Significant Summer Saving, significantly less spending, super (non) splurging. Frugal folk continue being frugal here. All welcome.

[needastrongoneagain]

Making a new thread!

Please check in regular posters and welcome new people.

This is a super friendly thread to contribute to. We are all wanting to be as efficient as possible re spending but all have different budgets and priorities. No judgement here.

NSD (no spend day) for me.

I did manage to get out and cut the grass last night, yay me as it’s poured down today.
Plans for today changed and I ended up helping my sister declutter her bookshelves. Loads of books, CDs and DVDs for charity although the first shop I went to will only take books! Tried Music Magpie but most of them unwanted.

Today I’ve only spent a tenner on a small top up shop. Been feeling really tired the last few days so I think an early night is in order for a hopefully productive day tomorrow.

Good afternoon.

That's a kind gesture to your DS @BigSkies2022 and from your mum.

I hear you re declutterring @SockHop, I've done a few cupboards here today as it's rained all day (just as the roof in the extension is being replaced .......after no rain for months). I've stuck some on Vinted and made £20 already. Nothing worth much more than a few quid though.

Hope you feel a bit brighter with an early night @chimichangaz

Lazy day here after parkrun (23.20 - used to be A LOT faster than that so plenty to do on the speed work front!).

I'm using a budget app called Emma which was recommended on the Rebel Finance course. I'm liking it so far but I'll be delving a bit deeper with next month's budget.

Menu plan.
Pizza tonight (shop bought).
Chilli with black beans (thanks @Mochi1fudge for the idea!).
Chorizo orzo and sweetcorn summer stew
Carrot, lentil and bacon spicy soup. Crusty bread
Lentil/veggie shepherds pie
Aubergine and potato curry.
Herby white bean hot pot.
Saag Aloo
Chicken dhansak

(We started harvesting our potato's therefore a few dishes using said yield).

Steady day tomorrow too. I'm doing my long run in the morning and then will probably continue to clear out some cupboards. Need to visit DM too.

sockhop good planning with the stationary. DD (14) tells me she has a basket full on Shein. At least she only needs shoes and school blouses!

Chipshop felt like that about my card yesterday!

Suit sounds perfect bigskies, good times ahead at the graduation.

Good news on the NSD "Marygreenhill*

Well done on the grass cut chimichangaz I've had 'karcher decking' on my list for a week now!

Did the food shop at Lidl today and I agree that Asda is more expensive than Aldi and Lidl overall. £90.11 but that included flowers for DM and our house, doubled up first aid for holiday.

Everything feels very tight at the moment with a holiday coming up. Just got to keep planning and keep Ait reigned in.

Menu for week:
Sandwiches - egg and ham, bacon and emmental, prawn mayo
Beef chilli and black beans
Bolognese sauce
King prawns in sweet chilli and garlic with udon noodles
Jacket potato cheese and beans
Red Thai chicken curry

Heavy rain for us, driving in it for 5 hours to Staunton was fun. It's gorgeous here, different to our usual Somerset but beautiful.

£7.85 on wine for tonight on holiday
£17.50 on tea, coffee and sarnies at national trust for lunch as we stopped to break up the drive. Basildon park in reading is gorgeous for anyone interested.
£1 on a second hand book in the "last chance" bin at national trust as I forgot my book to read whilst away. I can't not have a book.

Forgot to mention that I made £20 on eBay. I went to buy something I wanted on vinted with it and it has been bought by someone else. So I guess I'll save it instead :) did me a favour!

NSD yesterday for me (except tube fares, but those I count in my "transport" budget)
Took DC out for the morning and had snacks packed and pe-paid tickets.

Then we had family for late lunch but MIL amd SIL brought tons of lovely food which was great. DH made shakshuka again this morning with some leftover tinned tomatoes, leftover feta piece and even grated in some courgette (which isn't strictly in the recipe but was quite inoffensive).

We are going away next weekend to visit dh brother who lives overseas so trying to eat up everything and declutter and tidy.

Listed a few things on Vinted and have 2 parcels to post this morning with a grand total of £10.50 but better than nowt!

Minimal spends this week.
£80 last night on anniversary meal & drinks out with DH. 29 years ago today & the weather was a bit different, raining today, it was a scorcher then.
Meal was fab & worth every penny from our "celebrations" budget.
Meal list for the week using up existing stocks as much as possible:
Chicken Caesar salad
Chicken & quinoa, spinach & avo salad
Burgers
Quiche & salad
Sausages & veg
Spicy tagliatelle
I've got a plan for lunches too
Veg & bean Soup
Roasted veg & feta pittas
Honey & harissa roasted root veg & buckwheat
Trying to be much more organised because of the time I'm spending with mum & dad. Need to maximise my time.

Glad your knee is better @chimichangaz 😊
NSD for me again today yay 😁

Happy anniversary north. Meal plans sound excellent too!

Quiet day here. 7.5k steps, sweaty weights workout, cleaned bathrooms, £30 in Sainsbury's, including a chicken to roast tonight. Am considering the ironing pile, but I dunno...Nice to get the windows open and fresh air in the house.

Forgot that yesterday included a visit to the recycling centre, offloaded masses of stuff, mostly ancient duvets, mattress toppers, pillows and bedding that is over 20 years old in some cases, for single beds that we no longer own. Next in line is the box room, where ancient Pokemon memorabilia, Lego and A level notes lie mouldering, and the cellar.

Anyone else looking forward to The Narrow Road to the Deep North, BBC tonight? The novel is fantastic, and his non-fiction work Question 7 is on my reading pile.

