Giving every £ a job

Blackcats

So today I've looked through my vast array of toiletries to see what I need to buy and what I need to use up.
Applying my giving ever £ a job mantra I need deodorant and hand cream and I will need shampoo and conditioner before the end of January. I do NOT need more shower gel or body lotion and I will NOT allocate any £s to buying these until February.
For me this is just as much about the money saving as it is about the discipline of not buying unnecessary things because they look pretty or smell nice.
I have applied the Foxgloves technique of shopping from home and found lots of variety of shower gels and body lotions to use up.

Blackcats

A good day today. Not working and having time to think means I've found money in Quid*o and I've claimed back Shopmi*m receipts. As soon as the money hits my bank account I can colour in 2 more squares in my 1% grid. Every little helps.

foxgloves

It's lovely 'finding' money, isn't it, Blackcats? The very useful £9 'find' on my Boots card last week meant that my new moisturiser was free....my favourite sort of transaction.
F x

Sayschezza

Meals from store today which is just as well because I have not a penny in my purse since doing my EOY balances. May have to do a small shop tomorrow on the DC as that's when I can get a lift to the supermarket but will take that as a January spend as that's when it will be eaten. I have enough in stock to see us through December. Think it's known as cooking the books...pun intended.

Franalamadingdong

I love finding money. I found £20 and my credit card in a bag I'd not used for a while. Lol.

Blackcats

Well done on the "free" moisturiser Foxgloves. I think the Bo*ts card is one of the most generous loyalty cards and in a most uncharacteristic way I've saved lots of points on mine. I plan to use my points to buy some perfume later this year when my bottle runs out.
£20 s a great find Fran. I found £1.50 in a coat pocket yesterday - 50p to the parking purse and £1 in the sealed pot.
Sayschezza cooking the books is fine with me. :beer:How were your end of year balances? My month runs from 5th to 4th as this is when my credit card statements are produced. I'm itching to do the end of year sums but I'm going out at New Year, I need petrol and might need a couple of bits of shopping so best to wait and do it properly.
I've sorted through my clothes today and I am confirming in writing in my diary that I am not buying any new clothes in January.
So no new clothes, no shower gel and no body lotions in January. This declaration will keep my accountable (to myself). :money:
I have the expense of a car service in January which is not properly saved up for. Hopefully next year I will have the necessary budget pot in place.

Sayschezza

EOY balances were in the black so successful but saving not as good as predicted at the start of 2019. Prediction for personal spends in January not so good as nearly half of the sum allocated will have to pay cc bill used to buy hobby stuff on line. I do have pair of trousers to return to M&S which will help but future clothes shopping on line when bored must be seriously curtailed.

Blackcats

Exactly the same as me! End of year balances ok and less than the year before but savings total not very inspirational. However at least we have some savings so that's progress.
On line shopping is useful but dangerous. I'm a terror for Amazon - so easy, so quick and so tempting!

Franalamadingdong

Ew, I've not long since had my service. I was advised to have a mini one though, so not as bad as usual. Good idea for setting up a pot for it. I have mot and insurance at the end of March.

You'll be saving money with all the things you don't need this month!

Blackcats

Thanks Fran. It's actually amusing me and shocking me about how much of a stock of stuff I've got which I don't need to replenish.

Today's "discovery" is a really pretty mug that I'd forgotten about. I love mugs and was debating with myself about buying a new one "as a little treat". The one that I've re-discovered has made me very happy. I was telling myself that a new mug would only cost a few pounds and would make me so happy (even as I type this I realise what a ridiculous statement that is). "New" cup has been christened with a cup of tea which took me into the teabag stash cupboard. Oh my - I've got a lot of different tea bags in various flavours. No buying tea bags in January for me.

In money news I've submitted my work expenses and hope they will be paid in mid January. It's around £200 or 20 lovely little boxes to colour in on my grid. I can't believe how much I enjoyed spending time this morning sharpening my coloured pencils ready for colouring in duties.