrow afternoon which I'm attending with him (even though he's 20) and it's usually a lot of hanging around so we normally get a coffee and cake. Going to try to resist. and going to make him pay for parking

Hope everyone has a great week. The end is in sight!

I haven't spent much this weekend. Friday night dh was going out so I got a pizza deal from tesco ( £6 - and really nice). Saturday, my ds brought lunch and today, dh went to the supermarket. He did ask if I wanted to go but I knew I'd get carried away !
Will anyone carry on after January?
I've got a similar budget for Feb and March, not as strict but approach is similar.
I'm going to adopt the approach all year really.

I'm in for NSD or Mindful Spending 2024.

To state the obvious, it's something that I need to nudge DH towards but it has to happen.

@Amdone123 i will definitely try to continue the low spend more mindful spending into February. I’ve still a few bigger expenses I’d like to cash flow in the coming months and I’d love to have the money there for them.

I ended up buying milk and eggs yesterday in case Storm Isha had an effect on our milk delivery.

I’m going to treat February the same! It’s my little boy’s birthday but won’t go overboard. Definitely aiming for a very low spend month.

need to build the savings and probably change my mindset along the way 💪

I had a good weekend, 2x NSD's and Sunday I won £29 on the daily free games on one of the betting sites, which I have added back into the present fund.

@caramond that is eye opening, a few quid here and there does add up over the year, it's quite shocking!

@2024Hackathon Thank you, It's good to remind ourselves progress, however small is still progress. I hope the business travel doesn't add up too much. I agree about putting in claims fir business expenses, my husband has only just had £250 worth approved from last year. Would much rather have that in our pockets than sat in limbo.

@Amdone123 well done on the weightloss, and the moneysaving. I was hoping cutting down alcohol would help me shift a few lbs but sadly not. Maybe the chocolate and brie haven't helped much as replacements. The pizza deals are quite good value for a treat and cheaper than a takeaway,

I'll definitely be carrying on NSD for the rest of the year. When my youngest gets his childcare hours later this year my personal income will improve greatly, although it feels like a lifetime away, but I want to stay in good habits.

I'm mindful that it's Valentines soon, and Easter, and Mothers Day, and our anniversary coming up too but not wanting to spend too much, but do need to budget these in.

Just had to spend £105 on a car part. Never mind, it's a necessity.

Good work everyone! I'm planning to carry on at least until March, probably beyond because we have to fund a trip to visit family in the U.S. and I don't want to 'borrow' every last £ we managed to save last year to pay for it. Our expenses while we're there won't be too bad, since we can stay with family, but even the flights are eye-watering!

Having said that, it's both mine and ds' birthdays in February, so there may be some treats next month compared with January. But I will try and be sensible about those, and save where I can.

I've had 3 or 4 NSDs in a row now - as long as I don't buy a coffee this afternoon at work (tempting! 😅). Good luck all.

I’ve just been working on Feb and March spreadsheets! Got two weeks till payday so have enough cover planned outgoings and the extra few hundred is in my savings. So I have for emergency’s but I know if I transfer it back to my current account just in case it’s to easy to Amazon click or spend it.

Did catch myself thinking oh no it’s going to be depressing then had think what about not spending money on Amazon would be depressing. Funny how we associate spending with fun even when we buy boring everyday things. Really got me thinking.

NSD again for me today. Payday Friday so hoping the next few days will also be NSD. I’m at work every day this week and no expenses planned so should be able to do it.
planning to carry on with mindful spending the remainder of the year.
it’s my 50th in April and I want to plan a few nice things but I’ve booked a couple of overtime shifts so I won’t feel too guilty about booking some treats

Funny how we associate spending with fun even when we buy boring everyday things. Really got me thinking.

Agreed. Advertising and convention has had such an influence on the way we frame and perceive things.

Groceries delivered this morning, so that was £57. Other than that, a NSD.

Went to the hospital with DS and there was nowhere at all to park. We scoured the car park twice. In the end, he went to his appointment alone and I just drove his car around until he was ready. I hate driving it, it's a proper boy racer car but at least it kept me out of Costa!

Off to see DF tomorrow and having some lunch in town with DH. Also have to buy youngest DS a new school jumper because he's lost his 🙄

I’m definitely continuing in February. It won’t be completely No Spend as we’re away for a week and have some other social plans. I’m branding it a Frugal February 😄
NSD today if you discount work expenses and an oyster top up.
Lidl tomorrow for a few bits. M&S has sent me 15% off bras, which I am in desperate need of, so may have to make use of that before the end of the month.

I'm loving Frugal February !

