The October Awakening!

LittleMissKitty

*You will aim for 20 SFD (Spend Free Days).
Spends will be food, petrol, school trips, birthdays etc and anything sundry. Bills and kids club payments won't count as they're all budgeted out of a separate account

* Pay off debt first.
Our biggest debt is the overdraft so by not spending we will, effectively, be paying it off!

* You will create a spreadsheet and budget EVERYTHING.
Food is budgeted at £100 a week (There are 7 of us and this includes nappies!), petrol at £80,

* Get a small spend diary.
I have a notepad but most spends are internet based so go straight on the spreadsheet

* Set your food budget now then reduce it by £20.
Set at £100 a week, I'll try for closer to £80 but we already use basics everything and batch cook!

* Clear out your cupboards of food before buying more.
I'll try this with main meals but weekly shops are necessary for kids school lunch bits.

* £3 of food will be donated to the local food bank.
Okie dokes

* Budget for outings, birthdays, Halloween parties, trick-or-treater treats and meals with friends.
£22 being spent on my Daddy's birthday and £50 aside for hubbies 'I've finished my degree' celebration meal

* No eating out.
Afraid I've been waiting 6 years for DH to finish his degree, gonna have to skip this one this month!

Bring your lunch to work everyday.
Not a problem, I work from home DH and kids take packed lunch as standard practice too

* Choose a DFD.
According to the snowball it's December 2017 (which makes me feel slightly sick) but technically I don't have to pay back one of the debts (I just feel guilty as it was a gift!) which would make it Oct 2015. I'd like it to be before the Summer so I'll push for June 2015

* Use up all your beauty products BEFORE getting any more. No more than £10 allowed on beauty spends for the month.
I don't wear make-up so it's only my moisturiser and I've still got buckets of that!

* Try to make money from ebay.
I have a lady listing about 100 items for me right now! She takes 10% of final cost and it means I don't have to wrestle listing and 5 kids!

I hate that I'm starting October with a spend day but from now on it's hatches battened and NSD's for the foreseeable future!

cottage_retreatist

Avogirly wrote: »

Good morning everyone! Just checking in for the day. All budgets and lists and sfds were worked out and written in diary yesterday.

Quick question. I have £800 in a savings account. £600 is for my skiing holiday but should I use the other £200 to pay a debt off or should I keep it for any emergencies that may crop up. Thoughts please?!

if i ever keep money for emergencies it goes on food/stuff I don't need!!

If you really think it'll be tight this month do you have a separate account you could put it in so you can't see the money and then put to it to debt in the last week if you haven't spent it?

I'd put it on debt - but i'm ruthless!! :rotfl:

xx

andrar

Hey sorry I've been AWOL with my move - its all a bit crazy! Count me in please - I'll update my signature etc when I get a chance tonight

NinjaSavingKat

:jGood Morning Chickadees!! :j

Well now October has kicked off and I like to see so many of you checking in already! London is a bit grey this morning and I awoke to £82.70 added to my loan account. I knew something was coming my way and this isn't as bad as I thought it could be.

For those struggling with eBay sales etc perhaps consider anywhere else you can earn extra money - however Stewby you are so new and I would rather you get to grips with the rest of the challenge especially that step down in monthly expenditure - Dad sounds like a star!

Little Miss Kitty.... did you say 5 kids? I applaud your ingenuity and delegation in getting someone else to do the listing. I have so many items I am thinking of listing it's almost worth considering that ...although I only have a cat to contend with...:p.....however why do you feel guilty about money that you say was a gift! Take it and run honey....

Avogirly - do you have a DFD in mind? Perhaps work out how long it will take to get there and whether you need to pay the £200 towards it. A £200 savings pot is not a bad idea especially if you have a car or such like... are you paying much interest?

