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Find financial and money-saving discussions including debt and pension chat on our Money forum. If you're looking for ways to make your money to go further, sign up to our Moneysaver emails here.

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Original poster

Debt Free 2007?

551 replies

Flamesparrow · 28/11/2006 17:42

Keep thinking about this since yesterday...

Am thinking that my aim for 2007 is to be in a decent(ish) money situation next Christmas BUT I don't wanna take the swing out of the budgie's cage completely...

I need to work out how to save money, pay all the bills, but still be able to have the odd treat here and there.

I thinking:

Decent food budgetting/planning
uswitch (I think I am on the cheapest anyway)
s/o for savings AND a s/o for treats
Work out the birthdays that will be coming across the year and make sure I put aside enough each month to cover the hell months.

What else should I be doing?

OP posts:

Jelley · 06/02/2007 13:19

I've downgraded the sky, saving a grand total of £3 a month (why pay for channels we never watch?).

Then I spent £30 on a new buggy (to take out next week when I am taking all 3 in to London for my day out on public transport)

Jelley · 06/02/2007 13:19

I've downgraded the sky, saving a grand total of £3 a month (why pay for channels we never watch?).

Then I spent £30 on a new buggy (to take out next week when I am taking all 3 in to London for my day out on public transport)

winnie · 06/02/2007 13:21

59 pages

charliecat · 06/02/2007 13:29

Winnie, you owe your boss and ink cartridge

Original poster

Flamesparrow · 06/02/2007 15:03

Really?!?! 59 pages??

OP posts:

winnie · 06/02/2007 15:46

I didn't print it off afterall. 59 pages just made me feel guilty re work and trees!
So, here I am back in the comfort of my own home, cutting and pasting to read at my leisure from my PC.

Original poster

Flamesparrow · 06/02/2007 15:48

Go to "file" then "save page as"... you can just save the lot and read as n when

OP posts:

winnie · 06/02/2007 15:51

oh flamesparrow that's too newfangled for me

nikkie · 06/02/2007 20:56

I did my weekly shop in Lidl today and spent more than last weeks in MOrrisons!

charliecat · 06/02/2007 21:54

My mum went to morrisons this week and spend 50 for just her. I spent 4 for 4 of us in the same shop!
Did you get loads though nikkie?
Sometimes I get loads for 40 and the next week feck all for the same amount.

nikkie · 06/02/2007 23:14

No not really similar amount to Morrisons

AlwaysTheMummy · 07/02/2007 17:29

I've given myself £20 a week to buy bits through the week and I managed to spend just £19, my week runs Thursday to Wednesday, hubby gets paid every Thursday so all in all not bad, (pat on back)

Now that extra pound will get put away in savings xx

Bananaknickers · 09/02/2007 12:25

I thought I would try the money saving expert site. I have registered. It won't let me post anything or do any searches. Any idea why? I have contacted them by e mail but was wondering if I have done something wrong?

Bananaknickers · 09/02/2007 14:47

ah worked it out now.How are we all doing ? It's gone quite her

pookey · 09/02/2007 19:40

Mooshy try this money saving expert

I am doink ok but only because I have a fairly large weekly budget of £100, this is to cover groceries and treats such as dp's daily latte (his only treat) and if I take ds to mother and baby stuff. I havent had to buy any clothes etc but really it should cover that kind of thing I guess. Is this a shockingly large amount? DP is paying off the credit cards and doing quite well so I just have to keep in the black. Unfortunately I set up a standing order for a credit card (a 0% balance transfer) and for some reason the monthly payment was more than i expected and I got charged £12

nikkie · 09/02/2007 20:23

It is quite a lot but it depends if you can afford it!

pookey · 09/02/2007 21:09

I guess we can't really afford it because a) we owe money on cards and b) we have an interest only mortgage and no savings. What are people's weekly shopping budgets and what does that include/exclude?

Shopping is difficultish because we dont drive and the nearest supermarket is a tesco metro so just the expensive lines, also I am a rubbish cook (my mum was a stick some chicken nuggets on a tray kinda gal) so I am not good at whipping things together without a recipe and knowing what will go well with what etc if i see reduced veg or whatever. One more excuse - we have a badly designed kitchen and smaller than average fridge with a freezer box at the top so not much storage for food which makes a once a week online delivery not that practical. I'll stop moaning now

charliecat · 09/02/2007 21:20

It has gone quiet here BK.
£100 is enough for food and coffees and things I suppose.
I am budgetting 60 for food, toiletrys etc, am buying value loo roll, given that we never have visitors and it is after all only to wipe your arse with The kids seem to ravel less round thier little fists too coz its not as soft.
Previously a nouvelle queen. But needs must
I have brought value clothes washing liquid this week as I have ran out, am using it with posh fabric conditoner, Will continue if the clothes are ok, which im fairy sure they will be.
I am spending 40 ish in a big shop and the other 20 in dribs and drabs, milk bread runs.
Have swapped the cat onto tins from sachets. Saving A MINT by doing that.
Instead of cat litter I buy a growbag for 1.20 from homebase and it lasts AT least a month. I just throw a handful of soil into the littertray (using those litter tray bags from the pound shop £1 for 60) each day. And he wees a few times and does one poo and I throw it out.
Cheaper by far than cat litter. And no arsing about with pooper scoopers.
Just a suggestion..feel free to ignore it!

charliecat · 09/02/2007 21:21

Pookey, who are you shopping with online? Are you using the codes that are on moneysavingexpert.com for extra points/money off?

nikkie · 09/02/2007 21:24

Well I spent £30ish a week for me and 2 dds I odn't eat meat and kids don't have much so that makes it cheaper , i also buy a lot of reduced stuff and freeze it.I don't meal plan though
You need to make a rough list of what you need to buy in a week and work out a rough cost ,Shouldn't be more than £40-50 .

charliecat · 09/02/2007 21:26

Nikkie, I usually put £40-50m on paper, and end up spending more. So ive realistically budgetted £60 because it works. And if I spend £52 over the course of a week I have £8 left for beer of takeaway or more food or whatever
I dont eat meat...dp rarely eats a meal without it and it does up the shopping bill.

pookey · 09/02/2007 22:00

wow both almost half the amount i spend - sigh! I am lazy, pregnant and disorganised - but I want to help with paying off credit cards. Maybe I could try withdrawing a tenner less a week and see how I go. I can use most of the online supermarkets I have tried Tesco, Asda and gulp ocado but not really since we moved to this house a year ago - I guess if i was saving money by using codes that would negate the transport fee - will check that out on the MSE website thanks CC is tesco the best one to go for then - fell out with them because they were hours late for a deliver and we waited up untill 11:00pm then they decided not to bother turning up

charliecat · 09/02/2007 22:01

Well with tescos you get points, and points turned into days out in the summer www.tesco.com/deals seems like a good deal given your doing your shopping anyway.
1000 point = £40 in deals.

pookey · 09/02/2007 22:03

Also if you dont mind what do you guys do for lunches and dinners to spend so little -i am in awe of £40!

Fattytwoshoes · 09/02/2007 22:03

I'm watchin this thread with interest. Charliecat where's my pig?? lol

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