No Buy Year

Worlds_Worst_Superhero

Following advice from others on this site, I've been keeping careful records of all my spends.

Most of the household bills- utilities, council tax, internet and sim-only phone providers, household insurance, tax account (to pay Mister HMRC as and when he demands it) and savings for holiday fund, raimy day fund, pensions and retirement funds are paid by Direct Debit.

In January, apart from all the Direct Debit stuff my total spending was:

Food - £136.20
Cleaning products, toiletries, loo paper etc £20.02 (replaced only when item has run out. Trying to use up what we already have)
Travel- £2.00
TOTAL- £158.22

Other spending:
Weekend Newspapers- £2.20 (used money off vouchers)
Nail polish remover -£1
Laundry Pegs- £2.99 (replacements as they get stolen by the birds!)
Weekend Bag -£2 (not a "purchase", item was free at a swap event, but put a donation in the charity box. Previous one damaged beyond repair)
Tickets for book launch- £10 ( I promised to go, important catch-up social event for work)
"Karma points"-£0.50 (school kid's e-ticket wouldn't work on the bus. Had no money, so I paid for him to get home)
Watch battery -£2
Kindle Books- £1.98 (books unavailable from library, needed to read for work)
TOTAL- £22.67

TOTAL JANUARY SPEND- £180.89

Not a bad month, mainly because I've been trying to use when we already have.
February will be a bit more challenging as I have a few social events, birthdays etc.

How's it going with the rest of you?

Rosa_Damascena

You've done well, @Worlds_Worst_Superhero !

I managed 2 NSDs in a row, so its 3/5 so far in February. I can't see it lasting for a third day given that I'll be out and about tomorrow!

MrsCatz

I stopped counting mine but have restarted my spends spreadsheet

ArbitraryRandom

I've successfully not spent any money on anything other than bills so far in Feb*, but it's getting tough as a few things have been tempting me.

I've run out of my preferred rice seasoning (kecap manis - I use the absorption method and just put a spoonful in the water at the start) and an author I like has released a new book that I very much want to read. I could also do with some compost and plant labels, I've taken my last pack of pitas out of the freezer (so next week I need to bake bread if I want any), and I'm down to my last pint of fresh milk. 

On the impulse craft spends, I DIDN'T impulse buy some crochet hooks and yarn when a friend sent me pictures of a new/simple project they think I could do (I can knit-ish but have never crocheted and my friend is encouraging me to try). I'm seeing her in March so might ask if she can loan me some supplies to try it out spend free. 

Showing maybe how much I 'waste' in a normal month, I've currently got about £800 more in my account than I 'normally' do by now... part of that will be not paying the council tax this month, but the rest will be frittered away on impulse spends/the food shop, which for one person is a lot!  


*I'm not counting the £6k that split between paying into my LISA/moved out of my savings account ready to pay to the builder his deposit next month as that's moving money around rather than spending it. 

Watty1

I'm sticking with my version of the no spend - relented and bought a few fine tipped coloured pens but I can print the invoice off and claim those as a business spend. I wanted them for my planner which I'm really using this year.  I make notes in it, run my budget in it and am using it to work out my figure for retirement as well as just planning out my week and the weeks ahead.   OK see I can justify anything even £6 on some coloured pens!

Generally however I have stuck to my version.   I'm really pleased how January went.  Yes, I overspent on food but I'm really trying hard not to eat processed foods and I'm really busy at work and with a sick horse so I'm allowing a very extravagant meal box from M/Chef for the 15 min meals they do full of veggies but this year I'm keeping the fast ones I can easily replicate. 

I can see "cut back areas" but on the whole I am pleased with my limited spend month - and I'm one week into February and those pens were my only spend plus two birthday cards from the hospice shop (£1.50 each)

Nathalia

I think if your treaty spend is pens that also have a business use, you're not doing much wrong, Watty1   Everyone needs a treaty spend sometimes.

Watty1

I also bought 5 Ikea blue bags yesterday.  I tried to source second hand on free sites for the last 4 weeks but failed.   I posted on a "hacks" group for horses and failed to get any free suggestions and so I took the plunge and purchased.

I've a horse that has to watch what he eats and this way I can weight out his hay for 5 days. If it is a success then I will buy a few more so I can do the same for all the horses and weight out their hay for the week ahead.  This will save time, possibly save hay and speed up my day.  So another spend but worthwhile. I'm keeping track of my spends. This year I allowed myself spends on essentials for the animals but only very mindful spends on me.

Worlds_Worst_Superhero

@Watty1

Every year my son buys me a huge A5 page-a day planner/diary for Christmas. It has separate sections for budgeting, book lists and notes, and folders for important paperwork or receipts.
He knows it is something I will definitely use- and he said it's so much easier to order one online than trawl around the crowded shopping centres in the weeks before Christmas.

Every year I have to play the game "I wonder what this could possibly be!" as he gives me the familiar, book-shaped present 😆

I use it as a journal, diary for forthcoming events, financial records...everything! It's something of a family joke that we'd all be useless without it!

Like you, I also use coloured pens, as well as stickers and post-it notes. I also stick in newspaper articles, book reviews, pictures, photos etc. By the end of the year the planner looks like an explosion in WHSmiths!

But I love it ❤️

Worlds_Worst_Superhero

This No Unnecessary Spending Challenge is going really well (so far!)

Transferred a nice sum from my current account into my savings account. It may not be a lot for some people, but it is to me.
I've got to say, being able to see how much I've saved during January feels a thousand times better than any "high" I've ever had from an afternoon of retail therapy! 😁

Katiehound

Going to add my twopennth here (without actually spending a penny!!)

This might help someone

Nearly two years ago my dishwasher went haywire,  gobbled a complete fill of salt distributing it all over the washed items so that I had to soak it off in a bucket of water & vinegar to remove the mess. Then repeated the action when I tried again.

Last week I finally got around to phoning a repair man (no call out charge)
When I explained the problem he said that the salt dispenser thingie is part of a larger unit and the whole thing would have to be replaced- not worth the cost of parts & labour as it is not an expensive machine.

His advice- use the machine. It doesn't need salt if you use a good quality  all-in-one tablet.

Result: No spend.
The machine works.
 I had some Fairy Platinum tablets already.
I'm ignoring the salt red light.
 No call out charge.
No expensive mend or new purchase, using up stocks of dishwasher tabs & rinse aid.
 Shiny crockery (no hand washing!) Win Win!! 

The repair man said he saw a lot of machines where the warning lights for salt & rinse aid were on but the dishes were clean.