Fiscal Fast – 7 days no spending (at all)

modern_millie_2

Hi everyone,welcome lilian and couteaux! It's been a lovely day here after a wet start.

I had a pre planned day out too, met a friend in a nearby town for lunch, spent slightly more than intended but part of the spend was on a local railcard, so future trips will be cheaper. Could easily have spent a whole lot more - v. tempting shops - so I will be happy if I can carry on with the FF for the next 3 days.

I agree essential bills need to be paid, otherwise as someone else said, the challenge can be adapted to fit individual circumstances.

Ended up having stuff on toast for dinner as the soup I'd taken from the freezer was still an iceberg! Will have to eat that tomorrow.

Parsnip, hope you feel better soon.

Good luck everyone!

EricaDawnCali

Good Evening!! I had a pre-pland spend but, I don't think it is going to work out as the delivery person is late. I tried calling him and he isn't answering his cell phone. Oh well, will make due because that is what I 'Do'.
I had a meeting with my prayer shawl ministry group. We started a little over a year ago and have given 40(!) Prayer Shawls away. I can't believe we have made that many!! I guess it means we have touched 40 hearts!!The demand for them is more than our little hands can do. However I am feeling so good about that!!
I am having a bit of a late dinner as it is 7:14pm here, but that is ok. It's been a busy day.
Keep up the Fiscal Fasting everyone!! We can do it!!!

[Deleted User]

Day two of NSD today I only have to take my DGD Holly to the dentists this morning and its no where near to any shops where I may get tempted.My shopping list that I keep by the kettle in the kitchen has nothing on it and I like to have at least 10 things listed before I go to the shops .If I'm running low on something I just ajust my menu to use something else instead. With only 11 weeks to go until Christmas I am tightening my belt another notch and hanging on to my pennies :)

cuddlymarm

Good morning frugallers
Can I join please? I really need to cut back cos all I have towards Xmas is last years leftover cards and one roll of wrap I saw and liked last week. I really do need to get my hair trimmed but try and find a hairdresser who will do a dry cut so I don't pay loads for all the washing and drying too. But apart from that the cupboards and freezer are full so I really should be able to manage. I need bus fair next Monday cos that journey is too far to walk but apart from that I plan to spend nothing between now and next Wednesday. No sneaky coffees out, no sweeties, no takeaways, I will be good
Well done to everyone so far and keep going, you can do it
Cuddles:)

couteaux

Morning all Well, a NSD here yesterday too and I should be on track for nothing today or tomorrow either. Friday will be low spend as I just have the evening out with school and just need to buy some nibbles and pay for my ticket (£3.50) My children want friends back from school that day too, so that might mean a little spend just to make sure I have food in that is suitable for the masses but hoping I can get away with what I have in the freezer.

I won't need a big shop at the weekend either, I think I will just take £15 cash and head to Lidl to top up on fruit/veggies and school stuff, then I can't come home with a mountain of stuff I don't really need.

With my freezer nicely topped up, I think I could last the month without a big shop, so I will try midweek fasts as much as I can.

I am looking forward to having to get more inventive with what we have in stock - not sure if the rest of my family will be as keen though

Have a super day all.

modern_millie_2

Morning everyone, welcome cuddlymarm!

NSD for me today, if I do go out it will just be for a walk.

I have 4 savings 'pots' going atm, one for holidays, a Christmas one, a general winter one (as I have little income through the winter) and a 'treats' one which is made up of small earnings from crafts and tips from work. Sounds a bit complicated but works for me. Not much in the Christmas one yet!

Certainly feel the need of a fionancial cushion as we had an unexpected £800 car bill a few months ago - brought me down to earth with a bump - OH and I going around for a couple of weeks muttering 'eight hundred pounds...' - so holiday next week is a cheap and cheerful Premier Inn and Travelodge combo, but is a break in an area we love so I'm not complaining.

Right, waffling on now so I'd better go and do something useful.
Have a good/frugal day, all!

parsniphead

Afternoon everyone and hello cuddlymarm.

Another NSD here today, day 3. This is fun actually and I feel very in control.

