A no spend month, a month without spending any money, could you do it? Have you

Sounds like you're either there or almost there. Yes, it would take some pre-planning. If you didn't stock up on groceries, it would be really hard, have to eat only what you had and go eat out of the garden or the woods. Probably part of why they started talking about it in June so people would be able to prepare grocery wise. It's something to think about. Thanks and take care.

Not going anywhere for a month might be a way to do it. Hadn't really thought about it that way. Thanks. Take care

Not sure. You'd better not come live up here in the snow belt. We buy food for quite awhile ahead. I have a friend who has cat food for 9 cats and cans for himself for a month at a time. He lives on a back road and it has taken 3 to 5 days before a snow plow gets in. When we had an ice storm, 2 to 4 weeks before the roads were clear (depended on where you lived, the Canadians north of us, I hear had it even longer). My Mother, when she was alive, one freezer full of food and the cellar full of pickles, jams, perserves, etc. Dad worked construction and who knew what we would have for $ during the winter.

So I don't know. If it was my Mom, it would be food for us and the cat. But we had a one cat limit. I used to also. Wish I still did. This one is sending me to the poor house with medical bills.

Oh yeah, and a cupboard full of flour, sugar, pasta, canned goods and dry goods, beans, oatmeal, etc. Everyone buys a lot of food in the fall, just in case.

well, that's why they have cellers up north, we don't have them in Texas, well storm cellers further up in the tornado belt, but the bedrock is so near the surface that it really isn't economic to build them, then you'd still need to give them an AC

or, we have more to worry about the heat than the ice here in Texas, 105ish today

Very true, and storing things in 105 degrees has got to be a challenge! I had a trailer that hit over a hundred, all my rubber bands melted together and my stockings, too. Had to store rubber bands and stockings in the butter dish.

I'd have to live in a Pueblo in a cave or something like that.

Although cellars do keep things cool. Mountain houses are on bedrock/most don't have cellars. Cellars if built right maintain 55 degees up here. Less AC in summer and less heat in winter. That's why some people live in underground homes up here, but have to be careful or could be damp, some places, could be flooded. We actually have quite a variety of homes up here. Some people even try to build flat roofs, the places usually leak or fall in, but they try.

actually, the underground here doesn't get that cool, upper 60's if we're lucky

Upper 60s isn't bad (beats 105), not as easy on appliances maybe. My Mother had a freezer in our basement for almost 30 years. We also had a second hand refrigerator there for over a decade. 6 people in our family including 3 teenaged boys. Lots of gardening, berry picking, freezing corn, canning fruits and veggies, trading food. Take care, this has been interesting.

I forgot about my brother's birthday in August. But I already bought presents. Well pillow panels and stuffing. But diabetic cake and ice cream, maybe a mix I could buy in July and the ice cream, too.

Maybe January.
With kids, there always seems to be unexpected expenses. A car is bad enough in that respect, but kids, always fees and things coming up. Broken shoelaces, hair cuts, sudden growth spirts, want to participate in sports, cold, flu, etc.

Yes, with a family it is very, very hard.

With no other choice, does it take discipline? Doesn't discipline indicate a choice- at least between disciplined and undisciplined? Or spending $ you don't have versus not spending $ you don't have?

Have you not heard of credit? Living beyond one's means? Keeping up with the Jonses? Robbing Peter to pay Paul?

Of course it takes discipline to do what you HAVE to do and not what you WANT to do. Have you ever known anyone who could never pay their utility bill but always had all kinds of new crap?

Wow, I'll pray for you. There is a library book you may want to check out called The Tightwad Gazette. It has gotten me through some rough times. Also see if there are any wild food foraging classes where you live. Unless I find some work between now and September, I have no income until school starts again. I did substitute teaching and I didn't get very many days. Luckily, I'm married, but he's counting on me for part of the bills. So now until September, we're both going to be crossing our fingers. I hope we make it. Glad you have a room mate in September. Until then, luck and $ hoping for you. Take care.

Wow, good luck! I really feel for your situation. Believe it or not, $15 can go farther than you might think barring emergencies. If you can, go without as much as possible to help keep expenses down and eat cheap but healthy (beans, salad and no meat).

Would it be possible to have a garage/yard sale before you move?

