Spend Nowt, Buy Nowt, Owe Nowt

Treadingonplaymobil wrote: »

So difficult to keep to a budget while doing GF/dairy free etc. Occasionally I make gf bakes for a friend of mine who is gf and it is soooo expensive.

It is cheaper to make your own than buy ready made but GF flour is still £1/bag more than basis flour and GF oats are £2 for 450g compared with 75p for 1kg smart price so it quickly adds up. Luckily I don't need to eat DF as well but we still have to have 2 tubs of butter/spread on the go at the same time to avoid cross contamination.

Even with sausages it is the finest or premium ranges that are GF which is why I stock up on the M&S ones on 3 for 2 when I have a £5 off voucher and end up with a sausage mountain :rotfl:

Let's see how I am getting on with this month's goals

Finance

1) Reduce debt total by £1000 after interest added (Current Balance £53,997.55, aiming for £52ks) - currently at £700, not going to hit this
2) Come in under food budget - £407 for 5 weeks - currently on £259.57, helped by the new challenge

3) No credit card spending even if we see the bargain of the century - none done and not planning any
4) Sell [STRIKE]dining suite[/STRIKE], TV, sewing machine, 2 broken phones and unwanted DVDS, books and CDs - I hate selling stuff but needs must sold dining suite, found 3 other things to sell
5) [STRIKE]List contents of freezers and cupboards, meal plan and drink the wine/gin we have in the house before buying anymore booze to assist with no. 2 and no.6 -[/STRIKE] done and new challenge started
6) [STRIKE]Recipe research, create meal plans etc. for a super low food spend challenge I am planning for March - [/STRIKE]done but started challenge 6th Feb
7) Do at least 3 money saving/money making things every day this month with a hope of establishing frugal habits done, even if some are only frugalish
8) Find £150 for deposit for summer camping trip - not gonna happen this month

House

1) Complete 12 small jobs in the house that we have materials for and don’t involve spending any further money
a. Oil kitchen worktops
b. Touch up [STRIKE]kitchen walls and [/STRIKE]gloss on big door
c. Paint skirting area in alcove in our room to disguise lack of skirting
d. [STRIKE]Put up smoke alarms (already bought may need 1 battery)[/STRIKE]
e. Stain mat well trim and glue down - needs a 2nd coat
f. Touch up small areas in hall and landing
g. [STRIKE]Clean the inside of all windows without replacing broker Karcher -[/STRIKE] done but bought the cheapest Karcher we could get
h. Strip wallpaper in guest room - on hold
i. Remove ugly shelves from guest room and box up or sell DVDs/books and CDs that ere on them - on hold
j. Clean interior of oven, fridge, dishwasher [STRIKE]and washing machine[/STRIKE]
k. Sort out clothes (mainly DH) and box for storage in loft
l. Fit DS wardrobe door knobs if DH already has some longer screws
2) Use proceeds of sales to purchase a mirror for our bedroom (£55) £50 saved so far

Me and Family

1) Do my first park run with DH and DS - FREE
2) Go swimming with DH and DS - £10 and budgeted for
3) Go to 2 gym classes with friend – FREE, already paid for with annual membership friend won a holiday so will have to wait
4) Go for a run on my own - FREE
5) Spend some time on career development – FREE, colleague is supporting with some resources
6) Read 3 books for pleasure and 1 linked to career development – FREE, have more than this on my kindle, the handmaid’s tale in paperback and an NLP book to read I’ve had for sometime - 2 books read so far
7) Visit favourite NT place for a walk – FREE if we keep out of the cafe:o
8) [STRIKE]Re-start my bullet journal when I find the diary I bought [/STRIKE]Done
9) 2 meals out with 2 different sets of friends – from my personal spends. 1 meal is next month put going to cinema this month as well as other meal

10) Don’t stress about losing any weight this month (I need to shift a stone). If keeping the £s in the bank means keeping the lbs on my bod this month so be it[/QUOTE] Still not stressing about it :cool: