Dear reader,
At last, it's shopping day today. I could have gone in the week but never feel like it after work. We just want to get home and relax. As you know (cos I,often tell you) I work long hours and often leave by 0615 and don't get back until 1900. You just don't want to plod round the supermarket.
We used up practically everything we had in the fridge and freezer.
I have checked the bank account and we will have £50 to spend for the food for the week ahead.
I will update you later to tell you what I bought. It will be a Lidl shop as I can get so much more for our money there.
I have been reading the forums on money saving expert lately (MSE) Money saving expert is here.
Do have a look if you don't already. I really like the debt free wannabe forums.
I read the 2013 list of challenges and found one called Payment a Day (PAD).
This is to pay off debt and you pledge an amount that you will pay off your debt doing one a day.
Some people with online banking actually pay the money off every day and you each show your amount everyday. A nice person on the forum then adds up the amounts and the group can see what they have paid off debt that day. Last year I think was about £400,000 in total.
The way everyone find the money every day is to round down their bank account. For instance, if your balance was £201.67 you would transfer the £1.67 to your debt leaving a nice round £200 pounds balance.
This works twofold for me as one, I get the spare change and two, I then don't want to spend anything. As I like the round number left in my account.
I have done it for 3 days now. It's a bit of fun but it really, really makes you focus on your debt and your bank account. I have got nearly £10 for 3 days now. It's money we won't miss and when we pay our monthly debt payment we will add this on. It will soon add up.
Do you do any challenges to save money?
We are doing this and SFT's sealed pot challenge.
Much love from rainy Bucks today. X
Oooh a day off and food shopping..lovely, I lok forward to seeing what you have bought, Lidl is great value for money, I seem to be doing most of my shopping there these days.
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of saving the oddments, my daughter in law does this to save up for things, she said its suprising how little bits mount up. Well done for trying something new, if its fun it takes the drudgery out of it too. Have a lovely day and relax Xx
just to add
You probably know this but Hughenden Manor NT are having a 1940s weekend Oct 5/6th free to NT members, if the weather is right it might be a good day out. You might pick up some tips about rationing lol xx
Hi Karen,
DeleteDid the shopping, way, way over what we wanted to spend. The perils of shopping when hungry. When I say we had nothing, I mean nothing. Can't believe how we survived! Girl who likes her food got a bit panicky!
Am doing meal plan today.
X
I am doing MSE's September Step up Challenge. Basically, it is a challenge to stop you spending for unbudgeted items. It has really changed my life. I use up what I have. I don't have money in my purse save an emergency fiver most days, and I am taking lunch to work every day without fail! Have a look there are quite a few rules but it is the best challenge I have seen!
ReplyDeleteHi Justine,
DeleteThanks so much for commenting. The mse challenges are really good for getting you focused aren't they? I don't carry cash either and am leaving the card at home too. It's too easy to pop out and spend. I will have a read today. X
I am doing SFTs sealed pot challenge - money is saved for Christmas gifts this year. I also have done the No More Christmas Cr*p Campaign for fours year now (which I started) to quit spending money on all the "stuff that goes along with Christmas that is really unnecessary to spend big money on". Cheers!
ReplyDeleteHi Cheapchick, such a great name!
DeleteI always promise to get Christmas done by end of October and will do that this year. It's so easy to get sucked into the mad shopping frenzy. We do get each other presents but are cutting down this year. X
Hi FIB
ReplyDeleteI've been reading for a while but have decided to follow you so I'd like to say 'hi' from Oz!
I love the PAD - I'm going to do that to try to reduce my credit card (only debt).
I also do SFT's sealed pot challenge, and currently doing Stretch it out September.
I also follow Cheapchick's No More Christmas Cr*p Campaign (money all sorted for gifts and don't buy into all the other hoopla!)
I'm going to do a challenge for myself for October/November/December to skim off $25 per grocery allowance to pay for Christmas food. Hopefully this will work out okay and will mean that I have the funds put aside to pay for our 2 Christmas family get togethers - one is extended family just before Christmas and the other is our small family on the actual day.
I love these little challenges - I think they keep life interesting :)
Hi Judy,
ReplyDeleteFirstly, thank you for such a nice comment. I do read them all and it's great to see new names.
Thanks for following and form Oz too. Love it!
Oh yes all these challenges keep life very interesting. I think I am going to start doing one thing towards Christmas each day-starting tomorrow. Whether it's wrapping a present or writing a card. I'm going away with my family this weekend so I hope to pin them down about Christmas presents. Like you I want it organised and sorted.
ReplyDeleteSft x