Is your March miserly or munificent? Join the frugaleers sharing news and tips.

[BigSkies2022]

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Met up with a friend yesterday and spent around £50 with lunch, train and a couple of bits I bought.
Today is going to be a LSD, we do need a few bits at the supermarket but nothing too costly.
I class LSD as under a tenner.

Have drop-off the thread a bit but plodding on.........rejigged some of the debts so that we're paying £200 less per month which will go straight back into overpaying. On track to just have the mortgage by the end of 2027 but it feels like a long way away!
Will try to catch up buy @imperfectpolly when DD was that age we often spent all day in the museum area - natural history and science museum, then an ice-cream in the V&A as they turn the courtyard into a paddling pool in summer. Then up to the Serpentine and Diana memorial which kids can play in - make sure that you take plenty of snacks and lunches as there are noTesco/Sainsburys nearby and it's free apart from tube and ice-cream 🙂. DD also loved the British Museum when she was older

Have been to Trago Mills in Merthyr , wow they have everything and then some there , l was very good though just bought socks and Ronseal for the fence £11.

Surprising £27 in butcher for a few bits, (and placed order for shoulder of lamb, 2 chickens and a dozen Italian sausages for Easter eating - no idea who I will be feeding, but feel this covers a lot of bases, including barbecue if the weather allows) and £32 in Waitrose (paying for convenience, tsk, tsk).

Compost delivered today, so now I really do have to finish the weeding and tidying. DH and I will put in the plants order and spend that voucher - maybe tonight.

PeenaM - I had a look at both my current account apps (Santander and First Direct) and they each have budgeting/tracking functions, where you can tag your expenses under different categories and then analyse trends on the 'insights' function. I have to admit I don't really use this a lot - tend to prefer just allocating everything at the beginning of the month, either manually or automatically via DDs/SOs, then just keeping a close eye on how I'm spending the available balances.

My point is - sorry! - that you might have these functions for free on the apps you already have?

I had a NSD today except for a conference fee I had to pay but will be reimbursed. DH spent €95 on a tonne of topsoil.

Thank you. I had a look on my online banking and it does track and puts it in certain categories, but I think I want something a bit more in my face if that makes sense?
Think im going to get a budget tracker diary and do it that way

But of a hsd here….

Paid £25 so we can check in early on Friday.
£35 on dd’s podiatry appointment and then £29.07 in aldi!

Just checking in as can feel myself slipping. V long day due to traffic problems this morning so Lidl shop was sacked off and Asda delivery in the morning it is!

Asda £59
boots £3.60 meal deal
Greggs £1.80 diet coke.

Overall monthly grocery spend not too bad so far, but Easter trip away next weekend falls into the monthly cycle. Need to plan that carefully as we are in a caravan at the beach - can take plenty up with us.

Sorry not able to respond to people as my eyelids are dropping, 💤 but nice to see a few newbies join the thread. Welcome 🤗

I sold item on eBay for £10 so treated myself to an item off vinted for £10. Just discovered vinted. Wish I hadn't..... Blimey.
Get paid in a week and still on track to finish within the black again. Feeling very grown up and proud of myself. Also added to the savings this month too so extra pat on the back.
Where did the sunshine go??

Thanks for the suggestions mrsw.

LSD yesterday, just bought a sandwich for lunch which seems to be a habit now for Wednesdays.

Wfh day today but have to get my prescription which will be €60.

This probably wont help at all but for budgeting, I don't use a budgeting app, I just use Google sheets on my phone and fill in my income and expenses on a monthly basis. Every morning then I update my bank balance and clear out any income/expenses for the previous day. It helps me to see how much disposable income I have left.

LSD for me yesterday. Almost a no spend day but I bought a drink and chocolate bar from the shop after a long dog walk.

I use a spreadsheet for budgeting. I have one for all my direct debits and another one that I use to log daily spending. That the method I’ve found that works best for me. I stopped logging daily spending for a while, I got quite a shock when I went through everything, it all adds up so quickly.

