Share your financial new year’s resolutions with other Mumsnetters - chance to win a £300 Love2Shop voucher, courtesy of Lloyds Bank NOW CLOSED

[AnnMumsnet]

With a bit of luck the festive period left you with LOTS of happy memories - but we all know that Christmas can leave bank accounts looking a little worse for wear. To help you into 2016, Lloyds Bank would like to know the financial new year’s resolutions Mumsnetters are making.

Here's what they say: "January sales, unwanted presents and resolutions - the new year will bring new challenges, but plenty of opportunities for those who are shrewd with their finances. We'd love to hear Mumsnetter's tips for starting the new year in financial style‎." - Lloyds Bank

So how do you make sure your bills stay in the black? Do you make a spending plan to control your budget? Maybe opening a savings account is the best option? Perhaps you give the credit card a well-deserved rest and pay everything upfront? Or do you have some money-saving habits you force yourself to get back into once the festive season is over?

Whatever your tips, Lloyds Bank would love to hear them.

Everyone who posts on this thread will be entered into a prize draw, and one MNer will win a £300 Love2Shop voucher.

Thanks,

MNHQ
Standard Insight T&Cs apply

Will be going on Maternity leave mid March, our first child is due in April, so it's hard to make any financial resolutions, although we will try and continue to put a few quid into savings each month.

Over the past couple of years I have started to budget and plan a lot more. This year we are getting married so we are saving as much as we can and try to pay for a lot of things upfront so we know where we stand financially. With things like birthdays and Christmas, I have started purchasing a lot earlier than I used to and pick up bulk items like Christmas cards and gift wrap in the sales as early as possible. I have a budget planner for bills and outgoings every month and a weekly grocery shopping planner too. I find it much better to recognise where we are up to by planning on paper.

Make more of an effort to cook from scratch and batch cook, and definitely cut down on eating out and takeaways. If I do the first one then that will help with the second one, but the second one will be happening regardless...we may eat a lot of beans on toast this year

I plan on cutting out impulse buys on things I don't really need. Also hoping to stop buying takeaways when there is perfectly good food in the fridge. :)

Hopefully get a property sold, get debt free and actually be a grown up and have some savings!

Start to put some money away for Christmas. It far better starting the new year knowing christmas has been paid for.

Don't trust banks

I am going to understand what I spend and whether I can do without it

i will spend less on starbucks coffee. I bet it could save me a couple of hundred pound amonth

My plan is to round off the amount in our bank each night, and transfer over the little pennies/pounds into savings. It'll soon add up and we won't miss it.

I aim to save up £50 a month for xmas next year because this year i was so stressed out financially I dont ever want to be in that situation again

i usually go through our providers and compare prices a few times a month and that will continue this year plus making shopping plans for meals etc so a s not to overspend

My financial advice to myself this year is to "think before I buy". It's so easy to 'impulse purchase' on-line so I'm going to take 24 hours to think about whether I really need the item - it's only 3 January but so far I've talked myself out of several non-essential items!

My main financial new year resolution is to make a sandwich the night before to take to work and to have breakfast at home, instead of spending at least 50 quid at Pret a month on croissants and sandwiches! I usually get up too late and I'm so busy getting DD ready for school that I end up going into pret before work. I could have a holiday on the money wasted in Pret!

I am going to set up a standing order into a saving account, just £10 a month but it will all add up.

I need to look at my insurance policies and utilities again. t's three years since I shifted tem to the best value ones

To save a little each week rather than a chunk at the start of the month!

Stop buying unnecessary tat because it's on offer - if you don't need it then it's not a bargain!

We are saving away £40 a month to save for our little mans birthday and xmas xx

to pay off my catalogue debts x

i have started looking for birthday presents in the sales, voucher codes throughout the year and going to start a savings jar for xmas 2016!

i will simply not spend beyond my means and will make attempts to save regularly this year.

My resolution is to really think about what we are buying outside our normal day to day spending. We are now living off one salary so need to cut back and stop using credit cards!!! Also want to remortgage in th next few. On the to save money there too.

Mine is pretty much the same each year for the last 4 years, after having tough christmas's and Loans yrs back we made a promise we would save but found it hard due to having 5 children so we found a savings scheme close to us that i have a direct debit each week with and its locked till October 31st when I draw the childrens money out for their gifts and christmas food and theres no charge on it.

I got an old kids money box and have decided that every Friday I am going to empty out my purse and put all my loose change in it - I did this a couple of years ago and averaged around £30 A month which was enough for a meal out for us all!