NST; January Challenge- The Money Saving Game

Dottydaisy

First post a day late but spent yesterday learning YNAB which I bought for £7.49 on New Years Eve. It seems to make sense so will use it alongside my notebook and receipts method I use now. My income arrives in stages throughout the month as in gov pension every Monday, work pension 20th, widow pension 26th and contributions from DD2 and 3 on 16th and 18th so it's complicated. Taken the Jan 1st opportunity of full cupboards and freezer to change my financial month to 1st to 31st.


So to the Money saving game rules, thanks Loveadove


No 2 All budgets set Food, household, dog £0/400
Fuel £0/80 and I've got a esco coupon 16p a litre off:T
Acupuncture etc £0/106
Spending £0/80
Mum£5.00 per week NSD 1/18 car pot £25


No 3 As in YNAB will now allocate to debts as income arrives


N0 4 I don't work so usually have lunch at home, but fun pot covers any lunches or meeting for coffee - my usual social life


No 5 Usually donate every time I'm in Tesco will make sure it adds up to £3 or more


No 6 Will downshift 3 items or more if I can


No 7 Meal plan Will do inventory of freezer and cupboards and plan from there first, then plan to buy what is needed


N0 8 18 NSD may be a lot to aim for but will try, any are better than none


No 9 Document your spends Notebook and receipts tin at the ready


No 10 Time to get moving will take dog out more and I've been given a free pass for certain sessions at the local gym/swimming pool by the doctor aim to start this soon


No 11 Choose debt free date What's the cost says 2018 but I need to make that sooner so to start with I will aim for reducing debt by £2400 this year, more if possible.


No 12 Share 2015 goals


1 Be kind to myself but also selfish and start putting my needs first
2 Loose another stone in weight
3 Pay off debt as above
4 De clutter house and decorate. Have bought new bedding, curtains, lights and cushions for my room as part of no 1 goal, all in sales over the last three months-just need paint and I'm away.
5 Make new friends-join groups or classes, maybe volunteer somewhere and take advantage of all invites to make this happen.


No 13 Check in regularly, aim to do so and then I will be able to remember every ones posts and make sensible comments!


Well, that's me at the start of 2015, hoping it is a better year and I can sort out some family/household problems fairly quickly and leave them behind then 2015 is full of promise with help along the way from all you lovely turtles, I am proud to be part of this loyal bunch of folk. Thank you for your support and I will try to help you all in return.


Hugs, spoons, sticks to all who need them Dotty

sazzlebgood

stewbywell done:j
Everybody and their mother was at the badmarkets today,spent £55 but £18 was for niece birthday present and father and fil day, will spilt it and share between the two as its two bottles of whiskey. One of them is my favourite so need to resist drinking it. LOL

ilovetea

Hello.I'm a day late as well,not sure what happened to yesterday,just disappeared under a pile of clutter!
Here goes.


Budget. Allowing £155 for everything. Nothing planned at the moment but something exciting might happen,so that will include travel and outings.
Pay Debt. N/A
Lunch to work. N/A
Donate £3. have donated to donkey sanctuary.Sorry I prefer giving to animals.
Meal Plan. Have done this until next Wednesday.Trying very hard to use up stuff in cupboards and freezer and make a fresh start.
NSD. Hoping for 20 (done 1 so far).
Document Spending. Have written down what I spent today.Realised that I spend a lot on fruit and veg.
Time to get Moving. ??? have to think about that!!
Debtfree Date N/a but I'm trying to build up an emergency fund.
Share Goals.
Cash for clutter. Get rid of stuff e-b*y,Am*zon etc.
Build up an emergency fund of £1000.
Loose 2 stone.
Learn to crochet. Not sure why!
Check in regularly. Will try if I have anything useful to post but that doesn't happen often ;-)
That will do for now.Off to read through the posts I've missed.
Take care everyone.

ilovetea xx

shyspender

Happy New Year Folks

A little late with my first post of the challenge, but work has been manic. I have now put my pajama's on and they are not coming off for at least 36 hours.

I have roughly got my budgets, did them on Christmas Day whilst visiting the parentlas, but I need to tweak them a bit so will post them tomorrow.

