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Original poster

Low spend May

61 replies

bungletru · 22/04/2025 09:25

Trying a very low spend May
would love to share ideas with anyone else struggling (or not)

Current plans:
—no Amazon deliveries unless absolutely necessary
-grocery shopping -only in person no online orders /maybe just 1 this month
-food - in bulk, curries, casseroles, etc.
-limit takeout no dining out this month
-no socialising (we have a wedding so that takes priority)
-find free things to do with the kids (2 &4m old) other than prepaid stuff
-no long journeys

OP posts:
Thamantha · 26/04/2025 21:44

Today we got the weekly food shop in - will need to buy more bread and milk throughout the week. Shop was £58.37 for a family of four, which is about our usual cost - but we have had big stocks of some things (rice, pasta, lentils) which will run low sooner rather than later and then our shopping will become a bit more expensive.

kindnessforthewin · 26/04/2025 21:51

Cut out Amazon in January.

  • the high street and independent retailers often cheaper as have welcome discounts and buy one, second half price
  • far less deliveries to the door
  • makes me plan ahead and really think if I need an item

why only in person grocery? We calculated the deliver fee was cheaper than the petrol we would use.

Loveduppenguin · 26/04/2025 21:52

Spent 27 on Temu…dd “needed” a few bits 🙄

Original poster
bungletru · 26/04/2025 21:58

@kindnessforthewini think you just made me rethink my no online grocery order thing.. my thinking behind it was that i would only get what I need but the truth is the opposite. I have a wandering eye when I’m shopping! Always end up buying stuff that wasn’t on my list but online I don’t..
honestly dh should do the groceries we would live much simpler 😅

OP posts:
Original poster
bungletru · 26/04/2025 21:59

@Loveduppenguinlove the ChatGPT idea!

OP posts:
Thamantha · 26/04/2025 22:45

I do an online food shop. I am definitely more prone to picking up 'a bargain' or 'a treat' when i am in store and can easily spend more than intended. Doing the shop online lets me choose what can wait until next week to buy, and keeps me aware of the overall cost if i start to add 'extras'.

HP87 · 27/04/2025 09:03

I would like to join, spent a ridiculous amount of money over Easter with the kids (9,5 and 3) and had a car repair. DH was made redundant before Christmas and started a new job at the beginning of April, so he has just got his first full pay and we have had to use it to basically back fill the spending we had already done. We are wanting to get out of this rut we have set before the summer holidays. I am also trying to raise £500 for DD birthday in July so that doesn't affect being able to clear the credit card before the summer holidays (it is a 0% card that we use for pretty much everything but it just has too much on at the moment!!) I will be following this post for ideas and to hold myself accountable.
Plan

  • No spending unless absolutely needed.
  • Potty training DS2 over half term so will be spending most of that at home. We have Merlin passes which DH can use with the older two at the weekends. If potty training is unsuccessful then me and DS2 will join too 😂. maybe a day out with tesco clubcard but also trying to save those for summer so will see how my sanity is doing!
  • Sell items - we have posted some bits on Ebay, vinted and facebook last night. DD old bike needs to be sold which should bring in a good amount as DS doesn't want a purple bike when he goes up a size. DH has a few bits that are worth a few ££ so finger crossed for those.
  • Use any vouchers we have built up
  • Any money saved in the groceries account will be saved in there to help cover the summer holidays so I don't end up over budget on that.
  • We also had a loft conversion before Christmas so we both had £20,000 in an ISA for about two months from borrowing to paying the company. So I am going to close mine now and get the interest paid out from that time, I have no idea how much it will be but anything towards the £500 is helpful.
  • Any money that comes in goes straight onto the credit card so I can see the balance reducing in the account and on my spreadsheet, that really helps me!
Loveduppenguin · 27/04/2025 14:15

Dd rented a movie to watch last night as her friend was staying over €9 and the electricity was paid €100

