Buy nothing for a month challenge

*zippy*

I think I have Rich Dad, poor Dad in my Amazon saved basket from many moons ago, I will look for the freebie thank you

Yes I think it will be an enjoyable challenge and it will probably make you more creative thinking about where your money goes afterwards

What about setting yourself a once a week challenge so it doesn't get boring and you wish the month away like having a slap up meal with what's in the cupboards, a really nice free day/night out, a free outfit by swapping with a mate etc. Think it would be interesting to see how much fun you can have for nothing

Hope you don't mind me getting carried away, I'm getting quite excited for you :rotfl:

FireWyrm

Hi Rictus

I'm with you. I've been doing a version of this for the last 2 months while I try to dig us out of our £2K overdraft. I'm almost there with this month the deepest we'll go is £600. I'm hoping that by the 1st of September, the overdraft will finally be gone.

For all those trying to do this, I keep a spending diary on my phone. I dont know about Iphones, but for those with Androids, EasyMoney is a good app for this purpose as you have a widget on the homescreen showing your balance that day. All my DD's are accounted for and I reconcile against the bank twice a month. I also 'assign' spending to catagories, so anything that isnt strictly budgeted for but is edible gets put into the 'groceries' catagory and I analyse the spend at the end of the month to determine what 'essentials' we ran out of during the month and how to stop that happening next month. I've just finished the reconciliation for July and I spent £61 on 'groceries' this month which is WAY better than the £200-£300 I was doing before I started this. Funily enough, in my mind, I was ONLY spending £20 a month....how wrong was I.. :eek:

This month, I pulled £80 from the bank account in cash and put it into my split money box (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Helix-5-Slot-Money-Thrift-Savings-Box-Keys-BNIB-/300581597870?pt=UK_Collectables_Moneyboxes_RL&hash=item45fc0f32ae) I have found this incredibly useful. I 'save' £20 each for takeaways (we're allowed one allocated evening a month), kids shoes (I know they need new shoes in 2 months), bus pass to work (£100 ever four months) and what I call 'pin money' which is what is supposed to be for groceries like milk etc. Anything spent on the house debit card is over and above and classed as 'groceries' so I can easily see what is overspend.

I do one final thing with the children and I which is that they get £1 pocket money on Saturdays which they must bank 50p of in their money boxes. I have a terramundi and I've told them that I'm saving £1 for every day of my life in it (for good luck) - they remind me to add my £1 for the day if I forget and it helps keep me strong. I'm looking forward to the nice treat when it's full. I had my lightbulb moment back in January and then again in March and I completely agree with the cognitive therapy idea. The first month was terribly hard, I just didnt feel like we were getting anywhere and we were just existing but now, I'm always looking for ways to save money. Either I can get it for free, cut costs by making it myself, grow it myself, brew it myself or just plain do without because I didnt need it in the first place. Now I find it fun, I like the challenge of trying to outwit life and save pennies. The monthly shop is an exercise in logistics and canny shopping. The clink of coins into the terramundi is a morning ritual and the kids are over the moon with their brand new, hand made by mummy, bubblegum pink double lined curtains which makes me feel good, saves on heating, pleases them and keeps me soldiering on.

My OH still thinks I've gone nuts, but he's slowly getting on board with me. I've finally trained him to give me receipts for anything he spends on the housecard so I can append them to the spending diary and he's even started actively looking for ways to help me. It's a slow and painful process and by god it's hard sometimes, but the satisfaction from a job well done at the end of a month's reconciliation is almost priceless and worth every dark and dreary day of slog to get there.

hummingbird

Hi all,
This sounds a brilliant idea - I would like to join with an "oasis" of the weekend of 12th-15th Aug which is my birthday w/e and I've already booked a couple of things for then. The fact that is the middle of the month will help me through the rest! I've also already had my hols this year!:beer:

rictus123

Cheers for the posts guys, seems like we will have great support and spur each other on! Im so ready for this. Its my last night of spends before im off the wants and my want list is empty.

One thing a week to look forward to would be a good idea...just got to try and think what! Really want to get the £2k+ surplus and throw it at my debts!

bugslet

Oh heck - I'm talked into it - I've got three nights out planned, two of them will be cheap ones though. Other than that, I'm 'in' (What am I letting myself in for)

Rictus, if youa re bored, you can pop over and walk my five dogs......hello, hello,:p

joedenise

jamarshad741 wrote: »

gwdgfasfdsgdfhgwrhy

what the **** is this all about?:spam:?

Denise

babysteps24

Im in, after all my bills, petrol and food etc I aim to spend nothing!!! no treats (except £10 for a present - unavoidable) :T

rictus123

Lets do this guys! Fantastic support, cant wait to get going, roll on Monday so i can.....not spend a penny:rotfl:

Not the usual thing to get excited about at 20 years old! Spam above, please just ignore that....hopefully mse staff will sort them out!

iv got a dog of my own to walk...obviously that is one thing i can do, need a good few more for Friday and Saturday nights!!

youngmummy

hi hun just wanted to say good luck, i will proberly join you later on in the year if thats ok. will be following your progress if thats ok. well done, and good luck all x

rictus123

Young mummy thats fine..i might try and do this for the rest of the year(minus a night out or two) and bring my debt free date forward from Jan 2012 to the end of this year. Clearing it by end of year would be fantastic!!