Reining it in for 2025 - anyone with me?

[Christmasgonk]

So we’ve had a hugely expensive 2024 following an (almost) full house renovation plus extension. And we have overspent on Christmas (largely because we wanted to go “all out” this year as last year we were living in a damp and cold building site. However, we really really need to cut the spending in 2025 to build up a buffer/save for retirement.

Current plan is:

• quit drinking at least until May (when we go away) - I need to drop about 2 stone anyway;
• meal plan religiously and use as much from store cupboard as possible - we grow a lot of our own veg but obvs not much left this time of year
• stop any mindless spending, particularly Amazon habit!!!

Most of our spending tends to be on food/drink (even though we don’t really eat out anymore) so if we can cut that down we might be able to boost our savings.

anyone with me? What’s your spending weakness?

Great ideas - I do love a second hand bargain and try to buy second hand for my kids where I can (never buy anything for myself anyway - tend to live in my husbands clothes when WFH - maybe that’s why he eats my snacks!!)

And yes deffo a packed lunch/own coffee. We have a good coffee machine at work (though only in office once a week) so don’t tend to buy out but we do sometimes buy coffees when taking kids to park. Expecting some Amazon vouchers this Xmas so we’re looking to treat ourselves to a good flask/travel mug if anyone has any recommendations?

I'm in. 2025 is the year I'm going to get on top of things.

I use YNAB and my target is to have 2025 and 2026 one off expenses all funded by the end of the year. I will also have cleared my loan (c£4700 outstanding) and put a bit in savings.

I have a short holiday booked in May plus a weekend away. I'm already finding pots for those.

This time next year I want to be satisfied that I really focused and got my shit shorted. Planning to retire in 2030 so need to get on track for that.

I'm in!!.... I've managed to lose some weight, and sold a lot of clothes on Vinted, then went and spent the money I'd made on clothes from Vinted 🙄
I pick a parcel up today, then Vinted is gone from my phone!!
I live alone so food budgeting and bills is good... its the mindless phone scrolling, looking at stuff I absolutely don't need.
I work part time, and also get carers allowance for my mum, so can't increase my hours at work as I have to stay withing the income threshold for carers allowance, although the income allowance will be going up by about £40 a week from April, which will be a big help

DH has royally pissed me off this morning - I’d bought some Linzis granola (wouldn’t normally buy it as outrageous price but had a friend staying a night last week) and was looking forward to a bit for breakfast and he’s eaten it all!!!!

Honestly he’s so greedy (his family is in general very greedy when it comes to food) it really makes me cross

I'd go mad! So inconsiderate 😒

@AddictedtoCrunchies he really is when it comes to food!!!

I’d be so cross , although it is the sort of thing DH would do and when questioned say “ well if I hadn’t eaten it and opened something new, that would be wrong as well “ 😉

@Nearlyadoctor exactly this. Or I get “well it wasn’t being eaten” - yes because I’m not a pig and have a bit here and there when I fancy it!

obvs wouldn’t mind him having a bit but to just polish it all off is rude!

it’s no bloody wonder our food bill is shocking!!!

Can I join you? We really need to tighten our belts in 2025 - our money seems to disappear each month and we have some expensive house repairs we need to fund soon.

I'm being made redundant mid January and hoping to have a couple of months off before looking for another job.
I am a bulk buyer , I have several months worth of ' stock ' on household items ( toiletries , washing detergent , dishwasher tablets , soft/ alcoholic drinks ) also have at least 4 months worth of dog food , so I'm planning on spending nothing for 3 months on these items until I run out , which could possibly in some cases take 6 months +...
I knew there was a reason ( & a benefit eventually ) for my hoarding 🤞
I'm going to bank my redundancy and live on bare minimum

@bugalugs45 so sorry to hear about your redundancy, really hope you find something soon. I do think that bulk buying for the zombie apocalypse (we do this too) does come in handy in situations like this.

Wishing you lots of luck in finding a new position

Had you and friend already had a bowl each ? I'm not defending him but realistically you only get 5 bowls out of that so he's possibly had 1 large or 2 small?
Or has he eaten the whole box and you haven't had a look in?

Thanks. I'm not too worried, although sometimes feel like I should be 🤣 plenty of working years left !

Good point - though we’d only had a couple of spoonfuls each rather than bowls so he did eat the majority!!

It is an ongoing battle in our house - god help me when my boys are teens!

Morning peeps!

Brand shiny new budget for us today as is pay day. DH has already said he needs to spend £41 on a new amp (arghhh), though he has said he’s going to sell some other stuff to try to pay for it.

I have cancelled Disney+ from 12 Jan as we are just not watching it. Will only save us £4.99 a month but every little helps right?!