I'm pleased so many of us are carrying on. I have to really, not only if I want holidays and weekend breaks away, but also because this month has shown me how much money I waste on stuff I neither need nor want. And I need to save more.

I was looking earlier at buying a pair of wide leg trousers in New Look. I think ordinarily I'd have just bought them. Instead I had a good look through dh's massive selection of jogging bottoms ( our ds gives them to him when he's done, and he does not buy cheap), and I found a perfectly good pair that fit like a dream !

And regarding holiday clothes, which I'm always buying ( and never wear), I only ever travel with cheap airlines / carry on luggage ( that is ONE area where I'm good with money), so it's not like I take loads of clothes. And we barely have summer here - no wonder it's all piling up.

Food wise, I'm also doing really well. Found some sliced beef in the freezer so finally made my beef in onion gravy in Yorkshire pudding wraps - so nice.
I like thinking creatively with food. I'd also batch cooked chilli and fancied chips with it, but oven chips have gone so expensive. Sweet potatoes were reduced, 49p a bag so bought 2 bags and I'm going to make wedges instead.

This week is a low spend on food but I do need my haircut. I only pay £20 ( £15, plus tip ). So, not a vast amount - I have it short so needs doing every 4 weeks.

Apologies for my essays ( !! ) - this thread is really helping me and I know I'm doing really well so far, so want to see it written down. 💪

Well over the past week have managed a few more no spend days but this coming weekend will be a spendy one as we are away to see DS, his DP and our GD who we haven't seen since a few weeks after she was born. We will also take the opportunity to see a family member en route home as they are terminally ill. So petrol for 5/6 hour journey, coffees, snacks and maybe pay for a takeaway as DS's DP on Mat leave at the moment. We are happy not to go out and about and just have time with them all and lots of cuddles with GD. 😍
At times like this, I think what the heck and we just enjoy our time away and tighten the purse strings when we get back. February usually feels like a short month - I hope it is!! 😉

@Rainbow1901 I do think it's important that whilst we're all being a lot more mindful, that we don't lose sight of enjoying ourselves. And no, we don't need money to enjoy ourselves but we need some ! And if you're being careful say 70% of the time, it will all balance out.
Enjoy your weekend and your cuddles ( I have a new GD too - it's so lovely).

I hope Feb feels short, too. It should, in theory. But, we're getting through January so it should be a walk in the park. 💪

Returned a jumper to Amazon that I originally got as a present, then decided to keep it for me, but now decided I'd rather have the money. So that's £40 back in the pot.

NS today. Tuscan chicken and pasta for dinner, and tuna and cucumber sandwiches and slithers of leftover quiche for lunch.

NSD yesterday and likely today also.

I also started spray paining a mirror and the bathroom accessories gold and they look ok so far the mirror is definitely the best but the others should be passable. Decided against gold leafing. However i did find the supplies for it along with gold leaf, copper leaf and silver leaf. Clearly bought without a project in mind. I also found an un opened can of gold spray paint which was very handy. However it also shows that for whatever purpose i bought this i didn't use it so it wasn't. mindful spend at the time.

I've shopped my freezer and done some cooking to give us ready options for lunches and snacks in the fridge. The fridge won't actually get very barren until next week so i'm thinking of pushing out my shopping trip for a week and seeing if i can mange with what i have. I get milk and eggs delivered so i on't cont these as shopping trips.

However i will need to mind the pennies as Storm Isha took some of our shed roof away. We have filed an insurance claim but the roof was in bad condition and needed replacing anyway so it may be denied. Its a massive shed and im expecting a 9-10K bill for it. We had other home improvement plans too but if we have to do this as well we may not be able to do them all even with me reigning in my spending hugely.

@pistachiosanscream fingers crossed your claim goes through.

All good here. I'm running low on foodstuff, but not terribly. I've just said I'll allow £50 out of my budget to stock up, but now I can't be bothered.
I think I've Lost The Gift 🤣

Positive vibes for the shed claim @pistachiosanscream.

Yesterday and today have been NSD's. I have a few things sat in online checkout baskets but they don't need ordering today, in the next week will be fine. They are a bit cheaper than I saw last week.

Hoping for only one spending day this weekend on those planned spends. Being on the thread has made me question whether I really need to spend or whether I can do without.

pistachiosancream - much sympathy. I've family friends in Wales who've had similar with what they term a shed but is effectively what most of us would call a barn. May good fortune be yours with the claim.

psuedocream3 - Being on the thread has made me question whether I really need to spend or whether I can do without. Hopefully in a useful rather than oppressive way?