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 :)

@ZanyPombear I did a CAP Money course which was really helpful in terms of getting myself straight, but still tough - there was a focus on saving up for unexpected expenses (white goods, car problems, medical things like dental bills and glasses - etc) - however I was so skint that if I'd put aside the amounts they suggested I would have been in debt each month I have a Tesco click & collect order ready to go, it's £70 and there isn't even really that much food in it! I'm reading Budget Happy at the moment which is interesting, apparently the writer is popular on TikTok but I don't use that.

I got a lot of bread and milk @Deckingroundtheback and tons of garlic bread too, handy as the DC love it sadly nothing expensive like chicken etc which I could have used, but I've had gammon joints and the like before!

Had low spend days all week. I'm aiming for NSD today. Out tomorrow night for drinks.
Due to flight delays, my cat sitting has been extended for a day and I got my referral bonus of £20 for getting/using a Zing card while we were away. It all helps!

What is a Zing card?

It's a preloaded card. You can use it in the UK and with other currencies abroad. We got them to avoid the transaction fees on debit and credit cards.

Ooh can I join? I'm trying to get a hold on my personal spending, the joint account is in good shape but I've got a terrible habit of buying stuff I don't need and it needs to stop. Bought an account logbook to write everything in, did a balance transfer credit card and need to start saving. Got a few big bills for the animals to go out, but they were expected and allocated for. Plants have been my kryptonite lately, I've spent way too much on them and treats for the animals, I'm ashamed of how much I've frittered away 🙈

Agree with everyone's sentiments about the costs of everything... it's hard to stick to a budget when olive oil used to cost £3.50 and is now £7.something !
The truth is for me too that NSDs are few and far between, there is always something that needs buying or replacing. We have a tiny fridge/freezer in our tiny flat also, so I can't buy in bulk or do much meal prepping, I usually have to go to shop at least once or twice a week. Reframing my thinking as not avoiding spending, but avoiding unnecessary spending, helps me to not lose hope!
Tuesday, £10 at Body Shop. £20 at Aldi, only needed eggs and cheese but did a slightly bigger shop with the plan to not buy anything but milk and bacon until the 23rd.
Ordered the bloody mattress.
Yesterday, not my best day, went out for a planned dinner and drinks with a friend. I planned to spend £36 and spent £10 more than that, didn't include sides or service charge in my calculation. Ah well. Then DH wanted ice cream so picked him up some on my way back. Normally would say no but I'd had a few drinks.
Today. Going to buy train tickets for an upcoming event. My blender has broken and my hair seems to be growing faster than usual so my roots need doing. Both unaccounted costs. So might nip out to get a box dye, and might buy a new blender, I use it every day so not sure how long I can put it off.

Positives though; I haven't spent any money on takeaway coffee or lunches out this month. I haven't bought any unbudgeted clothes etc. We are out on Friday and Sunday, but home all day Saturday so I'm aiming for a NSD then and then an extra strict week next week.

I also had some big expenses as I have been living without a dining table and chairs and I only have plastic cutlery and plates so needed plates, mugs, bowls. I also bought gifts but had money set aside for that. I don’t bother buying olive oil I just buy sunflower oil

Ok so not exactly Nsd but very close to!

yesterday I took my toddler to a free event but ended up spending £2.50 on lunch for him. Very frugal.

Today I’ve nipped to collect an order, said toddler has hustled me out of £1.90 for something in the shop but that’s it.
Actually going to return something to the shop today so that £21.99 awaiting to be returned to my account.

This is me trying to be very strict this week.

Im working all day Saturday and Sunday so they’ll be Nsds for sure.

Well I'm glad I went to get hair dye today as I also found fungal nail treatment (tmi sorry) on sale for £2 down from £25. My gross feet are grateful.
Also saw a dress I liked for £10 but showed self restraint and didn't get it. I have so many dresses already and this one would have been worn loads for a month and then never again.
Train tickets were only £10 each for return.
All in all a good low spend day.

I bought a train ticket today but no spending otherwise.

We are not doing brilliantly with our sensible september. I bought some much needed clothes which ate into our budget a bit and we've had to borrow some money from relatives. They were much needed though so there is that.

Still getting used to working everything on a shoestring and realising that we always have to be on the ball or money just runs away!

A spendy day but on something very sensible so still sensible September, glasses needed to be fixed cost £60 plus £9 postage but not really negotiable as I wear em all day long, they weren't broken but needed a fault fixing.

