Fiscal Fast – 7 days no spending (at all)

Tink_04

Ok day 3 - i spent but only on petrol, I put £50 as was driving that way anyway (saves me going back) that should last me the month tho so won't need to do it again. Didn't go near the SM today! Had lunch at home and dinner planned for tonight. Will need to get some baby milk tomorrow but this doesn't come out of my shopping money. It's weird I've not been in a SM this week at all usually I'm there every other day, I seem to have so much more time now. I still haven't done my clearing jobs but im well ahead with the housework and washing and there is no stress about what's for tea on a night time.

craigywv

Hi,been busy in house past few days still not been in sm so no spending either.oh painted kitchen and downstairs bless him he on nights and still did it I so very pleased. Been grabbing stuff from freezer to eat so making a proper tea of chicken and stuffing and roasties etc for tomorrow nights tea. Need to get petrol too think that's from a different budget though. So it's in and out of petrol station no bargains to be bought.weather not too dry over here so don't really mind going out. Have a good day all.

closemead

Still no spending here, like you Tink I love how my bank balance has stayed the same.
I will need milk tomorrow but I will pop in Morrisons garage less temptations in there!
I have loads in the freezer and will probably do some cooking at the weekend to have ready prepared meals making things easier.
School holidays next week where as some find it hard to stick to budget I don't because the last thing I want to do is drag 5 kids round the supermarket with me!

craigywv

Hi all,close mead I don't blame u for not going shopping with five kids,I have one and he costs me a fortune when he comes with me so I tend to leave him at home with oh as he's also as bad lol. Nsd here tea all prepped. Our schools don't stop till next Friday so it's business as usual here foe over a week yet to go. My son going to his grandparents caravan next Friday and we having kid free weekend.....................getting the shakes thinking about that lol no having to have dinner ready at set time etc...and can get a bath in peace without. Mum I need in there.....oh the joys. We then going down for two days as oh is off he owed a few days in work, so I aim to stay out of sm till then and keep fasting so I can have few extra quid for treats. I know I laws insist on cooking and won't let us buy anything so I shall bring down a homemade large choc fudge cake and a couple dozen pancakes and will make buns,also thinking about a fruitcake I have loads of baking stuff I can use up.kitchen looks great I well pleased oh did a great job painting etc... Well I have big s cooker on have made veg soup from a ys soup pack a few weeks ago I had in fridge for11p I was really surprised it stayed so fresh. Having chicken for tea so any over will plop into soup shouldn't be too much left over as its only breast meat. Tonight, well I have rambled on enough have a good day allxxx

Tink_04

Glad everyone is doing ok!

I had to do a top up shop and spent £7.20 in asda, I also spent nearly £30 on clothes and party things for dd for next week. Think I'm going to have to budget better as the food will last a week, mostly but ran out of fruit, oil & youghurt. I also needed baby milk. I did 3 days of no supermarket, and on day 4 I only spent £7.20 out of the food budget. Think I need to look at the other spends too. All my accounts are separated, so I have shopping (all food and toiletries) petrol & kids (baby milk, nappies , clothes & treats) not sure how to work them any other way.
Doing the GC and im nearly half way through my budget already so need to meal plan for next week then hopefully just do a top up shop to tide us over!

mossy

Hi everyone, I would love to take up this challenge. I am going to do a frugal fast till next Wednesday. During that time we have two sets of friends coming around for dinner!! So starting this fast now is going to be interesting!! :eek: However, if I can do two dinners for friends plus our normal eating without spending any money for the next week, then that would be pretty impressive and prove that it is possible.

Wish me luck! I think I could fall down at in the pudding stakes but I do like baking so I should be able to rustle something up!

