The Ultimate February Challenge

Mancman86

Not really following a challenge as such because I find them a struggle. I am just chipping away at my debt pile. I find it harder to stick to a challenge especially when something new comes up.
It was a slow start to the year, I have now bought my c/c down to £2800 and reduced the overal credit I am allowed to this figure.
Fiancee booked a trip to turkey for us both, which I am looking forward to. I had to pay back £260 of my share to the joint savings account - now got £10 left to pay. Budgeting is going well so far fingers crossed.
I have found that the best way I budget is by writing down all the stuff I will need money for eg birthdays nights out etc, withdraw the cash at start of month then lock away in locker at work until the day of the event. Any money left over from those said budgets, gets put into the budget for that week. Budget is currently around £30 per week (mainly for petrol though)Sorry for rambling.
Onwards and upwards.

NinjaSavingKat

Oh Thrifty if only you new! :rotfl:..I have an OT shift on the 10th followed by the following three full weekends booked up for March...Saturday 2300-0700 followed closely by Sunday 1500-2300. Baring in mind I have to leave the house 1 hour early for each shift It means I should be working 19 days with 1 day off from the 10th ( thought it was 22 days for some reason ) - so not time to spend at all!! :rotfl:

I would like to be able to keep it up and pay off as much as possible before the end of the year before I burn out completely. I may have an oppurtunity for a 2 week break ( free including all meals / accomodation and travel - :j:j:j) in August to 40deg heat so I have that to possibly look forward to!

MancMan - I think challenges are for a certain type of MSE'er. Its not a bad thing to just lurk and share with us as yes it can get really hard! Well done on booking a holiday though I think you need it and on reducing the CC. You are clearly moving in the right direction and have a good balance happening and that is all that matters. We loons who like a good a** whipping sign up to these challengesfor fun...:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

YORKSHIRELASS

Hi all

Glad to hear your Mum is OK PJ. Kat I really admire you for what you are doing. Some years ago I was regularly working 50 hour weeks and earning loads of money but sadly I was spending it all on cr*p, and more besides. One thing I have decided is that I will not look back and regret the stupid decisions I have made - I am firmly looking ahead now.

We have had several discussions about holidays and have decided to do a weeks camping in the summer rather than try and stretch to anything more expensive. I reckon we can have a weeks camping with spending money and petrol for £400. This is do-able out of my current budget if I am careful. I am overpaying the cards by £350 a month at the moment so even if I just pay the minimums for one month I am OK with that - I just really want the kids to have a holiday of some sort this year.

Right off to do some baking and put the breadmaker on, its my fortnightly shopping day on Thursday so I need to be creative! Really pleased that I have only spent £264 on food this month though.

Living_a_good_life

Dear All,

I've just ventured in to the slightly scary waters of signing up for the March challenge after lurking since January!! Thought it might be polite to introduce myself before it starts!

Currently living in a beautiful part of the world with a lovely husband and two fab children. We both work - him full time and me part time from home. DD is at primary school and DS will be starting in September. He's currently at preschool so I drive a ridiculous number of miles each week - looking forward to that coming to an end!

Now for the nitty gritty - there is a few quid on a 0% card ending in October that needs kicking into touch and then my hubbys car is heading for the car heaven in the sky. We live rural (and that's not about to change) so getting to work needs to be reliable. Determined to pay for the new mobile outright. So budgeting, saving, selling have been embraced big time. Hubby and kids are getting scared to stand still for too long in case they end up on "that" auction site... :rotfl:

There was a conversation a couple of days ago about being let loose financially after having a fairly frugal childhood. Wow that rang true!! In truth I spent my twenties shopping and my thirties paying for it. I am now a reformed character - honest!!

Anyway - I'm in - I'll do my best to be regular and encourage where I can.

One practical thingy sfd - have to fork out for a few regular things each week for the kids - abit like a cash direct debit - if budgeted can these be sfd otherwise there is no chance of me making it to 25!!