I've had to teach my husband the importance of saving. He has $400 saved. Not as much as I would like, but it's a start and the first savings I've seen in 9 years since we got married. I had $20,000 saved. I lost my job in 1998. Have gotten a job here and there. I'm down to $800. Emergencies, health problems, car repairs, etc. it doesn't take much to eat it all up. My parents were dead, so 5 thousand went to use getting married. Show him this and don't miss an opportunity to teach him about saving. It's taken 9 years, but I'm starting to get through to him. Now his next car repair, or vacation, won't cost him another amount on his credit card.

Thanks for that message it is quite useful and makes me want to save more.. I know in the UK money disappears so quickly, it is a rip off here and £20,000 would not go far at all here even without emergencies and accident bills.
My boyfriend is useless but lately he is growing up a lot. I get a bonus where I work and I think I have about £1,700 saved in my work's bank account. Basically the problem is if I was to take my bonus out I'd lose hundreds in Tax because of a greedy guy who is now our Prime Minister. So if I wanted to take out the £1,700 and put it to good use, I'd probably only get £1000, or less.

I am trying to save more though but it is very hard, I owe my mum money so I don't want to save until that is paid, but I will save, little by little for now.

Are there other places you can put your savings? I have some in an account like you're talking, some in savings, and a little left in an insurance policy that is paid up. Maybe someone there knows other safe places you could put your money.

Yes, this economy is making many people grow up. Keep hanging in there.

I've been saying for a while I want to make an account that I can't access for a few years. I feel that is the only way to stop me spending it or dipping into it no matter how important I feel my reason is.
I have a savings account but I can easily access it and dip into it if my wages run out. I plan to do better but first I need to increase my hours, as at the moment I don't really have money I can put to the side just yet.

I hope you're able to increase your hours, sounds like you have a plan! Take care and good luck.

I don't know if it works the same in the UK but here in the states there are a couple of good ways to save where you can not touch the money even if you want to. The first and least expensive investment is gov't savings bonds. They take a few years to mature and it is slow saving but it is guarnateed and you don't need much to get started.

The second is what they call a Christmas Club savings or coupon savings account. You deposit so much per week, even as little as $5 and in the fall they automatically transfer the balance to your checking account.

The third thing you can do is invest in a short term CD (Certificate of Deposit). My institution has terms as short as 3 months that way if you had an emergency the money would not be tied up for a year.

In order to save you have to pay yourself first. It took me a long time to figure out what the experts meant by that. The other thing is to go without extras but treat yourself to something small every other paycheck.

You need to give the boyfriend an ultimatum on the money issue and stick to your guns. No matter how you feel about him if the relationship doesn't have some balamnce, if it isn't healthy it isn't worth being in.

Good luck!

Thanks for some interesting advice. X

It's an idea, let me know how you do and how you do it. Thanks and take care.

Yeah, it is hard in your situation.
$9 is high for a second hand shirt, some brand new ones are that right now where I live.
Sounds like you're teaching your daughter some very good lessons about money. Teaching no impulse buying is a really, really good and hard lesson to learn.

Where I live, 25 miles away from clothing stores, we don't go back if we change our minds. 50 miles round trip would not go over well for a shirt. You must live way closer.

Saving up for things is another very good lesson. Sounds like you're doing what you can when you can.

Ever read the book, The Tightwad Gazette? It has some interesting ideas that you might like. Good luck and keep up the good work.

Yes...it is high for a 2nd hand shirt. It was one of those 2nd hand stores that only does brand name & like-new clothing. It was a shirt that I would never have touched brand new....like from hollister or abocrombie & fitch. I live in the city and so it was only a few mins away. she paid for over halve of it with money she earned. It just is good to think twice before spending.

Yeah, with 45 minutes each direction, we can't go home and change our minds. Can go to another store and come back or eat and come back, but not home. A few minutes, that's not bad.

Yes, some of those designer things are priced sky high. I try to stay out of our designer thrift store unless I have to buy a suit for work because it is the only place I can afford a suit for work. At least most of the designer stuff is usually well made and lasts for years. Like buying L. L. Bean, expensive, but almost indestructable. My husband has gotten years of wear out of the L. L. Bean clothes I bought him when I had money. He hates to buy clothes, so if it lasts for years, he's happy.

My cousin's kid had an eye for the designer stuff. So when she became a teenager and had a chance to take sewing in high school, she aced the class and kept learning more and more. She makes all her own clothes now and it looks just as good as the designer stuff as well as lasting just as long. So who knows, having a good eye for nice clothes might lead to something. Thanks and take care.