Old Style * ~ 20 ~ * Week Challenge

Bambywamby

Inspired by some Debt Free Wannabe posts
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=439977

(thanks folks x x )


I would like to start a 20 Week challenge of goals that we would like to achieve in the next twenty weeks and use this forum for motivation and updates.
I chose Old Style because I think most goals that we have will be old style based in on way or another or can be achieved old style...and I kinda love this lifestyle too.

For example

Want to lose weight? Eat healthly and exercise as cheaply as possible.
Make home made soups with lots of in season veggies, replace some meat dishes with pulses, don't fry food and walk to work rather than drive, use objects around the house to lift like weights, dance to records in your bedroom, get free toning exercises from fitness sites off the internet rather than joining the gym or joining weight loss classes.

Want to spend more time with the family etc? use board game evenings, long country walks,or walks in the town spotting historical features and buildings, go to your local free museums, have family quiz nights, or spooky story nights etc rather than spending money on the cinema or adventure theme parks etc

Want to try and be less of a stress head? learn to relax using hot baths, free yoga workouts off the internet, reading books from the library while snuggled up with a up of hot coffee etc rather than buying tons of chocolate to binge on, smoking ciggies or drinking loads of booze.

Want better hair/skin/nails? eat a healthy veg & fruit packed diet, drink lots of water and use a basic beauty routine (massaging vaselene into nails everynight, taking makeup off every night, using a moisturiser every day and protecting skin from the sun, leaving conditioner on hair for an extra 30 mins for an indepth condition etc) rather forking out for expensive facials, manicures, hair cuts etc

You get the idea, whatever you want to achieve...anything goes.

The 20 week challenge will start from tomorrow...which will take us up to Tuesday 13th November. Hopefully that will give people time to think about their goals.

So when you're ready...add your goals to this post and how you intend to achieve them

Good luck X X

Bambywamby

My goals are...

The biggie lose 3 stone in 20 weeks. :eek:

I intend to do this by

*Not eating fried food or junk food* thats no crisps, sweets, chocolates, biccys etc and lots of home cooking. (OS)

*Cutting right down on sugar consumption* as I know I get sugar cravings.

*Eating 5 portions of fruit & veg* Every day.

*Drinking at least 6 large glasses of water per day* Apparently water aids the liver in metabolising fat more efficiently. (OS cheaper than any other drink)

*Exercising for a minimum of 30 minutes every day* This can be walking, dancing, cycling, badminton, lifting weights, doing exercise dvds/videos etc* (OS)


STOP stressing so much about things I can't do anything about.

To do this I intend to -

*Journal my thoughts and feelings. So I can see how out of proportion my anxiety can be*

*Use stress relieving techniques to help myself relax more - power napping, exercise, yoga DVD, hot bath, relaxing listening to classical music CD, surfing MSE of course*

*Keep myself busy being productive when I am having a "worryful" day, rather than focus on the object of my stress. (Usually my teenage son)*

Change my job.

I intend to do this by

*Reading the local newspaper every evening (online of course) and applying for any jobs that suit* (OS)

*Check online job sites every day* (OS)

Pass my driving test.

I intend to do this by

*Taking driving lessons - one per week - (buying group lessons so they are cheaper) and aiming to earn £22 per week on Ebay to cover the cost of each lesson. * (OS)


And they are my 4 goals for the next 20 weeks :T

hazzie123

I`d like to see the following changes by the end of the next 20 weeks;

Remain smoke free:A

Booked my ADI Therory test and possibably sat it and passed,must restart my studying.:rolleyes:

Sold my house and payed ALL my debts off.:j Find somewhere else to live would help too!


Manage my weekly budget better so I can start saving and putting something away towards a pension:eek:


Do more cheap but very exciting meals,instead of the same ones all the time.


Learn to sew,more than just a button on.


Finally wear the traners I bought over a year ago in America instead of them collecting dust under my bed.(Not very moneysaving but my old ones are just too comfeeee)


Try to get to grips with microfibre cloths,not a big fan of them but I`ve bought them and aint gunna bin them.


Ebay at least one item every Wednesday,in a bid to stop hoarding junk.:o

And last but not least;

Get off my fat bum and do something constructive everyday to make life that little bit more enjoyable,healthier,greener and easier.:j

MRSMCAWBER

Ooooohhhh This Idea Appeals To Me:j

I just sat down to have a break and spotted this thread soooo lets think.. the removals are coming on friday and then we are off on jollies on the 10-24 july and then off to germany on the 25th:T ...so i will be starting with a nice new clean sheet:D

So lets think....things i would like to achieve within the next 20 weeks...

1. To lose some weight...im rather well upholstered and really need to lose some wobble:rotfl: :rotfl: ...so being sensible im going for 2 stones..well i have 2 weeks in Kefalonia in 12 days...so 2 stone is achievable
2. To not buy any more cookbooks..have counted 55 so far and thats not including all my cookery mags:o
3. To be more sociable... very used to my own company so apart from hubby and family im not one for mixing much... so i will endevour to smile at everyone i see....so if you see some mad lune grinning at you - it could be me:D ..just practicing
4. i really want to get a decent routine in place... this last couple of months have been chaos..sorting out, packing up etc so my usual routine has gone out the window..and i hate it....
5. to walk and fetch my shopping everyday...just enough for that days meals (planned of course )..when we move we are suposed to be close enough to town...so im going to get one of those rather funky whicker shopping baskets on wheels:cool: ..well i will be in Germany so i want look quite so odd..and it will stop me stock piling food as though there is gonna be a seige:o ..and it will help me get my lazy bum moving- i have 2 stone to shift dont forget;)

I think thats enough for now...mind im sure i will come up with many more:T

I will probably spot some more ideas on this thread and pinch em!!!

