Aprils Fool No More!!!

NinjaSavingKat

Simply a Spend Free Day. I just don't want to step on any toes using the term NSD.. and WELCOME!

Sarah147

Please put me down for the challenge again. Have worked out my final totals for March and I didnt managed to stick to all my targets this month (food being the key area of overspending!), but I did so much better than I would have done without the challenge.

Going to be tougher on myself this month and we will see how we go!

I am trying for;

Supermarkets £50
Meals/drinks out £50
Everything else £150

Hoping for an extra income of £100

It's another free listing day on eBay! Will try and dig out more stuff to put on there later.

Mrs_Toast

Good morning everyone. Hope you all had a nice Easter yesterday.

I have worked out my budgets for the month but it does include 2 weeks of DS being on school holidays.

Food £27.50/£120
Petrol £0/£30
Entertainment £0/£81.20 (child benefit )
Birthdays £0/£5.00
Planned other spends £0/£60

Petrol is not a problem as we have half a tank still and I try and stay local. Entertainment might be tricky but I have a plan of activities for the next 2 weeks. Planned other spends include family carvery out on Saturday for Dad's birthday and DH's train ticket to Sheffield to watch the snooker with my brother.

Will update my sig now. It won't be a SFD as we're off to Walton Gardens today. It only costs £3.20 to park and the rest is free including a zoo, huge playground and duck pond. Will take a picnic too.

Good luck all fellow newbies. Think it might be tough to keep track of 'other spends' but gonna try :j

angelpye

I see SFD as the days when I haven't purchased anything, bills and paying for vets or school trip etc are not included in my mind. Am I right kat? Food and clothes shopping, nights out and treats for nights in are all included is that right?

Just looking at budget:
Challenging myself to £10 food this week as away next week and Ned to use all fresh stuff - looks like a week of carrots!
£100 for food for the remaining 17 days as cupboards running low and with three with various allergies things definitely add up.
Allowing £100 spends on top of holiday spends but hoping keep both spending budgets as low as possible - dont want to miss museums etc even though would feel good to come back with cash. Researchinginto museum passes to see if can get a deal as did in paParis which meant saved loads and jumped queues (queues make me sad)
Also usual clubs etc to pay - so expensive! More than food budget but can't put a price on keeping them active!

SFD - not sure can manage this as will be spending everyday I am away -6 days but will aim to get 20 and at least beat my pitiful 12 from march.

NSK - love your little ditty, wish had a printer to put it in my spends diary!

What do you guys do with receipts? I kept all from last month - usually throw and ignore so quite proud of myself! Do you use them to compare prices or shred on ceremony?

I was again very pleased that when i phoned the bank to check my blnce my records were right! See what you have done to me in a month kat? Amazing well it is to me!

angelpye

PS love the writing letters idea but do you actually ask for freebies? I feel a little embarrassed - what do you say?

thriftylass

Hello,

sorry still didn't have time to catch up and we're already to page 3. Will do it after this as I'm not that busy just now at work . Wow so many new faces and familiar ones.

Here are my April budgets:

Food £150 (away for a long weekend so won't need to buy till the 9th which should reduce it compared to the scary number from previous months) and bought some on Saturday which will last till then

All other spends £240 (that includes some birthdays and a bed for DS, which are already noted in sig)

Total budget £390 which I'm sure is too low again but I couldn't help again putting as much as possible towards the Debt prevention mission. The oven and the few Euros we need for next weekend will come out of the joint savings and won't be counted although they'll reduce the DPM total.

Yorkshirelass that's what we'll do. Just get a cheap oven (in currys I saw one for £130) and do it ourselves as the connection almost cost as much as the oven :eek:

Last month my junk spends came in at 17% of other spends. This month ideally it should be 0% but I aim to keep it definitely under 10%.

I also pledge 20 SFDs.

Re Freebies, I don't think I have the guts to do the letter writing either but I signed up to a few freebie sites just now. I'll let you know how I get on with that.

Munchin

Morning everyone,

Ok budgets set..gulp:)

Food: £80/£0
Petrol: £160/£0
Entertainment & odds: £300/
SFD: 20/0

My entertainment looks high this month but it will have to cover - OHs birthday pressie & meal; Mum's 70th party and nephew's confirmation.

sketchingkari

Is it too late for me to start? If not, could you count me in please, I have a budget of £250 for the rest of the month for a family of 5.

krustylouise

Don't think my post set out proper budget info, sorry. Here goes;

Food £0/£80
Petrol £0/£50
Entertainment £5.75/£40
SFD 0/20

TOTAL BUDGET: £170

Took DD to cinema (£3.50 for us both and £2.25 for a kids pack - popcorn and fruit shoot)

Off for a walk shortly and hoping the sun stays out

eightballsgirl

Hello everyone!

Thank you for being so welcoming! I am new to the world of MSE however due to illness and absence from work I need to master the art of budgeting and watch every penny so thought this thread would be an ace way to do that :j

I am aiming for 20 SFD's split into 5 per week. I have budgeted for £50 food shop for month as cupboards and freezer stuffed full so just need to buy perishables etc. I don't drive but have a train pass which is already accounted for in my monthly outgoings, I am aiming to keep with £65 on miscelleaneous spends but tbh should be well below that as not anything we need off top of my head but will keep as emergency fund.

Starting on my letters for freebies today, nothing ventured nothing gained!

Enjoy the rest of your bank holiday, bye for now!