Fiscal Fast – 7 days no spending (at all)

mogwai · 6 March 2012 at 6:36PM

Thanks catznine! I think this friday, Im going to line up my cupboard contents and see if I can meal plan for 1 week with what I have! If so, Ill be joining on Friday!

modern_millie_2 · 6 March 2012 at 8:52PM

Well, successful first day, no spending, lovely walk this morning, HM veg stew, cheese and bread for dinner. DD has just returned from a college trip and brought me a bar of chocolate! Catznine, you are v. good giving up sweeties for Lent - don't think I could.

Potential danger zone tomorrow - will be dropping off DD for college bus, then going on to town with DH as he has a dental appt - he's a bit phobic, is having a filling, so I'm going along. We have a gap before where we would normally go for a coffee (are you picking up a recurring theme here?) so I'm thinking either., do without, or take a flask.
Btw, sorry to hear about the drop in income, Catznine. Think you do right in focussing on the mortgage. We paid ours off early a few years ago, one of the best things we ever did. We both have low and precarious incomes now, but it matters much less (and we are happier).

Mogwai, hope you are able to join in Friday!

catznine · 6 March 2012 at 9:23PM

Well done on a successful first day modernmillie!:T
If the weather is nice tomorrow how about taking a flask of coffee and finding somewhere nice like a park to sit and have a cuppa?

Very impressed that you have managed to pay the mortgage down as well! We overpaid £3,500 last month not 10% but dd had just got married in the last year so things were tight. Tighter now lol Hope to have it paid up and gone in 3 years and so the scrimping is worthwhile!

Anguk - been thinking about the problems with reluctant oh's as mine was until now, finding out we would have a sizable wage cut has certainly made him take notice, bless him, and challenges like this make you feel more pro-active rather than a victim of circumstances iykwim We are making it a kind of game so it is fun rather than painful!

Tonight we had a prawn stirfry which used up a few vegetables, some app foods noodles and luckily have some small jars of lazy garlic, ginger and chilli. We have enough left over for a couple of portions to be frozen away as ready meals. I've started a wide necked thermos of yogurt tonight, hopefully I will have a pint of yogurt in the morning! Can't manage without some yogurt in!

Giving up sweets has been surprisingly easy, I have been eating better, snack on oatcakes and hm hummus or yogurt now and fruit. (going to have to make some more oatcakes soon) I have a lot of dentistry coming up so need to reduce the sugar intake. Also gave up wine!!! :eek::eek: now that has been hard!

Roll on Easter!

Started on a couple of cards today! Also have traded some sewing for a lovely highchair for when our little grandaughter visits! That has saved us at least £15 on the 2nd hand market!

Tomorrow is day 6 of the Fiscal Fast - it's getting more challenging but still loving it!

DundeeDoll · 6 March 2012 at 9:35PM

Sounds like a good challenge for any month with 5SM days for people like me who routinely shop on a saturday.

[Deleted User] · 7 March 2012 at 7:42AM

Well day seven and I haven't been near to a shop.As the previous poster said its so liberating not to think 'Oh I must go and get this when I go out I actually have found a few extra hours during the week to catch-up on things.I have a little bit of sewing todo today so I will do that this afternoon.My sweet pepper and tomato soup turned out beautifully and I shall have some today with a small wrap from the freezer I am sticking out to use these wraps up before I go to the shops for bread.My yoghurtpot puddings with jelly and left over custartd look really good and normally I would have probably spent two or three pounds on a ready made pack of yoghurts so my HM puds in a small pot have replaced them at a fraction of the cost I found a tin pf prunes in the cupboard and I may make some rice pud with the left over evap milk to go with them .a pud will streeeetch a meal out to a feast I think
Well done everyone with how your all doing I have definitely cut right back on my spending

catznine · 7 March 2012 at 9:23AM

Day 6 of the fiscal fast here and I've woken up to find that the yogurt didn't work!

I don't think the kitchen was warm enough, anyway I have popped the thermos into the airing cupboard and will check again this evening. If this fails then it will be turned into some banana ice cream/frozen yogurt, waste not want not eh?

Milk is running low but I've spotted a frozen pint in the depths of the chest freezer. I also have a tub of dried milk which will do for cooking,(custard etc) dh can have some tinned evap milk for his coffee (he loves that) I want to make a trifle later, very impressed with your individual trifles in recycled yogurt pots Jackie, you are right they cost a fortune in the shops!

The stirfry leftovers that I was going to freeze today have been nabbed by Mr Catz for his lunch (leaving a small amount for me lol) but that's ok as I am trying to empty a freezer!:rotfl:

I have 6 cards to finish off today, 2 need posting asap.

I am certainly learning what I can do without and what is really necessary. Wishing I had done a shop before I started this but then that is not really what this challenge is all about, it's about missing a shopping day completely, not topping up and gaining the savings. I could not have done it though without a good storecupboard!

catznine · 7 March 2012 at 2:57PM

Weather is miserable so I've been working on the cards, kept out of the shops though! I have to check on the yogurt later, fingers crossed!

modern_millie_2 · 7 March 2012 at 3:03PM

Afternoon all.
Well, small blip on day 2 - didnt have time to make a flask up, OH insistent on having coffee and buying me a drink - I did have the cheapest, so total bill was only £2.04. Bit disappointed but I will soldier on - might even add an extra day at the end to make up!

Speaking of expensive dentistry - found out today Mr MM needs work costing between £150 and £2500!!!!! depending on which option he goes for. So that was a bit of a shock. He has a bit of time to decide however, so not dwelling on it for the mo.

Jackie, you are doing really well, little puds sound good. I wouldn't have thought of frozen yoghurt Catznine, that is a good tip. Makes it more fun just to dive in with a challenge like this, I think.

I have allowed (!) Mr MM 2 eggs for lunch (fried egg sandwiches), toast and a bit of cheese for me, also stewed apple from the freezer with a little evap milk - I'm having this in coffee too to eke out the milk. 5 eggs left for Spanish omelette tomorrow, beans and chips, rk bean chilli tonight with couscous and pittas from freezer. Actually know what is in my freezer now! Am doing a lot of reading and contemplating a bit of decorating with paint we already have.

Question - will tinned grapefruit BBE July 2011 still be OK to eat? I have 2 large tins and not much fruit in the house.

modern_millie_2 · 7 March 2012 at 3:05PM

Aw, Catznine, those cards are lovely. Hope the yoghurt works!

catznine · 7 March 2012 at 3:40PM

Modernmillie - if the tins are undamaged, no rust or not blown then they should be ok, best before is just that, best before a certain date but quite edible after. If you shop with app foods or big brands for less they sell a lot of food coming up to it's best before date or even past it, everything we have had has been fine! I'm still here to tell the tale

. It is the Use By dates that you really must not ignore!

Dentistry costs are shocking aren't they? We took out an interest free loan for my expenses, most dentists do this I think if the costs are high, you have 1 year to pay the loan off but no interest charges. It helps you to budget for it all. Don't worry about any hic cups like the coffee, life happens - just start afresh and think of the savings!

You are doing well with the food (love a spanish omelette) and decorating using up paint you have in is a great idea!

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Fiscal Fast – 7 days no spending (at all)

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