I have to bring my shopping day forward to thurday as I have to take the car in for some work on Friday as it failed the MOT.:mad: only a couple of hundred compared to £800 though but still painful.

I also need to find the money for road tax at the end of November but that's going to be a six month one as I can't stretch to the full year. Perhaps I will get the full year at the end of six months and move the tax away from Christmas.

After Friday I'm going for 14 days of no spending. Mmmmm we shall see what happens there.

Have a lovely day everyone.

Secretstasher

Hi everyone, after reading this thread from the beginning I would like to give it a go myself . I have been off work for a few weeks, and have decided that I need to stop spending unwisely. I am an emotional spender, if that makes sense. If I feel down then it is what I do. I used to be the same with food, but have got that more or less under control. I have been inspired by your posts and feel that if I don't post and committ then I will never do it.
I have done a stock take of my cupboards/fridge/freezer and will be buying fruit and vegetables tomorrow. I have enough of everything else to make meals for myself and oh for the next month I think. Our ds has moved out due to getting a job out of the area and dd is away at uni. There is nothing to stop me achieving the fiscal fast, apart from me.
Day 1 is Friday, I want to go for a whole week (oh how scary is that...) fingers crossed, and thank you for your inspiration.

Ps this is the first time I have posted anything, not sure how to get the graphics that you all have , but will work on that for future posts.

EricaDawnCali

I did a little slip-up because, I ran out of paper towels for my kitchen and didn't have anything that would help me 'make do'. Ugh... Fiscal Fast Start Over:mad::o... Day one starts Tommorrow.. Sorry all. I let myself down and you all down.
At least I know I can get back up and start again!!!
I will do a two week fiscal fast!!
Note to self... come to Fiscal Fasting Forum...for inspiration...
I can do this!!! If we have a fall, we must get back up and keep going!!!
:grouphug: Group hug to ALL of you!!

[Deleted User]

Day three starts today.definitely NSD today as this morning I have my gardener coming and we have to think about what he will be doing for next years planting out and bulbs etc.I list him with my other bills as a utility and essential as I can no longer manage my garden.
So his cash doesn't come from my 'food purse' this I keep that separate and every month put £60.00 in there for food and nothing else.By using only cash I can see what I'm spending Its so easy to just use your debit card then forget what your spending ,whilst if you can actually see the money in cash and you know its going out then I find I spend less.

At the moment I have just under £45 in my food purse and that is to last
until the end of the month in 20 days time.I found but paying for stuff in hard cash I spend a lot less this way.In fact I often try to have a few pounds left over if possible.I did a food inventory last night and have more than enough in store at the moment and still nothing on my shopping list to buy as yet,so hopefully lots of NSDs to come this month.

I can be quite foccussed when it comes to it, plus by not wasting my time shopping I get to do other things.This month apart form baking my mini Christmas cakes I am also going to spend some time making my Christmas cards from my stash of craft stuff.

I also want to do some renovating of some shelves with some paint I have found in the cupboard.I have a set of hooks on a piece of wood that came down when my hall was redecorated back in the summer I want to take off the hooks and rub the wood down and repaint it a different colour

My hall is now plain white and I have found a small tin of scarlet paint in the cupboard so I am going to paint it bright red for a splash of colour at the bottom of the stairs.I have a small conservatory at the back of my house with a crafting table in there so I can use the table for paining odd bits and pieces and it can dry out there for a couple of days without getting in the way.
I love renovating odd bits and bobs I have found.I have a small triangular sander and will spend time rubbing the wood down and sanding and several undercoats and a couple of top-coats and its suprising how different odd bits can look with a lick of paint.I have over the years found desks and stuff that I have done for my children and grandchildren which the children especially love.

I did an old desk that I paid 50p for at a boot sale for one of my grandsons and he loved it for doing his homework on.I painted it in West Ham colours for him as it was his favourite football team Claret and blue stripes then I stuck some crafting letters on the top and clear varnished over them he was chuffed to bits.Its great fun but quite time consuming so having some NSD will be good :)
Keep up the frugalling chums
JackieO xxx