Spend Nowt, Buy Nowt, Owe Nowt

Cherryfudge

Oh no! to the unwanted CC spending. These things happen and the best laid plans, etc. It was an expenditure you'd agreed to, though, and as you say, a good price, so it could have been a lot worse. Getting things done before winter seems to be a bit of a theme for some reason at the moment.

Looking forward to your October goals.

XSpender

It's blowing a hooligan here and both my boys have started their new adventures today

I have set some goals for this week, October and then up until the end of Jan. This gives us enough time to get back on track, see exactly what DH comes out with and will take us up to when he should receive his first bonus at the end of January. We will not be overpaying our debt until February but will not be increasing it and will be making all our regular payments so it will be coming down. We also need to get the work completed in the hall, landing and stairs which is a bigger job than we anticipated.

This Week’s Goals

• No spending Monday to Friday
• Use dinner allowances for groceries and edible Christmas gifts (£40) and plan how to get the most for the money while still having something to eat!
• Stick to this week’s meal plan
• Fresh stuff - use it or freeze it, don’t waste it
• Lunch to work every day for DH
• Meal plan for next week, check freezer before shopping and stick to the list!

This Month’s Goals

• October is all about damage limitation
• Reduce planned food budget by £150 (£350 instead of £500 for a 5-week month)
• Go sober for October – DH and I are not drinking this month so this should save an additional £100
• Meal plan and shop from freezer and cupboards, check what we have before go shopping
• Credit card only to be used for additional decorating materials and Christmas Eve event (if we decide to go). If I can cut the food budget enough I could cover the decorating from this month’s budget as we are only going to buy a tin of wood primer this month.
• Use dinner allowance to buy groceries and food gifts for Christmas (1 chocolates, 1 sweets, 2 big boxes of nice biscuits)
• Keep downstairs tidy
• Arrange low cost dinner with friends and don't commit to any other social events

• Have lost 10lbs in total on SW (and got my half stone certificate)

Plan for November to January

• No credit card spending at all
• Pay minimum payments to all CC and loans
• SIF Argos BNPL (£250)
• Stick to YNAB budget, keep funds in the pots to which they have been allocated to build up a surplus for when needed
• No Christmas gifts for DH and me this year
• Use nectar points, Clubcard points and shop and scan vouchers towards Christmas gifts or use nectar and Clubcard for food and put cash amount from food budget into Christmas gift pot
• My bonus to be used for Christmas gifts and remainder used for emergency fund
• Additional income from DH new salary to build a £1000 emergency fund
• Remainder of DH additional income to be put to one side to complete work in hall, landing, stairs
• Both to collect nectar points on fuel (we do a lot of miles, we should have more than we do)
• Submit receipts to shop and scan for more points
• Start doing surveys again if I can face it
• Find something to wear for the 2 events I have in November without buying anything new

apple_muncher

These are great goal an plans. So comprehensive!

XSpender

NSDS - 1
Go Sober days - 2

XSpender

Still away with work

2 NSDS
3 days Go Sober

Scott_Weiland_2

XSpender wrote: »

It's blowing a hooligan here and both my boys have started their new adventures today

I have set some goals for this week, October and then up until the end of Jan. This gives us enough time to get back on track, see exactly what DH comes out with and will take us up to when he should receive his first bonus at the end of January. We will not be overpaying our debt until February but will not be increasing it and will be making all our regular payments so it will be coming down. We also need to get the work completed in the hall, landing and stairs which is a bigger job than we anticipated.

This Week’s Goals

• No spending Monday to Friday
• Use dinner allowances for groceries and edible Christmas gifts (£40) and plan how to get the most for the money while still having something to eat!
• Stick to this week’s meal plan
• Fresh stuff - use it or freeze it, don’t waste it
• Lunch to work every day for DH
• Meal plan for next week, check freezer before shopping and stick to the list!

This Month’s Goals

• October is all about damage limitation
• Reduce planned food budget by £150 (£350 instead of £500 for a 5-week month)
• Go sober for October – DH and I are not drinking this month so this should save an additional £100
• Meal plan and shop from freezer and cupboards, check what we have before go shopping
• Credit card only to be used for additional decorating materials and Christmas Eve event (if we decide to go). If I can cut the food budget enough I could cover the decorating from this month’s budget as we are only going to buy a tin of wood primer this month.
• Use dinner allowance to buy groceries and food gifts for Christmas (1 chocolates, 1 sweets, 2 big boxes of nice biscuits)
• Keep downstairs tidy
• Arrange low cost dinner with friends and don't commit to any other social events

• Have lost 10lbs in total on SW (and got my half stone certificate)

