NST October Finding Your Inner ferret

Bobarella

Mothernerd thank you so much for your kind words and amazing memory too! I forget what a slog it has been. My husband says I'm my own worst enemy. And thank you for reminding me that others are struggling too.
I am very glad to have been part of the Turtles this year and last.

x_raphael_xx

Okay, start of month goal setting time!

• Set all budgets - before the start of the month, think ahead for any birthdays, outings etc. All my bills are covered from my second account (I have a weekly DD to pay money in as soon as my wages go in every Friday) so I only have to worry about the extras.
  I have one birthday to plan for this month, and hes happy with a gift card, so that's an easy one.My weekly music lessons are budgeted for so I only have to plan for some petrol (I'm on half a tank at the moment and topping up will be around £15.) some groceries (BF offered to buy all if I buy the meat from the butchers, usually £30-£40 every 2-3 weeks, and we've just topped up) and a shopping trip mid month when we head to Exeter for a half marathon. At the least it will cost us a hot chocolate in costa (a post-run tradition) at the most, a few xmas presents.
  
• Aim for [STRIKE]15[/STRIKE]20 NSD I think I will aim for 20 NSDs. My weekly sax lessons are budgeted for so I don't count those as a spend (Just a bonus if the lesson is ever cancelled like yesterday as tutor is on holiday). It should be do-able.
  
• Extra cash – share any ideas which work, trawl the other threads for something you haven't tried recently. I have one thing on eb@y at the moment, which has been relisted as there was zero interest. I have lowered the start price and have one watcher, so that's something. I'm not expecting big bucks, but it was an unwanted gift and is just gathering dust. I must have a hunt around for other things to flog.
  
• Learn something new. I'm crocheting a blanket for my brother for xmas, I only know how to do 'granny squares' so its turned into a big pixel art thing with hundreds of tiny squares I need to stitch together. I would like to learn some new crocheting techniques and maybe make a scarf for my mum. I will research this probably mid-month, when hopefully my brother blanket will be mostly finished.
  
• Food budget - Should be set realistically. Base your purchases around basics range and yellow stickered items. BF has helpfully said he will cover all the shopping if I buy the meat. We have just stocked the freezer so I won't need to visit the butcher til probably (hopefully) week 3. Should be around £30-£40 so I have budgeted £60 as we might see some nice steaks or something on our next visit
  
• You will NOT use any of the following; restaurants, cafes, work canteens, vending machines, takeaways, Starbucks, Costa, Nero or any other chain cafe! I always take lunch to work, I'm horrified at the amount some people spend in the office on food, some of them eat out every day at the bakery & what-not! Lunch is usually leftovers from the night before, or a chicken salad. We rarely eat out. BF loves a takeaway, and I'm usually persuaded, but I told him NO! last night, and I shall stand firm for the month. We also rarely visit coffee shops, but we have one Costa trip planned for our post-half marathon hot choc with the works.
  
• Lunch to work everyday and plan for appointments and days out. A packed lunch is taken to work everyday, and the only day I can foresee us needing lunch out is post-run in Exeter. I have enough points saved on my Subway card for a free footlong, so (unless BF pays for lunch elsewhere) we can share a sub.
  
• Travel budget – petrol or public transport for work, leisure, hospital appointments. Can you walk/cycle? Can you combine journeys – shopping/ work/ gym? I cycle to work when I can (I don't like cycling in for night shifts or rush hour). BF usually pops into the shops on his drive home from work, and we are in walking distance to the gym. I have half a tank of fuel so will need to fill up at least once.
  
• Healthy eating – Up your fruit and veg. I haven't kept a tally, but I probably have 2-3 a day. My packed lunch is always bulging with fruit as I'd rather snack on that than something sugary. I will try and keep a more accurate count.
  
• Donation - Make a food bank donation (3 items or £3) or alternative charity if preferred My step-mum is doing a sponsered walk along the Great wall of China (or the 'Alright wall of China' as Karl Pilkington described it) for Against Breast Cancer charity. I have already sponsored her when she signed up, but she has only 17 days before she goes and she is only 66% at her target. So I will donate a little more.
  
