A Head to Head Challenge

funnyflip_2

Is there any chance I could join in? I know I'm a little late but have only just joined up having spent the last 3 months :eek: Sotring budjets working savings etc. (I was wondering what I had done so far this year
I would lik to keep focused and think you have the perfect plan!

mizmir

Of course you can. The more the merrier. Given that several of us have had rotten starts to the year you are probably as well ahead as any - and the way I see it is that there is lots of time left before December 2008 to catch up!

Welcome aboard!

farmerswife

Crikey now the Masters watching us we had better make sure we stick to our budgets.

I've had a good month saving wise, simply because I haven't spent any money other than on essentials. Not sure I'll be able to keep this rate up but I feel pleased that I have made a good start to the new year. I have managed to just scrape under £20K it feels so much better saying £19K rather than £20. Hope the rest of you are doing well. I have closed my First Direct credit card I did hope they would offer me a low life of balance to transfer debts from elsewhere but they didn't they obviously are glad to see the back of me.

Next step sort out stuff to ebay or stick on Amazon. I need to try an increase my income to cover addition expenses that are looming, if I want to maintain my predicted debt free date.

funnyflip_2

Well as you good people have let me join the fun I will fill you in, Sadly Michael I had a bit of a flas start to the year, In true MSE filed my tax return on time but found I owed and extra £110 :mad: then got the bill for some car repairs was told it would be about £150 turned up £250 :mad:

BUT on the plus side I was accepted on a training course wich I had SAVED for (Partial LBM march last year) so although it means I can't pay it off my debt I will not add to it either.

So not going overly well but starting to turn upwards slowly, let the games commence.

mizmir

Hi all

Wonder if we could make more use of this thread. For instance what are we all doing to try to meet the challenge?

£21K in 24 months is £875 a month. How are we raising that?

My minimum payments are about £540 and these are in my budget so this is the minimum I should manage each month. That leaves me an extra £335 to find a month. I am also doing the Olympic challenge for gold which requires raising an extra £500 a month - if I can keep that up for 6 months I should have enough to cover 9 months of the extra for this challenge! After that who knows...?

For the OC I am doing mainly matched betting and eBay - with a little dog training for a local club thrown in.

Any other ideas?

funnyflip_2

I have a weekend job but it's training
So this year I wil be making sure I keep on top of my expenses and invoicing to enable me to rech my target
Also will be e-baying, may look at amazon also I have found some old wholesale catalogues that I never quite got round to using to set uo shop on e-bay :j
OK:eek: have scared myself with all I have to do, better start with one thing at a time flybaby way

nevadagirl

Wow, a message from :money: - now that's motivational!

Welcome Funnyflip - the more the merrier

My official weigh in for 1 February is £18,739.29 - not as good as last month but it's all in the right direction.

So that's 675.86 off the total - how did I do it?

Minimum payments come to 565.86 - that's all in the budget, anyway. The extra £80 came from my Council Tax payment for February, and £30 I didn't spend on groceries as part of my store cupboard challenge (at least 50 meals still to go - I've had a good run of free lunches at work lately, too). I did, however, spend some money on a decorative leaf thing for my living room wall, which I wanted for ages and got in a closing down sale last week. Not particularly MSE, but then, I didn't pay for it with credit so it's not all bad news .

As far as eBay goes, I've started Turbolisting in earnest and will go live with the 200+ listings of random nonsense that I've done so far on the very next cheap listings day. My weekend has been earmarked for sorting through two suitcases of barely worn clothes (it feels like as soon as I buy something my weight fluctuates and it's rendered useless) as well as four cases and a wardrobe rail of my ex's clothes that he hasn't been back for in a year. Most of them will be totally out of fashion by now, but there are a few M&S suits and things there that I had to buy him for interviews and weddings etc, and I've seen Justin from Justin and Colin wearing quite a few of his shirts on TV (H&M, they must be MoneySavers too!) so will try and mention that when I write them up. Not sure whether to pitch it as a good or a bad thing...

I've also started working for AQA, I used to do mystery shopping for Grassroots but in my bid to cut back, I've kind of gone off shopping and see it as a chore and too much of a temptation now. So I've just completed my first three weeks as a researcher and while I'm finding it harder than I thought I would, and a little bit stressful, it can be really good fun as well. I don't notice the time going by when I'm doing it, which is a bit lethal - in true FlyLady fashion I've started using my timer every time I sit down to do a bit more.

And I cancelled my cinema card tonight, which will save me another £11 a month. Between all my extra moneysaving activities and my MSc, I barely have time to go and see anything. And when I do, we end up going somewhere that isn't covered by my card and my bf feels he has to treat me. I used to go at least once or twice a week when I was single, but I just don't have the time any more. I'm quite gutted but it means that by the time we finish this challenge and I've done my MSc, I'll be able to get loads of free DVD trials and catch up!

Phew, that's a bit of an epic post, isn't it? Hope everyone's doing okay and catch up with you again soon.

mizmir

Wow - 200 ebay listings! I can see why you want a cheap list day!
Well done on your total - definitely going in the right direction - you're doing really well - you are already over £500 ahead of target! :T

Nuclear_Tom

Sounds like things are going well Nevadagirl. Heck, we are all allowed to treat ourselves from time to time.

Good luck with the ebaying - no doubt when it all sells that will be another month of serious over-payments!!!

Well done lass! :beer:

farmerswife

Hi All
We seem to have gone quiet recently how is everyone doing. Are we having a month end summary of progress. I know I'm lagging behind but I need the challenge to keep me sticking to my budgets.

My challenges this month are to photograph all items that I plan to ebay and make sure I list at least 10 items a week. I know thats not much compared to others but I thought if I started low I might achieve it. Also I haven't got much in the way of spare funds for the postage costs.

Also I want to list books, dvds etc on Amazon. Look for some part time work (I only work 3 days a week at the moment - not that I seem to have a lot of time on my hands with children and living on a farm there always seems to be something to do)

Plan my meals for the next week so that I use up all the food in the freezer and shelves before it goes past its sell by date.

Just off to check ebay to see whats selling at the moment.