Fiscal Fast – 7 days no spending (at all)

beemuzed

Hi Everyone
have been lurking on here for quite a while - and realised that last week I did manage five days without spending anything! To be honest I just didn't really fancy going out to shop so it was perhaps laziness that was my motivation! Some great posts on here, so I hope the thread continues. Loved Bethany's contribution too!
Really need to get our finances under proper control again - have been baling out DS for past three years or so, but that has now stopped ( had to, nothing left!) so I'm sure we can do it as on paper we ought to have more disposable income than when we were working ( it's great when the mortgage is no longer an issue!). So, I'm going to see if I can manage to stay on board all this week. There's in theory plenty of food in the freezer still, although I suspect I will buy the odd pint of milk. So I guess I may not stick strictly to this - but it'll be fun trying!

katieowl_2

Ninno820 wrote: »

I know that I am trying to avoid settlin down to work but I have just come across a Jeff Yaeger video on youtube which i thought that I would share with you. He suggests that we save our tumble dryer lint and stuff toilet roll tubes with it to create firelighters. I have also heard about stuffing the lint into fir cones for the same purpose - thought that I would share the ideas with you - if we get started now we should be ready for next winter!

I've been doing this for years and it works brilliantly....wouldn't go so far as I've seen suggested on some American sites - to sprinkle with glitter and use as xmas gifts though :rotfl:

Candle wax ends are brilliant with the dryer fluff, but when it's winter all our bits of fatty meat go on the fires, I sometimes just dribble some leftover oil or meat fat over the fluff in the egg boxes I make the fire lighters in, as they'll get used straight away, and even instead of putting bacon rinds and fatty bits of meat into a paper bag, and they go on the fire too.

Kate

rachbc

Maybe not a fast but definately crash diet - I Have £3.50 in my purse to last til friday...hoping I can duck out of the 2 collections at work til next week! Will avoid meeting my friend for coffee and suggest a walk instead....

ETA the universe was listening to my plight - just had an o2 reward for a free coffee at nero -(my fav coffee shop)

Spendless

So a mixed bag from me. We hadn't got much pudding type stuff in, and no eggs due to forgetting them, but I did have a 1/2 tup of single cream to use up. I know I should have asked on here but it seemed quiet so I googled eggless sponge, and then discovered I'd only got 3oz SR Flour so I thought never mind I'll just check what the quantity ratio is in a different book in order to make a couple of muffins for the packed lunch DS had requested. You guessed it, I muddled the quantities of one recipe with the quantities of another and I certainly used up my SR flour and cream but not in the way intended- it had to go in the bin. Oh well, learning curve and all that.

On more positive notes. This forced me to search for the pack of jelly crystals I knew I'd seen recently (can't have cubes in this house kids eat them 'raw') and I made a small tub for DS and put the rest in a small trifle bowl. I've now added the pack of custard I also had on top of it, but unusal as the jelly flavour was lime but when the custard sets I have some sprinkles/curls etc to put on top. Some of my wholemeal bread is on the dry side, so just had breakfast using the last 2 rashers of bacon with some tinned tomatoes and toasted the bread instead.

Dinner tonight is poss use up opened pack of sausages cooked in a bbq sauce with jack pot, HM coleslaw (all stuff in to do it) and sweetcorn which instead of slinging out as 'sure to be on the turn' I tried and found to my joy it wasn't!

Was looking low on the tea/coffee front too, so have raided the jar that we put all sachets in from when Mr S stops away with work and there's now plenty to kep us going for a while.

Postman has just been and fetched entertainment guide for when we go to Butlins Easter w/end. We've had it booked months and at one point with Granny in hospital it looked like we poss wouldn't go, as it is we all our going but I think it's highly likely to be the last one (she was 88 last week), so am going to sit with a cuppa and go thru booklet and find as much free stuff to do as possible.

greent

ooh - have read the first couple of pages of this thread whilst eating my lunch! Am going to join in thsi week - haven't planned anything like this at all and I know I'm going to run out of milk and bread, so I'm going to aim to have a 'no-spend week except milk and bread' (4 children inc 2 titchies, so going without these isn't an option)

Quite looking forward to it. We go on hols 31st March, so it's a good chance to clear the fridge out and reduce the freezer and cupboard mountains!!

emmad5689

Right I have read through this and you have all inspired me, I can't do the ff as it is meant to be done as I have no room in the freezer for bread and milk so i will have to buy these. What i have decided to do is in the next 14 days i am only allowing myself 4 spending days and see how i go, I will then try reducing this to 3 spending days a fornight. I haven't spent anything today and won't be say day 1 is fine, I am taking my grandmother shopping tomorrow and if I don't do any shopping she goes mad that i have gone out of the way to take her so I will be spending tomorrow and I know we will need bread at the end of the week but will try and last to the weekend for that. Fingers crossed here goes nothing!!

Within this time I will only be buying what we actually need!

Ninno820

Afternoon all - day 8 of this ff and still going strong. Howvere I am now down to the last couple of potatoes from a sack and a couple of tines of veg. Fruit is tinned or frozen so not doing too bad. Am looking forward to friday when its payday and I can shop again but will try to restrain myself. I have a £2 off £20 M & S voucher and a £20 M & S voucher to treat myself from their home range so it wont be too much of a disaster.

westlothianlass

Hi all.
Day 2 chalked up for me. Made packed lunches for me and OH and tea is out the freezer, I have made up some jelly for pudding and there is cream in the fridge if feeling decadent:).
I have checked the cupboard/fridge/freezer contents and should have enough food to last the week so it's only down to willpower now.
Good luck and hugs x

modern_millie_2

Evening all, sounds like it's going well for most people.

NSD for me today, had free lunch at work and various leftovers for tea - bit of nut roast, bubble and squeak, baked beans and couscous - bit of an odd mix, but it was fine.

Mr MM and a visitor got through a lot of eggs and bread today, so will have to ration, or make some bread or scones in the morning.
Will not have quite so much to put in the holiday fund this week, owing to Fiscal Fiasco - see above - but will still put in £20 at least.

Beansprouts are still growing, looking forward to a stir fry soon!

Started shopping list for £10 spend on Wed, want this to be total for a week, so will have to choose carefully - I do like a challenge!

Have a good evening everyone!

taplady

evening!

we were lucky yesterday and were able to have 2 white loaves from DSs work that had only 1 day left on them - they were going in the skip:eek: I've kept a bit out for DH(I only eat brown) and frozen the rest and will defrost a few slices at a time so no need to buy bread this week:j We also had 4 pints of milk with a short shelf life so no milk to buy either.

We're out of fruit but have some tinned in juice.

I'll check the freezer list to work out meals for the rest of the week.