Weekly Spend Challenge W/C 13th January 2013 12 January 2013 at 7:44PM edited 14 January 2013 at 6:27PM in Debt-free Wannabe Challenges 74 replies 3.9K views

EverTheOptimist

Hello everyone. Welcome to the Weekly Spend Challenge. This challenge is open to anybody, no matter what financial place they are in.

On this thread please post an amount of money you wish to stay below within the week (Sunday to end of working day on Friday). This can be pennies or thousands it depends on the individual. Then next Saturday report back and pledge for the following week. The challenge runs from Sunday to Friday so we don't include Saturdays but feel free to change the rules to suit you and include Saturdays or start on a different day.

Feel free to update this thread with daily spends if that keeps you on track. We colour code the results as below:

Green - within budget
Red - overbudget
Purple - zero spend
Orange - made money over the week

This is a little bit of fun but for many it highlights the fact that maybe that magazine/chocolate bar isn't needed. Hopefully your spending habits can be changed forever.

Moozie was the founder of this challenge and here is a quote taken from her:

Originally Posted by Moozie:
"Good afternoon lovely DFWs Now for anyone looking in, please feel free to join - the more the merrier! Basically, decide on the amount you want to spend up to from Sunday until the end of the working day on Friday then pledge it here and off we go! The challenge is about incidental spending and not for stuff that should be budgeted elsewhere such as bills, groceries, debt repayment etc but you decide what to include at the end - this is about changing your habits and improving your recording of your spends more than anything else. Have a great week everyone and keep it low!!! Moozie x"

Good Luck Everyone

W/C 6th January 2013 Challengers / Pledges / Total Spent

EverTheOptimist - £115 / £123.03
Munchin - £30 / £30.49
rising from the ashes - £90 / RED
mandz1 - £30 / £16.72
Lottie1987 - £70 / £45.12
Casperthefriendlyghost - £10 / -£110
E2006 - £190 / £186.91
fyinggiraffe - £35 / £21.75
abundant1972 - £20 / £195.69
Baileys Babe - £5 / £0
chris81418 - £100
zaleska3 - £100 / £78.98
CommitedToChange - £130
RonniesMummy - £15
Lynne192 -
clairey em - £50 / £43.86
oopsadaisydoddle - £15 / £10.25
Ihatethemoneypit - £35
missmoneysave - £35 / £15

W/C 13th January 2013 Challengers / Pledges / Total Spent

EverTheOptimist - £75
mandz1 - £30
clairey em - £15
abundant1972 - £40
Lottie1987 - £70
zaleska3 - £100
E2006 - £30
flyinggiraffe - £35
rising from the ashes - £30
Casperthefriendlyghost - £10
Chris81418 -
Beencounting - £16
Munchin - £30
missmoneysave - £35
katy_ann - £20
Twirly09 - £25
oopsadaisydoddle - £15
Baileys Babe - £20
DD265 - £15

EverTheOptimist

I was red last week, however i started the day green, i had £40 in my purse this morning, so decided to use that for my groceries for this week which is what i have wanted to do for a while now. However my petrol light came on so took out £10 and used some change that was left.

so ended the week on £123.03 / £115

Going for £75 this week. I think.

Petrol - £35
Groceries - £25
Misc - £10

I know i have given myself similar spends to normal even though i have done my grocery shopping and put petrol in. However hubby is back from Afghan for two weeks at the end of the week, so will need extra petrol to go and get him and am going to get him some of the foods he has missed so will cost a bit.

Have a good week all.

rising_from_the_ashes

EverTheOptimist wrote: »

However hubby is back from Afghan for two weeks at the end of the week, so will need extra petrol to go and get him and am going to get him some of the foods he has missed so will cost a bit..

Ohhhh that's fantastic ETO bet you're super excited & bet he can't wait to be home ..... and see bump!:)


Having a think about what I'm going to do for next week ......:o

Beencounting

Hi ETO, could I join you please? I was a member of this challenge a very long time ago, but fell off the wagon. Now, after a disappointing financial end to 2012, it's time to lock everything down again.

My budget for this week is £16.00 for all incidentals.

Thanks

Been

E2006

Thanks for the new post ETO. What great news about your OH coming home!

Ive spent the majority if the weeks budget already - but thats not unusual as my week starts on a Friday.

£18.25 groceries
£10 petrol
£28.25 = £1.75 left

Oh well, it will be a challenge! The only thing that will be a struggle will be more petrol later in the week. I think I will probably have to draw another £10 for that, but we'll see. I may be able to get creative somehow.

abundant1972

Hey All...

Starting off well... Have done a bit of batch cooking and am using up my old vegetables. Got a stew in the fridge for tomorrow and am going to use up the *entire* contents of my food cupboard before I buy new stuff...!

Have a planned meal out this week but other than that am aiming for a cheap week.

Good luck everyone!!!

Munchin

Hi all

So the plan this week is £30. The only spend days this week should be Thurs & Fri (kid's swimming & take away with OH).

Budget will be £30 please:D

Casperthefriendlyghost

Hi everyone

Thanks ETO for starting this thread once again. That's great news about hubs coming home soon and a new bump for him to see! I'm excited for you both! Congrats!

