The Ultimate February Challenge

karmachilovething

Ninno820 wrote: »

Kat - I have been thinking overnight - was your request re March a plea for more shoulders to help with the burden? I dont know about the others here but I need to commit to 2013 so if you are struggling a little to juggle everything wondered if we should offer to take on a month each?

I would be happy to help too. This thread has been the making of me MSE-wise, so I'd love to give back a little.

Learning2Budget wrote: »

That's exactly it Thrifty. I am weak and need someone to beat me over the head and give me strict deadlines. SFD's in my head are too relaxed. So i shall have to turn myself back to NSD to stay on target.x

I think about SFDs as NSDs, but if I have to buy some food/petrol/ebay postage I don't discount the SFD because of it. Does that make sense? Having said that I know now that I will only make 19/20 SFD this month maximum, but am doing my darnest to make that target

PurpleJay

Hiya, I am in for march too Kat, yes please

Off to the cinema today with M. I am taking bottled water and choc bar for me but will buy something for him while we are there. Not a cheap outing the cinema and unfortunately the films on cheap family screenings we have already seen.

Going to return my first bag to debenhams later and take some things back to tesco too. Also a trip to the post office. If we have time, M needs new shoes but might have to do that on thurs instead.

mayfair1985

karmachilovething wrote: »

I would be happy to help too. This thread has been the making of me MSE-wise, so I'd love to give back a little.

*Puts hand up* Me too! Although if this is the case may I request the May thread? Things are going to be a little crazy round here until the end of April

Bobarella

Ah thanks Thriftylass, that makes more sense now. So NSDs are the set in stone target to work towards each month, but SFDs happen sometimes anyway? Either way I think the concept of setting out your hoped for target is a good thing. Thanks both. @LearningtoBudget

nannygladys

Hi everyone, well its a lovely sunny day here but very very cold, I have had WM on and put it all on the line but dont expect it to dry much.

I know what you mean about SFD v NSD's took me a while to get my head round it but I knew I wanted to have a go at shopping just once a week, so it was easy for me to choose 24, but its easier if you live on your own like me, its got to be more difficult when you have oh's and children at home, cos if I run out of milk I can go a couple of days making do but you cant expect everyone in the household to go without:(

Anyway fuel usage for the week
Electric = 34 units so usage down by 4 units
Gas = 6 units so usage down by 1 unit
so not bad at all, am v pleased:)

I dont think I would be upto running a thread but I would certainly support anyone who did, not sure what all this entails but would be willing to help but you are doing a great job Kat and I drop in a few times a day to read it and keep myself motivated not sure where I would be if I didnt, oh yes I do - in a lot more debt:eek: so I owe you a lot - thanks:)

Jxx

NinjaSavingKat

Well now listen to all this chitter chatter going on!:T:T:T

Lets clarify a few pointers first of all then I shall tell you about March ( a little )... I am good carrying on these threads. It's great seeing people pull together. I was asking purely to see what the general thought was towards continuing. I intend to bring back a stricter regime but heard a few mentions of the SFD being hard to stick too so thought I would give you all a little leeway for when you buy your yellow sticker food. Seems like you loons love a bit of whip cracking...:p:p:p

An SFD was introduced purely as there was contention over the use of the NSD initial from another user. I shan't go into it but we will stick with SFD but just up the ante when it comes to strictness. I shall be cracking the whip in March once again, assuming you are all thinking about Christmas now ( I hope ) and are ready to plan, stipulating a strict SFD count and expecting everyone to check in at least once a day for a quick hello or a confession.:T

So I have decided to take the plunge and sell all the remaining books that I own. I will keep the ones my family gave me but any that are "table top" books, take up too much space or are too heavy will be sold via Amazon trade in. I need new suitcases as the one I have are too heavy before being packed and are bulky ( the little one has got me in trouble at check in a few times ) and I need some that are lightweight but heavy duty. It might seem extreme, but extreme is my middle name!!

These new suitacses were going to be bought through eBay sales but why waste the money.... so I am making a list from memory and am up to £50. Not enough if you ask me but there are LOADS at home that have yet to be added! These are my precious burlesque books, health books and such like...( lol ) but I feel it will be a weight lifted as I feel guilty having so many and not staying in to read them.... I will keep you posted. I want to send 50 to Amazon by the end of the week! There are only 23 in my "trade in box" at the moment. Only another 27 to go. This is going to be heart breaking really!!!

There has to be sacrifices. This is what I said to a friend recently who told me I am pushing myself to hard and what a boring way to spend a Saturday evening 9 at work )... I told him for the greater good I have to miss out now.. it will be better but I have to press on!!!

Onwards and Upwards Chickadees!!!

Ninno820

NinjaSavingKat wrote: »

Lets clarify a few pointers first of all then I shall tell you about March ( a little )... I am good carrying on these threads. It's great seeing people pull together. I was asking purely to see what the general thought was towards continuing. I intend to bring back a stricter regime but heard a few mentions of the SFD being hard to stick too so thought I would give you all a little leeway for when you buy your yellow sticker food. Seems like you loons love a bit of whip cracking...:p:p:p


Onwards and Upwards Chickadees!!!

Brilliant - no one cracks the whip like you do - must be all that burlesque training! I agree whole heartedly about Amazon - I have got rid of all of mine - just dont get too downhearted with the ones that they reject at the bar code stage!

I am better when the going gets tough. Pre the january challenge I was regularly spending £100 a week :eek::eek: and there's just me! I honestly have no idea where it was going but suspect that it was stockpiling / feeding the bin when it went to waste. Now I am spending around £50 per month (although that will have to change when the stock runs out) and am much more aware of what I am spending. Even when I need a treat I am looking for the cheapest option !

stoplurking

Hello NSK and all UFC members
Sorry I haven't posted this month but I have been watching and trying to keep up with everyone's birthdays/marriages/endless hours of overtime. This month went a bit wrong on 4th with a kind of emergency that resulted in using up a lot of the month's petrol budget and a fair bit of time worrying but have mainly managed to keep on top of the spends. will post later this week and update signature once the last of this month's statements has come in. just wanted to say I am in for a March challenge as well. Even though I am addicted to reading other diaries/threads, no one can inspire like our NSK and I would definitely not be in full MSE mode today if not for her and all you lovely supporters/challengers. Onwards and upwards.

NinjaSavingKat

Under the assumption I was using money like it was going out of fashion I had not checked my bank account for a while. I checked it today and low and behold it had been used to place an advertisement in Auto-Trader to the tune of £36. Card cancelled, money about to be refunded. Bob's your uncle!

Keep and eye on those pennies folks.. this refund will be going straight to my "holiday hotel fund" since I didn't miss it! Whoopsie!!!

So with that plus eBay ( minus the fees ) I have a total of = £302. And the month is not yet finished!!!

Whoop Whoop!!!

mayfair1985

NinjaSavingKat wrote: »

I have decided to take the plunge and sell all the remaining books that I own.

You are a stronger woman than me. There's not much I won't part with but my lifetime of collecting books will not see me part with any..... It took forever for me to get a house, with bookshelves and a whole wall of books, like I've always wanted since i was a wee one... I can't part with them now! I consider them wallpaper. And it's not massively expensive wallpaper as they were gifts or charity shop purchases and the book cases were freecycle!