Fmess you are right to prep for tax/MOT and such like. I have been stashing £75 a month to accrue £450 for my motorbike insurance in November but forgot to account for the obvious and the servicing...whoopsie! ..I am glad you have paid towards the debt first thing... it's so important to know you have done it for the month and don't really have to think about it again until next month...:T

Shyspender as much as you say you are nervous you seem to be spot on with your planning.. everyone is so supportive on this thread feel free to post any time you want for advise of anything else.. However you are challenging yourself even further with the no-alcohol which is great!!

Daisychain may I suggest one of those backpacks with reigns on them for OH....:p.. or perhaps give him the challenge of staying within budget... that might prove interesting!

Frugal Foxy - WOW! You paid off £1300?? That's amazing.. whats your DFD...?


Awww I am so proud.. postivity all round this morning...

Well my food budget is £80.
I have a £35 miscellansous budget.
I have paid off £1440
I pay £75 to the impending bike insurance pot
I pay £16 for a Cineworld card (my only way to get out and went last night)
I pay £34.50 for the gym which I am contemplating cancelling as a new one is opened nearby for £12.99 but with no pool or steam/sauna...hmmmmm might have to think about this one. It won't make a massive dent in my debt-repayment but the steam room after a hard day at work is amazingly beneficial...What would you do?

Right work calleth for now... and an energy drink!

NinjaSavingKat

andrar wrote: »

Hey sorry I've been AWOL with my move - its all a bit crazy! Count me in please - I'll update my signature etc when I get a chance tonight

You are in! Tell us how it went when you have a minute to breath...:p

littleskintdragon

Good morning!

Well october is here and dh is back in work today after paternity leave. I still have 3 weeks left of no driving after caesarean, so will need to plan shopping etc. its not a bad thing though as it means i save on fuel and no unnecessary trips to the shops.

Today wont b a sfd unfortunately as its dd's birthday on sunday, and 4rg0s have 3 for 2 on toys until today. So ive ordered her birthday present,her main xmas present and have a free present ready for xmas. Also means not searching in dec when theyve all sold out.Had budgeted for these, and allready bought the rest of her presents when they were on offer. Got a lot of clothes from the 4sd4 sale.

As for everything else
Food budget: £200 (aiming for same budget as when there were 3 of us, now 4,plus 3 furry friends)
Fuel: £100
Other: £50
Beauty: £10
Dfd: tbc
Lunch to work: on mat leave but dh takes everyday
Budget done but needs tweaking
£0/£3 food bank
Extra earnings £0/£100 (needed this one thanks kat got a few bits floating around)
Will add later how much has gone to debt and what ive achieved.
Currently my aim is to pay off my cc asap! (Xmas hopefully)

My own mini challenge is to put all spare change into sealed pot for xmas food shop, the amount put in is what ill spend on xmas food supplies & alcohol.

Right think im done for now, good luck lovelies xx

cottage_retreatist

*You will aim for 20 SFD (Spend Free Days).
I WILL do it this month! :j

* Pay off debt first.
Debts are currently being stored for paying F&Fs so it is put in a separate account and forgotten about!

* You will create a spreadsheet and budget EVERYTHING.
see below!

* Get a small spend diary.
spreadsheet! and always make sure i get receipts

* Set your food budget now then reduce it by £20.
Still being set but due to needing to do an internet shop we're guessing realistically £240

* Clear out your cupboards of food before buying more.
The cupboards are bare!!!! My fridge looks like the one from Fight Club - only condiments in it!
Which means I'll have a larger food spend this month to get the stock in and that will last us 3 months so the cost will balance out.

* £3 of food will be donated to the local food bank.
Donated to Trussel Trust in September - am I OK to do my animal charity this month?

* Budget for outings, birthdays, Halloween parties, trick-or-treater treats and meals with friends.
Nothing planned so nothing doing this month!!!!

* No eating out.
That's fine by me! Can't remember the last time we ate out!

*Bring your lunch to work everyday.
I take my coffee (granules) to work - don't eat at work - I have an afternoon snack at home so that is do-able. Need to make OH's lunches though.