Plan for November to January

• No credit card spending at all
• Pay minimum payments to all CC and loans
• SIF Argos BNPL (£250)
• Stick to YNAB budget, keep funds in the pots to which they have been allocated to build up a surplus for when needed
• No Christmas gifts for DH and me this year
• Use nectar points, Clubcard points and shop and scan vouchers towards Christmas gifts or use nectar and Clubcard for food and put cash amount from food budget into Christmas gift pot
• My bonus to be used for Christmas gifts and remainder used for emergency fund
• Additional income from DH new salary to build a £1000 emergency fund
• Remainder of DH additional income to be put to one side to complete work in hall, landing, stairs
• Both to collect nectar points on fuel (we do a lot of miles, we should have more than we do)
• Submit receipts to shop and scan for more points
• Start doing surveys again if I can face it
• Find something to wear for the 2 events I have in November without buying anything new

re nectar its worth doing i have my nectar card linked with my ebay account which is worth doing. Anything i buy on ebay i get nectar points on. I can covert points into ebay money off vouchers


https://reward.ebay.co.uk/rwdwebui/nectar/cobranded

XSpender

4 days Go Sober for DH and I and 3 NSDs for me.

DH has managed to spend £15 on food when I was away.

DH is loving his new job but still needs to sort out a couple of things like his bonus structure and how he pays for his fuel. He may have to pay this upfront rather than on a fuel card which is deducted at the end of the month as he has done for the last few years. I haven't budgeted for fuel costs upfront (500 miles per week) so this will eat up the YNAB surplus I have managed to scrape from cutting the food budget and other pots this month if we do have to pay upfront. If we do pay up front DH needs to get in the habit of filling up at the weekend at Sains near home so we can get the nectar points or Asda in his work town where the fuel is cheap and not leaving it until he is so low on fuel he has to use the expensive rural garage on the way to and from work.

We have only spent £68.13 on food this week (last day of budget week today) including a Maccy Dees breakfast and DH £15 food spends which is a huge reduction for us. I have used £30 of my dinner allowances from his week to buy some grocery basics and a box of sweets for a Christmas gift. We don't need much more than bread, milk and fruit this week and a jar of coffee.

I have no overnights next week so will make DH lunches to keep the costs low.

This Week’s Goals

• No spending Monday to Friday - M, T, W for me
• [STRIKE]Use dinner allowances for groceries and edible Christmas gifts (£40) and plan how to get the most for the money while still having something to eat! [/STRIKE]Done
• Stick to this week’s meal plan - so far so good, need to defrost chicken for tonight
• [STRIKE]Fresh stuff - use it or freeze it, don’t waste it[/STRIKE]Done
• Lunch to work every day for DH - Not done
• [STRIKE]Meal plan for next week, check freezer[/STRIKE] before shopping and stick to the list!

This Month’s Goals

• October is all about damage limitation
• Reduce planned food budget by £150 (£350 instead of £500 for a 5-week month) Aiming for under £300 which will be a challenge
• Go sober for October – DH and I are not drinking this month so this should save an additional £100 - 4 days so far, weekend will be tricky
• Meal plan and shop from freezer and cupboards, check what we have before go shopping
• Credit card only to be used for additional decorating materials and Christmas Eve event (if we decide to go). If I can cut the food budget enough I could cover the decorating from this month’s budget as we are only going to buy a tin of wood primer this month.
• Use dinner allowance to buy groceries and food gifts for Christmas (1 chocolates,[STRIKE] 1 sweets[/STRIKE], 2 big boxes of nice biscuits) Done this for the 2 nights away so far and bought 1 gift
• Keep downstairs tidy - DMIL has helped this week
• Arrange low cost dinner with friends and don't commit to any other social events
* Have lost 10lbs in total on SW (and got my half stone certificate) - must get back on plan!

XSpender

Food shop done and over the reduced budget of £70 but bought a few multi buys which would be used this month like bread rolls and dog food. DH requested some beer so he is out of Go Sober for October but I am still going for it and have not bought any wine. We will need a cheap food shop next week to keep under the revised budget.

Budget looks surprisingly OK but that could be always be cos I've made a !!!! up in YNAB somewhere!

:o I am avoiding adding up our new debt total :o

I've made a spreadsheet to plot and track it, just not input the CC figures yet

DH is finishing the decorating this weekend and we are going to look at a cheaper flooring option. May also get a quote on doors but not buying any yet. Not buying the floor yet either. Man coming to give us a quote on some external work on Saturday but not buying that too

I am re-reading Dave Ramsey. Aiming to complete step 1 by the end of November (£1000 emergency fund) and save £500 towards Christmas. Budget is £650, all from cash flow.

Bought a fancy dress costume in Asda for £18 instead of the £7.99 dress in Aldi. This ones got long sleeves and I will need them where we are going on Halloween and probably a thermal vest too! :eek:

I managed 4 NSDs this week so far. Wont get one Saturday but will take flask to DS Rugby to avoid buying hot drinks for me and DH on Sunday so may snaffle another one then.

