The Ultimate Incentive natters on. Part 9

Dinah93

That's a really fab blanket.

Birdie85

I'm going to have to ask MIL to make that blanket for me, even if I started learning now I don't think I'd be able to finish it to that standard even by the time I have grandkids, never mind kids! I hope I heard right when she said she could crochet!

Dinah93

Just realised March is Friday, and I'm not back until the evening, so I'll announce the challenge now. Since we did pretty poorly with an unstructured 'be creative' month, this is designed to be a properly hardcore challenge - I don't expect it to have as much uptake as others, I did say early on we'd do one hard month then one easy or more fun month, but for those that do it it's going to be the financial equivalent of what The Biggest Loser is for weight loss. In that it has dramatic results not you're going to loose lots of pounds!

Think of a number, this is the number you think you could save through wages and cutbacks/make through extra income in a month if you put your mind to it. This could be the kind of figure you looked at on the £5/£10/£20 a day challenges. Thought of it? No reading on till you have it...... Got it now? Good. Now double it. And you just got your March Madness challenge number. Before you decide I'm being ridiculous, this is short, it's sharp, it's designed to be something that right now you think is impossible (or it wouldn't be madness), and at the end of the month you can look back down that mountain you just climbed and think 'how the heck did I do that?'. Look at that figure you have there, what would you do with that much money? Would that clear a credit card? Pay for a weekend away? Upgrade your holiday this year from nice to ideal? Give you your dream emergency fund? Pay for an extra for your wedding you thought you just couldn't afford? Buy that pair of boots you've had your eye on? Picture a goal, not just a figure, but what you'd use it for, and use the image of that thing as your driving force.

We're all different, some people might see achieving £100 for this challenge as mad, for others you may be well into 4 figures after doubling your original number. Whatever level is a huge challenge for you, do it. Reclaim your money to make your life happier this March.

shrimpy_80

I love that blanket Birdie, I have a slight obsession with owls at the moment, came close to buying a ceramic owl at the weekend but held myself back!

If you ladies do a home improvement challenge in March, I might be backwards and do a craft challenge, as I've spent all month on the house and missed making lovely things! Have started a little cross stitch picture for the downstairs toilet today which I'm hoping I might just finish before the end of the month so I at least have something to show for Fab Feb!

ETA cross posted with Dinah - I will have a crack at clearing the CC next month, probably impossible but I will give it a go! Funnily enough I'm watching The Biggest Loser at the moment as well - spooky!

Birdie85

I have an owl vase Shrimpy and it's my pride and joy. She's called Hedwig and she holds sweeties.

March Madness eh? Well, count me in I guess! My cray cray figure is £300 :eek:

Dinah93

Good going Birdie. What you going to use it for?

Birdie85

Want to put it towards SHOES! Although no doubt I'll guilt myself out of it, buy a cheaper pair and spend the rest on something less frivolous.

Kepp

My initial figure before reading on was £3,000 do I still have to double it???? :eek:

(I did mis-read as the number I needed rather than I thought I could achieve! )

Tete_en_l'Air

Eep - right up my street I am POOR. My number is £400 and I'm going to put it in savings

EDIT - you should totally buy those shoes if you achieve your goal! Beccie would that see you debt-free?

Dinah93

Just buy the shoes - it's a goal to work towards, if you think you'll end up spending the money on oven cleaner you'll never push to do it. I sure as heck won't push if my life won't be better at the end of it.

My March madness total is in all honestly terrifying me. I'm going to aim for £1500. I have NO CLUE how I'm going to get past the first £200 or so. BUT if I do it we can meet all the bills next month without borrowing from anyone.