January's Big Financial Freeze!!!

Oompa_Loompa_2

Evening all! I'm going to change my NSD count if I may, because I forgot about the extra 5 and I only spent on food that day - if I'm wrong, someone please let me know! 17 NSDs. Certainly makes you aware of what you spend - even just extra on a bus fare!! Ditto what was said before - we should be grateful we're warm when it's this cold outside!

YORKSHIRELASS

I know I am coming to this a bit late but that first post really inspired me and I would like to join! Nowhere to go and nothing much to do today because of the snow so I finished all my 2012 spreadsheets. I discovered the following:

We have only reduced our debts by £600 this year. However we had to have some building work done on the house which cost £5800. Of this we put £3500 on the cards at 0% and found the rest from the monthly budget so this is something I suppose. God willing there is nothing essential to be done now, the grotty bathroom and tired kitchen floor will just have to wait.

Nothing else bought on credit at all all year - this is a first for a long time!

I am ashamed and horrified to find that I spent £1080 on clothes last year. Considering I buy most of mine from charity shops and ebay this is dreadful. I did have to kit my son out for secondary school - and he is growing like mad but thats one major area to address this year.

The other spending wasnt too bad. Holidays and entertaining was a bit more than I would have liked but our family live at the other end of the country and visiting them always seems to cost a fortune.

So 2013 is the year to tackle this head on. I took on some extra work with the intention of paying for the building work and feel really motivated. I have things in my family life which took up a lot of time and attention last year and these are still ongoing but I want to make debt-busting a big priority this year.

So, current debts stand at £21609. Target for this year is to clear a quarter of these at least, so a minimum of £5400. Bring it on!

mumsiemum

Evening :j
Hope everyone is warm and snug!
Nsd for me today - cleared snow from drive and pavement outside house- great exercise!
M

abundant1972

Hi All,

Stayed in today where it's warm and had a total chill out which has been great and much needed!!!

Following on from NSK's healthier eating regime I did a 'virtual' shop online and managed to clock up £106 lol... some weren't essentials mind (red wine ha ha) and I went over board on micro-wave rice for work (usually £1.25 down to 79p! - 40 of them went in the basket!!!)... Took me hours lol... Eventually decided NO - I don't need all that - especially as I've set myself a budget for the week... Closed it down and went back to my food cupboard lol.

Is tricky this budgeting lark - do you bulk buy when offers present... or stay within budget and just buy offers that are on week to week? My diet is pretty much the same most days... fruit, toast, maybe cereal... rice and fish and fruit... salad or soup or pasta... odd bit of chocolate here and there...

Am thinking of investing in an electric steamer so I can do vegetables and rice easily... and looking to have at least 2 fruit and 2 veg a day... I drink way too much tea/coffee at work - got into bad habits... so going to take a load of herbal teas in.

Roll on February! Wonder what Kat's challenge will be for us all next month...???

squinky

Ninno820 wrote: »

Question - how does everyone store / keep track of vouchers. When looking in the pocket of a purse (I have moved to a coin purse whilst spending frugally) I came across a £3.50 voucher for Tesco. When tidying a flylady "hotspot" I came across a voucher for the same store for £4. Clearly I have been careless in the past but I wondered how everyone tracks what they have?

I used to magnet mine on to the fridge which was so stupid as I would never remember to take them with them me!!! Now I keep them in my purse and generally go through them once a week. You could try slotting them into your diary maybe attaching them to the beginning of the weeks prior to the expiration date or something?

I read a blog article yesterday about creating a 'Home HQ' which I very much like the sound of; it suggests making it habit to keep everything together. Clearly getting organised will take me a bit of time but I am hoping overall that it will be able to save me time (and money!) good luck

Kerfuffle

citizenkitten wrote: »

confession.....

I have bought an item that I needed which was a very warm coat. (not had one for 2 years...) I needed one that was a little beyond usual warmth as i work in a very cold environment and i go to work at 6am and come back 7pm ish. so unfort i was always going to need to spend some serious money. so i found a brand that was going to meet my needs, been sharking ebay.... found one....and bought it for

£210 inc post packaging !!!!!!!!!!!!:eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:

okay new they are around 450 quid, but still!

oh well for once at least it was an item i needed. I hope it is money well spent.

i supose i should say there was one in my favourite colour (red) for 275 and i went for this one instead as cheaper. so does that make me good???

