September's Step-Up!!!

chickadee

Evening steppers!

Just seen the first of the new series of Downton Abbey. I love it! I think the characters are all really good. Life has been a bit simpler since we got back from Wales last week. No eating out and no alcohol either, although not enough SFDs either. I have had some physio treatment this month so that has scuppered what would have been 5 SFDs otherwise. No to worry, I'm sure October will be better.

Did a little Al*i shop today - spent £41.46 on food for the next week. Mainly fresh stuff - milk, bread, fruit & veg, also cat food and some baking things.

Been out for a couple of bike rides as well this weekend. 25 miles on Saturday with a friend who has just got a new road bike, and 13 quickish miles with hubby today. Really enjoying my bike at the moment, such a shame winter is approaching, cycling just isn't the same in the cold and rain.

Here are the stats so far:

SFD - 6/18
Groceries - £203/£250
Alcohol-Free - 18/26 (2 parties and a holiday)
Exercise - 14/12
Packed Lunch 15/16 (On hols part of month)
Food Bank - 3/3

thriftylass

Hello,

check in for me after the weekend too.

Spend my last food on Friday, but had to pay the builder £150 and buy more sand for him and cement. But at least the wall that will hold up our garden is nearly finished. I had budgeted for that money apart from the extras over the next two month but it all came in one, but that's ok.

SFD 16/20 (gonna make it)
lunches 16/21
exercise 16/30 (cycle to work)
Food 241/200
HH etc 159/140
Garden and DVLA 545/300

But that's me done spending till Monday payday

karmachilovething

Checking in from the weekend: 2 SFDs (Friday and Saturday) and spends day yesterday. Another spends day today as I need to buy some more cotton wool pads (two for 99p at A1di) and pick up my vacuum cleaner that has been repaired. Oh the excitement!

I have to say I'm feel;ing the darkening mornings a lot this year. I don't think I have SAD "officially" but I think it takes effect on everybody to some degree.

NinjaSavingKat

Morning Chickadees.... or it will be afternoon by the time I post this!...

I have precisely £16.33 to my name to see me through until next Monday which is payday. Is anyone else excited to get hold of cash to simply throw at debts? You know you have turned a corner when you no longer dread where the money has to go...

I have had an easy weekend, SFD on Saturday and not such an SFD yesterday. I am completly out of toiletries so stocked up for around £6 in Superdrug... I said it on my first ever challenge and should reiterate it again but scrimping to pay off debts does not means using other people.... or their shampoo.... so I had to go get more... and conditioner and a few other bits..

I have frittered away from money however due to an un-neccessary desire for junk food... I think I will add this into the monthly budget as "being good" seems to be too hard... this might curb spending off the cuff in the work vending machine...

I made a sale on eBay. It just about covers the fees I need to pay...:(.. I don't see the point in using it any more...

How is everyone feeling now then... 1 week to go..??

NinjaSavingKat

abundant1972 wrote: »

Hi all,

Not really sure what happened this month - my mood took a nose dive, and after being so regimented and under pressure with work stuff since Feb - and that having all finished - I just exhaled and blew myself back off the wagon. Feeling a little defeated on all fronts - even though I should be feeling pleased I've finished.

I seem to be sabotaging everything right now - buying junk food and stopping what good results I might get from the gym, gym attendance dropping, cancelling social engagements, overspending... YIKES - it must be the start of my SAD hit. Time to get the light box out and hit the St John's Wort.

Sorry for the moan but wanted to check in and say where I was at - and that I've not dropped off the face of the planet. Will catch up on everyone's blogs on here and try and gain some focus for the rest of the month.

Hope you are all doing ok...

Are you really affected by SAD? Do you have a lightbox and does it help? I don't want to you to unravel the good work you have done but I can sympathise with the increase of baddy foods in my diet...

Do you feel that buying things like food etc or staying in and not exercising is all down to mood..?

More importantly do you have a plan on board for next months pay to throw more at your debt... how do you feel about it now...?

Sorry for all the questions but you are a long hauler on my challenges so I am intrigued about how you feel towards your debt... are you as filled with gusto as you were at the beginning..?

Sending NSK love...;-)

thriftylass

NinjaSavingKat wrote: »

How is everyone feeling now then... 1 week to go..??

Although I'm already skint this month I feel rather positive. That should be the big spends (garden, roof etc) done for this year and the next planned bigger spends will be the car service and MOT which will be taken care of over the next two months while also focusing on christmas and getting money aside finally for the wedding (£1k for rainy day is nearly achieved). Been trying to get that started since February. Done the spreadsheets for the next 5 months :eek::rotfl::rotfl: to see how we should be able to progress.
Although I overspend this month mainly on food I know exactly where we stand and i don't feel I wasted much money this month on unnecessary things either.

Making my spreadsheets for the next 5 month made me realise Kat only got 3 months to go :j. However what will I do without this thread :eek::eek: Been here for a year now.

lilian1977

Hello all

Well, I;m back from my holiday - and despite taking £70 with me, I still overspent massively. Putting it behind me though as I have some overtime payments due soon which will reimburse the savings account I had to wipe out.

