Mindful Spending May (low buy/no buy)

[moimichme]

Rolling forward from previous months, please join us in attempting to stay on the straight and narrow with our May budgets and money goals.

All welcome!

April thread link here:
www.mumsnet.com/talk/cost_of_living/5042866-affordable-april

Another nsd yesterday, but that won't last. I think I've broken the Shark! Loss of suction so I stripped it down and washed all the filters, let's see what happens once they're dry and the whole thing is put back together but I'll not holding my breath. That could be expensive🙄
4/6

Lidl has been the downfall again. About €100 worth of groceries and then €130 on garden stuff, compost, play sand and a new mini chainsaw yoke for DH and the accompanying batteries and chargers.

I also ordered a picnic bench for the garden. The gardens massive and we have big families so these are perfect for us.

Its all stuff we will use and im planning this to be the last shop before the end of the month due to holidays. This week i want to have 4 NSDs, im allowing myself a tea in work one day, but ive change in my office for this.

We had a Grand Day Out on Saturday and spent £100 all together. It feels like a reasonable indulgence and we enjoyed it.

Hi everyone, 7 NSDs so far, I will not be making any purchases today.

No spends planned this week, but it's our anniversary at the weekend so it may possibly change but it's unlikely. Everything sorted except food. I was going to do a Gousto order but the menu doesn't look great, and then the fancy menus from places like HAAR is £80+ which look lovely, but a bit expensive when you have to prepare and cook it yourself.

I'm being good but my eyes keep wandering to things that we need, but not urgently, I find once I start spending it's a slippery slope down the rabbit hole of no return 😅

I

I’m pleased for you @2024Hackathon you have been very frugal and money wise so I’m glad you had a day out that was worth the cash 😄

We (DH and I) have had an awful weekend and a big row yesterday and I’ve been a bit wobbly as a result all day. Had a coffee and croissant in the sunshine which helped (didn’t have time to make lunch due to the row) and now am very much craving a kebab eaten in bed away from him but this thread is swaying me towards sticking to the meal plan. Boring but best. Saturday I’m going to my cousins for a takeaway curry so will need to hold out for that. Also have a full uniqlo basket and the only thing holding me back is I’m not sure whether to size up or down trousers, I’m right between sizes. Weight fluctuation keeping money in my pocket (for now)

Can I join please. This is my first month of maternity pay on my reduced amount (was still on the full occupational pay last month) and I’m shitting it a little bit if I’m honest. We have already spent a lot so far this pay period (we both get paid on the 26th so I work out our finances from 26th-25th of each month rather than from the 1st). I’ve worked out we have around £680 to last until the 26th which should in theory be plenty but we have a long weekend away for the next bank holiday so this has to include spending money, fuel, camp site fees etc as well as normal day to day spends.

I spent about £17 today on a very random selection of items in Lidl and Waitrose. Going to try my best not to pick up any more groceries throughout the week until Saturday.

Hoping to join this thread for accountability and inspiration! I am on maternity leave too so on budget. Not that it will improve when I am back at work 😂
So far today I spent
3.50 ice-creams at park
£9ish groceries
Reading thread I am conscious so many ‘free’ activities are quite fuel heavy due to my location.
For me the temptations are the odd coffee out- sometimes it’s feels like I will have nothing left end of month anyway so I illogically give in (this combined with seeing hubby casually buy lots of lunches out etc)
i have two family birthday this month and also debating clothes as I have v little that fits 🙈

Bit spendy today took my mum out for a quick lunch today -£13 spent.

aiming for a nsd tomorrow! I’m thinking picnic in the park and a wander to the community kitchen! This is a food waste management project so it’s all free & everyone can go. Would be helpful if I could get some vegetables then I could avoid the shops all week!

We have one of them near us too, unfortunately the time and location don't work for me but it's very popular with big queues. Great idea.

Managed a nsd day today. Hoping for another tomorrow too. Saturday planning a night out with a friend, so that won't be cheap.
My main over spend is.wine, but I've cur right back from a couple.of glasses a night, 7 nights a week to drinking 3 nights. Aiming for 2 nights over the next few weeks. That should help save and my waistline.
3/7 nsd

Not quite a nsd yesterday. Picked up a couple of crafty bits for grandson to make something for Father's Day. So still 3/7.
I need to fill the car today so that'll be speedy bur already budgeted for.

Have managed a few NSDs but will have to top the car up with petrol as have been helping DD out as her partner is away on a course and her car was very poorly and needed work in the garage. So the past few days have been busy with dropping and collecting GCs at school or nursery plus taking DD to and from work. DH is taking eldest GD plus her friend to the airport tomorrow so a top up will definitely be needed.
But then we are off away ourselves in 12 days so looking forward to dropping off the car at airport car parking and then jumping on the courtesy bus to the airport!! 😎Then apart from duty free shopping and the odd meal out - we should manage quite a few more NSDs without any effort at all 😆

Almost managed a NSD today until I realised that DD needed school summer wear that was £24 😧 I did try Vinted but she specifically wants the playsuit rather than summer dress and there were none in her size. I bought a size up in the hope of getting two years out of them though and I also have two younger DDs who will have them in due course so overall not that bad.

On another note please can someone convince me that I need to sell a load of baby/kids clothes on Vinted. I have so much waiting to be listed but I just can’t be arsed. Last time I did a big upload I made £300 but it takes so much of my time and I just don’t think I have it in me. Or does anyone know of any reselling sites or accounts?

Hello newcomers - you're very welcome here.

