Hello Dear Reader,

We’re all approaching the time when there’s a lot more month left than we have money. I’ve spent much too much money this month. Train fares to London and back, clothing, hair colouring. I’ve spent money experimenting with dress making, which I may or may not get right in the long run. I got married and had a second holiday this year, when in truth I couldn’t really afford the first! I bought a sewing machine and have spent far more money than I have done in years. We usually get to the end of the month with half our salaries intact, which we use to make an overpayment on our mortgage. We managed an overpayment in August and September, but it was far from our usual amount. We have to get a grip and get back to not spending and saving all we can.

We’ve sat down and had a very stern word with ourselves and made our budgets from October. We’ve allocated every single penny which is not used for: utilities, food, diesel, car costs and will put it towards a mortgage over payment. We’ll shop for the month and allow ourselves £10 a week for any extras such as fresh vegetables, allow ourselves £200 for both of our travel costs and car expenses. All other bills are paid by direct debit and we’ll eke the month out and make sure that October is a Stoptober for spending (There will also be a national give up smoking campaign for Stoptober!). We have not allowed ourselves any other spending for anything whatsoever.

There are many interesting and well written blogs out there, which will have ways and means of saving you money. They will point you in the direction of discount codes and they are in part well meaning, they are also, in part may I add, advertising products albeit reduced or with a discount. I want to share a different direction of financial abstinence. If you are a spendthrift, then stop it! If I can, anyone can! Make this your Stoptober, where you don’t buy things because they are cheap or discounted but you don’t buy anything at all. Shopping is an addiction and charity shop shopping is the methadone of choice for compulsive shoppers who are just replacing one addiction with another!

Budget differently this month. If you are a spender, then remove any means of doing so. Move money into long term savings where you can’t transfer it back, use it to pay off debts, use it to pay off mortgage capital. Use it any way you can but make sure none of it is just spent for the sake of spending. Take the no shop pledge, detox your life of the need to spend money, launder your life commercialism and go shop free.

I’ll put my soap box away now and go for a lie down in a dark room; at least that’s free!

Now Dear Reader, as ever, I give you the chance to join in. Anyone else need to admit they’ve been spending money and need to stop it and get saving? Do tell.

Until tomorrow,

Love Froogs xxxxxxxxx