Making savings before it's too late

lessonlearned

Happy New Year Everyone......

mardatha

My main resolution is to stick to old fashioned good filling meals and make a menu a week in advance. Two days on soup & pud, 2 days on lighter meals, and 3 big filler-uppers in between. We eat healthy with no junk at all - one on steroids and watching weight and one diabetic, I cheat a bit but he doesn't. It just should not cost us £45 a week to eat..

Tink_04

Think after dinner I’m going to sort out the calendar! Love having everything organised!

Treacle_Toes

May I join in?

I haven't finished analysing last year's spending yet, but I know it was a spendy year - more went out than came in!

This month I need to make some serious savings as I've also noticed a major pinch point towards the end of the month of -£586! £232 of this will be taken off due to a refund - I've had email confirmation that the item has been received and the refund processed, but it's not yet hit the credit card account. However, the hole is still £354!

I also need to reign in spending after this month closes as unfortunately I believe I'm at risk of redundancy, and after 21 years at the same company, it would be a big change in circumstances.

So far this week I've taken out the usual entertainment, grocery and work money in cash and I'm going to see if some can stretch into next week. The entertainment is all gone already due to DH meeting with his friends at the pub during the holidays, but I've got half the grocery money left. I've spent £4.50 of my £10 'work' money in the charity shop - a Boden Breton long sleeve t shirt (worn already), a pair of Karen Millen trousers (snug!) and a Steig Larsson book. Our weeks run Thursday to Thursday.

Happy new year to all.

abbe89

kittie I'm also a bit of a tea fiend. Whilst I don't have any that sound as fancy as yours, I've got a cupboard full of different blends, bags and types!
I've managed to avoid the Bluebird tea (my favourite!) Boxing Day sale, but really need to start making a conscious effort to actually drink and enjoy what I already have!

[Deleted User]

Treacle_Toes wrote: »

I also need to reign in spending after this month closes as unfortunately I believe I'm at risk of redundancy, and after 21 years at the same company, it would be a big change in circumstances.
.

my dd went through similar uncertainty. Two months of terrible stress. Good luck TT

I have been enjoying one of my special teas today and everything I have eaten has been from my freezer and fridge. I hope to continue in the same vein the rest of this month, however I will be getting a fresh supply of boxed organic veg in a few days, accounted for every week but I may skip a time or two. I think I will be able to pluck some stuff from the allotment or freezer stores

I am not putting the amount of savings on the thread, would not be right, everyone has different circumstances but any saving in a month is positive and not negative and I will post positive or not, whatever the outcome is at the end of each month.

LameWolf

Tink_04 wrote: »

Think after dinner I’m going to sort out the calendar! Love having everything organised!

I did mine ages ago; because I already have a dog-sitting appointment for next August!
Mr LW doesn't realise it yet, but we're going to be cutting back somewhat on alcohol, that should save us a bit. I won't say cut it out altogether, just cut back.
And we don't do "Dry January" because if we try that, we both immediately want a glass of wine just because we can't have one.

trailingspouse

Happy New Year one and all.

I've returned to my list of ways to save and this is the story so far -

- stop having hair dyed. This is going well - loving my new colour!!
- reduce gas and electric usage. The heating is now off overnight, and the gas fire doesn't go on until after 4pm. And we've changed supplier.
- I was already an Aldi convert, so that is continuing. But they don't sell everything so will use Asda for the other stuff to take advantage of the 1% cashback on my Asda card.
- make sure we're using the cheapest fuel locally. This is also at Asda, so not only cheaper but also get 1% cashback. Happy days.
- shop around for the best deals on connectivity - OH has already got himself a better phone for less money, and is working on the TV/broadband deal.
- PayPal. The list of what we buy using PayPal starts today.
- cash. Ditto - the list of what we buy for cash starts today.
- buy less wine!!! So far so good...
- keep track of the (monetary) gifts we give to the kids. We have a grandchild due in June, and a wedding the year after, so this might not be too easy.
- keep a lid on what we spend on holiday - well, a couple of holidays will be happening this year, so watch this space.
- have fewer take-aways. Will be buying some Chinese starters and suchlike for the freezer.
- keep an eye on best before dates - did this in the run up to Christmas, so we're up-to-date now.
- use up the alcohol we already have!! Started another thread for this - 'No More Buying Unnecessary Alcohol 2018'
- tumble dry everything in one load. Will start this once I'm back to a normal washing regime.
- reduce waste - certainly trying to avoid throwing away any leftovers from Christmas.
- cancel the Santander credit card - done

I'm starting a new spreadsheet for 2018, so that I can input every incoming and outgoing. Will start with the amount of money in our accounts right now, and see how we go - hopefully, if all goes well, there'll be more in the accounts this time next year rather than less.

[Deleted User]

trailingspouse wrote: »

- keep track of the (monetary) gifts we give to the kids. We have a grandchild due in June, and a wedding the year after, so this might not be too easy..

Oh yes, I have to add those to incoming bills. I think I will give my children cash gifts for birthdays and their partners will get amazon vouchers. The grandchildren are also at an age when they like cash. Completely slipped my mind to add those to forthcoming expenses :doh:

GreyQueen

I've only been back at home since about 3 pm and have been pootling around but have also started inputting my 2017 spends from hard copy in the diary to the Excel spreadsheet. I have these going back to 1997. I admit to being a nerd.......... :rotfl:

I knew I spend more on council tax (my second biggest bill after rent) than I did on food and the spreadsheet confirms the respective weekly hits as £16.43 vs £14.62. I averaged £1.40 a week on clothing and footwear and 0.10p on toiletries (I suspect I might be a low-maintenance wumman).:p

My energy tariff ended last summer and the six month transitional protection expires in February, so shopping for a better deal is on the cards. I'm such a low user of energy, the only way I can improve my lot is a no-standing-charges tariff, and that was what ended. Sigh. Will have to see if any other suppier wants this small fry's business.

Gallingly, I am having to shop around for a (used) replacement for something which was stolen from me in such a circumstance that wasn't covered by insurance. As losses go, it isn't major financially, but I'm on a low income and it is bliddy annoying to have to replace stolen goods with something which may well be an inferior version; the other item was pretty old but had been owned from new and thus all its history was with me, and its foibles.

I will continue with the spreadsheet on another day, I do like to analyse where the money went, as memory often serves me false but the numbers keep me on the straight and narrow.

I have harvested some leeks from the allotment and taken out some YS fish I bought a few weeks ago from the freezer, so will make good use of what I've got before shopping for more.