NSK; "The Janus Illusion".

Calling14

Well strange start to year here as well, went to walk my dog and found a very old labrador outside my house, no collar. Then he kept lying down exhausted by then flooding down, put in my porch and after 2 1/2 hrs found the owner, who had been up crying all night. So happy tale and I got chocolates, seeing been to ill over xmas munching away now.

So today Sfd 1/20
Food budget 0/110slightly higher this month. As having not much food in, all my freezer space is taken up by lodgers( their food, honest haven't frozen any longer yet)
Petrol 0/35 longer month?
Beauty 0/10
Outings 0/50 well few nights out with daughter as won't see her for 14 mths.
Brand switching perhaps we could recommend any good items. I always use washing powders Sainsburys basics, Morrisons they been great.

Hopefully everyone had a great New Year(glad Clippy_girl didn't walk home alone). Good luck with the challenge everyone

Learning2Budget

SFD 1/20. Didn't achieve my exercise, cos I didn't want to go out in the rain with tonsilitis and an ear infection. Hadn't looked out the window when I pledged this morning. Aiming to do some exercise tomorrow. L2B.x

angelicious

Happy New Year everyone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So exceited to get started on a new year of challenges. Has started well with my 1st NSD, haven't been out the door today so it's been really easy lol. Will update signature later.

Suziebabe

Hello! Raring to go today, here's my submission for the Challenge:

SFDs: 0/20 - not today as I need to pay for an eBay bid I won last night (a large Bramley Apple tree to go towards our self-sufficient dream, won for £10 and a bargain for a 6ft tree)
Food budget: £30/£200 - shopped yesterday for the rest of the week so am counting it towards my total. For 2 adults and a bottomless teenager, and freezers full of meat.
Petrol: £60, usually £100 so will be dusting off my walking boots
Downshift: 0/5 - we're pretty good on this already, but will challenge on next shop to drop down.
Lunch: already cooking up veg pots for half the month, next weekend will add to it with big batch of chilli, then top up with salads. £5 in purse
Outings: one weekend visit to family £40, 2 other outings, but only to each other's houses so should be free.
Food bank: need to find local drop off point, will do before the weekend
Exercise: already walk the dog everyday, will dust off the Wii fit and do 3 x 20 minutes a week
Debt Free Date: added to signature, based on current repayments, I'm aiming to bring that in to May 2016 with eBay sales/OHs overtime.
Beauty spends: have a £10 voucher and that'll be enough.
Alcohol: am giving up for the whole year! May have to go into a pub for work, but no alcohol, nosiree not me.
Pay Towards Your Debt First: £99 extra paid to CC already, am hoping to add to it with eBay/Amazon sales through the month as they come in.

Ready to rumble !!!:T:T

RainbowBridgeReturns

Hi there,


Day 1 and I have been very focussed, long may it continue!


I was debt free, about three months ago, but due to bad planning for a Christmas break and a lot of expenditure caring for a sick relative, I have clocked up £668.47 of debt and I need to reverse this spendy trend that I have cycled into which has also coincided with an increase in food and alcohol consumption.


This challenge is perfect for me, so thank you NinjaSavingKat for all the inspiration and hard work that you are putting in to make it a reality.


I have spent £142.00 of my food budget already, on two Sainsbury's online shops, but it has been very carefully thought out.


Using two £15.00 off a £60.00 spend vouchers, menu plans based around offers and as much basic brands as I could find, and free delivery, I have saved £72.17 and I have food for 16 days and all my basic supplies (toilet paper, washing powder etc stocked up).


It has taken me a few hours to work through it all, but I am so pleased that I invested the time.


Keep up the great work everyone!!

NinjaSavingKat

OOOOOH got £3 off my next Tesco shop of £20 plus a £1 off voucher! The fun just keeps going!

Superdopsa

Happy New Year everyone!


I have started off with a spendy day today - £7.83 on food and £16.07 on petrol.


