Weekly Spend Challenge W/C 2nd December 2012

[EverTheOptimist]

Hello everyone. Welcome to the Weekly Spend Challenge. This challenge is open to anybody, no matter what financial place they are in.

On this thread please post an amount of money you wish to stay below within the week (Sunday to end of working day on Friday). This can be pennies or thousands it depends on the individual. Then next Saturday report back and pledge for the following week. The challenge runs from Sunday to Friday so we don't include Saturdays but feel free to change the rules to suit you and include Saturdays or start on a different day.

Feel free to update this thread with daily spends if that keeps you on track. We colour code the results as below:

Green - within budget
Red - overbudget
Purple - zero spend
Orange - made money over the week

This is a little bit of fun but for many it highlights the fact that maybe that magazine/chocolate bar isn't needed. Hopefully your spending habits can be changed forever.

Moozie was the founder of this challenge and here is a quote taken from her:

Originally Posted by Moozie:
"Good afternoon lovely DFWs Now for anyone looking in, please feel free to join - the more the merrier! Basically, decide on the amount you want to spend up to from Sunday until the end of the working day on Friday then pledge it here and off we go! The challenge is about incidental spending and not for stuff that should be budgeted elsewhere such as bills, groceries, debt repayment etc but you decide what to include at the end - this is about changing your habits and improving your recording of your spends more than anything else. Have a great week everyone and keep it low!!! Moozie x"

Good Luck Everyone

W/C 25th November 2012 Challengers / Pledges / Total Spent

EverTheOptimist - £10 / £10
rising from the ashes - £85.79 / £87
flyinggiraffe - £120
abundant1972 - £40 / £10
Munchin - £50 / £56.18
mandz1 - £40 / £32.85
Sabrina237 - £10
8hoovesarebetterthannone - £165 / £184.11
Casperthefriendlyghost - £10 / £5.77
stardrops42 - £10
Lucyv - £280
shezam - £50 / RED
chris81418 - £90 / £87.15
Lottie1987 - £70 / £57.66

W/C 2nd December 2012 Challengers / Pledges / Total Spent

EverTheOptimist - £135
Rising from the ashes - £100
Abundant1972 - £25
Lottie1987 - £70
shezam - £100
mandz1 - £30
Casperthefriendlyghost - £10
chris81418 - £100
8hoovesarebetterthannone - £165
flyinggiraffe - £60
Munchin - £80

[EverTheOptimist]

Evening everyone

Another new thread. Another new week.

Trying a new tactic, as i'm currently keeping everything seperate and only giving myself £10 for this challenge, however i have cheated the last couple of weeks as when i have needed something i have added it to my grocery budget or going out budget and continue to overspend.

So i will pledge everything i plan on spending in the week.

So this week

2/12 Petrol - £60
2/12 Lunch - £15
3/12 Xmas pressies (owed to my sis) - £35
3/12 Nails - £20
5/12 Dinner on Weds - £25
Groceries - £20
Spends - £10


Total - £185

Won't include any xmas spends as they might be quite variable, and also have birthday pressie to buy for a 5yr old boy, hoping around £10 mark.

[Casperthefriendlyghost]

Hi EverTheOptimist

Thanks so much for starting this challenge for the week. I'm a little bit chuffed that my name is already on the list (sad I know lol!) Thanks so much!

I'm allocating £10.00 this week and need to really stick to it. I've just found out that I get paid on the 20th December so it's going to be an almighty stretch till my next payday in January 2013! So got to save the pennies and stretch every penny as far as it can go!

Cheers
Casper
xx

[EverTheOptimist]

Originally Posted by Casperthefriendlyghost

Thanks so much for starting this challenge for the week. I'm a little bit chuffed that my name is already on the list (sad I know lol!) Thanks so much!

I'm allocating £10.00 this week and need to really stick to it.

I was so close to putting you down for £10 too but thought i might get caught out!!

Good luck with making your pay last, that will be a long stretch.

We always have a vote for our Xmas pay and it usually goes in around the 23rd/ 24th, however last year it was paid after Xmas which i prefer as i dont want to be tempted to use it for Xmas and then having nothing left, especially as i have my MOT and service at the end of Jan.

[chris81418]

Hello everyone!

Thanks for this week's thread ETO!

Popping in to report that I was green last week with a spend of £87.15 out of my pledged £90!

This week I'd like to pledge £100 please, as I have a food shop to budget for as well as meeting with friends.

Have a good week everyone and stay wrapped up warm!

[Casperthefriendlyghost]

Thanks EverTheOptimist


That's funny lol! I'm becoming predictable but it's really all I can afford for now ;o) Good luck with the challenge. We get paid so early every year and it's a real PITA! I've already done my gifts (luckily my family all live abroad so I send them money ~ postage to dear and they get to buy what they want) and only have one work do arranged which is already paid for so hopefully it'll be ok and I've also bought the £10 for £5 Starbucks offer so some nice treats for me there ;o)

Cheers
Casper
xx

[8hoovesarebetterthannone]

Well, went over budget week beginning 25/11 so have to report: £184.11 / £165

This week I want to pledge another £165.

