The Three C's - Coffee, Clothes & Credit Cards

floorspeed_2

I am ready for Christmas in a sense. Sounds like you have all your ducks in a row ready to go. Have a good one Sarah and everyone. 

Sarahwithlove

floorspeed_2 said:

I am ready for Christmas in a sense. Sounds like you have all your ducks in a row ready to go. Have a good one Sarah and everyone. 

Thanks you too! Hopefully it all goes smoothly for us all. Always nice when your football team are top of the league for Christmas as well 👏 

Sarahwithlove

Argh just wrote a long post and then its gone. Not happy. 

I'll just sum it up instead, I have paid off my credit cards, except £47 which is a pending payment and will be paid off as soon as able to. This was for perfume which will be purchased with my birthday money from my dad. I weighed up keeping it in savings and getting interest versus paying off debt and decided that relief of having it gone was worth it. 

I have £1500 left in my sinking fund, that's half way full, which is ok as the big expenditure is all paid for now. The next big expense will be May/June for my new football season ticket so I have time to save it back up again.

The next aim is to have an emergency fund, I have a 0% credit card and worst case scenario my dad would loan me it. I know more overtime will become available nearer April so will make the most of that where possible.  

I've signed up for 12 weeks free SW through work, sadly healthier eating seems to be costing more when food shopping, but hopefully I will save on the takeaways and eating out. Just need to stop the coffee purchases. I'm off work this week, don't go back until Monday but looking forward to the routine again. 

DancingInTheRain

Well done on paying off the CC, all the best for 2024 

joedenise

I do SW and it's quite possible to do it fairly cheaply if you eat plenty of veggies, beans and pulses.    Batch cooking also helps - particularly things like chilli - both vegetable and meat based (check out the Hairy Bikers recipe which uses mince and to make it veggie substitute a couple of tins of beans); curries, stews with just a small amount of meat.

If you log into the website you can get 7 days menus including a budget one - I'll see if I can find a link to it for you.  You'd also be very welcome to join us on the SW thread on here:  https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6495131/lose-pounds-more-in-24-with-slimming-world#latest - the latest thread is only a few pages long as only started on Monday!

Good luck.

Sarahwithlove

joedenise said:

I do SW and it's quite possible to do it fairly cheaply if you eat plenty of veggies, beans and pulses.    Batch cooking also helps - particularly things like chilli - both vegetable and meat based (check out the Hairy Bikers recipe which uses mince and to make it veggie substitute a couple of tins of beans); curries, stews with just a small amount of meat.

If you log into the website you can get 7 days menus including a budget one - I'll see if I can find a link to it for you.  You'd also be very welcome to join us on the SW thread on here:  https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6495131/lose-pounds-more-in-24-with-slimming-world#latest - the latest thread is only a few pages long as only started on Monday!

Good luck.

joedenise said:

I do SW and it's quite possible to do it fairly cheaply if you eat plenty of veggies, beans and pulses.    Batch cooking also helps - particularly things like chilli - both vegetable and meat based (check out the Hairy Bikers recipe which uses mince and to make it veggie substitute a couple of tins of beans); curries, stews with just a small amount of meat.

If you log into the website you can get 7 days menus including a budget one - I'll see if I can find a link to it for you.  You'd also be very welcome to join us on the SW thread on here:  https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6495131/lose-pounds-more-in-24-with-slimming-world#latest - the latest thread is only a few pages long as only started on Monday!

Good luck.

Thanks I'm not a big fan of beans and pulses, I cant have lentils either. I think maybe I need to look at what fruit and veg I am having so I don't spend so much on it. I'll take a look on the website at budget menu and the thread. It's only my first week so hoping after a few weeks I will get into swing of it and make good choices.

PennysIntoPounds

That's great you've paid off your credit cards, congratulations!

mark55man

Well done.  I think that's a great decision.  Always easier to budget with things set to zero and not have to balance it all out.  Simplification is something I have been working at for ages (but it is hard to achieve)

joedenise

Sarahwithlove said:

joedenise said:

I do SW and it's quite possible to do it fairly cheaply if you eat plenty of veggies, beans and pulses.    Batch cooking also helps - particularly things like chilli - both vegetable and meat based (check out the Hairy Bikers recipe which uses mince and to make it veggie substitute a couple of tins of beans); curries, stews with just a small amount of meat.

