NST December Challenge - Festive and Frugal

vintagebrighton

Afternoon all

Not been around for a few days but caught up now! DD was back from Uni for a few days so we had to have a family get together, you know how it is.....

Anyway she's gone back now until Tues. The builder's still here though... and much as I'm glad he's doing a proper job and the damp etc has been repaired I want my home back. The lounge won't be painted before Christmas but the plastering of the ceiling and walls should be finished this week. Then I can put up the tree and decorations, albeit on bare walls. I don't like it but I like damp and blown plaster even less!

Am out later with friends for our christmas do, all accounted for.

I think the only budget we'll go over will be food. We allocated £100 over and above our usual £300 for the month but that's to include extra people, drink, choccies and extras including crackers. Think we'll be close though.

Good deed done. Donation done. Not much left to do except keep on track and keep on posting :rotfl:

VB x

Calling14

Very quick check in.
Up to 9 Sfd today.
Haven't finished xmas shopping but had some more bad news yesterday which upset me so much, xmas is bit on hold at the moment until I get my mojo back.
Off next 2 days holidays, so only Friday in work can cope with that, then off till Jan ;-)
Plenty of time to sort budgets and get fit.

traveller

Hi calling, sending you hugs Caueragirl, it is very easy to get more than previously anticipated. I must admit, I have too with my youngest. But once they hit teens and twenties you find their stuff costs more, so you tend to not to so much lol.

Fmess

liltdiddylilt wrote: »

Night fmess & apple! Sleep tight!

As for the kids thing... I have no answer. I am so used to being tired, I wouldn't know properly awake without the aid of mega caffeine if it hit me in the face. I didn't drink coffee before I had Jelly :rotfl:

If I ever had children, I think it may also coincide with me discovering caffeinated drinks

traveller wrote: »

Limo company have got back to me and said driver was basically not at fault, but couldn't prove his hours and they apologised again. They have asked me what do I think is fair compsensation? I'm going to ask for 50% to take into account the time stuck at the checkpoint and me having to reimburse those who chose to take a cab from where it was stuck as it was too late for them to then get night buses from a safety point of view. Never mind the fact I've only just recorded from having been to nearly 4am.

Yes definitely make sure you are covered for the taxi fares home and then some for the inconvenience too.

thriftylass wrote: »

Anyway, to cheer me up I'm playing with my spreadsheets today and will make a more sensible budget plan for the whole of 2015 so I always I achieve my financial goals while still having spare cash for the unexpected without feeling guilty for spending it. Will catch up on the weekends posts in my lunch break.

Playing with my spreadsheets always cheers me up


Calling - sorry to hear you have had more bad news, keep your head up, and be kind to yourself and take the time that you need to adjust to this news.



Today was SFD number 9 and LTW too I have also done an hour of tutoring, but unfortunately I need to save it to use on a monthly expense at the weekend. Although my budgets show I have money left, I don't actually have any money so something has gone wrong, which is annoying as this doesn't usually happen to me anymore.


Hope you have all had a good day

mothernerd

Hugs for Calling.

A NSD but had claimed one for yesterday and then went out late for a chocolate bar.

Had several missed phone calls earlier and ended up phoning mum. Think I have saved money and stress tomorrow. Will be going to my appointment with the health trainer by bus or by taxi. Tried to cancel last week but a baseline figure for my weight would be useful.

Mum has an appointment 1/2 hour after mine elsewhere in the building, but the person driving her will be picking up her prescription. So after my appointment I hang around to meet the driver and get a lift back to mum's so I can have a shower. Hoping I get a lift back home when it's time for the school run and should get fed as well (saving me 3 bus fares and lots of bits of walking).

However I am now struggling with the hand sewing I have been putting off to avoid passing on germs - may end up burning the midnight oil. When I was younger I have stayed up all night finishing something with a deadline but try to avoid it now. Already have a bag full of things each to pass on to mum and the driver but getting the sewing done would wrap things up neatly. Just working steadily - it might get done, it might not.

