I have to make this work

Ches

Due to a recent family problem what little savings I had have now gone.:eek: I am lucky to be both debt and mortgage free (OH and I are both retired) but before the savings went I had committed myself to a very expensive holiday with a friend who I cannot and will not let down. Apart from which I am only just discovering travel and I am so looking forward to this holiday. I therefore have a year to re-save the money needed which can be done but will leave me with £80 per week after all utility bills/savings have been paid and has to cover food, toileties, cleaning, hobbies, presents (not Christmas ones) clothes and any random spending. OH has offered to lend me the money if I am short but I would prefer not to have to do this. I have reached a stage in my life when I haven't had to worry too much about scrimping and saving for quite some time so this will really be a big challenge for me. I have heaps of stuff in the freezer and cupboards and have been (silently) following the storecupboard thread on here to run down stocks to make way for Christmas food and after Christmas bargains. I certainly do not need clothes for this winter season and possibly not for the next year so that will help as long as I keep away from the shops. I work in a charity shop so do find some bargains in there but must make sure I don't find too many. I have no problem with cooking/baking and plently of time so it should be OK as long as I keep focused. What do you reckon?

timmmers

I reckon you have more money that an unemployed person and they manage it with bills to pay too.

Possible, but not pleasant.

t

ZoeGirl_3

I think having a challenge like that (the holiday) helps you focus. It is always easy on paper to have a tight budget, but sometimes when you are feeling sick etc it is easier to spend more money, especially if you actually have the money and are trying to save it, as opposed to not having it and needing to cope!

Well I find that anyway.

Try and break your savings goal down, so that by end of Feb next year you have a mini goal for your savings etc. Can help you keep going when you seem a long way off!!

;o) Good luck.

Hardup_Hester

As hubby didn't get the job he went for we will be back to living on my wage, after bills we have about £30 a week to live on & I manage, but it isn't easy.

Bitsy_Beans

Well it's slightly more than I have per week so it is do-able.
Enjoy the challenge - I think it brings out the best in people sometimes

pink_numbers

Don't worry, it's totally do-able, I used to "struggle" on £100 per week (after bills). I have now managed to cut down to £30 per week (£10 for food, £20 for anything else), and I don't know what to do with the £20, I always have lots left over!

I can even cope with emergency gifts (of course I budget and prepare for ones that I remember about early), by having couple of quick crochet projects - just pop into my local craft shop for cheap yarn and give me couple of evenings and I'm all sorted, probably taking less time and effort than rushing out there to try and buy a product.

Another one is to set a rule about change saving. For myself, I say that if I get a 20p or a 50p, that goes straight into the change jar. Don't under estimate the power of the change jar! I have been amazed at how quickly this builds up.

Especially with yourself working at a charity shop, you won't have to worry too much about clothes or presents. How much is your food bill at the moment? Could you cut it down a little?

[Deleted User]

Yes its perfectly doable I used to spend around £50 + a week and I live alone ,then I sat and thought about how many times I had really walked around the supermarket just chucking stuff in without thinking ,I now have got my weekly shopping allowance down to £30.00 and thats more than enough as I often have cash left over.I seperate my food money into one purse which I take with me when I go to the shops.Once its gone, then I make sure I don't buy anything else until the following week.I have found using this 'old-fashioned 'way of real cash actually saves me money as I can see exactly what I have to spend as opposed to just using a debit card when I get to the tills. Plus I always make a FIRM list of what I NEED,no impulse buys at all. I have also listed all of the food in my cupboards and my freezer and try to use as much off that as I can to try and work my cupboards down After all it was bought to eat so why am I not eating it. That is cold hard cash sitting in my store cupboard that I can use before I buy anything else.Have a look at the Grocery Challenge its suprising what you can save and utilise with a little bit of thought. I have been baking more cakes and stuff rather than buying it in and that has saved quite a bit. The extra I have saved over the past few months I have put away towards my holiday next year. Its just getting into a different mindset I think .When I listed what I already had in my cupboards I couldn't believe how much was there.Good luck with your saving I'm sure you will be o.k. as saving cash is a bit like dieting ,hard work at first then it gets easier as you go along

misscousinitt

I'm sure you will be able to do it. My monthly budget it £260, but regularly come in under £200 for 2 of us and the cat - this includes cleaning products, toiletries and pet food. We eat really well and I don't skimp on quality of meat or fish, but generally use value brands for things like tinned tomatoes, foil, food bags, cloths etc.. I use Aldi regularly for cooked meat and the super 6 fruit and veg - not just because its cheaper, but it is often better quality than what you can get in Mr T's.

The extra money from our budget is going towards our Wedding in May - it really helps to have an incentive.

I'm sure you will really get into it after a while - there are loads of tips and tricks here on OS.

Good luck and just think about that wonderful holiday at the end of it.

maman

I'm confident it is absolutely possible and that you might even enjoy the challenge. As a retired person you will have the time for shopping around and cooking from scratch which will help. As your OH is behind you, you won't get any moans and groans about any luxury items that disappear from the menu. There is heaps of advice available on here but probably the key things would be meal planning and shopping around for bargains plus, of course, working your meal plans around store cupboard things that you already have. Lots of people find that using cash helps too so that you're not tempted to go over your weekly limit. Good luck and keep us posted.

Mrs_Thrify

Hi Ches, whare are you going?
Having a goal to aim for is something to look forward too! Go for it.
Put up some photographs, from travel agent books so you have a visual reminder before you spend on other things.

LindseyandMatthew

I think you will do great, we have £150 a month for food, hobbies, clothes and everything and that is for a family of 4. Good luck with your challenge :beer: