Fiscal Fast – 7 days no spending (at all)

modern_millie_2

Morning all,
busy day yesterday, so just catching up.

Catznine, nice to see you back. Sounds like you had a lovely time with family.

Lisakay, sorry to hear about your OHs arthritis - it's a worry, isn't it? We have no health insurance, and OH is self employed, so we just keep fingers crossed that we can keep going. All the more reason for keeping the savings going!

Firesidemaid, that is a coincidence about the book - can't be many copies around. I really enjoyed it, hope you do too.

Well, everyone seems to be going great guns, this is a very motivating thread. We decided yesterday we really would like some more food (!) so spent our £3 each allocated spending money this week (!!!) on some fruit, chocolate, wraps for DDs lunches and fajita ingredients. DD had an orchestra performance last night, but instead of paying to go in to see her (she will play again on Tuesday for free) I popped into Mr Ms and found bread, bagels, and small pots of pineapple for 9p each! Tried to have a look at the deli counter, but were some slightly scary looking people surrounding it, so retreated!

So, total grocery spend this week is looking like £17, which can't be bad, and have put £100 in the holiday fund:j this month. Am just much more focussed and thinking about each spend, and especially pleased because I'm staying away from buying clothes - really don't need any more! As someone said, I think it's now working for me as a money diet rather than a fast, small spends instead of big ones, and fewer of them.

Right, waffled on enough, hope everyone has this sunny weather, and has a great day.

forever_saving

I am going to give this a go, as needs must. I am already £56.70 over for my shopping budget this month with this coming week still to go. I would like to try to do this until Friday/Saturday before i have to go shopping again, anything over that would be amazing.
I'm always popping in the shops to pick up a few things. It cost £26.70 for those few things this week and then £64.36 for the shopping yesterday. I should have enough in, famous last words. Will have to try.
Dinner today is chicken and stuffing with potatoes and veg. I will make sure i have enough chicken left over for pie and possibly even some soup. I'm the only one who eats hm chicken soup.
FS x

firesidemaid

Thrillho wrote: »

This thread really is inspiring! I have a freezer full of whoopsie meat and frozen veg and a cupboard full of essentials so next week I'm going to see how long I can go without spending money.

I've been thinking I'm fine as I have no debts however I never save any money and am always down to my last few pounds at the end of the month. I think I will leave my cards at home so I can't spend any money. I work in the city centre so I tend to "treat" myself to nail polish or something from boots on the way home from work. It is getting stupid, I have a big box full of polish in my room half of which I don't use. I spend lots of time shopping for polish and make up and never spend time doing my make up, what a waste.

Lunches are another total waste of money for me, instead of going to Greggs I'm going to make my own sandwiches for work. Saves time as well as I only get a half hour lunch break.

I need to get out of the habit of spending money pointlessly, I have masses of books I don't read and beauty products I don't use so I am going to go "shopping" in my own house from now on.

go you! have you had a look at the demotivator tool on here, or even any of the savings tools - to see how much you could have in 5/10/20 years if you save x amount per month?

why not sell any unused make-up and polish on ebay?

Ninno820

Morning all. After two days MIA I am ready to start my second FF. I want to last until next sunday when I will need to go shoppping for visitors who are coming for a fortnight over the Easter break. This week i am going to try and meal plan with what is allready in to reduce the grocery bill - we normally go out for coffees / lunches so there will be plenty of other "spends". Dont get me wrog - its lovely to have guests but it takes its financial tolls!

Hope that today is as nice as yesterday - not looking too hopeful here though!

Kiwisaver_2

catznine wrote: »

I once got some reduced fresh sliced pineapple and when we got home and tried it, it fizzed!:eek:

I once had a similar fizzing experience with pineapple yoghurt.

The end of another day for me, I made pork, apple and sage meatloaf to have as our Sunday roast, with a few runner beans from the garden. Apple pie from yesterday and finally a big space in the freezer where the ice-cream had been living since Christmas. :T

The meatloaf always does us two days, so we'll have the other half cold tomorrow with a few chips, pickled onions, gherkins and beetroot.

Not quite so impressed with my lunch options though, I really struggled with inspiration for making tomorrow's lunches. I have ended up with tuna mayo, crackers and a bit of chopped cucumber, pepper and tomatoes with a couple of olives. Sounds alright now but at the time I was freaking out in a 'what on earth am I going to have?' moment.

