NST; January Challenge- The Money Saving Game

vintagebrighton

Sign me up please!

I know I don't post often enough but I do stick to it.....

Need to update on December's thread though, I've got stuck reading the 'Not Buying It' challenge...amazing read if you haven't seen it

Back later

VB x

ilovetea

Please can I join?

ilovetea xx

Bobarella

LoveaDove wrote: »

Bobarella - It certainly sounds like a sign of changing times for you! I felt exactly the same way when I first saw Kat's challenges! It is amazing how after some time these small conscious changes become habit.

Thank you LoveaDove. I am now wearing my number with pride. Can I ask when we should begin posting our goals etc up. Should we wait till the 1st or just get going?

Charly27

Count me in please - loving the coffee shop donations and the NSD's. Will join the chat tomorrow :rotfl:

moveit

Can you count me in, please?

I'm off to have a go at some budgeting stuff.

Happy new year everyone

Bobarella

Hi All
So to go through the objectives.

Welcome to the new Monthly NST (Ninja Saving Turtles)

2. Set ALL of your budgets at the beginning of the month: let us know what your budget is for: groceries, fuel/travel, social/leisure, Birthdays and any other saving goals for the month.

My budget for groceries is £2,400 for 2015 or £200 per month. If I make any savings on that I will use them to reduce
the balance to my CC each month. I currently have no car so my travel budget is £7.25 week which covers 5 £1.45 bus rides. I walk a lot to save money.
I have 3 birthdays in Jan. I will be making cards for these. So just the cost of the stamps to post in two cases, the third is a child's party so hand delivery. I will either make consumable gifts or re gift something from my stash.
I am currently saving £80 a month for my son & £100 a month into the emergency fund which was newly started in December.
I will allow us £20 for leisure spends although I do quite well on free coffees etc so hoping not to need that.


3. Pay money to your debts first- This will help you budget your money for the rest of the month and make adjustments accordingly. But please do not leave yourself really short!

Done. Paid £117 off the cards on the 24th December which was my OH pay day. I have since paid off another £10 via the total I have raised from wombling (see my Remember your a womble thread on the main DFW board) wombling, roadkill finds, tips from my job & cash back shopping, as well as ebay ing are all part of my side hustle strategy to become DF.


4. You MUST bring your lunch to work every day No using the canteen (unless this is free of course) or local cafes. Coffee shops are also banned throughout January! It's time to detox (or get your money's worth from the home brewed variety if you can not do without)

I get my lunch free at work. In a coffee shop. Which means. I also get free coffee. Do you all want to kill me now?:rotfl:


5.Donate £3 from your food budget, or £3 you have saved from not visiting a coffee shop and purchase £3 worth of items to donate to your local food bank. Many supermarkets have Food bank drop off baskets, alternatively donate unused tinned products from your cupboards or donate online £3 to The Trussel Trust who help to run Food banks across the country. Let's support those in our local communities and make a positive start to the New Year.

Certainly will do this.

6. Down shift 3 of your branded food items. Try down shifting a brand to super market own! Yellow sticker items (reduced items) are also your friend's- so long as they can be used towards a meal!

I base my entire food management system on YS items already which has seen me reduce our food budget from £260 a month to £200 since I started tracking in October. So keeping the faith on this one already.


7. Meal Plan!- Try to meal plan as many of your meals as possible. This will work wonders with helping you to condense your shopping list (along with your cupboards) if it is all written down and justified for allocated meals. Helping you to be armed and prepared for the Supermarkets inevitable consumerist advertisement, drawing you in to sales of items you would never normally buy!

I meal plan every meal up to a point. Breakfast would simply say toast most days but my son takes packed:beer: lunch and my husband too so I meal plan to take those into account.

8. You will aim to achieve 18 Spend Free Days (SFDs)- Plan your spends, think about what you are buying. Is it worth losing a SFD over a chocolate bar? Exemptions include: prescriptions/ medication, yellow sticker (reduced) food or drink and regular direct debits- these will not lose you a SFD.

I honestly think most days are SFDS according to those rules. But can I check. How does paying for the bus work? I don't buy a weekly travel card as it's triple the price I spend. And sometimes I pay for my journey in tips. So the days I do pay for the bus I would normally class as not spend days as it's an essential which if I paid in bulk once a month would mean I barely spend some weeks. But let me know.


9. Document your spends- Use a spreadsheet, notebook or your phone. Document every single spend that you make. You might be surprised as to where you money is going!

I use a free app on my phone to track my spending and then check my online banking against it.

10. Time to get moving - Increase your movement, whether it's taking the stairs at work instead of the lift, getting off a stop early, going out for a walk. We all feel a little sluggish after the indulgences over the festive season. You do not need to join the gym- save your money and get creative!

