As of last Friday I had £28 left. Even that is better than it sounds as I'd spent £9 on car parking, which has been claimed back as an allowable expense.
Common sense told me that I couldn't make this last another 2 weeks, as I was away all week, and would need cash.
So, what did I do....
Put the £20 in an envelope, label it 'spare' and took it with me.
Drew out another £80 for the next 2 weeks spending. I've finally got a use-able voucher from Tesco. I often get vouchers when I shop, but often they are for '£x off a £50 shop'. I've tried to spend £50, but never managed it. Last week, however I got one for £4 when I spend £30,and I've got some other money off coupons. I even remembered to put them through the till in the correct order. So weekly spend was only £19 in actual cash.
Conventional wisdom for cutting down on household spending recommends shopping in the likes of Aldi and Lidl, and while there are undoubtedly bargains to be had, for me, due to the fact that we don't have either locally, the extra cost of going there doesn't justify the amount I'd save. I know people who say they saved £40 by shopping in the budget supermarkets - I don't spend that much in one shop (see above note about Tesco)!
I'm not sure where the likes of Home Bargains, and Wilkinsons fit into this. I find them really useful for cleaning products, toiletries and bargain biscuits.
But for me, the local market, and local shops win every time.
So where am I now? 4 days until payday and I've got £23 in my purse and a small fortune in £2 coins. A fair amount of stuff in the freezer, and meals planned for the next 4 nights. So a win really, and will try the same next month.
That's a great result. My budgeteering has been an epic fail this month, will be watching you closely for tips ... and I must find a market.
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