Just thought...
i promise to get my pasta machine,sausage machine oh and steamer out as soon as i get to Germany...

I have a pasta machine that is like a big mixer but it has dough cutters that you fit in and then you pull a lever and the dough is forced through..like a playdough machine for grown ups:T

A mincer/sausage machine and the sausages are to die for and hubby was very upset when i packed it away for moving..

And i have one of those new vita cuisine steamer jobbies...that hasnt been out of its box yet:o ..but i got these before joining this site..honest:D

so i will get them out and then i have no excuse for buying anything ready made.....
told you id think of more:j

Peem

Wow. Sounds like something that might help me stay on track.

I won't have too many goals - find that if I overload myself I panic and stop doing anything.

1. Start running again. I love it when I do it, it's just hard getting time away from the kids. It can be done. In 20 weeks I will be able to run for 30 mins constantly.
2. Lose weight. I'm going for 1 1/2 stone. Things have been creeping up again since Christmas (when I last managed to lose weight). I want to do it slow and steady this time so hopefully things will stay off. (Queenie, keep those Jam Crumblies away from me - food of the devil!)
3. Keep the housework up to date. I'll think about how I'm going to do this one - think I need a sort of "flylady lite" plan.
4. Buy no books! I have enough - and I have a library 5 mins from my house. I have no excuse!

Well - what have I let myself in for?

Bambywamby

Well come on board folks. Good luck with your goals x x

I went on my hols to Germany last year MrsMCawber...you lucky duck going to live there.
I found the people lovely, the scenery stunning and the food was bloody gorgeous.
No wonder I need to lose 3 stone lol.

X X

MRSMCAWBER

Hi bambywamby thanks for that

I need to lose more than that before i even get there:rotfl: :rotfl:

I got to spend 1 year in Hohne before, but this time we are off for 3 years..possibly 5:T .... i adore the place... and as my hubby is a squaddie the financial benefits are great....an extra allowance of about £200 a month..no car tax..no TV liecence..and petrol tax free, and thats before we get to the shopping being sooo much cheaper...thats why i intend saving like a woman possessed whilst we are out there..and i can still visit the wonderfull board too:j

gerretl

Interesting one this.
1) Pass the insurance course I am doing at work.
2) Make an entire meal with what I find in my garden (including foxes)
3) Add £1000 to the kitty of money I owe my mum and dad for the money they lent to buy my fanastic house.
4) Follow the maxim that happiness is "cultivating new friendships, and maintaining old ones"
There probably more, but I may need to add to this one.

nodwah

I like the sound of this esp ecially as the finish date is the day after my birthday!

SO to start off i will put £1 a week into my piggy bank and I can take it out on my birthday and spend it without guilt.

How about losing a stone by getting to the gym at least twice a week and trying not to eat sweeties And eating 5 fruits + veg a day?

Also continue decluttering the house

Try to study for my work course at least 1 hour 5 days a week ( and when i'm studying stop getting sidetracked by MSE - like now!)

Simba_25

This sounds ideal! I just hope i can keep the motivation up....thats the bit i struggle with, i get bored too easy!

1... Lose Weight! Seams there are a lot of us needing this one lol In total i need to lose about 4 stone...this isnt going to happen is 20 weeks so i will go for a stone...any more is a bonus.

2... Limit my pc use to 3 hours a day....i spend far too much time on here

3... Cook from scratch more... i do really good for about a week then i lose interest. I always feel i havn't the time to spend in the kitchen, when really thats just an excuse! Also need to batch cook!! I throw far too much away.

4... Keep up with flylady... i figure if i do level 1 for 2 weeks, then 2 for 3 weeks the rest i can go to level 3 and my house will be spotless by the end!

5... Save £10 a week, every week! At the moment i go to bongo about 2/3 times a week and must easily spend £60/70 a week on it :eek: This has got to stop!! I will go 1 night a week and limit myself to £20...i will then save £10...more if i can.

Right that is my 5 that i will stick too.....i figure doing it for 20 weeks will turn each of them into a habit that i will hopefully continue with afterwards too..... iwill then chose 5 more things for the next 20 weeks.

Can someone pleaseee give me a kick up the bum if i start slacking lol

Bambywamby

Most of my goals are getting off to a flying start today.

Well losing 3 stone got off to a great start... my wisdom tooth cracked in half today so I am having to eat soup and fruit smoothies until I can get to the dentist. Quite OS as I am using all the past it veggies for my soup and over ripe bananas for my smoothie.

Weighed in today...Im 13st 10 :eek:

So I am aiming for 10st 10 by November 13th...optimistic I know lol.

I was going to book my driving lessons today but everything has shut up shop today in Yorkshire due to the terrible floods. So I have noted in my diary to book the lesosons early next week.

I have applied for a new job online today as a admissions clerk at a local mother and babies hopsital awwwwww fingers crossed there.
OS there because it didn't cost me a stamp to post the application. Gotta love the internet.

And to ease the stress of a long day, I am having a lovely hot bubbly bath (free sample from Origins) later before retiring to watch Big Brother in bed.

Hope you all managed to get started with some of your goals today.

Have a nice evening Bams x x