The Ultimate February Challenge

karmachilovething

Hello all! Checking in after the weekend.

It was quite a spendy one, but all part of the plan. Well mostly! Curry on Friday night, sort of pre-leaving do for housemate. And then another leaving do on Saturday in London. Didn't spend as much as budgeted though :T

But I also needed (genuinely needed, lid off and scraped out the inside kind of needed) more moistursier. I hadn't bugeted for that, so I've added/taken the cost from my social budget, and will have to make do with what's left of that budget for the rest of the month. Only one social thing left this month, and probably will cry off, so I'm feeling quite positive!

I also went to look at dresses with a friend who is getting married in September. We went to a vintage/second hand place near me, just having fun and trying things on to get some good ideas of shapes. Anyway, I tried on a fake fur coat, and I LOVED it. But there is absolutely no need for it. And I didn't get it. Although if I'm honest that's mostly because I didn't take my wallet with me. But this is a good change, this is a good thing.

But I might go back at the end of the month . . .

No I shall be good, and strong, and it's quite a lot more than the £10 treat budget! :rotfl: And I think I'm going to spend my treat budget on something really exciting like a load of needles for my sewing machine, so I can have a fresh needle for every project.

Enough waffle from me. Hope everybody's Monday is good.
KC

rosiecheeksblossom

Thanks for your comments Purplejay, sounds as though a meter works for you. Have also spoken with a few friends and colleagues who all seem to find its cheaper than a annual bill. Have looked on website and apparantly there should be no fee for meter and or installation.Need to send an application form off so will do that tonight, if it ends up more expensive I can change back within 12 months.
Posted my fleaby bits and had to get some bits of food so no SFD for me. Also off to the theatre and tea out tonight but pre budgeted.
As Kat would say onwards and upwards!!!
TTFN x

Ninno820

Afternoon all - SFD number 7 here. My month effectively finsihes a wek on friday when its payday and i am hanging on with fingers embedded in the window ledge. I have £15 left and need to find £11 for dog food before then plus I suspect that I will need more petrol for a forgotten two hour round trip (plus SW fees). Fortunately all of your lovely support and advice means that I am looking for a total £200 plus underspend in my budget so have some flexibility without reverting to using the cc to prop me up - which is how I arrived in this situation. Ah well - its half term next week!

Tea tonight is a nice salmon steak from the freezer, roast potatoes from the active fryer and some 50p Mr M vegetables with fruit and a yoghurt for afters. I dont know about you but I am freezing after walking the dogs so have prescribed an evening in:rotfl::rotfl:

Take care everyone - its beginning to bite now but we are nearly halfway. xx

YORKSHIRELASS

karmachilovething wrote: »

But I also needed (genuinely needed, lid off and scraped out the inside kind of needed) more moistursier. I hadn't bugeted for that, so I've added/taken the cost from my social budget, and will have to make do with what's left of that budget for the rest of the month.

Oh I can relate to this. Without my Bed Head styling stuff my hair goes from short and funky to short and grannyish. I really cannot live without it and I have tried other products but nothing else works. A tub of it lasts about six months and I have discovered that I can buy it (new) from ebay loads cheaper than the hairdressers. I am getting to the scraping the barrel stage too and will have to order more or start wearing a hat.

My meal planning has worked well so far this month and we had chicken and pasta bake for tea with garlic bread. No salad left but a bit of green veg so that was OK. I am due to shop on the 14th and we are getting very low on supplies of everything!

Kat I dont envy your property searching. I went looking at flats with a friend last year and it was quite hard work. A lot of the flats we looked at were nowhere near as nice as the property details suggested and there are some very unscrupulous landlords out there.

Ah well, better see if DS2 has done his homework and then see whats on telly later on. DS1 is in hospital for the day tomorrow - regular treatment - so I need to be organised, its an early start and a long day so we take a bag of food and some things to do, need to pack the bag.

CandyCupcake

Hi everyone!

I haven't been in this for aaaages! Didn't realise I had been so busy

So I am under the £14k figure! And hope to be under the £13k figure as soon as possible.

Partners car insurance is due end of feb so won't be paying any debts until after that has been paid as all extra funds will be going at the insurance. I then have my own insurance to cover end of march/early April depending on when the new car arrives!

Everyone has been doing so well and it's taken me forever to catch up haha. I am on 10 SFDs so definitely hoping to reach the £20 mark.

Keep up the fab high spirits!