I'm loving this challenge and thank you for the support and motivation from everyone taking part.

This was my last post on the last thread. Thought I'd repeat it here in case no one sees the old thread anymore.

Sorry but it is rather long! and I don't know what to do! Other than a big on my face!

I'd like to pledge £10 again this week.

Thanks so much
Casper
xx

Hi everyone

Well that was the weirdest week ever!

Sun ~ NSD
Mon ~ £4.00 on bottle of coffee
Tues ~ NSD
Wed ~ NSD
Thurs ~ NSD
Fri ~ NSD

Then today! OMG!

My landlady called me this morning to ask if she can come round about lunch time. I was in and said it was fine, we get on really well and she hasn't put my rent up in the 10 yrs that I've lived here!

I recently decided to repaint the flat after she paid for new windows for me. It was her suggestion after she'd come here to sign the lease and decided that I needed new windows put in. I was quite pleased because she'd brought it up and not me. I could tolerate the windows but they were old, wooden and heavy. Anyhow ...

She got here and asked me how much I'd paid for the paint to paint the place and reimbursed me the £64.00 I'd spent on paint, even though I told her she didn't have to and then she gave me an envelope with a card in and said just a small something to say thank you for looking after the place so well and redecorating it yourself. She had offered to send someone to do it but because of recent traumas I had decided to do it myself as it would be good therapy.

When she left I opened the envelope and found a £50 note inside with a thank you card! I was speechless! I texted her to say thank you so much etc. I didn't want to open the card in front of her and embarrass her and myself and make it awkward. She is an exceptionally lovely lady and I am really blessed to have such a lovely landlady who looks after me so well.

So now the dilemma is, what do I do with that? Does that mean I spent £ 4.00 this week out of £10.00 or made £114.00?

I'm severely confused! HELP!

Cheers
Casper
xx

EverTheOptimist

Casperthefriendlyghost wrote: »

Hi everyone

Thanks ETO for starting this thread once again. That's great news about hubs coming home soon and a new bump for him to see! I'm excited for you both! Congrats!

I'm loving this challenge and thank you for the support and motivation from everyone taking part.

This was my last post on the last thread. Thought I'd repeat it here in case no one sees the old thread anymore.

Sorry but it is rather long! and I don't know what to do! Other than a big on my face!

I'd like to pledge £10 again this week.

Thanks so much
Casper
xx

Hi everyone

Well that was the weirdest week ever!

Sun ~ NSD
Mon ~ £4.00 on bottle of coffee
Tues ~ NSD
Wed ~ NSD
Thurs ~ NSD
Fri ~ NSD

Then today! OMG!

My landlady called me this morning to ask if she can come round about lunch time. I was in and said it was fine, we get on really well and she hasn't put my rent up in the 10 yrs that I've lived here!

I recently decided to repaint the flat after she paid for new windows for me. It was her suggestion after she'd come here to sign the lease and decided that I needed new windows put in. I was quite pleased because she'd brought it up and not me. I could tolerate the windows but they were old, wooden and heavy. Anyhow ...

She got here and asked me how much I'd paid for the paint to paint the place and reimbursed me the £64.00 I'd spent on paint, even though I told her she didn't have to and then she gave me an envelope with a card in and said just a small something to say thank you for looking after the place so well and redecorating it yourself. She had offered to send someone to do it but because of recent traumas I had decided to do it myself as it would be good therapy.

When she left I opened the envelope and found a £50 note inside with a thank you card! I was speechless! I texted her to say thank you so much etc. I didn't want to open the card in front of her and embarrass her and myself and make it awkward. She is an exceptionally lovely lady and I am really blessed to have such a lovely landlady who looks after me so well.

So now the dilemma is, what do I do with that? Does that mean I spent £ 4.00 this week out of £10.00 or made £114.00?

I'm severely confused! HELP!

Cheers
Casper
xx

I have answered, but here is my answer...

Just trying to get my head around it, but you are orange as you have made £110.

My working out is you had £10, spent £4, so £6 left, got given £114 which made £120, take out the original £10 and you are left with £110 profit. If that makes sense.

What a good week you've had and how lovely to be appreciated.

EverTheOptimist

and thanks everyone, I can't wait for him to be home, even though it's only for two weeks. Although it's always a shock to the system when he's back, especially the sharing of our bed again. :rotfl:
but even more so with all the fidgeting i am doing at the mo. Looking forward to seeing his face when he sees baby bump as i normally lose weight when he comes home. We are going to get a scan when he's home too so he gets to 'meet' bab.

zaleska3

I bet you are so excited ETO!!! I must agree with the bed sharing, I can understand why some couples opt for seperate beds in later life lol!!

Quick update- managed to sell something else on ebay last night (hubby dug out some strange electrical microphone thingy and it sold for £70 almost immediately) My OH is a gadget freak and collects lots of "useful" things he never uses, so i've told him to gather them all together so i can sell them to someone who actually needs them.

Still trying to avoid transferring my paypal money into our account and using it for neutral buying - bought my boys a skylander each so effectively didnt pay anything for them. :T

We were a tad naughty last night and spent £8.50 on a takeaway though:p