NST December Challenge - Festive and Frugal

speakingofart

Loveadove - that sounds really tough, but I'm glad that you're going for it on your own - best of luck in your moving plans. Hopefully OH will come round when he sees your fabulous budget and want one of his own! :beer:

Minor spend yesterday, bought a friend some groceries as she's stuck inside with ill children, went and spent a couple of hours chatting and distracting them, so time and money well spent I think!

Groceries £35/£150 15th december till 15th January
SFDs: 6/15
Petrol £34/ 60 15th December till 15th January
Lunch to work: 15/15

fmess, I love the action behind the goals idea - having done so many "set SMART goals" in tutor time, you'll forgive me if mine tend towards that format :j

1. Complete my HR qualification to a high standard and search for another, more challenging job.

I have two modules to go and a research project to complete - I've taken the fortnight off over Christmas to make a good start on my introduction and literature review, as well as prepare the case study for my exam in January. In the new year, I will focus on achieving this goal by ensuring I attend all weekly seminars, set aside at least one additional evening per week and one weekend day for studying. I will also tackle my procrastinating tendencies for the final stretch! Once my qualification is completed, I will look for another job if opportunities don't arise in my current organisation.

2. Fill all my rainy day funds and build up an emergency fund

I have an excel spreadsheet showing which yearly expenses need to be rainy day funds (car tax, MOT, insurance and professional registration fees) and will fill them all by May, as well as saving a £500 baby emergency fund. Following the payment of each for this year, I will divide the amount monthly and set that aside each month - e.g. January will pay £145 car tax, February onwards will set aside £15. Once complete, my next goal is saving for a holiday!

3. Continue to spend wisely and remain in credit in my current account.

Use YNAB to budget my income for the month and spend from my category balances, building up a buffer in my current account and ensuring that I don't need to WAM from my savings unless absolutely necessary. Consider where I can save money on my monthly expenses and ensure that impulse spending continues to remain a thing of the past.

4. Continue to follow weight watchers and lose weight (3 stone down, 8 to go!)

Get back on track next week after Christmas and return to no junk food in house, not eating communal food at work (see if I can agree a healthy January in this respect!) and begin exercise programme to take advantage of gym membership. Continue to develop my cooking skills and widen my recipe collection to support healthier eating and reduce dependance on prepared food.

5. Travel to at least two new places next year.

This will probably have to wait until the second half of the year, when I've completed my university course and saved some money, but I would like to visit two new places over the next year, at least one for a proper beach/ resort holiday, which I think I will have more than earned after my qualification is complete!

It sounds like a lot when you put it like that, but I'm excited for 2015... bring it on! :j

Fmess

Excellent plans SOA Out of personal nosiness, is your baby emergency fund, for having a baby or is it a small fund?!

Today should be a SFD I intend to clean the downstairs of the house, walk the dogs and, if time permits, go to the gym. I'm sure I'll be on here throughout the day looking for distraction from the cleaning, so I'll see you all later.

apple_muncher

Lilt - the house had to be bought in my mum's name, as it's a warden-controlled one. But the solicitor who we dealt with knew the details and put a clause in so that when it is sold, we get the money. I hope! :rotfl:

Don't know how many of you have come across this thread: NOT BUYING IT!! 2015 - a consumer holiday. I think I recall seeing mothernerd over there. I love it! It embodies much of my own non-consumerist mentality and is very welcoming and friendly. It is certainly a good read!

Dd and I are sitting in ourbed. Sheis playing on her tablet; I'm watching World's Strongest Man 2014. Later on we shall wander up to the local coffee shop, possibly via the library, then get lemon curd to make some tarts. We are in no rush to go anywhere at the mo!

Fmess

Afternoon all

So I've been a busy bee. Started cleaning downstairs and got out the paint to touch up a spot in the kitchen, then ended up painting the conservatory. Conservatory is now cleaned and the walls have been painted, but the rest of the house is still in need of a thorough clean. Don't think I'll get to the gym today!

Calling14

Loveadove doing brilliant on your own. Chin up won't be forever.

Today having sfd, iced xmas cake, long woodland dog walk, it can't blow over there. She was crouching for a pee yday when a gust caught her off balance.

Worked out bank ouch have 113.85 to last till 8th Jan. Oh well couch it is.

Going to clean fridge and cupboards out, finish wrapping and see if I need anymore gifts.

Fmess wish I was as dedicated to exercise as you.

Cleaning time it is x

traveller

Hi everyone:) finally finished everything other than cleaning and seasoning meats and turkey:j

Loveadove, been there with a money spending oh. Nothing you can do until they are willing to see it for themselves fMess, I feel tired just reading that lot Well today was the last day of spending! Have a good if not busy day everyone

Fmess

Thanks for the heads up about that thread applemuncher, I've subscribed and read the first page, and will read up on some more of it tonight. Looks like another motivating thread

Loveadove my OH is the same but I didn't know until after we had moved in. We've lived together nearly 7 years now and we just keep separate finances, he has a SO my bank account on payday and all the bills go out of my account. If he spends all his remaining money he has to beg or barter with me, or do without. It's a bit of a pain but he has other good points

liltdiddylilt

Hi guys

Loveadove sorry about your plans for living with OH going on hold. I have to say, I think you are the smartest of cookies not giving in to your personal desire to live together until he sorts himself out. I am doing the same thing for far different reasons. My hub cannot be trusted in other areas and has never pitched in from his pittance wages anyway so the money is not the problem here. Still I am holding out for a new and improved OH before I let him back in. It was a year on the 2nd December that I kicked him out. I do hope your OH can sort himself out before that sort of time elapses.

fmess what a busy bee! Settle down, it's Christmas

Calling I am so sorry but I had to laugh at your doggy being blown over :rotfl: - poor girl!!

