NOT BUYING IT! 2015 - A consumer holiday

weesmiler

Great news, candygirl!

Well done on your haircut GQ!

I'm having a NSD today, but will need to get a few fresh food essentials tomorrow. I've been off work for the past week and a half after my grandad passed away and I'm going back on Monday. I will be quite glad to get into a good routine again, but I really feel I've benefitted from having a break.

Only 13 weeks left at work til my maternity leave starts so I'll be counting down and trying to save as much money as possible!

I've managed some decluttering today, but it's all bagged up, so not actually out of the house yet! The biggest item I'm about to declutter is my car! I had a 3 door car which I am selling to my little cousin who is just about ready to do her driving test. I've bought my mum's 5 door car in preparation for hauling a baby seat in and out of the back! I will be quite glad to get the other car away, will declutter the driveway and I can stop paying tax and insurance for two cars although sad to see it go, as it has been a reliable wee runner and never let me down.

Hope everyone is having a nice Saturday,
Weesmiler xx

savingqueen

Bit behind on the thread but will catch up over the weekend.
Spendy day but all bargains!

No 1 shopping session at Liddleees, half price mince x 6 packs at 87p each (2 bought for a friend), YS pork joint already on offer and YS chicken, rolls and crumpets (shared crumpets with another shopper who commented in the Q, she has delighted) 2 x half price truffles 99p put away as gifts. Coffee and HM cookie at friends as thank you for dropping off the mince.

Session 2

Lift to/from town so no parking costs.
2 tops and 2 scarves (scarves on BOGOF) in one charity shop. 2 greetings cards in another reduced from 99p to 29p and a lovely double M&S cotton duvet cover which I am chopping up to prolong the life of 2 old, well loved covers with lots of lovely buttons on it to be used for something else for £1.99. 2 cotton work shirts for DH in a 3rd.
Used b%ts points to "buy" shampoo and picked up lots of choccy coins and tiny choc bunnies for 20p and 10p each respectively to make Easter gifts. Given a 10% off spend (on anything) voucher so will hot foot there before date is up to buy some basic toiletries we need using remainder of points.
Birthday gift in reduced to clear section in The W%rks sale put away for next month.
Cheap lunch out (planned treat). Assistant pointed out that adding a pack of crisps to drink and sarnie saved a couple of quid and crisps taken home for kids. Other spends were good deals in £ shops. I haven't been shopping without a list this year and it was fun though I won't do it very often, I will do it again when I am in the mood and have the time.

GreyQueen

candygirl wrote: »

Well done GQ, or should I call you Vidal Sassoon from now on?:rotfl: Tonight I have DGS 3 stopping over.He has really bad dire rear(spelt wrong on purpose) , but still wants a takeaway.I can get a third off tonight with a val's day code Got a fab hm card off the Grandkids:j

You can call me anything you like, as long as you don't call me late for dinner..........

If I wasn't employed in an office-y environment, I'd've done a HM haircut years ago but I was iffy in case it went a bit wrong. Then I told myself to get a grip, it's a haircut, not a rhinoplasty, the darn barnet will grow back. Pretty pleased with myself. It's about more than saving a tenner every 4-6 weeks, it's about freeing myself from the irritation of having to go to the hairdressers, the back wash, the small talk etc etc etc.

Have bought 2 bottles of WUP today as was passing an Aldee and that's it. But Auntie did give me some stuff from a hamper she'd won today inc a bag of breadflour, the windmilled breadflour of the kind I buy myself, so that's very pleasing. She doesn't bake at all, so knew I did, so pleased at her kindness.

Got plans to hit up a Liddle for a deal on their mince and will run up a big pot of chili on Monday which will see me OK for several meals.

eandjsmum

Another one with a spendy day here. I had to re-enrol for my art course- long story there but a victory for us protesters who bombarded adult ed with complaints. So spent on carparking9 which if adult-ed hadn't cancelled my course and refunded my fees I wouldn't have had to do) then visited a CS on way to next town brought two tops and given a free book. Went to Sainsbugs small spend there and Boot$ cough mixture as DD is poorly. Also brought DD two very much reduced nail polishes and a lindt teddy also v much reduced as a cheer up prezzie.


I have also decluttered the wardrobe and now have a large bag of clothes that are not worn and a smaller bag of worn out clothes, 4 empty shoeboxes a pile of paperwork to shred, an old mobile phone and a quantity of unused coat hangers. I have also uncovered a few very pretty blouses to wear to work. I will finish the rest of the wardrobe in the week along with one drawer under the bed.
Whilst cleaning the bathroom a quantity of ancient toiletries were either discarded or put to one side for immanent use. So all in all feeling very positive about today, just wish that there hadn't been the foul-up with the course as I probably would have spent the rest of a rainy day decluttering.

savingqueen

Pleased to hear Candy is better.

Congrats on the haircut GQ.

I would have never believed I would or even could cut my hair but a few years ago I did and have not looked back. I was motivated by both saving precious pounds and eradicating excruciating visits to the hairchoppers who never really got how I wanted my hair - ie a natural looking style that dries naturally. I have long wavy hair that I like 'as it comes' and they all were obsessed with sculpting it and talking nonsense whilst doing so. Then the faked smile from me saying yes it looks lovely :rotfl:Freedom!!!

