Change A Week Challenge

lilmisskitkat

I think this is a great idea! I must admit to needing a kick up the backside every now and then lol.

DD is starting school in Sept so i'll be looking for a part time job and so i really want to get organised with money, the house, meals etc. When i moved into my own house almost 2 yrs ago (which is when i joined this site) i was really good with money and very organised with meals etc but its slipped since then and now i need to get myself back on track. I am now £38 a week better off than when i moved into my own hosue but i've no savings or anything to show for it, it just gets frittered away.

Anyway, yesterday i sat down and wrote out a budget plan for everything - food, rent, bills, DD's dance and swimming lessons, bus fares, xmas and birthday savings, clothes etc. And i AM going to stick to it!!!!

Then at the weekend i had a big clearout, loads of things for the charity shop but a lot just for recycling - loads of old magazines etc which i kept for some reason. I cut out any articles i wanted to keep and put them in a file which is loads neater.

The next thing is meal plans and shopping - for myself, fussy eater DD and boyf who is here 3/4 nights a week.

Good luck to everyone!

Kate xxx

sammy_kaye18

Hi all

can i join??? i want to declutter the house and add a few thigns to the local freecycle page. Might possibly see fi i can add some things to ebay just to get rid of them because i hat ebeing so cramped in here - we have a 2 bed ground floor flat between me, a stroppy 27 year odl bf and a 2 year old.

JayneC

lizzie12 wrote:

Well, an not too bad here. One weekly challange is to keep the downstairs tidy at the end of every day.
* Mugs and plates in sink ready for morning.
*Papers in recycle bag
* Shoes in the shoe rack
* Set the table for breakfast

Have now recycled all the magazines and articles had kept over the years and forgot about - also not bought a single mag since!!! What a saving.
Now get them from the libarary for a week.

Set the table for breakfast? I'm so jealous - my table is always full of junk, everyone justs walks through the door and dumps all their stuff on it cos it's just there:mad: i have to clear it all off before we can sit down to eat tea, although often it just gets piled up in the middle! I'm now inspired to make this my change - I will keep the table clear:D

I have been doing quite well, now try to cook from scratch ( even pizza!) and have started baking again. Have done a proper budget with the help of Martin's budget planner and now keep a spending diary (what a revelation-I discovered that i spend virtually every day:rolleyes:) . Have rediscovered stardrops. Now shop at local greengrocer and butcher and have reduced Tesco bill by 2 thirds:j . Am working full time so the cleaning house bit doesn't figure so high am roping in DDs1,2&3 to help but they're a bit hit and miss. Looking forward to watching everyones progress.

J
xx

divorcingjack

Hi all!

I'm in for the challenge as well. This week is to clear out the cupboard under the stairs and implement a laundry system which doesn't involve the floor. I am new to OS, but am becoming rapidly addicted.

We have inherited a masssive and unruly garden, and after managing to fight my way through the bottom of it, I discovered a compost heap, water butt, about four tonnes of blackcurrants, redcurrants, and an apple tree and plum tree.

I am attempting to grow beetroot and spring onions at the moment and am becoming worryingly maternal over my tiny seedlings. I'm off to tackle the cupboard - wish me luck!

Olwen

PS: Thanks to wigginsmum if she is reading this, she was kind enough to reply to an earlier post, but I now can't find it to reply! Sorry!

nicki_2

Well my storecupboard challenge has gone out the window to some extent. I've just had a phonecall this afternoon from MIL about DD who is staying there (coming home this evening)...apparently it looks like she's caught chicken pox :eek::mad: I've had to go out to Asda to get fresh fruit, cordial, bread, milk, cheese, cooked meat, spread, calamine lotion, Asda's own calpol, cotton wool, ice-pops, icecream & I bought a few bits and pieces to bake with as well to try and keep her busy and not scratching. Personally I'm hoping she hasn't got them and has just broken out in a rash due to swimming in the Irish sea...I can but hope :rolleyes:

gwinnie

I'm still doing the decluttering but v e r y s l o o o o w l y because of the ferocious heat. I'm spending most of my time keeping the baby cool and hydrated. Week two's change should have been to get on top of the paperwork (and stay there) but can't claim any success. Ah well, there's still tomorrow!

lizzie12_2

Hi JayneC

Kitchen table may be set for the following morning....... all the bits n bobs and 5 days post is upstairs ready to be sifted through!! Have that much utter rubbish through the letterbox every day... loan this credit card that... God! what a waste of money.. If I had said no in the first place, not be in this fix now.
Honestly, yes downstairs is tidy, but if people who visited could see the upstairs they would be shocked. Need to get my bum in order on that one.
This month is also the challenge for shopping under £200. The thought of it makes my stomach churn....panic at the thought.

Sorry for that 2 min moan.. hope things going ok for you.

sparklymessygirl

divorcingjack wrote:

Hi all!

PS: Thanks to wigginsmum if she is reading this, she was kind enough to reply to an earlier post, but I now can't find it to reply! Sorry!

see thread
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=227836

I am not stalking you by the way! Just saw you were a newbie and might not know how to find one of your previous posts...Click on your name, click on posts you have contributed to and you should find it quite easily.

I am doing the challenge in parallel with you all - just haven't declared myself yet! I am doing a kind of Flylady - I am making sure that I do not go to bed with dirty dishes in the sink - so far so good...but it is not ingrained in me yet so I am sticking with this one for another week before adding another!

Sparkly

divorcingjack

Just an update from me. Hmmm. I have taken all of the stuff out of the cupboard ... putting it back in is proving slightly more difficult.:eek:

It will be done today.

sparklymessygirl - thank you so much for the link. Much appreciated! Good luck with your flylady challenge!

lizzie12_2

Well this is a turn up for the books!! Having a good clear out today AGAIN!! and have found a five pound note. How long are folk keeping their utility bills for? I have a few from last year and not sure what to do with them.. any ideas?
Have been to the garden centre and got some half price plants for the garden, adds a bit a colour £4.00 in total.