That leaves the dreaded shopping as the major outstanding task, though need to finish the stocking as well, then I can see if the recipient's grandad will be around to take me to my follow up appointment on the 29th (at the far away hospital at 9.45am - may mean staying up all night).

Today I am grateful for sausages, for tinned fruit and music and good quizzes (caught up on episodes of Only Connect whilst sewing).

CEW

Hi All,

Sorry been missing for a few days. I have been Busy with Christmas shopping and planning. Inalso caught the dreaded lurgy that has been doing the rounds :mad:

I have decided to give up on the SFD's as I have been ordering presents on the net almost daily - been waiting for the lists from people so couldn't group them all together. The good news is that although some presents are over budget the spend overall is coming in under budget for the presents completed. Hope to come in under budget overall.

All other budgets are on track so happy with that :j

Still working on next years targets so will update them soon.

Hope everyone is well.

Chez x

speakingofart

loveadove - I would very much recommend downloading the trial and watching some of the videos on the YNAB website, and reading the forum - they have some brilliant how tos. It doesn't take long at all to learn, the key thing for me was realising that you do have to follow the rules - if you get paid any time other than monthly, this can be tricky at first as you only budget the income you have (luckily I do get paid monthly, albeit in the middle which is annoying!). I can honestly say (and I'm not being paid by YNAB) that it's been life changing for me - I have savings for the first time ever and I'm finishing the month with money in my account! Give it an honest try for the length of the trial and you'll save the money it costs almost straight away. Let me know if you have any questions!!

Groceries £0/£150 15th december till 15th January
SFDs: 4/15
Petrol £34/ 60 15th December till 15th January
Lunch to work: 12/15

Yesterday was a spendy, eat too much crap day. 3 more days in the office till christmas and it feels like eternity. Roll on friday!

CoffeeandStitches

Morning all,

Home repair spent - £229.50
Insurance renewal - Save £156
Food budget - Blown to pieces

No more NSD's. Having a bit of a downer today. I feel like I'm struggling through this and just keep getting hit with more and more rubbish and immediate costs, and like I'm getting no where! I need to pull myself together a bit, and just think how much worse it would have been if I didn't keep track at all. But I KNOW that I'm going to end the month much worse off than I started it, and there's not much I can do about it other thank keep plodding on.

Off to give myself a stern talking to.

thriftylass

CoffeeandStitches wrote: »

No more NSD's. Having a bit of a downer today. I feel like I'm struggling through this and just keep getting hit with more and more rubbish and immediate costs, and like I'm getting no where! I need to pull myself together a bit, and just think how much worse it would have been if I didn't keep track at all. But I KNOW that I'm going to end the month much worse off than I started it, and there's not much I can do about it other thank keep plodding on.

Same here, just back from the postoffice. Another £18 for postage, cards and parcels that I didn't think of at the start of the month. Argghhh...

CoffeeandStitches

thriftylass wrote: »

Same here, just back from the postoffice. Another £18 for postage, cards and parcels that I didn't think of at the start of the month. Argghhh...

Poosticks day. But then I suppose December is always going to be the hardest! I just keep thinking, 'Get through the next two weeks, then everything will be better'. It's horrible, as I'm not looking forward to Christmas, i'm looking forward to January when I don't have to buy Christmas food, and cards, and presents, and wrapping, and wine, and stupid amounts of petrol, and all the other trappings that our household has to shell out for over the festivities. The positive out of these last 2 months is that I've now realised how stupidly important it is to have an emergency fund and a Christmas fund, and have made sure that from January, money is being put into pots every month without fail so that hopefully I can avoid some of the hard situations I've been in over the last few weeks being repeated.

We need to cheer ourselves up. I'm off to think about my 2015 goals, and list down some things that I am thankful for today, hopefully that will sort me out a bit Hugs thrifty - we need to remember that we're not alone, and it's a marathon not a sprint, we're in it together :beer: