Michelle's Big Push to Christmas Challenge

cha97michelle

Surprise surprise, I'm getting a little restless about it being September this week, and feeling like the year is heading to its end without me making the most of it and achieving everything I set out to back at the start of January.

I've been working my socks off doing reviews and surveys, and while this is great, the food bills have snook up, the sneaky takeaways and meals out are starting to re-appear, and the 3 stone I wanted to lose is more like half a stone, and not going anywhere.

I'm not even sure what it is that I want to really achieve at this precise moment, but a few of you are suckers for punishment and said you would join me.

Ideas muted are:

• no meals out between now and christmas
• losing weight,
• cutting back the spends to necessities
• more exercise.

Sign up, we'll play it by ear a bit and get some friendly competition going between us, and let's not limp along to 2012. There are 16 full weeks left between now and then, so we could really make a difference.

Anyone can join in.

originalmiscellany

Well, I'm aiming to clear 10k (2.5k a month) between now and Christmas - but I guess that's more suitable for the MFW thread rather than this!
I could say I'm aiming to do 50 exercise sessions - 12.5 a month as a minimum between Sept 1 and Dec 31. Realistically 60 is possible?

Tesco_points_addict

I'll do as I'm told...for a while anyway!

cha97michelle

You could say both hon. I am thinking of a holistic approach. You can put mortgage stuff as well as weight/exercise.

I am thinking to myself that the main things we are going to want to set targets in are:

wealth - pay x off mortgage, put y in ISA etc

health - lose x amount of weight, do y amount of exercise challenges

up the ante - abstain from takeaways, or alcohol, or chocolate or crisps, earn x amount through selling or reviews or surveys, no heating till ....,monitor energy useage and try to drop it.

frugal fun - only spend x amount per week, stick to a food budget per month, have so many NSDs, keep a spending diary, use everything up, get meal planning to not shop avoid waste


A bit of an all round kick up the bum. What do you guys think? I certainly need it if I am going to overpay as much as I want, alongside saving as much as I want, alongside being a skinny minny yummy mummy who organises christmas early without collapsing in a heap on christmas day again.

Set monthly targets, but also maybe have some little challenges? Is this what we are thinking you might join in with, or shall I slink back to my own thread?

teapot2

Oi no slinking away now its down in black and white , I'd like to join in though I'm a bit surprised as I don't generally do 'joining' very much.

Will think more about it but mine might have to be exercise. I figure whats the point in working really hard and paying off the mortgage if I'm not around to enjoy it :eek:

I really need to lose weight and exercise, there I've said it so now it might be my turn to slink away ....:o

Hurdler

Health Count me in on the inch loss for sure. I have finally managed to get to the end of a 10- session schedule from my Physio only missing out one week and having to redo it. In my defence it was my first week of work that threw me.

After this week - I want to go twice. I am working at home on Mondays once my Journo Diploma starts and will go to the gym on a Monday morning and then have to try and get another session in.

Wealth Next Monday I am going to put the £30K from my Voluntary Redundancy money into my mortgage.

newgirly

Spooky! Last night I was looking at local health centres for inspiration to start to excercise, I have put nearly 2 stone on in 3 years and am very fed up and struggling with it. I was also thinking how great it would be to be lovely and slim for xmas.

I will definatly join your xmas challenge Michelle, I will be back later when I've worked out exactly what my targets are.

Great idea hun :T

[Deleted User]

count me in for challenges!!! :j:D

wealth - By the end of the year Id like my mortgage balance at £119 xxx (this is mortgage only not incl savings) and ideally be MF because my flat has sold!! :rotfl:

health - Id like to fit comfortably into my size 10/12 clothes by xmas...this may involve losing about a stone, but more importantly Id like to up the exercise to 3 times per week and make sure Im eating much more healthily...

up the ante - I am a bit of a nightmare anyway for energy useage and will stick with this as we go into winter! Id like to say no chocolate or alcohol till xmas but its unlikeley so I will instead aim to be good-ish on that front and am going to aim to make £60 through selling/vouchers which I may then spend on a xmas-reward-treat for all of my hard work at all of the above!

frugal fun - Try to get back to £110 -£120 ish p/m food shopping (added £10 for rising food costs!), this will involve more meal planning, whoopsies and also using up whats in the cupboards rather than buying more. Id ideally like to get down to this figure for food shops every month till xmas if poss! Also could keep a spending diary for the next few months to see where my "fun" money dissapears to every month

right -all targetted out for this time in the morning! looking forward to the challenges tho!

viola_brandywine

Ooh what a great idea, can I join in please

health - Lose 10lb by xmas and 3x exercise per week (apart from the week I am on holiday). I worked really hard a couple of years ago to lose a stone and a half and fit in a size 10 but I have managed to put most of it back on this year. I would like to lose most of this in time for my 30th birthday near xmas.

wealth - Offset the rest of my mortgage by xmas ready for home improvements and a new car next year (and another MF challenge to pay for it all!).

up the ante - No alcohol on a work night and put all the money I have saved towards xmas pressies.

frugal fun - Aim for 2 NSD per week and cut my food budget by making more of my own bread and jam. I am good at the bread but not so much with the preserving. I will also go foraging and make sloe gin this year for xmas

puddle96

Can I join in please.
Wealth - have just upped my target on MFW2011 but would have to surpass this if I'm going to reach the figure I'd like the mortgage to be at the year end.

Health - to walk up the rather large hill behind the house on at least one of my days off a week. The views over the town from the top are fabulous and I used to do it regularly when I first moved here. It was one of the reasons I bought the house but have got out of the habit.

up the ante - just put the recycling out, gosh are all those wine bottles really mine? So no wine for home consumption (unless have guests) 1.9 -24.12. That sneakily does allow alcohol on the odd night out and the two weeks I'll be away in that time
Should help with the first two targets

Frugal fun - don't think I've ever managed a NSD so I'll aim for at least one a week

Emsky123

Great Idea, I actually was putting my christmas budget together yesterday, It seems quite a few people are starting to think about Christmas, I put it down to the fact that we have just had our last bank holiday till Christmas.

health - i could really do with loosing a stone by Christmas, Thats less than a pound per week so a manageable target.

wealth - I want to get the Mortgage down below £65K

up the ante - Dare i say it - No Chocolate 6 days per week - Could not face cutting it out completely.

frugal fun - Need to save for the Christmas fund so will aim to cut back so i can save around £30 per week