Fiscal Fast – 7 days no spending (at all)

[Deleted User]

well I suprised myself on Saturday especially as I had two of my DGS with me to 'help' me shop.I only spent £9.89 which was well under budget and now my purse has snapped shut with a loud clunk until next Monday which will be the 1st of December and a new monthly budget, in total I have shopped three times this month, and spent altogether £35.59. I am very pleased with the amount and the residue of what's in my battered old brown purse will go into the holiday fund next week ( 24.61)
I have used up some stuff from the freezer and still have a lot more to go before I see some room in there.I am hoping that I can 'shop from the freezer for a couple of weeks so that when the reduction arrive on either Christmas eve afternoon or just after Christmas I will get some extra bits for the stores.Last year I managed to get three jars of Robertsons Christmas mincemeat for 20p each in early January and I still have one unopened jar to use up this year.I also like the reduced bits and bobs in early January often a decent sized chunk of gammon can be bought for a very well reduced amount.If its big enough I cut in half and freeze in two parts .Useful when the weather is bad and I can't get out.I have a decent stock of long-life milk in at the moment so if it does turn nasty with lots of white stuff I am ok for milk.Well done everyone for getting through the month without spending too much. Keeping track of spending focuses you on your spending habits and makes you realise what you can actually do without and don't need to buy.I love trying to find alternatives to use up instead
Well done chums
JackieO xxx

Frugalsod

I usually get my cash back at the beginning of the month and use that for all my cash needs for the month. So if I need milk I can get that from the cash float. Though I get £50 a month most weeks I might only spend little more than a pound for milk, so all the change goes into a piggy bank and I allow it to accumulate. There will be times when I need more cash than usual and having a piggy bank for such needs is useful. I have a couple of hundred pounds in such a piggy bank for emergencies all built up a few pounds a week at a time, and all without impacting the bank account.

hoglet121

Hi everyone,

I've been AWOL for a little while - I was on holiday for a bit but I'm back now and looking a the budget. I suggested another frugal fast to DH before we went away and he was not keen. Then Sunday night he totally surprised me by suggesting a 10 day one himself. I'm sure he takes the ideas I mention to him, thinks them over for a bit and then assumes they're his ideas, but I'm not complaining, just glad he's on board :-)

We both need petrol for work and fruit and veg will be required on Thurs, but other than that the coffers are closing. Tried inviting ourselves to visit family on the coming weekend but they're all busy so that's that idea out the window. The garden desperately needs some attention tho, so that will keep me out of mischief and away from money spending.

I was pleased I talked DH into cleaning his car himself (before he mentioned fasting), as he wanted to run it through the car wash. That's $15 saved and it didn't take him too long. There was some grumbling but I made myself scarce and he just got on with it.

Right, onwards and upwards,

Hoglet :-)

fairy3

Been reading with interest, Jackie O and everyone am inspired. Noticed my spending on 'bits' mostly food has been escalating recently and have no freezer space so I am in for the next 7 days - have no work until next week and half a tank of petrol so that will be it. Have dried milk if needed and lots of fruit and a menu plan. Hoping I can use the time to sort out the Xmas stash and do lots of 'shopping the house' along with free stuff. Have hair appointment on friday so going to see if I can 'find' the £7 + tip to cover it. Payday on Wednesday but not going to touch it (hopefully).