PenguinOfDeath

Ahoy!

All well here so far, my spreadsheet of spends is still on going and I 'm already comparing to last year. January came out better than last year but this month spends are already up on last, mainly because of a weekend away and a couple of cheeky meals out! :A

Doing well on the decluttering front too, a few toiletry items used up, a couple I've realised I don't like have gone in a pile to donate to women's refuge as last year.

I have managed to get myself a different role at work :j Pros: better opportunities, better work environment, better money Cons: longer commute (more petrol), no uniform!

I've worn a uniform of some description or other for around three years so last night I dug out my 'office' clothes and tried on what suits and fits me now.

As a result I have a small collection of 'OKs' around 4 times that are OK with a bit of tweaking or if I don't eat on a particular day... 8 items into the CS pile, no kidding myself I'm going to slim down to fit into them, by the time that did happen they would be even more out of date! I'm also another non-ironer so tops need to be resistant to creases...

This is where mindful spending will come in, I'm going on a mission to purchase additions to the work wardrobe for a minimal amount, I'm thinking shoes, accessories and some new trousers are my main targets, but I will see what's around.

I did consider checking charity shops but I'm an awkward shape so it's hard enough buying in shops with regular sizes never mind making it more difficult for myself and spending even more time in shops, that's not in my plan!


Because if this and the possible irregular hours or time away I have bought a few extras in the latest shops so we can have less time thinking what to have and have plenty in stores in case I can't be bothered shopping.


We've also had the news there is the possibility of a couple of 'free' holidays in Europe this year :j, well accommodation anyway we'll have to pay for flights - one of the locations I haven't visited before so an exciting prospect

pm2326

Evening everyone

Another spend day for me, February is turning out to be a bit expensive as I'm stocking up on cat food while its on offer...but it should balance out over next few months. Have 8 boxes so far so that's 3 months supply. Offer finishes end of month so hoping to get some more in.

Made some falafels for tea with flat breads out of freezer. Also made 5 individual steamed sponge puddings using last bits of a jar of mincemeat. Years since I made steamed puds and it was yum yum! so I ate one, have one to reheat tomorrow, froze 2 before cooking and I'm going to freeze the other cooked one. Not sure which is best way to freeze them, raw or cooked, so thought I would experiment!

Aril

Ahoy there me hearties!

Still aboard the great ship of NBI:j Weekly update from me.

Parsnip wine is now prepped and bubbling away.

Leftover carrots have been made into a vat of carrot and orange soup and green peppers chopped and frozen.

I've made peanut butter for the first time ever and used my slow cooker to make chocolate orange fudge which worked out well.

The latest declutter turned up some felt beads I had forgotten I'd made so have now converted them into a brooch using the pin from another unworn one. Made a Valentine's card for Mr GBT entirely from my craft stash

Lots of mending done. Friend gave me a couple of skirts which I've taken the waistbands off. One now fits whilst the other is waiting to be finished. Picked up a big black shirt for £2 from the charity shop for my next morris dancing jacket.

We did buy new phones this week. All the carparks are moving over to smart technology and I had a perfectly serviceable but very elderly Nokia. We managed to get a good deal and a thrifty PAYG deal. I did invest in a cover as I know how easily the bloomin' screens scratch and crack.

Popped into our local coop when passing. 3 loaves of garlic bread reduced to 10p for the lot. Result!

Arilx

Ches

Spending gone a bit (a lot) haywire here as DD's relationship has ended so I have, and will be, helping out with financing her household until her monies are sorted out. I will probably finish up paying her CC as well as mine as I can't see her having enough money coming in to do it herself. I must also admit to a couple of CS buys that were too good to miss and as I work in the shop it wasn't as if I went in to look they just jumped out at me. Apart from all that everything else is going according to plan and nothing else bought except basics.

[Deleted User]

Another NSD today which I am pleased about ,but I knew it would be a low-spend month as I had stocked up well with odds and ends in January with the Aldee fiver of a forty pound shop deal.

Still have lots in the cupboard,even though I did a good bit of sorting out of bits for my gorgeous DGS Ben .

Next week we go up to Norwich and take along his 'Ben-box' which consists of food and toiletries etc to get him through until the end of term at Uni. His grant is running a bit thin at the moment, so a big box of tinned bits and pieces and a few goodies are always gratefully received by not only him but his pals in Halls whom he shares with

They share out anything they get ,and are a good bunch of lads and lasses, no one gets to go hungry bless them :) Its often staples like tinned toms,kidney beans and things they can make in large amounts to share together One of the girls in their part of the Halls makes sure that the boys all get fresh veg as they give her some cash and she is happy to buy in bulk for them all, I think she is weaning them off of meat as she is a veggie so she cooks really nice meals that they probably wouldn't think of trying. But when your feeling a bit hungry you will eat whats put in front of you :):).There are 6 of them altogether and they have already arranged their accomodation for this coming September in a large house together.Katie ,one of the girls apparently rules the boys with just one steely glance (my kind of girl :):))

So food budget is going well and only 13 more days left in February to go :):)