• Exercise - 5 times a week. Must stick to this. Even if its just a walk around the park.
  

Poppy3008

OK, I am copying your format X-Raphael-XX.


Set Budget - all DD are covered, what's left over must cover food, fuel and things we need for the new house (like the new washing line etc) Need to confirm this with OH to set strict costs as there is so much we need/want to get. Already decided budget for food for me £25 a week except the week inlaws stay.
NSD - as I work from home I am aiming these days to be NSD as it would mean driving and we are rather rural and to be honest I often can't be bothered so should be good. Lets say I will manage 15 minimum.
Extra cash - we are doing a car boot sale tomorrow so I hope this will generate some money and also some items I have for sale on ebay. I struggle with ebay as it seems so complicated these days!
Learn Something New - my turn to make the Christmas cakes for the family this year - never made Christmas cakes or even a fruit cake so this will be my learning!
Food Budget - well, as said £25 for me, OH about the same but I don't like to scare him so he can tell me what he spends and I can fit it in. To be honest - he usually spends about £25 so I will expect that (we live apart in the week hence separate food bills). I will try Aldi for a change and local greengocers and butchers this month when possible. Need to budget cost for 4 x Christmas cakes!!!!
No cafes etc - other than when in laws stay this is easy for me. OH not so much due to being in London and getting train to and from home but he has a Costa card so he can use this as that's already accounted for. Too rural for take away delivery and anything localish to collect has never been great so we don't bother.
Lunch - work from home - sorted! And if I do a nightshift then I HAVE to make sure I don't visit the shop for goodies. That will be hard.
Travel - aiming to only use car when necessary - take OH to and from bus station, include a trip to pool on the Monday, shopping, including via the dump, dog to walked locally. If I run out of something i'll have to cycle to local shop (10 mile round trip) - that will decide if I need it!
Healthy eating - using MFP at moment and slacking badly! Need to get back onto this. More veg needed as ok with fruit.
Donation - I always try to get a few basic bits to pop in the foodbank box at Mr T - will carry on. Aim to spend a £1 each time but to get 5 items for that. Also, need to register for Moonwalk (London) so might even start my fundraising!
Exercise - I will run 3 x week (not great at this) and dog has to have two walks a day, minimum.

x_raphael_xx

Poppy3008 wrote: »

I will try Aldi for a change and local greengocers and butchers this month when possible.

Aldi is our staple, they do tasty wagu steaks for a nice price. We also shop at Lidl (BF does his mums shopping and there are some own brands she likes so we have to go to both).
We used to do a Morries trip once every couple of weeks, mainly for their own brand dog food which mine used to love, and we'd pick up a few bits while we were there. As we sadly have no need for dog food now, we rarely go there.
Only thing I can't find in Aldi & Lidl is tasty apples, I'm very fussy and will only eat Golden Delicious, and their apples just aren't sharp enough for me.

Poppy3008

Interesting, I bought some Royal Gala apples in Lidl and I have found them nice! I ought to go to Asda as I could combine it with Aldi as they are in the same park. Need to stop being a slave to Mr T. There is my challenge!

XSpender

Can I do a meercat instead of a ferret dance Mothernerd? I was attacked by a ferret when I was 7 or 8 and even now if I see one on the telly it gives me the heebie jeebies :rotfl:

Get Outside Everyday 0/30 – this should be achievable as I live in a semi-rural area and have a dog to walk so no excuse

Food Budget £500 (£400 stretch) – Started yesterday with a £49 delivery and £24 in Mr T today. This ties in with my personal target to reduce our monthly food spend by £150. This is a major overspend area for us and is preventing us spending money on doing the house up or paying off debt quicker

Half Term and Entertainment Budget £100 – Double the budget this month to allow for half term. We are not usually off for a week at home so I am allowing for a cinema trip (DH and I have free tickets to use), swimming and a bowl of soup at our favourite NT place.

