NOT BUYING IT! 2015 - A consumer holiday

vodkawitch1

4 NSDs in a row and hoping today will be the 5th. Still plenty in so nothing urgent needed. Finished sorting my wardrobe and books, cs has had a good few bags over the past weeks .
Still got the filing cabinet and china cabinet to do - never ending how did I get so much stuff!
Been doing a bit of sewing and more reading since NBI it is surprising how much time it frees up.
Keep going everyone.

[Deleted User]

Only the second food shop so far this month, and only a tiny one at that £3.90 for odds and ends needed this morning.

NBI indeed means by not trundling to the shops every day, you have so much more time to enjoy life. I love the fact I can read, knit ,bake and just do as I'm going to be doing shortly with my coffee, just sit in the conservatory and watch the grass grow, and do absolutely nothing :):)

It does you good sometimes just to relax .I have done my shopping,had a free coffee at Dobbies made some shortcrust pastry (sitting in the fridge to rest )which I will turn into a quiche later.had my lunch and now am going to just sit and watch the birds in the garden as they are nest-building at the tree at the bottom of the lawn (more industious than I am that's for sure :):)) Life just gets better and better, as the sun is out here in north Kent and its turned into a very nice spring day
JackieO xxx

Tink_04

Hiya ship mates

Well my planning is not doing too badly - I'm just setting my 4 week budget and I'm going to work in cash! I'm just trying to think of anything I've forgotten. I've got petrol, breakfast club, dance classes, nappies .... I'm just wondering what else I can split into envelopes for my cash spends? We have a separate bill account and shopping account so it's just daily type spends - any tips? I really want to get it right x

GreyQueen

Haircuts? Newspapers/ magazines? Treat envelope (sweeties)? HTH.

edwink

Tink_04 wrote: »

Hiya ship mates

Well my planning is not doing too badly - I'm just setting my 4 week budget and I'm going to work in cash! I'm just trying to think of anything I've forgotten. I've got petrol, breakfast club, dance classes, nappies .... I'm just wondering what else I can split into envelopes for my cash spends? We have a separate bill account and shopping account so it's just daily type spends - any tips? I really want to get it right x

Hi Tink

I think you have your daily spends mostly covered if you add GreyQueens ideas to it!!

But, how about an envelope where you put a certain amount of money in every week/month for days out/holiday spending money. Then when it comes to them you will have the money saved up already.

Just an idea!!

Edwink x

Lynplatinum

Very late - evening all!!

I have just got back from going to Hastings to be with my son on Mother's Day. Because I broke my leg 12/07/2014 and could not drive and he is too poor to afford train fare and busy trying to earn a crust - I havent seen him since June last year. It has made me realise just how important loving relationships are - I missed him loads and he missed me and felt bad that he could nt come and look after me. But then I was so fortunate in my wonderful friends and my other son (lives nearer!). You cant buy love!!

Re schools - my sons went to school on a rough local estate where many of the families (including us) were on benefits! A new headmaster was appointed who had previously only run a small private school. He introduced monogrammed polo shirts; monogrammed jumpers and attempted to get the parents to agree to changing the school uniform to short/tie/ monogrammed Blazer!! there was a revolt and several governors and a parents pressure group (including me) stopped him. then he started on the PE kit! The point at which I lost my rag was when he wanted us to buy WHITE RUGBY SOCKS @ £7 per pair (this was 15 years ago - to give you an idea of how expensive they were!). I didnt play nice and wrote a very sarcastic letter to the local paper saying that I would only buy them if the PE teacher or the head washed them every week to keep them white as the majority of the parents of the kids at the school were on some kind of benefits and could not afford either the washing powder or if working long hours for min wage the time to sit and scrub them. They dropped the idea and a few months later the head left (yep he had other daft ideas - very Christian assemblies in a mostly Muslim/Jewish/non religious school for one!) but I am sure the public humiliation cant have helped! He fled back to the private system to teach classics!

Was tempted in Hastings by some lovely stuff in CS but I was frim with myself and did nt give in!! Nor did I buy from the little hippy shop (incense is a weakness - I ve got loads to use up!). So NIB! I did treat us to a lunch out but that was budgeted for! Glad to be back on board shipmates!

boultdj

Tink_04 wrote: »

Hiya ship mates

Well my planning is not doing too badly - I'm just setting my 4 week budget and I'm going to work in cash! I'm just trying to think of anything I've forgotten. I've got petrol, breakfast club, dance classes, nappies .... I'm just wondering what else I can split into envelopes for my cash spends? We have a separate bill account and shopping account so it's just daily type spends - any tips? I really want to get it right x

Window cleaner, daily/weekly paper, parking meter money, tea/coffee whilst waiting at dance class[or flask if you take your own] hth

[Deleted User]

lynplatinum well done that lady for resisiting the temptations of Hastings
tink_4 You seem to have most things covered but I too would suggest you have a small amount of 'Happy Cash' in an envelope for use in case you see something you want to treat yourself to, even if its only a bag of fresh cream cakes or a bunch of flowers ,but an amount so you think 'I'm not wasting money, this is treat money'

Otherwise you will feel cheesed off pretty quick.My late Mum always had a little bit tucked away for this purpose and throughout my life so have I.

