NST Super September Scrimping challenge

thriftylass

Hello,

I have not abandoned you . Sorry just a cr*p weekend being sick. But back at work today and will catch up with the last 5! pages later and newcomers etc.

See you soon

thriftylass

vintagebrighton wrote: »

Morning Day 1/30


Will withdraw my £40 shopping budget and get butter and veg as needed for breakfast tomorrow. Hubby is on a low fat diet (gp threatened statins) and I follow low carb/high fat - we're like Jack Spratt and his wife here! Need my butter for spinach omelette in the morning.

No sorry, food spends are spend days. Only direct debits etc don't count or if you manage your whole shop with YS items.

thriftylass

Hello again,

apologies again for breaking my own rule of daily check in. What I wasn't well all weekend. But back to normal now and here it goes:

First of all welcome to all newcomers, you have been listed on post 1 (please all double check I didn't miss anyone, Ta).

Abundant welcome back to and big hugs. What a horrific time you had, hope things will be improving soon.

So I noticed quite a lot of exercise and NSD have bee achieved. But also a few unexpected items in the bagging area like sofas and paint. Now, don't fret. They were thought about for a while, so no rush decisions (sofa) or they were in the end essential for the upkeep of sth (paint). Don't let this get you down. Yes, think about the consequences, the reasons, etc but move on. My month didn't start off as planned either. Spend too much on food and drink for the BBQ on Sat (couldn't even partake properly), bought paint to finish our bedroom (£10 value white) and spend money at a food festival.

However, there are 4 weeks left in September that we can use to make positive changes, damage control etc. No heads to be stuck in the sand yet. Start racking up those NSDs. BTW DawnW they're a mind set that takes practice. Did you need to get that dog bed that day or could it have waited till a grocery shop the next few days. Don't put off essential spends but try and plan to make them fall onto the same day. Why do you spend everyday, on what? It takes a bit of practice and forward planning that does't happen overnight. Persevere.

I have a bit less money left Than I thought as the 15 hrs 3-y-o nursery funding accounts for less than I though and my budget was off by £100 pounds (the value of those 15 hours only pays for 1/3 of the monthly fee in a cheap nursery, gosh). Anyway, nothing I can change, need to make the most of what's left.

Chin up Ninjasavingturtles

DawnW

thriftylass wrote: »

BTW DawnW they're a mind set that takes practice. Did you need to get that dog bed that day or could it have waited till a grocery shop the next few days. Don't put off essential spends but try and plan to make them fall onto the same day. Why do you spend everyday, on what? It takes a bit of practice and forward planning that does't happen overnight. Persevere.

A good point, no I didn't need to buy it yesterday.... but if I hadn't snapped it up then for £5 as a good as new car boot find I would have had to pay upwards of £30 for a new one on another occasion

I am quite rubbish at NSDs, I admit, but sometimes, if you see something you need for a bargain price, surely it is better to buy it there and then, before someone else does, rather than pay several times the cost the next day or whatever? Interesting argument, as I know that it is easy to justify unplanned and unneeded purchases on the basis that they are cheap, or a bargain (and yes, I have been guilty of this myself in the past, though not so much these days as I am trying to cut down on stuff and clutter).

I tend to have a list of odd things that are needed / need replacing, and try to get them secondhand if possible (depending on whether the item lends itself to this of course!) Trouble with this is, you have to buy it when you see it

I have sadly failed again today, I confess OH's hospital appointment this morning meant paying for parking. Also got a coffee while waiting, and paid the milkman's bill.

determined_new_ms

I know how you feel Dawn! I agree it makes sense if you see something that's on your "to get" list for a song it's worth getting. The problem for me is all the clever marketing the SMs do which make you go in to get the offer and end up spending another £20.

As you know I like to get things 2nd hand as far as possible - 1 less thing making it's way to landfill swings and roundabouts I guess!

Yesterday was a SFD despite being at a festival

Did my exercise already 35 mins power walking - will do 10 mins a bit later when I go to pick up madam - and 10 mins hula hooping

Was planning a NSD today but need milk so might as well get the things I was going to get on Thurs today. Will write a v small list and stick to it & get petrol while in town.

Going to go through the larder and put a use it up box together and aim to use at least 1 thing a day

Have recorded all spends

Just about to go and put my feet up with my book for an hour

thriftylass

DawnW wrote: »

A good point, no I didn't need to buy it yesterday.... but if I hadn't snapped it up then for £5 as a good as new car boot find I would have had to pay upwards of £30 for a new one on another occasion

I am quite rubbish at NSDs, I admit, but sometimes, if you see something you need for a bargain price, surely it is better to buy it there and then, before someone else does, rather than pay several times the cost the next day or whatever? Interesting argument, as I know that it is easy to justify unplanned and unneeded purchases on the basis that they are cheap, or a bargain (and yes, I have been guilty of this myself in the past, though not so much these days as I am trying to cut down on stuff and clutter).

I tend to have a list of odd things that are needed / need replacing, and try to get them secondhand if possible (depending on whether the item lends itself to this of course!) Trouble with this is, you have to buy it when you see it

I have sadly failed again today, I confess OH's hospital appointment this morning meant paying for parking. Also got a coffee while waiting, and paid the milkman's bill.

