NST November: battening down the hatches!
speakingofart
Forumite 375 Posts
Imagine being all alone on a vast ocean. The only sight other than the water and sky is the enemy’s ship coming towards you and running out their cannon…. In preparation for the attack, you batten down the hatches of your ship to protect you from the cannon balls.
Debt busting can feel like being all alone on a vast ocean, but our Armada of ninja saving turtles will work together to pull in our heads and legs and batten down the hatches in preparation for some serious debt busting before the merriment of December!
This month is all about deciding what your priorities are and budgeting accordingly. NO impulse buys, NO £5 coffees or Christmas tat. This is particularly applicable if flashing lights, sequins or canned music is involved. JUST SAY NO.
Many of us have come a long way, but still have a long way to go. This month is all about stepping apart from the pressure to spend, spend, spend and re-evaluating our priorities. In addition to our usual debt-busting activities, can you review your monthly bills – can you get a better deal? What do you fritter money away on? How can you conserve energy and heat during the winter? Can you reduce the cost of Christmas/ your winter holiday of choice, by doing a secret santa or limiting spending on presents? Going out for a nice meal with a group of friends can be both cheaper than buying them all presents, and better than getting 6 toiletry sets.
Rules for the challenge are below (usual caveat about not reposting the challenge, to avoid the thread getting too long). There will also be weekly mini challenges, continuing the nautical theme.
Rules of the challenge:
1. Set ALL your budgets at the beginning of the month. This includes any Christmas presents you want to buy this month! No going over, so choose wisely and really think about how you are allocating your money. The challenge will run from 00:01 1st November to 23:59 on the 30th. Make sure you have budgeted your needs for the whole month now.
2. Pay towards your debt first. No exceptions. If you are debt free, put aside some money for savings first.
3. 15 No Spend Days – this means you can spend every other day. If you want to really stretch yourself, aim for 20. As usual, yellow stickers/ direct debits/ prescriptions are excused.
4. £5 in donations or tins to your local food bank. Christmas is a hungry time for many, and food banks will be especially grateful for donations as the weather gets colder.
5. Choose TWO outings for the month and put these in your budget. Mine are going to be having a friend to stay for the night and a trip to a castle. Choose wisely; don’t fall into the trap of planning 100 Christmas events, all of which require money. Can you be creative and find cheap/ free ways to meet up with friends?
6. Take your lunch to work every day. Bonus points if you can make soup/ interesting lunches to keep you going. On the same note, NO vending machines/ fancy coffee during November. You will have more than enough in December.
7. Set a goal to increase your movement levels this month. This can be going for an extra run if you are fit after all that tri-athloning, or a walk in your lunch break. Even getting off the bus one step early counts! For those looking for extra challenge, can you try a completely new type of fitness?
8. Budget £10 less for food than you did this month. You can achieve this by batch cooking, buying yellow stickered food, shopping the late deals… then put that £10 towards your debt or savings goals.
9. Finally, this month, set yourself a personal challenge. This can be anything you like, but cannot be debt related. You are a person of incredible value, and there is more to your life than debt-busting. Challenge yourself!
Everyone welcome – to join the challenge, post below including the following:
- budgets for the month – at least food and transport
- Number of NSDs you are aiming for
- Number of exercise/ movement sessions you are aiming for
- Personal challenge (if you don’t mind sharing)
Saved for sailors:
1. speakingofart
2. applemuncher
3. fmess
4. mothernerd
5. CEW
6. traveller
7. Caeraugirl
8. stewby
9. Calling14
10. vintagebrighton
11. happybunny86
12. sazzlebgood
13. PheoniX
14. thriftylass
15. allie
16. bobs_burgers
17. liltdiddylilt
18. dolly84
19. Samiszel
20. moohound
21. loveadove
22. missu
23. aloofdragon
24. angelicious
25. kittycashless
26. aphidgirl
27. dottydaisy
28. ilovetea
29. committedtochange
30. coffeeandstitches
31. stressedsteph
Debt busting can feel like being all alone on a vast ocean, but our Armada of ninja saving turtles will work together to pull in our heads and legs and batten down the hatches in preparation for some serious debt busting before the merriment of December!
