2016 - A year of 16 Challenges

Tjh1412

Been getting stuck in today,progress as follows

1. List 16 things to sell each month,I've a huge box of stuff been meaning to ebay
Have selected and boxed 16 textbooks to trade in with amazon, just need to get them in post on Monday 0/16 so no more progress yet but they'll be gone tomorrow


2. Decluttering 2016 things from my house this year
Chucked out loads more today, mainly defunct paperwork and dead pens etc 174/2016

3. 16 nsd's per month
Still at 4 spend days this month so far, may beat this target 20/16 so far


4. Read 16 books per month
12/16 so far, just finished Scarcity

5. Learn 16 new things that'll help me be more frugal eg baking own bread sewing on buttons etc
Enrolled for a free course on home maintainace

6. 16 minutes each day on chores
2 loads of laundry and the bathroom blitzed today

7. Sign up to 16 extra money making methods; survey sites etc
No progress today

8. Spend 16 minutes a week on filing etc to keep on top of paperwork
All this weeks paperwork filed 4/52 now

9. Put £16 a week into my pension scheme
Paid in £75 to date, 4/52 also set up direct debit so this will be automatic


10. Pay off/save £16 a week
Been checking my sums, will be able to pay £315 off this month which is more than I thought

11. Make 16 new recipes this year
Have an angel food cake baked from scratch in the oven as we speak 1/16

12. Cut down spending by £16 a month
Taken out a subscription to the magazine I need for my course, another £13.80 saved each month

13. Craft 16 gifts for Christmas
Still nothing finished,spent an hour working on cushion today though 0/16

14. Do 16 random acts of kindness that cost nothing
Still at 2/16

15. 16 store cupboard/no cost meals a month
10/16 today,so back on track having a roast, but all paid for with vouchers and couponed the cost down to £3.21

16. Savings challenge sealed pot for xmas,minimum 16p per day to be put in
£1.27 for me today 24/365

Also, not relevant to the 16 challenges exactly but I've been accepted to do my CeMAP qualification on a learn while you earn basis; just wanted to share with someone

January2015

Tjh1412 wrote: »

4. Read 16 books per month
12/16 so far, just finished Scarcity

5. Learn 16 new things that'll help me be more frugal eg baking own bread sewing on buttons etc
Enrolled for a free course on home maintainace

How do you read so many books in a month - I stand in awe of you

Is the free course online or at a local college - I would be interested to find things like that but wouldn't know where to start looking.

Congratulations on the CeMAP. I had to google what it was

takingcontrolatlast

Wow everyone is doing really well :j

Would be interested if the books that have been read would be recommended as a good read?

Wishing you success on gaining your CeMap qualification Tjh :j

And your meal plan list January looks delicious

I'll update weekly so...

takingcontrolatlast

takingcontrolatlast wrote: »

Well here's my list - i have copied some of your ideas as i think they are inspiring as well:-

1. Make £1600 - Saved £10 from shopping today

2. Pay off £1600 of debt - For January I have paid £500

3. Save £1 a day for Xmas 2016 - tomorrow pay day so will top up and total will be £62

4. 16 NSDs a month - aiming for 4 this week

5. 16 craft items in a year 1/16 - completed a baby cardigan in Jan

6. Take packed lunch to work for 16 days at least - completed

7. Read 16 books - 0/16

8. Complete 16 projects on the house - 0/16

9. Complete 16 "fun" things with family/friends- 3/16 already in January ! this was a works meal, 40th and a 50th birthday celebration

10. Improve 16 things about me - only 16 :rotfl:

11. Visit 16 new places - 0/16

12. Learn 16 new receipes - 2/16 - this included a no pastry quiche and today i made beef in guiness casserole

13. Go to the gym 16 times - nope not yet

14. Lose 16lbs of weight the 1st half of the year - lost 4lb but put 2lb back on !

15. Lose 16lbs of weight the 2nd half of the year - :eek:

16. Do 16 things for charity - 0/16

hope this posts!

Tjh1412

Thanks January, luckily I'm a fast reader; can do a book in about 3.5 hours so that makes it easier I used to be a proof reader so speed was key .

The course is free through a local community centre, though I believe they are also offered by several colleges as an evening course. And thanks to everyone for the good luck wishes on my course; will keep you posted.

As regards recommended reads, depends what you like to read really; I'm sure could recommend something

craftingmad

Hi 16's


Welcome to our new members - some great new lists


And massive pats on the back for everyone's progress. I'm a bit ashamed to add an update as nothing has really changed since my last post. I blame Prison Break. I just can't stop watching it


Anyway spot the difference time:-


1. Stash Busting - 24/365 days of no spending
Items made 60/2016
Nothing spent and a birthday card made by my daughter for a friends party she attended over the weekend. It was made using my stash so I'm counting it

2. Decluttering 318/2016
3 more things gone - 2 x school newsletters and a large piece of cardboard from the back of a first issue of a magazine son bought

