We're aware that some users are experiencing technical issues which the team are working to resolve. See the Community Noticeboard for more info. Thank you for your patience.
📨 Have you signed up to the Forum's new Email Digest yet? Get a selection of trending threads sent straight to your inbox daily, weekly or monthly!

80 days of indirect money saving

Options
Why 80 days? Because I'm on holiday for the first 2 weeks of September. We're not going anywhere but I don't want to spend the 2 weeks feeling bleurgh & having to do all the small tasks of piddliness that seem to build up when you work full time & CBA at night :o

So - for the next 80 days the plan is
  • No alcohol (very MSE & will help shift the copious number of kilos I need to lose)
  • No takeaways
  • Bring lunch, breakfast & coffee in to work each day
  • Review all finances, contracts, insurances etc (at least 2 things are up for renewal in the 80 days)

The combination of the above will let me:-
  • Pay off 2 small credit cards (will get balances & details later)
  • I'm aiming to lose 18 kilos in this time - it's a lot but I do have a lot to lose
  • Having time at night will let me tackle all the 'orrible jobs that I never seem to get round to & now seem to swallow up weekends & holidays
  • Feel confident that the financial situation is under control & that I am in control of the money rather than the money controlling me
So there we are - nothing fancy, just a short term challenge for myself - & why a diary - it's because I need something to keep me motivated. A daily update & a weekly review should hopefully keep me on schedule :o
Debts 07/12/2021
#280/#310.08/#450/#575.47/#750/#1000/#1200/#1848.83
«13

Comments

  • lozzy81
    lozzy81 Posts: 275 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 100 Posts Name Dropper
    I too am on an 80 day challenge!! I get married on August 31st in New York so need to save every penny i can, i started yesterday so i have two days of no spending. I was going to start a diary to motivate myself but have found you so i will subscribe

    good luck :D
    Virtual sealed pot 2019 member #6 :j
    £0.00/£200 :)
  • ClootiesMum
    ClootiesMum Posts: 1,606 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Married in NY - jealous.com :)

    Thanks for subscribing - I have to be good now (or ot, as the case may be:p)
    Debts 07/12/2021
    #280/#310.08/#450/#575.47/#750/#1000/#1200/#1848.83
  • beanielou
    beanielou Posts: 95,376 Ambassador
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Academoney Grad Mortgage-free Glee!
    Happy shiney new diary :grin:
    Keep posting!
    I am a Forum Ambassador and I support the Forum Team on Mortgage Free Wannabe & Local Money Saving Scotland & Disability Money Matters. If you need any help on those boards, do let me know.Please note that Ambassadors are not moderators. Any post you spot in breach of the Forum Rules should be reported via the report button , or by emailing forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com. All views are my own & not the official line of Money Saving Expert.

    Lou~ Debt free Wanabe No 55 DF 03/14.**Credit card debt free 30/06/10~** MFW. Finally mortgage free O2/ 2021****
    "A large income is the best recipe for happiness I ever heard of" Jane Austen in Mansfield Park.

    ***Fall down seven times,stand up eight*** ~~Japanese proverb.
    ***Keep plodding*** Out of debt, out of danger. ***Be the difference.***
    One debt remaining. Home improvement loan.
  • ClootiesMum
    ClootiesMum Posts: 1,606 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Day 1 did not go quite as planned as DH got a text to lety him know some work colleagues were popping in for a coffee - hence a quick run to the shops @ 6.30am :eek:to get a nice cake for them......

    But I did manage to clean the fridge out last night - and yes, I am ashamed at what I had to throw out - but new start & all that.

    So today, here I am @ work with lunch prepared, flask of coffee & matchsticks propping my eyes open :cool:

    Tonight's task is to tackle the bill drawer & pay a couple of bills that have appeared over the last few days :)
    Debts 07/12/2021
    #280/#310.08/#450/#575.47/#750/#1000/#1200/#1848.83
  • ClootiesMum
    ClootiesMum Posts: 1,606 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Day 2 - went surprisingly well

    NSD @ work and last night I checked ther bank for d/ds that had come off (& yes, I need to get into the habit of doing this daily) and also paid the bills that had come in.

    And the nice surprise was that the 2 I'm working to pay off at the moment only now total £650 between them - well chuffed.

    And all of a sudden DH is on board too. He went shopping the other day & was horrified @ the price of basic foods - so he has agreed that we'll head off to Aldi/Lidl for the next shopping that needs done. And he was reallty chuffed to hear how low that balances on HIS credit cards were too.....

    Baby steps :p

    Tonight it's meant to be raining so my intention is to tackle the mahoosive filing that needs done - & yes, I'm ashamed. I just need to feel a bit more in control of my financial situation and all these wee things help.

    But enought of my witterings - better get back to work....
    Debts 07/12/2021
    #280/#310.08/#450/#575.47/#750/#1000/#1200/#1848.83
  • parsniphead
    parsniphead Posts: 2,897 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts
    Oh clootiesmum I have just been reading your diary and realised I should be cleaning the fridge :eek:.

    80 days sounds like a good challenge, it will take me up to just before going back to work after the summer break. I work in a college so am lucky enough to have a long holiday. I'm trying to get my business up and running again and would like to be able to be earning enough to give up my other job and be at home with the little one full time.

