Just Say NOvember 2013!!!

LoveaDove

kangadoo - I work from home half the week and work with only one other person on the other days. I know *exactly* what you mean about trying not to drive yourself mental I talk to myself a lot (pretend I'm talking to the cats). I went from a job earlier in the year where I worked in a massive team to a stark contrast of a team of 2. Being a naturally sociable person it was a tough adjustment, now I have to make an extra effort to socialise. Whilst on the debt-free journey it is sometimes hard to convince others to do things as cheaply as possible when socialising, and it has really shown me who my good friends are. Some have been amazing and are always coming up with new activities for us to do with either no spends or very low spends.

TiptoesDB

his_missus wrote: »

JJL - I don't think I've ever managed to reach the SFD target and I'm not going to reach it again this month. In fact I don't manage to achieve every target each month but it doesn't stop me from participating. For me it's a guidance, that something at the back of my mind that says "Do you really need to buy/spend..?"

Kat can seem a bit scary but it's not like she comes round to your house at the end of each month and tells you off or kicks your bUm:rotfl:

Doesn't she? Phew, I can relax a bit now! :rotfl:

Loveadove – good to hear from you! Hope all’s well with you. I work from home / out on my own about half the week. I talk to the cat A LOT when I am at home. It’s taken quite a bit of adjustment for me as I used to be in a very close team too. I do like the mix I have now of solo and office work.

I agree with the chat on here tonight about just trying to make the target of 25, and not ‘failing’ if you don’t. The idea of SFD’s and trying to get the maximum you can really changed my spending habits – I was always popping to the supermarket for unnecessary bit and bobs or expensive one meal items because I hadn’t planned meals or didn’t know what was in the fridge/ freezer / cupboards. Or just getting a coffee on the run, or some snack or other without even thinking about the cost. It’s now all about forward planning and not spending unless necessary and these challenges sure work for me!

Thriftylass – those presents are fab! Aren’t you talented? Do you do requests?!

And crikey NSK if you did Avon, you’d sell off all their stock in a week – when you go for something you don’t do it by halves!

Another SFD here, total of 8 so far. Really desperate to have the only non interest free cc card paid off by the end of the year. There is £2,567 left on it, so we need to squeeze an awful lot out our incomings in Nov and Dec... I am so committed to it though. I have made DH text family today to suggest to certain people we don't exchange pressies this year - every little helps as they say!

Hope everyone that's having a down day is ok... nearly half way through the month peeps, and we're doing it! :T

thriftylass

TiptoesDB wrote: »

Thriftylass – those presents are fab! Aren’t you talented? Do you do requests?!

Thank you! Unfortunately, not. In between painting the kitchen, toddler, chores, pregnancy tiredness i struggle to even finish my lot, lol.

32b3in2013

Just popped in to see how well NSK is doing with debt busting.

AMAZING. one more month to go Kat??

:T:T:T:T:T:T

Fmess

Just checking in for today. Had a LSD as spent £5.25 topping up bread for OH and a few bits we needed.

Also I've preempted spending money tomorrow by buying emergency chocolate for tomorrow today, as I have a very stressful day ahead

Well done everyone for your efforts so far, I love the way this thread makes you reconsider your habits and readjust your money spending ways. I wish there was a dieting challenge like this too!

stewby

kangadoo wrote: »

I'm no maths whizz, but £400 in 15 days would equal £800 over 30, so you've dropped your spend by £600 a month! Amazing! :j

I'm also slightly obsessed with my budget spreadsheet, though. When does it cross the line into stalking? When I open it for the 15th time that day JUST TO CHECK even though nothing's changed?! :rotfl:

Oh no kangadoo, it wasn't that simple. I spend my £400 in 15 days and then my dad tuts and drip feeds me some more money until the end of the month. So I don't get double the money in 30 days.
:embarasse

Not to worry kangadoo. I don't have a spreadsheet but I seem to keep trying to figure out ways to play with my money but without spending any of it. It is almost obsessive.


