January's Big Financial Freeze!!!

NinjaSavingKat

January’s Big Financial Freeze;
Stop the Spending & Clear The Debt!

I am making a pledge to myself to clear my debts by the end of 2013. Through ruthless determination, persistence and a large dose of humour I will succeed. Refining my goals and direction as life takes its toll each month is the definitive way that I will ensure I stay on track. Through any means possible (within reason) I will earn more money to throw at my debts.:T

I started this journey in my own thread "Ultimate Challenge: 457 Days / £16600" and these monthly challenges that I now run in order to take you with me enables me to be that extra little bit determined. I now have to answer to my many contenders, set the bar and release the battle cry when things get tough!

So this is my call to arms, for you to join me in order to clear or at least make a MASSIVE dent in YOUR own debts. To pledge now that 2013 WILL change your life, you WILL change your attitude, you WILL change the bad habits that got you where you currently are and you WILL succeed!

So these are the rules, start as you mean to go on. These rules might seem hard / difficult / impossible – but think about how much you just spent on Christmas? Do or do not – there is no try (Yoda:p)

PLAY HARD or don’t play at all!

• This challenge commences on the 31st December 2012 @ 00:00 when the clock strikes us into 2013 and the world cheers and will end on the 31st January 2013 @ 23:59.

• You will pledge 25 No Spend Days for this month.

• You will NOT STEP FOOT inside any store for THE SALES! Unless you have money set aside for a new coat / washing machine or TV you shall not buy!

• Set your petrol budget now. If in doubt for shorter journeys – walk.

• Set your food budget now but minus £20. Mine is at £70 as my freezer and cupboards are EMPTY! Batch cooking is encouraged; meals that need speciality ingredients are not! You will avail of “yellow sticker” promotions at supermarkets and discounted food stores. Down-shift your usual “treats” to supermarket own brands and STICK to your budget.

Those that did not participate in November’s challenge MUST clear their cupboards of everything before bulk buying more! Freezers and cupboards have to be emptied – don’t tell me you don’t have surplus in stock following Christmas!!! You will end up living on pasta for weeks, weird concoctions of food will surprise you but my cupboards are empty as a result and I managed to live on £50 for one person for the MONTH!

• Within your NSD budget you are allowed 5 extra days for food buying and petrol re-tanking ONLY but you must stick within your allotted budgets. (This means you have a total of 11 days to “spend on” or meet friends etc. 5 of these are only for an additional necessary re-stock of food or petrol, if you don’t need them, then don’t use them – get that NSD count as high as possible).

• You will pre-plan your expenditures prior to the beginning of the month and stick to it. This includes “catch-ups” with friends. Book them in now otherwise you politely decline any invitations that are not budgeted for.

• No food or drink to be purchased at work canteens, cafes, and restaurants unless budgeted for under Number 7. Packed lunches to be brought to work every-day and pre-planned as best as possible.

• Pre-pare a spread-sheet or notebook that you will update everyday as to what you spend. Newbies to my challenges will falter so keeping a list of how and where will enable you to look back in February and realise what you need to change. Those that are used to my challenges still falter…..me especially!:(

• Embrace eBay like it’s your new friend. Invest time in your new friend, get to know your new friends, sell your tat on eBay and aim to make £5 per day of this challenge. That’s £155 for the month – if you sell two items that equate to £200 it’s a job well done! Though it’s not a race and just a good effort is requested!

• Ladies and Gents – clear all your beauty products before buying any more!!! Christmas day must have brought you all some smelly treats so use them up before buying more. Any essentials must remain under £5 for the month of January's Big Financial Freeze. Shampoo and Conditioner for 75p at Tesco’s by the way! I am still working through mine from November! OR use your boots points?

• Try and get £25 together somehow through penny gathering – whether points on something, pennies literally picked off the floor, receipts wombling in supermarket car parks, doubling coupons etc.

• Have fun! See what you can get for free? Shampoo sachets inside magazines “borrowed from friends”? On-line surveys for points to prizes? Amazon book Trade-In? (I made £44 and bought a much needed motorbike cover)…O2 Priority moments for O2 users give free tea and coffee away now and then…make me proud and boast about it on here!

