No spend/ minimal spend 2021

[SWLondonTown]

Anyone thinking of doing something similar?

I want to try to dramatically reduce spending next year and buy less stuff, as don’t really need anything and what I do need (will need clothes for biggest boy etc) try to get second hand.
Step one - unsubscribe to all selling emails coming in!

Bugger. I thought I was saving £££ by making my own compost but I've just had to spend £9 or so on a rat trap after a pair of them scurried out of one of the compost bins when I turned them today.
Ah well.

As far as mistakes go - that ain't half bad and I'm not sure it even counts as a mistake, really. You'll still have your compost, rat or no rat. You're helping the environment too!
Even if you give up with it I'm willing to bet that anything eco friendly has a decent resale value so all's not lost.

As we're moving to Tier 4, there will be less shops open to spend at, although I do need a couple of storage boxes with lids for the Christmas decorations as the loft is a bit damp currently.

Day one and not spent anything. Easy on a tier 4 bank holiday, but I’m still going to celebrate the success anyway!
Hope the year’s started well for everyone.

Yes!! I started technically a few months ago! But I am wanting to save to get a mortgage and extend/ build a new house.

If we watch our spending we could save 1.7-2k a month. That's the aim! So far I have just had 2 no spend days!! 🤣

Oh I'm in too . I will look into paying a bit extra on the mortgage, see what we can do ? Things are so tight, but it might help long term.

I'm telling my DH we are going no spend year, but he has his own account ( as I do too) and just bought DS something, a few days after bloody Christmas, he doesn't need it. Also I don't want him getting spoilt and asking for things all the time.

My main area of spending weakness is the kids. I justify buying too many or too expensive things that they "need". They might need 4 pairs of joggers and I buy 8. I don't buy the plain ones, but the funky printed ones that cost more. I'm not talking designer, but it all counts. Also educational toys 😬

How can I do no spend when my DD and DS will need bigger clothes? All of DS' clothes have been recycled or sold on already so can't hand down ( big age gap). I have had clothes given but often wrong season or size.

Other than the bills that come out of the bank on direct debits I spend nothing today.

Oh dear, failed on the first day.
I realised this morning that I needed a new ear warmer/cover band for running in winter.
I do need them because freezing cold air in my ears gives me terrible earache and headaches if I try to cycle or run without. Good news is only £6.99 for two from Amazon but still ...

Onwards and upwards. I know it's not a silly frivolous purchase but I'm still annoyed at myself.

Nothing spent today and Amazon Prime cancelled, I removed my card details. I don’t need it. Groceries are due on the 6th and I only need bread before then.

I’ve spent nothing today
Went to meet friend for 6 mile walk & took flask of coffee. Meeting friends for walks in some local places without any coffee shops nearby is ideal ( coffee shops all stilll doing takeaway)

Working today till lunch and then another walk planned for this afternoon

Hiya - please count me in - starting a day late. No spend but absolute necessities ....

My aim is to save £1000 a month with the idea that I can retire at some point before I'm 67 . I'm 56 now, and need quite a lot of savings before I can achieve that goal.

I have enough soap to last at least a year, and definitely do not 'need' any new books - have soooo many yet to read right here.

I will be checking in for any tips on saving etc. I had my haircut super short in December - so that should last the next lockdown at least In a Tier 4 area here, like so many others.

If it is the fun of shopping online you are addicted to, then freecycle and facebook free groups, and Ebay Used are just as good to satisfy the craving. You can save filtered searches in eBay and get email updates - if you make them quite specific you won't get too many emails.

Also - check out your local library, it probably had a free online alternative during lockdown. I've had excellent experiences with purchasing from online second hand booksellers, too.

This year I'll be looking to do some local seed swaps in springtime, practising Toy Rotation to keep things interesting for my toddler.

I'll be following this for further inspiration...

A second no spend day

I have a £15 m&s voucher so will look at spending that next weekend, maybe a nice supper

So I had to spend today but it was ok because it was for food. So I spent 63
Got
Prawns x2
Steak fillets x2
Kitty litter x2
Salad bits- lettuce, olives, stuffed peppers
Hummus
Fruit- grapes, oranges
Yoghurts
Bottled water for the kids
Bread rolls
Asparagus
Sugar snap peas
Mushrooms
Cauliflower
Courgettes
Baby corn
Honey x2
Pesto
Ginger
Chilli paste in a jar
Dried mango
Grapefruit segments
Shampoo
Dried cat food
Sugar
Milk

I think that's it...all essential so👍 🤣

Can I join in? We've been trying to do minimal spending since Christmas Day and so far have only spent on milk/delivery for some bits we bought with a gift card and a vet bill!

I have a general budget set up. Some new Monzo accounts.

I'm now staring down MIL birthday for the first spend of the new year!

Oh, we got a ton of hamper stuff for Christmas, a relatively full freezer and I'd been buying soap/shampoo/hand wash/toothpaste with every shop since March. So I'm confident for minimal essential spending this month.

How is everyone getting on? Have you set yourselves rules for what’s ‘allowed’? I don’t count the weekly food shop as we have to eat, and I will allow myself to replace essential toiletries (but not ‘nice to haves’) and clothes for the kids when they grow, though I seem to have stocked up quite well so I’m not sure they’ll need much until the autumn.
So far, so good here. No money spent so far. I will have to spend money today as DC3 is about to outgrow his baby car seat and needs the next stage one, but I don’t consider essential safety equipment to be frivolous so I’m not counting it! I’ve also made sure I’m buying one that will last for years and have found where to buy it most cheaply.
I’m enjoying the challenge - long may this enthusiasm continue!

Count me in. I've been no spending since New Year, and saying no to the sales has been a real eye opener as to how much I had spent on things I don't need (or even really want much).

@AdoraBell when you cancelled your Amazon Prime subscription, did they refund any of the annual charge? DH and I have decided we’d like to cancel ours but it wasn’t that long ago it renewed.

No, in my experience it just stays active until it would have renewed.
I've cancelled mine a couple of weeks ago but I still have access til 8 January. I paid the monthly subscription, are you on annual?

I'm in. I've not spent anything yet this year and earned £360 yesterday. I have the Chip app that monitors your bank account and automatically transfers money into savings and it's moving £60.24 today. I saved £2500 last year which I moved to my Nat West savings account on NYE to start afresh this year. I also use Moneybox app and will have another £2500 to move on Wednesday when this weeks transfer happens. My apps are set for quite aggressive savings but you can do it on low settings and not miss a few quid here and there. Money box rounds up your bank spends to the next £1 and moves it once a week.

day 3 and still no spend yet, just food shopping. Hopefully will be eating out of the freezer until Wednesday or Thursday anyway.

I have a tassimo and milk brother so using that instead of takeaway coffee. Last work I got the cafeteria out to use and took some nice coffee from home - so I can get my coffee fix at lunch time without the costs

Day 3. Got a £10 Post Office voucher for completing a 10 minute phone survey in December. Yesterday, I spent it on a Greggs and two £1 scratch cards. Feel a bit silly to be honest! £9.85 spent on rubbish. I put the 15p change in my copper jar

Another no spend day here! 🙌

Nothing spent today, yesterday I bought coffee and half price sandwiches. I got up too late to eat before we went out to get DIY bits. DH paid for those. I don’t plan to buy anything tomorrow, but DH is driving DD2 back to Uni so he’ll probably get a couple of coffee en route.