Great '2011 MoneySaving resolutions' Hunt

geri1965_2

My resolution is the same this year as it has been for the last couple - to spend less on handbags! 2008 (when I started my spending diary) was a real eye opener, I spent over £600 on handbags. 2009 was better, just over £200, but in 2010 it crept back up and was over £400.

If I could buy none that would be ideal, but it's never going to happen.

pondskater_2

1/ Figure out how to alter clothes - got lots of clothes that are too big now since I lost 3stone (and counting) :j

2/ Menu plan

3/ Shop with a list

Happy Prosperous New Year everybody

frizz2

Hi Everyone,

It is so brilliant to read that so many other people are planning to overhaul all their finances and think of creative ways to save more money.
At work, My contract at work has come to an end and now I have to work on a temporary basis. SO our income is going to have a serious dent in it. I have to cut back!
I have strted to write down everthing I spend.
I have planned with my husband our monthly food menus. This has always helped me save money and ensure less waste. We are going to look at our Car Insurance and Home and Contents Insurance to see if we can amke some more savings and swap policies.
I am determined to use up all our toiletries before I buy anymore.
Also I have started a present drawer for birthdays and Christmas next year. I am going to but the presents in the sale or make them and put them away.
I am now going to shop at Lidl each week then go to Tesco straight afterwards to buy anything I can't get at Lidl.
Good luck everyone with their money saving!

[Deleted User]

Petrol prices are going to go through the roof.I will use the bus more if I can.Trouble is I do have impaired mobility so it will be a case of trying to walk more if I can
use smaller size portions ,maybe a smaller plate to help lose some of the accumulated excess body weight.(walking may help a bit as well.)
Try to stay out of supermarkets as much as I can, and use up more stuff from my cupboards .
read some of my huge collection of books and declutter them to the charity shop.

Living_proof

My 2011 resolution is to label everything I put into my freezers over the next year. I am sick of having UFO's (Unidentified frozen objects) for supper and the entire process of labelling can't be that tedious!

bexindevon

Just a thought - I've started using my local library for books and CD's.

I read a lot, and was buying about 8 books a month, this has saved me a fortune, and I've discovered authors that I probably wouldn't have bought!

The CD's cost 50p a week (I think), and a week's listening is long enough to get bored of it, then if I want it, I will go and buy it! (How many CD's have you bought because you like the track that is playing on the radio, only to find out that the rest of the album is rubbish??)

My plan for this year is to plan our food a lot better, we have cupboards full of food, but nothing to actually eat! I need to make a list and be creative with what we have got!
:T

dizzypink

I commit to :-

Meal plan every week and use up all leftovers.
Sort out finances, however painful and scary. Knowledge is power,denial is ignorance.
Take packed lunches every day.
Sell anything not actually nailed down to reduce debt.

Good luck to everyone

Dizzy

elfen

Mine are:
Stick to my grocery budget
Try out new meals using reduced stuff (HM casserole pack soup, tasty and only 25p for 3 portions)
Take bottle(s) of water everywhere with me
Eat less but eat better - more fruit and veg/SC and HM stuff - steer clear of the gluteny/lactosey goodness that messes me up
Jog and shred and not join a gym

savingqueen

1. cook more (most) meals from scratch and start batch cooking,also dust off bread machine that has never been used (hope it works, had about 2 years still in box!)

2. shop around even more for food. Currently use mostly Lidl & Tesco with few bits in Farm Foods. Want to add Asda, Aldi & local market to shopping trips.

3. use up all old food stuffs lurking in cupboards

4. make full use of new chest freezer - buying woopsies, offers, freezing in batches etc

5. continue to use up toiletry/make up stash and only buy basics when need to.

6. loose weight - got down to ideal weight a couple of years ago for 1st time in 15+ years and have put all weight back on. this will save on food budget, curb my coffee shop habit and mean I can wear the tons of size 10 clothes & undies I bought 2 years ago & now can only gaze dreamily at. oh as well as being fitter & healthier of course!!

7. see 6 - curb expensive coffee shop habit to save money and weight. this will be a v difficult one to crack, its my only real indulgence.

8. continue to use up pressie stash, nearly there with kids pressies but bought couple adults gifts in sales, couldn't resist. when everything nearly given, I can start again!

9. remember to use money off coupons, extra points coupons, cashback used to be excellent with this but have slipped a lot

10. start to grow some veg (scared at getting started, not sure why!)

11. serious declutter so can make best use of what we have (already started and found £60 worth of theatre tokens from MIL with no expiry which I thought we had stupidly lost - a free night out later in the year for DH and I, fantastic as we NEVER go out except with littlies) and save time & stress etc trying to unearth things

12. make and stick to budget for spending on non-essentials. less time spent shopping equals more time decluttering, cooking, gardening etc. plus less coffees (see 7!)

12. use money saved for savings fund for essential house repairs, a summer holiday (its been a long time!) and possibly if we're really frugal, a couple of extra payments off mortgage (pigs and flying spring to mind at this point!)

13. become more regular MSEr and post more.

14. keep track of progress and give myself regular pats on back

15. stop to smell the roses once in a while!

I love New Year's Resolutions. Good luck everyone

p-pincher

This has been a lovely thread to read, its inspired me to think about my own ideas for 2011

1- Continue with my weightloss, lost just over 3 1/2 stone and got about another stone to go, i go to slimming world and when im at target i wont have to fork out a fiver a week (yipee)

2- ive got a huge cupboard in the kids room full of stuff to ebay, even if they only make 99p each i'll still be about £200 better off

3-This is the year im going to learn myslef to sew, ive been given a machine by mil. My goal last year was to learn myself to crochet and i love love love it x

4-Start growing my own salad leaves and herbs

5-Start shopping at aldi again, I personally like the food and cos the selection isnt as big i dont waste money on stuff i dont need

6-Start Xmas shopping even earlier this year, and only buy useful pressies, no gift sets or tat, already started saving my tesco saving stamps as bil and 2 nephews are all getting a bottle of Jack Daniels

7-Start giving my 2 dd's regular pocket money (£1 a week from both me and dh) so they can start learninng the value of money and saving

Im sure theres more but cant think at the min, just been on my online banking and set up a standing order to save £10 a week for next xmas, ive done this for a few years but just put £10 in a envelope, doing it this way means that when i ineveitably miss a few weeks it doesnt build up to £30/£40 pounds. Also just bough my self a tin that cant be opened and started saving £365 in 365, i had park vouchers last year but found them to restrictive, at least this way I can spend them anywhere.