Elite 11+ shopping and chat thread

Serendipitious

Finally figured how to log out of M&S so I could show you what I got:

http://www.marksandspencer.com/loose-fit-animal-fleece-gilet/p/p22470864

Tinyshoes

LEJC wrote: »

Good morning all...

Tiny..I'm so pleased for your DD,well done
and what a great shop you had last night with the whoopsies,I need to do something like that soon,we are running out of fresh stuff so instead of a morning shop today I will be trying a little later this evening.

I had a bit of a down moment about it all last night.I think it stemmed a little from the trip to the cinema on Saturday...we watched I Daniel Blake....gritty,somewhat true to life in a northern town for lots of people and it just hit home how much some people just need some compassion and kindness in their lives.....there are preview screenings of it before the film is released,its no fairytale with a happy ending but for those who are interested in social interaction and observing others lives its a real insight.

anyway back to the frugalness....I need bread milk and orange squash today so in effect that will wipe out any available money to spend so its reduced fishcakes from the freezer and I have a large sweet potato that I can probably do something with.
We have one large box of thorntons chocs left from when they were £1 a box earlier in the year so that was opened last night and will probably last into next week as treats.desserts/puddings whatever you want to call it.

OH has next week off work as holiday,we are not going away but thats when I really see a challenge to keep it going....normally we would have a few meals out as part of day trips etc but the budget wont allow it this time...so if we do go out it will be with a creative picnic!
I am starting to have enormous respect for those that do manage on a tight budget for whatever reason,it is starting to become a juggle to decide between buying what I need and what I want...and I'm only 4 days in.....for some this is week in week out and a lifestyle,not even necessarily by choice.

Onwards and upwards to the day...have a good one all and make the most of it x

Bit disappointed in myself though LEJC those yellow stickers were such a temptation. I didn't need all of it.

I nipped in Home Bargains after JL cake so I have more to add to my total, toothpaste £1 each so I bought 2 as only go up that way once a month, also got some ground coffee for Mr TS to try £1.39 for 227g bag and a bottle of beer £1.29.

I think I am aiming to spend no more than £100 for the month all 3 of us but I am including, parking and non groceries, it's to try stop me buying any more things that I have more than enough of. I can easily spend a tenner in SD if I find lots of RTCs.

And I am consciously not going to do any online orders for anything as have got into a pattern of using credit card albeit paying it off next month but I want to clear the slate. It won't be a zero statement as it arrives middle of month and will have few September spends. But should impact on Novembers too if I don't spend last half of October. It is so easier to put something on the credit card if you know you have the money to pay it off, I want to get back to having most months payment free. :money:

I will add up later what I have spent so far this month and start to show it in my sig as feel that might reign me in a bit more you lot seeing my frock. :rotfl:

LEJC

Thats brave to be doing all spending Tiny.....if I did it that way the regular payments would already be in 4 figures!.....and then if I were to add petrol too ...mine has to be food and drink only....it's something that there is control over rather than it getting lost in amongst everything else.

how is everyone else finding it so far...I seem to be the only one detailing my experiences and I worry if I carry on in the same vein I will bore you all rigid within 2 weeks!

Serendipitious

Yesterday was an NSD :money:

Today £1.99 tissues.

Tinyshoes

Nannylala wrote: »

Good morning ..
first and foremost Congratulations Tiny on your DD Masters Degree :T:Tmakes the last 5 years hard work so worthwhile :T.
Snap hope your D Dad will be okay :Aand well done on your Barbour purchase in our favourite shop
Thankyou Elite for all your posts re my little 2year olds accident ...I have found out he caught his leg as he got out of the trampoline which caused the injury...I do update on his condition is they are putting him in a cast today;)as needed to wait for the swelling to go down ...I do not envy Mum and Dad trying to keep a normal energetic little 2year old who will have limited movement and not able to do much ...frustration and tantrums come to mind:eek::eek:

Thanks Nanny, it was only the last years work that gave her this degree she took a year out of her medical degree to sandwich in the Masters, she worked through the whole of the summer hence the odd timing for result. The other four years are towards this final year, which everything is hanging on as to whether she makes junior doctor. :eek:

Wondering whether I will get away with the same outfit for both graduations. :rotfl: Although this one will be a winter one and the other if she passes summer so maybe not. :rotfl:

Keep us updated on the little one Nanny, hopefully not too serious damage if he wasn't bouncing at the time...luckily they mend so quickly when they are young. Hope he gets on ok with his cast and doesn't get into too much mischief with it. :A

Serendipitious

LEJC wrote: »

Thats brave to be doing all spending Tiny.....if I did it that way the regular payments would already be in 4 figures!.....and then if I were to add petrol too ...mine has to be food and drink only....it's something that there is control over rather than it getting lost in amongst everything else.

how is everyone else finding it so far...I seem to be the only one detailing my experiences and I worry if I carry on in the same vein I will bore you all rigid within 2 weeks!

So far, for me, it is 'normal' - the only difference being that I'm keeping a running total of grocery and household items. Since S stopped the BM, I've stopped doing 'big' shops, so I've often wondered what the dribs and drabs add up to.

I was never a big grocery spender anyway, single person, single-income household for nearly all my life, and that teaches you thrift automatically. In fact I've often said to my DD who pays higher rate tax, that I could have had her mortgage paid off very rapidly with her income using my outgoings as a budget guide.

Tinyshoes

LEJC wrote: »

Thats brave to be doing all spending Tiny.....if I did it that way the regular payments would already be in 4 figures!.....and then if I were to add petrol too ...mine has to be food and drink only....it's something that there is control over rather than it getting lost in amongst everything else.

how is everyone else finding it so far...I seem to be the only one detailing my experiences and I worry if I carry on in the same vein I will bore you all rigid within 2 weeks!

Ah I haven't included petrol I see that as a necessity. Or any of the regular bills of course and unfortunately I have had to take Mr TS's weekend beer money out of the equation. So it's food, toiletries, clothes, homeware, gifts/presents etc all things I really do have already if anything crops up.

I'm also going to a charity ball this Saturday, tickets are already paid for but I won't be including drinks money or possibly taxi money there and back. I don't think it is somewhere we can get a bus to either...

I know I get carried away when I go shopping, have been reigning it in for couple of months now but to actually keep a record will make me sit up and think.

I'm not find it boring at all I am enjoying we are sharing how we are getting on. Bit like joining a slimming club. Except it's the finances we want to trim.

Serendipitious

To me grocery includes household (loo roll/laundry/cleaning) and all forms of toiletries.

My other categories would only be
a) petrol and
b) discretionary spends like holidays/gifts/clothing/leisure and entertainment.

I think a 'Discretionary December' account would be fun to read, not to be frugal but just to see what actually gets spent on the higher-end range of things. (Well, it would be fun for me to read, as I don't have the funds to do that much discretionary spending, so it would be interesting to see what I'm missing!)

Is anyone else checking emails at 2 minute intervals for Bella? :rotfl:

pacifica9

Good afternoon Elite.

Hoping everyone is warm, happy and well. Hugs to those not so.

pacifica9

LEJC wrote: »

Thats brave to be doing all spending Tiny.....if I did it that way the regular payments would already be in 4 figures!.....and then if I were to add petrol too ...mine has to be food and drink only....it's something that there is control over rather than it getting lost in amongst everything else.

how is everyone else finding it so far...I seem to be the only one detailing my experiences and I worry if I carry on in the same vein I will bore you all rigid within 2 weeks!

You are not boring me! I am one of the sad OCD people with a spreadsheet. I could tell you where every penny has gone this year!