Well I won't shout at you if you don't shout at me. I had a moment of weakness and ordered a satchel from a company in Cambridge. I saw a link, lusted over a new bag for all of one week, justified it to myself that I would pay for it with Christmas money received and Birthday money yet to receive , and ordered it. Now I'm constantly tracking it whilst it makes it way to me. The anticipation is killing me

Also had a spend day today as I've been to the supermarket and spent 50.48, which is more than my weekly allowance although still under budget for the month, so current status is as follows:-

Food 58.30 /198.00
Petrol 55.42/212.00
Hair / 26.00
Postage to UK /14.00
3 Birthday cards /10.00
Preplanned Monthly Treat 10.45/20.00

NSD 15/25
SD 4/6

Eeek, I've just realised I only have 2 more spend days, and we've got 11 days to go.

YORKSHIRELASS

Is tricky this budgeting lark - do you bulk buy when offers present... or stay within budget and just buy offers that are on week to week?

Hi! I have done this too, put things in my online basket at Mr Ts then taken them out again.

As for special offers, I completely ignore them now - unless it was something I was going to buy anyway. This week I needed washing powder so I looked for some that was reduced.

I find most special offers are things you werent going to buy anyway and you probably dont need them. I dont have a massive kitchen or anywhere to store extra shopping so thats a factor for me too.

Iwillsucceed_2

Yes, yes, yes! ufff I thought I was not going to make today either to this forum because I did not report on Friday as I stated in the past. I am having a presidential schedule in my life ha ha ha ha ha but with a bit of effort I can always fit extras in my diary :-)
I have to admit, I miss you all! I wish each of you are keeping really well and up with the challenges we have set for this year! :beer:
I have updated my signature and I am feeling really happy about myself, I cleared my CC1 the other two can wait because they are in 0% :A
I have open two Halifax children's savings account that pays 6% to make the most out of the money I will save this year. I will be chasing further good children's savings account this week and I will be changing my main account to First direct who pays £125 for doing so and in their savings account 8%.

Up until Firday I had 18 NSDs in a row!! :beer:
However, yesterday...Saturday the 19th was a black day. I spent in hair cut and other treats about £120 oops!

Positive regards to all,

I WILL SUCCEED and YOU TOO!!

Ninno820

squinky wrote: »

I read a blog article yesterday about creating a 'Home HQ' which I very much like the sound of; it suggests making it habit to keep everything together. Clearly getting organised will take me a bit of time but I am hoping overall that it will be able to save me time (and money!) good luck

Thankyou for that - last night I found a thread about home organisers and have been inspired to create one for myself. In the mean time I am using a week to a double page diary and have attached the credit card holder from an old filofax into the back - the vouchers have then goneinto this holder so that they are constantly there. I dobt want them to go out of date - it would feel like I'm throwing the money away!

Morning everyone - today promises to be like ysterday - too cold to go out so mooching about the house - so will declare another NSD for today. Yesterday I spent some time listing on ebay and three have 99p starting bids - it all helps right?

It not snowing at the moment - but the sky is full of it and the forecast is for about 2pm. Getting fed up of it now!:(

rosiecheeksblossom

Hello everyone

How are you all. Well its blooming cold today but the snow is starting to go.... Luckily I was on days off while the weather has been bad, but went out yesterday in the car only to realise that roads arent as bad as I thought they would be. Just the street I live in, would make Torvill and Dean proud!!!
Well up to 14NSD, gave £20 to my friend's son for his birthday yesterday (twas budgeted for) and had to spend £1 on thursday for windscreen cleaner, absolutely vital but pig sick that I lost a nospend day to it. Must organise myself better!!!:o
Desperately need to get catfood tomorrow that's going to be £30 something, not really put it into my allowances. Although have been perusing some websites and have found it cheaper than it would be from the vets.
Off to hang washing on the radiators now.
TTFN x