As you may be aware if you saw my earlier post, we have been on a no spend January. We wanted to keep our spending to just monthly bills and groceries. Today, is the last day of our no spend and I wanted to update you all on how we got on.
We did it!Kind of. Well, we had 2 minor slip ups and I’m happy with that!
Gif sourced from Giphy.com
It wasn’t always easy, but we are proud of ourselves. Here’s some of the ways we did it:
Birthdays
We had a few January birthdays for loved ones, so I got around this by making presents and cards. Thankfully, I got more clay as a Christmas gift, so this really helped me out. I even used colouring sheets as wrapping paper.
You can check out my YouTube video to see some of the gift ideas here:Planning Presents
Stock Taking
Rather than buy new toiletries on week 3, I had to gather everything we had within the home. It was shocking to see exactly how much we had- much more than just 1 months worth! Definitely worth pulling everything together to see what you actually have.
Fakeaway
My daughter had a friend over for tea on week 3. Our usual Dominoes was not an essential this month, so we did our own fakeaway with pizza, chips, and garlic bread from the freezer. It was budgeted in the groceries bill and the kids loved it!
Upcycling / Using What We Have
We got creative when necessary. I made a tray for my spices from an old cracker box and used old flower pots to make a DIY composter (More on that soon).
Fails
My first downfall was a takeaway on week 1 due to not forward planning. It was cheaper than the chippy tea we’d usually have on a Thursday as I bought sausages rolls from the bakery, but we knew to plan better in week 2 after that.
A trip to the charity shop for my son ended up in me spending £1 on mugs. Not too extreme I know, but I knew to steer clear after that as the temptation was too much for me.
Have you completed a no spend challenge or want to do one in the future? I found it eye opening, surprisingly hard, but worthwhile.
If you saw my latest blog on sinking funds, you’ll know that I am already planning ahead for the cost of Christmas 2022. That sinking fund is for presents for my kids and our immediate family unit. I do, however, still need to get presents for some extended family members and friends and that includes both birthdays, mother’s day, father’s day, and Christmas etc.
I have decided, from this moment, to try and do all handmade gifts where possible, especially for Christmas. I have some good ideas for inexpensive gifts, and I enjoy making things with clay (I got a big pack of polymer clay for Christmas from my hubby). If I can pull this off, I will save myself a lot of money. I have already told family that I am doing less this year, (I have 10 nieces and nephews, a total of 32 extra people to buy for at Christmas!)Token gifts are the way forward.
I always keep lists! I keep note of everyone I have to buy for throughout the year for different occasions. When I have that gift, I tick off the person’s name. If I haven’t made a gift, I will know to scour second hand shops first. Organisation is key.
If you want to check out my Youtube video on planning ahead for Christmas 2022, you can find it HERE!
Here are some of the presents I have been working on:
This pie is as easy to make as it sounds. It’s a great no-meat option to keep costs low, but it still has beans and veggies! Even better, my 11 year old helped me make this, so if you have older children who are learning life skills in the kitchen, this is a great one to start with.
Ingredients:
Potatoes
2 cans of baked beans in tomato sauce
A cup of frozen veg (or fresh). I use mixed vegetables, but just peas will do.
A dash of Worcester sauce (optional)
Cheese
Method:
Boil and mash your potatoes. At the same time, cook your veg until softened.
Tip 2 cans of beans into a casserole dish/ tray and mix in the drained veg.
Smooth on an even layer of your mashed potatoes and top with a sprinkle of grated cheese.
After a heavy financial month in December and with the goal of buying a new-to-us car at some point in 2022, we are kicking of 2022 with a ‘No Spend January’.
A no spend month is a month where you set yourself the challenge of not buying anything and your only outgoings should be on your monthly bills and groceries.
I always think our frugal journeys are unique and what we individually class as necessities is subjective, so when it comes to a no spend challenge you set your own rules
My Rules:
We will pay all of our current monthly bills, even what I call luxury ones such as or TV subscriptions and our online gaming subscriptions. These are important to us as a family and are always budgeted for.
Groceries and top up groceries are necessities.
We will pay for the children’s extra curricular activities such as my daughter’s monthly gymnastics bill.
We will assess any potential spends on what we deem a necessity. For example, if one of the kids gets a hole in their school shoes, a new pair will be a necessity. (I’m saying this as my daughter could potential need new school shoes in the next few weeks).
We will continue to pay for our bus travel. If we had a car, fuel would still be a necessity, so our travel expenses are still a necessity.
We will NOT spend on anything we do not class as a necessity. That includes, takeaways, clothes, toys, make up, my husbands work lunches (he can take his own) etc.
We are by no means frivolous with money, but I am sure we will still see some savings.
Have you got any goals for 2022? Would a no spend month or year appeal to you?
Firstly, I want to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas! Once again, we end another crazy year, and all we can do is hope that 2022 brings us some sort of normality.
Secondly, I want to share my 2022 plans with you all, so I have some accountability. I know my posting this year was sporadic at best, but that is because I have been trying to get my new Youtube channel off the ground. If you haven’t checked it out yet, you can do so here. YOUTUBE. Please, subscribe if you think my content interests you.
I post at least twice weekly on Youtube, but I am trying to post every Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday in January to see how I get on. Hopefully, it will become a routine I can stick with.
‘But what about here on the blog?’ I hear you cry!
For 2022, I pledge to post at least twice monthly – on the 14th and 28th of every month. But if I can, I will try and post more blog posts when I have extra content to share. I don’t feel overstretched with this plan, and I owe you guys a little consistency.
I hope you all stick around for 2022, and if you can subscribe over on Youtube, I’d much appreciate it!!
2020 has been a bizarre year for us all, and some have been impacted financially. Whether you need to cut costs this Christmas, or just like to give handmade gifts with a little extra thought, here is my list of 30 budget handmade gift ideas:
Maybe you have unexpected guests or are still looking for an inexpensive gift idea for a family member. Whatever gift inspiration you require, I’m sure you’ll find an idea here:
Bath Salts
I have done a post on how simple it is to make bath salts here: Bath Salt Tutorial
My children made these for their Dad for Father’s day, and all that they used was sea salt and baby oil.
Baked Goods
Around Christmas time, I usually always have baking supplies to hand. I also have baked goods such as biscuits or fairy cakes made. It is worth keeping some cake boxes or even some cellophane bags on hand so you can quickly bag some of your baked goods up as a last minute gift.
You know I love a good bookmark. I made myself and my daughter some for the Christmas season, and wanted to share them with you. I have included a free printable, so you can get some of your own.
Halloween costumes can be really pricey, especially if you have multiple children. Here are some of my ideas for cheap, easy to make costumes.
You can find a video tutorial for these costumes on my YouTube channel: Budget Costumes
Crazy Scientist
Old white shirt
Fake blood
Crazy hair (hair gel)
Glass jar
Fake fingers
Food dye
Eye protection googles or a head light (optional)
Wear the shirt like a lab coat. Stick hair up on all ends or in a crazy style, and wear goggles atop of the head. Fill the jar with fake fingers and green food dye.
Crazy Doctor
Old white shirt
Fake blood
Face mask
Stethoscope toy
Name Badge
You can download a free printable for my name badge design here:
Cover the shirt in blood and allow to dry. Print out the name badge and attach it to the shirt pocket. The rest of the costume is all down to the accessories.
Burglar
Black clothes
Dark hat
Fake money (I printed some)
Takeaway bag
Black pen
This costume is very easy. Simply print and cut out fake money and draw a money sign on the takeaway bag.
I hope this post has been helpful for those of you doing Halloween on a budget!
Sensibly Frugal Living 