2016 - A year of 16 Challenges

rdone

1. Declutter 2016 items
Not doing very well with this one!
42/2016

2. Read 16 Books
No reading this weekend as we were visiting family and was soooo tired when we got home last night

3. Make 3 homemade meals a week
Starting again for this week...
0/3

4. 16 no spend days a month
Definitely didn't achieve over the weekend but we had an awesome time and didn't spend as much as I thought!
5/16

5. Exercise 4 times a week (I have signed up to a triathlon in July so this is a must!) The triathlon is for my Duke of Edinburgh diamond challenge and a month before the wedding. Have been having back trouble but need to slowly get back into it!
Set my alarm to go this morning but I was way to tired, hopefully tomorrow will be better!
0/4

6. I currently do the VSPC in which I do a daily, weekly and monthly challenge. Daily is on the 1st Jan put £3.66, 2nd £3.65 etc until the 31st Dec is 1p. Have done it opposite to most people as I felt I'd be more enthusiastic in the beginning and also get more interest! Weekly is rounding my bank account to the nearest £10 at the end of every Sunday and monthly is rounding my salary to the nearest £100.
Will be transferring after this

7. Clean/tidy for 16 minutes per day
No. Absolutely nothing.

8. Do at least 3 pages of my Travel scrapbook per month.
Failed at this last month. Fingers crossed for this month!
1/36

9. Bring a packed lunch at least 16 times a month.
Lunch with me again today
10/16

10. No buying any unnecessary toiletries and using the stash first
Didn't buy anything over the weekend

11. When doing craft use up stash in house first, only exception is wedding craft! I have a huge cupboard full of things but always seem to buy new when I want to make something. Allowing the wedding to be an exception as some things I've never had before.
Didn't buy any craft supplies and will be finishing off our wedding invitations tonight so more will be used up

12. One Two meal a week to be shopped for in the kitchen cupboards
Starting again for the week
0/2

13. Do 16 random acts of kindness that cost nothing

3/16

14. 16 days out with family/friends that doesn't include holidays
Had a really lovely weekend with sister in law and her husband
3/16

15. 16 days out with H2B that doesn't include holiday
Went trying on wedding rings yesterday!
2/16

16. Visit elderly relatives twice a month IN THEIR HOME. I often time a visit to my parents house when I know they'll be there.

3/4 (I have two to visit)

emg

Been Missing in Action a bit, but back with an update for February so far...

1. Take a packed lunch to work at least 16 days a month - (6/16)

2. Do at least 15mins Flylady-ing a day - (6/29)
Really been slacking on this one!

3. Reach my step target on Fitbit 25 days a month (4/29)
and this one!

4. Use the 'seven' fitness app at least 25 days a month
still failing this one

5. Achieve 10 No-Spend-Days a month (5/10)
Looks achievable from here.

6. Keep YNAB up to date daily - yes

7. Overpay mortgage by £5000 (£1046.54/£5000) :T
£378.90 of this was in Feb so far

8. Complete at least 30 surveys per month on survey sites (15/30)
on track

9. Claim work expenses on time every month (due by 29/2)

10. Meal plan for all week day meals
Have finally done for Feb

11. Declutter 2016 items in 2016 - 20/2016
got to get going with this, such a big target!

12. Unsubscribe from at least one spam email everyday - ummm...
such an easy one but falling behind, I've decided to make it 30 a month so that I can 'binge unsubscribe' if necessary!

13. No buying books or magazines in 2016 yep!

14. Read 16 books in 2016 2/16
Exciting news! I have finished book 1 and 2 of the year :T

15. Make one new recipe a month - not yet
But have identified what it will be, Hairy Dieters Chicken Biryani

16. Batch cook two things for the freezer each month - not yet
But again have identified what I will cook and written a shopping list.