So far so good this week, £15 on coffee/ cake out (2 days) and £9 on postage to send the glasses off.

Glasses will come out of separate 'calamity' fund for unexpected 'things going wrong' costs. These can scupper all the good spending in an instant. MOT due soon so bracing myself for that.

@IDontHateRainbows I hate getting new glasses, mine are always in the region of £200 as I have such a high prescription I think last time I paid £240 at Specsavers for two pairs. Like you though I can't be without them, I'm far too shortsighted for that!

@HowDidThisHappenDinesh I have books on meal prep and would like to do more of it, but zero time! I'm either working, taking the DC to their activities, or just general childcare/ cleaning/ laundry duties at the weekend. Plus I have a tiny kitchen and really don't enjoy cooking in it, there's virtually no actual workshop space which makes it miserable trying to prep more than two things. I mentioned this to MIL once, she nodded wisely and said "yes, my kitchen's on the small side too, I know what you mean" - MIL's kitchen is easily six times the size of mine, and she only cooks for herself and FIL

@ZanyPombear I usually buy rapeseed oil nowadays instead of olive oil, or vegetable/ sunflower oil for general use. I would love to indulge my middle class fantasies by buying Waitrose olive oil but I feel I will have to wait for a lottery win

£10 spent today on ham for DP's packed lunch tomorrow (I didn't realise he'd eaten all the ham in the fridge!), bits for my lunch tomorrow and some reduced flowers. I have to keep a very keen eye on my spending too @IndigoIsMyFavouriteColour or it gets to mid-month and I'm mystified as to where all my money has gone already!

If anyone has an app they could recommend to record NSDs that would be really useful? I was thinking this as I'm now on a 200 day streak with Duolingo, it's very motivating for me to see how long I can keep going for. Maybe some sort of habit tracker app?

Hey 👋

Can I join you all for the rest of the month? I’m treating my disabled DD to carpets in her new house so that’s £1500 and I just feel like crying quietly to myself. I don’t have a choice - without me she wouldn’t be able to afford them till the Spring. So.

Made a hearty soup with casserole veg, broth mix, red lentils…will do for lunches for the next few days. Also made fish cakes for freezer, bulked them out even more with some mashed butter beans for protein as well as mashed potatoes.

Weekend activity will be doing some baking to then take on a picnic, and do some rock climbing too…the kids will enjoy it and not even realise it’s frugal as well.

Only planned buy for next few days is winter hats and gloves, the weather has definitely changed here.

NSD Wednesday. £95.52 on the food shop on Thursday which covers the four of us for the week, nappies/toiletries etc. £6.50 on a replacement book for DS1 today as DS2 vomited over it and it’s his absolute favourite. Plus £12 on two preordered books for DC that are for upcoming birthdays which were planned for.

I really, really wanted a takeaway coffee today. We’re thankfully out of range to have anything delivered, nearest coffee shop is ages away so I went without. Does anyone have any good Starbucks/Costa alternatives they make at home? I’d really like to curb my twice weekly one when I (eventually) go back to the office.

@AutumnFullMoon Completely get the urge to buy plants, obviously it requires some investment in soil and pots a few months down the line, but I found taking cuttings and learning about propagating different plants curbed that urge a bit. Obviously I spend money on other crap, but my last few plants I’ve grown myself and seeing roots growing in water is so satisfying.

@ElizaBalfour I may need to see what too good to go bags are available round here, I may have more luck than last time! At least milk and bread is useful.

@IDontHateRainbows That is an excellent name for a fund!

@HowDidThisHappenDinesh That sounds like a really good way to frame it, no takeaway coffee etc. sounds excellent. I’m sure your feet are very grateful for the spending 😁

Also - had a really nice pear and chocolate crumble last night. I’d forgotten how nice occasional home made puddings can be. Certainly cheaper than popping to M&S!

My two NSDs per week has been met again, as of yesterday.

@ElizaBalfour I use an Android habit tracker - I think it's just called HabitTracker. 🤣 Very bare bones but it works for me. You can also add 'special' rules (e.g. 3x minimum per week, etc.).

Today I spent £6 on small groceries top-up and bought the L'Occitane advent calendar £51 which I'll separate out for gifts - there is a 25% discount on Escentual, I think until the 17th, if that's useful to anyone.

Good luck everybody!

@ElizaBalfour I was wrong - the name of the app is HabitShare. Haha.