I currently walk between 4 & 10 miles per day which I love and have lost a stone in weight since August when the car broke down. I don't do any other exercise.


11. Choose your Debt Free Date now.

very tricky this one. I am self employed with a fluctuating income. If I stick to the bare minimum of repayments that have to be made I will get to below £4,000 by December 2015. But all being well I can do a lot better. I do feel this one is a very hard one for me. I will maybe go for December 2016 but that almost demotivated me....

12. Share your 2015 Goals- financial or other.

To Build an emergency fund up to £1000 will have £200 in the next few days when DD collects.

To reduce my CC debt to at least £4,000 by the end of the year.

13. Check in regularly - Check in with us regularly throughout the month and keep us posted on your budgets, your successes, general chat and if you want a bit of motivation from team NST- give us a shout! (or a message).

Look forward to it!

:T:T:T:T

£ashcow

Hi all
I've been AWOL for sometime but i would like to sign up for the challenge please LoveaDove . . .
will return with budget.
Thanks

Fmess

Hi all

If anyone wants it apparently YNAB is on sale at 75% today on steam.

Purpleroses

Hi All, loving the sound of this challenge
So to go through the objectives.

Welcome to the new Monthly NST (Ninja Saving Turtles)

2. Set ALL of your budgets at the beginning of the month: let us know what your budget is for: groceries, fuel/travel, social/leisure, Birthdays and any other saving goals for the month.

My budget for groceries is £200 per month
Fuel £60 - I walk to work and will make more of an effort to walk to the post office instead of using the car
I have 1 birthday in Jan which will probably be the only night out in the month so will budget £50 for social/Birthday
CC debt - aiming for £150 a month
I'm going to send some to savings too but this depends on each months incomings. Jan will probably be quiet so will aim for £50


3. Pay money to your debts first- This will help you budget your money for the rest of the month and make adjustments accordingly. But please do not leave yourself really short!

I've just been accepted for a 0% card which will save around £50 a month yay. I'm self employed so when I get paid I send a bit off to the card.


4. You MUST bring your lunch to work every day No using the canteen (unless this is free of course) or local cafes. Coffee shops are also banned throughout January! It's time to detox (or get your money's worth from the home brewed variety if you can not do without)

Yes! I'm bad for grabbing a sandwich on the go so must make more effort


5.Donate £3 from your food budget, or £3 you have saved from not visiting a coffee shop and purchase £3 worth of items to donate to your local food bank. Many supermarkets have Food bank drop off baskets, alternatively donate unused tinned products from your cupboards or donate online £3 to The Trussel Trust who help to run Food banks across the country. Let's support those in our local communities and make a positive start to the New Year.

Certainly will do this.

6. Down shift 3 of your branded food items. Try down shifting a brand to super market own! Yellow sticker items (reduced items) are also your friend's- so long as they can be used towards a meal!

Will give it a go for sure.


7. Meal Plan!- Try to meal plan as many of your meals as possible. This will work wonders with helping you to condense your shopping list (along with your cupboards) if it is all written down and justified for allocated meals. Helping you to be armed and prepared for the Supermarkets inevitable consumerist advertisement, drawing you in to sales of items you would never normally buy!

Im following WW so meal plan for the week every Sunday

8. You will aim to achieve 18 Spend Free Days (SFDs)- Plan your spends, think about what you are buying. Is it worth losing a SFD over a chocolate bar? Exemptions include: prescriptions/ medication, yellow sticker (reduced) food or drink and regular direct debits- these will not lose you a SFD.

Will do


9. Document your spends- Use a spreadsheet, notebook or your phone. Document every single spend that you make. You might be surprised as to where you money is going!

I have a notepad in my bag ready

10. Time to get moving - Increase your movement, whether it's taking the stairs at work instead of the lift, getting off a stop early, going out for a walk. We all feel a little sluggish after the indulgences over the festive season. You do not need to join the gym- save your money and get creative!

I walk the dog every day but going to start doing longer routes. My Self employment works keeps me on my feet a lot as well


11. Choose your Debt Free Date now.

I'm aimig for 1st Nov

12. Share your 2015 Goals- financial or other.

To clear my debt
Build up some savings
Lose some weight


13. Check in regularly - Check in with us regularly throughout the month and keep us posted on your budgets, your successes, general chat and if you want a bit of motivation from team NST- give us a shout! (or a message).

Very excited about this

Calling14

My budgets are now set in stone

Food £90 to include pet food.
Petrol £40
Hair £20 -going to look after myself this yr.
Going out £25

Clear 4k of the debt this year,
Save weekly for efund, annual bills, xmas and holiday.
Lose 1st by Easter, diet not starting till end January!!!