I was going to ask NSK aka Kat if I could re-post here something she put on her fb page on New Years Day, but now I can't find it. It was a classic Kat post and I thought it may help people a little.

Lilt - can you find it? I'm guessing you are who I think you are posting on her page.

Will post more tomorrow when I have regained some energy.

Debtdrowninglondongirl

Fantastic idea!! Can I please join...

debtdrowning.wordpress.com

Calling14

Well managed 2/18 sfd so great start.

Traveller well done you, inspiring me to get my act into gear this year.

My daughter bought lunch today shared fish and chips. Yummy. I still feel full, ham nibbling later. Could be eating this ham all week.

Lilt get someone to ring you when macbook arrived, don't want at night with it. Just done a dark dog walk scary.

Calling14

Shyspender did see Kats post, Sorry struggle this week with naf tablet or would repost.

Tomorrow going to take decorations down as rainy day forecast then I can go out Sunday and burn a few mince pies off.

mothernerd

Another SFD. Reduced budget by £2 as there was a £2 coin in the taxi money mum had given me, so it's in the cow bank.

Tired today so just chilling with sewing, reading posts now with my favourite boy band on in the background (A Hard Day's Night). love the bit 40 minutes in where George is confounding the advertisers trying to tell him what he should like.

Food has been easy - just using up things in the fridge which were prepared earlier in the week. DS3 still not arrived home - 2 whole weeks, he must be flavour of the week again with gf's parents ("He has the tall gene" - they said in awe the first time they met him, they need him before they disappear, gf is 5' and she is not the shortest in their family).

Today I am grateful for the Fab Four, Dustin Hoffman and Judi Dench (children's films have been excellent this Christmas) and making something for nothing (have decided I won't be cutting up Christmas cards for next year's gift tags as I have found some silver stars I embroidered on cloth with a silver thread running through it - part of a job lot. They are too small for cards but would make great tags).

Racing_towards_retirement

So I think I've got to grips with this !

1. This Challenge commences on the 1st January 2015 @ 00:00 and finishes on the 31st January 2015 @ 23:59.

2. Set ALL of your budgets at the beginning of the month
after all bills :
Grocery 325 (3 adults and loads of Grandchildren visits )
Entertainment 75.00
Clothes 30.00
Gifts 30.00

3. Pay money to your debts first- done

4. You MUST bring your lunch to work every day
I work at home so not an issue

5.Donate £3 from your food budget
Donate already but will do more
6. Down shift 3 of your branded food items
I will do this on next shop have loads to use up after festive season
7. Meal Plan
I do this but do go off track but will stick to plan
8. You will aim to achieve 18 Spend Free Days (SFDs)
1/18 already
9. Document your spends
new app ! And accounts book ready
10. Time to get moving
I sure will try, walk dog at least 1 a day my DH and DS do walking duties
11. Choose your Debt Free Date now or the % of Debt you aim to clear by January 2016.
I want to have paid 50 % which is in the region of 5000
12. Share your 2015 Goals
- Lose weight 2 stone by 12/8 my daughter is getting married.
Be happy
and get an emergency fund once wedding is paid for
13. Check in regularly
Looking forward to it .

cupcake-queen

Not a bad day, I did fail take lunch into work but only spent about £3 in total including breakfast, lunch and cups of tea. As well as working part-time in retail I'm a home baker and cake decorator and took an order into work with me today and got paid £5 more than I asked - that was bonus 1 of the day although because I had to carry the enormous thing it meant I needed to get off the bus as close to work as possible, but I think the share muscle power of lifting the cake outweighed losing out on a extra 5-10 minute walk!

Bonus number 2 was that I won a FB competition, dinner for 2 at a Chinese Buffet restaurant! Made up with this as I will be able to have a treat after all!

I forgot to budget for birthday cards and Card Factory's shelves were so sparse so I spent £7 on cards in Clintons which was annoying.

I also managed a down shift! I thought I would struggle to this but I traded my usual Aussie Shampoo for £1.89 bottle of Herbal Essence. I have enough conditioner to last the month but ran out shampoo.