There is myself, DH and my DD who is 10. I am always over spending on groceries and really need to find a way to hem that spending in. :mad: I can never seem to keep up with the grocery challenge thread so lose motivation, however this is a short sharp hit which should hopefully really get me thinking about all the needless things I buy. It's always worse when we're tired or want to buy some treats. I think I need to spend some time in the Easter holidays to meal plan and batch cook.

craigywv

Well done tink you did we'll yayyyyy,don't be too hard on yourself it's hard I know I bored blue today just want to run into sm and fill trolley up with !!!! and push everything I already have to the back of the cupboard...................but I am not aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh. I thnk I'm addicted to the bright lights and ridiculous prices lol. Not going near fridge as its boring me too oh cooking tonight I hiding in living room away from car keys. And quick exit out back door to tescos for reductions at 7o clock,I'm like a bloody junkie. Hello mossy enjoy the fast ,.........this is how it gets to you lol , only joking I just fed up today and want to mingle with people, but I can't be trusted so I'm away to do a meal plan for next week, I know how to live on the edge xxx

mossy

Evening all!! So my fast is going well. My biggest issue is going to be vegetables for the meals with friends.

However, there was a bag of apples in the staff room today so I took some of those to use to make apple crumble cake (mmm yummy) for when our friends come over for dinner on Sunday. There was also some carrots left over so I have some of those as well which will help bulk out my veg for Sunday.

On Tuesday our friend who is coming over is vegetarian, although she does eat fish. I have some reduced Salmon in the freezer so I'm thinking of using that with jacket potatoes/cous cous and salad. Salad is definitely going to be my issue as I barely have any left so it's looking like I might have to break the fast a day early to get some. Of course, if they ask if they can bring anything I'll suggest a salad which would save me having to spend any money. I'm going to bake some lovely fresh bread for Tuesday and a yummy citrus cake with some left over oranges/lemon if I have some lemon curd buried in the fridge. If not, I'm sure I'll come up with something else. If all else fails and I've run out of butter etc as well by then, I'll just make some nutella cupcakes. All you need for them is nutella, flour and eggs.

Really enjoying this, everyone at work thinks I'm either mad or a cheap skate but I am seriously fed up with overspending on groceries and need to do something drastic. Without a doubt, if I wasn't doing this fast I would be at the SM tomorrow and Tuesday buying loads of extra things that we don't need and spending money that we don't have!

Hope everyone's fast is going well, and that you haven't gone in to a frenzied breakdown brought on by tesco reductions withdrawal craigywv!!

mossy

Oh I meant to say. My DD went on a Brownie trip today for the weekend (sob sob) and I was originally planning on buying some chocolate and going home to feel sorry for myself and eat it all! However, because I went on the fast I decided to drop her off and then go for a 3 mile walk instead.

As it turns out, someone brought in some lovely Easter treats today and so I picked up a creme egg and ate that after my walk this evening! It feels like extra little things are turning up to help me out today, or maybe I'm just noticing them more because I'm on the fast. Either way, it feels pretty cool.

[Deleted User]

Aren't you all doing so well.There should be a pat-on-the -back button :):) I have not been near a shop for ages as I am working my way through what I have in stock at home.I did a shop just over a week ago, and that will do me for at least another week.I have to go into hospital tomorrow for an op. so I made sure that I have enough in the fridge for when I come home as I certainly don't intend to go shopping next week either.The best thing about f/fasting apart from using up stuff is the amount of time it free up for nicer things to do.I love the spring weather so I enjoy walking in my local country park.I take a bottle of made up squash or water with me and have a nice walk along the riverside .This time of the year its glorious with all the birds nesting and just watching the trees all coming into their new leaves.Also I can go to the libray for books (all in the opposite direction from the shops :))
I catch up on jobs at home that have been put on the to-do list that never seem to get done .Mending jobs for my DGS clothes (my DD hates sewing so the boys give me their odds and ends to do)I renovate old bits of furniture as well as a bit of a hobby, and just being in my conservatory and sanding down an old cupboard or chair and repainting it to give it a new lease of life is very rewarding to me.There is so much more time to do the things I like doing instead of trailing round the shops .Sunday mornings I usually bake for the week for the family. I also write out my menu's for the week so I know what I will be using up during the week.This week of course that will be put on hold for a couple of days but I must admit I really don't miss shopping at all as I find so many other enjoyable things to do instead
craigywv,Tink & mossy you are really getting the hang of it now I think you are doing very well well done :):)