Frugal 2017 - Week 2 | The One with the 'No Spend Weekend'

So.....hot on the heels of the mega savings I was able to make from our monthly budget last week (£240 in case you didn't know - you can read about it here), I was keen to keep the momentum going. We've managed to stick to our budget and haven't spent unnecessarily. Yeah! Here's how we've saved money this week.

Frugal 2017 - Week 2 | How I saved money with the 'No Spend' Weekend Challenge


1 - Meal Planning

Again I planned our dinners around what we already had in the cupboards.

Saturday | Steak Ciabattas, Homemade Wedges & Rocket
Sunday | Bangers & Mash with Frozen Veg
Monday | Quorn and Red Pepper Tacos
Tuesday | King Prawn Goan Curry
Wednesday | Salmon & Couscous
Thursday | Birthday Party
Friday | Chinese Chicken and Rice One Pot

Most of these meals were planned using food up from our freezer or cupboards so again we didn't spend much. I think I maybe spent around £40 on our entire food shop this week. Our stocks are running low though so I don't think we'll be able to sustain this level of budgeting for much longer. I do intend on stocking my freezer and cupboard when I spot a genuine bargain but rather than that item sitting in there for months before it is used, I'll plan to use it up pretty quickly.


2 - A 'No-Spend' Weekend

I am SO proud about this. We spent a lovely weekend break in Harrogate last weekend and normally we would probably spend around £150. We would definitely have eaten out which costs around £70 and would have probably stopped somewhere for cake and coffee or a couple of drinks in a nice pub. I'm pretty sure Steve and I would have bought takeaway coffee in the park and we might have let the kids buy something from the shops. It all adds up! We made a pledge not to spend a single penny and do you know what - we still had a fantastic time! We took all of our own food with us and packed board games for Saturday night entertainment rather than visiting a restaurant & pub. We had fun finding free places to visit in Harrogate and loved Valley Gardens. No Spend Weekends are definitely the way forward for us and it's a good little challenge to set yourself I think. We even packed our own flask of coffee for the park.



3 - I Signed Up for the FREE Postcode Lottery & Completing Surveys

Steve and I spotted a survey on Facebook where you earned a £5 amazon voucher for answering a few questions about a new road layout. It only took us 10 minutes each and was an easy £10 to put in the Christmas fund. We have signed up to more surveys where you can earn 77p - £3 per survey. They hardly take any time and we both have around a fiver in our pot already. Every little helps! You can join Snap Surveys and try it for yourself here.

My friend Ashleigh (of money saving fame) posted about the free postcode lottery this week and it caught my eye so I signed myself up. It's completely free, you just need to check the site daily to see if your post code has been selected. Some recent winners have won £600! You can sign up to the free Post Code lottery here (you will not be asked for your bank details - this is an affiliate link).


4 - Swagbucks

I also signed up to Swagbucks. I am online for a lot of the day anyway so I might as well get paid for it. You can watch videos, complete polls, use the swag search engine or shop at your favourite shops via the swagbucks website to earn SB which can be converted into Paypal cash or gift cards. We're going to try a couple of activities every day and hopefully convert our SB to a gift card this Christmas. You can sign up to Swagbucks and try it for yourself here (affiliate link) - you'll get 300 SB free to start you off.


Where I've spent money this week

Food Shopping - £40
Petrol - £50
Birthday gift for Harry's friend - £5
Family bus ticket to Newcastle for birthday party - £12
Drinks at a funeral - £15
Unlimited coffee at Wetherspoons whilst meeting friends - 89p

A total weekly spend of £122.89 is superb I think. Considering this included all of our transport, a weekend away in Harrogate, a night out in Newcastle, a birthday present and coffee with friends, it's a pretty good achievement.


So this weekend I challenge you to have your own 'No Spend Weekend'. Let me know if you manage it.

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Frugal 2017 - Week 2 | How I saved money with the 'No Spend' Weekend Challenge


Comments

  1. We have to buy a bed this weekend! I love how much you are saving, I've singed up for the lottery cheers x

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  2. I honestly don't think I could manage it lol!

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  3. I'm really impressed by your no spend weekend - I've pinned it to try for myself. I've signed up for Swagbucks his week too. We must all be feeling the pinch this year! I'll be looking out for more tips here too.

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