Just Say NOvember 2013!!!

LoveaDove

PS. Siousxie - I love that you bopped the thief on the head with your brollie!! Good Show!!

Kerfuffle

Hi everybody,

So pleased to see so many people popping in every day. I've missed posting for a few days, but I have been reading.

I've only had one spend day since my last post, and I fell off the wagon and bought 4 wants ( a dvd, a dress, leggings and a Christmas ornament) so these have gone down as Misc Spends.

Scores on the doors are:-

Food 145.49 / 187.50 77.59%
Petrol 96.25 / 225.00 42.77%
Local food bank 0 / 3.00
Hair 0 / 62.50
Works Xmas Party 0 / 3.25 (Raffle contribution - goes to local charity)
Dentist 18.75 / 18.75 (Had my appointment and no costs were incurred so 12.50 has gone to a gift contribution and 6.25 has gone into the Mortgage OP Pot.)

Total 260.49 / 500.00 GBP 52.10%

SFD 12 / 25
Declutter 4 / 20
Extra money earned/made 0 / 80.00
Misc Spends 39.54 / 0
Kilometres:
Start of challenge figure 93008 }
End of day 8 figure 93676 } driven 668km (417.50 miles)

As Friday is the half way mark through the month I'm a little concerned that my food budget is currently 77% spent already.
I don't seem to be making much headway with emptying the freezer so I know I have plenty to see me through the month. Oh well, keep on keeping on.

apple_muncher

[QUOTE=Siouxsie32;63775764__I_only_have_one_oil_filled_radiator_so_only_one_room_gets_heated_at_a_time.__I've_been_living_in_my_bedroom_for_the_last_few_days_as_it's_been_so_cold!!__I_must_buy_another_-_hopefully_there'll_be_enough_cash_left_at_the_end_of_the_month_for_me_to_buy_one.__Sometimes_when_you_buy_cheap,_if_it's_not_right_it's_a_false_economy.__Can_anyone_recommend_one?__I_like_the_oil_filled_ones_(my_bedroom's_nice_and_toasty_just_now_with_my_current_one!).[/QUOTE]

Siouxsie32
Maybe look on your local freecycle/freegle for an oil filled radiator as people sometimes give them away. If you're already part of the group, you could post a 'wanted' for one.

PurpleJay

Morning, just a quick update before getting M up for school as I didn't get chance last night.

Yesterday turned out to be a spend day I went to bank some charity cash and on the way back to the car I went in a clothes shop and came out with jeans and a top! I have been wanting/needing some jeans for ages... I sold my good ones on ebay about a year ago after I lost weight and have been mostly wearing leggings, very old jeans or hand me down jeans (which have been great but are getting a little worn now). Anyway, I haven't tried them on yet so if they fit, I will keep them and will wear them tonight - my night out for the month which is a meal with friends that I am really looking forward too.

Today, I am off to the city for my first mystery shopping job - a purchase I will be reimbursed for. Quite excited I have just printed out my directions, brief and the questionnaire so I know what I need to look for.

While there, I am going to treat myself to lunch out which is a bit naughty but I have £6 aside which should cover it. I also plan to do some Christmas shopping for mum and my best friend (all budgeted for). Hope I can find something nice. For mum, it will be BHS or M&S for a jumper or two but then I need something else too. She is hard to buy for as she is in a care home and has dementia so can't really do anything these days. I will take flowers on the day and often give photos, so I might look for a nice frame or small album.

Will try not to go mad while in the presence of shops!

Have a great Friday peeps x

katrss7

Just one SFD for last couple of days as had to get some shopping. Ordered as usual on Tescimos for delivery but they messed up order so actually only paid £20 for a £40 shop. Not sure what happened and only missing one big item so I'm happy. Forgot the milk though! So still on fruit tea and porridge made with water. I get to drink tea with milk at work though so not the end of the world.
Also had some rebates totalling £120+ from overpaid bills so should be able to clear monthly credit card, overdraft and make additional payments to loan this coming month. Feeling a lot more positive now things are looking more achievable and starting to pay off debt noticeably. Thanks to NSK and all posters for keeping me motivated - I hope it works for you too. X

MrsGSR

Morning!
Have to go to market to get some fruit but otherwise no spending for me today. Also my new vaccum cleaner arrives today so thats very exciting and I can't wait to use it.
Managed work ok last night although did ache when I got home. Will be going in again tonight and will be doing 3 hours OT on Sunday.

rumblytum

Good Morning,

Another SFD yesterday - phew!

