NST: February: Back to Basics. 27 January 2016 at 8:48PM in Debt-free wannabe challenges 424 replies 30.9K views

Calling14

Happy February folks.:beer:

Today not a good start - will get petrol and much needed haircut( have coloured it myself so save pennies there)

Diet not had a good start, drank hot lemon for brekkie, cereal then came into work and ate a toasted teacake - they smelt so good. I have my friends dog after work to walk but it doesn't cope with long walks- only got little legs. Her daughter is back in hospital.

Try and walk again later tonight but if Storm Henri is here I may not! So cute they named it after my bunny.:rotfl:

Budgets
Food 0/90 cutting back:p
Petrol 0/40
House repairs 0/100 Got to make a start this month.
Going out 0/35

XSpender

Focus - NOT SPENDING and EATING WELL (not dieting) AND EXERCISE

Food - £285

Every penny has a purpose and a job. And cut it back to the bone - budgeted to cut back on food and all discretionary spend budgets this month and use YNAB which gives every £ a job

Buy a homeless person a tea/coffee; donate to a foodbank or the trussell trust; volunteer. - Will donate to food bank

Recharge your batteries. The lighter days are coming. Do what you need to do to lift your mood (that involves no spending…!) For me this is eating a well balanced diet and exercise (preferably outdoors) both of which have been sadly lacking over the last 2 months and not getting stressed about our house sale/purchase

Use it up - did well on freezer last month so will tackle larder and cleaning cupboard this month.

Avoid wants not needs - no wants for us this month, we are in super saving mode

Reduce your outings - none planned see above

Yellow Stickers We are trying to keep out of shops and using home delivery so will have limited opportunity for YS this month. 16 NSD - I am really going for this in Feb. We have restructured our budget so DH has personal spends/beer money and meals for work in the fridge which he can eat/spend as he wishes and wont impact my budget which is what usually ruins my NSD.

I felt rubbish last month due to house sale stress, poor eating and not running so this and not spending are my focus this month.

We have 2 CCs on 0%, one was to clear a loan secured on our property to enable us to move. Our goal is to clear one by the end of the year while saving up a good sized emergency fund and to clear the other by mid 2017 at the very latest.

apple_muncher

Bizarrely, my local c00p does their reductions at about 9am! Some things are reduced by a reasonable amount, but not many - I often find myself thinking, ''I could get that cheaper - and fresher - at aldee''! Needless to say, I do not acquire many c00p points...

FunBrum

I'm so glad to be doing this challenge as I really need to cut back/increase income this month.

I did a really long post at about 2am the morning...I'm not a great sleeper....but I lost it!
It must have been in the stars, as today I have studied my financial situation this month and im down £164.64 and that's with not having to pay council tax...2 free months...and doesn't include food or clothes/gifts etc. This happens occasionally due to my investment income.:(

On the plus side, my gas and electric direct debit is down to £12, and I have already bought my GS1 card and gift for his birthday on 6th.
Food is never a problem as I womble so much every week. Plus I have a few Nectar points to spend and loose change in my piggy bank!:rotfl:

So, my aim this month is to comply with the ground rules, suggestion and accepting the support on here. I need to make the deficit, then anything else can go towards my cc. There's £2,235 left. It's 0% but I want it gone by December this year. I pay £100 pm at the moment.

I'm sorry I'm all over the place, but I'm sure I will make sense eventually!:p

Good luck everyone.:j

short_bird

apple_muncher wrote: »

Could you just do half the challenge???

Enjoy the days away x

Good point, well made
They are going to be awesome days away; meeting up with old friends this weekend, there's an anniversary the week after and a trip to Paris the week after that which was pretty darn cheap as it was the week after Valentine's Day and half term.

I've had a quick look in the fridge and freezer and the tin store and I think I'm pretty well set: I'll need to do some batch cooking to sort out the fresh veggies while they're still fresh. However, I'll need milk, a loaf and can do a yellow sticker swoop. I know I need to check use by dates on what I have.

£5 to Medecins Sans Frontieres went out today and a donation will be going outlater in the week as I'm providing a raffle prize for a local cat charity to get some moggies spayed

Recharge my batteries? Yeah, that's sorted... and I'll eat as well as I possibly can when on my travels. It will probably help with the exercise as well, as we'll be out walking a lot. I don't think we're in any rush to get anywhere for a change :rotfl:

What nobbled me in January was a festival coming up later in the year. This year, due to the fantastic line up, had to bring forward all the plans, just in case it sold out. In my defense, I spent the last few years of a relationship barely going anywhere so am making up for lost time...

nannygladys

Hi everyone, I haven't been on here for some time but thought I would like to join you all this month if I can.
My February focus is going to be my health by eating properly and walking a little more so I keep feeling more positive (had problems with this just lately)
I'm debt and mortgage free, but I need to build up a bit more emergency fund and save for holidays that I hope to take sometime this year. Oh by the way I only receive the state pension so living on that is testing enough!!
On the food front I have started to use some stores up, I cant believe how much I have in, so an inventory of pantry and freezer has been done and I am crossing things off as I'm using them. So I reckon about £10-15 a week, say £50, yes £50 as I need a definite amount.
I will drop some tins into the trolley at the SM for the homeless, and give the middle bedroom a good clear and take anything worth passing on to the CS.
And I will be going out more, but looking for cheap places (not shops) and working on the allotment more as theres still plenty of digging to do and theres only me to do it, otherwise no potatoes this year!!!
Oh and 15 sfd I think of which today has been one-yay!!!!! and £40 on fuel

Nannyg

1/15 sfd
0/40 fuel
0/50 grocery

apple_muncher

Today I am grateful for dd being so flexible, for watercolours, for a functioning car, for my duvet, for friendly neighbours.

themarsbargirl

Today was a spend day, on veg and a box of maple pecan cereal which I'm putting into little tubs for snacks.
I'm counting walking to the shop and back as today's 60min walk.
Spent 2 hours 15 mins total working on dissertation today, just finished work time so came on here to post before play time

crazy_cat_lady

Evening all
Checking in with my first nsd of the month. I even went to Mr M on the way home from my PT session this evening, but it was with ds's money. He managed to smash half a dozen plates this evening, which he was then obliged to pay for. Luckily for him I knew that Mr M were selling plates off so we got six new dinner plates for £1.50.
It's been a busy day, work is still a pain in the bum but I have been to my PT session this evening, true to my word of recharging my batteries. Still loads to do - I need to update YNAB, do some crochet etc but I'm really tired so may carry some of those things over to tomorrow. I'm keeping spends tracked - just need to go through the direct debit list etc.

misstara

Very quick post before I go to bed - training again tomorrow so have been doing prep tonight. It's been a spend day - I picked up a few bits on the way home from work for tea and then ordered OH's birthday present.