2020 time to change

EchoB

Failed NSD, popped to the shop and spent £7.58. This is my downfall, I end up doing this several times a week and it adds up.
I justified everything in my basket in my head by saying I needed it (apart from chocolate-there’s a pattern here!).

Anyway-drawing a line under it, have everything I need for tomorrow night’s supper. I WILL NOT GO IN OR NEAR A SHOP TOMORROW.
This highlights the need to meal plan and shop properly.

mark55man

So yes you should watch it, but we found when we went everyday instead of doing big set piece shops we actually spent less. if you are doing both ie big shops and small shops then you have to choose one!!

EchoB

My excuse for the bad shopping is we were away over Christmas and with NYD bank holiday etc I’d not ensured we had everything we need.

Today will be be a NSD!

EchoB

Pleased to say I’ve managed a NSD!

I finished work early and came straight home and I have no intention to leave the house again :-)

Took lunch to work, home made soup and had fruit to snack on.

I am using left over roast pork from yesterday to make spicy pork and rice (hairy bikers recipe). Any left overs will be frozen for packed lunches/ an evening when I don’t have time to cook.

I have lots of meat in the freezer so I will be meal planning based on what I have in to save the £££.

I’m away for a few days next week with work, so I should get away without having to do a food shop although I will need some bread and milk. I intend on having a cheap weekend, am off to friends on Saturday night for dinner, will take wine which I already have. I will need to plan a meal for Sunday, but will make sure I use as much as possible from my stores. I will then do a proper shop on Wednesday/Thursday next week.

My challenge will be buying cheap lunches when I am away (I can’t claim them back).

I will update my debt total on Monday when the last DD has gone out.

Have a good Friday everyone

EchoB

Sorting out our Gas and Electricity provider has been on my to do list for a while. After shopping around, looking at MSE utility page and the suppliers direct I’ve just switched provider and will be saving c. £10 a month plus I get £40 cash back after the second DD has gone out.

I do have a fee paying bank account through which I get 2% of household bills back and the cash back is through them, although their quote was also cheapest.

The only other bill I have to tackle is broadband, I will investigate this after a nice coffee ��

savingholmes

Hi Echo - are you able to still get 0% deals - as if so I would be tempted to move the mbna to that when it runs out and tackle your most expensive debt which is Tesco. Just a thought.

EchoB

Hi Savingholmes, Thank you for posting :-)
I tried last month to get a 0% deal and was rejected (it was through MSE Credit Club and I had an 80% success rate). I do have another credit card which previously has given me 0% transfer offers, I use this for fuel and pay it off in full every month, I’m going to call them to see if they can offer me a balance transfer next month. If not I will call MBNA and ask them if they can extend 0% on half the balance (probably unlikely but worth a try!)

doingitanyway

Well done on your first NSD. I found them amazingly hard when I first tried them but a bit easier now.

You sound organised and motivated. You can do this

EchoB

Thanks I think I need to incorporate NSDs into my new norm... clearing my debt is a lifestyle change, if I don’t change my behaviour situation definitely won’t change.

EchoB

Sorry for the typo above-I can’t work out how to edit posts on my phone. I’m not keen on using the PC I share with OH or my work laptop for posting on here. (I know that sounds silly!)