So:

Here's my report for Day 13:

8/25 SFD
10/21 lunch
£5 squirreled away in purse - yeah, this has gone now to DD's train fares to college, but I don't think I'll need it anyway
Petrol - 70.65/150.00
Food - 90.27/250.00 - doing a shop today, so this will go up
Misc. - 0/50.00
Christmas shopping - 0/40.00
Car maintenance - 91.05/50.00
Toiletries - 7.74/£10
Transferred £3 to Trussell Trust
Donated 2 things to charity shop
Extra income - 12.43

Still to do:
donate 18 things from house
list things on ebay to make some money

Happy Friday

rumbly x

NinjaSavingKat

Good Morning one and all!!!

Siouxsie32 wrote: »

Plus I seem to have spent most of my food budget. I'll update once I have an accurate account of my spends.

This resonated with me quite strongly this morning and I was going to ask Siouxsie on the quiet if her tranistion to a Vegan life was costing her more. I had my spend day yesterday despite planning it for every Friday. There is nothing worse that trudging home from work on Fridays to go straight to the supermarkets and lug it all home - then possibly out again depending on my loyalites that day ( nuts, celery, cucumber, broccoli, onions and most everything in Lidls is cheaper and nicer that anywhere else. I find value brand vegetables extemely bland)...

So yesterday was the loss of £30.94 at Morrisons. I fell fowl of the beauty budget as well and bought hair dye to combat my greys ( I think I might buy this in bulk when it's on offer in future ) and a cheap nasty toothbrush that really hurt my teeth this morning because my Oral B electronic head broke and I can't buy another one right now...

So I have kept my remaining cash and put the entire amount on my CC. I know it can be covered next month but it still annoys me. I am shocked just how much eating healthy is costing me - although I assume the purchase of some items may have added to the lump a lot and wouldn't be bought every month like tofu at £2 a go that only lasts 2-3 meals or 2 main meal accompaniments as my beloved quorn is not vegan ...(vegan boullion, pomegranate syrup, toasted sesame oil, panko, sun dried tomatoe paste, chipotle paste etc)... so this cost will be different next month - but I wish I had thought it out a little bit better..

But I got some yellow sticker bargains though...
apsparagus tips for 27p x 3 packets ,
10 plums for 19p,
a punnet of grapes for 19p .. the rest was fruit and vegetables, a £2 organic cauliflower cause it was British (:o), 12 bananas, little oraanges, a sweet potatoe, and that block of tofu for £2... so nothing unusual, nothing out of the ordinary but it added up to about £24 of food...:eek::eek::eek:...

So there you go - my confession for the day!

I am rearranging all my expenditure for December and have been staring at my spreadsheet like you guys have. I am able to pay off the debt entirely and with the surplus I have £500 for a house deposit... with £100 to spend at home for Christmas I have £140 remaining... £30.94 of that now goes to my CC along with the other £130...

I am going to reign it in. I don't like it when expenditure goes over into the next month never mind the second month - so come January 01st 2014 everything will be at £0....(except hopefully my current account...:rotfl:)..

So there you go.....it's worse when you have to sit on your own constructed naughty step....:)

I am not sure who asked about my work life but honestly sometimes I wonder how I manage it. It's depressing on a Sunday when you don't have to go to work but you feel guilty for not asking for overtime. So I always ask for it, if i don't get it then I can rest easy.. if I do get it I justify it by saying that it might not be there next month - it always it there to be had. It's been 6.5 years. It's a catch, easy money and difficult for people to say no....... like me....

But I always have a goal - on my darkest shifts when I am tired, would rather have a boyfriend who would refuse to let me out to OT just this once ( and offer to plan a fun day instead and understand that the day needs to "count" and be filled so I feel able to justify not taking OT and realise I can't just sit at home....) I realise WHY I am doing this to myself. I can't do it without a goal - I have to know why I am there at midnight on a cold November day knowing full well I will face death on black iced roads the next day just to get home to bed....

So far I have paid for the following in cash..