    Can I join you in your journey. 80 days would be a good time to pay off as much of the last of the debt as possible and get the house sorted.

    I love Ald1 and feel sick at the prices when shopping elsewhere. The chocolate is the best too.:drool:
    1 debt v's 100 days chapter 34: T3sco bank CC £250/£525.24 47.59%

    [STRIKE]MBNA - [/STRIKE]GONE, [STRIKE]CAP ONE[/STRIKE] GONE, [STRIKE]YORKS BANK [/STRIKE]GONE, [STRIKE]VANQUIS[/STRIKE] GONE [STRIKE] TESCO - [/STRIKE], GONE
    TSB CARD, TSB LOAN, LLOYDS. FIVE DOWN, THREE TO GO.
  • ClootiesMum
    ClootiesMum Posts: 1,606 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    parsniphead - would love to have you along for the ride :D

    Anyhow - Day 3 - loooong day at work so did not manage filing as planned - but I did manage something....I have a Nectar card & the keyring part of it that I ordered arrived. This means that I can give DH my real Nectar card until the keyring one I'm going to order for him today arrives.......

    So Saturday (Day 4) - had to go shopping with DH as he needs a new decent pair of supportive shoes after his hip op - and I went into Lakeland (which has a shop in the same city) and I bought - NOTHING. Came away with 3 catalogues to drool over though. So Saturday's "task that has been put off forever" was to bring together the birthday dates all in to one book. I had one of my own, a new partially started one &my Mum's one that I inherited when she died :(.

    Now I have one - & one only :jas well as a list of names that I need to find birthdays or years of birth for.

    So today's plan. Not sure if it will be a NSD as it might be worth sorting a meal plan & then shopping with DH for the week but on top of that - the filing needs done. I need to send a letter to DVLA to make sure they know my car was written off & that I don't ned to insure it (will also let them process my road tax refund). I will sign DH for a nectar card linked to mine, will find my Boots Advantage card & make sure it's registered & although I have a Tesco clubcard I found details of a second one yesterday which I' off to see if I can have linked to my main one.

    And if there's any time left - a wee gardening bout might be in order :p

    So busy day of piddliness for me - what are you guys up to?
    Debts 07/12/2021
    #280/#310.08/#450/#575.47/#750/#1000/#1200/#1848.83
  • Memory_Girl
    Memory_Girl Posts: 4,957 Forumite
    Turning the veggies in the bottom of my fridge into cans of soup - and making six cans of three bean chilli for our "6 weeks of summer" challenge.

    ...................... maybe .............shhh!!! putting some homebrew on later

    MG
    FINALLY AND OFFICIALLY DEBT FREE
    Small Emergency Fund £500 / £500
    Pay off all Debts £10,000 / £10,000
    Grown Up Emergency Fund £6000 / £6000 :j
    Pension Provision £6688/£2376
  • ClootiesMum
    ClootiesMum Posts: 1,606 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Good to see you back here MG :p

    Tesco clubcard sorted & vouchers printed off
    Nectar card sorted
    Washing hung out

    DH just up :eek:

    Away to check the bank and then prepare to file :eek::eek::eek:
    Debts 07/12/2021
    #280/#310.08/#450/#575.47/#750/#1000/#1200/#1848.83
  • ClootiesMum
    ClootiesMum Posts: 1,606 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    edited 17 June 2013 at 8:35AM
    Day 5 (Sunday)

    Filing is done :j:jOK - it's not completed but the massive load of stuff is now in appropriate folders/boxes & this will now need to be sorted through to be shredded or binned. This has been building up for months and I promise to now keep on top of it.
    But it did have its benefits - for a start it made it a NSD. And I have now sent off the wee bit for my written off car to get back road tax & not be threatened with having to insure a car I don't have (posted this morning before work too:D). I also found the TV licence - & realised I have to sign up to get an e-mail to let me know it's up to date as they've stopped sending out annual ones.
    I also found all the insurance docs so that DH can get half of the money back for the physio he's going to have to go to as his hip replacement has trapped a nerve & he's in more pain now that before the op. And I noticed that his car insurance payment hasn't been taken this month - so he has to phone about that too.
    And Boots Advantage card was eventually found - in DH's car. No - I have no idea either - but there was a £5 gift voucher found with it too :j.

    And tea was a free mac & cheese from the scabby bits of cheese in the fridge. Guess what I'm having for lunch today too:p.

    So all in all a good day - I now feel self righteous & firing on all cylinders - but we'll see how I feel after work tonight.

    So - away to earn some more pennies. Have a good one y'all.
    Debts 07/12/2021
    #280/#310.08/#450/#575.47/#750/#1000/#1200/#1848.83
This discussion has been closed.
Meet your Ambassadors

🚀 Getting Started

Hi new member!

Our Getting Started Guide will help you get the most out of the Forum

Categories

  • All Categories
  • 350.9K Banking & Borrowing
  • 253.1K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
  • 453.5K Spending & Discounts
  • 243.9K Work, Benefits & Business
  • 598.7K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
  • 176.9K Life & Family
  • 257.1K Travel & Transport
  • 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
  • 16.1K Discuss & Feedback
  • 37.6K Read-Only Boards

Is this how you want to be seen?

We see you are using a default avatar. It takes only a few seconds to pick a picture.