If you want to become a contender and fight back against your debt give me just your name. I would like everyone to be able to comply with all of the above but realise there are a great many people with a great many differences who use MSE. It is difficult as a mere user myself to recognise the entire MSE demography and apply my challenge to everyone.

Therefore if you can’t walk somewhere – plan ahead and so all your messages in two trips into town instead of four, if you can’t manage 25 NSD’s which I recognise as HARD-CORE at least try – but keep a diary so you know what you have spent on those days that weren't an NSD so you know where your money is going.

***Please just post your name if you would like to join in and become a contender, DO NOT re-post the entire rule page and comment on each point***

NinjaSavingKat

Saved for the contender list!!!

1 - NSK
2 - Everhopeful09
3 - Emzilla
4 - ClaireBear81
5 - Mumsiemum
6 - Munchin
7 - CitizenKitten
8 - Cranny44
9 - LearningToBudget
10 - Mayfair1985
11 - 32b3in2013
12 - Vics199
13 - Wannabee_in_Credit
14 - Fairy3
15 - NannyGladys
16- PurpleJay
17 - His_Missus
18 - Marylea
19 - GelMC
20 - P0lly
21 - MissyV30
22 - Sholly
23 - Kerfuffle
24 - GeorgiebrownO
25 - PoodleGal
26 - Lillian1977
27 - ScattyMam1
28 - RosieCheekBlossom
29 - DebtFreedomYear
30 - GobbyGal
31 - Tenbob84
32 - LionHeartedGirl
33 - TeamNicholson
34 - Bored
35 - eeeeeee
36 - Kerri_dfw
37 - MinnyMoo
38 - MoneyMash
39 - Abundant1972
40 - Adam_999
41 - Julietoots
42 - Doris65
43 - StopLurking
44- Rachel021967
45 - Fairy3
46 - Candycupcake
47 - CuddlyMarm
48 - IWillSucceed
49 - ThriftyLass
50 - MalmesburyMagic
51 - Miss Frugal Wannabee
52- Siouxsie32
53 - BeckyBoo1980
54 - Gien
55 - NicNocs
56 - Nimbo
57 - NewLifeAhead
58 - TimetoBIGdent
59 - Spending Vs Saving
60 - Ninno820
61 - Searching_Me
62 - Black Cat
63 - Lubava
64 - Oompa Loompa
65 - Ninadam
66 - StressedSteph
67 - KarmaChiLoveThing

Emzilla

Hi Kat and everyone else

I would love to join in please. I signed up for the November one, but then came down with a cold, swiftly followed by the chicken pox which took ages to go (even had one on my eye!! ).

Emz xx

clairebear81

Id love to join in please, im quite new to all this so may as well jump straight into the big one :-) i wont get out of debt this year - my first baby is due in may and my sister is getting married in usa in october that i cannot miss - but i am hoping not to get into any more debt ad hopefully pay most of it off in 2014, i cannot wait to get cracking!!!!

mumsiemum

Me! Me! Me! Me! Me! Me! Me! Please :T:T - fed up of watching from the side lines - I wanna get on and DO IT!!!!!!!

MM

NinjaSavingKat

Contenders you have been marked and numbered. Please amend signatures with numbers and food budget allowance on the 01/01/2013...and WELCOME!!!

Munchin

Hi all

I would like to join please. Now away to plan my budget:)

citizenkitten

BOOM! i am in...

see the number in my signature (debt 1)... +200 (od) and I am determined to pay it all off this month.........

JBF is the only way to go!

NinjaSavingKat

Contenders you have been marked and numbered. Please amend signatures with numbers and food budget allowance on the 01/01/2013...and WELCOME!!!

Cranny44

Count me in please, I still have man flu but hope to have spread sheets and budget sorted by end of dec at the latest...

thank you and good luck

Learning2Budget

Me me me!!!!!!
Off to spreadsheet my budget!