Love Candy

x

PurpleJay

Hi,

Feeling pretty fed up as the flipping car has broken down today. The cam belt broke :mad:

Just when you start to think you are doing ok you get an unexpected bill for what will probably a few hundred quid :eek:

Luckily the engine cut out just as hubby got to a lay by so we are hoping for little/no engine damage. We have RAC cover so at least they recovered the car to our regular garage and hubby back home.

Will find out tomorrow how much it will cost and how long it will take. The car (a Fiat) has been regularly serviced and the belt wan't due for changing yet.

Pants, pants, pants!

Siouxsie32

Hands up, I'm another member of the scraping the barrel gang - my moisturiser has around 4 days worth left in the jar and I'm quickly running out of shampoo, conditioner and face wash - really? All at the same time? It'll take more than a £10 treat budget to kit me out. I do have a haircut Groupon voucher to use (oh please, make it soon!) so that'll save on 1 shampoo/conditioner splodge :rotfl:

Ooh PJ, what's your new handbag like? Do you love it?

Househunting kat? I've been looking online in a dream kind of way, planning my next move when I'm debt free. Lots of nice places out there that cost lots of ££!! Are you going to do another houseshare or try and get somewhere of your own?

My UFC budget seems to be falling apart at the seams :eek: My kitchen has been out of bounds for cooking for a few weeks (long story) and I've been either eating out, eating takeaways or eating chocolate! My full £50 grocery budget is on an ASDA giftcard (get a discount through work so always do this) and I've not been near the place since I've not been following my usual shopping pattern so that's a positive (the only positive I may add!!). I've spent my petrol budget and my electricity money as well as my social budget in their entirety on feeding myself the non MSE way and it's only the 12th of the month :eek: I have £1.48 left in the bank and a dribble of petrol in the tank so I'm currently ebaying the heck out of everything not nailed down so that I can eat over the next 2 weeks.

I've discovered that I want to be debt free so that I can do my shopping in Whole Foods - everything is so yummy there...not suitable for anyone with my level of debt though

So, my fingers are crossed that a) my kitchen problem gets fixed soon and b) people want what I have to sell on ebay so that I can get back on track and finish the month with the debt going in the right direction and enjoying my good old home cooking again.

Sigh, when is it payday.....

NinjaSavingKat

PurpleJay what a REALLY annoying thing to happen! I have been there - whacked with new tyres when I am not expecting it or dropping my bike which annoys me as that is entirely my fault... these things happen though and I am sure you will be able to push through though!!!

KarmaChi - I can read miniture writing you know.. if the coat is still there is might be destiny as fur coats don't hang around for long. I permit thee to re-attend on the 28th only. How much is it by the way..?

NinjaSavingKat

Siouxsie32 wrote: »

Househunting kat? I've been looking online in a dream kind of way, planning my next move when I'm debt free. Lots of nice places out there that cost lots of ££!! Are you going to do another houseshare or try and get somewhere of your own?

.

I think a houseshare will be the best choice as its around £800 a month on my own excluding bills for a decent flat. I am not prepared to pay that and £500 is my absolute maximum!! I have a girl who wants to move in with me but its hard finding a two bed in this area that will allow cats.. so I might be on my own!!:(

Oompa_Loompa_2

PurpleJay wrote: »

Hi,

Feeling pretty fed up as the flipping car has broken down today. The cam belt broke :mad:

Just when you start to think you are doing ok you get an unexpected bill for what will probably a few hundred quid :eek:

Pants, pants, pants!

That IS annoying and you'll probably be disappointed when you hear the cost too. Treat it as a "bad day" on a diet... don't let it ruin the rest of your debt busting journey!

Managed 8 SFDs so far and the others were planned and yellow sticker items!! Thinking about every purchase I make now... also, using CC but every time I use it, I transfer over real money to the CC, I think this works out well for interest rates? As long as I don't overspend. I can actually see how much I spend on groceries etc, which does help. (though a diary would do the same thing!)

Signed up for something with cb yest and today it has jumped up by thirty quid! Argh! Yesterday was a "offer ends today" advert!

Having a wee worry about a creepy neighbour... couple of weeks ago, first time met him, asked twice for number and I was on way out, asked when I went to bed (ehhh??!!) Fobbed him off but saw him again in a shop and avoided like the plague but think he hung about a bit and it's a worry, though maybe I'm too worried... don't know though, you have to be careful!