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  • Thank you so much everyone. It's the first of the month, I have goodbudget all set up and ready to go on my phone. I'll track this month (even tracking makes me think about things) and see what I really need to cut back on next month.
    The last couple of days I just haven't taken any money out on the school run, it's not like I need anything and I haven't missed spending on snacks and charity shop bits. Instead of buying my son a cookie on the way home I've taken something from home, saving £1 a day!
  • suki1964
    suki1964 Posts: 14,313 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    Thank you so much everyone. It's the first of the month, I have goodbudget all set up and ready to go on my phone. I'll track this month (even tracking makes me think about things) and see what I really need to cut back on next month.
    The last couple of days I just haven't taken any money out on the school run, it's not like I need anything and I haven't missed spending on snacks and charity shop bits. Instead of buying my son a cookie on the way home I've taken something from home, saving £1 a day!


    Well done for making the start

    As you say just noting spends makes you so aware of expenditure

    Since I became a minimum wage earner, I cost everything in my mind as to how many hours work it took to pay for something, that really curbs my spending


    Oh and giant cookies are only 29p in lidl and do last well :D
  • gayleygoo
    gayleygoo Posts: 816 Forumite
    I have been looking into doing "zero budgeting", which means you allocate every penny of your income somewhere so you aren't tempted to overspend and are saving where you can. Figure out what your necessities normally cost per month, and work with what you have left over, allocating money to savings, personal spends etc. In this kind of budget you need to consider things that might need to be replaced over time, and save towards them - everything from boiler servicing, car repairs, new household appliances, school uniforms and work clothes etc. All those little - or big - spends can make a dent in our finances when they aren't planned for. It's easy to budget for things you normally spend money on, but purchases and services that you use only annually or less often can be forgotten about until they spring up!

    You've made a great start :) it can take a little bit of time to change your spending habits so they feel normal, but you'll get there!

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  • wow, zero budgeting sounds pretty hardcore. I could do it for a week at a time though, one week on one week off maybe.
    I'll see how things pan out this month, it's been so easy not spending I'm astonished but it is early days yet.
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