January's Big Financial Freeze!!!

NinjaSavingKat

Ah ha ha haaa! MancMan you are SO funny - I saw that same item at paperchase a few weeks back and would have loved to buy but saw it as an unneccessary spend although since you are getting a non-MSE OH on board pretty things like this might be a good idea...:T

I was a naughty puddy-tat today!! I spent £25!:eek:.. Two massive Kilner Jars from TK Maxx for my red lentils and my porridge oats. ( £3.99 & £6.99 )..£4.95 at Poundstretcher for 6 tupperware tubs ( ready to be filled up with home made soup tonight already made and cooling down ), cat biscuits, freezer bags for muffins and Dreamies ( luxury cat treats )... I feel bad caus I turfed the moggy outside in 8 inches of snow to see what see would make of it... I also bought two loaf tins to make my own bread..£3.99 each.... BAD NSK!!!

Anyone watching Dispatches??...Grubby scabby money-lynching conglomerate's with over-priced under nourished food...bah!!!:rotfl:

I can see food is most peoples downfall...me with my cheese, roastie dinners... just over buying perhaps. I think money could be spent in worst ways.. I used to be TERRIBLE with food. I would buy broccoli cause I would feel better seeing it in my fridge then a week later chuck is out cause it was rotting. SO much money went on health food shops etc.. I did eat well but was a complete waster so to speak...

Ooooh "Wild Things"....about plants... interesting. Channel 4 if you are interested... **note to self; get out more**

So questions about budgets. I decide how much I want to pay off and send it soaring high to my loan, make sure I have secured enough left over for all my bills then break down what's left. Then plan accordingly. If I don't have enough to go out then I don't.. You could always put £50 aside for vehicle break downs. If you don't use it that month, add another the following month.. until you have a surplus of £500 set aside purely for maintenance. Or similar for those with kiddies and can't forsee medications? It takes time to know what you can afford to do. The main thing is to avoid CC with high interest rates being used as a backup... does that all make sense..?

Please ask as many questions as you want. This is new to a lot of you and you can only learn.. don't expect things to change over night. But I think most of you have realised how addictive this money saving malarky is and you can only every keep aiming higher...

NSK Monday Meal Weirdness = cheese toastie ( BAD NSK!), veggie sausage on the side. Salad consisting of fresh corriander, baby tomatoes, red onion slices and cucumber in little cubes with a little salt and lemon juice ( amazing!!)..followed by a banana cut up into plain greek yoghurt. OK ok this was super lazy meal but the salad must be tried!! SO fresh!!

So this post is clearly long enough so I am going to go make a cup of dandelion coffee and dry my hair. Bed is calling...

Onwards and Upwards!!!

abundant1972

Hi All...

Wow - everyone's doing great! The odd slip up is ok and we all need some kind of reward for all this hard work - my bad at the start of the month was out of budget and with money I didn't have... I feel if it's within your alloted budget then it's ok. That roast dinner sounds yummy!... Congrats on the weight loss Mancman... That's awesome.

Am feeling very virtuous as managed 30 mins in the gym again before work... add a NSD on top of that... and all is good!!! Slowly using up the last of my food cupboard reserves and fruit/veg... Did finish off half a bottle of Moscato Rose too (waste not want not!!!)

Am also going to try and secure myself a few more overtime shifts - Ideally I need an extra 2-3 days a month... Just got to get my head around that now!!!

Today = NSD number 14

:T

fairy3

Hi all, another NSD today and packed lunch consumed. well done on the weight losses, I stayed the same this week.
Budget wise I have 3 bank accounts acc 1 (current) salary paid in and all dd's and standing orders come out of this to cover all the bills. Account 2 (current) a sum is transferred into this account from acc 1 monthly and covers monthly variables food, petrol, clothes etc and any spare at end of month goes to pay of CC's. Acc 3 is a savings account with a contingent amount in it (small sum)
More organising for me today - wading through paperwork and 'finding' things for ebay.
Watched Superscrimpers tonight which reminds me I must look at my energy suppliers and must sort my seed box out as it will soon be chilli planting time. Saving dispatches until later although I would prefer not to have to shop in them at all.

