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

National Theatre, that should say! I must be tired. 🤣

12/22 which I'm sure is better than I would have managed without this thread.
Thank you for the support.
Pay day on Saturday (actually on Friday but not due until Saturday so I'll try not to touch it)
Going away on Friday so it'll be a spendy weekend but that's okay because I budgeted for it.

DH's birthday soon and it's a milestone. So, we're having a Grand Day Out. He's had several experiences in the build-up (I've paid for him to attend lectures and exhibitions) and we'll be doing more to celebrate over an extended time period.

We'll actually have 2 days away in June/July. This will be the first time we've been away since 2000! It's within bounds as a break and he appreciates it. He'd have enjoyed something fancier but one of the useful things his counselling have got him to think about is his tendency to mire himself in denial and not face up to issues. So, he begrudgingly accepts that it's amazing we're going away at all without asking for (comparatively) a trip to the moon.

Hack that's wonderful that you're planning to spoil your DH for his milestone birthday in a sensible way, and that he is (now) on board with the situation (rather than denial). I hope this means that you will be able to really enjoy your trip together. 😊

Hope you're having fun on your weekend away, Song!

Two NSDs for me this past week, which isn't fantastic, but met my minimum goal. Rent went out this week and had to pay for ds holiday club next week, plus two gymnastics taster sessions (£7 each, but he's desperate to try it and was on a waiting list). Also spent £35 on my niece's birthday gifts, £12 on coffee and lunches at work during the week, and £30 on takeaway last night.

Could have done better, but the overall budget is on track so I'm not going to beat myself up about it. It wasn't frivolous spending on things we didn't need. Work is just too busy right now. But that should settle down after next week.

Hoping to go for a run later since the sun is shining, and at least manage a low spend day. We do need cat food though. Payday isn't until the 31st so I shouldn't go overboard this weekend.

Good luck and hope you all have a good day!

I'm feeling there's always something which involves spending at the moment!
Aiming for a low spend June and July but DP has a milestone birthday approaching, there's Father's Day which I don't spend much on for him or my own dad. We need a suitcase for DD for our holidays.
I have been good on frugal dinners this week using stuff up we have so food shopping costs have been low.
The people I cat sat for last weekend may have a few days away in June/July so that will help. I'm hoping to get a decent amount of invigilating after half term but there's quite a big pool of us so who knows!

not Being doing too bad definitely been mindful of spending.

small wins -
sent the car in the garage because it was making a funny noise. Turns out it wasn’t anything at all so a small bill of £36.

just had 4 nights at Butlins with the little ones and didn’t spend very much at all. Even managed one whole day there with no spends!!

Spendy BH weekend, but I expected that.
Need fuel today, but hopefully that's all. Paid (early) on Friday so budgeting for the month ahead. Money into savings so hope I won't need to touch that, although it's looking a bit tight.
13/27

23 NSDs this month so far. Everything was on track, but yesterday DD5 decided to cut her hair, it's a disaster so I've had to get her booked into a hairdressers today to try and make it presentable. Although it's just hair and will grow back, I'm not sure how much it's going to cost yet and it wasn't budgeted in my spending this month. I saw a great offer on whey protein so I did order that because I very rarely spend on myself and it was very cheap.

I was hoping to end the month with a decent amount leftover so I could treat myself to some suitable workout clothing, nothing fancy just a suitable sweat wicking top and leggings as I'm really enjoying the indoor cycling, but I'm not sure budget will stretch to that now.

Eldest daughter inisisting she needs new makeup, so tomorrow will be spendy taking them to the shops, if one gets something the other will want something too and then it'll be lunch and probably a costa.

Need to order some hamper bits for DH for Father's Day, I have £25 off at Ocado so will get some groceries at the same time.

Roll on June...

4 spending days so far, all related to DH's milestone birthday.

I'm waiting for my 1 year savings account to mature and be transferred into the offset mortgage savings account. Then I can set up another 1 year savings account and hope that they don't reduce the interest rate in the next 4 weeks before I can do this.

Well done, everybody - it's nearly the end of the month (or already, budget wise, for some of you!).

Disney that's lucky there was nothing really wrong with your car - too often it seems like the reverse happens!

Song Hope you had a fabulous time and enjoyed yourselves!

psuedo I did something like that when I was a child - decided I didn't want a fringe anymore, so tried to chop it off. My mother wasn't best pleased. 🤣 Hope things get back on track for you and that you can buy your new exercise outfit very soon. I need to buy a little something for DH for Father's Day, too. Possibly a decadent Hotel Chocolat sampler.

Hack I hope your husband had a fantastic birthday celebration with you on your trip! Fingers crossed there won't be any major changes to interest rates in the near future.

