Fiscal Fast – 7 days no spending (at all)

hoglet121

Hi GreyQueen - just a quick note to say I've been checking out that link you sent - wow! That's absolutely fascinating, some real food for thought there and some excellent incentives to cut back.

I had to buy fuel this morning and we spent an extra $30 in the supermarket yesterday as we were given lots and lots of lemons and I needed some eggs for curd. DH asked very sheepishly if he might buy a couple of beers and also wanted some cold relief tablets. Other than that no extra spends and we are rolling in for another fair chunk straight into savings this week.

threepenny_bit

Well just checked the bank account and have decided to try a 7 day fast starting Monday. We will need petrol by about Thursday so won't count that as it is something we have no choice over.
Never done the fast before so here goes

GreyQueen

Glad you liked the mrmoneymustache blog, hoglet. The link was posted on the SHTF thread recently by short_bird, which is where I got it, and I confess it's my current favourite thing.

Today is work, will pop in on a pal on the way home, and depending on the weather, may go to the allotment. It's still very hot but there has been a weather forecast which indicates that there might be heavy thundery rain later this afternoon.

Have been given courgettes and runner beans, so will be incorporating them into the meals for the next couple of days. Would like to get to the end of the month without any more spends, but if my lift works out, I will be going to an archery club on Thursday, which will be £10. Weather may not co-operate, thought, as it is an outdoor range, although there is an indoor option which I may or may not go to.

Keep up the good works, one and all. GQ xx

lilian1977

Hi all

Going to try a 4 day fast, payday today and already mega skint. It's my birthday this weekend so I know that will be a little pricey, but I'm going to try and save money as much as possible until next payday.

xx

PenguinOfDeath

Well I'm not doing overly well here, Thursday and yesterday were proper NSD's, Saturday did the regular grocery shop and filled the tank with petrol but these were planned.

Friday was also going to be one but the beer garden and takeaway called loudly... As was today however I nipped to tesco for a friend at work and spotted a bargain on mens gillette razors, and as OH goes though them like they're going out of fashion I went for them... still a household expense though.

But! I actually have a meal plan this week with things we have in as we cooked a load of stuff on the Bbq last night, every cloud and all that!

Frugalsod

lilian1977 wrote: »

Hi all

Going to try a 4 day fast, payday today and already mega skint. It's my birthday this weekend so I know that will be a little pricey, but I'm going to try and save money as much as possible until next payday.

xx

The trick is to work out whether 7 days is doable? I can do it at times but only because I do not have to shop for others, I live alone so can plan things more easily. If you have kids 3 days can be tough to achieve.

hoglet121

Just realised that apart from fuel yesterday, which was planned and needed to get to work, we will achieve 3 NSDs this week without trying too hard, and one LSD. We are planning a 6 day fast next week. Really wish we'd cottoned onto this earlier. We both like a challenge and thinking of it as such spurs us on, rather than making us feel like we are denying oursleves something.

GreyQueen, it's my new favourite thing too! Tried explaining it to the girl I work with who just said 'we don't earn enought to do that' which I felt was rather missing the point. I know how much junk her family spend money on which I think is more to the point, but hey ho each to their own. I announced to DH I would be cycling out to my cousin's next time I just have to nip out there for something (it's 16 Km away) - he looked at me funny but I'm quite determind to make some major changes.

cookiemama

Hoping I can start over with you all. We just got back from a family holiday which was decidedly NOT a no spend experience! We did bring back lots of the food we bought on the trip (rented a house) so very little waste there. Went food shopping for the next two weeks yesterday and spent 75 instead of our usual 150. Hoping to eat down the freezer so we can defrost it.


Husband worked early tonight and I was very tempted to order something in but I got out leftovers for the kids instead. They, of course, like this better than freshly cooked food. I am currently roasting a chicken which I'll use to make chicken soup tomorrow as poor hubby is unwell. I threw in a few potatoes to bake at the same time so I'm feeling very thrifty with my electric usage. And one nsd down!

GreyQueen

Morning all.

Hello, cookiemama, welcome aboard. The more the merrier.

I'm up bright and early and have hoiked a pkt of mince and a chunk of mozzarella cheese out of the mini-freezer. The mince is a repackaged half of another mince pkt from Liddly when it was on special offer, and the moz is a YS bargain from Sainsbugs a few weeks ago. I'm going to combine them with the two large courgettes I was given on Sunday with white sauce and making them into a 'lasagne' with sliced courgette instead of lasagne sheets, as per a tip off MSE OS last night on the courgette thread. Quite excited about the new recipe.

Yesterday was a NSD and today may or may not be one, but it will definately be a LSD. In brief, I will be hosting a gathering early next month and will need some more mugs, so rather than waste money on disposables, I shall nip into the chazzer and buy a few spares at 20p each. Probably will buy 5 for £1.

Going to be a whiz doing my monthly accounts for July as I have spent so little. There will be lots of blank greyed-out cells on my spreadsheet. Some of it is postponed spending, like a haircut, which I'm stretching into next month, but some of it is spending which didn't happen and which I didn't miss in the slightest.

hoglet, it's a fabulous blog, isn't it? And very popular. Perhaps you could sneakily give the link to your colleague and they might choose to investigate themselves. I think it sells itself, doesn't you, and I love the guy's style. I don't expect to be able to achieve FI on £10k a year but, by controlling spending on useless carp, I already have a lot more security than friends who have x3 my income but spend x4.

[Deleted User]

Good Morning all, GQ had a quick shufti at the blog and it looks really interesting.I will look at it more later on this week when I have more time.

I am at DDs during the day with my 4 DGS while their Mum and Dad are working I am their full time carer during the holidays.I am carting my doughnut maker there this morning so the boys can help make some doughnuts.

Defintely NSD this week at all.Last night I had the leftover stuff that DD gave me when I came home from her house on Sunday night.So I made a little nest in my Remoska of foil and put in some roast spuds,a couple of small sausgage rolls some carrots,brocolli and several slices of lamb.Turned the 'mosky on for 20 minutes and made some gravy from granules in the cupboard and hey presto one roast lamb dinner virtually free :):)

Tonight I have the pub quiz and I get a meal there .great value as its another 'freebie' Well it comes in the price of the quiz ,which at £2.00 is great value.Its usully a jacket spud with coleslaw and cheese or some sort of pasta bake thing but more than enough.I'll have lunch at DDs as I have to make the boys something anyway.

Tomorrow I may have something dug out of the freezer.Only 16 days until we go away on holiday so I am trying not to buy much of anything if I can I have lots of long-life milk in stock but the only thing I will probably run short of is fruit and veg.

My fruit store now is down to 4 apples,and some black grapes.Veg wise I think I have some celery in the bottom of the fridge that I will make some soup from later this week,and a cucumber, half a lettuce and four tomatoes So probably enough to see me through until the weekend. I do have quite a bit of frozen veg though, if push comes to shove that will do me OK.We are all doing so well on here and its a shame there is no 'pat on the back' smiley :):)

cookiemama You will enjoy having a go and if you can get the children on board its half the battle.treat it as a challenge and see if they can come up with ways to make what you have streeetch out. Children can be very inventive ,especially if they think of it as a bit of a challenge, and most of them love helping to cook

Well time to fly as I have four noisy boys to sort out with what we will be making this morning
Cheers chums have a good and frugal day
JackieO xxx