January 2011 spending diet

determined_new_ms

Hello :wave: (not sure who I'm saying this to???? maybe myself!) I have been musing with my friends on the small things thread and have decided to embark on a diet for the month of Jan to kick start my finances for 2011.

Hopefully this will counteract the expensive month I've had this month :eek: (my birthday, my dds birthday, various car costs & just the freedom of no longer being in debt ) and also the inevitable tax & vat rises....

So my intention is to go a month spending as little on non-essentials (or nothing but I doubt this) as is possible. Was discussing with my oh and he's agreed to be on board as well. So thoughts about what I need to do to achieve this:

1. Prepare a month's meal plan & shop adequately so we don't need to get anything else
2. cut out alcohol - should be ready for it after christmas!
3. Give up smoking (well this is just added really as have been planning to do it anyway)
4. Work out free entertainment for the month:

• take up running again x3 pw
• go for a lovely long walk each night after work (probably not on the nights I'll run)
• make better use of lovefilm and watch & return within 2 days of receiving
• invite friends round for dinner party each week - hopefully they'll bring wine - whoops my resolve is waivering already!
• packed lunch everyday at work
• go to the philosophy group in our area
• scrabble & triv to the max

ok not sure what else but any contributions of ideas would be very welcome. I will add to this as they come to me

I will "allow myself a max of £15pw spending money in case something comes up so I don't feel too hard done by & hopefully I will come in under this - well I guess if any reads this my success or failure will be apparent!

cakelover_2

Hi Determined new ms. Congratulations on becoming debt free :T how much did you have to pay off if you don't mind me asking. I can't wait to be debt free!
Good luck with your January spending diet. I'm sure you will get the result you want.

stitching_witch

Of course we'll be reading - someone has to keep an eye on you!

I've got about another 20 months until I'm debt free (provided I can get DH back to work soon) so I'll be gleaning ideas from you and hopefully applying them to my own finances. I like the idea of allowing a little "pocket money" as I always feel guily if I spend money on myself.

I look forward to following your diary DNMS, I'm hitting the subscribe button now.........

determined_new_ms

cakelover wrote: »

Hi Determined new ms. Congratulations on becoming debt free :T how much did you have to pay off if you don't mind me asking. I can't wait to be debt free!
Good luck with your January spending diet. I'm sure you will get the result you want.

hey cakelover (what a cool name I wish I was more inspirational when I was choosing!) Thank you that's very kind of you :A No I don't mind you asking, it kinda ebbed and flowed for a while (several years ) but on Jan 1st 2010 between oh & I we had just over 11K in debt (just over 6K was mine) and then we made the committment in ernest. I had a few brucie bonus' along the way (£2250 was because I wrote my car off a year ago today & "had" to get a car pronto so put it on the ole CC. I recieved a payout of £1500 a few months later & paid it straight to the cc. My payroll dept realised I had been paying 1% nat ins too much for 3 years so in March and got £400 backdated and in Sept I received £600 from the IR. Other than that it was sheer determination and sacrifice. Small in comparrison to others but enough that it was a problem for us.

stitching_witch wrote: »

Of course we'll be reading - someone has to keep an eye on you!

I've got about another 20 months until I'm debt free (provided I can get DH back to work soon) so I'll be gleaning ideas from you and hopefully applying them to my own finances. I like the idea of allowing a little "pocket money" as I always feel guily if I spend money on myself.

I look forward to following your diary DNMS, I'm hitting the subscribe button now.........

yay stitchy! :j glad to see you me ole mucka! Feels good to have someone watching over me! :A def give yourself something, life can't all be work & when you work so hard you deserve to see some of it! But that's my problem & why I'm going to have an austure month - I spend way too much on little spends through the month, esp since becoming DF.

So funny yesterday when La E said I was "organised" on the small things thread :rotfl:I was in stitches! If only she knew! But good to know that's the image I present I think I will really get going on me ole 101 list when I'm dieting in Jan - work through my reading list - from th library of course

La_escocesa

determined_new_ms wrote: »

So funny yesterday when La E said I was "organised" on the small things thread :rotfl:I was in stitches! If only she knew! But good to know that's the image I present I think I will really get going on me ole 101 list when I'm dieting in Jan - work through my reading list - from th library of course

I can 'hear' you, you know! :rotfl:You are always organised, thinking ahead and debt busting! You can definitely do it. :T

When I was on honeymoon I felt so contented with my lot. Seeing people living in huts and washing in the rivers etc really made me appreciate that I had everything I needed. Since coming back I've noticed how much I think I 'need' things and I don't at all. I think a month outta the 'buy buy buy' life would sort me out.... Might aim for Feb though - shorter month

xxx

determined_new_ms

aw La E you're always such a morale booster! :A I think its more of a case of being quite controlling and a bit obsessive at times, than being organised - I am nothing if I'm not determined! :rotfl:

yep you're right I don't need half the stuff I have but then (like on wed next week when we're going out with some old friends who have no family committments & are very stylish) I feel dissatisfied with my clothes home etc etc etc

We have made another decision for our diet in Jan. Oh has been wanting us to go the gym together and I have been very reluctant as I can't bear to spend the money! However I did some research nd the local gym has an offer of a "family membership" for £49pm with the first month free so we've looked at our outgoings and have decided to slash some (lovefilm we're just not using it enough to justify with some others) and we think we can afford for this to come out of the joint account if we add £11 each per month - what with giving up smoking I'm positively in the realms of profit! so off we toodle down there later today. Well if it makes him happy.... :kisses2:

[Deleted User]

Hi Determined new MS
Good luck with the spending diet! :T
I am paying off my CC in the next few days and intend to save as much as I can over the next couple of years to put down a deposit on a house.
Also thinking about starting a new diary on here to keep me on track (But not until 1st Jan)

Good luck again
P
X

determined_new_ms

Hi Palema :wave: how exciting to pay off ur cc :j I think I found it a little bit of an anti-climax on the day I paid it (and for the next fews days) but it has proved to be the gift that keeps giving every now and then I sudeenly think "I've got on debt, I paid it off, I did it!" :T thanks for posting - had visions of mumbling along to myself for a month.... :rotfl:

stitching_witch

determined_new_ms wrote: »

had visions of mumbling along to myself for a month.... :rotfl:

No chance!

OrangeFairy

Hellooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo :D:D:D:D:D:D:D

I want to join a gym at some point. In the new year my bestfriend and I are having a morning a week playing badminton and then swimming. I am really looking forward to it. We both would like to join a gym but both don't feel quite comfortable yet. So definite something for a bit further on into the year!

Good luck with January. I am hoping to save every spare penny for the wedding in the new year so i don't have too much to pay for afterwards!!

SW - i think we will have about another 20 months until being debt free to. Realistically we can't get rid of much debt before the wedding and then will spend a couple of months paying some bits off. So i reckon it will take another year after that! x

determined_new_ms

ok just signed up for the gym unlimited family membership. Cost £25 for joining fee (works out £6 each as we made cutback on our outgoings) and then no monthly fees until 1st Feb. So shout at me if you know I'm not going! Planning to as it will be the two of us so hopefully we will motivate each other...