Thankyou for reading :wave:

PS - Am liking these smilies!! :T

Ninno820

Afternoon all - it was going to be a SFD but then I needed more batteries for my camera so that I can upload to ebay. Recently ebay has been pants but I live in hope! So - with renewed vigour for march I have just uploaded 4 items - which if they all went for the minimum would achieve nearly £65 which would be a great leap towards March's target.

Mentally I am now soooo ready for march. A child at school wanted me to buy some ingredients for her cooking lesson (I can claim the money back). I was so worried about going to a sm and being tempted that i did an online shop and arranged for it to be delivered to school!

poodlegal

Hi and welcome LIGL :wave: You sound just like me with the wild 20s and now the kids and frugal 30s!! We are rural too and have little ougoings all the time for kids clubs etc. I add up the the money for the months kids clubs then take it out as cash and put it aside in an envelope which I class as one spend and then use it from there. A bit complicated but stops me breaking an otherwise SFD and being tempted by other stuff, if you know what I mean :cool: Maybe others class them as spend days but i'd never get the full amount required by the challenge as my 3 kids have little (low spend) things on several times a week. I think the main aim of SFDs is to stop needless spending not the budgeted stuff.

mayfair1985

I can't believe I'm about to say this.... I'm getting it out of the way now.... but forgive me mser's for I have sinned.....

we've booked a holiday

Which means the new dfd is June, as opposed to May. I really want to be more :mad: with myself but I just can't be. It was a very calculated and thought and talked out decision. And I think it was the right one. Now i'm off to sign up for the next challenge before you lot all kick my bum.

rosiecheeksblossom

:jaaah holidays... What a lovely thought!!!

I have been asked to go to Gran Canaria in april, was considering it as would be fairly cheap, would only need about £400 for flight and spends. But have turned it down as would miss 2 days of a course I really want to do (not actually told the person asking yet) and was planning Oz but to be fair Im still paying CCs from a trip there 2 years ago so my head has said a firm NO!!! Although by not doing these trips I should pay off all CCs and overpay more on the mortgage.
Had a bit of a spends day today . Did a round 34 mile trip to work today on my day off for a course that ended up being cancelled, so went into town instead. Got a few needed bits and a few of not needed bits but it only came to about £20 in total.... Will amend my profile shortly.
I have also been a smidge productive, few bits on fleaby and got a bit further to doing some bank work, Have got appt next wednesday and then hopefully will be able to book some shifts and earn some £££££s :j:j:j
Off to eat tea now
TTFN xxx

beckyboo1980_2

Learning2Budget wrote: »

Beckyboo how is hubbys freelance going?

L2B.x

Hi L2B
Thank you for asking. Seems to be going prteyy well at the moment. Has a good amount of work coming in - I'm just praying its sustained business and not just an initial flurry! Because he is working from home and generally in the evenings after I get home, we are saving a huge amount in childcare for the twins which means although he is earning less, we are keeping the money for ourselves as opposed to handing it straight to the childminder! If he could just sustain this level of work, it would definately bring our debt free date forwards!:j:j:j:j:j XXXXXXXXXX

Living_a_good_life

poodlegal wrote: »

Hi and welcome LIGL :wave: You sound just like me with the wild 20s and now the kids and frugal 30s!! We are rural too and have little ougoings all the time for kids clubs etc. I add up the the money for the months kids clubs then take it out as cash and put it aside in an envelope which I class as one spend and then use it from there. A bit complicated but stops me breaking an otherwise SFD and being tempted by other stuff, if you know what I mean :cool: Maybe others class them as spend days but i'd never get the full amount required by the challenge as my 3 kids have little (low spend) things on several times a week. I think the main aim of SFDs is to stop needless spending not the budgeted stuff.

Thanks for that Poodlegal, that makes sense! I'm trying to do food shop when I take DS into town for his swimming on Fridays - the advantage of living rural is that the shops take effort to get to however I can get most things I want online so I may have to amputate my clicking finger!! SFD's here I come!!

Thankyou