NOT BUYING IT! 2015 - A consumer holiday

Rebelle

Hello everyone!

Hope you're all having a great weekend, I'm still trying to catch up with the thread & been so busy I've not had time to post, but you are all still inspiring me very much!

Wanted to post today to tell you all I've just been doing some sums (inbetween some decluttering - inspired by you lot & the KonMarie thread) & Not Buying It has saved me £300 this month! :j This has gone towards an overdraft I badly needed to pay off as the interest had become very expensive due to a change of terms - & next week it will be paid off in full! I still have another overdraft to clear & some catalogue debt I need to pay off while it's still interest free, but as long as I stay aboard with you lot I'm confident I'll manage it. Then I will be debtfree & can start saving, oh joy!

On the wins front, I have stuck to only buying essentials with groceries & have noticed I've been spending a lot less. No frivolous buys either, am much more mindful now of buying tat & things I don't need, it feels great!

Also used up some cupboard stuff to make overnight oats (I think it was Purpleshoes who posted about this way back!) & had those for breakfast at work, delicious & very frugal, I like mine quite simple, just oats, almond/rice milk, sultanas & some cinnamon. So easy to make just leaving it all overnight in the fridge (then keeps for a week, I make a big batch sometimes) & I prefer it now to hot porridge, even in the depths of winter! :rotfl:

I'll round off by confessing my NBI sins this month... just calculated I could have saved a further £200 if I hadn't bought an item that although useful, wasn't necessary & also if I cut back on socialising... I don't want to go too far with this, because for me one of the reasons I want to be more careful with money is to enjoy my life more. This obviously means spending time with friends & loved ones & sometimes it unavoidably costs money to do this... but when I look at my spends this month, I could have saved another £70 on eating out/takeaways with friends by planning ahead & we'd still have had just as good of a time together.

Something to think about & work on for the rest of the year... how to have just as much fun while spending less money! You lovely folk have given me so many ideas already. Am off to London tomorrow for an overnight break & all your advice a good few pages back on what to do for free is fab, thank you so much! :A

Back to the decluttering for now... happy Saturday sailing all! :beer:

boultdj

Yesterday and today are spend free day's, it's just petrol I'v used, OH did the spending today, got his-self 2 zip up cardie's with out pocket's.


Looking forward to my course tomorrow, even if it does make it a spend day.

eandjsmum

Hi Shipmates


Bad day here - Had to buy new glasses.

Karmacat

Rebelle, cinnamon in porridge! Yes! Thank you

117pauline

Number 89 - Portion control

Being a bit lazy today so that is as far as my brain will work

Another NSD which is good

Pauline

candygirl

Another NSD here! Am feeling very virtuos today, as despite getting a voucher from hungry house, I have a hm pizza in the oven:

vulpix

Just lost a post,vexing.

My ederflower cordial recipe is similar with more lemons and no oranges.The recipe does make a very sweet drink and it could work with less sugar.I am not sure what it would be like with no sugar but not much lost to try.

When I was buying citric acid from a home brew shop I had the 3rd degree.Heroin addicts use it to enhance their experience!

Been out and bought new school shoes for youngest today.Old holey ones now in the bin.We had to frequent a nearby 99p charity shop obviously.

I got 3 M&S tea light holders for £2.98 These are to go with the new for show only towel in the bathroom.With plants in the windows it is looking less clinical in there.

A big eating day tomorrow,Christening reception at the golf club then family meal at Turkish restaurant for DD1's birthday.

pm2326

Spends day today as Mr M has cat food on offer.

I always shop around for it as its £5 a box normally and try my hardest never to pay full price even if it means going out of my way to get it cheaper.

Have tried for years to give him cheaper stuff but he never clears the dish so it ends up in the bin and then he eats more biscuits. Eventually worked out it was cheaper to buy the pricy one knowing he would eat it all than buy cheaper one plus biscuits...current offer is best price I have seen it at in 8 years :T

Tried to get it last week but had sold out so today I cleared the shelf, will go back next Saturday and see if they have more, offer is on until end of the month

RicardaRacoon

Evening everyone

Rebelle, if you don't mind the work with cooking I think it is much nicer and more confortable to meet at home than in a restaurant anyway. Plus I think with relatively regular guests you don't have to have a huge effort cooking something fancy every time. A friend sometimes visit on a weeknight and we do some knitting together. We normally have pizza or hm cornish pasty and salad.

I think I have to watch the Eat well for less as well.
I told my parents about the family who spent 13k a year for four and they were shocked. They never reached that amount for a family of five. But then, there was always a meal plan, a shopping list, a freezer filled with offers and veggies from the plot. And certainly no we-go-into-the-shop-and-buy-everything-we-might-like-even-if-we-don't-know-what-exactly-it-is...

Does anyone know if it is possible to freeze soft tortillas? I won't need all of them and it says on the packaging that you should use them up within 3 days once open. I don't want them to get dry and hard.

Did some "frivolous" spending yesterday. Bought some fabric tape in a lovely red-yellow-grey flower pattern. A bit 70ies like. And a big piece of thick pink felt. Oh and handcream.... Smelling of almonds... I now want to eat amaretti...
Already turned the felt into a cover for a flower pot to get some extra colour into my kitchen. The rest will be turned into a flower garland for my window. So I would say this is a small amount of money well spent.
Well, a while back I would also have bought three books of which I would only read one, a blouse that I would wear twice and a nail polish very close in colour to one I already had - but I would only remember that once I'm home....

I divide my washing in 40° and 60°. 60° are undies, kitchen towels, bath towels, pillow cases and anything non-delicate that has space in the machine. 40° are "normal" clothes. Bedlinen goes into which ever machine it fits in.

Have a nice evening everyone! I think I'll have an early night. Family gathering ahead tomorrow and having to leave at 9.30 as granny told us that we were not to be late...

emiai

Nsd for us, and we had freezer surprise, which the children loved.

Gave in and donated the four bags of clutter I had saved for a car boot, there are some nice children's bits in the bags that's are useful now, old wellies, coats etc... I'd rather them see some use.

I'm supposed to be studying tonight, just not feeling overly motivated. Might count some pennies into my money jars, I find that sort of.. healing.. lol