24.9.15

Spending Report Week 3


Thank you dear readers for reminding me that books can be borrowed from the local library. My copy of The Leopard is reserved and I'm looking forward to reading it in paper form for free. 

So onto my third week's report of A Year of Less Spending. My week runs Tuesday – Monday as I started this challenge on September 1st which was a Tuesday.

My aims are to be more mindful of our general spending, to spend less on groceries and clothes (my weak areas) and to go back to basics with menu planning, using a spending diary and cooking more from scratch and in bulk. I hope that by the end of the year I'll have wasted less money on stuff and allocated more of our money for experiences and savings for future goals.

Here's a roundup of week 3.

Grocery shopping: £83.38 (budget £92 per week/£400 per month for four of us which includes food, household items and toiletries). This is my lowest spend to date. It includes £10.50 for a chippy tea  as it was a busy weekend and we felt we deserved a break from cooking. I did buy some food for Sam to take back to uni (he went back on Sunday) which I haven't included in this figure. However, I'm very pleased with the total and week 4 should be low as there are now only three of us to feed. My stock take was more careful this week and the only item I bought which I didn't use was cheese.

Spending diary: This week I had zero 'no spend' days which is disappointing. I spent £51.10 on my big shop and tiny amounts on four other days. I need to be more organised. On Monday I had a dental check up but it was only the basic charge as there were no problems. Phew.

Motivation: My motivation remains high. I'm getting used to buying needs not wants. Keeping a spending diary certainly makes you a more mindful consumer.

Clothes shopping: My intention this month is to edit my clothes and not add to them. I promise to show you the results soon!

Treats: As well as chippy tea another treat was to visit Yorkshire Sculpture Park which involved costs of petrol, parking and coffee (we took our own lunch). Mum very kindly paid for most of this. I think the £8 parking fee for a full day at YSP is excellent value (there's no other entrance fee) and I feel sad when I hear people complaining about it. A woman at the ticket machine told me I'd need more than coins as it was so expensive – I kept my opinions to myself.

Temptations: No real temptations this week. 

Menu: The menu this week was put together quickly and was a little dull. A gold star though for batch cooking enough spaghetti bolognese on Thursday for Sunday's evening meal and extra for the freezer. 

As the menu was fairly dull I'll spare you any food photos and leave you with some ceramic poppies instead which we saw at the sculpture park.

Have you had a good spending week?






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8 comments

  1. We had 3 birthdays on 14, 23 and 24 September so this was costly. Hubs and I are off on a cheap hol to Cornwall on Saturday so this will also be added expense , but I'm so looking good forward to it. All in all things won't get back to normal until October. Am pleased to say though that my Xmas saving jar is up to date so by the second week in December I will have reached my target which will see most of Christmas sorted money wise.

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  2. Have a lovely holiday. We're off to Cornwall in four weeks - can't wait!

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  3. Thanks for the inspiration. I'm going to do some meal planning myself so I can save some money on groceries. The poppies are beautiful.

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    1. Meal planning and stock taking my cupboards, fridge and freezer are all helping me spend less. Good luck Susan and thanks for your kind words.

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  4. Good Afternoon Claire, I was just visiting a few blogs when I saw yours, so I thought I would pop over and pay you a visit.
    You are so right, stock taking cupboards, fridge and freezers can bring to the fore so many things. I tried this for a whole month, just using what I had and the only things I needed to buy was fresh veg, milk, eggs and cheese..... I saved so much money... which always makes me happy.
    Like you, I find if I plan my meals it makes life a whole lot easier.... but sometimes, sticking to the meal planner is not always easy.... I can go off the rails a little.
    I loved visiting so I have become a new follower.
    Best Wishes to you.
    Daphne
    ivyphyllisandme.blogspot.co.uk

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    1. Many thanks Daphne. I like the routine of menu planning - no more waking up or driving home from work and thinking 'What's for tea?'

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  5. I have always wanted to go to Yorkshire Sculpture park. I agree with you about the parking, great value for money when it's free to enter. I saw the poppies at the Tower of London (from the road, didn't pay to go in). They looked incredible. So glad they're on show elsewhere. Great to have found your blog. With 4 kids, I'll be following your meal ideas closely.

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    1. Hi Katharine. Yorkshire Sculpture Park gets better with every visit. Would have loved to have seen poppies at Tower of London - lucky you. Thank you for reading and commenting :)

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