I'm planning a really frugal end of the month as I have had a lot of extra expenses recently. Good luck everyone, you all seem to be doing much better than me, I'm hoping that will appeal to my competitive streak and spur me on!

rdone

1. Declutter 2016 items
Not doing very well with this one!
42/2016

2. Read 16 Books
Read quite a chunk last night, need to read smaller books if I'm ever going to complete though!

3. Make 3 homemade meals a week
Spag bol last night and fajitas the night before
2/3

4. 16 no spend days a month
Didn't spend anything on Monday, bought currency for our holiday next week yesterday. Does that mean next week is a no spend days?!
6/16

5. Exercise 4 times a week (I have signed up to a triathlon in July so this is a must!) The triathlon is for my Duke of Edinburgh diamond challenge and a month before the wedding. Have been having back trouble but need to slowly get back into it!
Went this morning, it was horrific
1/4

6. I currently do the VSPC in which I do a daily, weekly and monthly challenge. Daily is on the 1st Jan put £3.66, 2nd £3.65 etc until the 31st Dec is 1p. Have done it opposite to most people as I felt I'd be more enthusiastic in the beginning and also get more interest! Weekly is rounding my bank account to the nearest £10 at the end of every Sunday and monthly is rounding my salary to the nearest £100.
All sorted

7. Clean/tidy for 16 minutes per day
No. Absolutely nothing. But I am on a mission tonight

8. Do at least 3 pages of my Travel scrapbook per month.
Failed at this last month. Fingers crossed for this month!
1/36

9. Bring a packed lunch at least 16 times a month.
Lunch with me again today but yesterday went and bought a bread roll from Lidl
11/16

10. No buying any unnecessary toiletries and using the stash first
Nothing bought

11. When doing craft use up stash in house first, only exception is wedding craft! I have a huge cupboard full of things but always seem to buy new when I want to make something. Allowing the wedding to be an exception as some things I've never had before.
Didn't buy any craft supplies that aren't for the wedding

12. [STRIKE]One[/STRIKE] Two meal a week to be shopped for in the kitchen cupboards
Yep
2/2

13. Do 16 random acts of kindness that cost nothing

3/16

14. 16 days out with family/friends that doesn't include holidays

3/16

15. 16 days out with H2B that doesn't include holiday

2/16

16. Visit elderly relatives twice a month IN THEIR HOME. I often time a visit to my parents house when I know they'll be there.

3/4 (I have two to visit)

craftingmad

Hi all,


Great progress rdone and emg - keep up the good work


I've not really done too much more since my last post as it's the half term holidays and we've been having some family time but I can report a bit more progress on some challenges:-


1. Stash Busting - 47/365 days of no spending
Items made 86/2016
No craft spending

2. Decluttering 376/2016
Not been at home the last couple of days so no new progress here

3. Make £2016 - £117/£2016
Nothing new to add to total yet but I was glitter tattooing for a commercial company yesterday and as my business partner was ill, my lovely hubby stepped in to help me and so it means we will earn the whole booking fee of £200. Will add it once they have paid and the money is safely banked in our savings account

4. Starting weight 12st 4lb - Weight Now - 12st 0lb
No progress - actually been really bad having KFC and pizza for dinner

5. Sealed pot challenge - money started to be added
Nothing new added:(

6. NSD - 28/120
No not the past couple of days

7. Amazon Pot - £109.76/£200 (£29.76 left over from last year)
Too busy to make any progress over the last couple of days

8. 16 outlets - 0/16
No progress over the last couple of days

9. Store Cupboard Challenge 7/52
No

10. New meals 3/12 - tuna fishcakes, savoury bread and butter pudding & savoury pancakes
No

11. Flylady Challenge 31/352
Hubby has been obsessively cleaning everyday

12. Handmade Christmas 1/50
No new progress

13. Save/pay off 16k - £3005.02/£16k
Saved at least £3 by buying drinks at superdrug rather than at KFC, £10 on getting Asda pizza's rather than a takeaway (and got a lot more food for our money) and £3 at Toys R Us for asking for a reduction on a toy with damaged packaging