* Choose a DFD.
Still aiming for August 2014! Come on! My aim is to have no more than 340 Days of debt left!!!!

* Use up all your beauty products BEFORE getting any more.
That's fine - i only wear moisturiser and foundation - do need some deodorant (for everyone's sake) and OH needs shaving gel but I've scouted the bargains already to purchase.

* Try to make £100
I'm doing overtime - does that count? I'll also look into online surveys.

So - budgets for October:

SFDs: 0/20
AFDs: 0/31

Debt paid: 250/1400 (this month)

Food: 0/240 (includes 2-3 months of store-cupboard foods/toiletries)
Tobacco: 0/40
Transport: 0/40
Recorded delivery pot: 0/10 (for F&F letters)
Car: 123.75/150.00 (road tax and renew license)
Savings: 0/60
Xmas gifts: 0/60
Charity: 0/3

Make 100 quid: 0/100

Let's do this!!! :j:j

NinjaSavingKat

cottage_retreatist wrote: »

* £3 of food will be donated to the local food bank.
Donated to Trussel Trust in September - am I OK to do my animal charity this month?

Try to make £100
I'm doing overtime - does that count? I'll also look into online surveys.

Yes and Yes!

thriftylass

Hello October!!

First check in for October. Today is an SFD. My budget are as follows (already spend some in September):


lunches 1/23
exersice 1/23
SFD 1/20
Make £100 1.95/100 (surveys)

so far I already spend for October

food 63/220 (it's a long month hence the 220, going away next weekend too so we'll prob spend a bit more on groceries there then if we'd be at home)
HH 115/120 (that was nappies, a rake and a whirligig, couldn't resist to finally have fresh smelling clothing again after not being able to dry them outside for a year. But shouldn't (can't) really have any more spends here.

Also put £150 each into savings for xmas (presents and food) and the MOT/service. I also kept £80 in the contingency account as we got three kids birthdays and a halloween party.

Tonight OH is at the Celtic game so I won't need to cook tea for us but I might make a big chilli anyway while the paint is drying and stick it in the freezer. Tomorrow DS has his 28 month check up and I can get the car, so I think I head down to Matalan as they have a massive choice of cheap costumes. DS has got two Halloween/birthday parties this month. Will buy a bit bigger and maybe he'll wear it again next year. Last year a made him a pirate costume but the cat peed on it in the box it was and then it shrunk in the wash. Not got any materials in the house to make a new one so I think £8 is ok.

P.S. xJOJOx, still intrigued how you manage for 5 people with only £20 in grocery budget in terms of fresh fruit, veg, milk etc unless it was a typo Please share your tips

rosiecheeksblossom

Hello everyone,

Well Ive been awol for a couple of months and hmmm may have spent a bit too much here and there - new bathroom and a holiday!! So hope to be back with avengance this month.

Aim for 20 SFD
Pay off debt first. Im currently overpaying on my mortgage and will to have it all paid by the end of 2014 . I have a CC that the 0% runs out in Feb so that will be paid off. Then there is my loan which finishes march '17. However once mort and cc done, will start hacking at the loan.....
You will create a spreadsheet and budget EVERYTHING.
Get a small spend diary these 2 are done together in diary
Set your food budget now then reduce it by £20. £100 down to £80
Clear out your cupboards of food before buying more.
Out of your allowance £3 of food will be donated to the local food bank.
Budget for outings, out for tea this thursday and then nothing much else for the rest of the month. My work life gets in the way of too much fun.... and I do the off duty!!!
No eating out, budgeted for thurs
Bring your lunch to work everyday. its done!
Choose a DFD - a Debt Free Date! see above
Use up all your beauty products BEFORE getting any more. Still got 5 bottles of shower gel, may just need moisturiser...
Make an extra £100 this month. got loads to get rid of....and must get some bank shifts booked.:o

Anyway today should be SFD no 1 and I hope everyone has a marvellous day.