3. Make £2016 - £69/£2016
no new progress although I have applied for 5 mystery shops

4. Starting weight - Weight Now -
no but I didn't eat quite so much chocolate over the weekend

5. Sealed pot challenge - money started to be added
no more added

6. NSD - 14/120
Another NSD on Sunday but needed to fill up with fuel on Saturday

7. Amazon Pot - £69.76/£200 (£29.76 left over from last year)
no, nothing else added but still earning swagbucks and gifthulk coins

8. 16 outlets - 0/16
No new progress

9. Store Cupboard Challenge 3/52
No but hoping for one tonight or tomorrow

10. New meals 1/12 - tuna fishcakes
No but planned savoury bread and butter pudding tonight

11. Flylady Challenge 10/352
1 more day to report

12. Handmade Christmas 1/50
No new progress

13. Save/pay off 16k - £2249.34/£16k
£10 added as used present cupboard for two presents for parties my kids attended over the weekend

14. Project Life 1/13
no new progress


15. Quality Time 2/52
No

16. Phoning Parents - 5/52
no

emg

Here's my catch-up for days seven and eight

1. Take a packed lunch to work at least 16 days a month - (12/16)
No work yesterday or today. Need to take lunch for the rest of the week to meet my monthly target...

2. Do at least 15mins Flylady-ing a day
Being a bit rubbish at this one!

3. Reach my step target on Fitbit 25 days a month (8/31)
hit easily on sunday, not sure Im going to make it today though

4. Use the 'seven' fitness app at least 25 days a month
I need a kick up the backside with this one!

5. Achieve 10 No-Spend-Days a month (3/10)
Have spent money yesterday and today, not going to hit the target this month

6. Keep YNAB up to date daily - yes

7. Overpay mortgage by £3600 (£640.47/£5000) :T
Have upped my MFW target for the year to £5000 now to make it more of a challenge

8. Complete at least 30 surveys per month on survey sites (11/30)
screened out of 2 today :mad:

9. Claim work expenses on time every month (due by 4/2)
deadline is looming, need to get on with this one this week

10. Meal plan for all week day meals
Done

11. Declutter 2016 items in 2016 - 15/2016
no new things decluttered yesterday or today

12. Unsubscribe from at least one spam email everyday - yep!

13. No buying books or magazines in 2016 yep!

14. Read 16 books in 2016 0/16
about to jump in the bath with a book, might actually finish one soon!

15. Make one new recipe a month - not yet

16. Batch cook two things for the freezer each month - done for Jan

:TWell done everyone, it's great encouragement reading all your posts.:T

1974nicola

Well done. You're still well on target for mortgage - even though you've upped your target. Keep it up. You'll spur us all on!! ��

1974nicola

Just a wee update on my 16. On the whole, I feel it is going well. There is room for improvement. Monthly totals are going to be a bit short since I only really started last week! And - unusually - I'm not going to beat myself up about it. anyway, here goes. Happy challenging, everyone!
1.Frugalliving everyday. Do I need it? Can I get it cheaper elsewhere? New mantra.

Yes.Living frugally. Mantra is working.

2.Live on £160 per week. Any extra left over to frugal fund.

Yes.Managing this one - Frugal fund = £291

3. Save anything I earn from my businesses.

N/A –not earned anything yet!

4. Make businesses earn SOMETHING(!) by writing 16 blog posts per year for eachbusiness.

No – not yet.Maybe should be on there instead of here…..

5. Have 16 no spend days per month

2/31 –but only started last week so…

6. Save £16 per week towards birthdays and the same for Christmas.

Yes.£66 in the pot + £30 spent + an M+S gift card for £30

7. Have 16 'financial shutdown' weeks this year

2/16 –early days. Good news is family are on board.

8. No family holiday in 2016. (Just Krakow in January - but that's already paidfrom 2015)

Yes.Staying strong on this one.

9. Enjoy 16 family days out this year.

No – not yet.Financial shutdown week 0/16

10. Take kids swimming or cinema 16 times a month ( have annual passes)

1/16 –swimming 5/16 cinema

11. Get rid of 2016 things from my home. (This may be difficult - I don't havethat many things)

1/2016– rusty sieve in the bin

12. Set my timer to Fly lady for 16 minutes at a time.

Yes.Doing it but not setting timer. Tsk Tsk!

13. Read 16 books.

Stillon the first 1 0.5/16

13. Use the gym membership 16 times a month.


Am not going to manage this month but thereis always February 5/16
14. Lose 16 lbs in 4 months (x3)

Dunno.Scared to weigh self…..

15. Reduce TV viewing to 16 hours a month ( should actually be easy if I go togym, take kids out, read books, clean my house.......)

Yes.Managing this. Pleased. I was turning into a total couch potato!


16. Reduce: Coffee to 16 cups a week
Wine to 16 bottles a week - lol just joking - a year.

Coffeereduced but not to as little as needed

Wine.Reduced but unrealistic to have 1 bottle a month. Will revisit this one.

rdone

Really inspiring reading all of these. I've decided to start my own list!!

I have 10 items on there so far so will keep thinking of what else I can do and then post it. A couple are challenges I am doing already, but will start the rest the beginning of February I think.

Good luck with your challenge day!