Not posted during the week,but has been good catching up reading how everyone is getting on. I'm really pleased with how I/we're doing actually. On the weekly/food/fuel budget which is really the ones that we have most control and choice over. We're where we should be for middle of month,a bit ahead in the food department but I can see why,and it feels more controlled,and our food cupboard looks really good and if had time and energy could comfortably eat of cupboard alone for a week, and longer with some fresh. Also knocking on to other better decisions: didn't go to shop for a mars bar last night partly for cost and partly for diet which is something we're both aiming for,and felt good to make a better decision. And yes,silent a little today on bon essential food,but like good cheese,will see us through several meals,and should be a NSD tomorrow 👍

I’ve never been hit harder then I have in these past couple of years: this year being the worst. I feel like I’m drowning before I even get paid. I’m pushing for a better budget but struggling to get the costs down. With Christmas around the corner I’m having to budget so much more this year. Luckily I have been given a council property after struggling so long with extortionate rent prices which unfortunately also brings a cost of carpets and decorating and removal costs (these are all temporary and in the long run we will save money). Also has anyone found that school lunches are expensive, my child has breakfast at school due to keeping his appetite up the medication they are on and I’m spending over 5.00 per day and he isn’t getting much. It made me wonder how those on school dinners managed on the 2.50 as I priced up the meal being 2.00 and drinks being around 2.00. Im hitting Vinted and hoping to gain some extra funds but we also have children to buy the winter clothes for(I haven’t bought clothes for myself for years). Does it end?! I’m dreading the rises in bills and council tax coming in the next year. Also can anyone help with cutting down food shopping for a family of 4. Now both school aged so we are hoping to save slightly but I’ve been spending 200-300 plus

Yes to school dinners!!! I was startled by this as second now at nursery,and when first was there she did pack ups,but for various reasons, including intolerances, we needed to price up and price was close,but the time factor(health issues in house make practically important) but I still feel bit shocked at £2.70 a time,and they have lunch in morning session,so it's essentially £12 a week: I'm hoping not paying for home lunch will balance out a little in our food budget. But you're not alone on that!!

I’m also worried about Christmas. It will just have to be simple

11/14 NSDs.

The week started well with petrol (£30) and a food shop (36) using a £25 discount voucher for Ocado, both budgeted for. Then it all went downhill spending a small fortune on non essentials (makeup/skincare/haircare). Well they will be essentials at some point, but not immediately.

My budgets been going well and savings are going up, but I haven't figured out what I actually spend on haircare/skincare/makeup per year to budget properly for it monthly. I had started a spreadsheet for when I buy things and when they run out to get a better idea but I've not kept up with it. A job for this weekend I think.

I've made a bit extra this month to offset about a third of it, and I am planning on selling some bits to help cover the rest. I am hoping that I can still put some money into savings this month if I stick to the NSDs.

@Crazyhousewife23 I don't know if it helps, but Gousto referals currently give 70% off your first box, if you chose five meals, for a family of four from the save and savour menu, it would cost only £7.94 which is insanely cheap (less than 40p per person) for 5 days of dinners, and you can cancel after your first box.

Had a spendy day yesterday and out in town tonight for a motivational event, so set myself the 'no spend challenge ( aside from transport, £4 tram ticket)

In days of yore I'd have had either coffee or a pint plus snacks/ food as out from 5pm to 10.30 ish, so I have taken a flask of tea, water bottle, sarnie, crisps and flapjack to stave off any need to buy anything while out. There is a bar here but I had some drinks out yesterday and also a planned boozy Sunday lunch tomorrow so I'm not bothered.

Sometimes by setting myself a no spend challenge and seeing it as a game if makes it a bit easier. Otherwise I could easily end up £30 or so down including taxi from thd tram stop which is too far to walk home, if I am not sober to drive.

Had a good day yesterday.
Went for coffee but my friend paid. My turn next time.
Went out for the evening and I ate before we left but knowing DH resigned myself that he would get a takeaway - but we avoided it and he ate when we got home. We missed the last train though and had to get a £20 uber, so still spent about what I expected.
Today, bought bacon, didn’t realise we were out.
Tomorrow out again but we’ve decided to pack a dinner for the train so we only have to buy drinks, and neither of us fancy drinking a lot, so it should be a cheaper evening.

I successfully managed to go out in town and spend zero ( bought ticket for the event I was at ages ago) save the tram fare in.

I know this won't sound such an amazing feat to some, but for me it really is an achievement as I don't think I've ever gone into the city on a Saturday night before abd not bought something food or drink wise. The butty and flask of tea came in very handy in the interval!