Happy anniversary north

NSD here - a quiet one colouring my hair and sorting out my exercise space. Trying to whip up motivation to actually exercise now rather than look at threads on here where I end up buying stuff!
Happy anniversary North.
Thanks Mary 😊
Seems a few of us are decluttering at the moment!!
Love seeing everyone’s menu plans. I’m having poached salmon flaked into pasta shapes cooked with broccoli and mixed with a creamy garlic and herb soft cheese/crème fraiche sauce. It’s an old favourite that came from a BBC food book years ago.

£16.80 and £5.91 Amazon. Gorilla Glue x 2 and silver polish.

Spent day sorting out treasures from PILs attic to add to Market Place possibly Vinted. We are all selling items to pay for a big family meal out in the autumn. I got board games and toys from the 1970s / 1990s and silverware, hence the silver polish!

Happy Anniversary North

Evening.

Lord the weather today, so humid on my run (12.4 miles and 40 for the week - slowly building to the kind of training I used to do), then p'eed it down all afternoon and all through the dog walk.

I remember my mum polishing the silver from the village church @Mochi1fudge (she didn't steal it - there was a cleaning rota 😁).

Happy Anniversary @northender, the menu plan sounds good.

Another £13 made on Vinted.

Spends £32 Boots on a load of toiletries for DH (stocked up).
£11 local shop - naan bread, two packets of wraps, ketchup and oven chips. I've made a huge chilli (with black beans and lentils) so it will last at least two days, hence the wraps and oven chips, plus maybe a couple of portions with rice.

Have a good evening folk.

Closing out my monthly budget a little early as I have a particularly busy week ahead and wanted to have it done in time for payday I've had a pretty good month all in all and managed to pay for my car service in one months pay cheque when I was planning two. Been a bit too sociable this month which has added up though so need to be cautious there. Limited the takeaways though which certainly adds up very quickly.
Looking ahead it's mini eggs birthday and we have a mini break seeing family friends in Cardiff :-) accomodation is free though just fuel/car electric and probably will take dry snacks etc for mini egg to make sure they are available so wont be too bad.
Has anybody got a service plan on their car? I'm considering it but can't really understand the point i.e What's the actual benefit over paying for it on the day.

I have a service plan. It works out cheaper for us and protects against price rises. The bonus for us was not shelling out £££ at once and we get the car collected & delivered with a curtesy car. Fits our life but equally you could put the money in savings and just pay on the day

they valet the car too but I always have to pre clean the stable on wheels it is 😂

Checking in from gorgeous Staunton.

The rain came down yesterday so we couldn't use the pool so we hit the posh shops instead. £4 on a toy for little one and then £15 on a pit stop coffee and cake for us all.
OH kindy gave me £100 for holiday money as he knew my budget was small whilst paying off debt, I went to put it in savings but he caught me and told me to enjoy it instead so I shall. There was a beautiful brooch in a charity shop yesterday I saw so many go back for it. I love brooches. Never wear them but I'm a sucker for looking at them in my jewellery box!

Well I managed some exercise last night and then as I was feeling motivated I updated my finances. Felt quite down afterwards as my credit card bills have been high the last couple of months so I’m going to do a deep dive. Although I know it’s been an expensive time what with insurance coming up, paying for upcoming holidays etc I really feel I need to get a handle on this. I also really need my pension transfer to complete now so I will be onto this (again…) this week.

Weighed in and by a miracle after the feasting of last week I am 1lb down.

I’m starting the week feeling positive though! Think I might start my daily gratitude journal again.

Happy anniversary @northender😁
I am off to see Mum this morning, so will go food shopping after , so l will return with my expenditure 🙄

We bought Christmas flights to Canada 😛 we were not planning on going this year but the flights were a little less than I expected so we made a snap decision. DH can work from there, and I have decent amount of leave. But they were still so much that I can't even write it down! however, my parents have agreed to buy ALL DC presents this year, and will take us to Xmas events when there do shouldn't spend too much while there....

We also bought a steam mop, something which we have planned on for ages. We have wooden/tiled flooring and it's do hard to keep them clean. That was £99. I'm hoping it's fab.

Not much from my personal account apart from £4 for coffee this morning as I'm working at a cafe for a bit.

Btw, can I ask how you all organise your finances? DH and I still have separate accounts but joint finances so if he spends, I effectively spend too. I don't consider it a saving if he pays for something as it still comes from our joint assets iyswim.

Went food shopping and spent £102 . Not too bad considering l bought a lot of frozen stuff to go in the freezer 😁👍

I treated us to a takeaway tonight £30
£4 on a new tea strainer as mine is old plastic and not good now
£11 on gifts to take home from holiday
£4 on a birthday gift for mum

I am on vinted after a glass of wine, relaxed on holiday. Send help.
Oh. £130 overpayment on credit card as I'm attacking it.

Right, very spenny day, ended up spending £574 in Hawes & Curtis on a suit for DS, alterations of suit, and two pairs of socks. Luckily he has shirt, cuff links, shoes and tie already. He looks great, and although it is a more classic and safe option than he would usually go for, I'm happy that he now has an excellent all-rounder in his wardrobe. Have pointed out that he can add to it in future with suits of different fabrics and more fashion-y cuts now that he has a good foundation!

Dug into travel fund to pay for it, so DH is going to have to pick up the graduation lunch bill and I will top funds back up again in August, ready for French vacances. Jesus, I have been careful throughout the year, and scraped cash together, and by the time September comes around, I'm going to be back at square one. There had better be no delay or snafus with my pension in October!

£16 on itsu lunch with DS, and whatever the tube fares turn out to be. Oh - I will be able to claim my free travel pass in October, so that will be good.