This month is all about deciding what your priorities are and budgeting accordingly. NO impulse buys, NO £5 coffees or Christmas tat. This is particularly applicable if flashing lights, sequins or canned music is involved. JUST SAY NO.
Many of us have come a long way, but still have a long way to go. This month is all about stepping apart from the pressure to spend, spend, spend and re-evaluating our priorities. In addition to our usual debt-busting activities, can you review your monthly bills – can you get a better deal? What do you fritter money away on? How can you conserve energy and heat during the winter? Can you reduce the cost of Christmas/ your winter holiday of choice, by doing a secret santa or limiting spending on presents? Going out for a nice meal with a group of friends can be both cheaper than buying them all presents, and better than getting 6 toiletry sets.
Rules for the challenge are below (usual caveat about not reposting the challenge, to avoid the thread getting too long). There will also be weekly mini challenges, continuing the nautical theme.
Rules of the challenge:
1. Set ALL your budgets at the beginning of the month. This includes any Christmas presents you want to buy this month! No going over, so choose wisely and really think about how you are allocating your money. The challenge will run from 00:01 1st November to 23:59 on the 30th. Make sure you have budgeted your needs for the whole month now.
2. Pay towards your debt first. No exceptions. If you are debt free, put aside some money for savings first.
3. 15 No Spend Days – this means you can spend every other day. If you want to really stretch yourself, aim for 20. As usual, yellow stickers/ direct debits/ prescriptions are excused.
4. £5 in donations or tins to your local food bank. Christmas is a hungry time for many, and food banks will be especially grateful for donations as the weather gets colder.
5. Choose TWO outings for the month and put these in your budget. Mine are going to be having a friend to stay for the night and a trip to a castle. Choose wisely; don’t fall into the trap of planning 100 Christmas events, all of which require money. Can you be creative and find cheap/ free ways to meet up with friends?
6. Take your lunch to work every day. Bonus points if you can make soup/ interesting lunches to keep you going. On the same note, NO vending machines/ fancy coffee during November. You will have more than enough in December.
7. Set a goal to increase your movement levels this month. This can be going for an extra run if you are fit after all that tri-athloning, or a walk in your lunch break. Even getting off the bus one step early counts! For those looking for extra challenge, can you try a completely new type of fitness?
8. Budget £10 less for food than you did this month. You can achieve this by batch cooking, buying yellow stickered food, shopping the late deals… then put that £10 towards your debt or savings goals.
9. Finally, this month, set yourself a personal challenge. This can be anything you like, but cannot be debt related. You are a person of incredible value, and there is more to your life than debt-busting. Challenge yourself!
Everyone welcome – to join the challenge, post below including the following:
- budgets for the month – at least food and transport
- Number of NSDs you are aiming for
- Number of exercise/ movement sessions you are aiming for
- Personal challenge (if you don’t mind sharing)
Saved for sailors:
1. speakingofart
2. applemuncher
3. fmess
4. mothernerd
5. CEW
6. traveller
7. Caeraugirl
8. stewby
9. Calling14
10. vintagebrighton
11. happybunny86
12. sazzlebgood
13. PheoniX
14. thriftylass
15. allie
16. bobs_burgers
17. liltdiddylilt
18. dolly84
19. Samiszel
20. moohound
21. loveadove
22. missu
23. aloofdragon
24. angelicious
25. kittycashless
26. aphidgirl
27. dottydaisy
28. ilovetea
29. committedtochange
30. coffeeandstitches
31. stressedsteph
Proud to be debt free September 2014. :j
Sisu.
Sisu.
0
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Replies
Many thanks! I have a supply of seasickness tablets if needed...
New roof and car £8557/£19003 New kitchen £396/£5039 Credit card Paid Student loan Paid
Operation on the 13th (fingers crossed) may be one of my outings and from then on everything is unknown, so will try to be frugal but can't claim to be following the challenge rules, but happy to cheer you all on.
Battening down the hatches is just what I need this month :rotfl:
I promise to try to do better and post more regularly.
Chez x
Oh Mothernerd-It won't be the same without you
Got my budgets all sorted and will post them tomorrow too when I'm at a computer.
Sisu.