NST June Challenge

misstara

Count me in thrifty

mothernerd

Lovely challenge Thrifty. Please sign me up.

Feeling overwhelmed today. Trying to make myself start painting and it's just not happening and neither is much else. However I have sent off an important letter and been to a Council information day and found out that there is an electrical waste recycing point at one of the big supermarkets.

greent

Thanks, Thrifty! Count me in please
xx

Fmess

Great challenge thrifty, count me in please

Bobarella

thriftylass wrote: »

Don't think loo roll counts towards the BEAUTY budget :rotfl: I meant more grooming items like conditioner, fancy shampoo and make up. Obviously if you have sensitive skin or a condition than exceptions can be made as that is then more a health product than beauty.

Well. Fair enough. It goes to show how back to basics my mind is these days

Dramaqueen33 wrote: »

:rotfl:

My other half is a big fan of grant Mitchell lol!

Normally I love hunting out a beauty bargain - especially for showergel etc. I've actually got 3 unopened in door as they were on offer a few weeks ago. My weakness is facewash! I've used so many premium brands - on cleanser cost me £35 once and really wasn't worth it! I use a brand now which is amazing and I think good value at £12 per 100ml. I know vanity doesn't always go hand in hand with DFW lifestyle - but I'm gonna try and keep my wrinkles at bay for as long as possible

However. In my big budget days I used to use Dermalogica for everything. Adored it. But now i couldnt possibly justify it.

Dizzy_Imp

Lovely challenge Thrifty - can I join in too please?

I doubt I'll need £5 for beauty products either. Silk purse and sow's ear...I did get a new mascara last week as my one I bought at Christmas has dried out, but I am so low maintenance. I'm currently using hand cream on my face as I don't really have any skin problems - it has SFP 50 in it too - lucky me!

crazy_cat_lady

I'm in thrifty! This looks like a fantastic challenge for June, and one I definitely need to be in on.
I should just say that I'm away from Tuesday until Friday on our annual 'frugal' caravan jaunt. Did the shopping for it today...
With dh being off work again then we have to save money (I wish he had a job that had paid sick leave) so although the nsd target looks big, I need to aim for it. I also need to do the 'use up' box again for food as my spends are getting a bit out of control.
I may not be able to be on every day in June though, as it's exam season and I am a very busy bunny. I have 2 days in London in June, which will be paid for with expenses, but other than that it should be fairly quiet as far as nights out are concerned. Hopefully a frugal month ahead.

drcee

Hi Thrifty! I would like to join please. I don't mind what number I am given. I am so excited to get started. I want to stay out of overdraft this month and this challenge will really help me :-)

Buffythedebtslayer

Hi

I am new to this challenge, although have followed as a lurker before.

Can I join?

XX

greent

OK - in the spirit of being prepared this is my pledge for June:

Back to basics with the rules

• This will commence at 00:01 on the 01/06/2016 and complete at 23:59 on the 30/06/2016

• Minimum of 20 NSDs. (It’s a long month) This challenge does NOT include rent / mortgage/ DD payments/preplanned regular spending like afterschool club or medicine. - I'm not that good with NSDs, so that will be tough!

* Pay your debt first and budget with the rest. - Standard behaviour here now.

• All monetary outgoings are to be accounted for prior to the start of the month. This includes anything from direct debits and standing orders to a basic amount for dinner dates that have already been planned. - will write budgets out either later today or tomorrow (we have visitors later)

• Utilise any random food left in cupboards / freezers etc and get creative, think twice before going out for a food shop. Only need milk and bread, stick to that. Make a list for a bigger shop and don’t go shopping hungry - cleaned, tidied and inventoried my fridge, freezer and cupboards yesterday - so know exactly where I am and what needs using up

• Batch cooking is encouraged- meals that require individual or specialised ingredients are not unless you already have them. - I don't tend to batch cook in warmer months, but I pledge not to buy any special ingredients

• No foods are to be purchased at work canteens / cafes etc. If you are having a family day out take packed lunches. (this will be hard with a non-MSE DH like mine) - we have an end of exams lunch already planned at the end of the month with the teenagers whilst the small 2 are still at school (DD taking A2s and DS1 GCSEs and end of exams have been marked for the past couple of years with lunch out that day) but that's it

• Only supermarket own brands are encouraged unless there is really sth you despise like the coffee and can’t live without the brand (like my DH). Get it delivered to prevent impulse buys… the delivery charge will outweigh impulse buys and any green-eyed monster issues you make incur. Use Aldi and LIDL, if you haven’t tried them yet you might be positively surprised. - I used to be a brand snob:o. Now I do most of my shopping at A!di (and get so much more for my money!) and use Tesc0 and A5da only for some branded items (which are mainly on silly offer too) and those things which can't be bought in A!di

• No non-essential beauty items are to be purchased. Use up everything you have in the house before ANY purchases. - I really can't think of anything which we may need other than sun cream, which is essential with fair skin anyway!
• Beauty purchases are to remain under £5 for the month if you are truly out of resources. Challenge yourself - join www.bzzagent.co.uk and see what you can get for free. (Tesco/Lidl/Aldi sell shampoo and conditioner for 75p or less each by the way). - my mum has been on hols and is bringing the airline and hotel toiletries here when she's back - I will use some and pass some on. Other than that I may need to buy s'poo for DS1 (A!di) and anti perspirant for DD (will check mysupermarket for offers on the brand she likes - I only buy it when on offer) £5 should be achievable - if I exclude suncream as a beauty purchase and make it an essential purchase (I have very fair skin (red haired dad, blonde mum ), as do 3 of my children and I suffer from PLE)

• Reduce smoking in this month by half. I know this is a difficult one so I can’t be too harsh as I’m stuck myself on quitting the last two a day (this is a rather personal challenge, so ignore if N/A). - N/A

• Try and eat at least one frog this month, a giant one (for the uninitiated it means dealing with sth that you have been putting of for ages for various reasons) – for me this will be making DH see the light. I might not make him a MSE convert but I would like him to be more sensible and understanding when it comes to money matters so we’re singing of the same hymn sheet as he is just so blase about it,
My second frog might be a trip (or the planning of it) to the German consulate to finally change my name (basically involves my whole family and about 2 dozen documents travelling to Edinbugh, mental) - I have 2 self assessments, 1 set of Co accts & 1 lot of charity paperwork to sort in June, a VAT return and a heap of stuff to organise for a festival (happening in July!!) - and I've been putting them all off

• And last but not least: Combat overwhelmed-ness : There just aren’t enough hours in the day, right? I’m guilty myself of easily being overwhelmed. I write endless lists of things that need doing but realistically are unachievable. So my aim this month is to do just one little thing a day and one slightly bigger thing a week on top of everyday stuff without beating myself up about the other 132 things I could’ve/should’ve done too. I.e. pick sth up that belongs in another room but has been stranded in the kitchen since Christmas. Can’t find any matching socks, take the 5-10 min and go through your sock drawer and reunite them, bin holey ones etc. You get the idea. - I have found that following the Marie Kondo method helps with this. However, it's been a busy couple of weeks with work and June will be relentless too, so I'm using half term to hopefully clear stuff/ prepare stuff for the rest of the month as much as possible so that I will hopefully feel less overwhelmed when back at work

And finally, blossom, enjoy life, there is too much negativity pumped into us through the media etc. Slow down. It’s nearly half way through the year and it just passed me by. Do sth everyday that makes you happy, even the smallest thing counts….. - half term usually makes me happy with the children all at home. Am not sure June works as a slow down month for our house this year - but July and August will definitely be xx


I'm not sure that I'll get on every day in June but will try x