January's Big Financial Freeze!!!

CandyCupcake

Hey everyone,

It's taking me all morning to catch up on the thread it's moving so quickly.

I am currently on NSD number 2, all my budgeting for the month complete. I have already done some overtime for this month so that's some additional funds for January payday, hopefully some more overtime will be available through the month!

I WILL clear all my debts this year!!

Candy
x

cuddlymarm

Hi

I'm not back to work until tomorrow so I am attempting to get organized today. Yesterday was a NSD but today I had a Mr T delivery (we have loads of food in but nothing healthy so have stocked the fridge and freezer up with veg) we went back on our diet today. I now have a list of main parts of meals that we have in the freezer and cupboards and a menu plan on the fridge door but tend to add the veg part depending on what needs eating first. Because we are both dieting it means that no clothes will be bought in the sales this year (we both have gained lots of new outfits as the weight has come off and the old ones now fit again.) I knocked £20 off my credit card bill this morning and plan to music magpie some unwanted CDs and DVDs later.
The only part of this challenge that I won't be doing is the running my cupboards down to nothing because we are moving to monthly pay later this year so am building up a buffer.
Anyway I better get on
Have a good day everyone
Cuddles

nannygladys

Hi everyone, DD2 and family delivered to airport and just had lunch of cheese and biscs (LO's). Ive submitted my Elec and gas readings to my provider and they are not as bad as I thought they may be, but the heating is now off and I will be more careful with water, elec and gas:)

Declaring another NSD, I think the only food I may need this week is milk, so any money I have left will be carried over to next week, and then at the end of the month whatevers left will be halved and go into 'terry' and back into bank to pay extra off CC.

Off to kitchen now to do a bit of a food inventory and menu plan:) and also empty WM - I have loads of washing to do mainly bedlinen and towels:eek: which will have to be dried on the airer or radiators if the heating goes back on for a bit.

Just before I came onto the computer I found an unopened tin of celebrations, a huge box of Thor*tons chocs, a box of choc orange, another box of chocs, a choc santa in the fridge and 3 ma*s bars - wonder what they taste like in stews, soups, sandwiches and roasted:rotfl:
Jxx

lilian1977

Returned OH's shirt to M&S, £40 credit note in my purse! We want to buy a cabinet from M&S and I think we now have enough credit notes to pay for it in full!

his_missus

nannygladys wrote: »

, but the heating is now off and I will be more careful with water, elec and gas:)

I need to get back into doing this too but keep putting the heating on for a few hours a day to dry clothes.



Just before I came onto the computer I found an unopened tin of celebrations, a huge box of Thor*tons chocs, a box of choc orange, another box of chocs, a choc santa in the fridge and 3 ma*s bars - wonder what they taste like in stews, soups, sandwiches and roasted:rotfl:
Jxx

If they have good dates on them you could regift them to people for birthdays (maybe not the choc santa:D) or just give them to people as a treat/thank you. My Hubby would probably give a chocolate sandwich a go though :rotfl:

32b3in2013

Afternoon

Today is my 1st NSD. I had minibabybel and ham for breakfast and noodles for lunch. I will be having chicken and potatoes for dinner tonight.

Finally off to a start with NSD's.

32b3

lionheartedgirl

1st NSD today.

A bit spendy yesterday as I took part in a big sporting event and was so famished afterwards, I bought drinks and food for me and my friend who did it too. He stayed at my house last night and we went to the pub for dinner, I put some money in for the drinks. He lives a long way away and I don't see him often, and I didn't feel I could duck out of my share. He did give me a box of chocs and a bottle of wine though so that will help on the food bill this month!

I had a fantastic yellow sticker run in the Co-op on NYE - not sure whether I should really include this in January spends. Think I'll see what the totals are looking like nearer the end of the month, but I got lots of chicken and beef mince so should get a good few meals out of it all :money:

A spendy day tomorrow - off into town to get my jeans and meet a friend for coffee, may be out tomorrow evening too. At least it's all out of the way in one go/on one day! :rotfl:

p0lly

NSD 2 :j

Just back from work and have been trying not to listen to all the bargains everyone else has got. I will not sale shop. I keep thinking about stuff i ebay and how little you get for the stuff you have paid for. I sold a clock that cost me £35 in a sale for £5 recently and it had never even been out of its box
Nice to have the £5 but would have been better not to spend the £35 in the first place. Anyway no sales for me this year.
Hope everyone had a good day p0lly x

beckyboo1980_2

wannabee_in_credit wrote: »

Hi :wave:

Don't mind you asking at all... I find SW on a budget fairly straightforward as long as I plan well. I only buy value brands of fruit and veg (unless I'm treating myself to some nice tomatoes when they're in season), so it's lots of fruit and veg for not much money. Also always have 2 bags of frozen veg on the go (usually brocolli and something else). I think that if you're really looking to budget then green or extra easy days are more straightforward - you can bulk food out with lentils etc. Unfortunately I do red days, I have a slight resistance when it comes to my body dealing with carbs so I lose weight better on a protein based diet. I am very lucky in that I have a friend who is a butcher - he's struggling to stay in business so I don't get mates rates but I do get lots of advice on cheaper cuts of meat. I spend somewhere between 15 and £20 a week with him and that gives us plenty of meat and eggs for the week ahead.
Personally, I find that the stuff that hikes the cost of the food shop is the stuff that we can do without. The hubby loves stuff like pizza and curry meal deals (and has a really expensive habit for luxury ice cream). The kids like their chocolate and crisps, and of course any alcohol for me or hubby adds more.
I have found that if I go to @ldi and buy their super 6 (base my meal plans round that for the week) I can do my shopping in there for less than £20 easily (plus my meat).
Sorry to waffle, and hope to help - just ask if there's anything else

Thank you soooooo much. Your advice is REALLY helpful and very much appreciated!!! XXX

wannabee_in_credit

You're most welcome. I've just sorted out some fruit for my first trip back to class tomorrow - almost 2 years since I faced the music.
One of my darling kids has broken my bathroom scales - I suspect they've flooded them - but I'm trying to see the bright side that I won't obsessively weigh myself any more.

On other news, looks as though I'm going to chalk up nsd 2. Not been anywhere or done anything much today apart from marking some books.
I've found a couple of things to list on eBay but they're too nice to let go for 99p so I'm waiting for free listing weekend.
I wish I was doing something more productive with my time off but the truth is I have been so exhausted the past few months I'm really just enjoying a bit of a break.