Sensible September

[HowDidThisHappenDinesh]

Back to school and back to budgeting… a thread for us to keep each other accountable in sensible spending.
New posters welcome :)

@IDontHateRainbows @Cuwins thank you; interesting to get different opinions. I think I do count it as a NSD as the DD/SO are in 'pots' in my current account and I've budgeted for it.

As the weather was miserable at lunchtime, I ended in Home sense. Lots of tempting things, but I resisted 😀. We have lots of bills going out today which I’m not counting. So a successful NSD.

Yay well done!

I've heard sometimes if you buy something but take it back you get the high of the buy but not the money hit.

Not encouraging people to do this but I've heard it's helpful.

Not a good day for me... the car park at the hospital has put these really low chicane type things in which you can't actually see.. hence me driving right into one and ripping a Tyre. Looking at £150 to replace, ouch. I suppose things like this can't be helped. It's what savings are for, but still hurts!

Sorry to hear that! I know that feeling though,but you're right, it's just one of those things unfortunately 👍

As I'm not working at the moment my dear old mum has offered to pay half the cost which makes it a bit easier to swallow.

Apart from that I had a low spend day, £2.80 on an iced coffee at Nero with the meerkat 25% off deal, and £3 on parking.

Well the kids go back tomorrow and we are now out of FSM age so its packed lunches each day. We are managing the budget pretty well so far, tonight was a bit spendy for dinner but we are having it two nights in a row which makes a difference.

I have also started a little 'rainy day' fund which we can use for emergencies or to save for a day out or two in the summer... Feeling more positive than I ever have when it comes to properly budgeting and making sure we have everything covered, we have newish solar panels on the house which have reduced our electricity bill loads but we don't know how much they will help in autumn/winter so having to keep our eye on that.

Back to school time has been so expensive, despite trying to space out purchases in July and August.
Today alone, blazer and sports top for son £52, key for daughter who is now a latchkey kid £32, various items of stationery apx £20.
These don't come out of my budget as it's family stuff.
Out of my personal budget, I spent £9.50 on coffee and cake out for me and my mum as she'd paid for half of my replacement Tyre. Luckily it wasn't as high as expected as the garage owner knows me from way back when my dad worked there so I get mates rates.

Almost a NSD except for £11.50 at Lidl. DH is trying to eat more protein which is a challenge on a budget. Stocked up on greek yogurt and cottage cheese for smoothies and snacks.
Also booked our airport transfer for an upcoming holiday as my preferred company had a sale on, trying to book things like that over the months instead of all at once to spread the cost. The transfer is as far as the budget will allow this month though.
Tomorrow need to get some toiletries and stuff from Boots.

Hmm, not going to plan. Sent DH out for one ingredient and he spent £40 on ‘bits’ (snacks and wine). His excuse was he had a £5 off £40 voucher. Ive also just bought something that has been in my Amazon basket for a few weeks but has suddenly dropped by £5. I do need it, although not urgently, so it seems sensible to buy at this lower price. I’m as bad as DH! 🙄

Another interim payment for materials goes out today, so our bank balance will be looking very sad.

@IDontHateRainbows Sorry to hear about the tyres, that's lovely your Mum has helped with the cost.

@IndigoIsMyFavouriteColour Properly budgeting definitely makes a difference. This year is the first time I've gone through mine thoroughly, my emergency fund is slowly building and it's a relief not to worry about how to afford things like insurances and Christmas.

3/3 NSDs here, I've spent £1.76 on a Christmas gift for eldest DD today. It'll come out of this months present budget so I'm not counting it as a spend. I'm not expecting anymore spends until Friday when I'll need petrol.

Spent a fiver on some food bits today. I have a hair appointment tomorrow, cut no colour but still £££. Last one was in April and it's needed.
Feeling a bit unmotivated to try and sell some things, mainly as I need to sort through things.

Nearly a NSD but needed pull ups, but that's on a count down now too👍😁 which I'm glad about as felt ridiculously expensive!!

I am trying to cut down on spending. This week it went very well but for a particular reason.

We spent a few days away in a popular holiday destination in the UK. Both of us dislike dogs in cafes and restaurants, and there is not one single dog free place in the town we stayed in (I checked at the Information Centre). Knowing this from last time we came, we took all our food with us. We had a fantastic time, plenty of exploring on foot and by bike. I think we had four NSDs in a row. I have no need for souvenir knick knacks or the like.

I am aware that the area is struggling after a poor summer, and we would have gladly supported a cafe or restaurant if there had been one we wanted to go into. Apart from the cost of the cottage I think we spent less than £5 when we were there, on bananas and oranges. DH spent 50p on a postcard for his brother but had a stamp in his wallet.