That makes total sense. Rather spend less on sth that is really needed if you can. I'm not actually near the shops that often anyway (work in town centre but have no reason to go in it), which makes it easier for me. I don't need anything during the week unless we run out of milk and I try to plan this for Friday if we have enough space in the fridge. So there are 4 NSDs in a row usually. I then try and only spend two days out of Fri/Sat/and Sun (which of course can also still go horribly wrong and over budget) from a well constructed list (till DH interferes, lol).

BTW for future reference I would class hospital parking like medical expenses as you can't really not go and walking might not be possible (Coffee could've been brought along in a flask , and the milkman is a bill);).


Made a big batch of scotch broth on Sunday in the slow cooker, thought that will be 5 of MY lunches sorted. DH walks in (the one who usually only takes nice leftovers 4 times a month) and asks if they are just for me. What about him? So he went in with a portion today. Might be onto sth here....

Another edit, keep forgetting to update on my progress etc. Had some me time the last three days by either reading at night or crocheting for a wee while. Tonight will be HM curry, with naan, HM spiced onion etc.

Really trying to avoid the Friday shop this week and leave it till Saturday by being creative in the kitchen. Also still have the heating off. The weekend was surprisingly nice which helped, but today is grim but at least rather mild still (8-15C) outside.

NelliePie

Hi all, sorry for the lack of check in yesterday - we were at the MIL, she took us out for breakfast and then suit shopping for my other half for our wedding. She has kindly offered to contribute to the wedding by buying his suit which is lovely! We didn't find 'the one' so no spends there. We did do a top-up shop for milk, salad, fruit, yoghurts etc for this weeks dinners - It came to £23.46 from Aldi so I'm impressed. I also had some me-time when we got in - I had a foot mask in the cupboard so used that whilst eating an icecream and watching GoT (we're way behind on season 5!)

Today should be a NSD as I've packed a dinner for work and we're chopping down a large bush & taking it to the tip tonight. Tea will be hot cajun wraps I think (unless the OH fancies something else!)

NSD 3/4 Not bad

[Deleted User]

Spent nothing (hurrah!! ) but haven't done any exercise today as started work stupidly early and I'm exhausted!!

Hugs to all those who need it...x

greent

Adding ((hugs)) for abundant x

Day before back to school/ start of new school for 2 of my lot - so I'm taking up blazer sleeves and trousers!

Should be SFD here. Freezer is well and truly kaput - ice cream and freezer pops were all liquid, and things on top shelf all defrosted. Ice cream poured away Freezer pops dried off and put in a tub ready to re-freeze later in week - and we are eating stuff from the freezer, concentrating on what has already defrosted in there. Hence OH and myself had fishfinger rolls for lunch and DS1 had bbq chicken legs (cold). Dinner tonight is hunters chicken, chicken/ mash & veg or bolognaise (and pasta) - several different meals all from freezer (well, meat parts are) to use stuff up. I may well be roasting 4 chickens tomorrow!! -- but at least I can strip and re-freeze once cooked (will freeze breast meat in gravy for quick roast dinners)

Use ups - other than freezer stuff (necessity) I have made flapjacks for lunchboxes from the last of a pack of granola, a pack of fruity muesli brought back by DS1 from army cadet camp, coconut sugar & dried fruit left by DD's flatmates at uni, hotel demerara sugar sachets (and cheapy butter, last of a bottle of syrup & a few oats) Also fridge cake, using up some krave cereal (from DD's uni flatmates), cheap choc, gone-soft biscuits, more dd's flatmate's dried fruit and the bottom of a pack of rice crispies Quite a few packets went in the bin after that lot

SO SFD 1/18 - finally!

thriftylass

greent wrote: »

Adding ((hugs)) for abundant x

Day before back to school/ start of new school for 2 of my lot - so I'm taking up blazer sleeves and trousers!

Should be SFD here. Freezer is well and truly kaput - ice cream and freezer pops were all liquid, and things on top shelf all defrosted. Ice cream poured away Freezer pops dried off and put in a tub ready to re-freeze later in week - and we are eating stuff from the freezer, concentrating on what has already defrosted in there. Hence OH and myself had fishfinger rolls for lunch and DS1 had bbq chicken legs (cold). Dinner tonight is hunters chicken, chicken/ mash & veg or bolognaise (and pasta) - several different meals all from freezer (well, meat parts are) to use stuff up. I may well be roasting 4 chickens tomorrow!! -- but at least I can strip and re-freeze once cooked (will freeze breast meat in gravy for quick roast dinners)

Use ups - other than freezer stuff (necessity) I have made flapjacks for lunchboxes from the last of a pack of granola, a pack of fruity muesli brought back by DS1 from army cadet camp, coconut sugar & dried fruit left by DD's flatmates at uni, hotel demerara sugar sachets (and cheapy butter, last of a bottle of syrup & a few oats) Also fridge cake, using up some krave cereal (from DD's uni flatmates), cheap choc, gone-soft biscuits, more dd's flatmate's dried fruit and the bottom of a pack of rice crispies Quite a few packets went in the bin after that lot

SO SFD 1/18 - finally!

Some inventive using up of cereal residues. The freezer is rather unfortunate but it seems you can salvage most of it. How dod you make fridge cake. Just melt the chocolate and mix it all together?