That helped me decide afterall to roast the spare bit of chicken from yesterday to use it as another lunch - it was only a small bit and will be much better used to add some variety to the lunch menu. :rotfl:I will make it into coronation chicken with curry paste, mayo and some sultanas.

catznine

One of the fiscal fast achievements was very useful last week:-

We swapped this:-


(miles of bunting)
for this:-


(very useful highchair - not the baby!)

I would happily have paid £15-£20 for a good 2nd hand one, guessing this one is worth a tad more though!

Today is mainly about menu planning and making a card for my Aunt and Uncle's ruby wedding anniversary party next week. I was a bridesmaid at their wedding and still have the bridesmaid dress! Think I will take it along with us! Shame I can't get into it anymore, I used to be a beanpole more like a very big beanie toy now! Podgy and squishy in the middle, Ah well! Thinking about making some heart shaped cookies for them with ruby icing and 40 iced on, then again I might see if my very clever friend and neighbour can do some for us, it would be worth the money as she is so good.


Hope you are all having a lovely fiscally fasting day!

Catz x

Thrillho

firesidemaid wrote: »

go you! have you had a look at the demotivator tool on here, or even any of the savings tools - to see how much you could have in 5/10/20 years if you save x amount per month?

why not sell any unused make-up and polish on ebay?

I used the demotivator yesterday and it gave me a shock, in a good way! I will be very comfortable if I stop spending money on nonsense I don't need.

The good thing about all the grabbits is I am well stocked on body shop goodies and various other toiletries.

I try to stay away from ebay as it means I'll buy more stuff I don't need. I do have some clothes and a pair of boots that I keep meaning to sell, they are nice items but I never use them. So I think a massive declutter is in order and an ebay pile shall be made. I have an urge to go spend all the £5 boots vouchers in my wallet as they expire today but instead I'll do some cleaning and organising. I get the same kick from cleaning as I do from shopping yet cleaning is free.

Today dinner is a chicken that was in the freezer, roast parsnips and brussel sprouts ( both 15p whoopsies) and roast spuds (using duck fat I got for cheap in mr S's). I'm going to buy some bread but that is so I can make chicken sandwiches for lunch for work.

I've decided to have a mindset that shops are simply robbers that want to fleece me of my hard earned money and I'm not falling for their cunning tricks anymore!

taplady

Catznine - well done on your swap:TYour Aunt and Uncle will be delighted to see your bridesmaid dress I would think - a lovely idea to take it with you

I havent used the motivator tool yet so I'm going to have a little look shortly.:)

greent

Used our new National Trust membership today - went to a local NT property and took a picnic and had it sat outside in this lovely weather - fabulous! Didn't even spend anything in the shop - the children either had it (booksa and some toys) it was hugely overpriced (jams and chutnies) or just not for us (some strange jewellery - obviously not to many people's tastes as it had been reduced to less than half price!)

Spent out today in s'mkt on a Sunday paper, a loaf of bread, 2 packets of rolls, a carton of apple juice and a carton of sour cream. That should be all our food spends until next Sat, when we're off to Cornwall and plan to hit the gorgeous farm shop next to where we're staying for their own produced bacon, sausages and eggs for Sunday brunch (probably some other stuff, too)

Other spends this week will include £5 for DD's drama & musical theatre class (she thoroughly enjoys it and is taking GCSE drama, so it fits in) and £2 on raffle tickets for DS2's school. I'm low on fuel, but should last the week out and we're away in DH's car (the 6 of us don't fit in mine!) so I won;t need any until we're back. It's DS1's birthday 2nd week of school hols and I need to buy his main present, too. Cards and smaller pressies from siblings sorted already.

lizzyb1812

Well the trip to the seaside with pup didn't happen - because I was moneysaving :T Not on the petrol but on roofing felt for my garden tool store. A neighbour was having his garage reroofed so I cheekily asked if I could have any offcuts at the end of the day. Then waited in until the job was done and now I have more than enough top quality roofing material for my tool store for free! And I rummaged around in an old tool box and found plenty of galvanised nails to fix it on.

I did make the HM pizza - it was deeelicious Had the leftovers for lunch today. Chicken stew and dumplings tonight - previously cooked chicken and HM stock from the freezer. If anyone is doubtful about making chicken stock just have a go - it's so easy and tastes way better than anything from a packet.

Reorganised the freezer and decided to use the little basket at the top to put stuff in to use up in the coming week - sort of meal planning without a plan :rotfl:

Tonight's reward for not spending will be a home manicure/hand treatment - I really must use gloves more often when gardening!