Night all x

nanell

Hi,
Sorry i've been away a bit, watching you all from a far though!

Such a cute baby Lilt!!

I feel I'm doing ok 21 days into this challenge, especially when I consider its now been 34 days since I was paid!! I know now I will not acheive 25 NSDs, I shall expain why.... I had 6 "planned" days this month, I even managed to try my non-planned spends in this, however, Friday I crumbled, I had a late night at work, had to walk in the snow, so ended up going to the pub and having a curry. I still spent less than £20, which I took from my pre-planned money this coming weekend. My dilemma now is, going ahead with this weekend means I can only physically acheive 24 NSDs, and I will inevitabley have to go over budget (if only £20-25). I so want to enjoy this as its with some lovely friends I don't often see, so I shouldn't feel guilty should I? Should I?????

While we are on spends.... so jel of the Cambridge satchel!!!

With regards to budget, I have been planning out the spends and making an envelope for each "event" with my budget. I have found this works better for me than "so much per week" as if I have a week with no particular occasion, i tend to fritter it on something non-sensical, I never really get the rollover effect. Does everyone else have a contingency? I'm thinking about this for next month, for if an event is sprung on me at short notice ie, not before February starts and my budget is already planned??? But don't know if this is a good idea because can I trust myself not to spend it for the sake of it???

Kerfuffle

nanell wrote: »

While we are on spends.... so jel of the Cambridge satchel!!!

I'm so excited for it to arrive, it's ages since I've bought anything for myself :j

On a different note, I'm happy to say that I've managed to transfer 459.53GBpounds to my various pots.

304.16 to repay an interest free loan from Bank of Mum and Dad
83.87 to the 'Save 12K in 2013 challenge'
71.50 to overpay my mortgage.

These are the same figures as I posted 2 weeks ago so I'm pleased to report that one month down I'm still on track. My next wage will be received on the 7th Feb so that's my lot for this month.

Just need to keep my head down and my nose clean with regards to my NSD and budgeted spends.

gien

I was away the last few days on a girls weekend - a bit spendy, but not too much and a lot of fun.
Yesterday I picked up a few bits of fresh veg to see us through to Friday payday and checked the bank balance. Unfortunately they have debited an overlooked interest payment (overlooked by me, they did send notification and I forgot), so now we have nothing left for the week.
Luckily I have enough stuff in for us to eat well, the kids to have packed lunches and breaktime snacks so not a crisis. Next month's wages are accounted for so it'll be a really tight month in February too.

citizenkitten

Kerfuffle wrote: »

Sorry to disappoint, all those lovely colours to choose from and I chose black , although I am living it large as I'm having my initials on there too It's going to be for work so I'm going for the professional look

o initials now i am really jealous! well done on the pot saving too!

mayfair1985 wrote: »

Morning all!

Forgive me mser's for I have sinned. Not a major confession but a confession none the less!

def not too much of a sin, you made it yourself and got further meals out of it.

budgets, i have 4 bank accounts, 1 for my salary and all DD come out there to the various pot. (bills, food, living petrol etc). I am going to try have £500 set aside for the misc spends. but i trey have a tenner each week for random spends so £42 a month roughly.

mayfair1985 wrote: »

So glad it's not just me. My will power just dissolved

And apparently it hasn't come back. A cafe run happened this morning and instead of saying no I got something. Please someone give me some stern words and snap me out of it!!

Now that is a naughty no no ! Lol!

thriftylass

Hello,

I've been away for a few days but managed to get up to NSD18 today. Will catch up properly later.

Tada

Learning2Budget

NSD 17. Decided against town as tomorrow is a budgeted spend day. So will hit town with my prescription (that isn't budgeted) & my vouchers and waste the day pleasantly spending vouchers instead of mad rush today. Am currently making lists of things i need....not want that i can cover with vouchers. L2B.x

his_missus

My kitties really don't want me have any NSDs. Due to the wintry weather, they're less inclined to go out so i've had to buy emergency cat litter today. One of them has lost her magnet for the catflap so the catflap pin is currently taped down so she can get in, until I get round to buying some more magnets. No time after work as Hubby is at footy and I'm on call for work from 6pm.

Still not gone over my weeekly budget yet though