I sympathise about the maternity leave - it's so hard to know how to budget during that period. The accountability on this thread will hopefully help you to stay on track. 😊

I've not sold much online lately @Chaosx3x due to the hassle and being time-poor, but it sounds like you have a good system in place and if you can do a lot of baby clothes at once, perhaps it's less disruptive? I know some people like clothing bundles on Vinted but I don't have experience of that. I've just been donating to charity in recent times, to get it out of my (small) house!

Spent £12 yesterday with ds at Costa on a snack on the walk to jiu-jitsu. Then £6 today on lunch at work, which I ate outside in the sunshine, plus £30 ish on groceries top-up on my walk home because DH said we didn't have much in for cooking dinner with. Hoping for a NSD again tomorrow.

Good luck everyone!

Tuesday was a NSD. Yesterday and today combined, I've spent about £20 on essentials, some hair products and some food bits. I did buy a coffee yesterday when I was out, it was very much needed and was lovely.

Today wasn't a no spend day, bought some yellow sticker food, and a bottle of wine. So I guess 'essentials', bar the wine. So maybe I should class it as a nsd...
Yesterday paid for my daughters prom. Definitely not a nsd.
4/9 nsd

Yesterday I spent on a StylPro pod in the hopes of sorting out my bathroom, was reduced to £32.00, had a £15.00 off £30.00 spend, and used £17.00 Amazon voucher to cover the rest. I think it'll count as NSD as it was gift vouchers not actual money.

Today was a NSD, been suffering with bad stomachache with no desire to do anything besides head to bed when I can.

I'm hoping for NS tomorrow but I need a card, I have a voucher to cover this, but I'll be out and possibly tempted.

I do need to order makeup and haircare, contact lenses but if I buy it all one one spendy day I won't feel so bad about it 😅

Thanks @moimichme I’m also pretty time poor at the moment despite being on mat leave. I just can’t be doing with selling stuff for £1 each but I know that’s the way to make most money as people generally want to build their own bundles. I don’t think pre-made bundles sell for much but I might be wrong. The annoying thing is as well when people literally buy one or two items and you still have to trek to the postage points to just make £2. I think last time I did a big Vinted upload I had to post 48 parcels and it seriously stressed me out!

Didn’t manage a NSD today as I booked a playgroup for DD2 tomorrow which was £4 and also spent £5.50 on lunch with a friend but that was a nice chance to catch up. Going to try my best for a NSD tomorrow as the playgroup is already booked and paid for! Will resist a coffee in the cafe and take my own flask and picnic to have after.

Top up shop - fresh fruit and veg £13
Takeaway coffee x2 - work related so can claim it back
£10 charity donation x 2
Put fuel in the car
Quite a spendy day yesterday!
2 weeks until payday but I've paid into my savings and shouldn't need to touch it. (Said that last month and ended up paying out two largish bills)
Should be nsd today as not going into the office
5/9

I've had 2 NSDs this week. i don't feel great about the week overall from a pending perspective. I bought new Toms on tuesday and some painting supplies. they were a want as i have another pair.

My main issue is that this is just a busy month with 3 social engagements and i know they will use up all my spare cash. i'd gotten used to having more money than month and now i'll have to dip into my sinking fund. I know its why i have that fund but i really liked seeing it grow!

Just bare essentials shopping which included stubbies 🍻as the sun is shining!! 😎 So Lidl was £23.22 and Home Bargains £17.65 and 59p for a mail bag for a bundle sold on Vinted which will be sent off tomorrow.
The holiday is just 11 days away!! 🏖

A nsd for me. But a cheat as my husband took me out for lunch. Avoided going out this evening, but i am tomorrow. I did buy petrol, but that's a weekly essential.

Have placed food order to arrive tomorrow, £75 for the week. I was hoping last weeks, plus the yellow stickers, would talke us through until mid next week, but we needed more veg, cat food etc, so made sense to pop an order in.

Checked our old tent in the dry weather and listed it today, husband listed some items on ebay, so hopefully we will have our holiday paid for before we go, so we don't shove it on the credit card as usual.

Spent £2.30 on a card yesterday, but I found the loose change on the house and there was a little village post office on route so I didn't have to put any extra petrol in the car to go to the bigger town a little while away.

No planned spends this weekend, we may go out to some local village things but entry is free, just the temptation of a drink or if the kids spot an ice cream van. I think we will risk it as this glorious weather isn't set to last long.

The stylpro storage arrived yesterday, so my plan is to sort out the bathroom and make a list of what I already have and what is needed to buy, I expect I have more lotions and potions that I have overlooked and could save a few pennies there when it comes to restocking.

Well done everybody, it sounds like good progress overall. 👏

@psuedocream3 there's nothing like a good spring cleaning / organising project. And finding forgotten skincare/haircare items does help with the budget.

Good luck to those of you selling - I don't have the time / patience for it, but it can help budget-wise.

I did manage a NSD yesterday despite the temptation to buy a coffee at work, and I got a £8.99 refund through from Amazon (non-working computer doodad) which was nice. But I sort of cheated, too, since DH bought curry takeaway (which will be two meals' worth). It was very tasty and enjoyable after a long week!

I don't think we'll go up to visit family later this month after all (still TBC - it's my dniece's 3rd birthday), which would make the budget look a bit healthier. But I'm trying to be careful in case we do need to book a hotel before next payday.

Plan for today is to go for a run and possibly to the park this afternoon. I need new bike tyres before I can join DH and ds for a ride, but it isn't super urgent.

Hope everyone has a good day.

I'd like to join, as my budgeting has gone to pot recently! I've got to get myself back on track and make sure I've got enough in my savings to cover car repairs etc.

Today I've got my Asda food delivery arriving. I will just need to top up on bread and milk during the week.

I also need to claim back my parking from work, as I don't usually bother.