January's Big Financial Freeze!!!

PurpleJay

I can now declare another no spend day for today. Done some baking and having stirfry veg, value curry sauce and reduced noodles for tea. Son and hubby have gone to see life of pi and then to McDonalds. Blimey, my iPad predictive spells McDonalds! Just given our 2 old sofas away to a friend via facebook which is a nice feeling. Much better to recycle than tip them

Ninno820

abundant1972 wrote: »

Hi everyone!

I think everyone is looking forward to putting January behind us... as a month - it seems to get a rough deal lol... I wonder - can we do something *this* year - so that we can all really have a stress free January *next* year??? Maybe over the course of 2013 try and get a month ahead of ourselves or something?

Thats not a bad idea - perhaps we should identify how much we have spent in january on food and petrol and try to set aside this amount by the end of the year. Either that or have a "january" store cupboard and freezer drawer:D

thriftylass

clocked up another two NSDs over the weekend as I had a strange two day fever with no other symptoms. Not sure what that was but better now. So didn't leave the house apart from trying to take DS (20mo) sledging but he hated it this time bless. So got back to my couch quickly. Gonna use my last spend day on Tuesday and Tesco is coming on Thursday (payday) if my vouchers arrive in time. Just took loads of time to select items that will last all of February and are the best deal so I only need to top up fresh fruit and veg in Lidl.

Learning2Budget

I am weak, oh so very weak!!! Out of 3 days i managed 1 NSD. Terrible cos I've been on nights so shouldn't have been spending at all. Macdonalds had a siren call to me this morning as i drove home and i couldn't resist. So tomorrow will be a NSD no matter what!!! L2B.x

Oompa_Loompa_2

£18.70 in vouchers. 21 NSDs. Got a second job... then got told by someone else that it was a trial - definitely miscommunication going on but I'm a bit gutted as I had got really psyched up for doing the 2nd job - thought would be good for exercise, meeting people, keeping busy due to being newly single and the big one(!) obviously sorting debt. So I'm a bit sad and perplexed... could still happen but not sure. Felt I was being fobbed off.

Anyway! Nearly at the end of this challenge and I've been pretty disciplined, bar a glass of wine at a friend's b/day celebration!

Feeling so much better without dirnking alcohol though so that's a positive.

nanell

Sorry it's been a while since I've written, but I have been reading!! Well we have four days until the end of the challenge. I've crunched the numbers and still £6 under budget for the month, very very happy bunny!!! I started January with less money than usual (as did most) becuase I'd eaten into the overdraft a little in December. I shouldn't have another spend day now until Friday (which is FEBRUARY!!!) and I really don't need to either.

I agree with what others have said about NSDs being easier than spends now!! Looking back, the strange thing is I don't feel like I've missed out or been deprived of anything, which is not at all how I expected to feel. It just shows how much money is wasted on the canteen at work, the coffee when your aimlessly wondering around town and the random few quid spent everytime you pass the supermarket or pound shop!! Cutting out these things has allowed me to do the things I really want to do and be able to stay in budget. Lesson learnt I think!!!

Kat, ages ago you mentioned to me about using olive oil on your skin... my eczema has flared up again and I am very low on body lotion, so tonight I've whipped out the extra virgin and I must say, my skins a dream!!! Thanks for the tip!!

Budget done for February I think, and there's money left over??? Surely a mistake?! But bring on the next challenge!!

welshdreamer71

Hiyas can I ask if there's going to be a challenge for february im super close to being debtfree just need something to stop the stupid spending on stuff I don't need or family don't want ...

mayfair1985

Morning all!

As the month draws to an end (and god yes it's gone on forever!) and I won't be spending anything until Friday now I have been thinking about how this month has been.

So I've totted up the numbers, I'm a bit over on a few bits, and have done well on others. Overall I'm pretty pleased with how this month has gone. Considering when I started this I was pulling numbers out of thin air I'm happy. I've now got a better idea of what the numbers need to be.

Things I have learned;

- I can't keep track of spend days and no spend days. Especially when there's extras for food and petrol
- Like others, my skin costs a lot. It's super sensitive having previously suffered with horrific eczema. I have to watch what I use like a hawk as a lot of things cause flare ups. Almost £40 of the 'planned' spends went on re stocking a few bits of skincare. But it's something I refuse to compromise on.
- The slightly over on groceries was an impromptu friends round for dinner. So a few beers for the men and a nice, tasty meal and desert. And it was so lovely it was worth going over budget for.
- eBay is my friend, although I have run out of things to sell.
- I work better doing survey sites if I spend one or two days a week going hell for leather on them.
- Sometimes the husband won't be happy that we are doing this and demand a treat. Compromise will not always work and we are probably always going to have little spats about money. It is not the end of the world and makes a change from having a bicker about housework.
- Spreadsheets ROCK MY WORLD!!

So it's big payday here and I'm off to cruch my number. Updated totals to follow!

Having not been for the end of a month before, what happens? Do we have a roll call and post results? Or is it nothing that formal?

Happy Monday all!

poodlegal

Just dropping in! Had a no spend weekend so that wass good, as planned sledging, eating soup, movies and hot choclate was the theme for the weekend! Super fun and super cheap :T

I too have realise I struggle to keep track of no spend days, and I think I manage very few but I manage plenty of low spend days so thats not so bad. More efforts needed with ebay I just cant find much stuff and cant be bothered with the hassle for things that are likely to go for not much more than 99p. *Bad poodle* must try hader. I'm looking forwards to next months challenge- please post it soon so we can get planning Husbands away till April so at least Valentines is going to be non existent

kerri_dfw

*skulks in* Have epically failed this month Well I was doing really, REALLY well.....then decided to get these two little pedigree rascals.

I have a feeling NSK might give me a slapped wrist for it, but I have been rather lonely in the flat on my own working from home, so maybe it's acceptable?

Anyway, I'm in for February *runs off to find Feb thread if there is one*