Now we are back I intend to have three or four NSDs a week. I do not need any new clothes this autumn or winter so that will help. I will also start to meal plan again, we have lapsed a bit with that.

Hello, checking in. I have finally accepted I have a bad spending habit for those dopamine hits and am really working hard to address it- after spending £150 on completely unnecessary bins at the weekend when I'm completely skint, I accepted it's time to deal with it.

Only spent £3 on a coffee today out when I met a friend, resisted the cake which is better for my diet too.

Low spend yesterday and today just £10 (between the 2days) shopping top up. Slightly annoying as our main shop is tomorrow but this was thinks that we really needed before then

Sounds like my DH, whenever I decide to have a sensible month he decides we need to refurnish or something else expensive!

Yesterday spent £20 at Boots on shampoo and stuff, all necessary. Annoyingly though I had to buy lunch, a lunch meeting got postponed and I didn’t know. £3 on a pasta salad.

I have £40 of clothes in a basket that I’m trying to resist the urge to buy. I don’t specifically need any of it or at least not urgently.

Hi everyone, checking in a bit late for September! Work and life have been very busy so I've not been on Mumsnet much.

This month is DH's birthday as well as two of my nieces' so that may end up being quite spendy. But I feel prepared ish for Christmas costs and the car insurance payment that is due in early December.

The summer was expensive, but budgeted for, and now that ds is back at school hopefully we can stick to a more frugal routine. I am proud of having met my goal of 2 NSDs per week minimum, even during the summer. Hoping for my third of the week today, with a packed lunch and Soya milk for my coffee this afternoon.

Good luck with resisting temptation of clothes, coffees, takeaways, etc. later!

Morning everyone!

I'm aiming for a NSD except for planned expenditures- £110 for the dogs grooms and £60 for a chiropractor.

Found myself really wanting new shoes for a new potential job I have coming up, but have decided to buy them on Vinted but only after I sell some things to pay for them first. I was going to delete the Vinted app but doesn't make sense to do so right now. I've never sold anything on there before so a bit wary but hoping for the best. Don't need to sell much, the shoes I want are only around £30.

Forgot to say, yesterday was a NSD.
Today DH was supposed to cook as I was working late, but he’s not feeling well so I picked up an oven lasagna and some salad for dinner. £15 including a bottle of wine and we’ll have leftovers for lunch, so significantly cheaper than a takeaway and I still get a night off. I looked at lots of other little bits too but avoided buying any, just focused on what was needed.
Tomorrow we are going mattress shopping and will have a quick meal while out. Hoping to spend £50 or under. No plans on Sunday so it could be a low spend weekend. Currently in the bath avoiding looking at my Vinted favourites 😂 this thread is doing a good job at keeping me accountable

Had a NSD yesterday, and today used a 10% off at Lidl coupon to get in a big shop which came to £122 (£110 with the discount). Picked up some modelling work earlier in the day so had cash to put towards the shop, so only £60 actually came out of the account.

While today was a rather expensive day as it was the big Tesco shop, which came to over £100 which is unusually high, that was the only spend and it's planned for so actually not too bad.

Massively expensive few months tha here and I sat last night and did our house and my business budget so I now know exactly where we are in regards to finances.

We really need to reign in the food shopping spending so bak to Aldi and Lidl this week.

We were going sainsburys as it's nearer etc however our weekly spend has been creeping up and last week spent over £230 for four of us which it's never ever been before and it's because there's mindless shopping going on and too much to look at and add.

Also doesn't help when 14 yr old goes with us as the trolley ends up with all sorts of extras in it so we try and time it to go when teens busy.

Ive got insurancea tk renew and lower this weekend and sibscriptions will be next to go as it's needless.

on a plus note ive had 2 no spend days the last two days and ive removed my bank card from apple pay and amazon as i spend on them daily its shocking.

7/7 NSDs so far. I had enough petrol to avoid filling up Friday as it was pouring down, I felt relieved.

I was tempted to order a few books for Christmas, and with the weather getting colder, a heated blanket, but I've moved the spare money this week into savings instead.

Just looking forward at my finances for next year, and my outgoings will be higher so I need to put what I can into savings now whilst I have the spare money, and figure out how to increase my income in my spare time.

Welllll... today definitely wasn't a NSD!! Have excuses/reasons for both (near a shop where I can get allergy friendly foods that are hard to get...but was also tempted by the cheese! Then had to do a slightly unpleasant thing and was lunch time when finished so us and children needing feeding a good drive from home.) but on plus side, lovely day. And I thoughtfully broke then rather mindlessly. Also, had more NSDs then nit this week,so actually feel ok about it.