NST; January Challenge- The Money Saving Game

Bobarella

Oh you poor thing mothernerd being on crutches doesn't sound fun at all.

Bobarella

Fmess wrote: »

In short, OH wasn't allowed pets as a child and I can't say no and want to save them all. All but one are rescues, I just find them great companions.

Ha ha me too!

I love dogs too. We don't have one as our lifestyle doesn't accommodate a dog but my son would love one. I've told him when he's 7 we will get a guinea pig. See how we get on there!:rotfl:

blubella

Please can I join? I think this form will be great at keeping me on track and out of trouble (spending).

My budget for January:
£100 food - less if possible, aim to use store cupboard and freezer foods. Not a frequent branded food buyer, cook as much from scratch as possible. Will donate 3 items to the food bank. Looking forward to the 18 SFD challenge!
£100 fuel - hoping to get out on my bike a bit more to try and reduce fuel consumption for the month of Jan.
£30 - Leisure. My gym membership is essential, it's 'me' time and I do get my monies worth by attending yoga classes 4-5 x a week.

Personal Goals for 2015:

* To eat healthily. Reduce Supermarket spends. Grow my own fruit and veg, cook ONLY what I need.
* Remain committed to my yoga practice. Get out on my bike more often.
*Put everything into making my new business a success in 2015; leave negative work situations behind and move forward with motivation and positivity.
* Increase earnings - second job, sell - Eb@y, Etsy, craft fair etc
* Make time to be creative.
* Volunteer.
* Pay a minimum of £2000 towards my debt. (Paid £200 so far)

I think that's a good a start as any..

Fmess

Morning all

So although it's only 1st Jan, my monies started on payday (24th December) so I've spent most of my money already and already gone over in one area Just need to have a very frugal few weeks until next payday now.

Planning on going swimming later so that's one exercise session done and have my pedometer on so will see how many steps I do too.

Happy New Year everyone

dolly84

Hi guys. I'm back in for January if you'll have me. I did so well up until November last year then when I started Christmas/Birthday shopping I went off the rails.

Last year I lost 79lbs in weight and just have 7lbs to lose now. Doing that has completely turned my life around, so those of you looking to lose weight this year it is doable, just think of it as a month at a time.

I need to do a debt total so I know what I am dealing with so I will pop back with that later.

LINKYPIE2009

here we go then....

2. Set ALL of your budgets at the beginning of the month: let us know what your budget is for: groceries- £75, fuel £100 social/leisure £50, Birthdays £20.

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! Debt payments planned

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) This is the plan - be good for my health too!

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. - 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!-Am on basics in most products but will see if any others....

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 need to do this - will stop me buying bad quick food....

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.:eek: Gonna try my very very best!

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! Notebook at the 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! Going to start using my fitbit and get my 10000 stpes a day!

11. Choose your Debt Free Date now. By the end of 2015.

12. Share your 2015 Goals- financial or other. Debt free and seven stone lighter 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).

Philae_2

Happy New Year everyone!

2. Set ALL of your budgets at the beginning of the month:
Food = £100
Petrol = £50
Birthday = £100

3. Pay money to your debts first:
I don't get paid until the end of January thanks to work paying early in December, so all debts already paid for this month as paid before Christmas

4. You MUST bring your lunch to work every day
I am really bad at this, however, I have just stocked up on some emergency soup packets etc to keep in my desk in case I forget to take leftovers / a sarnie lol

5. Donate £3 from your food budget
I won't be donating mine to my local food bank, because I don't agree with them. I know that there will be people who use it that are genuinely in need, however, where I live they are seen as a right and a way to get food without using benefits / money which can be spent on smoking and massive TV's. We've previously had to live on a diet of one meal a day of 9p noodles and stealing toilet paper from public toilets, so I know what it's like to be needing help but I don't believe food banks are the best way to do it. Instead, I'll be buying £3 worth of hot drinks / soups for homeless people.