14. Project Life 2/13
No new progress

15. Quality Time 5/52
Had a lovely day all together on Monday in Norwich

16. Phoning Parents - 7/52
Will be phoning later

ziggy2407

Just a little update, not a great deal to report bit this set of challenges is really make me think

1. Stashbusting & Crafting
Try and do something crafty every day - decluttering or making
10 Christmas cards made today

2. Lose Weight (2lbs per week)
/2

3. Exercise
Walk at least 7000 steps per day (minimum)
3700/7000 - FAIL

4. Read 16 Books
/16

5. Make 16 new recipes this year
/16

6. Learn 16 new skills
Thinking: crochet, sewing and lots more

/16

7. Complete 16 projects in the home
Framed 3 cards (these have been waiting since Christmas to be done ) - DH will hang tomorrow on attic stairs
1 /16

8. Complete 16 RAOK's

/16

9. Spend 16 mins per day acquainting myself with Spanish
In order to be able to help my son more with his schoolwork
Nothing
0/16

10. 16 Days or Evenings out with family or friends
Sunday lunch to celebrate hubby's birthday with stepson and his family and stepdaughter
1 /16

11. Clean/Tidy for 16 mins per day
Attic
16/16

12. Write 16 letters or cards to be posted during the year
The only letters I receive these days are for dental/hospital appointments, bank statements or bills so I figure there must be more people than just me that miss receiving "happy" mail

/16

13. Complete 16 surveys per month
Thanks to this challenge I am managing to complete surveys instead of letting them expire in my inbox
10/16

14. Delete 16 items from computer per day
Overrun with email - unsubscribed from at least 50 emails over last few days
16/16

15. 16 minutes of exercise every day
Will definitely help with no's 2 and 3 too
Just general walking around house
/16 - FAIL

16. Quality Time with OH & DS
Thinking film nights (at home), game nights, bowling, swimming, cinema etc once a week
Played dominoes with DS
1/52

Hope to do better tomorrow, keep up the great work, you are really inspiring

craftingmad

Hi all,


Hope it's not too cold where you are today.


Thought I'd update my progress for yesterday:-


1. Stash Busting - 48/365 days of no spending
Items made 88/2016
No craft spending and two wooden boxes which I have had sitting in my stash for ages decorated with washi tape

2. Decluttering 376/2016
No more

3. Make £2016 - £117/£2016
Nothing new toad to total but I have signed up for another mystery shop for next week which will net me £7
Completed £1 of One Poll surveys and a You Gov survey

4. Starting weight 12st 4lb - Weight Now - 12st 0lb
Hubby's car had to go into the garage yesterday for a quick repair so instead of taking of two cars I decided it would be nice to go for a walk whilst it was being repaired and explore the Broads. So I got about an hour's worth of walking in yesterday

5. Sealed pot challenge - money started to be added
£2 added to pot

6. NSD - 28/120
No

7. Amazon Pot - £109.76/£200 (£29.76 left over from last year)
Hit swagbucks target and gained some more gifthulk coins so moving closer towards next voucher payout Also completed a couple of Isay surveys so that total is also moving in the right direction

8. 16 outlets - 0/16
No new progress

9. Store Cupboard Challenge 8/52
Had a store cupboard pasta bake last night which I added left over chicken to - yum yum

10. New meals 3/12 - tuna fishcakes, savoury bread and butter pudding & savoury pancakes
No

11. Flylady Challenge 33/352
Hubby has been obsessively cleaning everyday

12. Handmade Christmas 1/50
No new progress

13. Save/pay off 16k - £3006.02/£16k
Saved at least a £1 by not taking my car to the garage to take hubby home and going for a walk instead

14. Project Life 2/13
Photos printed out ready to put into album

15. Quality Time 6/52
Enjoyed a lovely walk along the broads today and then came home and had a nerf gun fight

16. Phoning Parents - 7/52
No answer last night, will try again today

rdone

1. Declutter 2016 items
Cleaned and tidied the whole house last night. Put flowers into garden waste bag, sorted a pile of paper that was on the table and general other bits and pieces.
103/2016

2. Read 16 Books
No reading last night but I have pre-ordered JK Rowlings new book so after this I'll reread Harry Potter (for the billionth time!!)