HP87 · 28/04/2025 10:13

A good first day. Had DS1 birthday party yesterday and I bought a spare pack of party bags (they came in packs of 12 and we had 24 children so wanted to make sure I had spares incase of last minute siblings or something) but didn't need the last pack so that will get sent back today - £17. Got our £50 deposit for the hall hire back, sold 3 things on facebook - £20 in total, DH has had a bid on one of his ebay items, two things sold on vinted - £4, withdrawn £5 from topcashback. So totals for yesterday is £17 back on the credit card and £69 into DD birthday fund (I'm going to keep some cash from the facebook sales as DS1 has some swimming badges I need to pay for). The £17 back on the credit card has ended up paying for shorts DD needs for a show - £4 on TU website, and a pack of new bras for myself (been putting it off for too long and needed to spend over £10 to get free click and collect so added those on).

Loveduppenguin · 28/04/2025 21:07

€71 spent today on dc’s school tours. Will get half back from their dad though so really only €35.50.

Original poster
bungletru · 28/04/2025 22:02

I really need to start selling stuff!!
fruit is something we always need to top up a couple times a week, anyone else?
everything seems to either run out or spoil super fast - strawberries and raspberries being the main culprits for it.
im going to brave it out to Aldi tomorrow to get bread and fruit.. 😅

OP posts:
ScottishEggs · 29/04/2025 05:57

Last night we had freezer surprise for dinner. fish fingers and salad. It was really quite delicious and the Dcs thought it was a most enjoyable surprise!

Still waiting for payday on the first. But DH got a dividend cheque in so I now have £31 until Thursday and £208 on my credit card which I will pay off as soon as I get paid.

We are out tonight at a dinner related to DH;s hobby, but it is a two course (very good) meal for £14 each and I will not spend the extortionate amount of money on wine. The DCs have inexplicably requested chicken salad for dinner and will stay at home. So I need to buy some chicken breasts but have everything else.

SuperSaver2323 · 30/04/2025 22:38

Love these kind of threads - around a year ago I started doing Attapoll, stopped for a couple of months and I'm restarting again today.

Cashed out £9 today and I'm going to start letting it build up in my Paypal again so if I do need to make a big purchase it's there to take off the strain. I'll share my referral below and share a few pics of latest cash outs and how much I have earned altogether, if interested look into it on Google.

Granted not everyone has the patience for paid surveys but I always find them the easiest to do on my commute instead of scrolling social media. I want to start my Christmas fund and this is how I think I'm starting it. Wish me luck.

I'm inviting you to join AttaPoll. Get paid to take surveys. Download the app here: https://attapoll.app/join/zesfw

I want to start selling clothes online to earn extra money - I've heard Ebay has no selling fees a the minute but what about Vinted?

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Low spend May
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Low spend May
ScottishEggs · 01/05/2025 06:30

Leaping into May. My pay is due today but is not yet in my account. Grrrr. I had an unexpected £900 expense as my car's clutch broke and we needed to be recovered as well. I need to be exceptionally frugal this month.

Loveduppenguin · 01/05/2025 07:55

Expeditures over the last few days

had a long day in work on Tuesday so opted to get away on the way home for us both 28
petrol in the car 50
My Apple subscription came out 25
Bin charges 23
ds’s football club 25
and 10 went into a savings pocket.

I also received in a weekly benefit of 41

bank balance 1003.

I hate going below 1000 it’s depressing 😅

dcs dad does owe me 100 though
and child benefit will come in next week

Loveduppenguin · 02/05/2025 07:09

Under 1k now as the life insurance came out last night so another - 43…I hate bills 😆

Loveduppenguin · 02/05/2025 20:43

DC’s dad sent over the 100 so I went back over 1k…only for a few hours though as I had to do some food shopping. I was diagnosed as coeliac today so grabbed a few basic gluten free items. Spend 35

ScottishEggs · 03/05/2025 07:42

Loveduppenguin · 02/05/2025 07:09

Under 1k now as the life insurance came out last night so another - 43…I hate bills 😆

Sorry about the new coeliac diagnosis. I was diagnosed last year as gluten intolerant - not full coeliac though so know in a small way how much pain you will have had at times!

