The Ultimate February Challenge

PurpleJay

A SFD for me so far but now hubby has decided to do a tesco shop and I should offer to reimburse him. We are out of milk, cat litter, most veg, kitchen roll, dishwasher tablets, coffee, juice etc and right down on lots of essentials. It will mean we are stocked up again for the march challenge and will work on eating the stuff still lurking in the cupboards. The Meal planning is working well. We had mushroom and cheese omelette for tea with sweet corn and curly fries. M had smash with cheese, beans, sweet corn and mushrooms. He has school dinners but is not a fan of sandwiches and usually wants something hot if it only soup.

Living a good life - welcome I would count your planned and budgeted for spends like your direct debits. I do this for things like school dinners, swimming lessons and pocket money. The limited spend days are to help us control unplanned/unnecessary spending. It is so easy to just pop to the shop for milk and spend £10 or £20 and forget about it or buy a magazine, , lunch out, Starbucks or whatever without a thought. Thinking about SFDs will stop me doing this (well in theory ) I always buy bread and a paper each Saturday from our local newsagents but I count this in with my food shop even if it is on a different day so long as i buy no extras. I have found it to much hassel to grocery shop on Saturdays when it is mega busy!

Going to get my march budget sorted over the next couple of days. Really going to try hard.

abundant1972

Hi everyone!!!

WOW - lots of people flocking together for March's challenge! That's great news!!! I will be so glad to see the back of February... and the coming of Spring and hopefully more sunshine!!!

Today = SFD number 18

I have a dilemma...

Pay Day tomorrow... but 2 days left of February's challenge... I have 10p left of my spend budget - and Friday would see me hit my target of 20 SFDs... However... There is somebody's leaving do on Friday evening and everybody is going out for a meal and a pub crawl!!! What do I do now???

Blow my budget/SFD challenge on the last day but see this girl off... or - Stay on track but bail!!! I've given something for her leaving gift... but what to do?!?!?I should be strict and as it was not a planned day - give it a miss. NSK!!! Help me be strong ha ha!!!

Am going to sit down tomorrow and crunch the numbers for March... I just *love* doing this!!! I've turned into a budget wizard ha ha... I'd love to see what spreadsheets people use... I've never used one... I just type a budget on A4 and then have a diary to jot down spending/SFD's in...

I think I need to try and factor in some more overtime though!!! Well done NSK on your huge overtime bonanza!!! That is awesome!!! Am hoping I can clear an extra 1-2% off my debts tomorrow!

PS. ARRRRGH - what's with the strange double spacing above!!! OCD nightmare LOL. Can I just say the text editor on MSE gives me nightmares!!! I won't tell you how often I have to correct posts LOL!!! <breathe... just breathe!!!!>

:eek:

PurpleJay

Just reading back through the posts and it really is interesting how so many of us had parents who had little and saved, supposedly setting a great example but and then we went spending mad first chance we got!

Gretchen2012

I've been thinking about that too Purple. It was my grandparents that saved. Never had credit for anything. That was one bit if advice from my grandad I never listened to, never get credit, always save for what you want. But if you really need to just get one thing at a time and pay it off. The other but of advice I wish I'd listened to was from my dad and that was to just save a bit of my wages each month.

My parents didn't have a great deal but like with so many of you I didn't have to worry if I was wearing something in fashion etc as there wasn't as much peer pressure back then.

The joys of being a teenager now, not

NinjaSavingKat

Right I have had enough!

*** Be GONE with you February, Be GONE with your rain, and snow, and promises of easy money saving ( sorry folks ) and Be GONE with your money spending and bad choices - BE GONE***

I am truly glad I am not the only one with my name down for March. I know some people are fretting in their booties - and with good reason. It's a long old month, and yes it's taken me time to get my head around SFD's as well. HOWEVER I had to spend more yesterday,.....:(

This gown I bought went to the dry cleaners and for tailoring. No stains came out, in fact I found more. There is a tear in the shoulder that would be too obvious should it be stitched - it would need replacing entirely and its very very fine chiffon. There is another tear 2 inches from the bottom of the dress which will compromise the length and the beading hem is coming loose around the neck.The attempt at tailoring and the cleaning cost me £45 - That's £200 so far!!! :mad::mad::mad:

I feel duped really. I bought it in a store who should have pointed out those errors and allowed me to make an informed decision. I spotted a tear and stains originally (discounted £30) but these SHOULD have been pointed out by the seller. AND dry-cleaned by them to decipher whether stains would come out.Now I know why the lighting in the store was so low!!!

I had to get the train in today (£19) in order to carry the dress, £4 on ear-rings last night to go with this dress, new mascara instead of false eye-lashes (£8) and a coat drycleaned (£9.95). In total this adventure ( plus the £50 ticket ) has cost me £290.95.:eek:

Now I am lucky! I can pay this off my credit card almost immediatly tomorrow. But why should I pay for that dress. I have sent a complaint and am curious as to what they will do. I suspect it will be precisely nothing. This is Lily Allen's vintage store by the way. The one that had o close down and relocate to Carnaby street in London for bad sales. Interesting!