[Deleted User]

Morning all well done hoglet121 on joining our happy band,also fairy 3,if you feel the inclination to spend just think do I need it, NO ,is it wanted NO, can I replace it with something else instead YES .keep chanting that over and over several times and you'll soon notice the purse getting fatter
I had bought my son-in-laws birthday present back in the summer and also his card, and I was going to get some wrapping paper for it today until I looked in the spare room, as I thought I had some in my 'paper stash' and yup there was :):) some blue stuff in there, which has saved me going near to a shop today, and uses up what I have (its only going to get ripped off tomorrow morning anyway .At least its not Christmas wrap :)
So another NSD today for me, I am going to dig out my craft stuff which I haven't been near for ages and make some Christmas cards today, I have all the stuff in the spare room so I shall spend the morning crafting away in the warm as its rather damp and chilly here in north Kent .Went down to 2c last night ,brr winter is getting closer, so HM soups are going to be the order of the day I think as well I have some celery which will get turned into soup at some point I think.
Tonight is quiz night and I have my £2.00 seperately from my food purse so an nice evening out with friends and a meal thrown in for £2.00 ,can't be bad :)No dinner to be cooked tonight either
well done chums on keeping those purses closed
Cheers everyone keep warm and dry if possible
JackieO xxx

craigywv

Hi all ive been reading but have been feeling lousy so not in the mood to reply , kicked my butt out of that mood so im back again. Hello hoglet and fairy again xxx i been using freezers up still and am deffo near empying one out deep joy!!!!! Will need to surface tomorrow for milk and mushrooms so no more than five pounds shall be spent!!!!!!!!! She says,,,,,,,,,,,,, dinner is a bung it all in the pan effort pork chops,peppers, onions, mushrooms and sweetchilli sauce and hm garlic bread. Jackie hope your crafting went well today and enjoy your quiz, gq do you just pull yor veg fromallotment when you need it or does it need to come out in one go? Can you freeze it all in one sitting, i curious as i inundated with potatoes atm and want to know if i can just leave them in the ground. Have a lovely evening all your doing great xxx

GreyQueen

Hi craigy, gotta be fast as leaving for archery class shortly.

Mix of some and some re the lottie veg. I harvest the spuds and onions when they are ready. The spuds because they can get tunnelled by critters like wireworms and slugs if left in the ground and also we have had spud-rustling as in a whole row dug up overnight from one lottie. Spuds are sacked and live down at the flat in a sack on a newpaper trolley in the bike shed at the block. I take a couple of lbs into the flat as needed.

Onions are lifted when ready and are in the allotment shed in trays, I just bring a few down at a time.

Other stuff is harvested and frozen, such as broad beans, runner beans and blackcurrants but only have a countertop freezer so space v.limited.

Have also dried broad beans for the first time this year. Have leeks, carrots, beetroot, parnsips and turnips in the ground and will harvest as needed. HTH.

Rightly, gotta get me bow and arrers and head up the road. Twang!!

boultdj

I went shopping for food saturday,spent £58, but that did incude 2 turkey crowns and the beef joint's from L*dl's week-end offer,of which all but 1 turkey crown is in the freezer, that got cooked sunday and I made a load of yorkshire puddings, most of which are in the freezer, so I could get ahead for a realy busy week, and sunday spent on towel's that I need for self employ night time job.
Only other thing I need this week is milk, I'll get that thursday.

craigywv

Thanks for that gq enjoy your archery xxx

fairy3

Hello and thanks for the welcome - day 1 going well apart from a fiasco with M&S and a free gift which wasn't! Sorted it out eventually but this was from the xmas fund so not technically a spend. Know what you mean about the wrapping paper Jackie O I am guilty of buying the same stuff, 'forgetting' and rebuying. But that was then and this is now - have spent the day 'organising' stuff although now looks worse than before I started, box of books for CS and car loaded up for trip to tip should clear some space.
Found 11 euros in a purse but not sure this qualifies towards the cost neutral fund but will come in handy at some point.
Also was offered six sessions of work in December and January so although I am newly retired think will take it as it will be nice and warm and they will pay me and there may be biscuits......
Tea tonight is stew and yorkshire puddings made with YS beef at £1.19 from the freezer and just the job as its bally freezing outside.
Happy archery Craigywv and good luck in the quiz JO. Tomorrow is trip to tip and 'filing'.
Has anyone got an alternative to muslin? Have HM limoncello which is ready for decanting but calls for straining and haven't got any.

F x