Erm... it won't sound like much but today I handed my credit card back to my dad for "safe-keeping". I know it doesn't sound like a big step but it means I am now relying solely on my budget of £180 and I have no back-up.
:undecided

Hope everybody is having a lovely evening.
Hugs.

tennisfanatic

Another SFD today. Leftover mince for tea with a slightly sorry looking jacket potato and carrot.....turned out lovely. Planning to do foodbank donation on next shopping day which is planned for friday.

SFD 7/25
Lunch to work 7/18
Food £46.93/£100
Foodbank £0/£3
Moneymade £0.42/£80

PurpleJay

Hiya

Well it was a spend day for me in the end. Had to go to the PO to post parcels and decided to try and get M some trainers in town as he is desperate for some for school and we have been struggling to find some to fit. On a positive note, our local Clarkes shop have a loyalty scheme where they record every pair of shoes you buy and after about 10 pairs they do an average and you get a contribution towards your next pair. This meant that the trainers which should have cost £32 only cost me £5.20 :j

Had to pay to park which meant a trip to the co-op and a top up shop to claim back the parking fee. I only needed to spend £5 though and spent £11. Not to bad though and a few yellow sticker items and reduced things at that. I actually forgot to buy milk so OH had to pop to the T express. He didn't buy anything else though.

Also called at Birds... for cakes for the boys. Never cheap in there but a bit of a treat.

So not to bad all in all and the boy is very happy with his trainers

Collected in 3 Avon orders today so all good. As for the red/black mascara - I have one and have sold quite a few but haven't tried it yet. I will do so and let you have my verdict!

Me and the boy are reading Harry Potter 5 (The Order of the Phoenix) and have read loads tonight. Just 3 chapters from the end now!

Just having a glass of red and then off to bed myself. Some of my Amazon Christmas pressie parcels have arrived today which is always exciting.

Tomorrow, I can't see a reason to spend so fingers crossed for a SFD. Still need to get fuel - think I am running on fumes now as been to work and back with yellow light on - but fuel is allowed

PJ x

Liliyanna

Evening all,

Hope everyone is ticking along nicely.

Had a bit of a mini LBM recently....You know when you have a moment when you catch yourself doing something and realise how much you've improved. I've always been fussy when it comes to toothpaste and had several barely used tubes abandoned in the bathroom cabinet as on first use I didn't like the taste. I came to get a new tube this week and realised I'd used all of the abandoned tubes!! I was really quite proud of myself

Having a planned spend day tomorrow so have spent the evening on mysupermarket making my shopping lists. I'm attempting the downshift challenge this shop, we certainly don't buy top of the range for anything but this time I'm going to substitute with a lot of Mr Cohen's everyday saver range. The OH is doing some nightshift overtime so I'm hoping they don't realise any of this so won't prejudge the food before eating it, wish me luck!!

Am still in budget for everything so far and have only had one spend day since the challenge started, I think I might be finally breaking the psychological need to shop. Does anyone else find they often shop just to make themselves feel better rather than a real need for the items bought?

Haven't started the bulk of the Christmas shopping yet so should really start to focus on that, hey ho it never ends

Score on the doors...

SFD…………….………….11/25
Food........................£68/£150
Petrol.......................£110/£160
Entertainment...........£68/£100
Food Bank………...…..£0/£3
Going Out…………..……0/1
Lunch to Work…….……8/18
20 Item Declutter.……….0/20
Make £80………………£100/£80 (Overtime)



Sleep tight fellow MSE'ers

Lily x x

stewby

I quite often feel like that lilyanna. Whenever I feel rotten, I go shopping and I buy... wait for it... skinny person's clothes.
:doh:

I have every intention of losing weight and fitting into all these wonderful clothes (without bumps showing everywhere) but why I have collected two suitcases worth over the past five years I have no idea.


Diet is starting after disneyland... it's not like I can afford chocolate anymore anyway.