3. Make 3 homemade meals a week
Went out for food last night as it was my best friends birthday. It's a lovely little local restaurant and I hadn't been there before. At the end of the meal we had a lovely note written on the receipt saying "Happy Birthday and keep giggling together, you're a great set of friends". Which made us giggle even more!
2/3

4. 16 no spend days a month
Went out for food so failed, had to buy food this morning as well
6/16

5. Exercise 4 times a week (I have signed up to a triathlon in July so this is a must!) The triathlon is for my Duke of Edinburgh diamond challenge and a month before the wedding. Have been having back trouble but need to slowly get back into it!
Didn't go today but I should make 4 with what we have planned
1/4

6. I currently do the VSPC in which I do a daily, weekly and monthly challenge. Daily is on the 1st Jan put £3.66, 2nd £3.65 etc until the 31st Dec is 1p. Have done it opposite to most people as I felt I'd be more enthusiastic in the beginning and also get more interest! Weekly is rounding my bank account to the nearest £10 at the end of every Sunday and monthly is rounding my salary to the nearest £100.
All sorted

7. Clean/tidy for 16 minutes per day
Yep, every room except the bathroom as I had to get ready to go out, will do that this evening

8. Do at least 3 pages of my Travel scrapbook per month.
Failed at this last month. Fingers crossed for this month!
1/36

9. Bring a packed lunch at least 16 times a month.
Nope
11/16

10. No buying any unnecessary toiletries and using the stash first
Nothing bought

11. When doing craft use up stash in house first, only exception is wedding craft! I have a huge cupboard full of things but always seem to buy new when I want to make something. Allowing the wedding to be an exception as some things I've never had before.
Didn't buy any craft supplies that aren't for the wedding

12. One Two meal a week to be shopped for in the kitchen cupboards
Yep
2/2

13. Do 16 random acts of kindness that cost nothing

3/16

14. 16 days out with family/friends that doesn't include holidays
Wasn't technically a day but had an awesome time last night
4/16

15. 16 days out with H2B that doesn't include holiday

2/16

16. Visit elderly relatives twice a month IN THEIR HOME. I often time a visit to my parents house when I know they'll be there.

3/4 (I have two to visit)

craftingmad

Hi all,


Update for today time:-


1. Stash Busting - 49/365 days of no spending
Items made 88/2016
No craft spending Nothing made yet (

2. Decluttering 376/2016
No more

3. Make £2016 - £117/£2016
Completed two onepoll surveys for 25p and a You Gov survey for 50p so edging slowly towards payouts for them

4. Starting weight 12st 4lb - Weight Now - 12st 0lb
Walked about 3km today round a park with the kids

5. Sealed pot challenge - money started to be added
Nothing added today

6. NSD - 28/120
No

7. Amazon Pot - £109.76/£200 (£29.76 left over from last year)
Swagbucks and Gifthulk earned today

8. 16 outlets - 0/16
No new progress

9. Store Cupboard Challenge 8/52
No not sure what we will have tonight but won't be from store cupboard

10. New meals 3/12 - tuna fishcakes, savoury bread and butter pudding & savoury pancakes
No

11. Flylady Challenge 34/352
Hubby has been obsessively cleaning everyday

12. Handmade Christmas 1/50
No new progress

13. Save/pay off 16k - £3006.02/£16k
Resisted buying McD's out today and settled for £1 sandwiches from Asda

14. Project Life 2/13
Photos printed out ready to put into album

15. Quality Time 7/52
Lovely family time in local park playing crazy golf and skateboarding (well the kids went on the boards not me )

16. Phoning Parents - 7/52
will try later

craftingmad

Morning everyone,


My thoughts are with you ziggy. I'm sending a virtual hug here to let you know I am here if you need me.