XSpender

Feeling a bit nauseous as I had a disaster with dinner and read the recipe wrong for the enchilada spice mix I was making and added 2 tbsps. not 2 tsps. of chilli powder. It took an additional 2 cartons of passata to cool it down and was still too spicy for DS though he did try and eat it as he loves enchiladas. DH thought it was lovely!

Added to the grocery spends in aldi today. Why are bulbs so expensive? I now have £120 to last 3 weeks if I want to come in under my super tight budget of £300. It was £350 but I have knocked £50 off for me not drinking all month which is a bit high as I don't drink that much! DH lasted 5 days until the weekend!

DH has been getting on with the glossing and DS and I have had a good clear out of his room. A few toys and books for the charity shop and 2 bin liners full of clothes :eek: It was useful doing the clear out today as I can see what he has toy wise and am clear on what he doesn't need for Christmas (any more board games). He has asked for 3 things and 1 of these my DM will probably get him.

We have spent on the CC today. Primer, a brush and brush cleaner, 2 shirts for DH while they are still a third off and the tickets for the Christmas eve event as planned.

I have been brave and added up the total debt and it isn't pretty. Still focussing on minimum payments, building an emergency fund and covering Christmas from cash and vouchers over the next 3 months.

It cost £80 :eek: to fill DH car and this was for less than a week :eek::eek: This came out of the current account but the fuel for the rest of the month will have to go on a card and then I can budget for it from next month. We just don't have the funds this month.

DH thinks he might earn some bonus this month

I filled my car up at sains yesterday and won £5 worth of nectar points which is another £5 towards DS main present, I have £85 now in vouchers.

Plans for tomorrow are DS match in the morning, move bedroom furniture around, DS spelling practice, more painting, laundry and hopefully spend a couple of hours with some friends.

XSpender

Update on This Week’s Goals

• No spending Monday to Friday Achieved MTWTH and would have got today but bought the flooring
• Use dinner allowances for groceries and edible Christmas gifts (£40) and plan how to get the most for the money while still having something to eat!Done and bought 1 gift
• Stick to this week’s meal plan Almost, but used stuff from freezer when changed plan
• Fresh stuff - use it or freeze it, don’t waste it 1/4 cabbage and 2 bananas never got used
• Lunch to work every day for DH - No but 1st week at new job and I was away
• Meal plan for next week, check freezer before shopping and stick to the list! Done

This Month’s Goals

• October is all about damage limitation
• Reduce planned food budget by £150 (£350 instead of £500 for a 5-week month) This will be a massive challenge
• Go sober for October – DH and I are not drinking this month so this should save an additional £100 DH lasted until the weekend but I am still going strong so have cut £50 off budget not £100
• Meal plan and shop from freezer and cupboards, check what we have before go shopping Ongoing
• Credit card only to be used for additional decorating materials and Christmas Eve event (if we decide to go). If I can cut the food budget enough I could cover the decorating from this month’s budget as we are only going to buy a tin of wood primer this month Bought primer, brush, brush cleaner, Christmas Eve tickets, 2 work shirts for DH and wooden flooring for hallway
• Use dinner allowance to buy groceries and food gifts for Christmas (1 chocolates, [STRIKE]1 sweets[/STRIKE], 2 big boxes of nice biscuits) Done for 2 nights so far and bought sweets
• Keep downstairs tidy This is going well surprisingly with some help from MIL
• Arrange low cost dinner with friends and don't commit to any other social events
* Have lost 10lbs in total on SW (and got my half stone certificate)

DH asthma has been getting worse recently and we can only put it down to the hallway and the dust from the old floor so have committed to getting the wooden floor laid in 2 weeks. This will help with keeping the heating costs down too. The 2 week deadline for the floor means we have to get the painting finished so should spur us on.

Re-reading Dave Ramsey and am up to the chapter on baby step 2. It is making me think about what debts I prioritise to pay off first. I have crunched the numbers and we could be debt free by mid 2019, a year before we are fifty This is all dependant on our bonuses and DH still hasn't got details on how his is structured although he does know the amount. I am also realising that while DH likes the idea of being debt free and mortgage free he is not interested in the details or on living on beans and rice to get there. I'm not sure how I can fire him up to be more frugal. He did mention tonight that someone he knows was looking for a room to rent for someone else but DH said he wouldn't feel comfortable with a strange bloke in the house.

Next weeks plan:

* Frugality by stealth is this week's theme
* The food budget needs to be under £20 cash on Friday. I don't have any meal allowances to play with this week
* Stick to the meal plan for this week
* Bake a cake and create a lunch for DMs on Saturday for 5 with what we have in (DM will provide ham and salad) as she has broken her wrist and can't cook and I have offered so we don't eat out which we can't afford this month
* Meal plan and check freezer to keep shopping list to bare minimum without DH feeling like there is nothing in and spending £30 on snacks at the weekend
* DH pack lunch to work every day
* Keep going on Go Sober
* Get back on SW and lose 2 lb
* Exercise 5 days (dog walk or run)