I'm also under the 1k. And DH and i have been invited to an obligation event which is at a VERY fancy venue that I will simply need to get an outfit for. I went into the nicest dress shop in our town yesterday to have a look and could not find anything. I found a 'that will do in a pinch' top - but it was £408!! No thanks.

Now I am looking at Amazon. I have a nice pair of white trousers and think if i can find a silver or gold top I can wear over a white shirt that 'will do'. Actually- i might ask the ladies on Style and Beauty for their help.

mickandrorty · 03/05/2025 15:48

bungletru · 28/04/2025 22:02

I really need to start selling stuff!!
fruit is something we always need to top up a couple times a week, anyone else?
everything seems to either run out or spoil super fast - strawberries and raspberries being the main culprits for it.
im going to brave it out to Aldi tomorrow to get bread and fruit.. 😅

To stop this we have the berries first before they go off then towards the end of the week its apples, kiwi, oranges, melon & bananas as i find these last the whole week. Any left over bananas get turned into cake for lunch boxes for the following week.

BendySpoon · 04/05/2025 16:48

Checking in. Long term lurker, very rare poster. We’re aiming for as many NSDs as possible this month after some electrical work ended up nearly three times the original quote! This is due to us deciding on having a few extras but also the electrician discovered a serious fault in the garage after DH had tried some DIY 🙄 Still £1800 later, we’re all safe and have the certificates to prove it.

Anyway, we’ve had 2 x NSD in a row 🙌 🙌

On Thursday last week, I saved £25 in the Supermarket because I got there just as the man was there doing reductions and got loads of meat.

Got around £1100 left to last the month. That’s for me and DH and that’s to buy food and fuel. Got a full fridge and freezer so that’s all good.

Got about £130 in bills still to come out. Feeling ok for this month.

Ideas:

  • Only one takeaway
  • No meal deals on in-office days
  • Use free car parks where possible (did this today and it was only an extra 250m walk)
  • Eat out of freezer/cupboards until it’s all gone, no quick trips to the supermarket for the £50 loaf of bread 😂
  • Scour FB for free activities. Going to one at the end of the month.
  • Use the washing machine, not the tumble drier.
  • Only turn on washing machine/tumble drier when the house is running fully on solar.
BendySpoon · 04/05/2025 16:57

Damn, it won’t let me edit. I meant use the washing line, not the tumble drier!

Loveduppenguin · 04/05/2025 17:37

Yesterday I went on a gluten free food hunt and spent 100 on subbing up on the foods and sauces I usually eat and a few treats and chopping board/knives for me to use on gluten free only foods.
today is a NSD! 😅

Original poster
bungletru · 05/05/2025 07:37

@mickandrortythe bananas don’t tend to last long in this house! I must be storing them incorrectly

@Loveduppenguinalso sorry about the coeliac diagnosis, I know how hard it can be.. try lots of the naturally GF stuff? You’d be surprised what is naturally GF 😀

im not having the best month - lol- but we’ve not had any Amazon deliveries! My subscriptions are due this month though. Couldn’t help myself and bought my kids an outdoor toy for the good weather.
we are, however, doing a free entry activity today to save money! Had lots of trips to the park and homemade sandwiches for picnics so that’s a plus

OP posts:
Original poster
bungletru · 05/05/2025 07:39

@BendySpooni love a reduced meat buy! Sounds like you have a great plan
the good weather helps with your ideas for sure.

our freezer isn’t very well stocked with veg atm so I need to have a plan!

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Caspianberg · 05/05/2025 07:49

Ordered Ds some summer bits for outside - goggles, volleyball, uv top. Not essential as such but kind of so he can be outside more, and cheaper days out. Aunt paid for the volleyball for his birthday.

This week should be low spend. No grand plans