1. £4600 worth of hair treatment. Stress made my hair stop growing.
2. £800 or thereabouts to go to Switzerland with my Mum
3. £3800 the following year to pay for everything for my Mum and Dad to go back to Switzerland with me and my brother.
4. £5000-£6000 to pay for a 1 month trip on the Tran-Siberian(Manchurian) railway starting in London and ending in Beijing - with a stop off or visit to Belgium, Germany, Poland, Moscow, St Petersburg, Tomsk and Irkutsk in Siberia, Ulaan Baator in Mongolia and China. On my own.
5. And now debt freedom.
6. Next year the first leg of a 5 year travel plan to see every part of the world possible.........

So it comes with a burden. I have few close friends, I am single and it has caused issues before with boyfriends ( when I wasn't handling money so well as now I couldn't stop even if I wanted too...) and when friends stop asking you to do things with them at the weekend or you "don't see the point when it's worth £250 at work"...(although not any more as the goal posts are changing).

So there you go. And going vegan was a way to conbat the excessive almost chronic exhaustion I know I have seeping through my pores... I wasn't eating right and it was affecting my body. It's why I am almost sure my internal stress factor rises when I am not learning or doing something and why my hair stopped growing.... I know I need to relax I am just not sure I know how....:rotfl:.. but I know travelling it going to make me take life slower......whether I want to or not!

thriftylass

Today shall be SFD number 13 (over halfway :j). We will be in town today straight after work as OH is part of the christmas light switch on procession. I told OH last night what my plan was for tea (the ribs with onion rings, chips, spicy chicken wings etc) and he said he had initially planned to grab sth in town once we're all done but we better come straight home now as everyone will have the same idea, town will be packed and we got a lovely tea waiting for us. Result . Was tempted to bring my wallet today, just in case, but didn't, I don't need anything. If OH wants some beers for tonight he can pay them. Really fancy a treat too, but we still have two weeks to go and the car goes in for it's MOT and service next week (only got £200 left in the car account and not sure if the oil guzzling will be expensive to repair) so better not. I feel really positive this month and want to end the month on a high rather than as usual admitting defeat a week before the end.

Thanks to everybody and Kat this month has been especially brilliant in terms of support and motivation.

shyspender

Mid Month Scores on the Doors

Food £71.92*/£150
Entertainment £1/£80
Foodbank £3/£3
Petrol £0/£80
Clothes £0/£20
Medical £0/£20
SFD 13/25
Packed Lunch 11/21
Declutter 7/20
Make Money £0/£80
DEBT FREE DATE 27/06/2014

Spend Free Day number 13. Would have been 14 but I still feel good that I've only had two so far, one planned and one making the best of the situation.

My food total is asterisked because I'm pretty sure my spend was £1.14, it's kind of ingrained in my memory because I resent having to pay it, but I'm not totally sure and my wallet as always has been left at home.

I decided to put my parking fee from the other day in my entertainment budget, because I did call in for a quick catch up with my best friend, which was very entertaining....see what i did there? :rotfl:

I've updated my credit card amount and type in my signature. Got my new card yesterday, which has already been locked away. I went onto the snowball calculator earlier. If I can pay £250 per month to it, my debt will be cleared by Dec 2014. However, as you can all see in my signature, my debt free day is June 2014. Admittedly this was a date just plucked out of thin air, but in two months of doing Kat's challenge, I have put £700 to my credit card. £350 per month would make that date August 2014, still not good enough! £450 is the figure I need to aim for each month to reach my DFD. WOW!

Still working on the decluttering, I know I have the items I just need to get them out. Most of my stuff is in storage, and was decluttered before going in but the last vestiges of my clutterdom are my double wardrobes, so they will be attacked.

As for the earnings, I know I have £20 something coming, but will not add it to the total until I have the check. I also have some canadian dollars that I think I can change back, I need to check the minimum. I have some inconvenience pay to come too and I think a fairly decent old mobile hidden away. This should bring me to the £80 total.

My one outing is this weekend. I'm not actually going out out, so have no plans to spend, but I am going away to a 'friends' for the weekend. My ticket came out of my holiday budget, so it should hopefully just be the taxi fare to and from the station that I have to pay. Decided that taxi was best because I will be late back Sunday and it will be cold, and I will be tired and sleepy, better to be safe than sorry. If I do need to spend over the weekend, this will be out of my entertainment budget and if it isn't there, it won't happen!

Everyone is doing really well this month and even if I don't get on to post every day I do my best to read and keep up with how everyone is doing.