SOA what a huge list of things to do!! you put my pipe dreams for next year to shame with all your action!!

Just looking back at the comparisons of various menfolk on several threads and I have to say... what has happened to them? Suddenly men seem like fairly weak beings, in need of a woman to look after everything, not just the house and food. When I was a kid, my dad had (and still does) a filing cabinet in which he housed every bill etc that came through the door. He didn't have any credit, paid for the house upfront, never had a mortgage or any debts. He saved for his pension and put money into shares at work, whilst still keeping the house afloat. Mum didn't work for many years. I always thought that would be how I lived my life. Instead I have a weak and ineffective man, who is a brilliant father to his daughter when it doesn't interfere with his gaming, has a part time, few hour a week job which is the only one he has ever had (now there for 5 years - can't fault his staying power) and he doesn't bring in enough money to buy the food most months. I work 24 hours a week, cook, clean, take care of Jelly & do all the various other things, shopping etc. And pay for everything. I don't mind it. I love the control. But we are brought up to expect to be Cinderella with a prince charming, and mums don't raise prince charming any more. They raise their little pandered prince to be looked after by every woman he comes into contact with. I'm sure there are many men who deal with finances etc, but so many are not even aware of simple financial choices!!

I am sat here listening to Ludovico Einaudi - Jelly is learning her letters next to me and hopefully settling down to nap. This morning I finally got the lamb leg & gammon and some cough sweets I am finally done! We have been and had a good hour playing on the park in the wind and sun and now we are in house snuggies and going nowhere for the next few days. I will not be sucked in by sales. I am buying nothing until I desperately need milk. I will bake bread before I go and buy some! Herein starts the racking up of SFD's.

Off to make a cuppa laters taterz x

traveller

liltdiddylilt wrote: »

Hi guys

Loveadove sorry about your plans for living with OH going on hold. I have to say, I think you are the smartest of cookies not giving in to your personal desire to live together until he sorts himself out. I am doing the same thing for far different reasons. My hub cannot be trusted in other areas and has never pitched in from his pittance wages anyway so the money is not the problem here. Still I am holding out for a new and improved OH before I let him back in. It was a year on the 2nd December that I kicked him out. I do hope your OH can sort himself out before that sort of time elapses.

fmess what a busy bee! Settle down, it's Christmas

Calling I am so sorry but I had to laugh at your doggy being blown over :rotfl: - poor girl!!

SOA what a huge list of things to do!! you put my pipe dreams for next year to shame with all your action!!

Just looking back at the comparisons of various menfolk on several threads and I have to say... what has happened to them? Suddenly men seem like fairly weak beings, in need of a woman to look after everything, not just the house and food. When I was a kid, my dad had (and still does) a filing cabinet in which he housed every bill etc that came through the door. He didn't have any credit, paid for the house upfront, never had a mortgage or any debts. He saved for his pension and put money into shares at work, whilst still keeping the house afloat. Mum didn't work for many years. I always thought that would be how I lived my life. Instead I have a weak and ineffective man, who is a brilliant father to his daughter when it doesn't interfere with his gaming, has a part time, few hour a week job which is the only one he has ever had (now there for 5 years - can't fault his staying power) and he doesn't bring in enough money to buy the food most months. I work 24 hours a week, cook, clean, take care of Jelly & do all the various other things, shopping etc. And pay for everything. I don't mind it. I love the control. But we are brought up to expect to be Cinderella with a prince charming, and mums don't raise prince charming any more. They raise their little pandered prince to be looked after by every woman he comes into contact with. I'm sure there are many men who deal with finances etc, but so many are not even aware of simple financial choices!!

I am sat here listening to Ludovico Einaudi - Jelly is learning her letters next to me and hopefully settling down to nap. This morning I finally got the lamb leg & gammon and some cough sweets I am finally done! We have been and had a good hour playing on the park in the wind and sun and now we are in house snuggies and going nowhere for the next few days. I will not be sucked in by sales. I am buying nothing until I desperately need milk. I will bake bread before I go and buy some! Herein starts the racking up of SFD's.

Off to make a cuppa laters taterz x

Brilliant post. As a mother of 3 boys, I am very mindful of the points you raised having suffered on the back end of those points with my ex. I am always making sure and the older two do, realise that they must be able to adequately support themselves. I too have often wondered what happened to that thing called a sense of pride, or maybe I'm just old fashioned :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

Fmess

lilt I completely agree about many men these days. OH and many of his friends and financially unsavvy, and many of them have girlfriends or wives that are in charge of the household finances. OH has a dad who does the finances but doesn't seem to have picked up any of the skills.

Today has been SFD number 13 and in counting 6 hours of decorating and cleaning as exercise!!! I am so achey now it is unreal, my right arm and hand are so sore and my back hurts too

Have had a nice quiet day, no shops in sight today but do need flour and more cleaning supplies tomorrow.