The Ultimate February Challenge

Bobarella

Hello

I am going to join in with the March challenge, my first since I started coming on the boards. I have kept all my receipts for the month and as Monday is payday and we have all the fuel and food we need, I have worked out my totals for this month are:

Food £269.11/£67.27 per week
Fuel £112.38 or £28.09 a week

We are a family of 2 adults, 1 Under 5, plus a cat. So, I think given I know we used to spend £500 a month on food in more affluent times, that is pretty good for a first go??

Fuel I was surprised on. I thought it would be a lot more. I have been leaving the car at home one day a week for the past fortnight, and this seems to be stretching the fuel a bit better.

I think for March Fuel will be higher as I have an 8 hour round trip planned in, of 120 both ways, and also a day trip of 2 hours each way planned in.

But food I think I could cut down by another £50 by further downshifting on brands and even better meal planning.

Im quite excited!

Bob

Learning2Budget

Am lying in bed laughing my socks off at chin hair talk as i had exactly the same conversation with a work mate last night!!
NSK the dress sounds lush. I have a beautiful purple dress that i love, the colour makes me feel rich. Thankyou abundant for your kind words, and your nose hair fear. Lol.
You guys are ace n you keep me motivated. But now i must shower before my next overtime!!

L2B.x

CrazyCatLady1_3

not been on for a while, my computers been on the blink - so far had 14 SFDs and £12 left for food this week, we're still eating stuff out the cupboards, but if i see any more soup this month i think i will cry! Last night got treated to meal from couple of friends, that was lovely. Would like to be in March challenge plz Kat, needing more inspiration to get out of debt x

thriftylass

Re kids and money. My parents gave my a pittance for pocket money and I had to keep a book of what I spend. There's the other extreme. I also never got a raise as I didn't spend my money (too afraid, and got checked out on what I spend it) so didn't seem to need it. It thought me valuable lessons although they got slightly neclected in recent years when I finally was let loose with my own money . Definitely want to teach my son the value of money and so on but maybe in a less strict way then my parents.

Spend quite abit of money today but most of it was at the local green grocer and the halal butcher (cheap lamb and spices) and started to prepare curries, spicy onions and thai curry paste for the veggie curry for tomorrow.

Ebay not going too bad, already have a few bids and a good number of watchers. As it's free listing I relisted stuff that didn't sell (maybe do the same again tomorrow night) and found hubbies water damaged old iphone, apparently people buy them .

Must dash, quick hair dry and back to the crocheting

Ninno820

Sometimes I really do despair ...... With myself!

Let me explain - I love really nice feather pillows but my ones are frankly a disgrace and I have been meaning to buy new ones for some time - its just that it doesn't seem very mse. I always believed that you couldn't wash feather pillows but, in desperation today, I did just that and then tumble dried them - wow I have never seen such plump fresh pillows - why didn't I do that ages ago - duh!

thriftylass

Ninno820 wrote: »

Sometimes I really do despair ...... With myself!

Let me explain - I love really nice feather pillows but my ones are frankly a disgrace and I have been meaning to buy new ones for some time - its just that it doesn't seem very mse. I always believed that you couldn't wash feather pillows but, in desperation today, I did just that and then tumble dried them - wow I have never seen such plump fresh pillows - why didn't I do that ages ago - duh!

Maybe I should try that too, mine's totally flat (granted it's as old as me, 35, will you believe it) but might be beyond saving but I'll try washing it. Don't have a tumble dryer though. We'll see

Happybeingme

Morning Everyone

YORKSHIRELASS It's nice to know its not just me that feels that way about the children. I'm very lucky that they do seem to appreciate that money is tight and we can't do everything they want. I love the idea of the children running the budget for a day and could definitely put this into practice.

Also love your ideas Ninno820 think I'll try them with the 2 younger ones (eldest son is 18 this year so don't really think it applies to him!)

Abundant1972 I don't think you need any advice on how to be a great uncle ~ sounds like you already are!