So I am annoyed with myself, intend to make up for it in March and am dragging you all with me. I have stipulated a £100 minimum on eBay but I now need the £80 not covered this month for my hotel in Italy, £290.95 to cover this event tonight and the stipulated £100. A grand total of £470.95. I am not allowing myself to cover this with overtime. Overtime has to cover spending money in Italy!!!

I shall have two vintage dresses for sale by the end of the week to try and claw some money back! I am also resigning myself ( punishment ) to not go to the vintage festival in September for the entire weekend as planned. I will go for the Saturday only and book ahead!

So I have been a Very very very naughty NSK!!!! And I need to make up for it!

Still no word about this house though which is starting to worry me...:(

Right more comments later but for now.. a massive WELCOME to LivingAGoodLife - you have a sense of humour. You should fit in pretty well!
Beckyboo I am SO glad things are going well for your husband's business...
MAYFAIR - you've booked a holiday??? - good! I think we all need one now and again. Where to though?
Abundant go for the meal then head home. Meet them half way so to speak. If just means a very strong head required to say no to the pub and more importantly do you actually like this colleague..:rotfl:..? Kerfuffle carry your own CC with you and see how easy ( or not so ) it is to get out and use on those "impulse spends". They mightn't look so appealing when you know you will have to use your own card then come on here and confess!! Remeber these challenges are not an oppurtunity to use others whether for food, CC use or otherwise...
Gretchen... my earliest memory of Martin :money: was the simple one line of "If you haven't got it, don't spend it".when he was on GMTV... its stuck with me ever since despite falling by the way-side with a dress I shouldn't have bought. But where I might buy I am more ruthless with selling!!! ... it was shameful at one point to owe too much money. Not so much any more. Yes my mum told me to save too - did I. Nope!

Right enough reminiscing!!!...

NSK hugs to those that need it..... I am off tomorrow and Friday so shall be eBaying a LOT of stuff, sewing names badges on stuff for my week-end away, honing my budget and walking things down to the charity shop....( incidentally I did that last night, except I was carrying a lot of heavy stuff in a cheap bag. The charity shop was shut and I had to carry it home. The bag broke. I had to leave it by the side of the road, walk home and get a rucksack then return and load it all in my rucksack to trudge home again. I looked like a veritable bag lady)...:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

Onwards and Upwards!!

nannygladys

Kat you just scared the living daylights out of me - all that red writing - I had to go and make myself another cup of coffee before I could carry on reading.

Sorry to hear all the trouble you are having with the dress, you would think coming from HER store it would have been near perfect, I remember her on TV when she was setting it up. I really hope your letter is taken note of and something comes of it ie money reimbursment, as its putting a whole damper on your night out, which is a big shame

Anyway I to have a very stingy March to look forwards to, I have to keep getting those debts down, I have moved some of CC debt to 0% but it isnt making me feel any better, I just want them out of the way and then I can make inroads into the OD.

I have reached my 24 SFD's today:j I do literally only spend on those days -well not counting DD's as they come out all over the month - so I am very pleased with myself. It has taken some doing especailly as I have had to avoid 'bargains' at work, but it has taken me some time to realise those 'bargains' are only bargains if you need them and not put them into your cupboards never to see the light of day. Anyway I am mainly eating out of cupboards and freezer for the third month during March, I reckon its multiplying in there cos it never seems to go down much, so hopefully I will be buying only fresh stuff and milk. I could really do with some new clothes but I will make do and mend for another month, its lucky I get a works uniform which also includes shoes.

Anyway off to finish coffee and make myself a slice of toast and start menu plan for next month and empty purse into 'terri'

Jxx
PS so glad February is at an end:)

NinjaSavingKat

Sorry!!!! I was shouting at February not anyone on here...lol!!

nannygladys

I reckon a good rant is very justified, just hope it all works out for you (and not expensively)
Jxx

Happybeingme

Hi Everyone

Just running through today although I have had a quick read of the posts.

Welcome LAGL

Sorry to hear about your nightmare with the dress NSK ~ hope you end up getting some money back?

Abundant1972 ~ Friday's the 1st of March so you'll be on the March challenge then and it won't affect Feb's?!!

I've managed another sfd but have to buy milk AGAIN today ~ I'm sure its evaporating?!!

Roll on March!

Laters peeps ~ take care and have a good day!!

YORKSHIRELASS

Hi all

Abundant, can your night out on Friday not go in your March budget as it is the 1st of the Month? Sounds to me like you do want to go so if you can afford it treat yourself I say.

As for spreadsheets, well. I have a daily spreadsheet analysing income and expenditure into categories which also keeps a running total of my bank balance. Then a monthly summary and a yearly summary of all the different spending categories.

I also have a spreadsheet for each debt which shows b/fwd, spending, repayments, interest and c/fwd amounts. This is totalled up yearly too.

Sounds a bit OTT but without all this I wouldnt keep on the straight and narrow. I am on the spreadsheets once or twice every day!

Well the sun is shining and its nearly March - happy days. Sorry to hear about the dress Kat, so disappointing and hard when you are trying to watch the pennies too.