Tracking number of transactions a month

[struggling24]

I wondered if this would help anyone.

I've just started tracking my spend item by item from December.

I made 120 individual transactions in December, and 104 in Jan.

I'm aiming for that to be much less in feb.

I was wondering if thinking about the number of times I spend per day would help me save.

It's like having a no spend day- but I don't need to give up if I've broken it for the day.

I'm trying to reduce spend across all areas of course. Just thought also being mindful of the number of times I spend would help.

What on Earth are all these transactions? That’s over 3 transactions per day. Are these online purchases or in store? Do you work? Not judging, just wondering if you are out and about in town each day, rather than stuck in work for several hours unable to spend.

I’ve just added up Jan and I have 37 transactions, and I thought that was a lot looking at the all the shops I spent in!

Yes I was wanting a bit of a sense check on it.

That's why I've not really achieved any no spend days 😂

So basically that is everything coming out of my account. I pay all bills and dc mobile bills too.

I'm chastising myself for not being organised- if I was able to do a good weekly shop I would take away most of those payments.

I do work in a town centre, so nip out at lunch, but all those spends are at the supermarket.

We're also a big family of 6.

But nonetheless, if I can keep transactions down, spend will go down.

Is taking lunch to work an option, do you have a canteen? or on not too cold days have home made lunch on a park bench with a flask of coffee maybe? Cheaper and far healthier.
Could you have a weekly shop delivered one day a week? It would save a fortune instead of picking up bit so often. Browsing in supermarkets turns out expensive, you can’t pick up things if you don’t see them! and supermarkets deliver from iirc 7am-after 10pm most days. I save a fortune by doing a shopping delivery and just ordering what I need.

Interesting. I think any game like that is helpful is reducing spending. The same way as trying to have "no spend days". Streaks can be very motivating. It sounds like your lunch break is a real point of weakness. Perhaps trying for a streak of no spend lunchtimes and trying to coral your supermarket shopping into one big weekly trip?

Personally I found that spending more on my one big shop (buy extra milk to freeze, some easy food for chaotic evenings, part baked rolls etc.) actually saved me money as I was no longer popping out to get bits and bobs in between. And actually buying some treats (freezer pizza, crisps hidden away) diverted temptation away from more expensive distractions (take aways, emergency snack buying).

Just checked and I'm already on 34 transactions for February 🤦‍♀️

I have booked a holiday and bought DC's birthday presents. There's always something big going on each month isn't there?

Yes thanks @TacticalEvasion and @MrsBobtonTrent I am actually ok on work lunches on the whole. I buy bread cheese nuts and apples on a Monday- and that sees me through the week.

The busy family life is the issue- I have been playing catch up, but it's down to me to take control and invest the time in planning the food and shopping.

I saw someone on here on one of the saving threads saying they take out a lump sum of cash and work off it, it means they watch what they spend more carefully. Others said they transfer x amount to a different account and only use that. Could you do that?

Things like holidays and DC birthday presents should come out of money you save all year for these eventualities. So separate and more important than the random frittering that you're trying to reduce.

It sounds like you need to look at what you're actually buying - a lot of it could be groceries, so essential and not necessarily more expensive than adhering to the convention of buying a regular weekly shop, especially if you're able to shop around for offers/best prices and aren't wasting anything.

But if it's 'random bits' then be more mindful about this, thinking really hard about whether you actually need the thing or can you do without, repurpose something you already have or buy second hand, borrow it, or get from Olio etc.

Perhaps separate your money into different accounts for bills, savings and essential and non essential spending and make sure everything is paid for from the appropriate account, thus limiting frittering while covering essentials whether regular DDs or randomly throughout the year.