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No spend January
Would anyone care to join me? I am going to attempt not spend anything in January. Unfortunately my direct debits and standing orders are not included in this but I am going to attempt to not do any spending. I will have to fill up with fuel but other than that I am going to give myself a £10 limit each week and that will include any food shopping!
Anyone else want to try and join in? You don't have to set yourself the same limit but it was a challenge I set myself last year and di a £20 spend a week and thought I'd try again this year.
I have heard of peopel doing a dry Janaury but as I don't drink that will be rather too easy to achieve!
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I have no chance. I have a girly weekend away in Jan, I NEED to spend, ha.
A good idea though, I spend far too much.
Good luck with it QI.(I have no chance of being dry either)
Not this one. New baby due do.will no doubt need a few things!
I have no chance either, I have 3 days away for a wedding so paying for hotel etc for that, 2 friends' birthdays to buy for and go to the party for one. Plus I know I need some new work clothes.
I don't think there is any month of the year i could do this. Too many birthdays/weddings blah blah.
Using things up in the cupboards and getting rid of all the clutter from Christmas. Seems the best time to do it. I managed it fairly easily last year. That's why I reduced my weekly spend this year. But I still have a budget for fresh fruit.
My friend did somethign similar for Lent - she was only allowed tos pend x amount a day and she found it a struggle to begin but towards the end found it fairly easy.
My H gets a big juicy payrise, starting in Jan, there is NO way I am not spending it...
Good to have something to look forward to AK!
There's no way I could manage on £10 a week as I have two birthdays to plan for plus our wedding anniversary.
QI how do you manage the food? Most of my bulk meals contain tomatoes. I might have a go at trying to use up all the staples rather than setting a budget.
Incidentally do you count cat food in that budget? That seems to cost a fortune.
I can't as I'm planning on buying things in the sales for baby, plus it's my sis and BILs anniversary so will need to get them a present. I do plan on using up the food in the freezer/cupboard though and being more organised food-wise in January.
How will you pay for stuff for the kids? M's got ballet and gymnastics classes that are paid weekly/monthly, plus toddler group is £1 a week etc, all in that's almost £10 a week itself, do the kids have anything like that that needs paid for?
No chance for me. I want to have a look round the sales though I may not buy. Plus were going out for a meal on new year eve so that would take up the months budget! When I got married I did a year of buying no clothes to save money. That was quite good.
Not a chance with the no spend but I'll be in a for a spend less challenge.
Well it is really a spend less but 'No spend January' sounds more catchy than spend a little bit less January
Cedar - It is is a way of using up what is in the cupbiards and being a bit more inventive for now as well. The cat food costs just over a fiver for 12 tins and they don't always use that up in a week so yes
Although I do currently ahev a stock of tins aswell for the cats.
I keep saying I am going to use what is in the cupboards/freezer, but never do.
I admit, I am a spender, but then so is H.
We have agreed to meal plan, and cut back on take aways, that is a good start for us.
2 or 3 times a year I run the cupboards down to almost nothing, and we buy a few fresh things a week to make dinners with the existing stuff. It's amazing how much it saves!
I'm going to spend less in Jan (but not nothing) because I got paid 12 days early in December and have spent more this month than any month since H and I got together (excluding wedding spends) so it's going to be a loooong run to end of Jan. Will do us the world of good to have a frugal few weeks.
I'm going to give this a go as we seem to have loads in at the moment and don't have any big spending events I can think of coming up. But I think I'll just see how little I can spend rather than setting myself a limit as I have no idea at the moment, which isn't a good start!
H and I are doing dry January (well apart from his works Xmas party but that is paid for already). Won't manage such a tight budget but need to cut down. E has a birthday before we get paid again then H's mums just after.
This is my second year of it and having a fairly tight budget anyway makes me more aware of spending. It is kind of 'cool' to try and spend as little as possinle as a challenge to yourself more than anythign else
I know I have a weird definition of cool
We're going to cut back and eat up what we have in the house. Although this will rely on H who does the supermarket shop most week not getting swayed by bargains!
This is the man who stock piled 20 boxes of cereal a couple of years ago. (For two adults and one small child). So he may not be able to resist!
It will only be on food although I won't be spending much in general in January anyway. Well not on things for me like clothes,etc.