6. Down shift 3 of your branded food items.
With the exception of baked beans, we don't buy branded food items.

7. Meal Plan
I need to do this more often. Going to go through my cupboards etc and decide on meals for the week ahead

8. You will aim to achieve 18 Spend Free Days
Aiming for 20, partially through need as I have so little money this month lol

9. Document your spends
YNAB every day and love it!

10. Time to get moving
Given what one of my 2015 goals is, I will have to move a heck of a lot more!

11. Choose your Debt Free Date now
I am paying all my debt this year. Simple as. I'm going to aim for May 2015 as my debt free date, but absolute worse case scenario is August 2015.

12. Share your 2015 Goals
1. Become debt free
2. Save £5000 for the wedding
3. Lose 100lbs

WelshKitty85

Right, here is my plan....

2. Shopping budget is £250 for January. This is to include all food, toiletries, cleaning products etc as well as any items in sales for next Xmas - wrapping paper, cards and so on. Any take aways, eating out also comes out of this budget.
Fuel budget is £120 for the month.
I also have to pay £550 towards our June holiday. I know a lot of people will think I shouldn't be going on such a holiday while I am paying my debts, but I finish my degree in May and aim to be in a 'proper job' by September, so I am having a treat for completing my degree and going to spend some quality time with my family.

3. I have a direct debit set up for all my debts so they are paid automatically. However, I plan to pay off my loan completely in January and hopefully make some overpayments to my credit card.

4. I nearly always take my own lunch to work/uni. My problem isn't lunch, but breakfast. I NEVER eat breakfast at home and sometimes treat myself to a bacon bap when I get to work. This must stop as it costs at least £2 a time. I will fill my locker with cereal bars etc that I can raid if I get hungry in the mornings.

5. I already volunteer my time to a charity 1 day a week but will make an effort to donate to the food bank this month too.

6. I have already down shifted almost everything except chocolate. This is one step i am not prepared to make. I would rather go without!

7. I usually do this anyway but lost my way a little bit in December. I am back on track and the plan for the rest of this week is:
Th- tortellini
F- left over gammon and veggies
S- pasta
S- Turkey curry

8. Aiming for at least 18 SFDs, hopefully more.

9. I have a spreadsheet for all income and expenditure. Need to update it for 2015. Will aim to get this done today.

10. Will try to get out more during my lunch breaks at work, even if it is just a quick walk around the block. Will also give me he opportunity to look for road kill.

11. Would love to be debt free by sept 2015, but realistically it may be closer to Xmas 2015.

12. I finish my degree in May and should have enough left from student finance to see us through to September. I aim to have a new full time job by them. I am aiming to pay off as much debt as I can by this point and save an emergency fund (hence joining pay all your debts by Xmas 2015 and the £2015 in 2015 challenges) just incase I don't manage to find a new job in that time and I will be relying on my part time wage.

13. Definitely

Calling14

Happy New Year.

Had a blustery dog walk some exercise done and going to claim a sfd today 1/18.

Horrid weather now so bit cleaning, ham in slow cooker and tv couch potato mode.

Have checked bank accounts ouch going to be a tight month.

moveit

Happy New Year to everyone


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: let us know what your budget is for: groceries, fuel/travel, social/leisure, Birthdays and any other saving goals for the month. Grocery £30 cash + any vouchers, everything else £30 cash + any vouchers. Really no idea what my budget should be - I've been really off the rails recently, so going to see where this month leads me.

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!

Payday (and money!) come and gone, so will do this next month.

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)


Have been buying 2 meals a day at work and then going to the supermarket for a ready meal (and bottle of wine!) for home. Just through laziness really, so this will be my main focus for this month.

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.

Will do

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!

Current eating and shopping habits are so haphazard, I'm not sure how to bring this in, but will try.

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!


Will need to do this so that I don't end up buying things from work or popping to the supermarket or takeaway when I don't feel like cooking anything.



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.


This will be the biggest shock of all, but will really focus me I think.

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!


Paper and pen at the 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!


OK

11. Choose your Debt Free Date now.


December 2015 (not on paper, but that's what I'm aiming for!)



12. Share your 2015 Goals- financial or other.


Debt free
Fit , health and looking good.
De-cluttered, cleaned and simplified.





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).


Will do