MFW newbie....

wynnvegas

Morning TYO,

I kick myself still when I think back about the ready made sandwiches, trips to the cafe and canteen visits when I worked at the hospital. I must have comfortably blown £10 a day on stuff that wasn't even that good. I know what you mean with the brain playing tricks on you. I still find myself counting no spend days and being really pleased about every one of them. Moyra has shaken herself good and proper from the shackles of the dictatorship but I'm struggling to kick out from my frugal ways! It might be that there's not all that much money in the back at the moment but I'm trying to not think too hard about how good it will be when we get paid at the end of the month.

Cheers,

Billy

Radish72

Deleted_User wrote: »

hmmm..
must look at demotivator again as realised the amount I go out and spend at lunchtime when wandering through town (usually on chocolate or a drink or something I "need" ) would add up to £500 + a year ...
i think a lot of my money frittering away is about "treating" myself , not with expensive things, but little things most days... must get out of this habit..any tips?

also I find that the more skint I am /feel ..the more I tend to blow the budget ... ironic perhaps but theres an element of "Ive got no money anyway, may as well buy this while I can" ...

I think the classis money mantra

Do I want it YES/NO
Do I need it YES/NO
Can I do without it YES/NO
Can I find it cheaper YES/NO

Either stop wandering around town , or take a drink/snack with you. Although no amount of food that I had with me would beat the cravings of "I just need a bag of crisps")

[Deleted User]

good plan guys!
Billy- think maybe a list or challenge of how many NSDs I can get in a week is a good one! it is all stuff I dont "need" bu

Radish - good plans! I always take stuff with me to work but get sucked in by the "I want to buy something" feeling...I think a lot of it is probably boredom and want for something interesting to do or a "reward" perhaps? ... when I get paid this month anyway first things Im gonna do is take out an allowance to spend on fun stuff ..and also buy me and mrtyo a holiday of sorts...only a hotel break here for starters but something thatll be a relaxing escape till the summer when hopefully we can go somewhere hot!!
good idea to avoid town tho I think! or leave my cash/cards at home....

museumworker

Hey tyo - the NSD will help break the habit of spending for sure, I'm not quite brave enough for that, but when I feel my spending out of control, I do keep a spending diary and write everything down. Seeing that £1.17 or whatever really annoys me as I realise I can't even remember what it was!

What else can you do at your lunchtime - when I take a lunch break I like to walk to our local WHSmith and read all the crafting magazines :rotfl:! I don't buy them, but note down any good blogs and see if I am interested in any of their patterns. I've just agreed to do speed walking with a colleague once a week - just saying I'll walk for 1/2 hour at worktime (without my wallet) will burn a few calories and make you feel better. Another thing is lunchtime walks or talks - I've done some good walks which are free around Holborn, and if there are any museums near you sign up for their newsletter and see if they do lunchtime events. Currently my favourite hobby seems to be walking around keeping an eye out for discarded Walkers rainy day crisp packets - I really do need to get a life!

[Deleted User]

oh mw I have an image of you walking round london head down looking for crisp packets!! :rotfl:
There are a couple of libraries and things near me I could go to to avoid the shops (would have to walk past the shops tho!) , also some nice parks but not so much with the weather like it is ...but yes I dont think a half hr power walk every lunch would do me any harm!

I think as well remembering what Im doing this for might motivate me - so maybe I need to take a pic of my house and keep it next to my cards to think before I spend!


just sitting watching river cottage .... love that programme! makes me want to stay home and bake for the rest of my life :rotfl:

Radish72

First one to see it gets it - HPZTF 9L4CX - save you searching the streets for it

Think the picture of your house in your purse would help a great deal. I'm lucky there are no shops where I work to browse at dinner time, plus I seem to spend my dinner time on here now :rotfl:

museumworker

Thanks Radish, I got there first . TYO - if you want a code PM me, I will no doubt pick up another code on the way home! At first the packets found me, now I seem to be searching them out. Only won £20 so far, but essentially it is free money - now when I see a packet I think 'that could be a tenner'. Thank god comp closes next week, my life will be back to normal :rotfl:, whatever that is!

The motivational picture in the wallet is a good idea, and roll on pay day!

[Deleted User]

Mw- its all yours! not bad for free money eh!
yep maybe Ill go for a pic in the wallet plan! will have to find a picture now ...
out for bday party tonite so will need to pay for dinner (but just gonna have a main course and soft drink so limit the spends!) then at a friends tomorrow so just need to take some chocolates/deserts
also need to buy petrol and milk over the weekend! so need the pic to avoid temptation of other things to buy!
am looking out hotel breaks to buy when I get paid , would like somewhere ideally with spa and swimming pool ....... have looked on last minute and also the hotels own pages but if anyone has any other ideas then let me know before I blow my paycheck on it! :rotfl: I want a break before the saving/OPing for 2011 really kicks off .... itll be a frugal few years if we wanna do this!

Froggy-G

Deleted_User wrote: »

Mw- its all yours! not bad for free money eh!
yep maybe Ill go for a pic in the wallet plan! will have to find a picture now ...
out for bday party tonite so will need to pay for dinner (but just gonna have a main course and soft drink so limit the spends!) then at a friends tomorrow so just need to take some chocolates/deserts
also need to buy petrol and milk over the weekend! so need the pic to avoid temptation of other things to buy!
am looking out hotel breaks to buy when I get paid , would like somewhere ideally with spa and swimming pool ...cheapest seems to be about £300 for 2 nights with bfast and dinner but treatments I think are extra .... have looked on last minute and also the hotels own pages but if anyone has any other ideas then let me know before I blow my paycheck on it! :rotfl: I want a break before the saving/OPing for 2011 really kicks off .... itll be a frugal few years if we wanna do this!

Afternoon TYO :j

Hope you're ok?
Just had a quick look at Champneys and they have 2 nights package, 2 people, with treatments and dinner, bed & breakfast for around the £300 mark...

Froggy

Radish72

museumworker wrote: »

Thanks Radish, I got there first . TYO - if you want a code PM me, I will no doubt pick up another code on the way home! At first the packets found me, now I seem to be searching them out. Only won £20 so far, but essentially it is free money - now when I see a packet I think 'that could be a tenner'. Thank god comp closes next week, my life will be back to normal :rotfl:, whatever that is!

The motivational picture in the wallet is a good idea, and roll on pay day!

Weirdly whilst driving down the motorway tonight, I thought I should have PM that code to you, otherwise it could be stolen

Plus giving you the code cancelled out the calories in the crisps :rotfl: