May The Force Be With YOU!

NinjaSavingKat

Well a bright and sunny GOOD MORNING MAY!!!

Thank you to all who have posted their outgoings for the month and welcome to any noobs who are just as raring to go!!! I feel that despite this month being SUPER tight for all of us we are going to have an amazing result!

First things first I will tell you where my money is going...

1. £80 - Food
2. £200 - Travel
3. £25 - Emergency Fund
4. £470 (rent) - used to be £433 / Adding £20 on top of the actual £450 rent which means LL will cover cleaning products, loo roll, teabags, dishwasher tablets and washing powder!
5. £34.50 - Gym (No Joining Fee)

I have transferred £700 out of my account, and since I am a bit of a nut-nut sometimes my calculation never add up...:rotfl: and I have it stashed before sending it to the BIKE LOAN...which is sitting at £1090 and I want it gone between May and June!!!:p

Well done to those who have set their DFD. This is so important and by hook or by crook I will help you get to that date and declare debt freedom!!! Arrrrghhhhhh!

Abundant - thank you for sharing your horrible April. It seems to have been a bit of a struggle for many but May is a new shiny month. Like you said my swim/steam and sauna yesterday did me the world of good. I am going again tonight. Having thought about wanting to join a gym for a year I think it was the right choice!

For those Mums who are sending kids to school with packed lunches you need to realise these children of yours will look back and realise how much you love them! You are making sacrifices yes, but also a jolly big effort to keep the little ones healthy and in packed lunches EVERY DAY! My mum did it for years and years and year... it's stood me in god stead because wherever I will go I will bring my packed lunch to save money...:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

Right yesterday I bought my new Jansport bag (reduced funny enough in TK Maxx to £19.99). It's pink, very pink, with flowers on the front! I look like a 5 year old but if I am going to take this gym thing seriously I need something to make me smile!

I also bought a Storm hoody from TK Maxx - £25. Lovely, heavy and great to walk to the gym in! Felt guilty - brought it back and got a refund! :T..see I am still learning too!

So today is "sorting-out-food-day!".. It won't be an SFD but I am off to Lidl which I can now walk to. A few basics are required and I am aiming for 4 SFD's after today...fingers crossed!

Onwards and Upwards!!!

wannabee_in_credit

Afternoon all,

Siggy updated, extra £120 paid off my debts, leaving me really tight for the month ahead... but I'm ready to face the challenge.
Went through all of the food cupboards and have come up with loads of ways to use up all the stuff we have in there, so really hoping for a frugal month foodwise but we'll see how that goes.
A few things already planned for May - night out this Sunday for a birthday celebration, car service and MOT (fingers crossed) and a night out at the end of the month for my hubby's birthday.
My current dfd is Jun 2015 but hoping to bring that forward.
Today should be a nsd - I am not planning on anything food, fuel or otherwise. Just work till 5 then home for dinner and an evening in front of the telly.

Emzilla

Hello everyone and happy May to all

Right, my figures for this month are:

Food - £100 (for 2 of us).
Diesel - £80
Misc - £60 (I've got 2 birthdays, including my aunt's 70th and my niece's. I believe we're going out for a meal for my niece's birthday, so will need to contribute towards that. Hoping it will be less than £60).
DFD - I haven't calculated this, but would like to aim for 25th April 2016, which is my 35th birthday. Not easy seeing as I owe £41k :eek:

I won't be able to pay any extra off my debts this month as we are moving in July and are trying to save the money we'll need for the first month's rent and deposit. However, I have one small debt which is due to be cleared this month.

Today will be a SFD.

Kat - thanks for starting the thread and well done on taking the hoody back. Glad the move went well too.

Emz xx

thriftylass

Hello,

hadn't posted my numbers in May yet, so I'll do a rejigged post from the April thread.

I allocated £200 to food, 50 to extras (nappies, HH) and have £380 that I usually would throw in the ISA towards the Debt Prevention Mission but will need it this month to pay the roofer (already paid £350 so have £30 left there for emergencies). That way I’m hoping to pay for everything out of my salary and leave the DPM money were it is.

Food and extras are lower than ever (maybe not to my previous budgets but actual spends ). But I really need to learn to shop for the week and only for what we need. This month it’s more important then ever.

I've got two birthdays (DS and hubby) but they're menu-planned etc and will be done on the cheap. Presents are ready and paid for.

The only unknown is atm how we, I, or hubby pay for his family 40th birthday lunch out. But I'll clear that up soon too.

karmachilovething

Happy May Day everybody!

OK so this month I will spend:

Food £20
Travel £160
Spends £150
Beauty £70

Food is super low, because I'm really not using much extra living with parentals. Travel is high, and so is social but this is due to a hen do in York in the middle of the month. I'm driving up, and giving somebody a lift back so that should lighten the load, but I'm budgeted for worst case scenario.

The beauty budget is high :eek: but there are lots of things I haven't bought in a while, so was enevitable after several months of frugality!

I'm also going to try for another 100 decluttered items - 8 more CDs off to the charity shop today, and will be eBaying on the weekend/next week

Debt Free Date is set at June 2015, but hoping to bring this down

I got over excited on the overpayments thing and made an additonal £500 to my B4arclaycard on the 29 April, but I'm counting it towards this challenge, hope that's OK! I'm hoping for another overpayment later in the month but we'll see.

NinjaSavingKat

KarmaChi I nearly choked on my food when I saw your "nom nom" budget but since you are living with parentals this make sense!:rotfl:.(I am currently eating a microwaved scrambled cheese and tomatoe eggs, carrot sticks and a cuppa)...Adding ANYTHING to your debts counts so well done you!!!

Emzilla throughout March and April I wasn't able to add anything to my overspends due to moving and the very-much-regretted holiday! So you are doing the right thing!! Really hope your move goes well...

SO I have spent £4.38 in Lidls on 15 eggs, a bag of nuts and a punnet of pears! This should bolster what I already have until next week if I eat carefully. The landlady hasn't taught me to use her induction hob thing if thats what its called so I am having serious carb withdrawal headaches! Won't go down so well at the gym so I will take it easy..

Heading to the gym shortly but took faulty headphones back to TK Maxx so thats another return of £4.99..(shoulda been obvious due to the price) - however I shall not be spending anything now until I am entirely embedded into the gym way of life like before and really NEED something!

I forgot to add earlier that I got £22.50 for tat on fleabay and am aiming for another £227.50 this month. That's right - I want £250 from fleabay. Is it gonna happen. I doubt it but I can always dream! :T

Travelcard - £199. Bought.

Beauty Spends budget was £10 this month for essentials. £8 used and I don't think I need anything else bar toothpaste which will be picked up at Morrisons tonight when I go snooping as there is a MASSIVE one nearby!!!

Right. Enough already! I am excited about May. So there!!

Onwards and Upwards!!!!

karmachilovething

NinjaSavingKat wrote: »

KarmaChi I nearly choked on my food when I saw your "nom nom" budget but since you are living with parentals this make sense!:rotfl:.(I am currently eating a microwaved scrambled cheese and tomatoe eggs, carrot sticks and a cuppa)...Adding ANYTHING to your debts counts so well done you!!!

Yes, I pay "rent" and scavenge through the fridge for bits to make pack lunches. They are quite bad with food waste, so there's always something to make use of! And I feel, a little like I'm helping! But because I'm basically looked after, I don't like to ask for extras, so food budget covers desk side snacks and a few other bits. I can probably shave it further, but conservative esitmates to start with . . .

Ninno820

Afternoon all - my first sfd today and have just come back from walking the dogs in this lovely sunshine. My totals (why do I feel like I am on the Eurovision song contest?) are:-

Food - £60
Fuel - £50
Spends - £100
SFD - 1/21
Ebay - £0 / £100

My DFD is Dec 2016 but I am working on bringing this closer.

I am trying to use up the store cupboard so will try to get below the £60 but this does include dog food. My spends are so high becuase I have to have a special pair of shoes for a newly diagnosed foot condition - going for a fitting on Saturday!

My ebay target is self imposed - I hope to add to the growing savings for my holiday in August.

Good luck everyone xx

32b3in2013

Evening

My budget for the month is as follows;

Slimming world /£20
Food /£100
Outings /£100
Anti Virus £20/£20 < bought today
General spends /£30
Petrol /£50
NSD /22

The outings include 4, long ago planned trips, which include a few theatre trips.

Today was not a NSD as I bought lunch and the anti virus but I had a voucher for WHSmith which took £5 off of the price of Norton, and the £5 covered the cost of my lunch. Won't need to spend any money now until Saturday or Sunday when I buy next week's food

My debt free date according to whats the cost is 31 December 2013, but it was originally the end of March 2014, but I have sold loads of stuff on ebay since the beginning of Jan 2013, so DFD has moved as a consequence.:j I am still selling on ebay so hopefully the date may still move from Dec 13 too

I am using the envelope system recommended by Dave Ramsey, so hopefully I will not be going over budget. Not tried the envelopes before, but it's worth a try I suppose

Happy 1 May everyone

32b3

edited to add, I paid for my car insurance yesterday (£295 - £70 cashback which has already tracked), the MOT (08/05) tax (31/05) and residents permit (23/05) will be paid for all out of my annual expenses account so are not taking into account in the budget above.

Jonesy88

Day 1 is done and its my first SFD
I need to get my bum in gear though if i'm going to start making any money.