Miscellaneous Budget £100 – I normally budget £50 but go way over it so have increased the budget to less than I have spent recently as I want to focus on reducing what I spend here. Everything that doesn’t have an YNAB category goes in here i.e. dry cleaning, car wash, stamps, money for school etc.

Learn something new – my goal is to learn how to do a full press up i.e. straight legs, chin to floor by the end of October. My PT wont allow me to do the knees on the floor ones anymore:(. 2 sets of 10 each day should help.

SFD 0/15 – DH and I have agreed to stop popping to the local co-op as it is costing us £30 time when DH only wants some beer and better planning should help with this and other spends. I always struggle with this target but I am really going to go for it this month. If DH wants some beers and we don't spend anything else I am counting it as a NSD.

Lunch to work 0/18 – lower target as I am off work on holiday 1 week and DH 2 days and my lunch is paid for by work. If I don't make DH lunch he will buy something instead so will ensure there are his favourite RMs for when I am away as he will take these and its cheaper and better for him than the rubbish on the sandwich van

5 a day F &V 0/30 – my diet has gone a bit haywire over the last 3 months and I need to focus on this as I weigh 6lb more than this time last year! Aiming for 2 meat free evening meals a week which should help the budget too. I'm also logging everything in MFP again as it makes me think about what I am eating as it has to be logged on the app.

Cafes - budgeted for one lunch and one breakfast from half term pot

Exercise 5/week 0/20 – I have 2 PT sessions most weeks but I have a run next month that I must train for and a dog that needs walks. I start a new role in 2 weeks and will be away a lot so will book hotels with gym and either run or swim.

Make some money £55/£250 – I set myself a target of raising £250 by the EOY in September and have achieved £55 so far with another £100 or so due from some old expenses and selling an old phone. If I can achieve £250 by the end of October I am going for another £250 by 31st December. The original £250 is to top the savings back up and the extra £250 is to go towards a carpet, blind and paint for DS bedroom. This is from TTs, and other extra bits of income/savings I can scrape together.

Food bank donation £3 or 3 items – will drop this off next week when I do the weekly shop

indigowarrior

Can I join please. The only thing that is likely to throw me off whack is that I am expecting a baby in a few weeks but thats the reason I want to do it as I seem to find that I have no money left and dont want to be caught short

indigowarrior

My budget: Food: 200 including drinks and stuff for my daughters packed Lunch. Electric 80 (Electric is my only source of power and heat and can add up) Water: 150 (I am in arrears with water and would like to catch up) Sky: I have phone line and broadband. Emergancy taxi fund: £60 This is in case I go into labor and cant get an ambulance. £36 nursery. £30 for snacks and treats whilst in hospital. £90 train fair for my friend to come and visit. (I already promised this)

Go outside everyday: I do this anyway as I like to encourage my little girl to be active. However, I will start leaving my purse and card at home.

NSD: 0/20 days. I am going to go for 20 days as I am not up to walking much and I intend to make lists when I do.

No cafes: I have an appointment on the 7th october at the hospital and I will be there all day so I will most likely spend some money then. However I will not buy a bottle of fizzy pop like I always do and take a bottle of water with me instead

I will donate 3 items for the food bank.

Planning_ahead

Hi All

I'll join for the first time this month

Aim for 15 NSD
Extra cash – make sure all overtime is paid on time, use lidl and tesco vouchers
Learn something new want to some slow cooker meals I can freeze in batches and homemade soups.
Food budget - Try shopping at newly opened lidl for a month
Lunch to work everyday
Healthy eating – Up your fruit and veg and reduce sugar intake
Donation - Animal sanctuary
Exercise - 5 times a week -walk the dog
Dare I add alcohol free days (easy to say when it's September)

Debt free date October 2017 for CC/loans and May 2023 for my mortgage

mothernerd

XSpender wrote: »

Can I do a meercat instead of a ferret dance Mothernerd? I was attacked by a ferret when I was 7 or 8 and even now if I see one on the telly it gives me the heebie jeebies .:rotfl:

Meercats welcome here.