However, due to my clever saving over the past year, I have been able to pay the deposit on a return trip this time next year, received an email over the weekend giving me a brilliant deal if I booked again before 1st October - so now have 4 nights in Butlins (in a silver apartment) booked in September 2014, for just £217.50! Had to pay a £30 deposit but I had that in my 2014 holiday account already, the rest isn't due until July so plenty of time to save. So nice to think I already have two holidays next year that are pretty much paid for

Anyway. No cash until payday (27th) now so will be back on here sharing my skint woes!

Haven't had time to read back on the thread yet but hope everyone is ok xx

LoveaDove

Hi All!

Happy Monday once again! (This month/year appears to be vanishing right before my eyes)! I understand the change in mood for the majority of people (myself included), holidays at an end, the sun being somewhat elusive of late. It's almost like we've forgotten what overcast days are like after being spoilt with quite a bit of sunshine this summer! It's certainly harder to get up in the mornings, although with somewhat lower temperatures, I actually find that i get more work done! When the heat is up my mind strays to thoughts of the sea and being somewhere else. I do miss the ability to be a bit more spontaneous with the finer weather though.

No more SFD's for me this weekend, but I did have a great time!!

Got a lift to TOWIE central, my Uncle paid for our meal at the Sugarhut (actually surprisingly nice food and very reasonably priced!) I just window shopped while we looked around. I was given an advance on some baby sitting duties for next weekend so this covered my train and bus home, with money to spare. Had an evening watching movies with my other half so no further spends. Sunday I went to the cinema with my Ma, who paid for our film with points from her card and we took some treats from home to nom on whilst at the cinema. I only spent £1 on parking so a very LSD yesterday! I also received £5 to cover fuel when I took my sister to an appointment a couple of weeks back which was a lot more out of the way than we first realised. So although there have been a couple of spends I have also received unexpected money as well and am left with cash to spare (to contribute towards my 'Wicked' tickets short fall).

Abundant1972 - You do have to cut yourself a break occasionally. You've not long finished studying and it all sounded incredibly full-on! Pick yourself up, dust yourself down and begin preparing for October. I'm sure you will be back on it for the new month! Just ease yourself back into the mindset this week :T

Right, I have been wittering on for far too long (apologies) time to step-up for the last week!!! 4 more SFDs to gain to hit 18SFDs goal!

Good luck for the last week everyone!

PS. Super excited for Pay day this month- more debt to bust! I hadn't really appreciated the fact that I look forward to busting the debt rather than fearing for how to pay for the next bill. Thanks for pointing that out NSK!!

littleskintdragon

Im looking forward to octobers challenge, this month has been very upside down. Spend wise it started badly but has settled.
My month runs from 25th of each month, so pay day is wed, and we're currently £40 overbudget, which is no where near how bad i anticipated in the middle of the month.

Also made a huge dent in the cc which im over the moon about and still hoping to be credit card and overdraft free by xmas!

Siouxsie32

Afternoon everyone, just checking in to say Hi :wave: I have absolutely nothing new to report - have nothing left to spend so I'm clocking up the SFDs

Going to work yesterday, I defrosted some lentil chilli to take for dinner. As it defrosted there was a little liquid in the bottom of the container so I tipped it down the sink...except I then dropped the container into the soapy bubbles of my washing up bowl :eek: In true MSE style, I scooped the bubbles off the top of the chilli and re-drained it! Tasted fine and I've not died of bubble poisoning!

I'm not sure if this counts as cheating/smart/working the system, but I drove past a petrol station the other day where petrol was 6p a litre cheaper than I usually see round my way so I "borrowed" £50 from my credit card and filled my tank. On payday, I'll pay the credit card back. I'll not be driving between now and payday so it's the same as filling up as usual on payday, except I reckon I've saved about £2.50 :money: I like to think of it as working the system rather than cheating!

Fyggy, did you sort your ebay issue yet? I think you might just have to write it off. Annoying as it is, ebay usually comes down on the side of the buyer. You'll get your fees back if you go down the non-payment route. I think the buyer will get a non-payment mark against them (not sure what that means in reality) unless they can justify why they didn't pay (like make up an excuse, which they already did!). I think if you relist due to non-payment, you don't pay listing fees second time round (my info may be a bit rusty as it's so long since I've had issues with buyers. I agree though, it's so frustrating! Better luck when you relist!

Sorry you're not feeling at your best abundant (although it's nice to see you back ). Now's exactly the time to break the bad eating cycle and eat for nutrition. You of all people know how the right diet can make you feel amazing. I know how hard it can be when you're not in the mood, but maybe starting with one good meal a day would help? Again, it's the same with exercise. It's difficult to drag yourself off the couch when you don't feel like it, but if you can manage it you will feel better. Heck, in this weather even getting outside can be difficult, but while the sun shines, even a quick 20 minute walk can top up your Vitamin D levels. Do it tomorrow, make a smoothie for breakfast and take a small walk outside! That's all, the next day can wait!

Hi to everyone else, I love catching up on all your stories