Sometimes its been a treat for me or the children, or nowadays it would be for the grandchildren
But its well worth it and it does help you from straying of the path of frugality and into the heady ways of wastefullness :):):)

treats are just tha,t something to cheer you up when its sheeting down outside, or you just feel like splashing out on a small something for yourself or a loved one.and if you don't spend it all up in a month then you can save it for something bigger perhaps .But it doen's impinge on your 'normal' budget so if you buy a tin of bubbles and sit in the garden blowing them you don't have to feel guilty about it (I did this once when my kids were small and we were pretty stoney and years later they still remember their Mum just playing bubbles in the garden with them.Children and grandchildrens memories are things that are priceless yet so precious.
I wish you well with your 'cash only' its how I budget and I feel I have saved a lot more since doing it than I used to
JackieO

vulpix

Real life been getting in the way for me too.

My kids loved bubbles when they were small.I once worked with an autistic boy who perfected a secret recipe for bubble mixture.he used to beg wire coat hangers and blow the biggest bubbles you have ever seen.I often wonder what became of him,he must be 40 now.

I have been poorly again.Gall stones for 2 days.I cannot have them out soon enough.On the plus side I do lose weight!!!I also went to see a Dr about my back yesterday.A bit sobering when he introduces himself as Dr Smith,spinal surgeon.Yikes!

Went shopping yesterday.£45 but it includes quite a bit of stuff for Easter.

My son tells me that he wont be home at Easter He is going to his girlfriends parents.I am very pleased for him but I think he has cut the apron strings now :(:( He is even losing his accent and sounds more like where she is from-Hampshire.This is a grown up relationship for him.

Whilst in town yesterday I went to the 99p chazzer with birthday money burning a hole in my pocket.For £12 I bought a pair of tan leather boots,a regatta fleece,2 m,n,s tops,top shop top(haha)Tee shirt for youngest and a pair of m,n,s tweed trousers.At the same time Mr V went to a shoe place and bought a pair of trainers for £50.

I have had an email telling me I am due a tax rebate:jI may get my car fixed from where I reversed into a wall!The rest will be nice for when we go to Oxford.

Beautiful day here,I would like to go in the garden but still feel rough and woosy from the pain killers.Will give it a try.

Laters Vx

suki1964

Well life is busy ATM. Work is hectic was supposed to be in today but 7 days on the trot was too much so someone has stepped in for me today. Was hoping for a lie in but it never happened. The mattress we bought for vast amounts in the summer has developed a dent in the middle. Luckily we bought it in a local store, one email with a photo and it's being replaced today, no quibbles, no waiting on someone coming out to check it and waiting weeks for a report. Great service, something I find we get when we stick to local small businesses

When I moved here it was a shock to find I had a hundred mile round trip to use the shops I was used to such as ikea, PC world etc etc.My small town supports a great local electrical store, a couple of good furniture stores and a hardware store as well as two small computer shops. We now use those, supporting the local ecomony and saving on fuel and travel. Mum asked me today if I would be heading to I kea anytime soon as she wanted bulbs and they were the cheapest. I pointed out it was hardly money saving to drive the hundred miles when the shop in town sold them for a £1 a pack more, and that if they blew within weeks they would replace them no quibbles!!

One thing I'd like to ask all you crafts people, how did you get involved in your craft of choice? I think I'd like to find a hobby that's not computer related but I have no idea what. The only thing I have found does come naturally to me is cooking but as that's my living I'd like to find something else

Any pointers?


The weather is still very unpredictable here ATM. Storms followed by bright frosty days. Hubby has got the bikes road ready, hoping to get some time today to cycle. The fields are full of baby lambs and it's a joy to see them bouncing about. I'm losing weight and desperately need to start toning up so hoping the cycling will help

Spending wise, it's still flying out the purse but it's nessecary spends. Last week was oil, this week the coal and next month the rates. Hopefully that's the lot till next winter

Once this lot is paid I start the Christmas savings

Right off to try get this mattress off the bed...