Spend,Spend,Spend!

themaccas

At the start of this month, we looked out our budget and realised we were going to be in the poop unless we stuck to our budget ridgidly. We drew up a menu plan for the whole month using the cheapest meals and went to Aldi's for our shop. So a week into the month I have looked at our accounts and our MS Money and have been a little shocked. Our food budget we wanted to cut from £70 a week to £40 - we have spent £90 the first week and so far £40 for the second (not as good as we hoped, Aldi's are not that much cheaper than Sainsburys and Tescos IMO). DH and I have £10 pocketmoney per week and that is it and we are leaving all our cards at home. I thought this was an excellent idea until I stopped to fill up with Petrol yesterday on the way to work. When I went to pay I realised I had forgotten my purse! They wrote out a sort of IOU and I need to pay within 7 days or it will go to a debt collection agency. I'll be paying that today!
Anyhow I am predicting to have a surplus of nearly £600 left in our current account at the end of the month as we have had a little more this month than we thought:j ! SO what to do with this? I wish I hadn't looked this morning as I am finding 101 things to spend the money on, we need a car roof top box for our camping holiday, I need new lipstick:o ..... I think if we do have this left at the end of the month we'll buy the roof top box and the remainder we'll be boring and will go towards our BIG debt:A .

oops_a_daisy

Hi there - the shopping budgeting thing taks a while to get used to but you seem to be doing really well. Perhaps if you try to be a bit more ruthless when making out your shopping list and stick to it rigidly you might just come in on budget by the end of the month.
Why dont you try freecycle first for the roof top bix - you never know your luck and then you would have more to pay off those debts
Good luck and all the best

themaccas

I hadn't thought of freecycle - excellent idea! I'll try that today.

lynzpower

RImmel are doing free lipsticks too, find this near the top on the freebies board!!

wishingonastar_3

with the meal planning, have a good lok on the old style board, and what i found most effectoive was not to go shopping, and be determined to live on what food we have in. its amazing how long it lasts you. there is a store cupboard challenge in the old style thread which may well give you some tips too.

most of all, don't give up, the first weeks are always the hardest, once you get into a routine with it, you'll wonder what you ever spent money on"""

love and best of luck,

woas.

themaccas

Thanks lynzpower, have just registered my details. Oh I love this site!

Dr.Lou

Eve magazine has a really nice lipstick with it this month. Its by No.7 and a very sheer rasberry colour red, which can be worn by anyone.

**purpleprincess**

Ha ha ha!!! I reckon you'll be able to put the extra on your debts thanks to this wonderful site with its freebies etc!!!