Weekly Spend Challenge W/C 25th August 2013

EverTheOptimist

Hello everyone. Welcome to the Weekly Spend Challenge. This challenge is open to anybody, no matter what financial place they are in.

On this thread please post an amount of money you wish to stay below within the week (Sunday to end of working day on Friday). This can be pennies or thousands it depends on the individual. Then next Saturday report back and pledge for the following week. The challenge runs from Sunday to Friday so we don't include Saturdays but feel free to change the rules to suit you and include Saturdays or start on a different day.

Feel free to update this thread with daily spends if that keeps you on track. We colour code the results as below:

Green - within budget
Red - over budget
Purple - zero spend
Orange - made money over the week

This is a little bit of fun but for many it highlights the fact that maybe that magazine/chocolate bar isn't needed. Hopefully your spending habits can be changed forever.

Moozie was the founder of this challenge and here is a quote taken from her:

Originally Posted by Moozie:
"Good afternoon lovely DFWs Now for anyone looking in, please feel free to join - the more the merrier! Basically, decide on the amount you want to spend up to from Sunday until the end of the working day on Friday then pledge it here and off we go! The challenge is about incidental spending and not for stuff that should be budgeted elsewhere such as bills, groceries, debt repayment etc but you decide what to include at the end - this is about changing your habits and improving your recording of your spends more than anything else. Have a great week everyone and keep it low!!! Moozie x"

Good Luck Everyone

W/C 18th August 2013 challengers / pledges / totals

EverTheOptimist - £35 / £7.85
Casperthefriendlyghost - £10 / £9.42
MissE001 - £12 / £11.86
happy_bunny - £15
smokies - £40 / £33.19
flyinggiraffe - £30
Tinkermcjingles - £25 / £25.72
ShootForTheMoon - £0
MissMelLady - £20 / £40.23

W/C 25th August 2013 challengers / pledges / totals

EverTheOptimist - £25
Smokies - £20
CasperTheFriendlyGhost - £10
happy_bunny - £20
flyinggiraffe - £30
Tinkermcjingles - £25
MissMelLady - £20
ShootForTheMoon - £20
splodgethefirst - £20

EverTheOptimist

Well I had minimal spends this week, lowest in a long time. So have got money to carry over to next week, then it's payday.

From now on I am going to record all spends here, even if budgeted and not part of this challenge as although I had minimal misc spends this week, I feel I have cheated as I had other spends. So not that low a week.

Will look at my plans and work out a misc budget.

smokies

Thank you ETO for the new thread, this is keeping me so focused on my spends, iam enjoying it ....


This week I am going to do it a little bit different and I have split my weekly money into 3

1 Food and Toiletries
2 for Fuel ( shouldn't need this as I only fed the car on Wednesday)
3 for everyday expenses, car parking, coffee, etc (this is the one I need to keep an eye on)

This weeks budget is £20.00 in my pocket

Sunday 25th - Hoping to have a NSD (got lots to do in the house)
Monday 26th - Working for a few hours in the morning then to Ald*
Tuesday 27th - NSD
Wed 28th - Working (not taking purse into work)
Thursday - NSD
Friday - Parking fee, £2.50 if I can not find a space on the street !!

Casperthefriendlyghost

Hi!

Wow the weeks are just flying past! Thanks ETO for starting us off again this week. Have no idea why I'm awake this early but hey ho, body clock thinks it's time to get up! :eek:

This week I spent £9.42 It was really close this week and really want to do a few low spend weeks as I'm trying to save money for my holiday with my sister to France next year We're doing a 10 day trip to 6 different places so need to save loads of money.

This week I'd like to allocate £10.00 again but am hoping for £5.00. If I can save the extra £5.00 a week that'll be nice. I have a nice piggy bank that I can put all my extra money into so will see how much it is.

I picked up £20.00 on my way to work on Friday morning, couldn't believe it. Nearly didn't see it, it was blowing around on the pavement and I only looked down because it blew against my leg. There was no one around so had no idea who it belonged to :cool: So suppose I was £20.00 richer despite my nearly £10.00 spend.

Did all the preparation today so food is all in the freezer and the plan today is to meal plan for the next week so there is no wastage and no need to buy stuff whilst out this week. I even got some chewing gum today as part of my weekly grocery shop so no excuses lol! Am also going to start posting my spends every day so it's easier to keep track of my spends and stay focussed. I have a spare purse that I put my £10.00 into every week so I just see what's left in there at the end of the week.

Hope everyone is having a great bank holiday weekend.

Cheers
Casper
xx

happy_bunny_2

Will try and do better this week.

Will aim for £20 not including commuting costs.

Good luck all

HB

EverTheOptimist

I'm going for £25 this week. That's what I have in my purse so fingers crossed.

Went to B&Q today to get a new fire/ fireplace. Got what we wanted but little man and I couldn't fit back in the car, so we went to a nearby Starbucks whilst hubby took it home, then came back for us.

So spends of £3.45 / £25. Sunday's normally my first NSD. Oh well. Maybe tomorrow.

MissE001

Thanks for this weeks thread ETO - I appreciate this thread so much

Well, thought I had gone slightly over with last week's spend - £11.86. I've just noticed that I pledged £12 so pleased to report that I was in fact GREEN last week :j

I need to have a think about what I'm going to include - feel like I'm changing strategy every few weeks at the moment....I'll be back later with a decision :rotfl:

Happy Sunday :A

EverTheOptimist

MissE001 wrote: »

Thanks for this weeks thread ETO - I appreciate this thread so much

Well, thought I had gone slightly over with last week's spend - £11.86. I've just noticed that I pledged £12 so pleased to report that I was in fact GREEN last week :j

I need to have a think about what I'm going to include - feel like I'm changing strategy every few weeks at the moment....I'll be back later with a decision :rotfl:

Happy Sunday :A

I often feel the same MissE001, I often feel like I change my budgets and strategies too regularly. But then you have to find something that works.

I have really been trying to keep my grocery and weekly spends budget separate, because otherwise if I add misc items to my shop I am cheating and also run out of grocery money too quickly.

I also used to include things like petrol and my nails here, but then they are kind of budgeted and also I really want to try and reduce spending for the sake of spending, so the odd can of coke or choccie bar. And my other vice is going for lunch which is fine, but then having more than one course, or an expensive meal, so need to think a bit more about what I spend on meals out.

EverTheOptimist

First post updated to here. Good luck everyone. Keep it low.

flyinggiraffe_2

Thanks for the shiny new Thread ETO. Good evening everyone else

I was green last week and would like to pledge £30 again this week,

X

smokies

Over spent a little in Ald* today by £7.96, so had to take it from "my" money purse....

So after a buying some mints and over spending I now how £10.88 left to play with....

Good news is that I have only 3 days till my next pay day (Friday)

HAVE FUN GUYS