Here's my progress for the last few days (not much but I suppose every little counts ) :-


1. Stash Busting - 52/365 days of no spending
Items made 117/2016
No craft spending and 29 more things made ready for my craft fair on Saturday

2. Decluttering 376/2016
No new progress. Really must start on this again

3. Make £2016 - £117/£2016
A couple of mystery shops booked for next week and working on new things to hopefully sell at craft fair on Saturday

4. Starting weight 12st 4lb - Weight Now - 12st 0lb
No exercise done for the last few days and healthy diet out of window so must start this again from today

5. Sealed pot challenge - money started to be added
£1 added to pot over weekend

6. NSD - 30/120
Two more added over the weekend. Weather was so bad we stayed in

7. Amazon Pot - £109.76/£200 (£29.76 left over from last year) No new progress


8. 16 outlets - 0/16
New items been made ready for craft fair on Saturday:)

9. Store Cupboard Challenge 10/52
Two more to report:)

10. New meals 3/12 - tuna fishcakes, savoury bread and butter pudding & savoury pancakes
No

11. Flylady Challenge 37/352
A bit of housework has been done every day since last post

12. Handmade Christmas 1/50
No new progress

13. Save/pay off 16k - £3006.02/£16k
No new progress

14. Project Life 2/13
No new progress

15. Quality Time 10/52
Three more to add. We had a trip to a local museum on Friday, Saturday we made lots of different things from a library book we got out and Sunday was a Wii game day

16. Phoning Parents - 8/52
Yes, spoke to them on Saturday and they are ok

craftingmad

Another update from me:-


1. Stash Busting - 53/365 days of no spending
Items made 121/2016
No craft spending and 4 pages of Project Life completed today

2. Decluttering 390/2016
Another 14 left the house today including an old spray bottle with some sort of liquid in it, a mystery shop completed questionnaire from 2014 and lots of empty make up packets from my daughters bedroom

3. Make £2016 - £117/£2016
No progress on total as still not been paid the £40 owed from OnePoll or money cashed out from Quidco but have completed a couple more OnePoll surveys today for 35p and also replied to a face painting enquiry so hopefully this total will be on the move again soon

4. Starting weight 12st 4lb - Weight Now - 12st 0lb
Managed my 5 a day for today

5. Sealed pot challenge - money started to be added
40p added to pot today

6. NSD - 30/120
No today. Had to go food shopping but came in under budget and grabbed a couple of extras not on my list as they were on offer and can be used next week

7. Amazon Pot - £109.76/£200 (£29.76 left over from last year)
2nd swagbucks target met so total moving closer to next payout and completed a ISay survey taking me a bit closer to the next voucher from them as well

8. 16 outlets - 0/16
No progress today

9. Store Cupboard Challenge 10/52
No,not today

10. New meals 3/12 - tuna fishcakes, savoury bread and butter pudding & savoury pancakes
Not today but we did have turkey burgers with hash browns and salad which were very nice:)

11. Flylady Challenge 38/352
Dishwasher loaded and run, kitchen cleaned and hallway tidied today

12. Handmade Christmas 1/50
No new progress

13. Save/pay off 16k - £3126.02/£16k
Transferred £120 into saving today which was last months council tax budget (as we only pay over 10 months not 12)

14. Project Life 2/13
Completed 4 more pages today Still got a bit more to do to get up to date but getting there - we obviously had a more exciting half term than I thought

15. Quality Time 10/52
No, don't want to know me tonight. Busy geeking on electronics

16. Phoning Parents - 8/52
No answer


Not massive progress but most of the totals are moving slowly towards my targets