Fiscal Fast

Sayschezza

I am afraid yesterday didn't go to plan because the loo seat broke so I had to buy a new one. While I was in the shop I also bought new loo brushes. I also succumbed to a new Next dress for my DD from the CS which was £1. Resisted anything for myself but can't take any medals for that as there wasn't anything I liked.

EssexHebridean

really like this idea - it's something I've done a few times before and blogged about - in the past it's been a beginning of the year thing, I've done "Frugal February" several times with a reasonable level of success. 

More than anything else right at the moment I just need to re-centre myself in the MSE mindset. After last year, and the beginning of this one which ended up in pretty much no social stuff at all, we've found ourselves which a lot of social stuff planned for the later part of this year as things are either reorganised from former cancellations, or just as people say "let's get together". Absolutely loving catching up with people, but some brakes will need to be gently applied otherwise come early next year it will have to start being a "no" to a lot of stuff!

Plans:
- trip to Edinburgh for a pal's birthday - all booked and planned out, just need to watch the food/drink spend. Only other significant cost will be diesel - probably best part of 2 tanks. Still cheaper than train or air though!
- Trip to Norwich at the end of the month for the beer festival and hopefully catching up with some other friends too. Hotel is paid for, main spends will again be food and drink, plus a bit of diesel and the car parking charge. 
- Trip to the Good Food Show in Birmingham - we need to get the tickets sorted for this as it appears they are not on Clubcard rewards this year. Spends at the show, plus an indian meal one night while we're there, are saved and budgeted already. We often buy a lot of the Christmas food/presents there too. Hotel is paid, need to budget for food/drink and travel. 
- a favourite beer festival in London - this will be train fares and food only as we usually work the festival so get the beer for free. Also close enough that no accommodation is required.
- Upcoming Hebrides trip in a couple of months - slightly longer than our usual winter visits at nearly a fortnight. Accommodation is booked and a deposit paid, must get the ferries booked, plus any overnight accommodation needed for the way up/back. I'm not concerned about costs for this one as it's all budgeted for and saving up is ongoing.

- Next year there are assorted things planned - a week long trip to Lundy for a friend's 50th - delayed from April last year. money is stashed in savings from the cancellation refunds but in fact we will probably simply save up again for the bulk of the costs. Also a couple of beer festival trips early in the year - Manchester and the National Winter Ales Festival probably for both of us, and Derby most likely just for me. Manchester will be a weekend - with train travel and a hotel for a couple of nights. NWAF may be an up and back, but otherwise will be a Travelodge or similar for a single night. Derby will be a single night in a cheap travelodge for me - and I'll drive there and back most likely. As those all come in a bunch they will need budgeting for above our usual "fun stuff" budget. 

I want to:
- get fully back into the habit of meal planning and shopping from a list.
- make use of the food we already have in the freezers and storecupboard.
- inventory the storecupboard to decide what we want to stock up on ahead of winter - rice, pasta etc are likely candidates.
- budget ahead for the things we have planned
- get back to surveys so I can chip away at the 0% card I have on the go. I have the money put aside already to clear what is on it, I just don't want to take it out of savings if I can avoid it!
- Get back into the habit of always checking TCB before I buy anything
- make sure we keep at least 1 weekend a month free of any specific plans - lockdown helped us to realise the value of down-time.
- start thinking about purchases for Christmas and get things sorted ahead of time. 

wort

Angela , I've read the phone box at the end of the world ,it was lovely!😊

angela110660

I am loving it - such a gentle story and heartwarming. The narrator does a lovely job too.

chirpycheap

wort said:

Hi, don't know if it helps but to solve the book problem I now use the library but as an E book.  You don't need a kindle just join then put the borrow box app on your tablet or phone. Maybe work through the ones you have first though!!😉
I find since decluttering, to ask myself where is it going to go ? When I see something I like and would buy in the past!! Also walk away and think if I truly want it it will still be here in a week or 2. Usually by the time I am home I'm glad I didn't get it. And I have a thrill of knowing I didn't waste my money! 

Great advice. So many of my purchases are impulse buys and bought because I deserve a little treat rather than actually needing the item.

peony40

I am still around, but have not been posting as was unwell with my fibromyalgia.  I have not spent anything for a few days, I have my usual planned weekly grocery shop this Friday, but I will try and keep it around the £45 mark.  Oops, just remembered I spent about £5 getting bread and milk from the milkman.  I must set up a notebook to record my expenditure as I easily forget.

I will menu plan this week, I really wish to avoid throwing out vegetables, so I will make some veggie curry and soups for the freezer.

Hope everyone is doing ok.  Take care.