Fiscal Fast – 7 days no spending (at all)

7_week_wonder

Ninno I know what you mean about being bloated after Easter: in our house it wasn't so much the eggs as the non-stop cakes that got to me.
Puddleglum, I recently got my first AF delivery and was very impressed: I can see I'm going to have to be strict with myself about ordering stuff.

So day 2 had a wee hiccup: there was a leaving collection at work so I had to open my purse for that, and I'd forgotten it's my turn on the milk rota in the office so I had to get milk on the way home, but I'll get the money refunded next week. Otherwise things have been going pretty much according to plan. We had a lovely supper of spanish omelette, couscous and some yummy beetroot and carrot coleslaw and I've just made some egg mayonnaise for lunch tomorrow.

Have a good evening all.

[Deleted User]

I found some left-over cooked new spuds from yesterday and covered them in the small portion of veg curry that was in the freezer and had it for dinner tonight with a banana for pudding, so Day One of NSD's is good, and its using up a portion from the freezer that I had forgotten about.
I have a small cheese and onion quiche in the fridge which I will have with salad tomorrow night.It was reduced yesterday to 49p in Sainsbobs when I bought my shopping so it should be OK still by tomorrow as it only went OOD today.A good sniff from my nose will soon tell me,if not, I can always use up some cheese as I have a fair bit in the fridge and can have a cheese based salad.I am now thinking of ways to use up everything I can over the next couple of weeks so my fridge will be empty by the time I go away.
Keep up the good work chums we are all really focussed
Cheers JackieO xx

lessonlearned

Well it's a been a bit manic here, but manage to do ok with the shopping, Aldi and Morrisons last Friday and Sainsbury's today.

I'm hoping that there will be enough in now to last until the end of April - apart from milk, bread and fruit & veg. I'm going to aim for no more than £10 per week until the end of the month.

Fingers crossed.

Keep up the good work everyone - I find you all very inspiring - reading your posts keeps me on track.

PS Edited to say Jackie I love your idea of "Happy Cash" - definitely going to pinch that one. With some of the money I saved I've treated myself to some trees and shrubs for my garden. Bargains from the £ shop and Morrison's of course.

calicocat

NSD..........but to be fair i am back at work so have been asleep all day,bit hard to spend money asleep. The difference doing this on the computer at work rather than my mobile at home is fab,can actually see the whole page and what everyone has put properly!
Still have my soup for the next two days,after that will have to dive into the freezer,which needs it . Got some free strawberrys from nxtdoor,and a loaf of bread at work which had been reduced to 20p (not that she would accept any money so didnt even spend 20p!)
i may fall down on sunday as may end up going out for lunch. Had remaining fishcake today with salad and the granola for breakfast so havent even had to use freezer stuff yet.......i could maybe try this for the whole month.
i usually give myself £100 happy-cash a month,i havent looked at it recently but i think i still have £80 or £90 in it,what ever is left at the end is going to be transfrered to the 'emergency fund',then when that reaches a certain point it goes into the isa. When did money get so complicated!?!...but i like it,i have pots all over for different things and am now finally starting to save money .
good luck everyone and keep it up :j

determined_new_ms

its actually really hard not doing the ff at the moment! I have been doing it as far as food is concerned - went shopping on the first for the month & the freezer & cupboards are still full, but have had things on so not many NSDs. Once you start its like an itch you want to keep scratching!

Tomorrow am going to my ex-mil's and we are having a Chinese for her birthday in a couple of weeks but she will be away in America. After that I will get back on the ff. Can't wait!!! x

taplady

just caught up with all your posts:T JackieO - I'm another who loves reading your posts:) and am glad the Crumblies are going down well - they disappeared rapidly at our house although I was guilty of havign a fair few of them:o:D

I'm making another Herman friendship cake now - its yummy so I'd recommend it to anyone if you get chance.

We're off to Aldi and Morrisons later to see how far we can make our money stretch - the further the better as its all the more in the holiday fund:T

We managed to put another £20 in last week:j

I have half an aubergine in the fridge to use up somehow - maybe another veg curry if I can get some Aldi cheap veg and will make some more jellies for puds to go with tinned fruit.

Keep it up fiscal friends x

Ninno820

Day One

The carpets have been cleaned - the dirt that has come out!!! I'v even had time to list a few items on ebay.

Breakfast was fresh fruit salad and yoghurt whilst lunch is a ham and lettuce wholemeal sandwich with slimming world chips and fruit for afters. Dinner will be pork chop and veg with fresh fruit salad for afters (I'm being good!).

It also helps that its sunny here at the moment so you feel that bit better. However the dark clouds are storming towards me so I shouldn't speak too soon! For me the ff makes me appreciate my home and what I already have.

Keep going everyone. xx

Kiwisaver_2

It is quite addictive this desire to 'make do' and spend as little as possible. I am about to do my meal plan for next week and write my shopping list for tomorrows shopping. Like DNMS I am most able to take control of the grocery spends as everything else is just life getting in the way and I hate to turn down invites or pass up on opportunities to get out sometimes, even if it is just for coffee.

I am going to try a new strategy for the rest of April. I presently have $100 (50 quid) in cash, so I am going to see if I can make that last for the next two weeks shopping. I'll probably spend a good bit of it tomorrow on the basics for next week and meat for Sunday dinner and then just keep a bit back for top up of bread, milk and veg for the second week.

lisakay_2

FF still not happening. finding it very difficult with it being school holidays. took the kids to the cinema today for the kidsAM deal of £1.50 per ticket. bargain. or it would have been had they not sold out just as i was getting to the front of the queue:mad:. I had taken just enough money with me for the cinema and a very special treat of burger king meal (i hate fast food so the kids rarely get it), but i had to spend all the money on cinema tickets instead £4 each:mad:. then they ran out of booster seats so they couldn't see the screen very well without kneeling, standing or sitting on my knee and the icing on the cake, they ran out of loo roll in the ladies (one of my pet hates!)
we wre given free full price tickets to go again, but was not happy to have to use my bank card to get dinner out (had to, they were so looking forward to it!)

the only good thing going on at the moment is my avoiding the actual shops. haven't bought any food shopping for nearly 2 weeks and the last food shop was £60, so £30 a week for all of us, pretty good going including all pet food etc as well. meals have included veg and barley stew and dumplings, prawn stir fry ,sausage and bean casserole and mash, roast dinner, pasta bake, so not going short.

back to work tomorrow and back to school on monday, so will need a shop on sunday, but very little else will be spent for at least the next fortnight.

Justamum

lisakay wrote: »

but i had to spend all the money on cinema tickets instead £4 each:mad:.

£4! I wish the cinema was that cheap here. It costs us £7 adults and £5 children for non-3D films (an extra pound I think for 3D! - and you have to hand the glasses back after). Children are full price from age 12. We rarely go.