Hoping for a NSD day today. I’m working from home and then meeting a friend for a dog walk this evening so hopefully won’t need to spend anything.

Vinted is dangerous 😆

I buy most of mine and my girls bits from vinted. Have brought quite a few bits from there in the last few weeks. I need to ban myself for a while!
can get some great bargains though.

I've discovered the secret to NSD; go away and manage to block your card on the first day (luckily after doing the food shop). It's going to be a pain to unlock it because I'm not in the UK and the app wants me to use an ATM. I can do this easily enough but it's an eye opener. Instead of the casual swipe for a cafe con Leche I'm just not having it. Result? I've spent 1.80€ in the last 5 days. I've got cash if I need it and a second card for emergencies but still something to think about when I get home.

£960 payment into S&S ISA and new monthly DD to the account set up.
£10.70 library fees paid.

About to head off to Library of Things to pick up jet-washer. Yuk. But also, will soon be over.

Yesterday, I took DD to her first open day for uni. It turned into a LSD as my exH footed the bill for all the food and activities because I was driving. I did get him to Google the car park and ended up in a ridiculously expensive one for £7.50 🙄

Today I am in hospital so there is nothing to spend money on!

ho @TheOnlyMrsW glad to see you're still here and thats brilliant work on restructuring the debt.

@Songlines tapping and swiping is just so easy. When i see cash dwindle i can put the brakes on spending. I must go back to using more cash actually. Leave tapping for the joint account.

Today i spent €104 on groceries, some ice creams and a large tray of strawberries upped my total spend a bit but the fridge is full of fresh vegetables and fruit. Annoyingly the small child who usually eats a whole honey dew melon in a couple of days has now gone off melon. i don't like it so its likely to be wasted.

Still enjoying this fabulous weather. 2 cushion boxes were delivered today and i hope to get them put together. Its so exciting to be able to setup so early

Afternoon everyone 😁
Been shopping, Lidl £20, Aldi £48, Primark £15 , Ty Hafan £6. Another lovely day here hope it's lovely for everyone.

A NSD for me after a very high spend yesterday! Paid for tickets for us, DS and nephews to go to a Pokemon show thing and a lego show thing in June in Edinburgh. Also booked dog care for both days, and DS's train ticket to come up (£200. Why are trains so absurd)

NSD here!
Going away tomorrow, with the kids for a long weekend. Don’t plan on spending too much, but whatever we do spend will be from money we have already put aside.

I somehow managed to forget about the €120 I spent in home store and more this morning until I got the delivery notification. Got 2 new suitcases for holidays and some Yankee plug ins. I had planned to buy these but was waiting for them to have the inevitable half price sale.

LSD day for me yesterday. £7 on a bunch of flowers for a friend. Today will be more spendy as I need petrol and I’m having my hair cut and coloured. Both budgeted for though.

£60 birthday vouchers for niece.
£16 Redken conditioner

£10 icecreams at Mercato Metropolitana, which is a food market with lots of different outlets - burgers and steaks, pasta, south east asian street food, a Thai restaurant, Mexican, tapas, wine bars, coffee, beer, a roof terrace...

It's on North Audley Street, housed in a huge, grand, former church. DH messaged for us to meet him there for an impromptu dinner and you can buy a main course for £13 - 16, ice-cream pudding for a fiver, glass of wine for £8. You can of course spend more and add to your bill quite easily, but for a Mayfair restaurant in an interesting location, it's a good price, family friendly and I thought of the poster on here who was looking for recommendations for London.

Jet washing done! Feeling pretty sore and tired this morning, but mighty relieved to get that job out of the way.

Spendy day for me yesterday- in the office and bought lunch from Sainsbury’s and then out with friends last night - overall £62 plus Ubers so £85 altogether 😬

Not planning on spending anything today while I recover from my night out….

Aldi today £38 , all Dh's bedding plants 😁
He couldn't resist them he said 🤣