I managed 2 NSDs over the weekend because DH bought cat food and groceries for us. And today was another NSD for me. Feels good to be on track for the month, after spending earlier in the year on our flights to the USA to visit family. 🇺🇸

Good luck everyone, only a few days left for May!

Another no spend in the bag. Well done me!!

June is going to have to be very tight if I’m to remain in the black!
I need to pay the remainder off our holidays and I’m determined to budget for it rather than have to resort to the credit card.
I need to stay motivated in June!

5 months done of budgeting/ mindful spending/ adding to savings

I must say it’s a whole new concept but I’m actually enjoying it.

I managed no spend yday. Need to do this for June.

Nsd yesterday apart from which was budgeted for and, hopefully, another today.
15/29

Well done on the NSDs! I spent nearly £90 online with M&S today on new socks, joggers and shorts for ds and a Father's Day gift for DH. Plus a nice top for me, that I don't strictly need but it'll mean I get more wear out of my lovely lilac skirt - it was my favourite colour, so I went for it. I wanted a reward for getting through a very busy period at work. Hopefully it'll be nice. 😊

Disney I'm aiming for the same - not to have to put holiday expenses onto a credit card this summer.

I'm definitely in for June, too! These threads have been very helpful for me.

I'm in for June too, this has been really helpful, thank you. I'm going away for 12 days, so that will be spendy but I'll put money into the joint pot at the start and then my own account should be spend free, does that count?😆
Today I need to pick up fruit for a joint meal with friends, but that's part of the food budget, apart from that I'm aiming for a NSD.🤞

NSD yesterday and likely today too. DD and I are staying at my parents. My mum paid for lunch yesterday. Going to visit some other family today.
I'm in for June, aside from Father's Day and DP's birthday present, I think it should be less spendy.

End of May = 17NSD - thank you all.
Had a spin on the Lidl free fruit promotion and got 4 avocados, managed not to buy anything else when I went to pick them up, ditto a £5.50 free voucher for Holland & Barratt. I'm on a roll!
Holiday in June so that'll be a dip into savings, but it's budgeted for so I don't mind too much

@moimichme Glad to hear your NSDs are going well, although flights to the USA does sound like a wonderful way to have spent money.

Hairdresser was a reasonable £8.50 and DH paid, so it was a NSD. Sunday we used a free national trust family pass for a local castle, and bought DD her concealer for £4.45. I ended up spending £24.00 on hair products (normally £50). I don't actually know how much I should be setting aside for things like haircare and beauty, a job at the weekend to find out and budget properly. Also £20 on protein powder (should have been £50) to help with weight loss/toning goals and to help curb my sweet cravings. And today £40 on workout clothing, an £15 on a birthday gift for my son, fathers day bits for a hamper, chocolate for brownies and a book for another child.

25 NSDs in total. I have spent over my budget by £21.61 which isn't bad, it's a tighter month with car insurance coming up soon - some of that was gifts which I can take from the gift budget so I'm balanced for the month.

It is wonderful I'v been able to spend on myself for a change, and not feel guilty knowing finances are in control.

Payday at last! I managed 14 NSDs for the month of May, which is pretty good even if it wasn't quite half. I kept to my budget and didn't have to borrow from savings. #winning

Spent £24 today on groceries and a coffee with a friend who is 30 weeks pregnant and looking very well. They had a long journey to get there so I'm really happy for them.

So glad others are doing well, too! Some of you have had some impressive accomplishments this month/year. Pats on the back all round. 😊

Well done everyone, I dropped off the thread early on and think I only got one NSD the whole month Just did my June budget and was reminded of the thread. £200 short this payday and we have some catching up to do but I’ve just done a 0% balance transfer on the credit card for a year which gives us some breathing space (and a deadline to pay it off).
I’m properly in for June. Had a good start today with a TooGoodToGo for dinner instead of a takeaway after arriving home from holiday.

Is there a challenge for June somewhere? I'm terrible for mindlessly spending and need to rein it in.

@KitKatKathy I don't think we have a thread yet, but I'm sure there will be one soon.

I'm in for June, this is going to be a tricky month as car insurance, tax and mot are due early next month. My budget is tight for June due to this as I only started budgeting properly in March.

I need to spend some time today looking at the budget and working out what, if anything, I have for personal spends. I make more mindful choices if I have a figure, otherwise I'll end up buying bits here and there and it soon adds up.

Good luck for June everyone!

I’ve created a new thread

its called just essentials June

hopefully you can all find it 🤞

Gottit! Thanks @Disneyland2022

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/cost_of_living/5088174-just-essentials-june

I am aiming for a low spend as well. When I do buy though I always use merchants where I can get Cashback. If you follow my referral link to Top cash back you'll get a £10 bonus. www.topcashback.co.uk/ref/Meggie76/?source=App-iOS-TAFPage

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