Tightening my belt

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January (and February too) were tight months in our house. As I am sure is the case for many others, I may have overspent a little over Christmas. I also stupidly forgot that my car insurance was due in January.

So, I have had to really watch what I have been spending. I have been doing more Swagbucks surveys, entering more competitions (I have won 5 prizes so far this year) and anything else I can think of to earn a few extra pennies.

I’ve been spending a bit of time perusing the forums on the Money Saving Expert (MSE) website. On there, I have found a lot of great hints and tips for saving and making pennies. Some of these are a little strange or things I couldn’t see myself doing (such as looking for receipts on the floor outside supermarkets in case they have points I could claim on them). However, some of the ideas I have found helpful.

I’ve had as many “no spend days” as possible during the month. Challenging myself not to spend anything each day has really made me think about impulse purchases that I would usually make without thinking. These really add up over a month, so just cutting these out has saved me quite a bit.

Making the most of coupons has also been helpful. Never before did I realise how far you could make a £2.50 clubcard voucher go! I have also been making a list before I go to the supermarket and have been sticking to it. The only “extras” I have bought have been things that have been heavily discounted.

I realised this month just how much I spend on things I really don’t need. The amount of trashy magazines I was buying was ridiculous! Hopefully if I can keep up this spending curb for a couple more months or so, I will have a nice little bit of money saved that I can use when we take the kids on holiday in the summer.

In the long term, if I can keep this up, I am hoping that we will be able to take the kids abroad on holiday next year. I hope I’ll have a little bit for days or meals out as a family too. Anything is possible when you put your mind to it!

Take care everyone.