Thank you!

[flyinggiraffe]

Evenin all!

Thanks for starting the thread ETO!

This week I'm mostly working in London (excited face!) so am going to pledge £60 as I know I will more than likely be tempted to hit the shops before I head home

Hope you all have a good week

[Munchin]

Hi all

I was red last week - £56.18/£50 but I wasn't too far of target.

This week I'm going for £80 as I bought lunch today for my sister and Mum. I'm going out for Xmas dinner on Wed evening and I've the usual spends to factor in.

Thanks

M

[Lottie1987]

Morning everyone!

Spends so far:

£16.38 (Eggs, milk and PJ bottoms for OH towards Xmas)

Total so far £16.38/£70.00 (£53.62 left for the week)

Have a good day everyone!

[Munchin]

Morning everyone,

Spends so far -

Sun - £49.47 (£29 lunch + £6.20 (coffee at airport) + £5.27 groceries)

Total = £49.47/£80

[rising from the ashes]

Hello everyone, sorry I'm a bit late - had a lovely night down with DM&DF for a change of scenery (week 8 of being in the house and getting a bit sick of the same 4 walls).

It was fab to see them but especially Maisie (my dog) as she's been with them that whole time and I'm missing her like crazy - thankfully she still remembered me and we had some lovely cuddles!

Thanks ETO for the new thread......

Originally Posted by EverTheOptimist

Trying a new tactic, as i'm currently keeping everything seperate and only giving myself £10 for this challenge, however i have cheated the last couple of weeks as when i have needed something i have added it to my grocery budget or going out budget and continue to overspend.
So i will pledge everything i plan on spending in the week.

That's what I found myself doing too - hoping a few weeks of listing everything should stamp that on it's head as it really is the Misc things that I need to watch!

Originally Posted by Casperthefriendlyghost

I've just found out that I get paid on the 20th December so it's going to be an almighty stretch till my next payday in January 2013! So got to save the pennies and stretch every penny as far as it can go!

We're the same Casper ...... get paid on the 20th and then not until 25th Jan but, even worse, it means that Dec-Jan and Jan-Feb are both 5 weekers


So ... pledge for this week:

Fuel - £30 (have a couple of hosp appts)
Groceries - £35 (have a £5 off £35 @ Al*di)
Trolley - £25 bought Mon
Misc - £10

Total: £100

Current: £25 / £100

[shezam]

Monday 3rd December - £40 for Xmas do.

£40/£100.

[EverTheOptimist]

Well so far i have been mostly spending money like it's going out of fashion.

2/12 Petrol - £60
2/12 Lunch - £15
3/12 Xmas pressies (owed to sis) - £40
3/12 Nails - £20 - couldnt go to appt as had a puncture when i got to work so had to go to the garage this evening instead of the appt.
£83.05 later on a new tyre as old one couldnt be repaired. Booooo. Although this is from a car maintenance budget
5/12 Dinner on Weds - £25
Groceries - £20 - so far £8.26 spent, on lunch for tomorrow as out of work tomorrow at an assessment. and to fulfill my craving of chocolate milkshake.
Spends - £10 - so far £3.42 spent, snack for work today and chip shop chips tonight.

[flyinggiraffe]

£2.20 bus fare

[rising from the ashes]

ETO pants to the puncture and new tyre ... that's bad enough without losing the nail appt!

[EverTheOptimist]

Thanks rising. The only good thing was that I had the funds in a little account to cover it.

[rising from the ashes]

Originally Posted by EverTheOptimist

Thanks rising. The only good thing was that I had the funds in a little account to cover it.

This is what I need to get sorted next year ..... some of "those things" are put away but haven't quite managed to get them all sorted as yet!

[Lottie1987]

Morning everyone!

Spends for yesterday:

£5.70 (train to work), £2.40 (bus home after finishing late), £10.40 (chips, ham, fruit, washing up liquid and replacement sponge for my dish washer brush.

Total so far: £34.88/£70.00 (£35.12 left for week)

Have a good day everyone!!

[rising from the ashes]

Originally Posted by rising from the ashes

Fuel - £0 / £30 (have a couple of hosp appts)
Groceries - £34.39 / £35 shopped Tues (have a £5 off £35 @ Al*di)
Trolley - £25 / £25 bought Mon
Misc - £0 / £10
Total: £59.39 / £100

So .... cutting it a bit close on the Groceries - I had wanted to spend £35 & get £5 off but it's been ages since I've been able to get to Al*di and saw a few bits that I just couldn't resist ... could've been worse tho!

Treat fund still intact but will need to get crumpets towards the end of the week!