My budgets for the month are as follows -


Food - £124 (31 days x £4) - I am hoping to reduce this budget in future months.
Travel - £96.20 - consisting of £35 for petrol, £15 to top up my 'tag' for bridge crossings (which I only use at most once a week so this will last a fair few months), £46.20 for bus fares - working on the worse case scenario that the weather is so bad I end up catching the bus to and from work every day for January (back to work tomorrow). I am hoping the rain eases off a bit so I can walk to work in the dry.
Beauty - £10 for a hair cut - which may or may not happen this month. If it is not this month it will be next. Any other essentials I need I can get from Boots with vouchers, or Wilko as I have about £20 left on Love2Shop voucher.
Social outings - £60. This is based on the scenario that I pay for the meal when I next go out with my dad, meet up with a friend who I haven't seen for a long time, and go out for a colleague's birthday. The 2nd 2 may not happen, but I have set aside money for them just in case they do.
My fitness starts tomorrow - I have signed up for a half marathon at the end of April so that is incentive enough for me to get out and start pounding the pavements again.
I will not be buying any alcohol this month, as have plenty in the house, and will try not to drink any.
I will take lunch to work every day.
I will donate at least £3 to the local foodbank - either by putting food in the box at work, or putting it in the box at Sainsburys.
Misc fund - I have set this at £90 this month. It is so high mainly due to me having to go to the dentist next week for a filling. Other spends in this budget are - craft club, tea boat, lotto syndicate, new pair of wellies. The rest I have as a 'contingency' fund.
I already use a lot of own brand food, but will try to downshift where I can.


Well I think that it is it! I will log on to my bank account tomorrow to find out how much I owe on my loan. I would like my DFD to be 30.6.14, but will update more tomorrow.


Have a good Thursday everyone!

EyesWideOpen

Thanks for the great opening NSK, very interesting and motivational!

I've not got a complete overview of all CC debt as some has gone on CC over Christmas. I will reconcile once back home. However, details from before Christmas stands at 5260 :mad: as reflected in signature. This is unsecured, so not including mortgage or student loan. Debt free date is set to 31.12.14 but hope to bring it forward by a couple of months. Okay the rest of my Jan plan is summed up below:

SFDs 1/20
Food 0/300
Petrol 0/250
Outings 0/10
Exercise 1/15

Looking forward to sharing the min with you all

DanielleNic87

Thanks for adding me.

Pledging:


1/20 SFD
£0/£90 food budget
£0/£30 entertainment budget
£0/£40 travel budget.
No exercise for me.


Ok so started off the challenge with my 1st SFD. Went to the parents for tea and they sent me home with lunch for tomorrow.


The only entertainment planned for this month is a trip to the theatre (hubby paid for tickets) and our monthly girly meal ( we decide on restaurant after we have searched for vouchers.


I'm also going to my dads at the end of the month but we never pay a penny.


Currently on crutches so exercise is a no go at the moment.

PurpleJay

Hello Lovely People and Happy New Year!

New budgets are as follows:-

Food/groceries - £120. This is low for us but I have loads in the cupboards and lots of fresh veg having just done an online shop on 30th Dec. I won't need cleaning products this month and have laundry products which will last until March!

Pets - £30 (for 1 cat and 3 rats). We have about enough for 2 weeks at least. The budget includes food, bedding and litter.

Fuel - £120.

Toiletries -£10. I need shampoo and maybe toothpaste.. And hairspray. Should be plenty.

Food bank - £3. No problem. There is a box in the local Tesco Express and also in reception at work :-)

Alcohol - £0. No problem. Plenty in from Xmas. In addition to the whiskey (hardly touched) and vodka (1/2 ltr left) which I bought, my BIL bought me some vodka and hubby some whiskey, and I got hubby some tequila. Shouldn't need any spirits until after Easter! We have 4 cans and 8 bottles of wine too! I went a bit mad prior to Christmas and we haven't drank that much.

Outings - I have one meal out planned for which I will budget £30. Hopefully it will cost less but I may need a taxi home. Will stay away from cafes and coffee shops.

Lunches - will take lunch on my work days. I have out £3 in my drawer at work in case I forget although I usually have things like cup a soup, porridge or noodles in my drawer just in case.

SFD - will aim for the 20...

Today wasn't a SFD though... Confession time ... I have booked a holiday today! I am taking my son to Disneyland Paris in Feb 2015!!! Soooo excited :j I had been looking to go in June this year as M has a couple of inset days together but it wasn't really affordable and not enough time to save up. Anyway I looked at Feb half term 2015 and with the early booking discount and under 12s being free it was less than half the price of June 2014!!! I put it on the credit card

Sooooo I think my credit card bill will be about £940 when it comes in Jan. I will amend my sig when I know for sure. I have applied and been accepted for a Nationwide card with 0% and am waiting for the card to arrive. I will do a balance transfer to this card when I get my bill. I plan to pay this off in 2014 as well as paying for flights to Paris when they are released, cheapo uk holiday and camping this year and paying for all big expenses as they crop up. I have a plan so now just gotta stick to it. Hope to raise extra funds by eBaying and Avon. If I get chance at extra hours at work (could go either way) I will be jumping at it.

Good luck with the challenge guys and thanks NSK for the motivation xxx