Dinner is jacket potatoes with bacon, cheese and soured cream from stores. Really do fancy something else but there’s really no need - that is adequate. Going to do the Xmas food shop tomorrow but will not be ridiculous like last year. Targeted and focused but also some nice treats.

Are you all starting your cutting down efforts in new year or is anyone else trying to start now?

Joining in, if I may please. I need to get control of my spending and have decided that once Christmas is over, I must stick to a proper budget.

To answer your question @Christmasgonk, I made a small start in October this year by changing my Tesco Clubcard to a Clubcard Plus which I wasn't aware of until I saw it mentioned on another thread. You pay a monthly subscription of £7.99 (first month is completely free) and for that, you get two vouchers for 10% off an instore shop which you can use at any time you like in that month. Also - F&F, the baby Fred & Flo, Go Cook, Go Create and Paperchase are all 10% off at all times but again, you have to buy instore to get the discount. I figured that I easily spend more than £40 on two separate shops in a month so for me, it's been worth it. I've also noticed that since upgrading my Clubcard, they are sending me 5 coupons each month for things I usually buy so it all helps.

Payday here, for me anyway DH gets paid weekly. All bills paid plus Christmas, therefore starting 2025 with a clean slate , only debt is mortgage. As I said previously Dd will be going to uni this year so want some money to help her, although have been saving a bit for the past few years.
Really want to build up reserves for a new bathroom and new cars when needed. Not having a big holiday this year as have a couple of long term goal holidays do to speak.
Initial plan is no new clothes 2025, and to cut our monthly food / fuel spend by 25%.

Don’t get paid until the 27th. But that’s ok Christmas is paid for. All presents wrapped and ready. I’ve got people coming in the 29th but we’ve all decided we’re going to be all full up. So I’m doing wraps and salad.
In the new year serious meal planning and food shop.
I’ve just been scrolling and nearly bought a throw! Ffs I’ve got 8/9 of them as it is.

I'm starting cutting down now, but will definitely be focused from January.

I've done a huge blitz of upstairs this afternoon, put all the washing away, and I think i can safely say we've all got enough socks and pants to last the year, DH and I don't need much in the way of clothing, DD will definitely need new clothes as she's due a growth spurt.

We do buy in bulk when we can, which helps hugely in terms of saving money, and even though I've had a bit of a junk blitz today, there is a lot of "stuff" so I'll be decluttering via vinted/eBay and charity shops.

Anything sold will be going towards my savings goal for 2025, which is to save £2025, and also helps towards the decluttering challenge which is to get 2025 items out of the house.

Hi all.. I would also like to reduce buying "stuff" for 2025. We just don't need it. We have too much and my general message (to myself,) is, what you have already is good enough!
So far this week, I have considered buying, but resisted: a water machine, a book, bed linen. I'm unnaturally pleased with myself for not buying it.
I'm going to keep an eye out for the book in a charity shop- just don't want to continue all these impulse purchases.
I also could do with new knives and chopping boards and a new kitchen bin, but am saying no and just making do with what we have for now.
I really want to see my savings improve this year.
I'm going to reduce my alcohol intake and try to lose a stone or so (whilst also definitely NOT buying those NEW trainers I feel I need- I don't, the ones I have will do just fine!)

@snowlady4 - we’ve just come back from an afternoon out and I’m also very chuffed by what I haven’t bought 😊.
Another one who also wants to cut down on alcohol. Going to do dry January but not making a thing of it otherwise more likely to fail.

My aim is read a lot more this year - which will hopefully help to cut out mindless scrolling online and buying things I didn’t know I needed 😂

@Nearlyadoctor me too! I’m currently reading calm parents happy kids as I need to try to be a better parent. One of my kids is ASD (and going on a course re this also) so it’s hard yards at times!

We've just had bacon butties and a proper coffee in the cafetière to start the new year. Free as we already had it all in. Heading to MIL for a bit and then will take down tree etc this arvo and play some games with the kids/give them a bath. DC1 is poorly so we can’t really go out anyway. At least it should be a NSD!

Off with DC1 tomorrow and DC2 back at nursery. Haircut for DC1 so will be £19. If he’s better (he’s been on antibiotics so not contagious) will take him to park or soft play depending on weather so might be 7.95 if the latter.

Good luck to all in their 2025 reining in journey. I might journal to see if that helps at all

Feels like an achievement doesn't it! Just shows how consuming is such an addiction.
Dry January is not my thing. It's the worst month of the year and I like a little drink of a winters night! But good for anyone who has more determination than me!

I dreamt that I went shopping and came back with a kitten, a puppy and a new bag. How’s your day one going?