July Pin Money Savings Challenge

nicki_2

I'm putting all my PIN onto my Asda Christmas Savings card when it reaches £5 so I can't go spending it. Besides, if we REALLY need something and I haven't the cash 99% of the time I can buy it in Asda and use my Savings card :rotfl:

Just gone to look at my PIN totals for June and spotted a spreadsheet for May's expenses £202.84 I spent in May :eek: and saved £30 by using vouchers (that did include alot of 1 off/rare expenses though) . June I spent £151.82 but only saved £2.89 with BOGOFs and vouchers. So I guess you could say that I saved £50 :rotfl: My actual PIN (including my Xmas savings card) is £12.09 so I'm aiming to get that total up to erm :think: £20.

I do have a total of 6 birthdays, a summer fair, at least 1 trip to IL's at the end of the month and DD breaks up on the 22nd so I'm not setting myself too high a target for PIN this time as I know it's going to be a long and expensive month _pale_

Chipps

I am going to try to do it this month. The problem I have is that I was all super-efficient a month or more back, with everything on spreadsheet etc, but over the past couple of weeks everything has backslidden - and now I don't know how to catch up! Or maybe I should start again from scratch.
Anyway, I have to make a determined effort, even if it's just virtual savings. Although I would really like to have some visible, tangible money as well!
I do put all stray coppers into a tin, to be bagged up & put in savings account. Does that count as pms?

FairyElephant_2

With redundancy looming, I am starting to take this more and more seriously!

Last months 'coupon savings' were £10.50.

June Grocery Challenge came in £100 over budget - BUT - I bulk-bought catfood on offer, which should last the whole of July. Bought a new filter jug and filters to last for 6 months (good deal in Lidl) and bulk-bought cider and lager to last through 2 parties and our holiday week self-catering in July (we always take out the amount spent on booze from our shopping total and split it between B/F & I out of our 'personal' money)....and I have pasta, rice & sauces and some other stuff on BOGOF which I will use in July.......
So when I totalled it all up and moved the money around, I actually came in £19.00 UNDER budget.

So the 'Next Years Holiday Fund' account is now £29.50 better off!

B/F's kids are coming at the weekend, so I have got some 'money bags' for them to count up all the coppers and small change in the 'change jar' ready for when we go on holiday on 9th, so I can bank it next week. Hope it is quite a bit, as we 'owe' them almost £60 between them for chores etc done over the past few months, which we have to give them to take on holiday and spend!

Here's to a thrifty July, and not spending too much on holiday!

Queenie

Chipps wrote:

I do put all stray coppers into a tin, to be bagged up & put in savings account. Does that count as pms?

Absolutely!

nicki_2

This sort of cross both here and the grocery challenge thread but for now it belongs here..or at least I think it does :think:

Anyway, I've set my grocery challenge at £160 for ALL shop bought items (except personal spends, although small change from this catergory does get slung in the PIN TIN). I've already divided up my money into seperate envelopes (£30 a week) so that only comes to £120. I've got £20 "spare" which I'm going to hide and use for emergencies only.

I have loads of kitchen towel although OH doesn't know it. He uses at least one sheet EVERY meal (he even takes one in his packed lunch) and uses them constantly to clean up spills, so instead I'm keeping up on the washing of napkins (we do have 8 between 3 of us and DD and I don't always use one, especially at breakfast) and "cleaning cloths" and I've hidden the kitchen towel under the sink behind a washing up bowl I keep the cleaning stuff in. There is currently 7 full and one partly used under there and he still hasn't spotted them even though they have been there for about 2 weeks (or at least 2 of them have). Johanne, Shhhhhh please don't tell him or they'll be gone by Monday. :shhh::silenced: So that should save me about 70p a week

Also, when I was in Asda the other day there was a trolley (the kind they use to move stock about, not the shopping trolleys) full of reduced to clear items. :dance: I went in for milk and came out with 4 carrier bags of shopping but that did include some fresh fruit. I kept some reduced stuff out (packet of Hobnobs, bodyspray for me, SP handwash) and I've hidden the two boxes of cereal (Kellogs Cornflakes with CD and a box of frosties) plus a twin pack of Mcvities digestive biscuits in the understairs cupboard in a BIG carrier bag and put some of my fabric stash on top. I plan to use these to make treats during the summer holidays like cheesecake and choc flake cakes :drool: I'll add the savings to my PIN as I go along going on the price of the item in the shop at the time I use it, rather than the reduced price difference as the money for all that shopping came out of some household treat budget :shhh:

BUT I've already had to break into tomorrows money :doh: I took DD to the hairdressers and she spotted headlice :wall: I've got some teatree & mint conditioner for me & OH as I don't think we've actually got them, but I've bought a bottle of Lyclear to make sure I get the ones she's got. It only cost me £3.77 and it includes the special comb (I know the girl behind the pharmacy counter so she got me the cheapest one available - I wasn't paying £9.97 a bottle for some of the others:eek:) so will be used with avengance tonight. The embarrasement of taking her in to the hairdressers only to have to leave within 2 minutes and having the woman tell me, is not something I want to experience again Although I will give them credit in that she kept her voice low and so did the girl in the pharmacy:)

nicki_2

Cicked too soon I meant to add - that all this means that my JULY PIN money is already 23p up and somehow the balance is now coming to £5.10 cash as I carry it forward every month.

smartcat04

Another pin money virgin here. I would like to aim for £50. Gonna be brave and try and use some vouchers this month I think.

Judith

squeaky

Hiya,

So that's eleven of us now... any more hiding behind the greenhouse in the Old Style garden?

pink_fairy_7

Isn't it exciting. I was feeling really sad and depressed so read this thread from start to finish and now I feel motivated again. I can't wait to start the challenge in the morning. I have my coupons at the ready!!

Target £30

Good Luck everyone

Rabbit

Hi Everyone - thought I would come out from hiding.......

I must confess that I started my first PMS challenge on 15th June (payday) and am halfway through our 'month' now.

It is amazing, I have got £4.79 so far from;

BOGOF crisps - saving of £1.68
a reduced organic lettuce - saving of 41p (reduced from 99p to 58p) bargain!
reduced chicken portions by 50p
3 for £2 on washing up liquid - saving 64p
different bread chosen from normal - saving £1.56

When I started I thought that it wouldn't be as addictive as it is, but I'm really enjoying the challenge now and just want to try and get some savings in my empty account LOL. It feels like you are paying yourself back for making savings - great fun!

It is making me focus on everything I buy now and think in terms of putting extra cash in my tin.

I will let you know how much I've managed by 15th July.

Good Luck everyone with your challenges!