It's not going so well this time my No Spend/Low Spend September :-(
I went out the other day to get some sparkling water and cordials from Tesco .... and somehow managed to buy this little lot. The huge packs of pasta were on offer at £2 for either the bags of Penne or the packs of spaghetti and I was tempted to stock up. This little, or not so little, lot will last us for quite a long time, and of course when I cook it I always do a bit too much and let the dogs have some in their dinner, they love it too.
My only defence is that it is mostly all stuff that we were running out of, but at a pinch I guess I could have rode out the month and kept to the challenge a little bit more.
Some of the haul is destined for the freezer and will be repackaged so we get the best possible use and value from it, so it's not really the end of the world, but disappointing when I wanted to keep the spending minimal. This came to just over £57 after coupons and discounts.
Then I went to M&S to get some supplies to use up my £5 off a £25 spend voucher. Lovely Hubby said we should use it to restock the freezer with some chicken, so that was mainly what I bought with a couple of other treaty things being thrown in to bring up the spend to the right amount. I was very lucky that their chicken products were on offer at 25% off.
I even bought a ready meal, I know, something I don't very often do. It was reduced and very, very tasty when I ate it after unpacking the shopping, an easy option for once. Thinking back I honestly can't remember when I bought a ready meal !! All the time I was eating it though I was thinking I could have made four times this amount for the price. It was supposed to feed two, but just about fed me with some brown rice!
It total at the two shops I spent just over £80 on the food, and then the next day I went out with Mum and ended up spending money on a couple of new shirts for Winter ..... so not a No Spend OR Low Spend couple of days at all.
I really MUST do better. In fact I think I will have a completely NO SPEND October. The only way is to completely go cold turkey and keep out of the shops. I'll have to dust off those blinkers again and wear them to dash into the shop to buy milk for Lovely Hubbys coffee and THAT will be it.
How are you doing, I bet you're doing so much better than me.
Sue xx
I'm doing pretty badly too. My post today was my latest Approved Food order. Not so good on the No Spend September front. I agree that it is probably best to go cold turkey and keep away from the shops (and websites) altogether. They always seem to be able to tempt you to part with your money. I've more or less given up on September and am hoping to do better in Stopober. At least I should be pretty well stocked up on lots of items to help see me through.
ReplyDeleteWe also have been doing very badly - not helped by a massive car repair bill this week. But even without that we weren't doing well. I too am thinking of a Stoptober - we are supposed to be saving up for some house renovations and so far could only afford to renovate a small tiny corner of one wall !!!!!
ReplyDeleteYou are not doing badly by buying sensible products. I am aiming for a no spend on food November!
ReplyDeleteI'm going thru coupons this morning to see if any apply to what I need. That's the trick with coupons, as some will entice you to try something that is really not all that good for you, or necessary. And I think it's also important to always have a list. That controls me to some degree.
ReplyDeleteI think the principle is to think before you spend, but if you require items, or the price is a real bargain, then it would be foolish to pass things by, I got a cardi for £10 from Wallace yesterday, I needed to replace my scruffy black one, much better to break no spend, than pay much more later.
ReplyDeleteWe've had several unexpected expenses crop up this month which is bad timing as the massive boiler repair work is being done in October and we need to save every penny. The Dyson broke down but fortunately we were covered under a 5 year guarantee so we were sent the spare parts free of charge. The iron gave me a shock but my lovely electrician neighbour provided a new cable and a tool to get the end off the iron so we fixed it for the price of 4 cans of beer to say thank you. Son came home requiring books etc for school (we never had to buy books for school - there were always enough to go round) and his entry fee for a music exam and also tickets for a school concert. Also needed new school polo shirts and trousers as he has grown. Then the pump on the central heating gave up. However, we bought one in the sale and managed to fit it ourselves, saving a plumber's bill. Other than that, we've stayed within budget. Next month is going to be very tight so any advice/support would be gratefully received Sue. If it was just the two of us we could cut right back on the food bill but growing children need to eat well x
ReplyDeleteForgot to add that the shower head bracket has broken and needs replacing as it keeps slipping down the pole. An elastic band fixed under it will do the trick until the boiler is repaired!
DeleteAs long as they are things which will see you through No Spend October, it wasn't the end of the world. Did you know you can freeze milk? If you do that it will stop you having to go to the shop at all! I don't often have a ready meal either (usually they are more than disappointing and downright yuk!) but M&S are always edible : )
ReplyDeleteBut surely….if you run everything down in September, so as not to spend…you just end up spending loads in October?
ReplyDeleteI think it's better to buy stuff cheap when you see it. You will eventually save the money by not buying it a future date it just won't be this month : )
ReplyDeleteIf I see a bargain price on something that I buy then I swoop and buy as much as I can deal with or store. My bathroom has enough shampoo, conditioner and shower jel to last for around 6 months, I had money off vouchers and there was a 3 for 2 offer on all of them about 4 months ago. I buy coffee and tea in industrial quantities when it in on offer, sometimes enough for 6 months at a time.
ReplyDeleteDont be too hard on yourself......what you spent in September you will save on and live off in October right ?|....I have found that leaving my purse with debit cards in at home and only taking the cash I am willing to spend with me helps......frustrating when you see a really good value bargain and you cant stretch to it though.....everydays a challenge !
ReplyDeleteDon't punish yourself. Each day is a new day. :)
ReplyDeleteChickens also love pasta as a treat.
ReplyDeleteGive up on the sparkling water and avoid evil Tesco forever, you will feel better then.
I also broke my low spend resolve and stocked up to use a £15 discount on a £60 Tesco delivery and a £5 off a £40 spend at Aldi. My spend was also around £80 but to be fair I am planning on dividing that by the 4 weeks in October and deducting £20 a week off my usual housekeeping allowance. Also I now have such a large stock of toilet paper, laundry gel, toothpaste, washing up liquid, cat food and a few other items that I won't need to buy any more for about 3 months, and my freezer and stock of tinned goods should certainly see me through October without having to buy too much else except for fresh fruit, veg and dairy items.
ReplyDeleteif things are on offer and they are your usual foods that you eat day in day out. I think you would be nuts to walk by them. if you have the space I say buy as much as you can, with in the expiry date to make sure that you are getting the best deal.
ReplyDeleteI also saw in Tescos that they are doing 4 cans of plum and chopped tomatoes for £1 in the world foods aisle. 25p a can? that is at least 6p off the usual tescos own brand. and the chick peas are on offer as well. these in the normal aisle are at least 60p a can. so that is a 35p a can saving. it all adds and then you can use the money for other areas. that pasta look like a complete bargain. Wish I had seen that but I don't have the storage for it. now if I had a larder I would be going or broke buying it all!
I think you did well!
ReplyDeleteI bought a new car this week (well, three years old) which was a bargain, but still cost a lot of my money. AND someone was selling their complete archery kit at the club (giving up) and I snapped it all up for a bargain price - saved myself several hundred pounds on a very good quality, virtually new bow and ALL the kit.
The car was essential - and will save me lots of money in tax and insurance AND is an estate with a towbar (hurrah at last!) - the archery kit is a hobby but at the moment I am renting kit so will save the cost in less than two years.
I still spent money though, but I think, like you do, it is better to snap up a bargin (if you can than) to miss out