If you log into the website you can get 7 days menus including a budget one - I'll see if I can find a link to it for you.  You'd also be very welcome to join us on the SW thread on here:  https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6495131/lose-pounds-more-in-24-with-slimming-world#latest - the latest thread is only a few pages long as only started on Monday!

Good luck.

joedenise said:

I do SW and it's quite possible to do it fairly cheaply if you eat plenty of veggies, beans and pulses.    Batch cooking also helps - particularly things like chilli - both vegetable and meat based (check out the Hairy Bikers recipe which uses mince and to make it veggie substitute a couple of tins of beans); curries, stews with just a small amount of meat.

If you log into the website you can get 7 days menus including a budget one - I'll see if I can find a link to it for you.  You'd also be very welcome to join us on the SW thread on here:  https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6495131/lose-pounds-more-in-24-with-slimming-world#latest - the latest thread is only a few pages long as only started on Monday!

Good luck.

Thanks I'm not a big fan of beans and pulses, I cant have lentils either. I think maybe I need to look at what fruit and veg I am having so I don't spend so much on it. I'll take a look on the website at budget menu and the thread. It's only my first week so hoping after a few weeks I will get into swing of it and make good choices.

Have found the page on the website:  link:  https://member.slimmingworld.co.uk/recipes.  Only SW members can actually get onto this link as it's on the members website and not a public one.

Link to the SW blog (which I think is public):  https://www.slimmingworld.co.uk/blog/?fbclid=IwAR3CqNJK92gwZwZOfRaPPo_O4bOrzeQpxOnXcF9ImunD-zzDTMMdUWdhu0M.  Some meal ideas on there too.

Sarahwithlove

joedenise said:

Sarahwithlove said:

joedenise said:

I do SW and it's quite possible to do it fairly cheaply if you eat plenty of veggies, beans and pulses.    Batch cooking also helps - particularly things like chilli - both vegetable and meat based (check out the Hairy Bikers recipe which uses mince and to make it veggie substitute a couple of tins of beans); curries, stews with just a small amount of meat.

If you log into the website you can get 7 days menus including a budget one - I'll see if I can find a link to it for you.  You'd also be very welcome to join us on the SW thread on here:  https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6495131/lose-pounds-more-in-24-with-slimming-world#latest - the latest thread is only a few pages long as only started on Monday!

Good luck.

joedenise said:

I do SW and it's quite possible to do it fairly cheaply if you eat plenty of veggies, beans and pulses.    Batch cooking also helps - particularly things like chilli - both vegetable and meat based (check out the Hairy Bikers recipe which uses mince and to make it veggie substitute a couple of tins of beans); curries, stews with just a small amount of meat.

If you log into the website you can get 7 days menus including a budget one - I'll see if I can find a link to it for you.  You'd also be very welcome to join us on the SW thread on here:  https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6495131/lose-pounds-more-in-24-with-slimming-world#latest - the latest thread is only a few pages long as only started on Monday!

Good luck.

Thanks I'm not a big fan of beans and pulses, I cant have lentils either. I think maybe I need to look at what fruit and veg I am having so I don't spend so much on it. I'll take a look on the website at budget menu and the thread. It's only my first week so hoping after a few weeks I will get into swing of it and make good choices.

Have found the page on the website:  link:  https://member.slimmingworld.co.uk/recipes.  Only SW members can actually get onto this link as it's on the members website and not a public one.

Link to the SW blog (which I think is public):  https://www.slimmingworld.co.uk/blog/?fbclid=IwAR3CqNJK92gwZwZOfRaPPo_O4bOrzeQpxOnXcF9ImunD-zzDTMMdUWdhu0M.  Some meal ideas on there too.

Thanks I get membership for the 12 weeks so will take a look. I've been using the app but still learning my way around it. Think I just need to be more creative with my meals and not stick to same things. Also have fruit and veg thats in season.