Thanks for the advice NSK ~ We don't often take the children on holiday however............... my mum has just relocated back to Yorkshire (YAY!) so we will be staying with her once or twice a year. My brother and his family and my aunt also live there. Although I'll be taking the kids to my favourite places when I was little, we will spend alot of time catching up with family so other than petrol it should be a fairly cheap break. On the subject of foreign holidays, I still haven't been abroad and I'm heading rapidly to the big 4-0! I'd like to save up once the debt is cleared but that feels a long way away at the moment

It's interesting to see that so many of us had very limited money when we were growing up and then spent like crazy once we were earning. I've spent the last 20 years getting in and out of debt (and once out of it starting the spending cycle again). What really gets to me is that I have hardly anything to show for it so what was the point? I was certainly never taught to budget which is why I'm trying to teach the kids.

Have a great day

PurpleJay

Morning all.

Well yesterday was pretty awful! Mum cut her leg during a transfer at the care home yesterday afternoon and had to be taken to hospital. I met her there. She had her leg stitched and steri stripped and was ready to go back home by 6.15pm. At 7.30 I went to chase up the ambulance. Shortly before 8pm they said that Derbyshire wouldn't fetch her until morning as the hosptial was in Nottinghamshire! They realised this was not the best place for her to be and I voiced my concerns! They escalated the matter to managers and said they would try to get her home that evening.

Mum who had been great up until about 7.30 started to get agitated and very scared. Waiting is hard enough in those circumstances without being with someone who doesn't know where they are, keeps asking and then forgets 2 minutes later bless her. To cut a long story short, they moved her to the ward and got her a drink and some rice pudding at about 9pm and thankfully the transport arrived at about 9.45pm, phew. I really didn't want to have to leave her there. She was so smiley to get back home They had saved her tea and I stayed until she was settled in bed. I was home by 11.30pm. My only spend yesterday was £5 car parking at the hospital (£5!)!

Today should be a no spend day and hopefully less eventful!

Ninno820

Purplejay - Hugs - It sounds like an awful day and I really hope that today is a quieter one for you both xx

Happybeingme - I didn't fly until my 50th birthday! I had had a day in France when I was in the guides adn had gone to Bruge on the ferry a couple of times (just spending a day each time) so for my 50th I was determined to fly - I spent a week in Italy and it was fantastic!

Thriftylass -please don't blame me if the antique pillows fall apart (lol) I really would reccomend trying to tumble dry the pillows though - perhaps a friend / lauderette? They really seemed to plump them up. Pre wash my pillows hung eitherside of my hand (I read once that this was due to all your body fluid that they absorbed - yuk!). Post wash & dry they were straight and pumped up. Mind you I didnt sleep thatw ell last night - I guess that I had got used to the weird shape they ahd become!

Today should be a quiet one. Its back to work tomorrow so a day spent at home sorting the place out, walking the dog, preparing lessons etc is in order. Have fun everyone xx

rosiecheeksblossom

Hi all, long time no see.....
Apologies for not checking in sooner, feeling a tad embarassed about the state of affairs. But need to owe up otherwise theres no point in following your challenges:o:o:o:o, and I do think everyone is doing a marvellous job with support and tips to help us all debt bust.
Anyhoo, my budgets are a little stretched - petrol way over and need to top up today too, had a few unpredicted trips as sadly a friend's mum died :(:(:(:( and have been over to see her a few times, although I would never ever begrudge this.

Food - did big spend on thurs but will minus the difference off March's budget, didnt plan the shop very well tho had tea out fri, sat and today - spends have all been out of my going out fund. But now have full fridge freezer and cupboards which should last a fortnight bar milk and some fresh fruit and veg.

Other - way way over, sponsored brother £10 and put a donation in at funeral. Although I did buy a WW book £4.95:eek:.
Really need to sort my diet out so it was an incentive buy:o, got to my 2 stone target last july, 2 and half stone is still eluding me.....
Only slightly over on presents and still have £50 on going out budget. Hoping that will counteract the overspends....

On a lighter note more rugby later and roast lamb tea at my mum's yummy!!!!

looking forward to March's challenge NSK, enjoy your sunday everyone
TTFN xxx